You Don’t Have to Like Him—Just Read the Scoreboard: Border, Energy, Prices, Crime, etc.

Probably the most controversial President in History is actually getting some things done that he promised...

Photo by Brendan Beale on Unsplash

Six months in, the scoreboard is not subtle. The border is tightening, daily removals are focusing on violent offenders, energy output is surging as red tape lifts, prices are easing and take home pay is rising with new relief for tips and overtime, public media subsidies are being pulled back, English is affirmed, women compete against women, election safeguards are tougher, crime in the capital is falling, and peace through strength is back on the table with fresh ceasefires and deals. Some wins are clean. Some are being fought in court. All of it is measurable. You can dislike the man and still read the receipts. If you came for victories, they are here. If you are an independent who wants proof, check the data and decide whether the country feels safer, cheaper, and more serious than it did.

Some folks said it could not be done. Others said it should not be tried. Six months in, the scoreboard says something simple. When you keep the main thing the main thing, results start stacking.

Border and public safety

The southern border is no longer a rumor mill, it is data. Border encounters have fallen to multi-year lows, with DHS reporting the steepest drop since records of the modern era, and the administration resumed wall construction. June and July saw near zero releases into the interior, a sea change from recent years. The White HouseCap City News

On removals, ICE says arrests and deportations are running at record clips, with daily operations prioritizing violent offenders and gang affiliates. Check the agency’s own dashboards if you enjoy graphs as much as I do. U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Prices, jobs, markets

Core inflation has cooled to levels not seen in several years while gas prices have retreated. Consumer sentiment and payrolls have surprised to the upside in recent months, and major indices hit or flirted with record territory this summer. Also, for the travelers keeping score, pump prices are the lowest in about four years. ReutersAAA Fuel Prices

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Energy and the drill baby drill part

On day one, the White House scrapped the federal electric vehicle mandate and moved to clear red tape. Meanwhile, EIA data show United States crude output setting fresh records this spring and summer, with natural gas production near highs as well. Energy independence is not a slogan when production lines hum. Brennan Center for Justice Reuters U.S. Energy Information Administration+1

Taxes and take-home pay

Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill on July 4. The law creates a no tax on tips deduction, a new deduction for overtime, and other relief for workers and small firms. The senior tax piece is where the debate lives. The White House says the vast majority of Social Security recipients will now pay no federal income tax on benefits, while several neutral outlets note the final law did not fully eliminate taxation of benefits and instead layered new deductions that reduce or erase taxes for most seniors. The bottom line is simple for families. More take-home pay. Less friction. ReutersIRSThe White HousePBS

Free speech, faith, and the Second Amendment

Executive actions on January 20 and early February directed agencies to end federal facilitation of online censorship and to elevate protection of religious expression across the federal workforce. A separate order prioritized Second Amendment rights and triggered regulatory rollbacks at ATF. Expect litigation. In fact, it is already here. That is what happens when you move fast in a town that prefers the slow boil. The White House+1U.S. Office of Personnel ManagementATF

DEI, higher ed, and the culture arena

Federal directives have targeted DEI mandates inside the federal government and pressed schools and universities on campus safety, antisemitism, and compelled ideology. Some pushes have stuck. Some are tied up in court. If you are seeing headline skirmishes around UCLA, Harvard, Brown, Duke, and more, you are not imagining things. Pressure works, and judges are now drawing the lines in real time. The White House+1Reuters+1

Public broadcasting

Congress clawed back about one point one billion dollars from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. CPB says it will wind down by the end of the year. Critics call it a blow to rural stations. Supporters call it a long overdue end to taxpayer subsidies for politicized media. Either way, it happened, and it is big. The Washington PostPBS

Women’s sports

The administration signed an order reserving women’s sports for female athletes in federally funded programs. The NCAA then revised its participation policy in alignment. Lawsuits are flying. Policies are shifting. But the direction of travel is clear, and many state associations have already moved. The White HouseLexologyU.S. Department of Education

Election integrity

A national executive action tightened rules on foreign interference, identity verification, paper-verified records, and citizenship checks. Multiple lawsuits challenge pieces of the plan. That is the new normal. Reform, then litigate, then refine. U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Global picture

Ceasefires and peace deals are stacking up. A United States brokered agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo is in force, with an oversight committee now meeting. There is a ceasefire between Israel and Iran after a tense twelve day conflict. Claims about India and Pakistan are disputed by New Delhi, which insists there was no United States mediation, so keep your eye on that file. Next week brings a high stakes Alaska meeting on Ukraine. You wanted peace through strength. This is what it looks like in practice. Sometimes it is a signature ceremony. Sometimes it is a contested headline. Reuters+1ABC NewsAl JazeeraThe Guardian

The stickiest claims, addressed head on

Did hospitals stop pediatric gender treatments. Federal actions and proposed CMS rules are already pushing hospitals to pause or shutter youth programs in several regions, with fresh lawsuits from blue states and medical groups. This is moving fast and will keep moving until courts settle the scope. The White HouseopbNew York State Attorney General

Did the dollar collapse. No. Dollar strength has wobbled with rate expectations, and analysts still see dollar dominance persisting well beyond this cycle. Reserve currency status is a long game, not a Twitter poll. Reuters+1

For the skeptic who made it this far

You do not have to like the style to respect the receipts. Some pieces will get clipped by courts. Some will be revised in committee. That is called governing. The larger point is the trend line. Border under control. Prices easing. Energy surging. Speech protections restored. Public institutions challenged. New peace deals on the board. If you wanted presidential victories, you have them. If you are independent and curious, test the claims against the sources and decide if the country feels more serious again.