Trump's Dizzying First Year

"Now, just three weeks into 2026, the President has already ordered an attack on Venezuela, made threats against the regime in Iran in support of protesters there, and spent the past few days making statements about pursuing military action against Greenland (and, by extension, all of NATO). In a recent letter to the Prime Minister of Norway, he wrote, "I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace.""

"It's hard to overstate just how dizzying Trump's first year in office has been. As Amy Davidson Sorkin writes on the anniversary of his Inauguration, "There's an undercurrent of political violence that wasn't present in the same way a year ago." Trump's ambitions may be more grandiose than ever, but his public polling is well underwater, and the midterm elections are just months away."

A year ago the President declared 'my proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier.' Now he has ordered an attack on Venezuela, threatened Iran in support of protesters, and spoken about pursuing military action against Greenland. He wrote to Norway, 'I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace,' then said in Davos the United States would not use force to take Greenland and later dropped tariffs on European allies. Public approval is low and the midterm elections are approaching. There is an undercurrent of political violence not present a year earlier. Large-scale deportation policies have inflicted cruelty while public outrage remains muted.

Read at The New Yorker