National Issues

The Balance of Power

Trump’s Campaign Promises vs. Reality

He made the promises. Here’s what actually happened.

1. Ukraine: End the War Quickly

The Promise: Trump claimed he would end the war in Ukraine — potentially within 24 hours of taking office.
The Reality: The war in Ukraine is still ongoing.

2. Immigration: Target Criminals and National Security Threats

The Promise: Trump said he would “prioritize national security threats and criminals.”
The Reality: Agents are sweeping entire neighborhoods, businesses, and schools — detaining anyone who appears Hispanic. Protesters have been arrested and held for hours before being released with no charges.

The Cost of ICE Operations:

$30 billion — 2025 GOP ICE enforcement budget
$45 billion — 2025 GOP budget for detention centers alone
The total ICE budget tripled in the 2025 GOP budget

Conditions in detention centers: Detention facilities are operated by private corporations paid per person held. Detainees report overcrowding, no beds, inadequate food, lack of medical care, and rampant physical and sexual abuse. The vast majority are everyday people with no criminal record.

3. Drive Down Prices Immediately

The Promise: “I have no higher priority than making America affordable again.” Trump promised prices would drop immediately.
The Reality: Trump imposed sweeping tariffs — which the Supreme Court ruled illegal in February 2026. Rather than lowering prices, the tariffs have driven costs higher across the board. Food prices and everyday expenses continue to rise.

4. No New Wars

The Promise: Trump campaigned as the “Peace President” — no new wars on his watch.
The Reality: The U.S. invaded Venezuela and removed its president. Trump also launched a war with Iran.
The Cost: $30 billion and rising.

5. Investigate Jeffrey Epstein

The Promise: Before taking office, Trump said: “We want an investigation. I want a full investigation, and that’s what I absolutely am demanding.”
The Reality: Once in office, Trump reversed course, writing: “We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and ‘selfish people’ are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein.”
When the House and Senate overwhelmingly passed a resolution demanding the Epstein files be released, Trump’s DOJ took months to respond — releasing heavily redacted documents that illegally exposed personal information and photos of victims while redacting the names of perpetrators.

Our President Is for Sale

The unprecedented financial conflicts of a sitting U.S. President.

Foreign Gifts & Government Access

Free Jet from Qatar — $400 Million The Qatari government gifted Trump a luxury Boeing 747, valued at approximately $400 million. Legal experts and members of both parties raised immediate concerns about foreign influence and the constitutional ban on gifts from foreign governments.

United Arab Emirates — $500 Million into Trump’s Crypto Venture The UAE invested $500 million into World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency company founded by the Witkoff and Trump families. Shortly after, the UAE received access to advanced American-made computing chips — a significant national security concern, given the UAE’s history of sharing technology with China.

Trump Meme Coins & Crypto Holdings

Trump launched his own meme coin — available for purchase by anyone, including foreign governments — generating an estimated $350 million, with values fluctuating as high as $27 billion.

Trump’s personal crypto portfolio includes:

Ethereum (ETH) — $30 million
Chainlink (LINK) — $2.5 million
Aave (AAVE) — $1.5 million Additional smaller holdings

All of these are available for purchase by foreign governments and foreign nationals — raising direct questions about foreign influence on a sitting president.

Selling the Brand

Beyond foreign investments, Trump has continued to profit personally from his presidency through direct consumer sales:

Trump Bibles · Trump Gold Watches · Trump Sneakers · Trump Fragrances · Trump Guitars · and more.

The Family Profits Too

Jared Kushner’s firm received $2 billion from Saudi Arabia — a deal that came together while Kushner was serving as a senior White House advisor.

This money flows directly to the President’s family because he holds the office of President of the United States. GOP MAJORITY OF CONGRESS IS NOT STOPPING HIM.

The Bottom Line

A sitting U.S. President is personally profiting from foreign governments, foreign investments, and his own brand — while the Republican-controlled Congress does nothing to stop it. This is not normal. This is not legal. And it is happening right now.

Trump’s Cuts to the U.S. Budget

Who pays the price — and who doesn’t.

Health Care

Higher Premiums for ACA Enrollees Republicans refused to extend the ACA premium tax credits. As a result, all ACA enrollees now face higher premiums — and many are paying double for the same coverage.

Largest Medicaid Cuts in American History The GOP budget includes the largest Medicaid cuts ever passed, stripping health coverage from millions of low-income Americans.

Food Assistance

SNAP Funding Cuts Federal funding for SNAP (food stamps) has been slashed. States are now required to make up the difference — or pass the cuts directly on to families who depend on food assistance.

Energy

Clean Energy Tax Credits Eliminated Tax provisions from the Clean Energy bill have been removed, making it more expensive for everyday Americans to access solar, EVs, and other clean energy options — while fossil fuel subsidies remain intact.

Education

Student Aid Reduced The budget includes reductions to federal student aid, new loan limits, and significant changes to income-driven repayment plans — making higher education less accessible and more expensive for working families.

Veterans

Department of Veterans Affairs — 80,000 Jobs Cut The VA has cut more than 80,000 positions — the majority of which were held by veterans themselves.

Veteran Home Assistance Program — Eliminated

10,000 veterans have already lost their homes
90,000 veterans are currently behind on their mortgages

The program that helped them stay housed has been completely eliminated.

The National Debt

Trump’s Total Impact on the National Debt: +$10.53 Trillion That represents 27% of all U.S. federal debt since the founding of this country.

Despite campaigning on fiscal responsibility, Trump has added more to the national debt than almost any president in history.

But the Wealthy? They’re Fine.

The 2017 Trump Tax Cuts — Made Permanent While cutting programs that millions of Americans depend on, the budget permanently extends the 2017 Trump tax cuts — which overwhelmingly benefit the wealthiest Americans and largest corporations.

Trump’s First Term
Trump Deficit: $7.81 Trillion
National debt at end of term January 19, 2021: $27,753 Billion
National debt at start of term January 20, 2017: $19,947 Billion

Trump’s Second Term
Trump Deficit: $2.73 Trillion
National debt as of April 10, 2026: $38,947 Billion
National debt at start of term January 20, 2025: $36,218 Billion