By: Matt Robison/Newsweek
Translation: Telegrafi.com
For rivals, mocking President Donald Trump has become almost a reflex, so stale that it barely draws any attention even when it's fully deserved. But what's becoming interesting as the year draws to a close is how widespread the sentiment is: It seems that many of Trump's supporters are realizing that all they've gotten in 2025 has been noise.
Trump's year, in the words of Macbeth, "is nothing but a tale, of fools, of fury and fury" [according to Noli's translation - Telegraph note]. On one major issue after another from the 2024 campaign, the president has offered many theatrical gestures with loud voices. But his real balance on what he promised ranges from absolute zero to astonishing failure.
Do you have doubts? Let's examine it, because it's an easy one, since Trump's priorities were no mystery (the Republican Party platform for 2024 said in big letters, like the last drunk at the end of the night: "STOP INFLATION AND MAKE AMERICA AFFORDABLE AGAIN ... THE LARGEST DEPORTATION OPERATION IN AMERICAN HISTORY ... STOP THE ARMING OF THE GOVERNMENT")
As for the economy, despite Trump’s fiery prime-time speech last week — the gist of which seemed to be “I’m going to keep yelling at you until morale improves” — America is closing out 2025 with the highest unemployment rate in four years and prices about three percent higher. Much of this increase is due to Trump’s policies. Trump thinks that coping with life is a scam. Voters don’t think so: it’s the most important thing to them, and they largely blame the president for their economic woes.
As for his goal of “stopping offshoring and turning the U.S. into a manufacturing superpower” (let’s spare ourselves the capitalization) — which was said to be the reason for bombarding the economy with tariffs — manufacturing jobs have fallen, offshoring has increased, and our trade deficit is $112 billion higher.
What about Trump's deportation program? Surely all those ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] operations specifically designed for social media, those National Guard landings in hot spots, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's appearance on camera at a notorious prison in El Salvador are signs that things are working?
Wait a minute, because Trump is on track to carry out fewer deportations in 2025 than Joe Biden did in 2024 — and far fewer than Barack Obama did at his peak. Think about it ... because Trump officials are clearly thinking: they keep firing top officials and holding “self-criticism sessions” where National Security Advisor Stephen Miller screams in panic. The fact that CBS’s editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, tried to cover the program 60 Minutes about deportations to foreign gulags, shows how fearful the White House has become as voters tire of the cruel spectacle of immigration.
Peace and security? Trump's claims of ending seven wars are fantasy (CBS News (He dismissed this nonsense back in September, but don't tell Barry Weiss.) To be fair, even though the war in Ukraine is still going on - which Trump promised to end in 24 hours - he should get credit for the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. But, to be fair, let's also focus on the credible estimate that the destruction of USAID, in turn, will cause the deaths of 330 people this year - 230 of them children. It's sickening that he's going to get the Nobel Peace Prize after causing so much pain to the world's poorest and those who celebrate the birth of Jesus and reflect on Matthew 25:40 [Whenever you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. - Telegraph note] The fate of the youngest of our brothers and sisters must be a source of deep sorrow.
Ending the “weaponization of government”? Reuters documented at least 470 people, organizations and institutions that Trump has targeted for retaliation. Fighting “deep state” and “draining the swamp”? Trump laid off a lot of people, but mostly those who were capable, and the Justice Department didn’t cut spending at all. Fighting “woke” in schools? Harvard renamed its center for DEI and merged several pages dealing with race and gender. You deserve it, liberals.
On crime, at least Trump has not reversed the national trends of rapidly declining crime rates that began under Biden — and, in some cases, have accelerated this year. On the other hand, Trump’s pardons and vindictive prosecutions have created a two-tier justice system: one for Trump and his cronies, and another for everyone else. It’s hard to believe that this was on the wish list of MAGA voters.
Trump seems to be living by the lyrics Razzle Dazzle from the musical Chicago who advises con artists to give the crowd “hocus pocus” and “when you’re in trouble, dance.” But she also asks rhetorically: “What if all your hopes are dashed… what if, in fact, you’re just plain disgusting”?
Yes, really? This year, Trump's "deception" wore thin because there was nothing beneath the surface. There's a reason 14 percent of Trump voters are already regretting their vote. With Republicans in Congress descending into chaos again and the president with no plans to work together on anything constructive in 2026, the only question now is: how long will it be before others open their eyes? /Telegraph/
