It is Tuesday, January 13, 2026. A year ago, Donald Trump was standing in the Capitol Rotunda, taking the oath of office for the second time. If you’ve been paying attention to the news lately, you know that 2025 was a wild ride, and 2026 is already shaping up to be even more chaotic.
People are still trying to wrap their heads around how we got here. Honestly, the 2024 election was basically a fever dream. You had a sitting president, Joe Biden, dropping out after a rough debate. You had Vice President Kamala Harris stepping in. Then, against almost every pollster’s prediction, Donald Trump pulled off a win with 312 electoral votes. Now, he’s the 47th President of the United States, and he’s moving fast.
What Donald Trump Is Actually Doing in 2026
Right now, the President is in Michigan. He’s touring a Ford factory in Dearborn, the one that builds the F-150. It’s a classic Trump move. He’s there to talk about the "America First" agenda and how his tariffs are supposedly reviving the auto industry.
You’ve probably heard a lot of noise about these tariffs. They’re kind of the centerpiece of his current strategy. The administration calls them "Liberation Day" tariffs. Basically, they’ve slapped huge taxes on imports to force companies to build stuff here. Did it work? It’s complicated. Some CEOs, like Jim Farley at Ford, are calling it a "really big deal" for domestic manufacturing. But if you look at the stock market, it’s been a bit of a roller coaster. We saw a brief crash last year when the tariffs first hit, and things have been volatile ever since.
The Economy and Your Wallet
The White House is claiming that inflation is low and growth is through the roof. Trump told reporters on the lawn this morning that affordability jitters are just a "hoax" from the Democrats. But if you ask people in Detroit or Pittsburgh, they might tell you something different. While gas prices are lower than they've been in years, the cost of living is still a massive sticking point for most families.
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One thing that actually is different this time around is the tax code. If you’ve bought a Made-in-America car recently, you might have noticed you can now deduct the interest on your auto loan. That was a big part of the 2025 legislative push.
The "DOGE" Experiment and the Deep State
One of the weirdest things about this presidency has been the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Yeah, it’s named after the meme. Elon Musk was involved early on, and the goal was basically to "drain the swamp" by hacking away at the federal bureaucracy.
They’ve frozen hiring for most government jobs. They’re also forcing federal workers back into the office. Before this, only about 6% of federal employees were working in person full-time. Trump wants them at their desks in D.C., or he wants them gone. It’s been a massive culture shock for the civil service.
Foreign Policy: A Different World
On the global stage, things are intense. President Trump has been very vocal about his support for Israel. In June 2025, there was a significant escalation between Israel and Iran, and the U.S. carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
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Just last week, Trump had a call with Sir Keir Starmer, the UK Prime Minister. They were talking about "Euro-Atlantic security" and how to handle Russia. It’s a bit of a pivot from the isolationist rhetoric we heard on the campaign trail, but the "America First" label still hangs over everything. If you're a trade partner of the U.S. right now, you’re probably looking at a 25% tariff if you don't play ball.
The Legal Reality
We can’t talk about Donald Trump without mentioning the legal stuff. He’s the first president to serve while having a felony conviction. That 2024 hush-money case in New York? It’s still a huge talking point. His critics say it’s a stain on the office; his supporters say it was all "lawfare" designed to stop him. Regardless of where you stand, it’s a historic anomaly that hasn't really slowed down his executive actions.
What Most People Get Wrong About 2026
A lot of folks thought a second Trump term would just be a repeat of 2017. It’s not. It’s much more organized. In the first term, there was a lot of infighting and "adults in the room" trying to hold him back. This time, the cabinet is filled with people like JD Vance and Marco Rubio—people who are fully aligned with the agenda.
They aren't just tweeting; they're signing executive orders at a record pace. In his first 100 days, Trump signed 143 of them. That’s a massive amount of direct action without waiting for Congress, even though Republicans hold a trifecta right now.
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Actionable Insights for Navigating the Current Climate
If you’re trying to figure out how this administration affects your daily life, here’s the reality:
- Watch the Tariffs: If you’re in business or looking to make a big purchase, keep an eye on import costs. The supply chain is shifting toward domestic production, which might change prices for electronics and cars.
- Tax Breaks: Look into the new deductions for American-made goods. There are specific incentives now that didn't exist two years ago.
- Market Volatility: With the "Liberation Day" policies, the market is jumpy. If you have a 401k, expect some swings as trade negotiations play out on Truth Social.
- Energy Prices: The administration has pulled out of the Paris Climate Accord (again) and is pushing for maximum oil and gas production. This usually means lower prices at the pump but a lot of pushback from environmental groups and state governments like California.
The current presidency is defined by a "move fast and break things" mentality applied to the federal government. Whether you love it or hate it, the pace of change in 2026 is unlike anything we've seen in modern politics.
To stay ahead of these changes, you should regularly check the official White House "Issues" page for the latest executive orders, as these are currently the primary drivers of policy change. Additionally, monitoring the Federal Register will give you the most direct look at how new regulations—or the removal of old ones—will impact your specific industry or region.