Is Donald Trump keeping his promises on immigration, tariffs and DOGE?

When President Donald Trump addresses the United States Congress on Tuesday, he will describe a rapid-fire effort to deliver on his campaign promises to make Americans safer and wealthier.

By the numbers, Trump has been very busy; he signed more than 70 executive orders in about six weeks. But many of his policies on immigration, tariffs, consumer prices, LGBTQ rights and cutting the government workforce are not a done deal.

Trump has taken the first steps on about two dozen promises, though obstacles, including legal challenges, could hinder his goals. In five cases, he has clearly kept his promises, including his pledges to pardon the January 6, 2021, Capitol rioters and reinstate the military’s transgender ban.

His promise to end birthright citizenship is stalled after judicial intervention. He broke a promise to end the Russia-Ukraine war on his first day in the White House, well before the tense February 28 Oval Office meeting between him, his deputy JD Vance and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

So far, few publicly released statistics shed light on Trump’s handling of the economy, which could be shaped by his imposition of widespread tariffs and the February wave of federal layoffs and contract cancellations. The available signals are mixed. Between Trump’s January 20 inauguration and March 3, the Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell by 3.3 percent, and the S&P 500 is now lower than it was on November 6, the day after the election.

Consumer confidence has turned gloomy, and Trump’s approval ratings on the economy have fallen, though they remain ahead of the level for much of President Joe Biden’s term.

Here is an overview of Trump’s progress on some of his key campaign promises.

Largest deportation operation in history

What Trump said (February 20): “We began the largest deportation operation in American history, larger even than that of President Dwight D Eisenhower.”

Where it stands: Trump has taken steps to increase deportations, including securing agreements with multiple countries such as Panama, Costa Rica, and El Salvador to take people deported from the US who are not from those countries. People who are from countries that do not accept US deportation flights otherwise would be released into the US.

With limited domestic detention space, Trump has also sent immigrants to Guantanamo Bay, the naval base in Cuba best known as a high-security prison for foreign “terrorism” suspects following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. So far, there is no publicly released data showing how many people have been deported during Trump’s first month in office.

Revoke federal initiatives on diversity, equity and inclusion

What Trump said (February 22): “I’ve ended all of the so-called diversity equity and inclusion programmes across the entire federal government and the private sector, and notified every single government DEI officer that their job has been deleted. They’re gone. They’re fired.”

Where it stands: Trump signed a January 20 executive order terminating all federal mandates, policies and programmes that promote diversity, equity and inclusion, setting off a court battle. US District Judge Adam Abelson issued a February 21 preliminary injunction to the order’s termination of federal grants or contracts the administration views as “equity-related”, calling it vague. Trump appealed. The New York Times reported on February 26 that at least 428 DEI workers were put on leave.

Tariffs

What Trump said (February 27): “We’re going to bring so many things back to our country. And the thing that’s going to get us there is tariffs.”

Where it stands: A 10 percent tariff on China and an expansion of existing tariffs on steel and aluminium have already been in the works. Starting March 4, a new wave of tariffs came into effect. The tariff on China has increased to 20 percent, and Mexico and Canada will see 25 percent tariffs. A 25 percent tariff on the 27 European Union countries is planned “soon”, Trump said. He has also ordered top officials to draw up plans for “reciprocal” tariffs, which could hit every US trading partner.

Birthright citizenship

What Trump said (February 22): “I signed an order that will end birthright citizenship for the children of illegal aliens because it wasn’t meant for these children.”

Where it stands: This promise, a carryover from Trump’s first term, has stalled. Multiple judges issued preliminary injunctions in February blocking the implementation of Trump’s first-day executive order declaring that future children of people in the country illegally will not receive automatic US citizenship.

Government efficiency

What Trump said (February 26): “One of the most important initiatives is DOGE, and we have cut billions and billions and billions of dollars.

Where it stands: Trump signed a first-day executive order to create the Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE. Elon Musk is the driving force behind DOGE, which has attracted controversy and court challenges. The DOGE website’s “wall of receipts” has exaggerated its savings.

Saving TikTok

What Trump said (February 19): “It would be great to keep TikTok alive, sell it to somebody that’s going to do a great job with it.”

Where it stands: On his first day in office, Trump delayed a ban on TikTok, which was scheduled to take effect in January under a bipartisan 2024 law unless a US owner took over ownership from the app’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance. Trump’s 75-day pause said the attorney general should not enforce the law, and Trump tapped Vance and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz to oversee a potential TikTok sale.

Ban transwomen from participating in women’s sports

What Trump said (February 5): “From now on, women’s sports will be only for women.”

Where it stands: Trump signed a February 5 executive order that directs the education secretary to update regulations prohibiting transgender girls from participating in girls’ sports. Trump’s order faces lawsuits, and formal changes to Title IX regulations, which prohibit sex-based discrimination in federally funded schools, have yet to come. Twenty-five states already have laws banning transgender athletes from participating in sports teams consistent with their gender identity. The NCAA said it plans to comply with Trump’s order.