Donald Trump has taken tough and radical steps in both domestic and foreign policy since he officially assumed his second term as president on January 20, 2025. The signatures he made as soon as he took office, the appointments he made, and the policies he pursued have had serious effects in many areas from the domestic dynamics of the United States to global balances. Here I will provide a detailed and chronological summary of all the important developments that have occurred so far in Trump's second term.

Re-Inauguration (January 20, 2025)
Trump was literally bombarded with executive orders in the early days of his second term. He signed between 26 and 70 executive orders as soon as he took office. These executive orders included comprehensive changes targeting the social policies of previous administrations such as immigration, border security, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Radical steps were taken in the field of immigration. The CBP One application used during the Biden period was canceled. In addition, a national emergency was declared at the southern border. The Trump administration began to push the legal ground to abolish the principle of "birthright citizenship". In addition, Mexican cartels were classified as terrorist groups and both internal security and external intervention policies were shaped within this framework.

Ministerial Appointments and Institutional Restructuring
The new administration quickly transformed the cabinet and bureaucratic staff. Marco Rubio was confirmed as Secretary of State by a vote of 99 to 0. John Ratcliffe was reassigned as CIA Director by a vote of 74 to 25. Pete Hegseth took his place in the cabinet as Secretary of the Air Force. In addition to these, a new department called “DOGE” was established in order to increase public efficiency. This unit aims to reduce the federal workforce by taking technological modernization as a basis. The department operates under the management of Elon Musk and a gradual personnel purge process was initiated by freezing federal hiring.

Economic and Tax Policies
The Trump administration also took an aggressive stance in economic policies. Extensive tariffs were imposed on major US trading partners such as China, Canada and Mexico. In this context, additional customs duties were introduced with the decision called “Liberation Day” on April 2, 2025. This move shook global markets and caused a serious decline in stock markets in April. However, in May, within the framework of a temporary agreement reached between the US and China, special practices of 10% for US-based production and 30% for imports from China were introduced. With this development, there was a partial recovery in the markets.

“One Big Beautiful Bill”
The legislative package signed on July 4, 2025 and known to the public as the “One Big Beautiful Bill” was one of the most comprehensive financial regulations in US history. According to Treasury reports, this law will create a budget deficit of approximately $3.3 trillion. The content of the package included tax cuts for the wealthy, cuts in public health and social assistance budgets, and serious increases in border security and defense spending. Democrats, civil society organizations and independent economic circles describe this law as “the product of ideological obsessions”, while its potential negative effects on households have already become the focus of criticism.

Foreign Policy: Iran and Israel Moves
Trump’s foreign policy moves have drawn attention, especially with developments centered on the Middle East. In the 12 days since he took office, the US, together with Israel, carried out coordinated airstrikes on Iran’s Fordow and Natanz nuclear facilities. This operation was recorded as “Operation Midnight Hammer” and caused serious damage to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Israel’s ground operation centered on Gaza called “Operation Rising Lion” was also fully supported. Trump personally intervened in the ceasefire talks between Israel and Iran and took an active role in the mediation process.

NATO Summit and Defense Policies
Trump pressured NATO member countries to increase military spending. At the summit, all NATO countries (except Spain) were made to commit to allocating 5% of their GDP to defense spending. This rate is quite high compared to the past and was considered a step that carries political and economic risks for many countries.

Legal Processes and Sentence Skipping
Trump's re-election has significantly changed the course of the cases filed against him. It is considered that the federal cases filed by special prosecutor Jack Smith will be dropped and state-based cases will be effectively suspended. In the period before 2024, Trump was not punished despite being convicted of 34 separate felony crimes in the Stormy Daniels case. However, his pardoning of more than 1,500 defendants of the January 6th Congressional Storming as soon as he took office caused widespread repercussions both domestically and internationally.

Domestic Policy Debates and Resistance
Trump’s policies have not only sparked serious reactions internationally but also domestically. Immigration reforms and unlimited support for Israel in particular have triggered protests in many major cities. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in cities such as San José, Chicago, and Philadelphia. In June 2025, violent incidents occurred in protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Los Angeles. Trump called in the National Guard following these developments. Despite the recovery in the economy, social welfare cuts and the high cost of living in particular have caused a decline in public approval ratings. Some analyses suggest that Trump’s oppressive rhetoric and policies may create dissatisfaction even among his own base in the long term.

Management Style and Administrative Transformation
Trump’s management style is described by many analysts as the “mafia boss” or “boss model.” Appointments based on loyalty, open conflicts with the media, and decisions made with a sense of revenge support this view. Strategists call Trump’s sudden changes in foreign policy the “strategic uncertainty doctrine” and state that this is a strategy aimed at surprising both allies and rivals.

Conclusion
Trump’s second term is progressing on an aggressive, interventionist and polarizing path as of the first six months. While drastic changes are being made domestically regarding immigration, the economy and social structure, major moves are being made in foreign policy on topics such as Iran, Israel, China and NATO. During this process, a “love it or leave it” atmosphere has been created for both his supporters and opponents. This information is for general informational purposes for investors and does not contain any investment advice.