From the oath to the show: Trump’s First 100 days unpacked

The 29th of April marked Trump’s first 100 days into the promised “golden age of America.” Donald Trump is said to have done more than any other president in United States history: what exactly has he done?

Author: Maximilian Guttek (IXL-S6ENA)

It feels like decades ago that Donald J. Trump was inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States. The 29th of April marked Trump’s first 100 days into the promised “golden age of America.” Donald Trump is said to have done more than any other president in United States history (number two would be George Washington). A few hours after he took the oath of office, Trump got down to business by signing over 26 executive orders on his first day in the Oval Office. Trump organized his signing of orders like a big show by signing them in stadiums, throwing his pens in the audience, or holding impromptu press conferences in the Oval Office. This article will examine the key moments that have defined Trump’s first 100 days in office. We will focus on the three most significant changes Trump has introduced: DOGE, the border, and the infamous Liberation Day. Our goal is to understand what motivates Trump’s actions—and how successful he is.

One of the most iconic images of the first 100 days is the image of Elon Musk standing next to the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office with his son X Æ A-Xii on his shoulders. Musk, who was charged as head of the brand-new Department of Government Efficiency, made budget cuts of millions of dollars while also slashing thousands of employees. The idea of cutting misspent taxpayer money itself is a popular one and already has historical precedent. In 2013, the Obama administration launched its campaign to fight wasteful spending. The president believes that the waste in the government is colossal, which is a legitimate concern, isn’t it? But the presentational skills of the Trump administration are bad: Musk running around on stage while wearing orange shield sunglasses and holding a big golden chainsaw to cut bureaucracy, lying about “150-year-olds” having social security payments, cutting programs very quickly with no explanation at all, etc. Musk and Doge look unqualified, not serious, and not empathetic towards the thousands of people who lost their jobs. There is, without a doubt, in every government some amount of fraud that needs to be investigated and potentially cut, but it cannot be done in an out-of-control and unorganized manner.

Donald Trump successfully fulfilled one of his key campaign promises: the securing of the southern border between the USA and Mexico. The United States Department of Homeland Security has estimated that over 10.3 million people have entered the United States illegally during the duration of Joe Biden’s presidency. The Biden administration’s failure to secure the border was one of the key reasons Trump was reelected. A few weeks after Trump entered office, U.S. Border Patrol apprehended just over 8,000 individuals who illegally crossed between ports of entry along the southwest border, marking a 94% decrease compared to February 2024. Using the US Border Patrol and ICE, Trump slashed illegal immigration mercilessly and swiftly. We have all seen the footage of illegal migrants being cuffed and put on the back of cargo planes and sent back to Central America. The more violent individuals, like ruthless members of Venezuelan gangs like MS-13, are being sent to big terrorist confinement facilities in El Salvador. Trump is trying to send a message: he will have zero tolerance for illegal immigration, especially not from gangs. But is this the best way to solve the issue? Sure, deporting violent men who have taken advantage of Biden’s open border policy and committed disgusting crimes such as rape, murder, etc., is a very good thing, but the vast majority of people entering the United States are good and honest. The United States was built on immigration. However, that does not mean anyone should be allowed to enter the country without background checks or the government knowing who they are and where they came from. So far this is and should be considered one of Trump’s biggest successes.

Trump’s most recent and arguably biggest controversy is the economy. On April the second, from the infamous White House Rose Garden, President Trump announced Liberation Day. The president announces the most sweeping tariff regime in America since the 1930s. In consequence, the market collapses and Trump’s approval rating hits rock bottom. The world is hit with fear and uncertainty, and that’s what drives the market and investors crazy. His goal is clear: bring back manufacturing to the United States. Donald Trump evokes the time when the average person who worked hard in the United States could have enough money to buy a house, have a family, and retire peacefully. This is no longer the truth. After the entry of manufacturing countries like China in the early 2000s, the manufacturing of goods like cars and technology was moved overseas and out of America. So his goal is clear: bring back manufacturing to the United States. The intention itself sounds good, but it is uncertain whether such a thing is possible. In addition to that, Trump wants to impose the US’s position in the world; he wants America to dominate. And that’s where the hostility comes from. The tensions surrounding the trade war are not good, and Trump knows it. He is hoping that by scaring other countries with these, he can walk out with a better deal than the one he had before. But objectively, it’s a risk and a gamble. Trump’s explanation of the tariffs is unclear and appears lazy, as no clear explanation is provided.

The fate of the administration is not at all sealed. In the coming months and years, Donald Trump and his administration could experience many successes and failures. The deal at the border is sealed, but the consequences of DOGE and the tariffs are not yet determined.

Edited by: Leonie Goodchild

Cover image by: Reuters at MalayMail