Amid the turbulence of Donald Trump’s second term, a glimmer of hope emerges for profound systemic change. One year after his January 20, 2025, inauguration, the administration’s aggressive “America First” policies have not only fulfilled core promises but also inadvertently accelerated the decline of US unipolar dominance, fostering a more multipolar global order. Domestically, mass discontent has ignited widespread resistance movements, signalling potential for democratic renewal. Even within Trump’s base, fractures are appearing, exacerbated by scandals like Epstein ties, which could erode MAGA cohesion. While the year has been marked by bold actions on immigration, economy, and foreign affairs – yielding short-term gains for supporters – it has come at the cost of institutional erosion, inequality, and global alienation. Yet, these very disruptions may, once the dust has settled, pave the way for a fairer, pluralistic future, where non-Western powers rise and American citizens reclaim agency through collective action.Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty.The administration moved swiftly, signing over 225 executive orders in the first year, targeting deregulation, border security, and government overhaul. Supporters celebrate this as decisive promise-keeping, but critics emphasise the chaos, human rights violations, and long-term risks. This article assesses domestic and foreign policies, highlighting both achievements and failures, while underscoring the ironic hopeful outcomes: multipolarity abroad, mass resistance at home, and internal base fractures.Domestic PolicyImmigration and border security Trump’s flagship issue saw rapid implementation: over 600,000 deportations by year’s end, over a million more in voluntary exits, and a net negative migration flow. Reviving the Laken Riley Act, declaring a national emergency, and expanding detention (including Guantanamo repurposing) drastically cut crossings. National Guard deployments in cities like Chicago and New York, alongside courthouse raids, enforced a zero-tolerance stance. These measures resonated with voters prioritising security, reducing asylum claims and unauthorised entries.However, the human toll has been immense: family separations, wrongful detentions of citizens, and reports of extrajudicial actions sparked outrage. Protests in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and other hubs led to clashes, with federal forces accused of heavy-handedness. Courts blocked elements like birthright citizenship curbs, highlighting legal vulnerabilities. This heavy-handed approach has deepened societal divisions, alienating moderates and minorities.Economic and tax policies The “One Big Beautiful Bill,” signed July 4, 2025, entrenched 2017 tax cuts, added “No Tax on Tips,” senior deductions, and work requirements for welfare like SNAP and Medicaid. Tariffs – universal at 10%, escalating to 25-50% on China, Mexico, Canada, India, and Brazil – aimed to shield industries and coerce concessions. Deals followed: energy pacts with India and Pakistan, investment agreements with the EU and Saudi Arabia. Economic indicators improved, with Q3 2025 growth at 4.3% and manufacturing rebounds in Rust Belt states.Yet, tariffs triggered inflation (up 5-7% in key sectors), stock volatility, and retaliations hurting exporters. Exemptions allegedly favoured donors, fuelling claims of cronyism. The bill ballooned the deficit by trillions, while programme cuts impacted low-income families. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), under figures like Elon Musk initially, slashed hundreds of thousands of federal jobs, dismantled agencies like USAID, and imposed loyalty oaths—politicising the bureaucracy and causing operational disruptions.Health, education, and social policies Appointees like RFK Jr. at HHS pushed “Make America Healthy Again,” scrapping vaccine mandates, purging CDC data, and banning gender-affirming care and DEI programmes. Environmental deregulations included Paris Agreement exit and climate research halts. Nearly 2,000 pardons, including January 6 participants, reinforced loyalty politics.These shifts provoked backlash: disease resurgence fears, funding freezes deemed illegal, and accusations of authoritarianism (e.g., university and law firm probes). Public approval dipped to lows, with polls showing majority disapproval on handling priorities like economy and health.Foreign policyTrump’s foreign policy embraced unilateralism: withdrawing from WHO, UNESCO, and Paris; slashing aid via USAID dissolution; and conducting strikes in Iran, Yemen, Syria, Nigeria, Venezuela, and drug routes. The January 2026 Maduro capture allowed U.S. oversight of Venezuelan oil by invoking Monroe Doctrine revival. Threats to reclaim the Panama Canal, annex Greenland, and institute tariff on allies like Canada underscored coercion.Gains included (very shaky) Gaza cease-fires, NATO spending hikes, and deals for minerals (Australia) and AI (UAE/Saudi). The strategy focused on Western Hemisphere control, Asia balancing, and Europe delegation. But criticisms abound: ally alienation (Canada, Europe), eroded U.S. credibility, and escalation risks (Iran tensions). Polls reflect global distrust, with confidence in American leadership at historic lows.Driving multipolarity, domestic mass movements, and fracturing the MAGA baseTrump’s policies have paradoxically hastened global multipolarity, offering hope for a post-hegemonic world. By alienating allies through tariffs, threats, and withdrawals, the US has diminished its influence, prompting Europe to bolster independent defence (e.g., EU army talks), China to expand Belt and Road, and BRICS to grow with new members like Saudi Arabia and Iran. Russia’s Ukraine gains, unchallenged by consistent U.S. support cuts, and India’s neutral balancing exemplify this shift. Trump’s selective withdrawals from international organisations – such as slashing UN contributions – has weakened soft power, allowing alternatives like China’s Global Development Initiative to fill voids. This erosion of Pax Americana fosters a pluralistic order, where middle powers negotiate freely, reducing conflict risks from unipolar overreach and promoting equitable global governance.Domestically, mass discontent has birthed vibrant resistance movements, a beacon for change. Approval ratings cratered to 39-40% by mid-2025, according to Gallup and Pew, with 58% deeming the administration a “failure.” Protests exploded: June’s “No Kings” marches drew millions across 2,100 sites, echoing anti-Vietnam fervour; October follow-ups targeted DOGE layoffs and deportations. Groups like Indivisible, 50501, and new coalitions in red states mobilised strikes, boycotts, and legal funds to challenge the administration. These grassroots efforts, amplified by social media and unions, signal civic awakening – potentially reshaping politics toward progressive reforms, as seen in historical movements like Civil Rights.Compounding this, Trump’s MAGA base is fracturing, undermined by scandals including Epstein implications. Revelations from unsealed files linked Trump and cronies (e.g., RFK Jr., Musk) to Epstein’s network, with allegations of complicity in exploitation. Polls show 20-30% of 2024 Trump voters expressing regret, citing hypocrisy on “draining the swamp.” Internal rifts emerged: evangelical defections over moral lapses, working-class disillusionment from tariff-induced job losses (e.g., Midwest farmers), and veteran backlash against foreign adventurism. QAnon remnants splintered, with some accusing Trump of betrayal. This erosion weakens GOP unity, opening doors for intra-party challenges and broader electoral shifts, fostering hope for accountability and renewed democratic integrity.Overall, Trump’s first year has been a whirlwind of transformation: immigration crackdowns, economic nationalism, and foreign muscle-flexing delivered for loyalists, spurring growth in pockets and border metrics. Energy and decisiveness define the term, with tariffs extracting deals and deportations curbing flows.Yet, the costs are staggering: institutional decay from purges, inequality from cuts, democratic norm breaches via pardons and probes, and global isolation from unilateralism. Mass discontent manifests in plummeting polls, protests, and legal battles, while foreign alienation accelerates multipolarity.The ironic legacy? Trump’s overreach may catalyse positive change – multipolar balance abroad, empowered mass movements at home, and a fractured base prompting introspection. This presidency, unbound and divisive, risks implosion but unwittingly sows seeds for a more just future.But Trumpism’s implosion will likely shake the earth.Inderjeet Parmar is a professor of international politics and associate dean of research in the School of Policy and Global Affairs at City, University of London and St George’s, University of London, a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, and writes the American Imperium column at The Wire. He is an International Fellow at the ROADS Initiative think tank, Islamabad, on the board of the Miami Institute for the Social Sciences, USA, and on the advisory board of INCT-INEU, Brazil, its leading association for study of the United States. Author of several books including Foundations of the American Century, he is currently writing a book on the history, politics, and crises of the US foreign policy establishment.