The First 100 Days: Measuring Trump’s Early Moves in Term Two

U.S. presidents are often measured by what the accomplish in their first 100 days in office. They campaign on it too– Trump promised that in his first 100 days there would be immediate and swift action. He stated: “When I win on Nov. 5, the migrant invasion ends and the restoration of our country begins,” and that he would move the country towards a “drill baby drill” oil and gas policy. He promised to pardon defendants from the January 6 attack, end “woke ideology” in schools and universities, and reinstate travel bans on certain countries.

So what has Trump accomplished thus far?

Here’s a breakdown of some key actions taken during Trump’s first 100 days in his second term as President of the United States:

Immigration and Border Security

• Birthright Citizenship: An order was signed aiming to end automatic citizenship for children born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants or those on temporary visas, potentially challenging the 14th Amendment.
• Border Emergency: A national emergency was declared at the southern border, allowing military deployment and the redirection of funds.
• “Remain in Mexico” Revival: The “Remain in Mexico” policy was brought back, requiring asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their U.S. cases are processed.
• Refugee Program Pause: The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program was temporarily halted for review.
• Death Penalty Expansion: The attorney general was authorized to pursue the death penalty for serious crimes committed by undocumented immigrants.
• Mass Deportation: Deportation priorities were broadened, targeting anyone in the country without proper documentation.
• Increased ICE raids: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and detentions increased sharply, leading to facility overcrowding and legal challenges over detainee treatment.
• IRS Data Push: The IRS was pressured to share addresses of undocumented immigrants with Homeland Security.
• Social Media Checks: Visa applicants’ social media was to be screened for critical views of the U.S. and Israel.
• Pressuring Self-Deportation: A system was initiated to cancel Social Security numbers for migrants, limiting their access to financial services and benefits.
• Detention and Removals of Foreign-Born Students: Students across the US who were deemed to have supported Palestine were arrested, detained, and deported
• Sending Migrants to be Held Abroad: Hundreds of deportees were held at Guantánamo Bay, and in Panama.
• Removals Despite Court Orders: The Trump administration deported dozens of people who were alleged Venezuelan gang members using the 1798 Alien Enemies Act despite a federal judge’s temporary order blocking the deportations, and little to no evidence to back up said allegations. One man was admittedly deported completely in error.

War in Ukraine

• Closer Russia Relations: Trump favored better relations with Russia, differing from the broader U.S. stance on Russian actions in Ukraine and opposing increased U.S. involvement, he organized several call with Putin.
• Zelensky Tension: Relations with Ukrainian President Zelensky became strained, with Trump criticizing him particularly in one tense oval office exchange, demanding the Ukrainian president be more thankful and negotiate with Trump in promising access to rare earth minerals for aid.
• Blaming Ukraine: Trump repeated claims that Ukraine was to blame for the war.
• No Deal: Now Trump, who took office promising a rapid end to the war, is now warning that he will “withdraw” from mediation efforts if Ukraine and Russia “complicate” the achievement of an agreement.

Tariffs and Trade

• Tariff Changes: steep tariffs were imposed on China, Mexico, and Canada, with on-off pauses and exemptions.
• Retaliatory Measures: China responded to U.S. tariffs with its own measures.
• Steel and Aluminum Tariffs: New (temporary) tariffs on steel and aluminum led to retaliation from the EU, those these were also paused when U.S. tariffs were paused.
• “Reciprocal” Tariffs: Trump released a list of steep “reciprocal” tariffs on numerous countries who had a trade surplus with the U.S., causing global markets to plummet, and then paused them. The White House then stated they would forge individual trade deals with countries willing to negotiate on tariffs.

Cutting U.S. Government Funding

• Ending USAID: USAID was dismantled, signaling a major reduction in foreign aid.
• Federal Worker Layoffs: Large-scale cuts to federal agencies were proposed, including employee layoffs.
• Hiring Freeze: A hiring freeze was implemented, except for immigration enforcement, national security, and public safety roles.
• Reinstating “Schedule F”: This made it easier to fire federal workers who resisted Trump’s agenda.
• Firing Inspectors General: Over a dozen inspectors general were fired.
• Halving State Department Funding: Funding for the State Department was nearly halved.

Environment

• Paris Agreement Withdrawal: Initiated the process to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement.
• Threatening States’ Climate Efforts: Issued directives undermining state-level climate initiatives.
• National Energy Emergency Declared: Used to fast-track fossil fuel projects.
• Reviving Coal: Issued executive orders to expand coal mining and usage.
• Increased Timber & Coal Use: Expanded timber production in national forests and increased mining/use of coal.
• Offshore Wind Halted: Suspended leasing for wind energy projects in federal waters.
• EV Policy Repeals: Rolled back Biden-era policies promoting electric vehicle adoption.
• Ended Pollution Disclosure: Removed requirements for major polluters to report emissions.
• EPA Rollbacks: Reversed dozens of EPA regulations aimed at environmental protection.
• Climate Change Censorship: Removed references to climate change from public websites.
• NOAA Cuts: Laid off hundreds of employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Trans Identity

• Two Genders: Trump signed an executive order narrowing federal recognition to two genders based on biological sex.
• Restricting Gender-Affirming Care: Federal funding for gender-affirming treatments in prisons was prohibited.
• Transgender Athlete Policy: The administration challenged policies allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports, including signing an executive order banning trans students from school sports. The administration sued Maine over allowing transgender athletes.
• Housing in Prisons: Transgender women were ordered to be housed in men’s prisons.
• Removing Third-Gender Option: The “X” option was removed from U.S. government-issued IDs.

Education and Universities

• Education Funding Cuts: Significant cuts were proposed for the federal education budget.
• School Choice: School choice, including voucher programs, was promoted.
• Eliminating DEI Programs: All federal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs were terminated.
• Education Department Cuts: Cuts were announced at the Education Department, especially for research programs.
• Accusations Against Universities: The Trump administration accused major American universities of allowing anti-Semitism during protests against the war in Gaza, and called for them to forbid foreign students, and has cut federal funding. Harvard is currently suing the administration over the funding freeze.

Courts and Oversight

• Reviewing DOJ “Weaponization”: Ordered a sweeping review into potential political bias within federal law enforcement agencies.
• Directed Investigation into New Jersey Officials: Ordered the U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate the Democratic governor and attorney general of New Jersey.
• Targeting Former Justice Officials: Fired or demoted dozens of prosecutors, FBI agents, and DOJ officials, particularly those involved in investigations related to Trump or January 6.
• Ordered Investigations into Former Officials: Directed probes into Christopher Krebs (former cybersecurity chief) and Miles Taylor (former Homeland Security official).
• Targeted Law Firms: Issued executive orders against at least six major law firms (e.g., WilmerHale, Covington & Burling) for employing figures who investigated or criticized him. Some law firms struck deals, offering up to $1B in pro bono work to avoid sanctions.
• Pardons for January 6 Participants: Granted clemency to almost all individuals convicted of crimes related to the Capitol attack.
• Appointees & Staff Changes: Fired internal watchdogs, inspectors general, and ethics officials seen as obstacles.
• Civil Rights Threats: Tied federal funding to political compliance, e.g., freezing school funds in Maine as punishment for noncompliance with Trump policies.

Israel/Gaza

• Increased Funding to Israel: Military and economic aid to Israel was increased.
• Bypassing Congress for Arms to Israel: The administration sent $Billion in weapons to Israel without congressional approval.
• Crackdown on Palestinian Activists: A crackdown on Palestinian activists in the U.S. was initiated.
• Proposals for Gaza: Trump announced plans to take control of Gaza, he has stated “You’re talking about a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing.” He has proposed to transform the enclave into a luxury resort, and shared an AI-generated video depicting this vision.

Healthcare

• Equivocated About Vaccines: Appointed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services Secretary. Both Trump and Kennedy stopped short of calling for vaccines as solution to a measles outbreak in Texas.
• Proposed Cuts to Health Programs: Significant cuts to federal health-related support were considered.
• Vaccine Scrutiny: Childhood vaccine schedules were scrutinized. Kennedy announced a directive to the National Institutes of Health to investigate what he called “environmental exposures” that allegedly lead to autism.
• Canceled Health Grants: Federal health grants to states were abruptly canceled.
• Laid Off Health Workers: Announced plans to lay off 10,000 employees at the Health and Human Services Department.