Name: A reality check on President Trumps promises
Uploaded: 2025-12-24T16:52:02.079Z
Duration: 2 min 40 s
Description: According to the Pew Research Center, just 17% of Americans say they trust the federal government to do what is right most of the time or always. (Scripps News)

According to the Pew Research Center, just 17% of Americans say they trust the federal government to do what is right most of the time or always. (Scripps News)

Washington

President Trump's second term in 2025 was marked by significant political activity, including major policy shifts and the elimination of some government agencies. This report reviews the status of his main promises: government spending cuts, border security, economic improvement, and restoring trust in government.

While some goals saw partial progress, such as reduced illegal border crossings and lower gas prices, other areas fell short or sparked controversy. Federal spending increased despite efficiency initiatives, economic confidence declined, and public trust in government remained low, with only 17% of Americans expressing confidence according to Pew Research.

A reality check on President Trump's promises

You can't deny that 2025 was a busy year politically. Some government policies were completely upended. Some government agencies completely eliminated. While the president has claimed that our country is back, we're looking at some of the promises that President Trump made at the beginning of the year and where he stands nearly one year into his second term. Congratulations. President Trump began 2025 with major promises and he's ending it projecting confidence. Our country is back. But this year was a mixed bag of success and failure for the White House. Trump promised number one, doge cuts. President Trump and Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, had ambitious plans for the Department of Government Efficiency. Musk initially promised $2 trillion worth of cuts, but Doge's website says it only saved taxpayers around 214 billion. And that number has been disputed by many economists. Elon Musk recently called Doge, quote, somewhat successful, but added that he wouldn't do it again. Doge didn't cut on net a single penny of federal spending. Federal spending actually went up by $248 billion. Trump promised number two, securing the southern border. According to the Department of Homeland Security's website, illegal border crossings are down 93% year over year and that more than 2.5 million illegal aliens have left the US because of the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration. President Trump's deportation efforts, though, have been marked by controversy. The Scripps News Group has documented claims of expired food, undrinkable water, and a lack of access to attorneys at some detention facilities. Trump promised number three, economic improvement. This one depends on who you ask. Gas prices are down, averaging below $3 a gallon. Wall Street has seen historic gains. And new tax policies, like no taxes on tips, have been signed into law. But unemployment is at a four-year high. Inflation has gone up, which economists have said is driven by President Trump's tariffs. Economic confidence is at a 17-month low, according to Gallup. Trump promised number four, bring back trust in government. President Trump has attempted to do this by overhauling the Department of Justice and appointing public health officials who are calling for vaccine reforms. But controversial pardons and indictments of political rivals, combined with the longest government shutdown in history, are not sitting well with many Americans. According to Pew Research, just 17% of Americans now say they trust the government in Washington to do what is right just about always or most of the time. Joe St. George, Scripps News Group, Washington.

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Breakdown