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The United States Republican party leader, Donald Trump, won the 2024 U.S. election, defeating Democrat party candidate Kamala Harris, and resumed office as the 47th president on January 20, 2025. He became the first former president to return to the White House since Grover Cleveland (1892) . In his first term in 2016, he took bold moves with his ‘America First’ policies. In his second term, he is even more determined to push forward with his plans. Analysts point out that Trump shares a great deal of similarities with the previous US president Andrew Jackson, who also gave great importance to the USA's greatness and sovereignty. Shortly after taking office, Trump signed numerous executive orders to reverse policies and enforce his Make America Great Again (MAGA) agenda aiming to reshape governance and appeal to his populist base. He is determined to reassert the USA’s sovereignty and will go against anything that threatens it. His vision includes making the USA greater, stronger and exceptional than it was before . However, some analysts believe that his MAGA plan may not make America great again and predict that MAGA supporters might soon become fed up with Trump. 

Trump announced 25% tariffs on foreign steel and aluminium without exceptions or exemptions. The decision removes special exemptions for some countries and raises the tax on both metals to 25%. The idea behind this Steel and aluminium tariff is to end foreign dumping, increase domestic production and make the steel and aluminium industry a pillar of the USA’s economy and national security. Trump placed taxes on Canada, China, and Mexico to produce goods domestically, although it could result in higher pricing for consumers. All three nations responded by announcing retaliatory economic actions. Only after Canada and Mexico agreed to bolster border security, Trump postponed tariffs for a month. Meanwhile, China started an antitrust investigation into Google and imposed retaliatory taxes on American goods.

He has also ordered an end to birthright citizenship to the offspring of temporary visa holders and illegal immigrants. This action has raised concerns about the future of birthright citizenship in the USA and has the potential to establish an underclass that mostly affects communities of color though the order was blocked for being "unconstitutional".

Trump suspended the U.S. refugee resettlement program, canceling approved travel for thousands of refugees stranding many worldwide. Advocacy groups and veterans urge clear communication and call on the U.S. to keep its promises to allies.

He declared a national emergency at the US-Mexico border, resuming border wall construction and launching mass deportations. His administration intends to conduct the largest deportation campaign in U.S. history, with large-scale immigration raids anticipated soon. He also plans to reinstate the "Remain in Mexico" policy, terminate asylum and suspend refugee resettlement.

He planned the expansion of the Guantánamo Bay detention facility to accommodate up to 30,000 deported immigrants, which he claims are "the worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people." Amnesty International criticized the move, warning that Guantánamo has a history of torture and indefinite detention without trial.

He ordered the U.S. to leave the World Health Organization (WHO) and pause foreign aid for three months. However, this may harm global health security and efforts to fight diseases. Critics warn that leaving the WHO could weaken U.S. health security by cutting access to vital data. 

He also put economic sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) after it issued arrest warrants for Israeli leaders Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza. He claimed it threatened U.S. sovereignty, arguing it was unfairly targeting the U.S. and Israel but human rights groups argued it undermined international justice and would discourage victims of human rights abuses from seeking accountability. 

He withdrew the U.S. from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and permanently ended funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Sanctions against radical Israeli settlers in the West Bank have also been lifted by Trump.

Trump declared a national energy emergency to boost fossil fuel projects. He signed executive orders to expand oil and gas drilling, especially in Alaska and offshore areas and lifted a pause on LNG export approvals. Trump also halted offshore wind leasing for an environmental and economic review. While the oil and gas industry supports these moves, environmentalists and climate activists criticize them, warning they could worsen climate change and raise costs for consumers. Despite warnings from climate scientists that withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement might hinder the U.S.'s position in global clean energy initiatives, he ultimately decided to pull the USA out of the agreement, claiming it unjustly transfers taxpayer funds to other nations and hurts American interests. Additionally, he withdrew a Biden-era policy to end single-use plastics and halted the Green New Deal. Critics caution that these actions might degrade U.S. climate leadership and have negative environmental effects.

As most countries move toward greater interdependence, the United States appears to be taking a different path. There seems to be diminishing engagement on climate-related and human rights issues, which could pose challenges for less-developed nations that are disproportionately affected by natural disasters. Additionally, starting a trade war with Canada and Mexico could place the U.S. at a disadvantage. Strengthening ties with allies and neighbouring countries is crucial for addressing shared economic and security concerns.

Furthermore, the Trumpian perspective that participation in multilateral organizations or treaties hinders U.S. governance is worth reconsidering. Engaging in such agreements can, in many cases, help advance national interests, particularly in addressing global challenges like climate change and terrorism, which are difficult to tackle unilaterally. If this trend continues, there is a possibility that the United States could gradually diminish its soft power influence and find itself increasingly isolated on the global stage.

Nuzhat Tabassum, Program Assistant, Centre for Governance Studies. 

Views in this article are author’s own and do not necessarily reflect CGS policy.