President Trump’s first 100 days of his second time period have seen an administration transferring at breakneck pace to essentially alter the federal authorities in methods he previewed on the marketing campaign path.
Trump, largely by govt motion, has moved to rapidly ship on a lot of distinguished marketing campaign guarantees on immigration, tariffs and tradition conflict points.
The president has not but made good on all of his marketing campaign guarantees, although. The conflict in Ukraine remains to be raging on regardless of his pledge to finish it earlier than even taking workplace, and economists have warned his tariff insurance policies may undercut his pledge to decrease costs.
Right here’s a have a look at the place Trump has and hasn’t delivered on a few of his main marketing campaign guarantees in his first 100 days in workplace.
Immigration and the border
Trump and different White Home officers have argued that immigration was the largest motive he defeated former Vice President Kamala Harris in November, much more so than the economic system.
By means of 100 days, he has delivered on a number of actions meant to ramp up deportations, clamp down on border crossings and shut off pathways for refugees and asylum-seekers to enter the nation.
On his first day in workplace, Trump declared a nationwide emergency on the southern border and started surging assets to the world, together with from the Pentagon. The White Home shut down the CBP One app, which migrants may use to make appointments on the border.
Trump signed an govt motion geared toward ending birthright citizenship for youngsters born to individuals who don’t have authorized standing within the U.S. The matter is about to come earlier than the Supreme Court docket in Might, as critics have argued the transfer violates the 14th Modification.
Trump paused refugee admissions and ended non permanent protected standing (TPS) for sure teams.
The president additionally signed into legislation the Laken Riley Act, which mandates the federal detention of immigrants with out authorized standing who’re accused of theft and housebreaking, amongst different issues.
Trump pledged throughout a marketing campaign rally in October he would use the legislation to focus on Tren de Aragua, which Trump and his allies had argued have been turning the Colorado metropolis of Aurora right into a “war zone.”
The president in March signed a proclamation invoking the Alien Enemies Act, asserting that any members of Tren de Aragua older than 14 years residing in the USA be “apprehended, restrained, secured, and removed as Alien Enemies.”
The transfer delivered on a key marketing campaign pledge to make use of centuries-old legislation to enact his immigration agenda, nevertheless it has led to contentious authorized challenges and questions on whether or not the Trump administration has abided by court docket orders.
Whereas deportations haven’t fairly reached the hovering ranges Trump spoke about on the marketing campaign path, a White Home official predicted the U.S. would set a file by the top of 2025 for deportations in a single 12 months.
Bringing down costs
Trump on the marketing campaign path pledged to “rapidly drive prices down” starting the day he took workplace.
March knowledge from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is the newest data out there, confirmed core inflation continued to ease and was at its lowest charge since March 2021.
The common value of fuel is down roughly 50 cents per gallon from a 12 months in the past, in response to AAA knowledge.
Some costs stay excessive. The nationwide common value for a dozen eggs was increased than $6 in March. Egg costs have spiked in latest months due to a chook flu outbreak, and Trump has fixated on the problem whereas blaming his predecessor for the elevated value.
Trump’s largest drawback on inflation and costs may come from his personal hand.
Economists and a few firms have warned tariffs imposed by Trump will make many items dearer and pressure provide chains. The Dow Jones Industrial Common is down about 3,000 factors since Trump took workplace, as nicely.
“The level of the tariff increases announced so far is significantly larger than anticipated,” Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell stated on April 16. “The same is likely to be true of the economic effects, which will include higher inflation and slower growth.”
Tariffs
The president would typically muse on the marketing campaign path that “tariff” was some of the stunning phrases within the dictionary as he outlined his plans to aggressively deploy tariffs to reshape international commerce and increase manufacturing.
Trump to date has made clear his tariff discuss was no bluff.
The White Home has imposed tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China over the circulation of fentanyl into the USA.
The administration imposed a ten p.c tariff on all imports, in addition to increased “reciprocal” tariffs on dozens of nations, together with allies like Japan, India, South Korea and members of the European Union. Within the face of skittish monetary markets, Trump introduced he would decrease these “reciprocal” tariffs to 10 p.c for all international locations for 90 days, besides within the case of China, the place he has ratcheted up duties on Chinese language items to a complete of 145 p.c.
The president has imposed sector-specific tariffs on metal and aluminum imports and vehicle imports. He has laid the groundwork to impose further tariffs on pharmaceutical imports, vital mineral imports, semiconductor imports and copper imports.
Whereas White Home officers have stated practically 20 international locations have introduced commerce proposals to deal with considerations about tariffs, these sorts of agreements can take months to barter, elevating questions on whether or not Trump will again off if the economic system begins to slip towards a recession or stagflation.
“I can assure you, the president’s commitment to this is complete and unwavering,” a White Home official stated of Trump’s strategy to tariffs.
“His belief is there’s a profound industrial crisis that he inherited underneath the surface that also requires dramatic action to change,” the official added. “He’s also maintaining strategic flexibility and optionality.”
The conflict in Ukraine
Trump made grand guarantees whereas on the marketing campaign path about ending the conflict in Ukraine, pledging at numerous factors that he would have the ability to clear up the battle inside 24 hours of taking workplace and at one level asserting he may dealer an finish to the conflict throughout the transition.
The fact has confirmed tougher, whilst Trump claimed in an interview with Time journal that the 24-hour feedback have been made “in jest.”
Trump administration officers have met instantly with counterparts from Russia and Ukraine, and the president has met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Whereas Zelensky stated he agreed to a restricted ceasefire in March, there was no prolonged pause in preventing since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 after amassing forces on the border. On Monday, Putin introduced a three-day ceasefire for Might, as Trump signaled a rising impatience with the Russian chief’s reluctance to conform to a deal to finish the three-year conflict.
Trump has at instances lashed out at Zelensky and at different instances lashed out at Putin and Russia, putting blame on each nations as an obstacle to an settlement. He has additionally in latest weeks sought to distance himself from the battle, describing it as “Biden’s war,” a reference to the earlier administration.
“We have a deadline. After that, we will have a very much different attitude,” Trump advised reporters Thursday, although he didn’t specify what his deadline can be.
Transgender points
Considered one of Trump’s most constant applause strains on the marketing campaign path got here when he would inform supporters, sometimes on the finish of rallies, that he would “keep men out of women’s sports.”
Trump made good on that marketing campaign rhetoric simply weeks after taking workplace, signing an govt order to ban transgender girls from competing in ladies’ and girls’s sports activities. The White Home invited a whole bunch of visitors for the signing, touting it as a significant milestone early within the administration.
Maine has discovered itself on the middle of a battle over the implementation of Trump’s order after Gov. Janet Mills (D) argued it violated the state’s antidiscrimination legal guidelines. The administration has responded by threatening Maine’s funding if it doesn’t comply.
The White Home, and Republicans extra broadly, view the problem as one the place the majority of the general public is on their aspect, even because it impacts a small share of the inhabitants. However it’s removed from the one means by which the Trump administration has focused transgender individuals in its first 100 days.
The Pentagon reinstated a ban on transgender troops serving within the army, a transfer that has been caught up within the courts. On Trump’s first day in workplace, he signed an govt order recognizing solely two sexes, female and male, and directing federal companies to stop promotion of the idea of gender transition.
Pardons, DEI and extra
Trump has adopted by on a lot of different pledges on the marketing campaign path, together with some controversial measures.
On his first day in workplace, Trump pardoned roughly 1,500 individuals charged in reference to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol assault. The transfer stunned even a few of his aides, who had recommended Trump’s pardons can be extra focused.
One other main tradition conflict challenge that Trump took on throughout the marketing campaign was ending range, fairness and inclusion (DEI) insurance policies within the authorities.
The Trump administration swiftly put federal staff in DEI roles on go away and moved to shutter DEI-related places of work. The president has additionally signed orders directing the Pentagon and State Division to take away DEI initiatives.
The president has additionally adopted by on what lots of his critics feared, utilizing the levers of presidency to instantly goal his political opponents.
Whereas Trump stated on the marketing campaign path that “success” can be his revenge on his opponents, he has minimize off safety particulars for former administration officers who had been vital of him.
Trump has directed the Justice Division to examine two former administration officers who crossed him. And he signed an govt order focusing on ActBlue, a significant Democratic fundraising platform.
