IBA Global Insight – one year of Trump 2.0
Friday 16 January 2026
From the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro to controversy involving the conduct of ICE immigration agents, the actions of the Trump administration have already caused substantial international and domestic turbulence in just the first few days of 2026. Below, we’ve selected some of the best of Global Insight's continuing coverage of these and related issues.
Podcast: Presidential ethics in the Trump era
While President Trump and his administration’s foreign policy creates debate over international law and conduct, his unorthodox behaviour both domestically and internationally has also received criticism in terms of disregard for ethics and for presidential norms, as this podcast explores.
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Column: The ICE state
President Trump’s aggressive approach to immigration has provoked mass protest, most recently following the shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent in early January. The enforcement tactics have raised difficult legal and constitutional issues and may come to define Trump’s second term.
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News analysis: Weaponised DoJ prompts independence concerns
Early in his second term, Trump tasked a ‘Weaponization Working Group’ at the Department of Justice to scrutinise officials who had previously investigated him. He has since demanded that the department prosecute those who have opposed him, raising concerns over the department's independence.
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News analysis: Milei election win raises questions over US interference
In Argentina’s recent legislative elections, Javier Milei’s La Libertad Avanza party won nearly 41 per cent of the vote in an unprecedented victory. But the result has brought attention to the influence of the US over Argentina, particularly following Trump’s $40bn bailout offer in the weeks leading up to the midterms.
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Comment and analysis: President Trump and the 25th Amendment
Serious questions are being raised about President Trump’s repeated reliance on misinformation, apparent cognitive lapses and the risks his leadership poses to US stability. The debate as to whether the US Constitution’s 25th Amendment could be used to remove a sitting president has therefore been reopened.
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Podcast: The Trump administration and the international community
The approach to international institutions, cooperation and development from the current US administration has significant implications for areas such as soft power and global justice. This podcast considers these issues and features speakers with senior experience in previous US administrations.
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Feature: Rule of law in the time of Trump, Putin and Netanyahu
Trump’s ‘America First’ policy has seen the US reassess its relationship with the United Nations and its position on the world stage. Cuts to USAID have led to significant funding issues for the global aid system, and the future relationship between the US and the UN remains uncertain.
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Film: An interview with John Bellinger
John Bellinger is a former senior legal advisor to the US State Department and the National Security Council during the George W Bush administration. In this interview, Bellinger discusses his experiences and how the approach of previous administrations compares to that of Trump 2.0.
Watch here...