One year ago, Donald Trump returned to office with four clear priorities: secure the border, lower costs for working-class Americans, restore economic growth and put good-paying American jobs first.

As he prepares to deliver his State of the Union address, measurable results are not just visible, they are undeniable. And the second phase is already forming.

First is his success at the border.

Through executive enforcement, reinstated deterrence policies, expanded Border Patrol deployment and tighter interior enforcement, illegal crossings have fallen to near-zero levels compared to the record surges of 2023.

The contrast is stark. Under President Joe Biden, mass illegal entry overwhelmed border communities and interior cities. Trump reversed course in a matter of months, using executive authority and enforcement discipline.

Remember the argument that only sweeping legislation — including amnesty — could fix the crisis? Trump’s first year has proven otherwise.

Cartel leverage has weakened. Smuggling routes have been disrupted. Sanctuary loopholes have narrowed. Attempting unlawful entry no longer guarantees release into the interior. The incentive structure has changed.

Communities along the southern border report relief from the daily strain of mass crossings. Law enforcement is no longer diverted to prior crisis levels. For American workers, labor market pressure from unchecked illegal immigration has eased.

Border policy shifted quickly because enforcement priorities shifted quickly.

Second is the TrumpRx program.

The administration’s prescription drug initiative emphasized price transparency, accelerated generic approvals, expanded competition and regulatory pressure on pharmacy benefit middlemen who have long operated in opaque pricing systems.

The results are showing up in insulin pricing, brand-name drugs and common maintenance medications. Seniors on fixed incomes report lower out-of-pocket costs in several high-use categories. Employers have seen moderation in pharmacy benefit growth compared to prior spikes.

Rather than expanding federal control over health care, the administration relied on competition and leverage. That approach has begun bending cost curves that have pressured families for years.

Health care inflation remains a challenge, but Trump is moving prices in the right direction.

Public health policy has also moved decisively.

Under the Make America Healthy Again initiative, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has targeted ultra-processed foods, aggressive marketing to children and labeling practices that obscure nutritional content.

Childhood obesity and early onset diabetes have become central concerns. The administration has pushed transparency standards, reformulation incentives and stronger nutritional guidelines in federally supported programs.

The objective is not prohibition. It is accountability and informed choice that reduce long-term chronic disease, which strains families and federal budgets alike.

And then there’s the James Carville standard: “It’s the economy, stupid.”

The One Big Beautiful Bill reshaped the tax structure for working Americans. It eliminates federal taxes on tips, removes federal taxes on overtime pay, reduces taxes on portions of Social Security income and expands small business expensing.

The effect is direct. Service workers keep more of what they earn. Tradespeople working overtime see immediate benefit. Retirees experience lighter tax exposure. Small businesses are reinvesting in hiring, equipment and expansion.

This is not abstract theory. It is cash flow in workers’ pockets and capital flowing into local businesses.

Labor participation has strengthened. Domestic energy production has reduced key input costs for manufacturing and transportation. Hiring among small firms is accelerating in multiple regions.

The governing formula is straightforward: lower tax burdens on work, reduce regulatory friction, prioritize domestic production and allow private capital to move.

More disposable income. Fewer barriers to job creation. More American factories. More American jobs.

Trump campaigned on results. He delivered and is now on the cusp of an economic explosion not seen in the United States for 100 years.

The stock market has hit 50,000, and we have unprecedented GDP growth, reaching 5% annually.

Border security tightened. Drug costs moved downward. Public health policy pivoted toward prevention. Tax relief reached workers directly.

The direction is unmistakable. Year one delivered structural change. Year two is positioned to test how far and how fast the resurgence can run. Fasten your seatbelts, folks. The boom phase is coming to a Main Street near you.

Did someone say midterms?

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ABOUT THE WRITER

John Fredericks is the host of the nationally syndicated “The John Fredericks Radio Show.” He wrote this for InsideSources.com.

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