While he’s followed through with some of the more controversial plans, such as eradicating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and pardoning January 6 rioters, Donald Trump’s return to the presidency has already been marked by a long list of broken promises, many of which were either unfeasible or outright illegal.
From his campaign trail to his first days back in the White House, Trump has struggled to deliver on his ambitious — and often controversial — pledges.
On his first day in office, Trump vowed to lower grocery prices, promising they would “come down dramatically and fast.” Yet, in a subsequent interview with Time magazine, he admitted the challenge was far greater than he anticipated.
“It’s very hard,” Trump conceded, acknowledging that lowering prices would take time. His administration’s efforts, however, have not led to any significant relief. Internal sources revealed that Trump directed department heads to brainstorm solutions, but they reportedly failed to produce viable ideas.
Meanwhile, Trump has actively worked to raise prescription drug prices. He reversed a Biden-era policy that capped and reduced drug costs, drawing criticism for prioritizing pharmaceutical companies and billionaires over American families.
Other Day 1 promises included ending the war in Ukraine — a conflict that remains unresolved — and overturning Biden’s so-called “electric vehicle mandate,” which never existed. Analysts have called this a blatant case of posturing, as Trump repeatedly attacks initiatives that are either fabricated or exaggerated.
Trump also pledged to override the Constitution to end birthright citizenship. Legal experts and constitutional scholars have widely dismissed this as beyond the president’s authority. Similarly, his executive order attempting to ban transgender individuals from federal protections was deemed legally unenforceable.
Trump’s promises extended into military matters, where he claimed he would ban critical race theory (CRT) from being taught. However, CRT is not a component of military training, rendering this another hollow declaration. His vow to solve America’s opioid crisis on Day 1 also went unfulfilled while the nation continues to grapple with record-high overdose rates.
The president also promised to impose a 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico, two of the United States’ largest trading partners. While this measure, much like his Border Wall declaration from 2016, hasn’t been enacted yet, Trump has signaled plans to move forward with it by Feb. 1, a move critics warn could destabilize key economic relationships.
Among other broken Day 1 promises, Trump pledged to ban sanctuary cities by sending a bill to Congress—a bill that was never drafted.
He also promised to “ban the Green New Deal,” even though the U.S. never adopted the progressive climate policy in the first place. His claims of restoring energy independence also fell flat, as U.S. energy production had already reached historic highs under the Biden administration.
While Trump failed to deliver on most of his promises, he did follow through on his pledge to pardon violent criminals involved in the January 6 Capitol riot.
However, other promises, such as releasing his Supreme Court nominations on Day 1, remain unfulfilled.
“Let’s focus on the [empty promises] your president fed you to get elected and has backtracked on most major promises already,” said one social media user, using more colorful language to describe the president’s promises. “War ended – nope. Grocery prices down day one – oops all the sudden once elected he says it’s not that easy.”