By Deepjoy Das
Washington, DC [US], January 1 : With less than a month remaining for the completion of the first year of his second term, Tariffs, Trade, and Tantrums aptly sums up the 47th President of the United States' approach to governance, an approach that continues to take him to places few could have ever anticipated.
Donald Trump's presidency has been a whirlwind, as he took office at the White House for the second time, ruling the country in an "unpresidential manner", with some experts describing it as a "cowboy diplomatic style", with three years still left in his bag.
Breaking protocol, legally and sometimes leading him to the courts, the 47th President guided the White House through a lens of high-stakes deals, whether business, ceasefires, or punitive tariffs.
His second administration's governance model has become unmistakably clear, with experts noting that Trump has chosen speed over process, pressure over persuasion, and deals over doctrine.
From aggressive tariffs and hardline immigration enforcement to transactional diplomacy and an expanding assertion of presidential power, the past year has also redefined how America engages with itself and the world, with experts arguing that while the United States remains indispensable, its credibility, consistency, and leadership optics have taken measurable hits under Trump despite his portraying himself as "The Peace President".
Foreign Affairs Expert Robinder Sachdev underscores the structural shift, characterising Trump's first year of his second term as high-impact, high-speed, and disruptive, driven by preparation, loyalist governance, and an unprecedented use of executive authority.
Meanwhile, West Asia Strategist Waiel Awwad observes that this current administration has operated more as a "bullying" force, creating a landscape filled with both "areas of success and negative feedback", blurring the lines between a strategic partner and a trade adversary into a single, transactional reality.
Setting the tone for what follows, the first year of Trump's second term can be broadly assessed across six defining pillars, which show how his America First policy has moved from a rally cry to a disruptive global reality, with tariffs as statecraft, immigration as enforcement theatre, lingering controversies like the Epstein files, ambitious but fragile claims as the "Peace President", transactional diplomacy as foreign policy, particularly with India, and the broader reshaping of a multipolar world order amid America's assertive yet increasingly contested global role.
For Trump, tariffs have been the defining instrument of his second-term statecraft. Rolled out rapidly and often arbitrarily, they have been positioned as a cure-all for trade imbalances, fiscal deficits, and even geopolitical conflicts.
According to Sachdev, tariffs served four clear objectives: correcting perceived historical unfairness, generating revenue, cushioning domestic political constituencies, and forcing foreign investment into the United States.
"He had three or four objectives in mind with regard to tariffs. One is that he had a lifelong belief that other nations have taken unfair advantage of America... Second is his one global defining mark this year, which was the money that they would collect. It was positioned that tariffs will bring money into the US government treasury," Sachdev said.
He also noted that the US President began "liking" tariffs after he realised that he could leverage them as a tool for his 'peace diplomacy'.
"Third, they had money; some money will be given to the industry, which has been affected, which is a political dole-out. Lastly, he would compel other countries to invest in America... In totality, he has succeeded in some of it," Sachdev said.
"Trump started liking tariffs even more when he realised that by making threats of tariffs, he can bring about peace," he added, citing claims related to India-Pakistan and Thailand-Cambodia, which remain deeply contested.
Investment announcements from the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Gulf states and others, collectively running into USD 9.6 trillion according to the White House, have validated Trump's coercive economic model, at least on paper, despite his claims of securing over USD 20 trillion.
Yet critics point out that the approach has alienated partners.
"He acknowledged that he lost India to China and Russia because of his tariff imposed on India. So I think that harsh measure he's been trying to give does not give good leadership," Awwad stated.
"Putting a tariff on countries, on the enemies and on the partners of the United States, showed very clearly that the US, under his administration, has been bullying more of a cowboy diplomatic style," he added.
If tariffs defined Trump's foreign engagement, immigration enforcement defined his domestic agenda.
The administration pursued highly visible actions such as raids, mass arrests, deportation targets and ICE operations designed to project deterrence.
"When initially in ICE, they were rounding up people and all... Videos were made," Sachdev said.
"They ordered that all the agents who go to arrest any immigrant should go in special jackets with big ICE letters on the back and should have a minimum of five cars with sirens blaring," he added.
Daily arrest targets and aggressive enforcement have pushed the issue into courts nationwide.
Sachdev noted that the American "melting pot" has been replaced by a "boxing ring".
"Unfortunately, what has happened in America now has become a boxing ring," he said.
Awwad warned of growing unrest, stating, "America is heading for a civil war under his leadership rather than stabilisation."
Trump later turned to skilled immigration, imposing a USD 100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications.
Controversies resurfaced with the Epstein files, where delayed releases and cabinet loyalty fuelled backlash despite no wrongdoing being alleged against Trump.
Trump's "peace president" narrative also faltered, with military actions in Iran and Venezuela contradicting the claim.
Efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war stalled, with a failed Alaska summit and rejected peace proposals.
"This is not a successful story," Awwad said.
Relations with India saw strain amid tariffs, mediation claims, and cancellations, pushing New Delhi to recalibrate ties.
"America needs India more than India needs America," Awwad noted.
As Trump enters the second year of his second term, experts agree the world has adjusted to a multipolar order.
"America will stay," Awwad said, "but America is no more the supreme superpower."
One year into Trump's second term, the scorecard remains mixed but consequential, with disruption defining governance and durability emerging as the central question.
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