On January 20, 2025, Donald Trump controversially began his second presidential term. The politician, whose slogan was "Make America Great Again," swiftly rolled out a series of radical policies, ranging from trade wars to domestic governance, and from diplomatic gambits to sweeping regressions on social issues. These measures, collectively dubbed the "2025 Plan," not only exposed the deep fissures in the American political system but also pushed the nation toward economic turmoil and social division.
Trump’s governance logic has always revolved around "confrontation" and "disruption." On his first day in office, he signed over 40 executive orders, repealed nearly 80 policies from the Biden era, and launched the "2025 Plan"—a 900-page document drafted by conservative think tanks aimed at reshaping America’s political landscape. The plan proposed firing 50,000 federal employees, bringing independent agencies under direct presidential control, abolishing the Federal Reserve and the Department of Education, and eliminating policies related to gender diversity, abortion rights, renewable energy, and other areas.
In foreign policy, the "rollercoaster of madness" in trade policy plunged the world into unease. Trump treated tariffs as a "panacea." In February 2025, he announced a 25% tariff on imported steel and aluminum, raised tariffs on Chinese goods to 20%, and threatened a 200% tariff on European wine. On April 1, the White House previewed the upcoming "reciprocal tariffs"—retaliatory measures imposing tariffs on all trading partners equal to those the U.S. faced, with unprecedented breadth and severity. This "beggar-thy-neighbor" strategy led to the worst stock market plunge in years, with the S&P 500 dropping 5.8% and the Nasdaq plummeting 8.2% in March. Goldman Sachs subsequently slashed its 2025 U.S. GDP growth forecast from 2.4% to 1.7%, warning of a "Trump recession."
The absurdity of Trump’s domestic policies was equally staggering. He declared that he "only recognizes two genders" and ordered federal agencies to remove transgender-related provisions; he canceled electric vehicle subsidies to prop up fossil fuels; and he even threatened to cut off federal aid to California unless it adjusted its water policies. Most controversial were his "annexation" remarks—he repeatedly claimed he would make Canada the "51st state" and proposed "buying" Greenland. These statements not only angered allies but also caused a 15% drop in Canadian tourists to the U.S., costing the tourism industry $3.3 billion.
Trump’s policies quickly ignited public fury. On February 5, 2025, all 50 states erupted in the "50501" protest movement, with millions holding signs reading "No to Fascism" and "Defend Democracy," condemning the regression on immigration, suppression of gender rights, and the far-right-leaning "2025 Plan." This movement was not an isolated incident but a concentrated release of social tensions:
Immigration Policy’s "Humanitarian Disaster"
The resumption of the U.S.-Mexico border wall, the reinstatement of the "zero tolerance" policy, and the appointment of an immigration czar led to mass family separations and overcrowded detention centers. Industries reliant on immigrant labor, such as agriculture and hospitality, were paralyzed, with the California Farm Bureau reporting a 40% shortage of seasonal workers. Trump’s claim that "illegal immigrants are stealing American jobs" further inflamed racial divisions.
Gender and Culture’s "Backward Slide"
The erasure of gender diversity policies sparked fierce backlash from the LGBTQ+ community. Federal moves, such as deleting hospital guidelines for transgender care and banning transgender individuals from the military, forced blue states to pass their own counter-legislation. New York Governor Hochul declared, "We will use state law to build a wall protecting everyone’s dignity." This federal-state standoff highlighted the nation’s fractured identity.
Democracy’s Crisis of Trust
The "2025 Plan’s" proposal to fire 50,000 civil servants was seen as an attempt to "Trumpify" federal agencies. Democratic lawmakers warned this was a "systemic destruction of democracy," while the appointment of Russell Vought (the plan’s primary drafter) to a high-ranking government role deepened fears of power consolidation. Meanwhile, Trump’s musings about "considering a third term" posed an unprecedented challenge to America’s constitutional traditions.
The cost of Trump’s policies rippled through the global economy. His tariff war sent supply chain costs soaring, forcing companies to reshore production—only to face labor shortages and crumbling infrastructure, rendering "manufacturing revival" a pipe dream. The Commerce Department estimated that if "reciprocal tariffs" were fully implemented, global trade could shrink by $2.3 trillion, with U.S. inflation potentially exceeding 6%.
Allies Drift Away
Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau urged citizens to boycott U.S. travel, Mexico announced retaliatory tariffs, and the EU prepared countermeasures. Even traditional allies like Japan and South Korea joined China in condemning unilateralism’s damage to multilateral trade. Trump’s "America First" mantra was dragging the nation into isolationism.
Cryptocurrency Chaos
Ironically, Trump tried courting young voters by promoting cryptocurrency, but his tariffs triggered Bitcoin’s crash from 109,000to109,000to78,000. A brief Fed rate-cut rally on March 20 exposed crypto’s deep ties to mainstream finance—when a single Trump tweet could wipe $30 billion from Bitcoin’s market cap, the dream of decentralization was shattered.
Trump’s governance experiment is a dangerous political gamble. He reduces complex social issues to "us vs. them" narratives, substitutes diplomacy with tariff bludgeons, and masks governance failures with culture wars. While this may rally his base short-term, the price is the nation’s future:
Economic foundations tremble as businesses delay investments amid policy uncertainty, and consumer confidence hits 2008 lows.
Social consensus crumbles, with 78% of Americans polled saying the country is "on the wrong track," and red-blue state divisions intensify.
Global standing plummets—the World Bank ranks U.S. soft power 6th, a historic low.
As The Washington Post noted: "Trump is using 19th-century thinking to solve 21st-century problems, guaranteeing a mix of farce and disaster." As protesters’ chants echo from streets to the halls of Congress, and tariff wars ignite global trade chaos, America stands at an unprecedented crossroads. The final act of this farce may determine whether the superpower reclaims reason or spirals into decline through self-inflicted division.
