“2026 will be the year that defines Trump's legacy. While his name won't be on the ballot in the Midterms, his actions will set the tone for campaigns across the country at state, and most notably, congressional level,” Mark Shanahan, a U.S. political expert from the University of Surrey, in England, told Newsweek .

President Trump is consuming himself with foreign policy matters as the first year of his second term comes to a close, even as concerns about the U.S. economy are set to consume the Republican Party in 2026.

US President Donald Trump used tariffs as a key foreign policy tool in 2025, signaling Washington’s retreat from its traditional role as the world’s 'global policeman' - Anadolu Ajansı

President Trump has taken a significant step by intervening in Venezuela, arresting its leader, and increasing U.S. involvement in the country. This departure from his previous foreign policy stance has sparked debates within the U.

Some parts of the country will begin voting on Dec. 28 in polls that could further legitimize the ruling junta.

President Donald Trump is spending the end of the year trying to cash in huge foreign policy bets on which thousands of lives may depend and that will define his attempt to wield decisive power far beyond American shores.