EXCLUSIVE: A fresh report issued Wednesday by Polaris National Security outlines what the group identifies as 100 foreign policy successes from President’s second term. The document is structured chronologically, opening with his January return to office and tracking every major foreign policy action up to the present day.
The report, titled “100 Trump Foreign Policy Wins From 2025 the Media Wants You to Miss,” is an advocacy and policy analysis piece reflecting the authors’ assessment of U.S. foreign policy shifts over the past year.
“Since January, the Trump administration has acted at an unprecedented pace to restore America’s strength and security,” the report states, arguing that the administration has prioritized deterrence, alliance burden-sharing, and direct engagement with adversaries.
The report groups several Venezuela-related measures into a broader U.S. policy realignment in the Western Hemisphere. It highlights expanded counter-narcotics operations off Venezuela’s coast—including airstrikes on maritime vessels linked to groups like Tren de Aragua and the National Liberation Army. The campaign, codenamed Operation Southern Spear, is described as underscoring a commitment to “defending the homeland from the influx of fentanyl and other illicit drugs ravaging American communities.”
The administration also raised the U.S. reward for information leading to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s arrest to $50 million, citing a public announcement from the Attorney General accusing Maduro of central involvement in narcotics trafficking. Venezuela has rejected these allegations. Polaris links these actions to the 2025 National Security Strategy, calling it “the most significant hemispheric reorientation of U.S. foreign policy in decades.”
Cale Brown, chair of Polaris National Security and former State Department principal deputy spokesperson, noted the administration’s posture marks a reset on the global stage. “President Trump has taken the world stage by storm, reasserting American strength after four years of weakness,” he said.
A substantial section of the report focuses on the agreement, which it calls a key diplomatic breakthrough involving the United States, Israel, and Hamas. According to the document, the deal “secured an immediate ceasefire and the return of all surviving hostages,” including Americans, with one hostage still unaccounted for. It also outlines plans for prisoner exchanges, Gaza’s demilitarization, an international stabilization force, transitional governance, and large-scale reconstruction.
The report also highlights a November U.N. Security Council vote where a U.S.-led resolution passed 13–0, with Russia and China abstaining. The resolution is described as providing “an international legal framework for the next phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.”
Additionally, the administration’s ban on U.S. taxpayer funding for UNRWA is noted, citing U.S. concerns over alleged ties between some personnel and Hamas. UNRWA denies institutional involvement in terrorism, while U.S. officials say the move was rooted in national security considerations.
The report cites U.S. military strikes in June against targets using B-2 bombers and bunker-buster munitions, framing the mission as proof the United States “will not tolerate a nuclear-armed Iran.” Iran denies pursuing a military nuclear program.
Nathan Sales, a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council and former State Department counterterrorism coordinator, said the administration views regional diplomacy primarily through the lens of countering Tehran. “The Trump administration gets that the Iranian regime is the fundamental source of violence and instability across the Middle East,” Sales stated.
However, some analysts argue the administration’s record shows sharp contrasts. Foreign policy analyst and editor-in-chief of the Foreign Desk Lisa Daftari noted that while Trump has delivered on several strategic priorities—including strong support for Israel, terrorist redesignations, aggressive action against drug cartels, and renewed momentum for the Abraham Accords—other moves warrant closer scrutiny.
“This record is tempered by concerning diplomatic overtures that urge caution. The characterization of an individual as ‘young, attractive tough guy’ appears premature given unverified claims about severing ties with terrorist organizations—particularly troubling amid recent attacks on U.S. servicemen. Similarly, the administration’s approach to Turkey and Saudi Arabia suggests a willingness to extend trust and strategic concessions that may exceed what these relationships warrant, potentially squandering leverage on critical issues like the Abraham Accords. Whether these calculated diplomatic gambles yield strategic gains or prove costly remains an open question. The true measure of this foreign policy doctrine will ultimately depend on how these relationships and decisions unfold in 2026.”
The report also points to commitments made at the summit in The Hague, where alliance members pledged to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035—far above the longstanding 2% benchmark. The document says the pledge followed sustained U.S. pressure for “fairer burden-sharing among allied nations.”
The report highlights an August agreement signed at the White House by Armenia and Azerbaijan’s leaders aimed at ending the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The declaration includes commitments on border security, regional transit routes, and economic cooperation involving the United States.