Trump this, Trump that. He’s everywhere from the front pages of newspapers to casual conservations. From immigration to climate change to education, President Donald Trump’s return to the White House has been anything but quiet. News outlets cling onto every word he speaks, and an endless stream of speculations about what he might sign next flows throughout the country. Beyond the rumors, the impact of his presidency lies in what he’s actually done so far. Since the inauguration, here’s every major affair of Trump’s second administration.

January

Let’s go chronologically. On January 20, the day Trump was sworn into office, he granted 1,550 pardons to rioters and other people involved in the insurrection of the Capitol on January 6, 2021. 

He also created the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by Elon Musk, on the day of his inauguration. Intended to modernize government technology to maximize efficiency, it has the power to cut back on government spending. 

Trump then issued Executive Order 14169, which suspended all foreign aid for 90 days, in order to assess, “programmatic efficiencies and consistency with United States foreign policy.”

Two days later, the president signed executive orders to recognize that, “women are biologically female, and men are biologically male.” The document went on to extensively list out how words like “woman,” “female,” “man,” and “male” should be defined and used in context. 

Trump enacted another social policy on January 22 — by Wednesday evening, all federal DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) officials were to be put on “paid administrative leave”, an order stemming from his vow during his first day to end DEI programs.

And finally, on January 29, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) expanded Guantanamo Bay, a US naval base in Cuba, to allocate more room for detained migrants captured by the .

February

This marked the first full month of Trump’s presidency, and it began with an arms deal with Israel, providing them with around $4 billion dollars of military aid on February 7. The deal signalled a departure from the Biden Administration’s foreign policy, which had placed a military embargo on Israel.

February 9 was established as “Gulf of America” Day in honor of the former Gulf of Mexico, located between Mexico and Florida, being renamed the Gulf of America. In Trump’s words in Executive Order 14172, the former Gulf of Mexico is “…an indelible part of America”.

Government employees across all departments woke up on the morning of February 13 to terminating notices. Trump’s reasoning for the mass firings was to fix the current state of the government: “We’re bloated. We’re sloppy. We have a lot of people that aren’t doing their job,” he said.

All the way in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, representatives from the US and Russia met on February 18 to discuss the end of the war in Ukraine. Ukraine, however, was absent from the conference. In subsequent interviews, the two countries talked about strengthening relations through embassies and “economic cooperation”.

Trump also showcased plans for another major conflict: the Israel-Hamas War. On February 25, Trump posted an AI-generated video on social media that depicted Gaza as a luxurious beach resort. In the lyrics, the phrases “Trump Gaza is finally here!” and “Donald is coming to set you free” rang in the background. This video aligns with Trump’s statements on the evening of February 4, when he spoke of taking control over and rebuilding the Gaza strip. 

Earlier that day, Trump also proposed a “gold card” system, an alternative to green cards for the wealthy. Foreign citizens would need to pay around $5 million dollars to obtain a gold card.

As of February 28, more than 200,000 federal employees had been fired primarily by DOGE with the direction of the Trump Administration. Most of these employees were probational workers, meaning that they had only recently been given their jobs. 

On February 28, there was also an over two hour meeting between Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that was broadcasted for the nation. In a heated exchange, Trump admonished Zelensky for not wanting to take a “softer approach” with Russia, while Vance further criticized the Ukrainian President for not appreciating America’s years long support for their war.

March

We’re into the third month of the Trump administration. After the tumultuous Oval Office meeting with Zelensky, on March 3, the president issued orders to pause $1 billion dollars of financial aid. This decision aims to pressure Zelensky to heed Trump’s suggestions in a negotiated cease-fire.

During his unofficial State of the Union address on March 4, the president covered a wide range of issues from foreign policy to domestic concerns. He read a letter from Zelensky, signaling an effort to smooth over tensions from their recent meeting, before blaming the rising price of eggs on former President Biden. He also reiterated his “gold card” program, stating that, “It’s like the green card, but better and more sophisticated.” During the speech, Trump also applauded Elon Musk’s work in DOGE, while Democrats held up signs that read “Musk Steals” in protest. One Democrat, Representative Al Green, was asked to leave the chamber after his mid-speech outburst.

And lastly, just recently on March 5th, Trump issued an ultimatum to Hamas, demanding the group to release 59 hostages remaining in Gaza. He warned via his Truth Social account that a failure to comply would result in everything being “OVER for [Hamas],” and also announced that the government would be sending Israel supplies to “finish the job.”

As Trump’s second term unfolds, the nation will continue to watch closely. What’s next?