Down Arrow Button Icon

But after just three weeks, he has faced significant resistance on multiple fronts, challenging his economic, foreign relations and immigration policies. A second deadly shooting in Minnesota at the hands of federal agents this weekend unleashed widespread outrage that may signal a turning point.

“We’re starting to feel like we’re in the midst of a pivotal moment here,” political scientist Lee Drutman, a senior fellow at the Center for a New America think tank, posted on X.

Trump seemed to acknowledge his new status, telling… Wall Street Journal Sunday night that the administration was “reviewing everything” about the shooting and indicated its willingness to eventually withdraw immigration officials from Minneapolis.

The decline could signal an erosion of the base after Trump enjoyed widespread support among Republicans throughout much of 2025, even as his steep tariffs shocked businesses and trading partners, including close U.S. allies.

But cracks appeared late in the year when the November election highlighted the affordability crisis and congress ordered the release of the Epstein files after a near-unanimous vote. Extensive redactions and the Justice Department’s failure to release all records by deadline added to the tension.

The conversation quickly changed when Maduro was ousted while Trump reveled in the efficiency of the US military and his new ability to make decisions in Venezuela, despite grumblings that yet another foreign intervention deviated from his “America First” slogan.

Federal Reserve Bank

Then two weeks ago, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell issued an unprecedented video statement revealing that he was facing a criminal investigation from the Justice Department related to a renovation project at the central bank’s headquarters.

This culminated a long-running dispute between Powell and Trump, who has repeatedly called for lower interest rates.

The backlash was swift as lawmakers sought to protect the Fed’s independence. Republican Senator Thom Tillis pledged to block any Fed nominations, including that of Powell’s replacement, until the issue is resolved.

Other Republicans rallied around Powell, marking another departure from Trump’s previous support. After weeks of teasing that he would soon nominate a new Fed chair, Trump has yet to officially provide a name.

However, the resounding success of the Venezuela operation continued to bolster his confidence, and Trump threatened Iran while promising to help protesters confront the regime.

Greenland

But then the courage spread to Greenland. After raising the idea of ​​seizing the semi-autonomous Danish territory in his first term and last year, the insistence that the island belongs to the United States has become more urgent after Venezuela.

Then several European countries, all members of NATO, deployed troops to Greenland, ostensibly to show Trump was willing to secure it from China and Russia, which he warned posed major threats.

But that angered Trump, who announced tariffs on NATO countries unless they supported his attempt to seize Greenland. This has sparked an existential crisis for the transatlantic alliance as Trump has also refused to rule out the use of the military.

At last week’s World Economic Forum in Davos, furious rounds of diplomacy ensued to bring Trump back from the brink of trashing the nearly 80-year-old defense pact. Republicans like Tillis have also expressed support for NATO.

Canada and Europe are standing firm in protecting Greenland’s sovereignty, in contrast to the less combative approach in last year’s tariff battles, which resulted in an lopsided trade deal between the United States and the European Union that heavily favored Trump.

On Wednesday, he reversed his position, saying he would not impose NATO tariffs and claimed he had a “framework” for a deal that would give the United States full access to Greenland. He later said the United States was negotiating sovereignty over parts of Greenland that host US military bases.

Minnesota

Anger has been simmering for weeks after Trump sent thousands of federal agents to the state to carry out his anti-immigration crackdown.

Saturday’s shooting was the third in Minnesota this month and the second fatal. It also came after days of reports of immigration officers detaining young children, arresting US citizens, and forcibly entering homes without warrants.

The video evidence also clearly contradicts claims by the Trump administration that Alex Peretti, who was a nurse at a veterans hospital, threatened the Border Patrol before he was shot.

Silicon Valley workers expressed outrage, and Minnesota CEOs pleaded for de-escalation. Congressional Democrats have hardened their opposition to the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill. Meanwhile, more Republicans are beginning to express some discomfort with the federal agents’ tactics and are demanding congressional hearings.

“I think the deaths of Americans, and what we’re seeing on television, causes deep concerns about federal tactics and accountability,” Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt told CNN on Sunday. “Americans don’t like what they see now.”

Phil Scott, the Republican governor of Vermont, has gone further. In a post on X, he said Trump should halt immigration operations to refocus on criminals. He also urged Congress and the courts to “restore constitutionalism” in the absence of presidential action.

“It is unacceptable that American citizens are killed by federal agents for exercising their God-given constitutional rights to protest their government,” he wrote. “At best, these federal immigration operations represent a complete failure to coordinate acceptable public safety and law enforcement practices, training, and leadership. At worst, this amounts to deliberate federal intimidation and incitement of American citizens that results in the deaths of Americans.”