If you’re checking your phone today, January 13, 2026, wondering who’s calling the shots at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the answer is Donald J. Trump.
He is the 47th President of the United States.
It’s a bit of a historical "deja vu," right? He’s the first guy since Grover Cleveland back in the late 1800s to lose an election, leave town, and then come roaring back to win the whole thing again four years later. Honestly, whether you love the guy or can't stand the sight of the red hat, you have to admit: the 2024 election was one for the history books.
Trump took the oath of office about a year ago, on January 20, 2025. But this time around, things felt different from 2017. For one, it was freezing. Like, "move the whole ceremony indoors to the Capitol Rotunda" freezing. Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath, and just like that, the 45th president became the 47th.
Who is the President of the United States Right Now and Who’s on the Team?
Right now, the executive branch is lean, loud, and moving fast.
Donald Trump isn't flying solo, obviously. His Vice President is JD Vance, the former Senator from Ohio and author of Hillbilly Elegy. Vance is effectively the face of the "New Right," and at 41, he’s one of the youngest people to ever hold the office. He’s been pretty busy lately acting as a bridge between the White House and the tech world in Silicon Valley, which is a far cry from the traditional "ribbon-cutting" VP role.
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Then you’ve got the gatekeepers. Susie Wiles is the White House Chief of Staff—the first woman to ever hold that specific "most powerful person you've never heard of" job. She’s widely credited with keeping the 2024 campaign on the rails, and she’s the one currently managing the chaos of a second-term transition that has been anything but quiet.
The Cabinet has also been a whirlwind. If you’ve been following the news, you know the Senate spent the better part of 2025 in a series of "spicy" confirmation hearings. Some big names are currently in the driver's seat:
- Pam Bondi took over the Department of Justice as Attorney General after a lot of back-and-forth in Congress.
- Marco Rubio is heading up the State Department, dealing with a world that looks a lot messier than it did during Trump’s first term.
- Karoline Leavitt is the Press Secretary, making her the youngest person to ever stand behind that specific podium.
The Mandate and the "One Big Beautiful Bill"
One thing people often get wrong about who is the president of the united states right now is thinking this term is just a repeat of 2016. It's not.
Trump entered 2025 with a clear Electoral College win (312 to 226) and a popular vote plurality. He’s used that "mandate" to push through some pretty massive legislative swings. You might have heard of the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act." It’s basically a massive package that touches everything from energy production to deregulation.
The administration has been moving at breakneck speed on immigration, too. We’re talking about "Day One" executive orders that haven't really stopped. They’ve focused heavily on border security and a massive overhaul of federal personnel—basically trying to replace career civil servants with people more aligned with the "America First" agenda.
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Why This Presidency is Different
Look, the vibe in Washington is... intense.
In his first term, Trump was often fighting with his own Cabinet. Remember the "adults in the room" era? That’s gone. This time, the team is much more unified. They’ve spent the last year focused on "deconstructing the administrative state." That’s fancy talk for shrinking the size of the federal government and moving more power directly to the Oval Office.
There’s also the global stuff. As of this week, the President has been on the phone with leaders like UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Singapore’s Lawrence Wong. The focus? Tariffs and trade. Trump’s "America First" 2.0 involves some of the highest tariffs we’ve seen since the Great Depression, and the Supreme Court is currently wrestling with whether he has the legal authority to keep them in place without more Congressional input.
How the President is Handling 2026
We are currently in the "midterm lead-up" phase. Usually, this is when a president starts to lose steam, but the Trump administration is leaning into the friction.
They’ve designated fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction—a legal move that changes how the military and intelligence agencies can go after cartels. It’s a huge shift in foreign policy that has some people cheering and others worried about "forever wars" starting up in our own backyard.
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Misconceptions You Should Probably Ignore
You might see headlines saying the presidency is "in total chaos." While it’s definitely loud, it’s actually quite organized in its own way. Unlike 2017, there isn't a lot of "leaking" to the press from inside the White House. The circle is tight.
Another big one: "The President is just a figurehead while the VP runs things."
Not true.
While Vance is definitely active, especially on the tech and crypto fronts, the big policy calls—the tariffs, the mass deportations, the energy pivots—are coming straight from Trump.
What Should You Do Now?
If you're trying to stay informed without losing your mind in the 24-hour news cycle, here are a few ways to track what the 47th President is actually doing:
- Follow the Federal Register: This is where the actual executive orders get posted. If you want to know what’s real versus what’s just "X" (Twitter) chatter, check the official filings.
- Watch the Supreme Court Dockets: A lot of the President's current agenda—especially regarding the "One Big Beautiful Bill" and federal layoffs—is being challenged in court. The rulings there will define the next three years.
- Monitor Your Local Impact: Trump’s focus on energy independence and tariffs often hits local prices (gas, groceries, electronics) before they hit the national news.
The reality of who is the president of the united states right now is that we are in the middle of a massive experiment in American governance. It’s a return to form for some and a total disruption for others. Regardless of where you sit, the 47th presidency is proving to be even more consequential than the 45th.
Stay sharp. The news moves fast, but the facts are usually found in the fine print of the bills, not the noise of the rallies.