At Trump’s rally in Michigan to commemorate his first 100 days in office, we saw glimpses of a Trump from long ago. Between talking for roughly an hour and a half, criticizing the press, and dancing to the YMCA, it seemed to be straight from the Trump history books. However, in the context of what he said, and what he has done, in many ways what we are seeing is more akin to a Trump 2.0. Through a thorough comparison of the first 100 days of his first and second presidencies, the differences begin to clearly emerge.

The most obvious difference is simply the sheer quantity of what he has done. Over his first administration’s first 100 days, he issued 24 executive orders. The second time through, he issued 26 on just his first day, and 143 total, far surpassing any other modern president. But it wasn’t just the quantity, the scope—and resulting legal challenges—sets this time apart as well. Just over 100 federal lawsuits were filed against the president during the first 100 days of the first administration. This number has more than doubled, with roughly 250 against the president this time. The second Trump presidency seems unrestrained by the threat of judicial challenges. 

Policy-wise, the key points have remained consistent. He’s talked about prioritizing American industry through protective tariffs and harsher immigration policy. Again, the second administration seeks to go further. In the first administration’s first 100 days, Trump withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade agreement involving Pacific countries such as Japan and Australia. This tracks with his anti-international trade approach. The second term has gone past this, imposing broad, sweeping tariffs on various imports. Going against prior free-trade agreements, Trump has threatened 25% tariffs on all goods from Mexico and Canada. Unprecedented rates on countries all over the world have thrown the market into disarray, with Wall Street fluctuating wildly. Trump, both times, has also sought to protect U.S. jobs by reducing immigration, also with the purpose of maintaining national security. Though the first administration increased deportations by the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the increase is dwarfed in comparison to the second administration’s actions. Between visas being revoked, the use of a wartime powers act to deport Venezuelan migrants, and hundreds of supposed gang members being taken to a prison in El Salvador, including a man from Maryland who was mistakenly deported, the contrast is rather stark. Trump has harshened an already harsh stance on immigration in his second term.

Throughout his second first 100 days, Trump has continuously gone one step further, taking more extreme stances on the same issues, and it doesn’t appear to be slowing down. Though legal challenges haven’t done much to slow down the slew of executive orders yet, as more time passes the Supreme Court may start to catch up, though then it's a question of whether or not the administration will listen. With all these questions—and many more—looming, it is worthwhile to remember that, while the first 100 days of an administration acts as a decent test for what is to come, there are 13 more 100 days which will determine the shape of this administration.