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Trump’s first year back in office reshapes US power at home and abroad: Al Jazeera special coverage

Trump’s first year back in office reshapes US power at home and abroad: Al Jazeera special coverage
By Joseph Stepansky and Brian Osgood
Published On 20 Jan 2026

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20 Jan 2026 - 23:45
 (23:45 GMT)

Thanks for joining us

The live page is now closed.

To learn more about Donald Trump’s first year back in the White House, check out this breakdown by the numbers.

You can also relive the past year in images and headlines with this overview.

Notice the fast pace of Trump’s return to office? Check out our reporting on how Trump has embraced speed as a strategy to stretch the limits of executive power.

For insight into how US allies in Europe are responding to being on the receiving end of Trump’s threats, dive into our analysis of the European “trade bazooka” here.

We hope to see you again soon.

20 Jan 2026 - 23:40
 (23:40 GMT)

Here’s what happened today

We will be closing the live blog soon. Here’s a review of the day’s main events:

  • US President Donald Trump marked the first year of his second term by repeatedly threatening to seize Greenland, sparking frustration among allies and underscoring his disregard for constraints on the use of his power.
  • When asked about the lengths he would go to acquire Greenland, Trump remarked, “ You’ll find out.”
  • Protesters poured onto US streets to mark the anniversary and denounce Trump’s sweeping deportation raids, which have sparked human rights concerns.
  • Trump gave a long news conference in which he attacked immigrants and touted recent US military strikes on countries such as Iran and Venezuela, despite experts calling the attacks illegal.
  • Global leaders are convening at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where Trump’s tariffs and ambitions to take over Greenland are a key topic of conversation.
  • Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the world is experiencing a “rupture” and that an “old order” of US-led multilateralism and economic exchange was coming to an end.
  • Trump ends the first year of his second term facing widespread concerns over the cost of living, ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
  • The US president also faces flagging public support, with a recent poll suggesting just 37 percent of people in the US approve of his tenure so far.
20 Jan 2026 - 23:30
 (23:30 GMT)

Justice Department issues subpoena for Democratic officials: Report

The US Justice Department has subpoenaed Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and state Attorney General Keith Ellison, as well as the mayors of Minneapolis and St Paul, over their opposition to Trump’s immigration enforcement operations.

Anonymous sources close to the investigation confirmed the subpoenas to US media.

Reports indicate that the subpoena for Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey seeks documents related to “cooperation or lack of cooperation with federal immigration authorities”.

Officials in the Trump administration have accused Democratic figures like Walz and Frey of seeking to interfere with immigration enforcement efforts by collaborating on antigovernment activities.

20 Jan 2026 - 23:15
 (23:15 GMT)

Photos: Protests mark first year of Trump’s second term

As Trump celebrates his first anniversary back in the White House, protesters around the US have taken to the streets to denounce his policies.

From Washington, DC, to Minneapolis, Minnesota, demonstrators expressed frustration at Trump’s far-reaching use of executive power and his administration’s seeming disregard for the rule of law.

In Minnesota, many protesters highlighted the recent shooting death of 37-year-old mother and US citizen Renee Nicole Good, who was killed when an immigration agent fired at her as she was trying to leave the encounter in her car.

Rogelio Santiooan participates in a January 20 immigration protest on the campus of Kennesaw State University in Georgia [Mike Stewart/AP Photo]
A woman chants during an immigration protest on January 20 on the campus of Kennesaw State University in Georgia [Mike Stewart/AP Photo]
Demonstrators take part in a anti-ICE protest in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 20 [Seth Herald/Reuters]
A demonstrator holds a placard at a rally against Trump outside Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York City, on January 20 [Shannon Stapleton/Reuters]
Helen Rowe of Hyattsville, Maryland, wears pins on a pink pussy hat, commemorating the 2017 Women’s March, during a protest on January 20 in Washington, DC [Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters]

20 Jan 2026 - 23:10
 (23:10 GMT)

Trump made many statements on US economy. Most are untrue

By Andy Hirschfeld

Reporting from New York City

United States President Donald Trump has made a range of claims about the state of the US economy.

In a long and meandering address to the media on Tuesday, the first anniversary of his second term as president, Trump’s claims ranged from there being “no inflation” in the US to drug prices being slashed by as much as 600 percent. Most claims were factually inaccurate.

Al Jazeera examined some of his statements on the economy.

Find out what we determined here.

Trump speaks to the media before boarding Air Force One for Washington, DC, at Palm Beach airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, on January 19, 2026 [Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
20 Jan 2026 - 23:00
 (23:00 GMT)

Trump lists ‘successes’, but many citizens see little progress on affordability

By Alan Fisher

Reporting from Washington, DC

What we got from Trump today was largely a reading of the executive orders that he signed.

And, of course, it’s important to remember that executive orders are significant, but they don’t change the law in the United States. He is now going to go to Davos. He’ll be flying in a few hours. He says he’s going to tell everyone there what a great success the United States has been.

There have been improvements. For instance, gas prices are down.

But for ordinary Americans, the thing that he keeps talking about is affordability. He says it’s a Democratic hoax.

But most people, when they go to the supermarket at the weekend, they find that their bills are much more expensive. Healthcare is more expensive. Buying cars is more expensive. That is reflected in Donald Trump’s low ratings in the polls.

20 Jan 2026 - 22:45
 (22:45 GMT)

‘Somalia’s not even a country’: Trump continues tirade against Somali Americans

In recent months, Trump has fixated on the large Somali-American community in Minnesota, blaming it for a fraud scandal in the state.

The US president continued to single out Somali Americans at his Tuesday briefing with reporters at the White House, launching into a new racist tirade against the diaspora.

“Nobody talks about the fact that $19bn at a minimum is missing in Minnesota, given to a large degree by Somalians,” he said. “They’ve taken it, Somalians. Can you imagine?”

He then proceeded to call Somali Americans “a lot of very low IQ people” and claimed, without evidence, that they benefitted from fraud schemes arranged by others.

“Other people work it out, and they get them money, and they go out and buy Mercedes Benzes,” Trump said.

“They have no money. They never had money. They never had a life. They never had a government. They never had a country, because there’s basically no country. Somalia’s not even a country. They don’t have anything that resembles a country, and if it is a country, it’s considered just about the worst in the world.”

See his remarks in the video below:

20 Jan 2026 - 22:35
 (22:35 GMT)

US forces seize seventh tanker related to Venezuela

US military forces have boarded and taken control of a seventh oil tanker connected with Venezuela, according to the US Southern Command.

In a social media post, the command said US forces apprehended the Motor Vessel Sagitta “without incident”. It said the tanker was operating in defiance of Trump’s “established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean”.

The Sagitta is a Liberian-flagged tanker, and its registration says it is owned and managed by a company in Hong Kong. The ship last transmitted its location more than two months ago when exiting the Baltic Sea in northern Europe.

The military said the capture of the tanker “demonstrates our resolve to ensure that the only oil leaving Venezuela will be oil that is coordinated properly and lawfully”.

The Trump administration has maintained a blockade on sanctioned vessels entering and exiting Venezuela in the wake of the January 3 abduction of Nicolas Maduro.

The motor vessel Sagitta in the Caribbean [Screengrab: US Southern Command via AFP]
20 Jan 2026 - 22:30
 (22:30 GMT)

Trump says US has taken 50 million barrels of oil from Venezuela

Trump said during his remarks to the media that the US has so far taken at least 50 million barrels of oil from Venezuela and that some of it has been sold on the world market.

The proceeds from such sales go to a foreign bank account, where the US will make decisions about how they will be used.

Trump has used the threat of further military attacks to coerce the Venezuelan government into granting the US greater access to the country’s large oil reserves.

“We’ve taken 50 million barrels of oil out of Venezuela in the first four days. We’ve got millions of barrels of oil left. We’re selling it in the open market. We’re bringing down oil prices,” Trump said.

20 Jan 2026 - 22:15
 (22:15 GMT)

Trump undermined his antiwar vows. Will Democrats seize on this?

By Joseph Stepansky

Reporting from Washington, DC

One year into US President Donald Trump’s second term in office, Democrats hope the Republican president’s campaign promises to end foreign wars and pivot to “America First” are coming back to haunt him.

Leaders of the party have long hammered affordability as a key issue in the upcoming 2026 midterms in November, in which the opposition party hopes to reclaim both chambers of Congress from Republicans and, in turn, regain the ability to check the president’s expansive use of executive power.

Trump’s military pressure campaign against Venezuela – culminating, to date, in the extraordinary abduction of Nicolas Maduro on January 3 – as well as his increasingly caustic effort to take control of Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, have emerged as powerful cudgels on the issue.

Speaking at a news conference in the wake of the Maduro operation, Chuck Schumer, the 75-year-old top Democrat in the Senate, adopted decidedly Trumpian language as he promised “relentless” messaging on affordability in the year ahead.

How are the Democrats leveraging Trump’s use of force abroad?

Find out in this analysis.

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters on August 2, 2025 [Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP]
20 Jan 2026 - 22:10
 (22:10 GMT)

Poll suggests Trump’s approval at lowest level in second term

An Economist/YouGov poll suggests that Trump’s approval level is at its lowest point of his second term in office.

Some 37 percent of respondents approve of the job he has done as president, while 57 percent disapprove.

The US president has also seen slipping support on issues once considered strong points, such as immigration and the economy.

A Reuters-Ipsos poll earlier this month suggested that Trump enjoyed only 34 percent approval on economic issues, with 30 percent approval on inflation, in particular.

In a separate AP-NORC survey, just 37 percent of respondents said they approved of Trump’s handling of the economy, while 62 percent disapproved.

20 Jan 2026 - 22:00
 (22:00 GMT)

Photos: Trump marks one year back in office with a news conference

“It’s been an amazing period of time.”

Trump took to the podium at the White House briefing room on Tuesday to mark his first anniversary back in office, and he kicked off the meeting by running through a list of his accomplishments.

His opening remarks focused primarily on the controversial immigration enforcement actions unfolding in Minnesota, where a surge of federal agents has led to clashes with protesters as well as reports of excessive use of force.

In one case, on January 7, a 37-year-old woman, Renee Nicole Good, was shot dead by an ICE agent while trying to drive away from an encounter.

At the podium, Trump produced a stack of printouts with alleged criminals he claimed were arrested in Minnesota in recent weeks.

“You’re not getting bored with this, right? I hope you don’t. But these are people that you have to see,” he told reporters.

Here are images from that interaction.

Trump raises a printout at his news briefing, allegedly depicting an immigrant arrested in Minnesota [Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo]
Trump tosses some documents on the ground as he speaks about federal immigration efforts in Minnesota [Mark Schiefelbein/AP]
Trump takes questions from reporters [Alex Brandon/AP]

20 Jan 2026 - 21:45
 (21:45 GMT)

Trump will not attend emergency G7 meeting proposed by Macron

When asked at today’s news briefing if he would attend an emergency meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) countries in Paris, Donald Trump indicated that he would not.

“No, I wouldn’t do that,” Trump said.

French President Emmanuel Macron had proposed the meeting to discuss efforts to secure peace in war-torn Ukraine. Trump signalled his decision was informed in part by the upcoming presidential elections in France in 2027.

“ Emmanuel’s not going to be there very long, and you know, there’s no longevity there,” Trump said.

20 Jan 2026 - 21:30
 (21:30 GMT)

Trump revisits his ambitions for the US to retake the Panama Canal

On January 20, 2025, Trump used his second inaugural address to make clear his plans to claim the Panama Canal: “We’re taking it back.”

But in the intervening year, Trump’s talk about retaking the canal has died down, particularly as the president’s expansionist aims have shifted to Greenland.

At Tuesday’s news briefing, a reporter asked Trump: Is the Panama Canal still on the table, in terms of his priorities?

Trump gave an evasive answer. “ I don’t want to tell you that,” he began, before adding: “Sort of. Sort of.”

20 Jan 2026 - 21:15
 (21:15 GMT)

Trump hints at deal with Harvard University

Tuesday’s White House briefing has been a long rundown of Trump’s self-proclaimed accomplishments.

Among them, Trump claimed credit for having “secured unprecedented settlements with Brown University, Columbia University, and many other colleges”.

Upon taking office last year, Trump launched a series of investigations into top universities for the pro-Palestinian protests that erupted on their campuses. Schools like Harvard and Columbia saw their federal funding frozen in reaction to what Trump called anti-Semitism on campus.

While Columbia agreed to pay the Trump administration a $221m settlement to restore its funding, Harvard has held out, resisting pressure to submit to administration demands.

But media reports have indicated that Harvard is seeking a settlement.

“We’re working with Harvard right now. They’ve been very anti-Semitic, terrible. What they’ve done, and we’ll see what happens,” Trump said. “I hear we have a deal, but who the hell knows with them? They have a lawyer that wants to show how hot he is.”

20 Jan 2026 - 21:10
 (21:10 GMT)

Trump acknowledges his winning Nobel Peace prize wouldn’t help US citizens

The US president has said his fixation on winning the Nobel Peace prize would not benefit US citizens.

“It wouldn’t improve the lives,” Trump said when asked about the prize’s significance for “average, everyday Americans”.

He instead claimed credit for saving lives around the world by seeking to resolve international conflicts.

“What improved the lives of people are people that are living,” Trump said. “I saved probably tens of millions of lives in the wars.”

Trump has repeatedly claimed he has ended eight wars, employing a wide definition of peacemaking. He has claimed success for partial agreements or for averting possible future conflicts.

By any account, claiming that he saved tens of millions of lives would be a vast overcount.

20 Jan 2026 - 21:00
 (21:00 GMT)

Witkoff calls Kremlin talks ‘positive’: Russian state media

The Russian state news agency RIA has quoted Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff as describing his talks with Kremlin envoy Kirill ⁠Dmitriev as positive, following their meeting at the economic conference in Davos.

“They were ‌very positive,” RIA quoted Witkoff as saying.

Also present for the sideline talks was Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who has taken on a diplomatic role during Trump’s presidency.

20 Jan 2026 - 20:45
 (20:45 GMT)

‘I understand both sides’: Trump addresses ICE shooting of Renee Nicole Good

The shooting death of 37-year-old US citizen Renee Nicole Good on January 7 sparked nationwide protest against Trump’s immigration enforcement campaign.

Viral video showed Good attempting to manouevre her car away from ICE agents, while one of the officers fires his gun into her vehicle.

In today’s White House news briefing, Trump addressed her killing, equivocating about who was responsible.

“The woman was shot. And I felt terribly about that, and I understand both sides of it,” Trump said.

Previously, during his first term, Trump faced criticism for making “false balance” arguments, including by describing a clash at 2017 white nationalist rally as having “fine people on both sides”.

At Tuesday’s briefing, Trump appeared to express affinity for Good’s family, after having learned that her father was one of his supporters.

“He was all for Trump, loved Trump, and it’s terrible. I was told that a lot of people, they said, ‘Oh, he loves you,'” Trump said. “I hope he still feels that way.”

20 Jan 2026 - 20:40
 (20:40 GMT)

How far is Trump willing to go on Greenland? ‘You’ll find out,’ he says

The US president has again declined to say how far he is willing to go to acquire Greenland at Tuesday’s White House briefing. He has repeatedly refused to rule out using military force.

When asked how far he would go to acquire the island, Trump responded, “You’ll find out.”

Trump added he had many meetings planned on Greenland in Davos, saying, “I think things are going to work out pretty well.”

20 Jan 2026 - 20:35
 (20:35 GMT)

Trump says he likes Macron and Starmer

The US president has said that he has a good relationship with the leaders of France and the UK, despite recent tensions over his threats to seize Greenland.

“I think I get along very well with them. They always treat me well. They get a little bit rough when I’m not around, but when I’m around, they treat me very nicely. And I like both of them,” said Trump,

He added that European leaders needed to “straighten out” their countries by adopting harsher restrictions on immigration and moving away from renewable energy.