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Report card: Conservative and liberal strategists reveal how Trump has fared on campaign promises
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Ahead of President Donald Trump’s first State of the Union address since returning to the White House, his record on key campaign pledges is mixed, as some promises have been fulfilled while others are still pending or tied up in legal challenges.
Trump’s 2024 campaign centered on immigration, the economy, sweeping tariffs and ending the United States’ involvement in foreign conflicts. More than a year into his second term, Republican and Democratic strategists alike told Fox News Digital the administration has made significant strides in some of those areas but fallen short in others.
Voters, meanwhile, view Trump as weak on the economy (40% approval), foreign policy (37% approval) and tariffs (37% approval), according to a Fox News poll last month. His approval rating is slightly higher on immigration at 44%, and a net positive 52% when it comes to border security.
Border crossings drop, but deportations remain contentious
One of Trump’s top promises was stopping what he described as an «invasion» at the southern border by curbing illegal crossings and pursuing an aggressive deportation agenda.
Department of Homeland Security data since Trump took office shows a sharp decrease in border crossings between ports of entry, an achievement Trump is likely to highlight in Tuesday’s speech.
But Trump’s promise to carry out mass deportations on a historic scale remains mired in controversy. ICE raids and enforcement initiatives, such as Operation Metro Surge, have not at this stage led to the removal of millions that Trump articulated on the campaign trail. Deportations have also been met with hundreds of lawsuits, intensifying scrutiny of them.
A federal law enforcement agent outside a home during a raid in south Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 13, 2026. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Julian Epstein, a Democratic consultant and former chief counsel on the House Judiciary Committee, said Trump has «secured the borders, but he has not explained to the public adequately enough his purpose and rationale on deportation.»
Theo Wold, a former assistant attorney general and policy official in the first Trump White House, said the Biden administration’s lax border policies amounted to a «criminal undermining of federal immigration law» that Trump has completely reversed. But he acknowledged that contention over deportations has clouded the administration’s immigration enforcement efforts.
«The work to remove hundreds of thousands of criminal illegal aliens continues and will be an ongoing fight, as Democrats look to obstruct ICE’s progress,» Wold said. «But the ongoing fight over mass deportations has obscured President Trump’s novel regulatory rulemakings to ferret out asylum fraud and to ensure that foreign labor visas are not wielded to undermine the economic mobility of the American worker.»
Epstein gave Trump an A-.
Wold gave Trump an A-.
Tariffs face court setback, but Trump pivots
Trump vowed to impose steep tariffs on imports from around the world to protect U.S. manufacturing. But that plan took a hit when the Supreme Court ruled that he could not unilaterally impose broad tariffs on an emergency basis without congressional approval.
Undeterred, Trump announced a new set of 10% global tariffs under a different legal authority, and the president has signaled he plans to raise that rate to 15%.
«He has a good reason to claw back the losses of the middle class in the last three decades, that’s an honorable thing that he’s doing, but the policy has been too diffuse, not sufficiently targeted, and poorly explained to the public,» Epstein said.
US ECONOMY GREW SLOWER THAN EXPECTED IN FOURTH QUARTER
President Donald Trump shows off non-reciprocal tariff examples. (Mandel Ngan/Getty Images)
Bradley Devlin, an editor at the conservative Daily Signal, said doomsday predictions about Trump’s tariffs have not panned out.
«Tariffs, they claimed, would cause a recession. But for the first time in a long time, real wages are rising for working Americans,» Devlin said.
Epstein gave Trump a B.
Devlin gave Trump an A.
Foreign policy in flux
On foreign policy, Trump repeatedly suggested he could end the war in Ukraine, but that has not materialized. Trump’s other diplomatic efforts have, however, been met with praise.
«He’s put out eight wars, moved us light years ahead of where Biden was in the Middle East, and is securing the Western Hemisphere by squeezing out the communist dictators in Venezuela and Cuba,» Epstein said.
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado gestures during an anti-government protest on Jan. 9, 2025, in Caracas, Venezuela. (Jesus Vargas/Getty Images)
Devlin said Trump’s threats of military strikes on Iran, which the president has said are aimed at forcing the country to negotiate over its nuclear program, did not jibe with a message of peace.
«Two driving foreign policy issues of the 2024 campaign, brokering peace in the Russia-Ukraine war and an end to the conflict in the Middle East, remain elusive,» Devlin said. «And the president seems on the verge of a war with Iran that would likely make an American pivot away from the Middle East unachievable by the end of his term.»
Epstein gave Trump an A.
Devlin gave Trump a C+.
U.S. economy
Central to Trump’s campaign was economic prosperity. Trump vowed to ease inflation and boost domestic energy production. Recent government data show inflation has indeed eased but that it remains a point of concern.
Trump has also pointed to tax cuts enacted under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a sweeping tax and spending law signed in July 2025, as a success tied to his agenda.
Epstein said the economy is «headed in the right track» but that Trump has not fully addressed the concerns of an «anxious public.»
Elizabeth Pipko, a Republican National Committee spokesperson, said economic growth under Trump has been «robust.»
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«Inflation has gone down, gas prices have fallen significantly, wages are rising, and the progress made in one year has far surpassed what anyone could have predicted,» Pipko said.
Pipko gave Trump an A.
Epstein gave Trump a B+.
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INTERNACIONAL
Una turista contó cómo vivió el operativo contra “El Mencho” entre bloqueos, disparos y un “estado de guerra”
Entre disparos y bloqueos de narcotraficantes, decenas de turistas quedaron atrapados el domingo en unas cabañas de Tapalpa, en el estado mexicano de Jalisco, donde fue abatido en un operativo militar Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho”.
“Desde que desperté, los helicópteros ya sobrevolaban muy cerca, y fue alrededor de las 7:00 cuando nuestros familiares intentaron contactarnos“, relató a EFE una turista que pidió mantener el anonimato.
Fue entonces que se dio cuenta de que estaba hospedada cerca de la guarida de “El Mencho”, en el complejo turístico Tapalpa Country Club.
Leé también: Escondida en un bosque y protegida por muros de piedra: así es la mansión donde cayó “El Mencho”
En esta zona boscosa, rodeada por centenares de árboles y residencias de lujo, la mujer y su grupo de amigos se encerraron en una habitación al fondo de una cabaña, “la más segura”, porque “no tenía tantos cristales que pudieran ser atravesados por una bala”.
Con la poca señal que llegaba a sus teléfonos celulares, recibieron decenas de mensajes enviados a un chat del condominio, integrado por aproximadamente 60 personas -entre turistas nacionales e internacionales y organizadores-, quienes solicitaban a huéspedes y propietarios “no salir de las cabañas”.
“Estado de guerra”
Afuera de las cabañas se desarrollaba un fuerte operativo del Ejército mexicano para capturar a “El Mencho”, el líder del Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) y uno de los narcotraficantes más buscados del mundo.
“Al inicio pensábamos que era un operativo normal, pero después empezaron a llegarnos videos de grupos armados pasando entre las cabañas y, minutos más tarde, escuchamos disparos. Una hora de disparos”, recordó.
Dos soldados custodian una zona de Tapalpa, en Jalisco (Foto: Reuters)
El tiroteo terminó al mediodía.
Según se supo después, el líder narco se escondía desde el 21 de febrero en una exclusiva cabaña con su pareja sentimental.
Las conversaciones durante esas horas eran de temor y aislamiento.
Leé también: El narcotráfico dio una brutal muestra de poder de fuego ante el cambio de estrategia del gobierno mexicano
“Estábamos en un estado de guerra del que no podíamos salir”, señaló la turista. Afuera había un bloqueo con un camión que impedía el paso.
“No teníamos más comida” y, sobre todo, “queríamos regresar a casa”, porque “nuestras familias viven en Guadalajara, donde la situación estaba “aún peor”, agregó.
El operativo contra el capo mexicano desató una ola de violencia en todo el país, en la que fallecieron 25 integrantes de la Guardia Nacional y más de 30 miembros del CJNG.
Cómo fue el regreso a casa
Regresar a la ciudad de Guadalajara la tarde del domingo fue una “misión imposible”. Además de los bloqueos ilegales en Tapalpa, se reportaban otros 18 en todo el estado de Jalisco, según las autoridades federales.
“En el chat de los condominios se decía que seguían quemando autos y negocios y que no era seguro regresar. Mientras pasaban las horas, yo enviaba cada treinta minutos un mensaje a mi mamá para decirle que todo estaba bien”, relató.
“El miedo no se me quitaba de la piel”, subrayó.
La noche del domingo estuvo marcada por el “insomnio”, ante la psicosis de que “alguien entrara o las balas volvieran a sonar”.
“Al despertar sabíamos que teníamos que salir de ahí”, indicó al explicar que la estrategia de escape la realizaron entre pequeños grupos de turistas que iban abandonando Tapalpa y, al mismo tiempo, avisando por mensajes de Whatsapp el estado del camino hasta Guadalajara.
Leé también: Con la muerte de “El Mencho”, México aleja el fantasma de la intervención de Trump
Con la llegada del primer grupo a la capital de Jalisco, la testigo logró salir de Tapalpa en un trayecto de dos horas y media, durante el cual contabilizó más de 15 vehículos volcados en la carretera, todos “llenos de ceniza”.
“En cada curva te encontrabas un camión quemado o surcos tapados con tierra para que los autos no se hundieran”, resaltó.
Tres días después, Guadalajara, uno de los principales puntos de operación del Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación, sigue con el código rojo activado y las actividades en suspenso.
(Con información de EFE)
México
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U.S. and French officials signaled Tuesday they are working to steady relations after a diplomatic flare-up that led France to restrict U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner’s access to senior government officials.
The U.S. Embassy in France told Fox News Digital that the two sides remain in contact following the dispute, which was triggered by U.S. government social media posts about the killing of a French activist earlier this month.
«Ambassador Kushner and Foreign Minister Barrot, who have met regularly during the Ambassador’s tenure, spoke today in a frank and amicable call, reaffirming their shared commitment to working together, along with all other Ministers and French officials, on the many issues that impact the United States and France, particularly as the two countries celebrate 250 years of rich diplomatic relations,» the statement said.
The outreach suggests both governments are seeking to contain the fallout from a clash that briefly raised questions about diplomatic protocol and political sensitivities between two of NATO’s closest allies.
U.S. and French officials signaled Tuesday they are working to steady relations after a diplomatic flare-up that led France to restrict U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner’s access to senior government officials. (Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images)
France had moved to limit Kushner’s access to top officials after he did not attend a summons at the French Foreign Ministry over remarks posted by official U.S. government accounts following the death of 23-year-old activist Quentin Deranque, who was killed during clashes between far-left and far-right groups in Lyon earlier this month.
The Associated Press reported that Deranque, described as a far-right activist and a fervent nationalist, was beaten during the confrontation and later died of brain injuries sustained in the attack.
In a Feb. 19 post on X, the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism wrote that reports — corroborated by France’s interior minister — that Deranque was killed by left-wing militants «should concern us all,» adding: «Violent radical leftism is on the rise and its role in Quentin Deranque’s death demonstrates the threat it poses to public safety.» The U.S. Embassy in France later shared the statement on its official account.
France had moved to limit Kushner’s access to top officials after he did not attend a summons at the French Foreign Ministry over remarks posted by official U.S. government accounts following the death of 23-year-old activist Quentin Deranque, who was killed during clashes between far-left and far-right groups in Lyon earlier this month. (Olivier Chassignole/AFP via Getty Images)
TRUMP KEEPS MACRON UNDER SPOTLIGHT AS GREENLAND TALKS GRIND FORWARD FROM DAVOS
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot characterized the remarks as an unwelcome intrusion into France’s domestic political debate and said Kushner’s failure to appear at the Quai d’Orsay «will naturally affect his ability to carry out his mission in our country.» He described the no-show as a «surprise,» saying ambassadors are expected to respect «the most basic practices of diplomacy» when summoned.
«We have no lessons to learn in matters of maintaining order or public order in matters of violence, and we have no lessons to learn at all from the reactionary international, simply,» Barrot said in an interview with public broadcaster France Info.
While Tuesday’s call between Kushner and Barrot indicates both sides are attempting to prevent the disagreement from escalating, the episode unfolded against a broader backdrop of periodic tension in transatlantic relations.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot characterized the remarks as an unwelcome intrusion into France’s domestic political debate and said Kushner’s failure to appear at the Quai d’Orsay «will naturally affect his ability to carry out his mission in our country.» (Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)
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France has at times pushed for greater European «strategic autonomy» in defense and foreign policy — an approach that can diverge from Washington’s priorities, particularly as President Donald Trump has pressed NATO allies to increase defense spending and align more closely with U.S. strategic objectives. Trade has also been a recurring friction point in recent years, with tariff disputes between the United States and the European Union periodically affecting French exports.
Despite those differences, France remains one of Washington’s closest security partners in Europe, cooperating extensively on counterterrorism, intelligence sharing and NATO operations. Diplomatic access to senior officials plays a central role in coordinating those efforts, making even symbolic restrictions notable.
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South African president thanks Putin after 17 men ‘lured’ to Russian frontlines begin returning home
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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin after 17 men who the government said were «lured» to Russian frontlines in its war against Ukraine began returning home.
In a statement Tuesday, Ramaphosa’s office said the South African government, working closely with Russian authorities, secured the repatriation of the men after receiving distress calls requesting assistance.
The group, ranging in age from 20 to 39, was allegedly recruited into «mercenary activities.»
The circumstances surrounding their recruitment remain under investigation.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers the State of the Nation address in Cape Town, South Africa, on Feb. 12, 2026. (Rodger Bosch/Pool via Reuters)
Ramaphosa expressed gratitude to Putin for responding positively to his request for help during a Feb. 10 phone call between the two leaders.
Four of the men have already returned to South Africa, while 11 are expected to arrive soon.
Two remain in Russia — one receiving treatment at a hospital in Moscow and another being processed before finalizing travel arrangements.
KENYA DEMANDS ANSWERS FROM RUSSIA OVER RECRUITMENT OF CITIZENS TO FIGHT IN UKRAINE WAR
South African police officers and soldiers stand on the tarmac as a Russian Air Force Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bomber lands at Waterkloof Air Force Base in Centurion, South Africa, on Oct. 23, 2019. (Emmanuel Croset/AFP via Getty Images)
South Africa’s embassy in Moscow is continuing to monitor the hospitalized individual until he is cleared to travel, according to Ramaphosa’s office.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in November that Kyiv estimates at least 1,436 foreign nationals from 36 African countries have been recruited to fight for Russia, warning the true number may be higher.
AMERICANS WARNED OF AL QAEDA-LINKED TERRORIST PRESENCE IN POPULAR VACATION GETAWAY
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a meeting of the Federal Security Service board in Moscow, Russia, on Feb. 24, 2026. (Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel/Pool via Reuters)
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Sybiha said Russia uses a range of tactics to recruit foreigners, including financial incentives, deception and coercion.
«Signing a contract is equivalent to signing a death sentence,» he wrote on X. «Foreign citizens in the Russian army have a sad fate. Most of them are immediately sent to the so-called ‘meat assaults,’ where they are quickly killed.»
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