In the closing months of 2025 and the opening weeks of 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has become characterized by unconventional uses of power. Through artificially generated social media content, unexpected alliances, aggressive foreign military action and immigration enforcement, Trump has drawn national and international attention. His leadership is becoming increasingly reliant on public displays and press coverage. Supporters praise his decisiveness, direct communication and crackdown on criminal activity, while critics argue that he is undermining stability and demonstrating executive overreach. The following events offer insight into Trump’s strategies during this phase of his second term.
Artificial Intelligence
On Oct. 19, 2025, in response to the No Kings protests throughout the United States, President Trump posted an AI-generated video to his social media account. The video features him as the pilot of a fighter jet with the words “King Trump” across it. While flying over the sky, Trump appears to be dropping excrement onto protesters, including someone who resembles left-wing political commentator and influencer Harry Sisson.
The usage of artificial intelligence on social media is not a new phenomenon for Trump. Since late 2022, he has posted at least 62 AI-generated images or videos to Truth Social, according to the New York Times. The content of these posts ranges from seemingly fake to eerily realistic. One of the more believable videos depicts former President Barack Obama being arrested; some social media users were unsure whether it was real footage or not. In another realistic video, Trump can be seen throwing a MAGA hat at House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. In cases like these, critics argue that Trump’s motive is to attack his political rivals by spreading misinformation. However, in the more absurd instances, some find that his intention is less clear. How does posting a picture of himself next to Elvis Presley benefit his campaign?
The answer is attention. Trump strategically disseminates unusual and shocking imagery with the aim of going viral and generating more discussion about him and his policies. He has an enormous online audience; as of Oct. 2025, he has 109.5 million followers on X, and some of his AI posts have reached tens of millions of views.
This strategy is part of a large and unprecedented movement of internet jokes and imagery being used as a political tool, with Trump at the forefront. According to Martha Joynt Kumar, director of the White House Transition Project, Trump has been using social media as part of his political agenda for many years. “In his first administration, he used Twitter in a way no President had.” The White House’s social media account even posted on X recently, saying, “Nowhere in the Constitution does it say we can’t post banger memes.”
Beckett Shaftel (Form III), the head of Fieldston’s Republican club, recognizes that Trump’s use of social media works well but may become a slippery slope. “His direct style, like short videos, makes him feel more like an influencer than a politician, and it helped him close the gap with young voters in 2024… I think this type of communication from a president is refreshing, but he should be careful about what he says, as people take things out of context.” Shaftel adds that on Trump’s X account, “it can sometimes blur the lines between his serious policies and his joking.”
Trump’s heavy usage of social media makes it easier to connect with American citizens than ever before, and the recent development and accessibility of artificial intelligence tools have allowed Trump and his team to take their social media marketing to a new level of public attention. Now that it’s possible to create fake images and videos with the click of a button, it’s essential that the American people recognize Trump’s AI material as either intentionally inflammatory or designed to confuse people. This will become increasingly challenging as artificial intelligence continues to evolve and produce more realistic content.
Halle Amore Bauer, a history teacher at Fieldston who teaches the Current Events class, advises students to employ their media literacy skills when consuming online content. “Confirm your information and fact check with multiple sources, read from a variety of perspectives, and remember that bias can show up in many ways and is especially easy to mask online.”
Meeting with Mamdani
On Nov. 21, 2025, President Trump and New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani met for the first time at the White House. Despite their differing political stances and previous tensions between them, the meeting between Mamdani, a Democratic socialist, and Trump, a Republican, was surprisingly respectful. Previously, Mamdani called Trump a “despot” in his election night victory speech, and Trump’s spokeswoman called Mamdani a “communist,” but those comments seemingly flew out the window as the two politicians found common ground in their love for New York and focus on affordability.
Trump, originally from Jamaica Estates, and Mamdani, from Astoria, bonded over their Queens roots. Trump expressed an interest in Mamdani’s work improving the city, saying, “I want him to do a great job, and we’ll help him do a great job.” They discussed strategies to reduce crime rates and the cost of living, and Trump even said he would feel safe living in a Mamdani-led New York.
Prior to the New York City mayoral election, Trump had the opposite perspective. He claimed that Mamdani would be incapable as a mayor and instead endorsed Andrew Cuomo, the independent candidate. Trump even threatened to cut funding for the city if Mamdani won. When Mamdani beat out Cuomo, New York City leaders prepared for a potential confrontation with the federal government, enlisting rapid-response groups and business leaders in case of an immigration crackdown. The conflict never materialized.
When asked by a reporter if he thought Mamdani was a jihadist, Trump replied no. Mamdani, when asked if he thought Trump was a fascist, began an explanation, before Trump gently placed a hand on his arm, saying, “You can just say yes. It’s easier than explaining.” Some critics were unhappy with Trump’s newfound support for the mayor-elect, with Republican Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis calling their relationship a “bromance.”
Overall, Mamdani found the meeting productive, but continued to stand by his previous negative comments about Trump, “What I appreciated about the conversation that I had with the president was that we were not shy about the places of disagreement…I’m not coming into the Oval Office to make a point or make a stand. I’m coming in there to deliver for New Yorkers.”
Shaftel points out that establishing a relationship is important for policy implementation on both sides. “When I see them having a real conversation, I think a realization has been made that they are dependent on each other. The municipal government will require federal backing for some programs, and Trump will need the city government’s support on some of his more invasive policies.”
Hudson Rabatin (Form VI), who runs Fieldston’s Democrat club, says “It’s hard to discern what’s performative and what’s authentic… but it’s positive to see people from across the aisle speaking to each other.”
Paul Heideman, who teaches history at Fieldston, believes that Trump has respect for Mamdani’s public image. “When Mamdani is on the television, he looks good, he looks professional, he’s charismatic. And I think on a basic level, Trump admires anyone who does that.”
As Mamdani prepares to lead the city and Trump continues through his second term as president, questions remain around whether their cooperation will last and whether it will have positive effects.
Venezuela
On Jan. 3, 2026, Trump’s administration captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. He transported them to New York to be tried for drug trafficking, specifically narco-terrorism conspiracy. Additionally, Trump raided Venezuela’s capital, Caracas. The attack involved more than 150 aircraft and 200 Special Operations forces, and killed at least 80 people, including civilians.
The incident received widespread press coverage, but some were unaware that the United States had been in conflict with Venezuela for many months prior. Before the escalation, Trump’s administration had launched 35 strikes on boats in South American waters, killing at least 115 people over drug trafficking accusations. At the beginning of 2025, Trump signed an executive order classifying criminal groups and drug cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations.” The White House stated that the purpose of the operation was to halt the flow of narcotics into the States; however, Trump also suggested that regime change in Venezuela would help assert U.S. influence in the Western Hemisphere.
Trump’s administration has also made a point of controlling oil transport in Venezuela. In Dec. 2025, the U.S. seized multiple oil tankers from off the coast of Venezuela and ordered blockades to prevent oil from going in or out of the country. Trump claimed that the Venezuelan government was using profits from the oil industry to fund drug trafficking, terrorism, and other crimes. He also accused Maduro’s administration of “hosting foreign adversaries” and “acquiring menacing, offensive weapons” that threatened U.S. security.
According to Shaftel, “Publicly, the administration has framed the intervention around fighting drug trafficking, pushing for a political transition, and ‘helping’ the Venezuelan people. But at the same time, Trump and his team have been very open that access to Venezuelan oil and U.S. control over how that oil is used are central goals.”
Trump has received recognition and appreciation for getting rid of Maduro’s authoritarian rule. Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado presented her Nobel Peace Prize to Trump during a White House meeting on Jan. 15, thanking him for his commitment to freedom. The Nobel Institute prevented her from giving away her Prize, so it was regarded as a symbolic gesture. However, questions remain about whether Trump is truly dedicated to backing democracy in Venezuela. He has yet to state when the next elections might take place. He has also previously said that “it would be very tough for her [Machado] to be the leader.”
Rabatin points out the uncertainty around what this move will do for the United States. “On January 28th, Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified in front of Congress and I noticed he kept pushing the idea that this move was in ‘the best interest of America’…what I am yet to understand is what does that truly mean?”
Conclusion
The Trump administration’s recent actions make it clear that this political era is becoming increasingly defined by disruption and the consolidation of executive power. Some argue for Trump’s strong leadership, while others argue against his undermining of democracy, but he has captured national and international attention on both sides. As Trump moves further into his second term, the long-term consequences of these actions remain uncertain, making this period of history a critical one to watch.
But why should Fieldston students care? “Staying up to date with current events is the first step to being an actively engaged citizen and community member,” according to Amore. “Civic engagement starts with knowing and caring about what’s happening in your own community and in the world around you.”
Heideman says that “The best thing you can do is read as much as you can and read deeply. The big newspapers that are still left put out a huge amount of really high quality reporting. Just reading those stories is the best thing you can do to stay informed…And also, trying to read books.”
“Staying informed helps students’ beliefs and understanding of the world, and also helps us think beyond what we’re exposed to at school,” according to Rabatin. “Being able to think with complexity and with confidence is important as a student, writer, and member of a generation disproportionately captivated by negativity.”
