From Dire Warnings of Catastrophe to Ambitious Visions of a New American Era

Donald Trump spent much of the last two years promising dire consequences if he were to lose the presidential election. He warned of World War III, an economic "blood bath," and the potential collapse of America.

However, upon opening his second term, Trump adopted a dramatically different tone. He promised a "golden age" for the nation, one that only he could deliver. In his 29-minute Inaugural Address, Trump made a series of ambitious promises. He vowed to defeat inflation, end the chronic disease epidemic, and achieve national power so great that it could "stop all wars" and expand the nation's territory. He even promised to "restore American promise."

While Trump did not explicitly promise to land on the moon, he did pledge to plant an American flag on Mars. This reflects his long-standing approach as a marketer, where he has consistently relied on sweeping promises to energize his base, regardless of whether he ultimately fulfills them. His first-term promise to build a wall along the US-Mexico border, for example, became a defining feature of his presidency and significantly altered the national conversation on immigration, even though the wall was never constructed.