The first 100 days of a presidency are pertinent when gauging the initiatives and goals of a presidential term. This began after FDR’s first 100 days in office and the immense action he took towards bettering the country during the Great Depression. Since then, the first 100 days of a presidency have been scrutinized and evaluated. This seems to encourage presidents to act fast during this time period and push their agendas as efficiently as possible. The first 100 days also include presidential cabinet choices and the overall tone of government interaction with the new executive.
What initiatives does Trump seem to be taking during his first 100 days of his second term?
Trump, according to PBS, has reshaped, or attempted to reshape, three things. First, the economy: Trump has waged a “tariff war” on several countries through a mass increase in tariffs. He has sworn he won’t back off from his tariffs as he believes, "Our country has been looted, pillaged, raped, plundered". That being said, he has not been consistent with the administration of his tariffs and has frequently paused them with countries such as China and other countries that have retaliated with their own tariffs. Tax cuts and inflation have also been a focus of the Trump administration. Many Americans have cut back on spending in this new presidential economy for fear of financial instability.
Immigration has also been a large focus for the 47th president. Spending to improve border security has heavily increased after Trump declared a national emergency due to “invasion” at the Southern border. Illegal Southern border crossing has steeply decreased. Trump has also taken action towards mass deportations. This is perhaps his most controversial action taken as of today. Many have been deported to the El Salvador prison CECOT, and Trump continues to seek prisons in other countries as well. PBS reports that Trump has also, “Shut down access to asylum, refugee and other status programs for those fleeing threatening situations.”
Finally, Trump has attempted to greatly condense and change the federal government. According to PBS, “Tens of thousands of employees across the federal government have been fired, placed on leave or taken voluntary buyouts, led by the Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to eliminate waste, fraud, and inefficiency.” Other than these mass firings, Trump is placing funding cuts on certain federal agencies, as well as taking measures to reshape these agencies. These actions are mostly executed by the newly founded DOGE, or the Department of Government Efficiency.
Trump has succeeded in making many changes to our government within his first 100 days. It is clear what his initiatives have been, and simple to guess what they will continue to be. There are over 1,300 days left in his presidency.
Sources
Cortellessa, E. (2025, April 25). Exclusive: Inside Trump’s First 100 Days. TIME; Time. https://time.com/7280106/trump-interview-100-days-2025/
Kamarck, E. (2021, April 16). The first 100 days: When did we start caring about them and why do they matter? Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-first-100-days-when-did-we-start-caring-about-them-and-why-do-they-matter/
News, P. (2025, April 30). Trump has reshaped these 3 major things in his first 100 days. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-has-reshaped-these-3-major-things-in-his-first-100-days
Benenson, L., & Mattey, N. (2025, April 29). The First 100 Days of the Second Trump Administration: Key Immigration-Related Actions and Developments. National Immigration Forum. https://immigrationforum.org/article/the-first-100-days-of-the-second-trump-administration-key-immigration-related-actions-and-developments/
Bustillo, X. (2025, April 29). Trump wants to bypass immigration courts. Experts warn it’s a “slippery slope.” NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/04/29/g-s1-63187/trump-courts-immigration-judges-due-process
Drenon, B. (2025, April 18). Anxiety on US college campuses as foreign students deported. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20xq5nd8jeo
Madeline Speights