For many people in the world, 2025 was confusing, just like a solar eclipse is to the animal kingdom – the world was turned upside down, day became night and east became west.  Political alliances were suddenly uncertain and global trade agreements were unilaterally (quite literally) upended. 

It was all due to one man, Donald J Trump, who was somehow allowed out to cosplay again as leader of the most powerful country in the world.  Apart from a rotting brain full of petty grievances, retribution and a simplistic world view he has pursued bewildering policies with the compliant help from Conservatives who control all levers of power.  All his bizarre actions ultimately have one goal – to see his name writ large. 

And he has succeeded so far. He is definitely the most talked about person in the world.  However, his orange tan addled brain does not realise that he will not be celebrated in fame, but infamy.

Most of the changes that he sought will be largely undone.  The creative destruction that his MAGAlites wanted might yield some lasting changes like woke policies becoming a bit more rational and an end to unfettered migration.  But the scars in terms of world trade, geopolitical relationships and alliances will fundamentally change.  The US has shown that its peculiar form of horse-trading democracy cannot be trusted and its guardrails are insufficient to prevent quasi-dictatorships or worse from developing in America.  Western democracies will not lightly accept American leadership in future world affairs again. Trump’s main legacy is to irrevocably hasten the end of American hegemony and Pax America and future domination by China will be brought forward by a decade or more.

History will also denote 2025 as the year that AI stopped lurking in the shadows, so together with ongoing climate change, the world will face many challenges.  However, these along with most of Trump’s outcomes will little affect the world in 2026 beyond that which have already occurred.  Hence, 2026 will be a year of upsetting and threatening actions but largely empty rhetoric and bluster while China continues to eat America’s lunch.