Why Americans Have a Lot to Be Thankful for at Year’s End

Every single person living in America should be grateful for and encouraged by several very positive trends that have taken place since Donald Trump returned to office. First, the murder rate experienced the largest one-year drop ever recorded. Murders declined by approximately 20 percent in 2025.

Drug overdoses across nearly every major category are also down. Overall overdose deaths declined by about 25 percent. Deaths involving cocaine and psychostimulants fell, while certain categories saw even larger reductions. Opioid-related deaths declined by an estimated 34 percent.

Illegal border crossings are at their lowest level since the 1970s. U.S. Border Patrol recorded nearly 238,000 apprehensions in fiscal year 2025, the lowest total since fiscal year 1970, when roughly 202,000 apprehensions were recorded.

The stock market is at all-time highs. The S&P 500 set four new all-time highs in 2025 and closed at a record 6,932.05 on December 24, 2025, gaining approximately 18–19 percent for the year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also posted a record close of 48,731.16 on December 24, 2025.

Americans also received the largest tax cuts in U.S. history, not only for the upper class but for the lower and middle class as well. In 2026, taxpayers are on track to receive the largest tax returns in American history. Administration officials project that 2026 will be “the largest tax refund season,” with refunds averaging between $1,000 and $2,000 per household.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act made the tax cuts retroactive to January 1, 2025, but the IRS did not update withholding tables midyear, resulting in widespread over-withholding. Key provisions include eliminating taxes on tips for service-industry workers beginning July 4, 2025, ending taxes on overtime pay, expanding the child tax credit, increasing the standard deduction, removing taxes on Social Security benefits, and eliminating taxes on car-loan interest.

Under Trump, jobs for American-born citizens are up 2.5 million. This marks a sharp reversal from the Biden years, when 70% of the job-growth claims reflected workers returning after COVID lockdowns rather than new employment. Nearly 25 percent of all job gains under Biden were government jobs, federal employment reached its highest level in at least 20 years excluding census years, and the permanent non-postal federal workforce grew by about 5 percent.

Employment growth during that period disproportionately favored foreign-born workers, with native-born employment rising only 3.5 percent from May 2021 to May 2024 compared to a 20 percent increase for foreign-born workers. Native-born Americans experienced a net loss of 1 million jobs relative to pre-pandemic levels, while foreign-born employment rose by 3.3 million. The labor market also shifted toward part-time work, with 1.8 million full-time jobs lost between 2023 and 2024 and 1.7 million part-time jobs added, while the number of Americans holding second jobs increased by 1.6 million.

In 2025, that pattern reversed. Federal employment fell by 271,000 jobs, the lowest level in more than a decade, while 687,000 private-sector jobs were added. From January through November 2025, total job growth was 499,000, meaning government employment declined. Employment gains went to American-born workers, with 2.7 million native-born Americans gaining jobs while 972,000 foreign-born workers lost employment. All net job growth came from the private sector.

Tariff revenue has reached record highs. In fiscal year 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection collected $216.7 billion in tariff revenue, a 146 percent increase over 2024.

The United States has received more than $18 trillion in committed new investments. Foreign direct investment has reached an all-time high, with President Trump securing between $5 trillion and $9.6 trillion in investment and trade commitments, depending on measurement. Major agreements include Saudi Arabia ($600 billion), Qatar ($1.2 trillion), the UAE ($1.4 trillion), Japan ($550 billion), and the European Union ($600 billion in investment plus $750 billion in energy purchases).

A Bloomberg Economics analysis found that of the $9.6 trillion highlighted by the White House, about $7 trillion qualified as genuine investment pledges, while the remaining $2.6 trillion reflected trade-related agreements such as energy purchases or expanded commerce. Even accounting for these distinctions, the scale of capital flowing toward the United States is substantial.

By comparison, during Biden’s four-year presidency from 2021 to 2024, the U.S. received approximately $896 billion in actual foreign direct investment expenditures, averaging $224 billion annually, about 19 percent below the 10-year historical average of $277 billion.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has driven major improvements to the American food supply by targeting harmful artificial dyes and chemicals. HHS and the FDA announced plans to phase out eight artificial food dyes, eliminate six commonly used dyes voluntarily, and begin banning others outright, while approving natural alternatives. Kennedy said roughly 40 percent of the food industry has already pledged to eliminate artificial dyes.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities received historic funding in 2025, with total federal support reaching $1.34–$1.38 billion, a 48 percent increase over the previous year. The Trump administration redirected $435 million in additional one-time funding to HBCUs, which school leaders described as “nothing short of a godsend.”

Gas prices are at a four-year low. Military recruitment has broken record after record. The United States has ended eight wars. DEI has been removed from government and the military, and in the corporate world it is trending downward, taking woke ideology with it. Hollywood has not received the memo yet, but another positive development under Trump is the rise of conservative and faith-based movies and streaming services.

Christian faith engagement surged in 2024 and 2025, with the YouVersion Bible app surpassing 1 billion downloads, daily usage rising 18 percent year over year, and Bible sales increasing 36 percent. Christian music streaming grew 60 percent over five years, making it one of the fastest-growing genres in the country.

Faith-based films are also seeing major box office success, with Angel Studios delivering some of the highest returns on investment in the industry, including Sound of Freedom, which grossed more than $250 million on a $15 million budget.

President Trump promised to make America great again, and while things are not perfect, we are well on the way.

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