During his first year in office of his second term, President Trump and his allies have ruthlessly implemented the Project 2025 agenda that threatens working people’s fundamental rights and freedoms. The administration committed the single biggest act of union-busting in history, launched a brutal assault on immigrants and communities across the country, and attacked our most treasured rights, including the freedom of speech. It has ripped health care from millions, made billionaires richer and corporations more powerful, moved to unleash unregulated, untested artificial intelligence technology, and dismantled government agencies that provide essential services.
And every day in the Trump economy, working people are struggling to get by. President Trump promised to “make America affordable again,” but instead spent this first year driving up costs, holding down wages and letting jobs disappear—including good-paying jobs that would help keep energy bills from skyrocketing. A comprehensive summary of the impact of the Trump administration’s policies on working people can be found here.
“One year into President Trump’s second term, working people’s lives are more expensive and less free,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. “Trump has governed for and by the billionaire CEOs and Big Tech companies, making the wealthy and powerful even richer while working people across the country struggle to get by.”
“As the 2026 campaign kicks into gear, the labor movement will make sure working people know about each and every broken promise—and work to elect leaders who will help us build an economy for workers, not billionaire bosses.”
The AFL-CIO’s memo on Trump’s past year in office, including quotes from working people, can be found here.