On January 20, 2025, Trump came into office with a huge to-do list, including mass deportation, imposing of tariffs, and implementing an “America First” foreign policy. In his first year in office, Trump has carried out this to-do list and significantly decreased the overall size of the government.
The Trump administration during campaigning said they would conduct the largest mass deportation in history if he was elected. In the past year, raids, heightened enforcement, and arrests conducted by the Trump administration have increased exceptionally. The arrival of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents into cities increased tension and has caused many spurts of violence, including the shooting and killing of a woman in Minneapolis. As of January 2026, the number of people in detention is at an all time high and ICE arrests have doubled.
In Trump’s first term he used tariffs and taxes on foreign countries’ goods. The Trump administration would also threaten countries like Canada and Mexico with tariffs when negotiating trade deals. In Trump’s January inaugural speech he promised to “tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens.” In his most recent term, Trump has come back with sweeping tariffs and more tariff threats against United States trading partners. Tariffs are on track to reduce US Gross Domestic Product by 0.5% in the future. Tariffs have caused prices of goods to rise, and businesses that depend on imported products and supplies have struggled as a result.
Many presidents add personal flourishes to the design of the White House, and while major renovations have been completed over the years, many of them have focused on modernizing or stabilizing the 225-year-old structure. Trump has departed from that precedent with his latest plan: building a 90,000 square foot ballroom. When demolition crews were first spotted around the East Wing on October 20, the administration promised minimal impact on the building. Three days later, on October 23, The New York Times reported that the entire wing was to be demolished. This project is reported to cost 300 million dollars, and is being funded privately by the president and unknown investors.
The Society of Architectural Historians published a letter urging the administration to consult with them, and highlighting their concerns for ‘the people’s house’. One student at St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School is vehemently against this new addition, saying: “What could the government need a giant ballroom for? What justifies the hundreds of millions they spent, when the country is already in deep debt? Nothing. It’s akin to the Palace of Versailles. The people are struggling and starving while the government creates luxury for itself. It’s disgusting.”
This is not the first time that Trump has left his mark on the White House. Another dramatic change occurred in the Rose Garden. The formerly green lawn area was paved to make a large patio for speeches.
Trump pitched his campaign as ‘America First’. Throughout the first year of his second term, international conflicts have moved to the foreground of American political discussion. He has expressed interest in taking Canada as a state, invading Greenland, and taking over the West Bank. He has rolled out a red carpet for President Putin of Russia and berated the president of Ukraine in the Oval Office. The most recent foreign affair has been in Venezuela. On January 3, 2026, the US launched a campaign into the country, bombing military sites. The president of Venezuela was taken and is currently being held in a prison in New York. When asked on a form if they agreed with the administration’s foreign policies one student responded: “NO NOT AT ALL”
Saints have a mixture of reactions to the past year of Trump, but the majority believe that Trump has not lived up to his promises that he made while campaigning. Out of 60 responses to a survey for The Voice sent to the student body, 82% declared that they do not believe that Trump stuck with his campaign promises. In written responses, several people elaborated on this. One student said: “He claimed he would isolate the US and he’s just not.” Another detailed that “the economy is crashing and people have lost their jobs, and the government shut down for a month” Others has less scathing reviews, like the student who responded: “Part of politics is making promises that you and your political party have no intention of fulfilling. Every party and every elected leader has made promises without keeping them.” From the responses to the form, it seems that one answer can sum up many Saints’ feelings about the first year of the second Trump administration: “He’s made the US a laughing stock.”
