Projecting Trump’s First 100 Days in the White House

On Monday, January 20, 2025, president-elect Donald Trump will take office. His administration, along with congressional Republicans, have already outlined their plans for Trump’s first hundred days as president. Typically, a president’s first 100 days in office are when they name their cabinet nominees and set into motion their key policies and agendas.  

Economy 

Trump and his Republican party members plan to renew about $4 trillion in tax cuts. These cuts began during Trump’s first administration. Under that plan, the wealthiest Americans (those making nearly $1 million and above every year) received a tax break of about $60,000. Lower-income Americans previously received a break of just a few hundred dollars, and many received no break at all. These tax breaks were set to expire in 2025, but Republicans have already discussed their plans to renew them. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the cost of renewing these tax cuts will add another $4 trillion to the federal deficit. 

Trump has also stated that he plans to place tariffs (extra fees) on imported goods, especially those coming from China and Mexico. Republicans believe that this policy will help keep manufacturing jobs in the U.S. by making imported foreign goods more expensive. But Democrats are concerned that this policy will only lead to higher prices for consumers. 

Social Programs 

Tax cuts mean that the federal government will have less money to spend. So, congressional Republicans plan to cut programs such as food stamps and health care. Some Americans who don’t receive health insurance through their jobs must buy it on their own. The Affordable Care Act provides help from the government for purchasing affordable health care. But the new administration would do away with giving any financial help (called “subsidies”) to people who must pay for their own insurance policies.  

Immigration 

Immigration policy was a key part of Trump’s 2024 campaign platform. His administration plans to immediately launch a mass deportation of undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. It is unclear how Republicans plan to do this. There are protections that allow some immigrants to live and work temporarily in the United States. But these protections may be removed. Regardless, the American Immigration Council estimates that a large deportation effort would cost the country about $7.3 billion. Trump has also stated that he plans to end “birthright citizenship,” a policy granting anyone born on U.S. soil American citizenship. However, this is a Constitutional right and cannot be changed by an executive order from the president. 

Environment 

Trump has stated frequently that he is in favor of increased oil drilling and fracking. This includes opening federally protected lands, such as national parks, to drilling and mining. He also plans to repeal some of the environmental protections and climate targets that were put in place by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. And he has stated that he is against the Biden administration’s plan to expand wind energy and increase the production of electric cars. It is likely that he will begin making these changes soon after taking office. 

During his first term as president, Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement, which requires the U.S. to lower carbon emissions. President Joe Biden undid this by requesting that the U.S. be readmitted. Now, some reports have said that Trump plans to withdraw from the agreement once again. 

Cabinet 

The first 100 days in office are also when a president focuses lots of attention on naming key cabinet positions. So far, Trump has stated that he plans to nominate Susie Wiles as his chief of staff. [add link to previous bio story on Wiles: https://mheelectioncentral.mheducation.com/2024/11/21/susie-wiles-appointed-as-trumps-new-chief-of-staff/ ] There has been nationwide speculation about some of the other positions, but so far Trump hasn’t named anyone publicly. Most of these appointments must be confirmed by the Senate. (The position of chief of staff does not require Senate confirmation.) 

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