Are We Great Yet?
Tracking our progress toward the 51st state and $10 eggs.
The First Term (2017–2021)
The “Muslim Ban” (Jan 2017): Executive order restricting entry from several Muslim-majority countries.
Politicizing the DOJ (May 2017): Dismissal of FBI Director James Comey to disrupt investigations.
The 2017 Tax Act (Dec 2017): Slashed corporate rates, adding $1.9 trillion to the deficit.
Family Separation Policy (2018): A “zero-tolerance” border policy that forcibly separated over 5,000 children from their parents; held in harsh conditions, the policy left a legacy of trauma with hundreds of families still not reunified years later.
Mishandling COVID-19 (2020): Downplayed the virus over 200 times, leading to a record death toll of 385,000 Americans by the end of 2020 (rising to 400,000 by the end of the term).
Subverting the 2020 Election (Nov 2020–Jan 2021): A months-long campaign involving over 30,000 documented falsehoods and 60 failed lawsuits to overturn results, including direct pressure on state officials to "find" more votes.
The January 6th Insurrection (Jan 6, 2021): Incited an attack on the U.S. Capitol to halt the certification of the election, resulting in 140 law enforcement injuries and multiple deaths in the immediate aftermath.
The Second Term (2025–Present)
2025: Consolidation & Retribution
Massive Day-One Pardons (Jan 20, 2025): On his first day back, Trump issued full pardons to over 1,500 Jan 6th participants—including leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers—officially labeling them “warriors” and “patriots” in the largest single-day act of clemency in American history.
The Total DEI Ban (Jan 20, 2025): Signed an executive order on day one ending all diversity, equity, and inclusion programs across the federal government.
The Presidential Branding & Side Hustles (2025–2026): While in office, Trump has aggressively monetized the presidency through a massive merchandise push. This includes the “Never Surrender” gold high-top sneakers ($399) and “Victory” cologne ($249), alongside the “God Bless the USA” Bibles ($60). The hustle expanded into extreme luxury with $1,500–$11,500 signed “American Eagle” guitars and the $100,000 “Victory Tourbillon” diamond watch. Critics and religious leaders have slammed these moves as “blasphemous” profiteering and a blatant monetization of the office.
The Gold Phone “Vaporware” (2025–2026): Trump Mobile collected an estimated $59 million in deposits for the $499 gold T1 Trump Phone. Despite nearly 600,000 pre-orders, not a single phone has been delivered as of tonight, and the “Made in USA” claims were quietly scrubbed from the site as the project missed every shipping deadline for over a year.
The DOGE Purge & Schedule F (2025–2026): Reinstated Schedule F (rebranded as "Schedule Policy/Career") to strip civil service protections from roughly 50,000 employees. Led by Elon Musk, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) launched a "shock and awe" campaign of mass firings, micromanagement, and "deferred resignation" offers that eliminated over 350,000 positions by February 2026. Target agencies like USAID were decimated by nearly 95%, while the IRS lost nearly 20,000 workers, leading to massive backlogs and an estimated $600 billion in lost tax revenue.
The “Epstein Files” Betrayal (2025–2026): After making the release of the Epstein files a central pillar of his 2024 campaign, Trump reversed course in July 2025, labeling the records a “Democratic Hoax.” AG Pam Bondi claimed the files were sitting on her desk, only to later block their release. The administration allowed personal lawyer Todd Blanche to conduct “friendly” private interviews with Ghislaine Maxwell—where she reportedly praised the President—while the DOJ worked to keep millions of pages hidden from the public. This sparked an April 2026 IG audit into allegations that Bondi and the DOJ selectively redacted names to protect political allies before her abrupt firing on April 2.
Medicare Eligibility Cuts (July 2025): Eliminated Medicare eligibility for nearly all lawfully present immigrants (refugees and asylees) who have not yet attained green card status.
Abolishing the Dept. of Education (2025–2026): Initiated dismantling via executive order by slashing staff and shifting duties to other agencies; however, the department remains legally active as Congress has yet to pass a formal bill to fully dissolve it.
Universal Tariffs & Inflation: New 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico led to “10-dollar eggs” and over $2,300 in extra annual household costs.
As 2025’s policy shifts took root, 2026 saw those tensions boil over into civil unrest and international standoffs.
2026: Escalation & Civil Unrest
The 75-Country Visa Ban (Jan 2026): Suspended all permanent visas for 75 countries, citing “public charge” concerns.
The Greenland Statehood Act (Jan 12, 2026): Legislation to annex Greenland as the 51st state “by any means necessary,” triggering a global crisis with NATO allies.
The Killing of Renée Good & Alex Pretti (Jan 2026): Fatal shootings of a mother and an ICU nurse by federal agents in Minneapolis and the border zone sparked mass unrest. Despite video evidence, Secretary Kristi Noem labeled the victims “terrorists” and never apologized. To date, the administration has refused to release the agents’ names and instead relocated the shooters to undisclosed assignments to shield them from prosecution, leaving the families with no justice and no accountability.
Senate GOP Blocked TSA Pay & ICE Airport Deployment (March 2026): Senate Republicans blocked legislation to pay TSA workers eight times during the shutdown. As TSA agents resigned in mass and lines stretched into parking lots, Trump ordered ICE agents to 14 major airports to manage checkpoints despite lacking aviation security training.
The Ousting of Kristi Noem & the $70M Luxury Jet (March 2026): Trump fired the DHS Secretary on March 5 following the Minneapolis shootings and a $220M unauthorized ad campaign that Trump claimed he “never knew anything about”. The fallout deepened in April when it was revealed that a $70 million luxury Boeing 737 Noem had been leasing—complete with a queen-sized bed, bar, and four flat-screen TVs—would be kept by the administration. Rather than being used for deportation operations as originally promised, the plane has been redesignated for “general use” and made available to First Lady Melania Trump
and other cabinet members.
The Firing of Pam Bondi (April 2, 2026): Trump abruptly sacked the Attorney General after growing frustrated with her “clumsy” handling of the Epstein files. The relationship reached a breaking point in late March when Bondi failed to show up for a critical House Judiciary Committee hearing regarding the DOJ’s budget and the missing Epstein pages. Witnesses reported she was dismissive of congressional oversight, leading to a public spat with lawmakers that Trump reportedly viewed as “weak” and “embarrassing” before replacing her with Todd Blanche.
Todd Blanche Becomes Acting AG (April 3, 2026): Trump’s personal lawyer took over the DOJ and declared the Epstein investigation “closed,” despite massive redactions and a pending Inspector General audit.
War with Iran & Venezuela (Jan–April 2026): Initiated major military strikes, including Operation Absolute Resolve to capture President Nicolás Maduro and an ongoing conflict with Iran. The operations faced international condemnation after a U.S. Tomahawk missile struck an elementary school in Minab on February 28, killing at least 175 civilians—mostly girls aged 7 to 12. Tensions escalated in April after Iran shot down a U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle, triggering a frantic, high-risk rescue mission for two missing airmen.
Medicare Privatization & Funding Cuts (April 2026): Finalized a $13 billion windfall for private insurers while Trump publicly stated it is “not possible” to continue funding the program at current levels. This follows the 2025 stripping of eligibility for thousands of immigrant seniors and a new push to make for-profit private plans the “default enrollment” for all new seniors—a move critics call a death knell for traditional Medicare.
Firing Squads Reinstated (April 24, 2026): Yesterday, the DOJ formally authorized firing squads and gas asphyxiation for federal executions to “strengthen” the death penalty.
The Mar-a-Lago Crypto Gala (April 25, 2026): While the $TRUMP memecoin has plummeted 95% in value (erasing billions in retail wealth), Trump is hosting an exclusive gala at Mar-a-Lago for the top 297 holders. Senators have launched a formal investigation into the event as a “pay-to-play” scheme.
Closing: The Price of “Progress”
Record-Low Consumer Sentiment (April 2026): As of this week, consumer confidence has hit its lowest point in modern history. With the 60+ day government shutdown, military escalations abroad, and the daily reality of “10-dollar eggs,” the average American is feeling the weight of a second term defined by chaos over stability.
Is the “Greatness” hitting your wallet yet?
I want to hear from you. Are you still waiting on a gold phone, or are you just trying to figure out how to afford breakfast? Drop a comment below with your own “progress” stories.
Author’s Commitment: This tracker is based strictly on documented events, news archives, and legislative records. My goal is to provide a factual timeline of policy and administrative actions as they happen.