An America First Year of Results for California

As President Donald Trump prepares to deliver the 2026 State of the Union address on February 24, Americans will look to this annual moment for a clear accounting of the nation’s progress, its remaining challenges, and the path forward. For Californians, that reflection carries particular weight. The strength of the Union is not measured in speeches delivered in Washington, but in the safety of neighborhoods, the resilience of communities, and the economic security families experience every day. “Security” is the great unifying word.

Over the past year, the America First policy priorities implemented by the Trump administration have delivered tangible benefits to Californians in areas ranging from border security and record military recruiting to public safety, disaster recovery, health affordability, and family financial stability. In fact, 300 days into the term, 90.8 percent of our America First Agenda federal recommendations were either implemented or advanced by the Trump administration.

A renewed commitment to border enforcement and the rule of law has produced some of the most immediate and measurable results. Federal actions in 2025 restored proven enforcement policies, resumed construction of border barriers, and ended practices that had incentivized unlawful entry. The result has been the elimination of illegal crossings and record-low crime levels not seen in decades, which is an outcome with direct consequences for California as a border state long strained by federal inaction and state sanctuary policies. Stronger enforcement has meant fewer fentanyl shipments reaching communities, fewer trafficking networks operating with impunity, and greater confidence that the government is fulfilling its most basic responsibility: protecting its citizens.

At the same time, federal authorities have prioritized the removal of non-citizens with serious criminal records and strengthened tools to combat cartels and transnational gangs, directly improving public safety in urban centers such as Los Angeles. Legal immigration pathways have also been expanded where American industries genuinely need workers, ensuring sectors like agriculture and hospitality can grow without undermining wages or opportunities for the existing workforce.

Federal leadership has also proven decisive when disaster strikes. Following the January 2025 Palisades Fire, the administration moved rapidly to accelerate debris removal, expand financial relief, and cut through the permitting delays that too often leave families waiting years to rebuild. Billions of dollars in federal assistance, through FEMA grants, Small Business Administration loans, and large-scale debris removal operations, have already flowed to affected communities. Policies allowing builders to certify compliance and extending rebuilding timelines are helping survivors move from recovery to restoration faster than in previous disasters. For thousands of California families, this has meant the difference between prolonged displacement and a real path home.

Economic relief has formed another pillar of the America First approach. Federal tax and labor policies enacted over the past year have increased take-home pay for workers who rely on overtime, an especially meaningful change in a high-cost state like California. At the same time, continued federal investment in national defense and advanced technology has supported hundreds of thousands of jobs across the state’s aerospace, manufacturing, and innovation corridors – reinforcing California’s role as a cornerstone of American strength while ensuring those jobs remain anchored in the United States.

Health-care affordability and long-term family opportunity have also seen significant progress. New federal efforts to provide direct-to-consumer access to lower-priced prescription medications are reducing out-of-pocket costs for Americans who lack adequate insurance coverage or face high deductibles – offering relief that is particularly important in California, where health expenses remain among the highest in the nation. Meanwhile, newly created child investment accounts seeded with federal contributions and allowed to grow tax-deferred are giving young families a powerful new tool to build wealth, save for a first home, or prepare for retirement. In a state defined by high living costs, policies that expand ownership and financial security are not abstract reforms; they are lifelines to the middle class.

Taken together, these achievements reflect a governing philosophy grounded in security, prosperity, and national renewal. They demonstrate that America First is not a slogan, but a framework for delivering concrete results: Safer streets, faster disaster recovery, stronger paychecks, lower health costs, and brighter futures for American children. The United States has reasserted its dominance on the global stage while holding our allies accountable for their fair share (but not turning our back on them).

As the State of the Union approaches, Californians have clear evidence that federal leadership matters.  There is a stark contrast between the federal government providing security to its citizens while California’s policies continue to erode that security and put us at greater risk.  When Washington prioritizes the safety of citizens, respects taxpayers, and invests in American workers and families, the benefits are felt far beyond the Capitol. They are felt in rebuilt neighborhoods, in growing industries, and around kitchen tables across the Golden State.

That is the true measure of progress and the promise of an America First future still unfolding.