WASHINGTON, D.C. — One year into President Donald J. Trump’s second term, Independent Women is recognizing the tangible progress delivered for American families, workers, and women through an administration that has prioritized transparency, accountability, health and safety, and economic opportunity.
Over the past year, President Trump has built on the momentum that delivered him the White House—advancing policies that confront Washington’s dysfunction head-on and restoring public trust in government institutions that had drifted away from their core missions.
Carrie Lukas, president of Independent Women, said: “The first year of this Trump administration has been a whirlwind of activity, including huge wins for women—from cutting waste in the federal bureaucracy, reducing costly red tape, cutting taxes for working families, and reaffirming that women are a separate sex worthy of full protection from discrimination under the law. 2025 has been a game-changer.”
BENEFITS AFTER ONE YEAR
A Stronger Economy, Bigger Paychecks
Patrice Onwuka, director of Independent Women’s Center for Economic Opportunity, said: “In the first year of his second term, President Trump has led the economy from sputtering to booming with tangible results for American households. The economy is growing over 4%, real wages are up $1,300 (after collapsing by $3,000 under Biden), and trillions of dollars in new investments are filtering across the country. By passing the Working Families Tax Cut, American households avoided the largest tax hike in history and will finally be rewarded for hard work, saving, having babies, and starting businesses. Even more, through aggressive deregulation, prices are coming down, and businesses can thrive, less restrained by heavy-handed government. This administration has outperformed the doomsday economic predictions, and the American people are the beneficiaries.”
A Safer, More Secure Nation
Meaghan Mobbs, director of Independent Women’s Center for American Safety and Security, said: “President Trump reasserted American dominance by putting the homeland first. From daringly successful military operations to take out Iranian nuclear sites to the removal of illegitimate Venezuelan leader Maduro from power, President Trump wielded hard power to extreme effect. With a proposed $1.5 trillion investment in national defense and security, America is once again preparing seriously for future conflicts rather than reacting to them. At home, President Trump kept his promise to secure the border and protect American communities, contributing to declining crime and fewer drug overdoses. The result was a safer, stronger nation.”
Lower Energy Costs, Greater Energy Independence
Gabriella Hoffman, director of Independent Women’s Center for Energy and Conservation, said: “In the past year, the Trump administration has succeeded in driving down energy inflation without harming the environment. Gasoline prices are at five-year lows. As energy prices decrease, there will be positive trickle-down effects on food, transportation, and other costs. More domestic production of reliable energy sources has innumerable benefits for the economy, our national security interests, and conservation efforts. President Trump’s energy abundance agenda is working. States should adopt this agenda as a blueprint, too.”
Health Policy Reset—Patients and Parents First
Dr. Monique Yohanan, senior fellow for health policy at Independent Women, said: “President Trump’s first year reset federal health policy by dismantling pandemic-era excess, brought sanity to the childhood vaccine schedule, supported parents’ rights, reined in wasteful research spending, refocused public health on chronic disease, and got back to basics with evidence-based dietary guidelines that emphasized real food. The Great American Health Plan announced in the final days of his first year was a fitting capstone, with transparency mandates that put patients first. This first year laid the groundwork for making America healthy again.”
Rule of Law Restored
Beth Parlato, senior legal counsel for Independent Women, said: “In its first year, the Trump administration delivered measurable legal reforms that reinforced the rule of law, strengthened due process, and restored constitutional accountability across federal institutions. The rollback of DEI initiatives in favor of merit-based hiring, along with decisive actions to protect women’s sports and private spaces, have been welcome and important steps toward bringing common sense back to governance. The administration has also prioritized judicial accountability and stayed true to its promise to reshape the federal judiciary, moving aggressively to fill vacancies and restore balance to the courts. Taken together, these actions reflect a broader commitment to preserving the integrity of federal law and ensuring that it is applied fairly and consistently.”
Education Freedom Over Federal Control
Neeraja Deshpande, policy analyst for Independent Women, said: “The Department of Education has spent the past year promoting school choice, dismantling unnecessary bureaucracy, curbing divisive initiatives that undermine fairness, emphasizing merit, and advancing greater transparency and accountability in higher education. These changes empower states, local communities, and families, giving parents and educators more flexibility to meet students’ unique needs instead of imposing one-size-fits-all policies from Washington. They are also helping restore sanity to our colleges and universities. What we are seeing is a promising shift toward genuine education freedom, where students come first, families drive decisions about their children’s futures, and our taxpayer-funded universities are focused on teaching and research.”
CHAMPION WOMEN:
One year ago, President Trump returned to Washington with a mandate for change. America’s 47th president has surrounded himself with intelligent and highly-qualified women who have played a large role in making that change happen.
In fact, President Trump, as one of his first acts after his electoral victory in November 2024, named Susie Wiles as his chief of staff, making her the first female in U.S. history to hold this position. The Trump administration scored another first by selecting Karoline Leavitt as the White House press secretary, making her the youngest person in U.S. history to hold this role. The roster of women serving in the Trump administration is dominant and empowering.
In honor of the women of the Trump administration, Independent Women’s Features, the grassroots storytelling and original journalism arm of Independent Women, today published a Champion Women profile celebrating the women behind the Trump administration’s successful first year.
IW Features’ “Champion Women” series showcases the remarkable women who make up the fabric of America. These are women who inspire generations, give back to their communities, seek change for good, reach new heights, break barriers, tell the truth, care for their families, and believe in what they do.
Read more: Champion Women: Celebrating Women Behind the Trump Administration’s Successful First Year
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