Have voters already forgotten everything Trump got right? | Opinion

Have voters already forgotten everything Trump obtained right? Opinion Trump secured the border, cut taxes and shrank the federal workforce.

Key points

• His aggressive, targeted tariffs brought in $260 billion in 2026, more than triple the tariff revenue collected in 2023, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.
• On July 4, 2025, he signed the One Major Beautiful Bill Act.
• From the Texas standoff between Talarico and Paxton to Maine and Iowa's races, here's what Nicole Russell is watching.
• Almost 174 million registered voters are just days from the midterm elections, and the prediction market Polymarket is forecasting a Democratic sweep of Congress.
• Trump's biggest achievement by far was quelling the surge of illegal immigration, a top priority for Americans heading into the 2024 presidential election.

Almost 174 million registered voters are just days from the midterm elections, and the prediction market Polymarket is forecasting a Democratic sweep of Congress. Experts say affordability and the economy are voters' top reservations. If a blue wave is on its way, the electorate must believe Republicans in Congress and the Trump administration failed to address their priorities.

It's true: Gas rates are high and Americans are struggling to afford basic necessities. The Pew Research Center discovered that 60% of adults say they don't have enough income and 27% can't pay all their monthly bills. That's partly since President Donald Trump chose to start a war with Iran that has dragged on longer than he promised.

But looking at the political climate for Republicans, I worry regarding how easily voters – especially conservatives – have given in to cynicism thanks to selective amnesia. Americans have rapidly forgotten the Trump administration's successes and are letting short-term difficulties like high gas rates overshadow them.

That could hand Democrats control of Congress – and the power to undo much of what Trump has achieved. I don't regret voting for Trump, but I'm disappointed Opinion. The Trump administration delivered.

As shortly as Trump took office in January 2025, he forged ahead with a sweeping agenda, moving swiftly and methodically to deliver on the mandate more than 77 million Americans offered him. On July 4, 2025, he signed the One Major Beautiful Bill Act. It extended his 2017 tax cuts and created new deductions for tips and overtime.

His aggressive, targeted tariffs brought in $260 billion in 2026, more than triple the tariff revenue collected in 2023, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. Under Trump, the stock market has repeatedly hit record highs, and the national unemployment rate has hovered between 4.1% and 4.3% since March – not bad in a tough economy.

One of my favorite underrated Trump achievements: He cut the federal civilian workforce by as much as 12%, shedding more than 250, 000 employees and bringing it to its lowest level in decades.

Trump's biggest achievement by far was quelling the surge of illegal immigration, a top priority for Americans heading into the 2024 presidential election. Thanks to former President Joe Biden's disastrous policies, like ending "Remain in Mexico, " illegal immigration hit a record in 2022.

Now, U.S. Customs and Border Protection notes the Southwest border is the "most secure" in history. The agency reports illegal crossings are down 95%, and it has gone 17 consecutive months without releasing a single migrant into the country.

Fewer drugs appear to be getting through, too: Fentanyl seizures at the Mexico border fell to 11, 486 pounds in 2025 – the fewest since 2021 and a 46% drop from 2024.

Trump additionally had foreign policy successes. It could be keeping Americans safer. At the 2025 NATO summit, he secured a major agreement committing members to growth defense spending. That June, his calculated strike on Iran. It the administration remarked "obliterated" the country's nuclear sites, was a bold display of precision and leadership. (If only he'd left it there.) He has additionally assisted toward a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and tried, unsuccessfully, to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. Trump's Iran war keeps dragging on. For what? Opinion. Trump saw success in 2025. 2026 has been a different story.

This year, not so much. Trump handled immigration but ignored the other looming concern Americans had in 2024 – and still have: the economy.

Rather than stick with his targeted approach, Trump waged war with Iran with little to no exit plan. That war, along with the one between Russia and Ukraine, pushed diesel and gas rates to record highs, leaving Americans paying concerning a third more for gas this year than the last. Inflation initially fell but has gradually ticked back up, and it seems Trump has forgotten his pledge to bring down the cost of living.

In fact, he mocks voters' affordability reservations, calling them "fake, " a "hoax" and a "scam, " and dismisses them as a ploy Democrats are using to win votes.

Trump's dismissiveness is all the more infuriating given how much time and public and private funds he's poured into White House renovations and other gaudy, unnecessary vanity projects – an estimated $1.6 billion.

As a mom of (almost) four teenagers, with plenty of hefty expenses, I find this frustrating. But temporary high gas rates aren't enough to produce me vote for Democrats who, once elected, consistently raise taxes, grow the federal administration, fail to stand firm against our foreign enemies and drive inflation to 40-year highs. And they're certainly not enough to offer me selective amnesia concerning Trump's plenty of early successes.

Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist with USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four kids. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and obtain it delivered to your inbox. Share your feedback to support improve our site!

For now, have voters already forgotten everything Trump got right? Remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.