Since returning to the White House, President Donald Trump’s administration has delivered mixed results on several high-profile campaign promises as the United States approaches upcoming midterm elections. The president made bold commitments on economic recovery, energy policy, immigration enforcement, and foreign affairs, with varying degrees of progress.
On the economy, Trump prioritized tackling inflation, pledging to end it from his first day in office. Inflation, however, rose to 3.7 percent in September 2026, higher than the 2.9 percent rate in December 2024 when Joe Biden left office. Contributing factors include the administration’s ongoing conflict with Iran, increased tariffs, and the expansion of the artificial intelligence sector. Trump also promised to rebalance trade by imposing tariffs on foreign countries, which have substantially increased to an effective rate of 11.6 percent. Yet the U.S. trade deficit has widened, with imports exceeding exports by $105.6 billion in August 2026, compared to $96.9 billion at the end of 2024.
Mortgage rates have risen under Trump’s tenure, contrary to his pledge to reduce them to around 3 percent; 30-year mortgage rates stood at 7.4 percent as of October 2026. Nevertheless, the administration has enacted significant tax cuts, including relief on taxes related to tips, overtime, and Social Security benefits for seniors.
Energy policy under Trump has produced mixed outcomes. Domestic oil production reached record highs of nearly 14 million barrels per day in late 2025, continuing a trend begun under Biden, though with a noted slowdown in growth. Natural gas production surged to a record 137 billion cubic feet per day in mid-2026. Despite a goal to reduce gasoline prices below $2 per gallon, fuel prices have instead climbed sharply amid the war with Iran, with gasoline at $4.26 per gallon and diesel surpassing $6.30. Electricity prices have also risen, counter to promises to halve them within 18 months.
The administration has succeeded in increasing energy exports, including crude oil, petroleum products, and liquefied natural gas (LNG). LNG exports surged to 17.4 billion cubic feet per day in the first half of 2026, up from 11.9 billion in 2024. Conversely, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve has been drawn down to its lowest level since 1982, despite earlier commitments to refill it.
Trump has rolled back key elements of the prior administration’s climate agenda, including formally withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Agreement for a second time. The Environmental Protection Agency has rescinded regulations aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and tax incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act have been curtailed.
On foreign policy, Trump’s promise to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict rapidly has not materialized, with the war ongoing into its 56th month. In February 2026, the U.S. entered a military conflict with Iran, resulting in over 20 American casualties and costs exceeding $43 billion, with no clear resolution in sight.
In immigration, the administration has markedly reduced illegal border crossings, which fell to 8,870 in August 2026 from 47,320 in December 2024. Deportations have increased significantly, with nearly 50,000 migrant arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement reported in July. The Department of Homeland Security states more than 3 million undocumented immigrants have left the country since Trump’s return. However, the intensified enforcement has been linked to at least nine fatal shootings involving federal immigration agents. Efforts to complete the U.S.-Mexico border wall have resumed, with authorities aiming to finish an additional 250 miles by September 2026, though full completion has yet to be confirmed.