The Foreign Desk Trump: One down, three to go... (in theory)
Jan 17, 2026
In this discussion, Sabrina Siddiqui, a National politics reporter at The Wall Street Journal, unpacks Trump's shifting domestic priorities and aggressive immigration actions. Tom Nichols from The Atlantic contrasts Trump’s current foreign policy with his first term, highlighting diminished resistance among advisors. Stephen Erlanger of The New York Times examines the implications of Trump's ambitions on NATO and global trust. They also touch on Europe’s response, noting an increase in defense spending as a possible silver lining amidst growing domestic chaos.
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A Controversial Return
- Donald Trump returned to the presidency despite legal troubles and public controversy.
- 77.3 million Americans still voted him in, making his second-term return extraordinary.
Economy Promised, Immigration Delivered
- Trump won mostly on economic concerns, but his administration has struggled to reduce living costs.
- Immigration actions have been more fully implemented and visible than economic promises.
A Unified MAGA Administration
- The second Trump White House is more uniformly MAGA and less restrained by dissenting officials.
- That cohesion enables deliberate policies like aggressive immigration enforcement and broad tariffs.