President Donald Trump returned to office a year ago with four clear priorities: secure the border, lower costs for working-class Americans, restore economic growth and put good-paying American jobs first.
John Fredericks
As he prepares to deliver his State of the Union address, measurable results are are undeniable. And the second phase is already forming.
First is his success at the border.
Through executive enforcement, reinstated deterrence policies, expanded Border Patrol deployment and tighter interior enforcement, illegal crossings have fallen to 6,500 in December compared to the surge of 249,700 in December 2023.
The contrast is stark. Under President Joe Biden, mass illegal entry overwhelmed border communities and interior cities. Trump reversed course in a matter of months, using executive authority and enforcement discipline.
Remember the argument that only sweeping legislation — including amnesty — could fix the crisis? Trump’s first year has proven otherwise.
Cartel leverage has weakened. Smuggling routes have been disrupted. Sanctuary loopholes have narrowed. The incentive structure has changed.
President Donald Trump is the consummate salesman, and his State of the Union address will seek to convince Americans our republic is in a better place. Despite some improvements, the American people at their core know things aren’t so rosy.
Communities along the southern border report relief from the daily strain of mass crossings. Law enforcement is no longer diverted by the crisis levels of the past. For American workers, labor market pressure from unchecked illegal immigration has eased.
Border policy shifted quickly because enforcement priorities shifted quickly.
Second is the TrumpRx program.
The administration’s prescription drug initiative emphasized price transparency, accelerated generic approvals, expanded competition and regulatory pressure on pharmacy benefit middlemen who have long operated in opaque pricing systems.
The results are showing up in insulin pricing, brand-name drugs and common maintenance medications. Seniors on fixed incomes should see lower out-of-pocket costs in several high-use categories.
Rather than expanding federal control over health care, the administration relied on competition and leverage.
Health care inflation remains a challenge, but Trump is moving prices in the right direction.
Public health policy also has moved decisively.
Under the Make America Healthy Again initiative, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has targeted ultra-processed foods, aggressive marketing to children and labeling practices that obscure nutritional content.
Childhood obesity and early-onset diabetes have become central concerns. The administration has pushed transparency standards, reformulation incentives and stronger nutritional guidelines in federally supported programs.
The objective is not prohibition. It is accountability and informed choice that reduce long-term chronic disease.
Then there’s the James Carville standard: “It’s the economy, stupid.”
The One Big Beautiful Bill reshaped the tax structure for working Americans. It eliminates federal taxes on tips, overtime pay and portions of Social Security income, and it expands small business expensing.
The effect is direct. Service workers keep more of what they earn. Tradespeople working overtime see immediate benefit. Retirees experience lighter tax exposure. Small businesses can reinvest in hiring, equipment and expansion.
Labor participation has strengthened. Domestic energy production is helping manufacturing and transportation.
The governing formula is straightforward: Lower tax burdens on work, reduce regulatory friction, prioritize domestic production and allow private capital to move.
Americans enjoy more disposable income and fewer barriers to job creation.
Trump campaigned on results. He delivered and is now on the cusp of an economic explosion.
The stock market hit 50,000, and the U.S. has strong growth.
The direction of America is unmistakable. Year one of Trump's second term delivered structural change. Year two is positioned to test how far and how fast the resurgence can run. Fasten your seatbelts, folks. The boom phase is coming to a Main Street near you.
Did someone say midterms?
