CNN analyst Harry Enten says President Trump’s policies on tariffs, immigration and executive orders are reshaping the U.S. like no other leader in decades—calling him the “most influential president” in modern history.
This influence is particularly evident in recent trade shifts, according to Enten.
One of the most notable changes is the steep rise in tariffs. Enten noted that the effective U.S. tariff rate has climbed to 18 percent in 2025, the highest level since the Great Depression under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
This marks a significant increase from just 2 percent the previous year, signaling a broad change in U.S. trade policy with wide-ranging effects.
Tariffs are taxes on imported goods, intended to protect domestic industries but often leading to higher costs for consumers and strained trade partnerships.
Enten’s data highlights how the Trump administration’s expanded use of tariffs is reshaping economic dynamics both domestically and globally.
Immigration policy is another key area where the Trump administration has made historic shifts.
Enten pointed out that net migration to the U.S. fell by at least 60 percent compared to the prior year, a drop that could push the country toward net negative migration—the first time this would happen in over