Second presidency of Donald Trump

Second presidency of Donald Trump
January 20, 2025 – present
Vice PresidentJD Vance
CabinetFull list
PartyRepublican
Election2024
SeatWhite House
Joe Biden
Official website

The second presidency of Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States began with his second inauguration on January 20, 2025. Trump, who previously served as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021, took office following his victory over Democratic vice president Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

On his first day in office, Trump pardoned about 1,500 people found guilty of offenses in the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack. At the beginning of his term, he signed many executive orders, some of which are being challenged in court. He took a firm stance against illegal immigration and tried to send people to prisons in other countries. He signed the Laken Riley Act as the first law of his term. Trump established the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to cut government spending. DOGE has fired many government workers.

Trump, like in his first term, withdrew the United States from the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Agreement. He started a trade war with Canada and Mexico and continued the ongoing trade war with China. His high tariffs lead to a brief stock market crash. The Trump administration has struggled in dealing with Ukraine and Russia during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Trump has said that he wants to take over Canada, Greenland, the Gaza Strip, and the Panama Canal.

Many of Trump's actions are said to have broken laws and the U.S. Constitution. For example, Trump signed an order to end birthright citizenship, which is in the Constitution. This action and many others have been challenged and blocked by courts.

Trump is the first criminal and felon to become president. He is also the oldest person to become president at 78 years and 220 days. He is the second president in U.S. history to serve nonconsecutive (not back-to-back) terms, after Grover Cleveland.[a]

Background

2024 election

On November 6, 2024, Trump won the 2024 U.S. presidential election.[1] He beat Vice President Kamala Harris and became the second president to serve two nonconsecutive terms after Grover Cleveland. Trump is also the oldest person to become president.[2] Trump also became the first criminal to become president due to his conviction on May 30, 2024.

Transition Period

Trump has used the time before he becomes president to prepare. He has chosen Susan Wiles to be his White House Chief of Staff. Wiles is the leader of Trump's 2024 campaign.[3] Trump has also chosen Stephen Miller to be White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy. Miller served in Trump's first administration as a speechwriter.[4]

For his cabinet, Trump has made several choices. He has notably nominated Marco Rubio to be Secretary of State and Pam Bondi to be Attorney General.[5] Trump has nominated over half of his cabinet secretaries.

Trump had intially nominated former Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida to serve as Attorney General on November 13, 2024, but Gaetz would withdraw his nomination a week later on November 21.[6][7]

Administration

Cabinet

Trump's cabinet choices were described by news media as valuing personal loyalty over relevant experience,[8][9] and for having a range of conflicting ideologies and "eclectic personalities".[10][11] It was also described as the wealthiest administration in modern history, with over 13 billionaires chosen to take government posts.[12][13] Trump officials and Elon Musk threatened to fund primary challengers in upcoming elections against Republican Senators who did not vote for Trump's nominees.[14][15]

One Big Beautiful Bill Act

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act became a law, on July 4, 2025.[16] It is a federal (law or) statute.

Earlier (July 3) the U.S. Congress had voted "yes", in regard to the law proposal, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act; The U.S. president [signed it into law] on July 4.[17][18]

Earlier on July 3, filibustering (filibuster) [was delaying or] standing in the way of a vote: Filibustering [was] going on for [about] six hours.[19]

A "tax-and-spending megabill" is what some people think about the bill .[20]

U.S. government's case against a Salvadorian deportee

As of the last week of August 2025, Kilmar Abrego Garcia is again in custody of U.S. authorities.[21] Earlier that month he had been released. Earlier (and as of July 23), Kilmar Abrego Garcia [was] in custody of U.S. authorities; Earlier (June 6) the U.S. government had him returned from El Salvador, and he was arrested when he came back to the U.S.; Earlier, the U.S. government had him sent to a prison in El Salvador. The case is sometimes called, the Deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.[22]

Gifts from leaders of other countries

Ukraine's president handed over a gift (when that president visited in August 2025); That golf club was made by an Ukrainian soldier that was injured during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to international media.[23][24]

Notes

  1. Cleveland’s first term was from 1885 to 1889; his second term was from 1893 to 1897.

References

  1. "Trump wins the White House in a political comeback rooted in appeals to frustrated voters". AP News. 2024-11-05. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  2. "Donald Trump: Oldest person to be elected US President". The Economic Times. 2024-11-07. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  3. "President-elect Trump names Susie Wiles as chief of staff, making her first woman in the post". AP News. 2024-11-07. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  4. "Trump names former Rep. Lee Zeldin to lead EPA, adviser Stephen Miller to be deputy chief of policy". AP News. 2024-11-11. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  5. Watson, Kathryn; Yilek, Caitlin (2024-11-18). "See the list of Trump Cabinet picks and more White House appointments so far - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  6. "Trump announces Matt Gaetz as his pick for attorney general". NBC News. 2024-11-14. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
  7. Tucker, Eric; Richer, Alanna Durkin; Long, Colleen (2024-11-21). "Trump chooses loyalist Pam Bondi for attorney general pick after Matt Gaetz withdraws". AP News. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
  8. Griffiths, Brent D. (November 13, 2024). "Trump's early Cabinet picks show how much he values loyalty in his second term". Business Insider. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
  9. Slattery, Gram; Ulmer, Alexander (November 11, 2024). "As Trump staffs up for second term, only MAGA loyalists need apply". Reuters. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
  10. Molly, Ball (December 17, 2024). "What Trump's Cabinet Picks Tell Us About His Agenda". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
  11. Barrow, Bill (November 25, 2024). "Trump 2.0 has a Cabinet and executive branch of different ideas and eclectic personalities". Associated Press. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
  12. Charalambous, Peter; Romero, Laura; Kim, Soo Rin (December 17, 2024). "Trump has tapped an unprecedented 13 billionaires for his administration. Here's who they are". ABC News. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
  13. Barber, Rachel (November 21, 2024). "A billionaire presidential administration? Who Trump plans to nominate so far". USA Today. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
  14. Thomas, Beaumont; Linderman, Juliet; Mendoza, Martha (December 10, 2024). "Elon Musk warns Republicans against standing in Trump's way — or his". The Associated Press. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  15. Hutzler, Amanda (November 21, 2024). "Trump team warns Republicans to support Cabinet picks or face primary funded by Musk". ABC News. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  16. https://e24.no/naeringsliv/i/jQ54z0/donald-trump-signerte-big-beautiful-bill?referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aftenposten.no. Retrieved 2025-07-05
  17. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/03/house-passes-gop-megabill-00438206. Retrieved 2025-07-03
  18. https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/07/03/congress/mike-johnson-donald-trump-megabill-house-00438201. Retrieved 2025-07-03
  19. https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/07/03/congress/jeffries-hits-5-hours-00438268. Retrieved 2025-07-03
  20. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/07/02/megabill-trump-realignment-missing-analysis-00438034. Retrieved 2025-07-03
  21. https://www.nrk.no/urix/star-i-fare-for-a-bli-deportert-til-uganda-tre-dagar-etter-at-han-kom-heim-fra-el-salvador-1.17541352. Retrieved 2025-08-26
  22. https://www.nettavisen.no/okonomi/nayib-bukele-sniffer-joe-biden-puddermelk/s/5-95-2536434. Retrieved 2025-07-23
  23. https://www.kyivpost.com/post/58557. Retrieved 2025-08-21
  24. https://tv.vg.no/nyheter/se-gaven-til-trump?id=339634. VG.no. Retrieved 2025-08-21