As someone who proudly voted for President Trump in 2024 and still supports his America First agenda, I'm extremely grateful for what he's delivered in his first year back in office. Starting January 20, 2025, he hit the ground running with bold moves that reversed the Biden-era mess. We've seen real progress on the border, the economy, and global strength. But let's be honest, many of us who backed him are hungry for more. We're a year in, and while there's plenty to celebrate, we're still behind on key promises, and the 2026 midterms are looming like a storm cloud. We need aggressive action NOW to keep the GOP in control and deliver the full mandate we gave him. I am not here to bash President Trump. Rather, this is a supporter's plea: "You've done good, Mr. President, but let's crank it up."
Let's break it down with the facts, what he's accomplished, what the data says, and where we need more. I'll rate each area on a scale of 1-10 from my perspective as a Trump voter, based on real numbers from government reports, trackers, and polls.
1. Border Security and Deportations: Solid Start, But Numbers Don't Add Up
Trump promised the "largest deportation operation in history," and he's delivered big on border control. Apprehensions at the southwest border dropped to historic lows, 90,084 for the year, less than the Biden admin's monthly average! Negative net migration reversed a 50-year trend, with ZERO illegal releases into the U.S. since May. That's huge! We also saw fentanyl seizures halved, and mass self-deportations thanks to the CBP Home app which offers free flights and $1,000 to illegals who self deport. But here's the issue: The administration claims over 2.5 million deportations (622k forced + 1.9M self). Independent analyses say the forced number is inflated and that the actual interior removals are closer to 335k-486k, including border turnaways, not the "millions" promised. We've heard the narrative of ICE raids and "streets cleared," but data shows it's more self-deportations than aggressive enforcement. As Trump himself noted in the past, illegals taking housing drives up costs, and that is why we need more forced removals to free up homes and jobs.
My Rating: 7/10.
The administration has done great on stopping inflows, but we're not "cracking down" hard enough. More action here could directly help affordability.
2. Economy: Growth Is Back, But Inflation and Housing Lag
Trump's economic wins are undeniable. GDP hit 4.3% in Q3 2025, smashing expectations, with projections for even higher in Q4. In the private sector we've seen 687k created, and real capital spending is up 15% in H1. The "One Big Beautiful Bill" (H.R. 1) made 2017 tax cuts permanent, added "No Tax on Tips," overtime deductions, and senior relief. These tax cuts put money back in our pockets. Energy dominance helped to start slashing gas prices, and trillions in reshored investments (though some pledges are still pending).
Despite all these successes, inflation isn't "dead" as claimed, it's still hovered around 3%, with groceries up 2.7%. And Housing affordability? Mortgage rates dipped below 6% briefly, but tariffs on building materials added $30B to costs, potentially cutting 450k new homes by 2030! Trump's ban on institutional investors buying single-family homes is a step in the right direction, but we need more deregulation to build and deportations to free up supply. As well as we saw job growth slow to a 49k/month average, which is the weakest it's been since 2003. Tariffs have helped reshore jobs but they do pose a real risk of higher costs over the long-term.
My Rating: 6/10. Booming GDP and tax cuts are huge wins, but inflation lingers and housing needs bolder fixes, deportations could free up supply fast.
3. Election Integrity and Cracking Down on Fraud: Where's the accountability?
Trump vowed to investigate 2020 fraud and hold the Biden administration accountable. He issued an EO in March 2025 mandating info-sharing with states on voter fraud, prioritizing enforcement in non-cooperative states. The DOJ has launched probes into officials like Minnesota's Gov. Tim Walz for alleged obstruction during immigration operations, and there's been scrutiny of 2020 claims. But progress feels slow because there have been no major indictments on election fraud, despite the allegations. The focus has now shifted to current enforcement, like voter list purges. But we've seen more rhetoric than results. Supporters like me expected aggressive DOJ action such as raids, charges against those who "stole" 2020. We want more.
My Rating: 5/10. Steps forward, but we're owed more. This was a core promise and it's time to deliver before the midterms.
4. Overall Promises Kept: Behind Pace, But Building
Trackers like PolitiFact's MAGA-Meter show 16% of 2024 promises have been fully kept (e.g., tax cuts permanent, energy emergency declared). In progress promises are at: 9%, it's complicated: 11%.
To stay on pace for a full term, we should've hit 25% by now! Wins include 228 EOs (most in a year ever), peace deals ending wars, homicide drops, and $17B in HHS savings. But stalled on full deportation goals, Epstein files, and deeper cuts.
My Overall Rating: 7/10. We have a solid foundation, but we're behind. Young voters, like myself, are becoming very vocal and polls show they are dissatisfied, risking a extremely low (or potentially no) turnout in 2026.
The Midterm Risk: Democrats are now Poised to Flip the House.
In summary, the polls and forecasts are grim... Consensus from the Cook Political Report (mid-Jan 2026) says that Dems are favored to flip House (net +3 needed), and the Senate is more competitive but GOP-leaning.
Political consultant James Carville recently predicted a GOP "wipeout." He claims Democrats could pick up a minimum of 25 House seats and possibly as high as 45, while also carrying the Senate in a strong year for them.Young voters, especially in my generation and Gen Z, are increasingly vocal about their frustrations. Polls like the Harvard Youth Poll and Yale Youth Poll show Trump's approval among young people has dropped sharply (around 29-34% overall). Many feel economic malaise, housing unaffordability, and a lack of aggressive action on promises. Some are threatening to sit out the midterms in protest or even swing back toward the Democrats if things don't ramp up fast. Issues like inflation, job opportunities, and perceived inaction are scaring the base and eroding enthusiasm. But here's the hard truth we all have to face: A Democratic House would mean gridlock on Trump's agenda, endless investigations, and quite possibly impeachment attempts again. We can't afford to let dissatisfaction turn into apathy or rebellion. That hands the keys right back to the people we fought to defeat in 2024.
Mr. President, the clock is ticking. Deliver big on deportations, economy fixes, and accountability to fire up the base before November.