As President Donald Trump's second term marks its first anniversary on January 20, 2026—following domestic reforms like the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), mass federal layoffs, and immigration crackdowns—his 'America First' foreign policy has triggered widespread international upheaval. Tariffs hitting India with up to 50% levies, military interventions, and exits from global institutions have strained economies and alliances worldwide. (Part of the 'Trump's Second Term: Year One' series.)
President Trump's second term has featured aggressive domestic actions, including 228 executive orders, DOGE establishment, termination of over 317,000 federal workers, DEI office closures, 600,000 deportations, and visa bans on 75 countries—detailed in prior coverage.
Foreign policy has dominated recent months, upending global norms:
In April 2025, invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, Trump imposed 10% tariffs on all imports, escalating to 50% on India for 'fairness,' as stated in his February 2025 X post: "whatever a country charges the United States of America, we will charge them the same - no more, no less!" This disrupted supply chains and inflated costs globally.
Other moves included excluding South Africa from the G20 in November 2025; a 2025 military attack on Iran without UN approval, breaching international law; and, on January 7, 2026, withdrawal from 66 organizations like the WHO (slashing its $400-500 million U.S. funding), Paris Agreement, and International Solar Alliance.
In January 2026, U.S. forces conducted a raid in Venezuela, capturing President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores on narco-terrorism charges. Trump announced: "Last night and early today, at my direction, the United States armed forces conducted an extraordinary military operation..." The U.S. plans to oversee a transition there.
Trump also chairs a 'Board of Peace' for Gaza, seeking $1 billion in fees from nations including India, and reiterated interest in acquiring Greenland. In a January 8, 2026, interview, he declared: "I don't need any international law; the limits of my power are only my morality."
These steps assert U.S. primacy but critics argue they erode multilateralism.
