With year one of his second term under his belt, Trump faces daunting challenges in 2026
He speaks his mind, even if he veers off on tangents. He tells you what he’s going to do and how he’s going to do it, and then he does it. He rarely flip-flops in the face of criticism — if anything, he doubles down.
Politifact, which tracks Trump’s campaign promises and compares them to his performance, reports that of 55 promises, Trump has kept 12, 31 are still in the works, and he has broken only one, which was too rash to make in the first place — namely, to end the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours.
Despite Trump’s consistency, public discontent in the first year of his second term is widespread and profound. Most polls show Trump’s approval rating hovering around 40%, and 60% of the country believes America is headed in the wrong direction.
Many of Trump’s critics wouldn’t like him no matter what he did, even if he delivered a chicken in every pot and a Tesla in every garage. They will never make peace with his crass, combative manner. Others take issue with his policies or priorities. Recent polls show that a majority of Americans believe Trump is overemphasizing foreign policy, such as trying to take over Gaza and Greenland. In contrast, most Americans couldn’t find Gaza on a map and care only about how much green lands in their wallets or purses, and how far that goes at Target or Walmart.
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