The Trump Administration, over the past year since Donald Trump was sworn into office, has been catastrophic for America’s integrity and the morals the Founding Fathers envisioned for the country. Between the mass kidnappings of American citizens, hasty military strikes on boats in the Caribbean, unnecessary firing of federal workers, and the most extended government shutdown in American history, Trump has intentionally disobeyed the U.S. Constitution and violated human rights on several occasions and continues to do so without any consequence.
When asked if Trump’s administration has been overall beneficial for the country this past year, Kennesaw State University senior, Destiny Snow, said this, “Benefit, I would say, is a very strong word. He’s not my favorite person in the world.”
College freshman Maleeyana Meak disagrees with the actions of Trump’s second term, calling them “extremely harmful” compared to his time in office in 2016. “I haven’t heard a single positive thing about [the Trump administration].”
Mariah Mann, 17, even compared Trump to former U.S. President Andrew Jackson, known for his highly controversial and corrupt leadership.
Illegal Deportations
Since the start of Trump’s second term in office, he and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have gone hand in hand.
ICE, created in 2003, is a government organization established to uphold immigration laws within and around the United States’ borders. As stated on the official ICE website, their mission is to “protect America through criminal investigations and enforcing immigration laws to preserve national security and public safety.”
Since Trump took office in 2024, military-style raids have taken place all over the country, detaining innocent American citizens and even children.
George Retes, a 25-year-old Iraq War veteran, is one of the many U.S. citizens racially profiled and unlawfully captured by ICE agents. In July 2025, Retes says he was on his way to his workplace as a security officer at a cannabis farm in California when, in his vehicle, Retes approached an ICE roadblock, swarmed with protesters. Unbeknownst to him, a sanctioned ICE raid was scheduled for that day. Retes attempted to explain himself to the federal agents, but after being ignored, he tried to leave.
“They threw tear gas behind my car, and they just engulfed my car in tear gas and smoke. I wasn’t able to see in general. My eyes were watery. I was coughing, and I couldn’t catch my breath,” Retes told NPR reporter Adrian Florido.
Retes says his window was then shattered. He was pepper-sprayed in the face and then dragged out of his own car and arrested. Retes was taken to a detention center in downtown LA, where he was held for three days and three nights in an isolation cell. The Sixth Amendment and the Supreme Court ruling of Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) declare that access to an attorney is a constitutional right. The right to counsel extends to a confidential phone call. Retes was denied both of these while detained by immigration police.
“I missed my daughter’s third birthday party. Then I was just let go, with no charges, no explanation for why, and no apology,” Retes explained in a recollection of the moment in the San Francisco Chronicle. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claims he was arrested for “assaulting a law enforcement officer and interfering with agents performing their duties.”
This is one of many examples of Donald Trump encouraging the unlawful government practices and denying the inalienable rights of American citizens. The fact that a President, the person who holds the highest power in the country, violates so many Constitutional principles is absurd to say the least.
In a June 2025 Pew Research survey, American adults were asked about various immigration actions implemented by the Trump Administration. Overall, Republicans were more in favor of the policies compared to Democrats.
For example, 70% of Republicans believed that more federal employees should be working on deportation efforts, while only 21% of Democrats agreed. In another example, 68% of Republicans, compared to only 13% of Democrats, believe that Temporary Protected Status (TPS) should be nullified. TPS is a government protection order issued by the Department of Homeland Security for eligible individuals born outside the U.S. who are unable to safely return to their home country due to unavoidable circumstances, such as war or natural disasters.
Absurdly, 67% of Republicans want some illegal immigrants deported to prisons in El Salvador.
In another case of the Trump administration outwardly disregarding the American Constitution, nearly 300 people were sent to the brutal El Salvadoran prison CECOT (Terrorism Confinement Center), known for abusing human rights. Earlier this year, in March, hundreds of men who the Trump administration claimed to be members of a Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, were deported without due process. They were not given the chance to prove or disprove their affiliation, if any, with these violent gangs. Some, including Andy Hernandez Romero, were legal U.S. residents.
In December 2025, a “60 Minutes” episode about Trump’s immigration policy and his administration’s decision to deport migrants to CECOT was mistakenly aired in Canada on the Global Television Network’s app, before being abruptly pulled from the site. However, the episode remained online long enough for people to repost it on various platforms. The segment features interviews from migrants sent to the prison, recounting their experiences of torture, abuse, and beatings as reported by PBS News. Numerous experts on the episode questioned the legality of hastily deporting those migrants without complete legal rulings. Many social media users criticize the decision not to air the episode as a way to protect Trump’s illegal deportations and shield him from disapproving media coverage.
Trump enacted the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 (AEA), which allows the President to detain, relocate, or deport immigrants from enemy nations. This is the first time this legislation has been used since the Second World War. The AEA can only be used during a time of war or in the event of an invasion by “any foreign nation or government.”
There was no congressionally declared war or military conflict when Trump used this act in March of 2025. In W.M.M. v. Trump, the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit finally ruled that Trump’s authorization of the AEA was illegal. The majority opinion of the Court concluded that the actions of the gang — drug smuggling, illegal migration, and related crimes do not classify as an invasion or predatory incursion as required by the law.
37-year-old Renne Nicole Good was shot and killed by Jonathan Ross, an ICE officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The fatal shooting, which occurred almost two weeks ago. immediately sparked Internet outrage and confusion as Ross claimed that her murder was in self-defense, but many, including politicans believe this was an abuse of power. A video of the event depicts Good in her car. At least for a moment, she was partly blocking federal officers from maneuvering the scene as her car was partially in the road.
Ross circled her vehicle, recording on his personal cell phone. As he approached the front of the car, Good initially reversed, and when she began to pull forward, Ross was positioned near the front of the car, near the driver’s-side door. Seconds later, he fired three shots into the vehicle, killing her shortly after. Once Ross killed Good, his own recording caught him angrily calling her a “f—ing bi—!”
Good and many others were at the scene of an ICE raid, acting as legal observers. However, the US Department of Homeland Security counters. DHS accuses Good of being disruptive of ICE proceedings and “weaponizing her vehicle” to harm the agent.
Trump even concurred the claim, posting on his Truth Social account, “The woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing, and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer, who seems to have shot her in self defense.”
As of now, Ross has not been charged with any crime.
Trump’s being so cruel to immigrants is hypocritical, when his wife, and the mother of his son, was born in Novo Mesto, Slovenia. His best friend, Elon Musk, is also an immigrant, born in South Africa. Vice President JD Vance’s wife, Usha Vance, was born to Indian immigrants.
DOGE
DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency, was a pseudo-government department illegally created by Donald Trump. The Constitution states explicitly that only Congress can establish government departments and agencies. Yet, on January 20, 2025, the newly inaugurated President renamed and reorganized the United States Digital Service (USDS) into DOGE through an executive order. DOGE is a temporary bureau whose tenure is set to expire in July of 2026, but in November 2025, it was quietly disbanded and dissolved into other preexisting agencies.
During Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, Elon Musk, a well-known tech billionaire, owner of X (formerly Twitter), and creator of SpaceX and Tesla, was by Trump’s side at nearly every rally, spending a whopping $250 million to back the candidate.
Musk’s original job was to serve as an advisor to the president, helping improve government efficiency, and his stint as a special employee ended after 130 days.
Mass firings of federal employees began in February, spearheaded by DOGE and supported by the Trump administration, to cut government spending and reduce the federal workforce. Initially, workers were offered eight months of pay and benefits to resign, but were soon
threatened with termination if they did not accept the offer, according to USA Today.
Tens of thousands of workers in the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, and the General Services Administration, among others, were laid off. Cuts to these government segments have affected tax refunds, the delivery of Social Security benefits, and access to classrooms for students with disabilities, as reported by the House Budget Committee Democratic Caucus.
In response, many unions, including the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), have filed lawsuits, arguing that their right to due process was violated. The AFGE has been successful in many cases, blocking the President’s moves of mass layoffs with judges granting preliminary injunctions, but not all cases are as fortunate.
In a press conference in the Oval Office, where Musk was joined by Trump and Musk’s three-year-old son, Musk promised to be as transparent as possible, telling reporters, “We post our actions to the DOGE handle on X and to the DOGE website, so all of our actions are maximally transparent. I don’t know of a case where an organization has been more transparent than the DOGE organization.” Despite his guarantee, it remains a riddle what all DOGE does, who its employees are, and how much power it truly holds.
Widespread criticism of DOGE and Elon Musk prompted nationwide backlash. #TeslaTakedown is a nonviolent protest movement against the billionaire with the message, “Musk Must Fall.” People across the country began boycotting Tesla vehicles, selling their cars, and shaming Tesla owners. Some Tesla owners put stickers on their cars to avoid negative reactions that stated, “I bought this before Elon went crazy” or “anti-Elon Tesla club.” Some even used the emblems of other car companies to cover the Tesla logo, completely dissociating from the company and Elon himself.
These acts of retaliation hit Musk where it hurts most, his pockets. Tesla’s stock dropped tremendously, with many shareholders selling their portions, and profits dwindled to 71% in March 2025, according to ABC News. However, it is essential to note that Tesla has been losing market share for years due to competition from other electric vehicle companies.
The unprofessional “bromantic” relationship between Trump and Musk ended like a teenage breakup, plastered online with both parties hurling insults at each other for the world to see. It was a jarring and quite embarrassing event to witness – the wealthiest man in the world versus one of the most powerful men in the world, bad-mouthing each other on social media. Their tumultuous split came after Musk’s tenure at the Office had expired and after he publicly criticized Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill.”
Government Shutdown
Every year, Congress is required to pass bills to approve funding for government services and agencies. A continuing resolution (CR) is a temporary spending bill that funds the federal government for a limited period if regular spending bills are not passed on time. If there is no funding bill and no CR, then the government will shut down because funding has not been approved.
The longest government shutdown ever lasted 43 days, from October 1, 2025, to November 12. According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, during the shutdown, at least 670,000 federal employees were furloughed, meaning they were placed on temporary, unpaid leave. Nearly 730,000 people continued to work without pay.
Air traffic control employees were among those who labored for free for roughly a month and a half, and airports across the country were especially affected by the shutdown. A shortage in TSA officers, air traffic controllers, and other airport workers caused widespread chaos. Dozens of flights were delayed or cancelled, leaving travelers stranded in random states.
Many air traffic controllers were forced to take second, part-time jobs to cover their living expenses. In November, NPR interviewed several controllers who wished to remain anonymous to inquire about how they were affected by the shutdown. One employee stated, “‘I work with people that are working a second job at night and are just calling in sick in the morning when they can’t go to the job that doesn’t pay them, because they’re too tired.”
SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as food stamps, was also affected by the shutdown.
SNAP provides financial aid to low-income families for purchasing groceries. As reported by USAFacts, in 2024, an average of 1.4 million people in Georgia received SNAP benefits each month, and 41.7 million nationwide.
Because Congress did not approve this year’s funding bill on time, those who depend on the program did not receive their benefits on November 1, leaving many families struggling to put food on the table right before the holiday season.
The second-longest shutdown lasted 39 days from December 2018 to January 2019. Donald Trump was the President then, too.
The Senate failed to pass a funding bill with a $5.7 billion requisition from Trump to build a wall on the southern Mexican-American border. After costing the country $3 billion, the shutdown ended when Trump finally signed legislation to reopen the government, without funding for the wall’s construction.
Government shutdowns cannot be blamed solely on the president, but having the longest shutdowns in American history during the tenure of one president alone must reflect on Trump in some way, including his ability to run a stable country.
Unlawful Military Strikes
In a campaign against drug trafficking, since September 2, the Trump administration has conducted multiple air strikes in the Caribbean, killing at least 70 people, and destroying 18 different Venezuelan vessels that they claim to be transporting illegal drugs into the United States.
Trump asserted that the military strikes were in self-defense and to combat the war on drugs, but many struggle to see the need for such hasty, violent actions. As found in an investigation done by AP News, many of the killed were fishermen, public transportation drivers, and laborers on their first or second gig, not high-level cartel bosses. While it is confirmed that one particular boat from the Paria Peninsula in Venezuela was in fact transporting cocaine, it is far from the deadly synthetic opioids killing thousands a year that Trump so adamantly maintains.
“To all narco-terrorists who threaten our homeland: if you want to stay alive, stop trafficking drugs. If you keep trafficking deadly drugs — we will kill you,” said Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense.
Under the Constitution, the President does not have the power to declare war; that power is reserved for Congress.
In addition, Congress can issue an Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF), which bestows the President with the power to use military force against a threat. Neither of these was the case, though, and yet Trump still conducted multiple missile strikes on foreign boats. The lack of an imminent threat from the ships, the absence of approval from Congress, and the continuous bombing of vessels to kill survivors prove that his actions were unconstitutional.
Similarly, without the approval of Congress, former President Richard Nixon used military forces to bomb and invade Cambodia in 1969. This mission was highly secretive and was deliberately concealed from both Congress and the American public. After Nixon’s unconstitutional actions came to light, Congress passed the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which limited the President’s ability to deploy armed forces without the consent of Congress.
Even with several legal boundaries in place, Trump continues to abuse his power as Commander-in-Chief and blur the lines of where his authority lies.
Donald Trump’s Legal Trouble
Many politicians have allegations against them, ranging from harassment to abuse of power to cheating. Donald Trump is not only accused of but convicted of the previously mentioned crimes in addition to illegally influencing the 2016 election through hush money payments to a pornstar, conspiracy to overturn an election after losing to Joe Biden in 2021, and civil fraud, to name a few. In fact, he is the first former US president to be convicted of felony crimes.
A federal court found Donald Trump liable for sexually assaulting journalist Elizabeth Carroll during a 1996 encounter in a dressing room at a Manhattan department store. She sued him for both sexual assault and defamation after Trump said in an exclusive interview with The Hill that she was “totally lying” and that “she’s not my type.” In the end, she was granted $5 million in damages.
Business Insider confirmed 26 women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct since the 1970s, in situations ranging from nonconsensual kissing to purposefully walking in on women undressed during beauty pageants. His first wife, Ivana Trump, even spoke out about her experience with him, accusing him of raping her during a fit of rage in 1989. Four years later, she recanted part of her claim, saying, “‘[O]n one occasion during 1989, Mr. Trump and I had marital relations in which he behaved very differently toward me than he had during our marriage. As a woman, I felt violated, as the love and tenderness which he normally exhibited towards me was absent. I referred to this as a ‘rape,’ but I do not want my words to be interpreted in a literal or criminal sense.’”
Trump denied these claims, saying that Harry Hurt III’s explicitly detailed novel about the event, Lost Tycoon: The Many Lives of Donald J. Trump, is “obviously false.” Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, defended his client, incorrectly saying that “you cannot rape your spouse.”
Some of the president’s criminal indictments were dismissed in their entirety, such as his first federal case involving classified government documents.
While leaving office in 2021 after losing the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden, Trump stole more than a hundred classified government documents concerning national defense, including information on United States nuclear weaponry, and stored them at his Florida home, Mar-a-Lago. When the Justice Department discovered their missing documents in the following year, they subpoenaed the former president, requesting the information back. Still, Trump refused to return his entire stash, prompting a criminal investigation.
The FBI raided his house, retrieving the rest of the stolen documents and charging Trump with conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding a documental record, false statements and representations, and more. To the surprise of many, this case was dismissed in July 2024 by US District Judge Aileen Cannon, who claimed that special counsel Jack Smith violated the Constitution.
Georgia residents were shocked (or not) when a secret January 2021 phone call to Georgia’s Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, was leaked, in which Trump asked the politician to turn the election in his favor as he was losing to Biden. This is the Georgia Election Interference Case, in which his infamous mugshot, which sparked numerous social media memes, was taken at the Fulton County jail in 2024. Trump and 18 others were charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, Conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, etc.
This case was also dismissed.
Nonetheless, the onslaught of indictments, convictions, and guilty verdicts did not affect Trump’s ability to run for President in 2024. When he was sworn in, he was granted presidential immunity, which liberated him from facing legal consequences. As we see today, he is the leader of the United States, ruling the country, one of the most powerful countries in the world, without paying for his laundry list of crimes.
Historically, any of these offenses would be grounds for impeachment or even arrest, but for some odd reason, it seems as though Donald Trump can do whatever he wants without consequence. The President is supposed to be a leader, a phenomenal role model for the country, a righteous person, and someone who reflects American values. Yet for the next three years (hopefully no longer), we are stuck with a power-hungry convicted criminal.
