Trump’s First 100 Days

This past weekend marked the close of President Trump’s first 100 days in office. Traditionally, the 100-day point is used to evaluate the effectiveness of a new president. So how does President Trump’s first 100 days stack up?

Why 100 Days?

The significance of the first 100 days has its roots with President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who, in his first 100 days, managed to sign 76 bills into law, declare (and then lift) a bank holiday, swear in an entire Cabinet, sign 99 executive orders, and begin implementation of his New Deal plans. FDR was able to take this kind of bold action because the country was in a state of economic crisis. Nevertheless, all other presidents since FDR have been held to this standard.

Related Links

• To learn more about the history of 100 Days, click on this btw story.
• You can also read this short You Decide story on whether or not presidents should be measured in this way. (And don’t forget to vote in the You Decide poll.)
• Take a look back at President Obama’s first 100 Days in office.

Some new presidents have performed better than others during their first 100 days. President Kennedy ordered the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba on day 87 of his term. President Reagan had all 18 of his early executive orders revoked. Shot in the chest on day 69 of his term, he nevertheless delivered a joint address to Congress on the eve of day 100. President Clinton passed 24 bills, more than any other since Roosevelt. And up until now, President Obama had signed more executive orders (19) than any other recent president.

So How Does Trump Compare?

President Trump began his presidency facing unique challenges. First, he is more unpopular than any other president in modern history. Second, many of his promises for what he would accomplish during his first 100 days were unusual (such as building the wall between the U.S. and Mexico) or exceedingly difficult (repealing and replacing the ACA, or “Obamacare”), making it even tougher for him to accomplish his goals.

Successes and Challenges

On the positive side, Trump has achieved one of his top five goals for his presidency: pulling the U.S. out of the Trans Pacific Partnership trade agreement (TPP). He also successfully confirmed Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, and has signed 30 executive orders (11 more than President Obama, and more than any other modern president). And though it is controversial, he did take decisive military action in Syria.

However, many of Trump’s promises for his first 100 days remain unfulfilled. Perhaps the biggest disappointment has been with his new health care bill: meant to replace the ACA, or “Obamacare,” the bill was so unpopular that it didn’t even reach a vote on the floor of the House. Though Republicans made several attempts to revive the bill before the 100 days were up, they were not successful. Development of the wall between the U.S. and Mexico has stalled, and Trump’s executive orders on immigration have been struck down by federal judges as unconstitutional.

Trump’s administration has faced great scrutiny over their connections with Russia and Russian tampering in the 2016 election. General Michael Flynn, Trump’s national security adviser, was removed from office after only a few weeks for communicating with Russian operatives. Another of Trump’s advisers, Paul Manafort, was fired for the same reason. Questions and allegations about Russia continue to hang over the Trump administration, and likely will for some time.

How – and where – the president has spent his first 100 days is also a source of criticism. So far, he has taken 21 golfing trips in 100 days. Trump will have also spent eighteen nights (just under one-fifth of his first 100 days) at his Florida retreat, Mar-a-Lago. At the same time, however, he remains far behind other modern presidents in terms of foreign travel.

What Do You Think? Based on what you have read here and what you have seen and read in the news, how do you view President Trump’s first 100 days in office: as largely successful, or as largely unsuccessful? Give at least three reasons to support your opinion.