Taking stock after 100 days of President Trump: USA in a "whirlwind"

DW Taking stock after 100 days of President Trump: USA in a "whirlwind" Carla Bleiker • 2 hours • 5 minutes reading time Republican Donald Trump has been US President for 100 days. Which of his promises has he implemented? And what do Americans think of the changes in their country? With his inauguration on January 20, 2025, Donald Trump became President of the United States for the second time. Since then, so much has changed in US politics that 100 days seems almost impossibly short for the country's 180-degree turnaround. Whether it's a change in foreign policy or the introduction of tariffs on products from around the world, hardly a day goes by without breaking news from the White House. "No matter which side you're on, most people would agree that a lot has been going on," says Patrick Malone, a professor of public administration and politics at American University, in a DW interview about Trump's second term so far. The president "was definitely firing on all cylinders from the start." There's a strategy behind this, experts say. The constant stream of reports about extreme measures, many of which go against the democratic fabric of the US, are intended to paralyze political opponents, to "shock freeze" them, so to speak. And US citizens who disagree with the new course don't know what to protest against first: Trump's complete disregard for climate change and his plans to increase oil drilling? The undermining of the separation of powers when the government deports migrants against clear orders from federal judges? The curtailment of freedom of the press and freedom of expression when undesirable media outlets are banned from the White House and undesirable researchers, even entire universities, have their funding cut off? The second Trump administration is dividing the country like never before. How much of what he promised his supporters before the November 2024 election has the US President implemented at the start of his second term? No peace in Ukraine within 24 hours If elected, Trump declared in May 2023 during an event in New Hampshire that he would end the war in Ukraine in no time. "They're dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying," Trump said at the time. "And I'm going to get it done, I'm going to get it done within 24 hours." The war is still raging. Trump has since realized that even he cannot end the conflict in a day. The US is working on a solution without much coordination with its allies – and is closer to the Russian side than to the Ukrainian side. In his first phone call with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, Trump made far-reaching concessions to the Russian aggressor. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, on the other hand, received a flack from Trump and his Vice President J.D. Vance in the White House for allegedly being ungrateful. Military aid to Ukraine has been put on hold. And just recently, Trump criticized Kyiv for insisting on returning Crimea to Ukraine instead of surrendering the peninsula to the enemy in the name of peace. The war-torn people of Ukraine are shocked by the about-turn of their most important supporter. But the US's Western partners also have cause for concern. Trump has repeatedly questioned the US's loyalty to NATO. He even stated that he would not defend NATO member states that, in his opinion, do not spend enough on their defense against an attack by Putin. He later retracted this statement. But it has become clear that European countries can no longer rely on their once close friends in America. Trump: "Throw out bloodthirsty criminals" Immigration policy was one of Trump's favorite topics during the election campaign. At an event in New York in October 2024, he promised that if he won the election, he would initiate the largest deportation program in US history. Trump said he would "put these bloodthirsty criminals in jail and then get them out of our country as quickly as possible." In February, Trump's first full month in office, the US government deported around 11,000 migrants. In February 2021, the first month of Joe Biden's administration, that number was around 12,000. But under Trump, fewer people are coming into the US across the southern border with Mexico, reports NBC News. Trump has definitely made immigration more difficult, says Malone: ​​"Some would call that a success, others would call it inconsistent with American values." Economy: "America is back" Trump had campaigned on the fact that under his leadership, the US economy would experience a steep upswing. One of his promises was to "make America affordable again" – under him, prices would fall, and, as with the Ukraine war, from the first day of his presidency. In some areas, this has happened, for example, with gasoline. Prices for flights and hotel stays also fell, as did inflation overall. "Core prices," i.e., average prices for goods excluding the highly fluctuating costs of gasoline and food, were 2.8 percent higher in March than a year earlier – the lowest increase in almost four years, reports the AP news agency. "President Trump's policies are keeping inflation in check," explained Stephen Miran, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, the White House's economic advisors, in an interview with CNBC. "Combined with what's happening in trade, that lets us say: America is back." But for many Americans, a trip to the supermarket is still as expensive as it was at the beginning of Trump's term. The weekly shop for a two-person household can cost more than $150, even outside of expensive major cities. Trump's Tariffs: Promise Kept, Cause for Concern? After his election, Trump announced that he would end the "ridiculously open borders" policy and the US trade deficit. He wanted to impose tariffs equal to those imposed by the respective partner on US products. He did so in April. In many cases, the US tariffs imposed were even higher. So: promise kept. However, this makes some products more expensive for US consumers and jeopardizes established trade relations. According to a survey by the Pew Research Institute, Americans are now more critical of their country's economic situation and future than they were in February, shortly after Trump took office – and before the announcement of his tariffs. At that time, 40 percent said they expected the US economy to be better next February. 37 percent estimated conditions would worsen. In April, only 36 percent believed economic conditions in the US would be better in a year. However, 45 percent believed the US economic situation would worsen. Before the tariffs were imposed on Mexico, automakers were still trying to bring as many of their vehicles across the border into the US as possible. "We don't have stability in the government." A certain degree of uncertainty may arise from the fact that the Trump administration is suspending or withdrawing tariffs just as quickly as they were imposed. Such back-and-forth, says Malone of American University, is bad for the central pillar of any well-functioning government: stability. "The first 100 days were a whirlwind, and it wasn't all progress," says the political science professor. The Trump administration introduced many things and then reversed them. This was evident in tariffs, but also in the layoffs in many government departments. Initially, thousands of people were laid off. When it was discovered shortly afterwards that some of these employees, for example in aviation or nuclear security, were indispensable, they were reinstated. "It's very difficult to run a government like this," says Malone. "All governments need consistency, predictability, and stability. And we don't have that right now."