What happened to that trademark bravado? The Donald Trump who stormed back into the White House promising to end wars in 24 hours, why has he gone strangely quiet as 2025 draws to a close? Was all the bluster just policy? Was the chest-thumping confused for real diplomacy? Or was the entire strategy built on disruption without any real follow-through? The million-dollar question: has the world simply tuned him out?

As we step into 2026, the global landscape paints a sobering picture. Trump's second term kicked off like a high-octane limited-overs match, big hits, roaring crowds, opponents rattled. Early in 2025, he positioned himself as the ultimate peacemaker, claiming credit for ceasefires from Gaza to Ukraine, India-Pakistan tensions to smaller flashpoints like Cambodia-Thailand. The mantra was unmistakable: only Trump can deliver.

Read in Hindi: ट्रंप को आखिर हुआ क्या है? कोई सुनता क्यों नहीं उनकी बात...!

He dived headfirst into conflicts, brushing aside protocol, lecturing allies, cosying up to adversaries, and anointing himself the master dealmaker. Nuance was discarded; subtlety evaporated. It was raw, transactional deal-making, every agreement with a visible price tag. "America First" evolved from a slogan to a stern warning.

The year became a spectacle of tariff fireworks. Trump imposed duties indiscriminately on friends, rivals, and neighbours alike. Relationships strained, alliances frayed. Loyal aides charged ahead, battling perceived threats while bigger challenges simmered. Rhetoric soared, slip-ups accumulated, yet Trump seemed impervious, until the momentum faded.

By late 2025, murmurs turned to open doubts. Gaza's fragile ceasefire holds uneasily, Ukraine's war grinds on without resolution, and Trump's boasts ring hollow. Where did the Nobel aspirations vanish? The aggressive opener has retreated to cautious defence on the crease.

Analysts argue that Trump's turbulence has eroded rather than bolstered America's standing. Trust has dipped, leverage waned. The unipolar era feels more multipolar than ever. Promised peaces often remained announcements, not enduring realities. Ukraine persists in pain; Gaza's truce teeters. And perhaps Trump's gravest misstep: mishandling India.

The leader who once paraded his bond with Narendra Modi badly miscalculated New Delhi's resolve. Heavy tariffs on Indian goods, a perceived tilt towards Pakistan in mineral deals and mediation claims all alienated a key partner and its influential diaspora in America. Goodwill dissipated swiftly. Even conservative voices in Washington began questioning the administration's strategic depth. True power, after all, demands dignity and consistency.

This pattern isn't novel. Trump's playbook: dramatic entrances, flashy summits, followed by drift. Recall North Korea's historic handshakes, yielding only resumed tests. Iran's deal scrapped for maximum pressure, worsening tensions. China's trade war promised jobs but delivered inflation and disrupted chains.

In this term, echoes abound. Gaza's ceasefire brought hostage releases but no lasting framework. Ukraine talks stall amid concessions to Russia. Yemen strikes failed to secure shipping. Iran negotiations faltered. Has Trump exhausted fresh ideas, or has fatigue set in?

Detractors point to diminished vigour, but the issue runs deeper, reflecting America's own weariness from decades of overreach: Iraq deceptions, Libya chaos, Afghanistan's hasty exit, Paris accord withdrawal, pandemic mishaps, financial crises, and Guantanamo's shadow. Each eroded credibility. Trump didn't originate the slide; he hastened it.

America reaped little gain. Unilateralism isolated it; instability exposed vulnerabilities; inconsistencies bred scepticism. Allies grew wary, foes patient, and the world adapted.

Trump's second innings now read as a cautionary tale of overreach, dazzling pyrotechnics, scant substance. The thunderous start has morphed into guarded play. As 2026 dawns, the lingering query: Did Donald Trump reshape the world, or has the world simply outpaced him?