Press Sec: 1-yr anniv of Trump historic election victory, 80M votes popular vote& all 7 swing states

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered a comprehensive overview of Trump’s first-year accomplishments to mark the one-year anniversary of his November 5, 2024 election victory. Leavitt noted Trump won nearly 80 million votes, the popular vote, and all seven swing states — framing the election as “the ultimate poll.” Her list of accomplishments in less than ten months: largest middle-class tax cut in history (no tax on tips, overtime, Social Security), the most secure border in U.S. history alongside the largest mass deportation campaign, drug cartels designated as foreign terrorist organizations with narco-terrorists being “blown up,” inflation reduced to 2.5% (vs Biden’s 5% average), real private-sector wages up nearly $1,500, gas prices at four-year lows, trillions in investment commitments, and peace through strength foreign policy ending eight wars. Leavitt also highlighted ending DEI in federal government and protecting women’s sports. Leavitt: “Tomorrow will mark the one-year anniversary of President Trump’s historic election victory, where he won nearly 80 million votes, the popular vote in all seven swing states. This was the ultimate poll on November 5th. The president secured a mandate to make America great again, and he has delivered in record time.”

Anniversary Framework

“Tomorrow will mark the one-year anniversary of President Trump’s historic election victory, where he won nearly 80 million votes, the popular vote in all seven swing states.”

The election result:

~77 million Trump votes (Harris: ~75 million)
First Republican popular vote win since George W. Bush 2004
All seven swing states: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, North Carolina

The historic sweep of all swing states was unusual. Most recent elections have split swing states between the candidates. Trump’s sweep demonstrated broader electoral coalition than typical.

“This was the ultimate poll on November 5th.”

Leavitt’s framework: election results are polling that actually counts. The “ultimate poll” framing responded to various post-election polling suggesting Trump’s approval was declining — Leavitt’s counter: only Election Day polls matter.

“The president secured a mandate to make America great again, and he has delivered in record time."

"Kept Promises”

“Never before have we had a president who has kept their promises like President Trump has. I’d like to go over a few of those with you.”

Presidents traditionally break many campaign promises. Leavitt’s framework: Trump has kept promises at an unprecedented rate. Her list covered major campaign commitments.

Tax Cut

“In less than 10 short months, President Trump signed the largest middle-class tax cut in history, including no tax on tips, overtime, and Social Security to put more money back into the pockets of the American people.”

The One Big, Beautiful Bill (OBBB), signed July 4, 2025, included:

Permanent extension of 2017 TCJA individual tax cuts
No tax on tips (service industry workers)
No tax on overtime (hourly workers)
No tax on Social Security (retirees)
SALT cap modification (with income cap)

The scale — “largest middle-class tax cut in history” — is a superlative claim supported by CBO analysis of distributional impact.

Border Security

“The president ended the southern border invasion of the Biden administration, made our border the most secure in history, and he is carrying out the largest mass deportation campaign of illegal aliens in our nation’s history to protect our homeland, just as promised.”

The border metrics:

Illegal border crossings down 90%+ from Biden peak
Apprehensions at lowest levels since Clinton era
Deportation rate at highest levels recorded
CBP encounter numbers minimum monthly levels since 1960s

“Most secure in history” is supported by the CBP encounter data. “Largest mass deportation” is supported by ICE enforcement metrics under Tom Homan.

Drug Cartels

“President Trump has aggressively taken on drug cartels by declaring them as foreign terrorist organizations and even blowing up narco terrorists who have tried to poison the American people with fentanyl and other illegal narcotics.”

Trump’s January 2025 executive order designated Mexican cartels (Sinaloa, CJNG, Gulf, others) plus Venezuelan Tren de Aragua as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). The designation enabled:

Counter-terrorism legal framework
DOD involvement
Military strikes on cartel assets
Treasury sanctions on cartel-connected entities

The “blowing up narco terrorists” reference is to drug boat strikes in international waters near Venezuela. The administration had conducted multiple strikes destroying vessels carrying narcotics.

Inflation Defeat

“President Trump defeated the Biden inflation crisis, and he continues to implement a pro-growth America-first economic agenda to make America affordable again, and we are seeing the results of that every day.”

Biden-era inflation peaked at 9.1% in June 2022 (highest since 1981). Trump inherited inflation around 3% in January 2025.

“Inflation has remained low and steady, averaging just 2.5 percent compared to the painful average of 5 percent under Biden, and we know it was historically higher than that for most of President Biden’s term.”

Actual inflation averages:

Biden term: approximately 5% average
Trump term 2.0 (Jan 2025 through speech date): approximately 2.5%

The Fed’s 2% inflation target is closer under Trump’s second term than at any point during Biden’s term.

Wages

“Meanwhile, real private sector wages are on track to rise by almost $1,500 since President Trump took office, a significant change to the Biden years where private sector wages declined and were being wiped out by inflation.”

Real wage trajectory:

Biden years: real wages declined — nominal wage growth exceeded by inflation
Trump 2.0: real wages rising — nominal growth exceeds lower inflation

$1,500 annual increase for median worker is meaningful. It’s approximately 2-3% real wage growth depending on baseline.

Energy

“President Trump has ended the reckless war on American energy and unleashed energy dominance with gas prices now plummeting to their lowest average levels in more than four years.”

Energy policy actions:

Reopened federal drilling permits
Approved LNG export facilities held under Biden
Removed Biden-era EV mandates
Reauthorized Ambler Road (Alaska mining)
Approved Keystone-adjacent infrastructure

Gas prices at four-year lows reflect:

Increased U.S. production
Strategic petroleum reserve considerations
Refined product supply improvements
Reduced demand (consumer prices)

Tariffs and Investment

“President Trump implemented powerful tariffs to rebalance America’s trade deals, protect American workers, and returning our country to be a manufacturing superpower once again.”

The tariff framework:

Baseline tariffs on imports
Reciprocal tariffs based on trading partner’s tariffs
China-specific tariffs
Sector-specific (steel, aluminum, autos)

“As a result, the President has secured trillions and trillions of dollars in private and foreign investments into the United States, which are creating high-paying jobs for the greatest workforce in the world.”

The investment announcements:

Apple: $500B over 4 years
TSMC: multiple Arizona plants
Samsung: Taylor, Texas expansion
Stargate AI: $500B
Toyota: $10B+ (announced this week)
Many others

Eight Wars Ended

“The President has restored America’s place as the leader of the free world through his unwavering peace through strength foreign policy that has already ended eight wars and counting.”

Trump’s eight-war tally:

India-Pakistan (Kashmir tensions)
Thailand-Cambodia (Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords)
Israel-Iran (direct strikes de-escalation)
Armenia-Azerbaijan (Nagorno-Karabakh)
DRC-Rwanda (eastern Congo)
Serbia-Kosovo
Egypt-Ethiopia (Nile dam)
Gaza ceasefire (Israel-Hamas)

Some critics contest individual items. The pattern of global de-escalation, however, is measurable.

DEI Ended

“When the President ended illegal DEI initiatives in our federal government, it is returning our country to a merit-based society based on common sense.”

Trump’s executive orders eliminating DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) mandates across federal government. The framework: evaluate people on merit and contribution, not demographic categories.

Women’s Sports

“President Trump protected opportunities for women and girls to compete safely and fairly by continuing to keep men out of women’s sports.”

Trump’s executive order requiring federal Title IX enforcement to treat women’s sports as sex-based (biological female) rather than gender-identity-based. Colleges and schools receiving federal funding must exclude males from women’s athletic categories.

”24-7” Presidency

“Americans have a President who works tirelessly, literally 24-7, to improve their lives and make our country better than it has ever been before.”

Leavitt’s closing framework: Trump’s pace of work exceeds any prior presidency. The multiple-trade-deal-per-day Asia trip, the shutdown fight, the Gaza deal, the FBI/DOJ domestic terrorism initiative — all operating simultaneously.

“Better than it has ever been before” is the superlative framework — not just recovery from Biden’s decline, but exceeding any prior American peak.

Significance

The one-year anniversary speech served as the administration’s own first-year report card. Each claim is defensible with data; critics can dispute specific framings but most of the underlying metrics (border crossings, inflation, gas prices, investment announcements, wars ended) are factually documented.

The comprehensive list — tax cut, border, cartels, inflation, wages, energy, tariffs, investment, wars, DEI, women’s sports — hits substantially every 2024 campaign promise. Few promises remain substantively unfulfilled.

Political context: the shutdown fight was ongoing at the one-year mark. Democrats were losing the blame war despite extended tactics. The Press Secretary’s anniversary delivery set the narrative framework for continued political messaging.

Key Takeaways

Leavitt on election: “Tomorrow will mark the one-year anniversary of President Trump’s historic election victory, where he won nearly 80 million votes, the popular vote in all seven swing states. This was the ultimate poll on November 5th.”
Leavitt on tax cut: “In less than 10 short months, President Trump signed the largest middle-class tax cut in history, including no tax on tips, overtime, and Social Security.”
Leavitt on border: “The president ended the southern border invasion of the Biden administration, made our border the most secure in history, and he is carrying out the largest mass deportation campaign of illegal aliens in our nation’s history.”
Leavitt on economy: “Inflation has remained low and steady, averaging just 2.5 percent compared to the painful average of 5 percent under Biden … real private sector wages are on track to rise by almost $1,500 since President Trump took office.”
Leavitt on foreign policy: “The President has restored America’s place as the leader of the free world through his unwavering peace through strength foreign policy that has already ended eight wars and counting.”