What’s the state of the nation in 2026?
Image: Jess Daninhirsch
President Trump delivered his State of the Union address to Congress this week, in a record-long 1 hour and 48 minute speech that made extensive use of American heroes in attendance.
But outside of the US Capitol, what’s the current state of the nation after the first year-plus of Trump’s second term?
Economy: The annual inflation rate stood at 2.4% last month, lower than the 3% in January 2025 when Trump returned to the White House. Overall, US GDP increased by 2.2% last year—the slowest pace since 2022—while major stock indexes saw annual gains ranging from 13%-21%.
- Over in the jobs market: the unemployment rate stood at 4.3% last month, up slightly from 4.2% in January 2025.
- At the same time, US employers added just 181,000 new jobs last year, the lowest annual total in over two decades outside of a recession.
Immigration: Trump’s admin has made cracking down on unlawful border crossings and deporting immigrants living in the US illegally a main point of emphasis in his second term.
- Under the aggressive push, ICE and Border Patrol agents surged into major US cities and sometimes clashed with residents (notably in Minneapolis).
- Overall, the number of migrants caught illegally crossing the US-Mexico border last fiscal year fell to the lowest level since 1970, while ICE arrested 746 people/day from January-October of 2025.
Foreign affairs: President Trump has been involved in a wide range of major foreign policy actions over the past year-plus.
- They include brokering a fragile ceasefire deal in Gaza, capturing autocratic leader Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela and pressing European countries to increase defense spending.
- Other actions include a tariff campaign targeting nearly every country (recently struck down by SCOTUS), threatening to take over Greenland from fellow NATO ally Denmark, creating a Trump-led Board of Peace, and escalating pressure on Iran to dismantle its nuclear program.
Federal budget: The US gov’t ran a ~$1.8 trillion budget deficit in FY 2025, lower than the previous two years, as overall spending ($7.1 trillion) continued to rise. Tax bills for many Americans are projected to decrease for 2025 following the passage of the GOP-backed One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which prevented previous tax cuts from expiring.
Energy & Climate: Trump’s admin has prioritized boosting US energy production by removing certain regulations for nuclear- and fossil fuel-based power sources. At the same time, the admin has pulled back from renewable energy sources, and recently repealed the EPA’s 2009 “endangerment finding” classifying greenhouse gases like CO2 as threats to public health.
📊 Flash poll: In general, do you have a positive or negative opinion of President Trump’s job performance just over a year into his second term?
See a 360° view of what pundits are saying →
Sprinkles from the Left
- Some commentators argue that while Trump described his first year as a sweeping economic turnaround, key claims about lower costs, tax relief, and the impact of tariffs don’t fully line up with broader data on prices and household expenses, suggesting the country’s economic footing may be more mixed than the speech implied.
- Others contend that most Americans still describe the economy as only fair or poor, and there remains a clear gap between White House messaging and how families are actually experiencing prices for health care, housing, and everyday goods.
- “Boasting, bashing, and lying: Three writers on Trump’s State of the Union address” –Joan Vennochi, Abdallah Fayyad and Noah Rothman, Boston Globe
- “Trump Finally Gave an Affordability Speech” –Nia-Malika Henderson, Bloomberg
- “Donald Trump’s State of the Union Was Long and Wrong” –Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker
Sprinkles from the Right
- Some commentators argue that Trump’s first year back in office produced extended tax cuts, stronger border enforcement, and steady top-line economic growth—but other factors, including persistent cost-of-living pressures, suggest many Americans remain unconvinced that the country is better off.
- Others contend that Trump’s admin has made real progress in the first year of his second term—including stronger border enforcement, steady economic growth, easing inflation, and a tougher stance overseas—and argue the country is heading in a better direction.
- “The State of Trump’s Agenda” –WSJ Editorial Board
- “Trump’s most partisan State of the Union ever still appeals to unity” –Joel Pollak, NY Post
- “The Democrats’ empty affordability promises” –Washington Examiner Editorial Board
Share this!
Recent Discussion stories
Discussion
| February 25, 2026Pentagon gives Anthropic ultimatum in AI use standoff
The Pentagon has given artificial intelligence giant Anthropic a deadline of Friday to comply with its demands on using its AI models, or face cancellation of its US military contract.
Discussion
| February 23, 2026Landmark SCOTUS ruling finds Trump tariffs are unlawful
The Supreme Court issued a landmark decision against President Trump’s global tariff strategy on Friday, ruling 6-3 that his plan to use an emergency powers law to impose sweeping tariffs is unconstitutional.
Discussion
| February 20, 2026Russia-Ukraine peace talks falter over key territorial dispute
The third round of Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations kicked off in Geneva, Switzerland, this week, with the talks starting days ahead of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s large-scale invasion in 2022.
You've made it this far...
Let's make our relationship official, no 💍 or elaborate proposal required. Learn and stay entertained, for free.👇
All of our news is 100% free and you can unsubscribe anytime; the quiz takes ~10 seconds to complete