Has Trump Achieved a Lot Less Than It Seems?

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Jan 16, 2026

Yuval Levin, a conservative thinker and director at the American Enterprise Institute, critiques the first year of Trump's second term, suggesting substantial accomplishments may be overstated. He discusses the temporary nature of visible actions versus lasting policy changes, highlighting that while Trump's administration has made headway in areas like immigration and tariffs, many initiatives lack durability. Levin also explores the dynamics of policymaking within the White House and its impact on institutional trust, especially among younger conservatives.

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INSIGHT

Lots Of Action, Little Lasting Change

The Trump administration has shown lots of visible action but limited durable policy change.
Trump signed fewer laws and issued fewer economically significant regulations than recent presidents.

INSIGHT

Spending Cuts Mostly Rhetoric

2025 federal spending stayed near 2024 levels because Congress didn't change appropriations.
Despite rhetoric to cut spending, the government actually spent about 4% more in 2025.

INSIGHT

Governing By Deals Not Rules

Trump governs by focused, visible deals rather than broad rulemaking.
Those retail deals produce narrow results that create an impression of action without wholesale governance.

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We are one year into Trump’s second term. And it feels like so much has happened – more than the human mind, or the country, can absorb. But how much has Trump really accomplished? What policies have changed the country in a way that will last?

My guest Yuval Levin is one of the smartest thinkers on the right, and his verdict is: not that much. “There’s an important story to tell about the absence of action in the past year, too,” he tells me.

Levin is the director of social, cultural and constitutional studies at the American Enterprise Institute, the founder and editor of National Affairs and the author of several books on policy and political theory, including “American Covenant: How the Constitution Unified Our Nation – and Could Again.”

Mentioned:

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Buckley by Sam Tanenhaus

Book Recommendations:

Insecure Majorities by Frances E. Lee

Making the Presidency by Lindsay M. Chervinsky

Last Branch Standing by Sarah Isgur

Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com.

You can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of “The Ezra Klein Show” at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast, and you can find Ezra on Twitter @ezraklein. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.

This episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” was produced by Rollin Hu. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris, with Kate Sinclair. Our senior engineer is Jeff Geld, with additional mixing by Aman Sahota. Our executive producer is Claire Gordon. The show’s production team also includes Marie Cascione, Annie Galvin, Kristin Lin, Emma Kehlbeck, Jack McCordick, Marina King and Jan Kobal. Original music by Pat McCusker. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. The director of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser.

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