Dana Taylor
👤 SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
This year isn't just history.
It's your competitive edge.
It's been exactly one year since President Donald Trump took the oath of office and laid out his vision for America.
Hello and welcome to USA Today's The Excerpt.
Today is Tuesday, January 20th, 2026.
As he begins the second year of his second term, USA Today spoke to dozens of Americans across the country to hear their take on how the president's policies have impacted their lives.
Joining me now to share just a few of those stories is USA Today national correspondent Trevor Hughes.
Good to have you back, Trevor.
I'd like to start with some broad strokes here.
Trump's presidency so far has been an eventful one, to say the least.
We've seen new trade wars, a huge ramping up of immigration enforcement and assault on Venezuela that led to the capture and arrest of their president, and a surge of executive orders covering everything from
what genders the federal government will recognize to declaring birthright citizenship no longer legal.
The country feels like it's reached a political divide of new heights.
What did you find here?
I want to turn to housing because when it comes to the issue of affordability, mortgage rates remain a sticking point.
USA Today spoke with Christine O'Donnell, the longtime suburban Philadelphia realtor, about the issue of affordable housing.
What's her take on the current housing market?
Let's turn now to energy, beginning with coal.
In Colorado's coal town, how do people like 61-year-old lifelong resident Trula Simmons feel about Trump's first year back in office?