Trump’s First 100: A Brief Recap

It was Franklin D. Roosevelt, the nation’s thirty-second president, that created the “first 100 day” standard that every president since has come to face. With the amount of legislation he was able to pass in that amount of time, he is the reason why we look at the beginning stages of the president’s first term and judge the work he has done. For president Donald Trump, this Saturday, April 29, will mark his hundredth day in office, meaning that many are currently deciding on whether or not his first 100 days have been a success, or a failure.

Critics of the president point out topics such as the failed American Healthcare Act bill, failed travel bans, and the fact that his approval rating has dropped into the low 40% range as reasons to call his first 100 days a loss. His cabinet choices have also garnered some criticism. Michael Flynn, Trump’s original National Security Advisor, was dismissed only 24 days after Trump’s presidency started, and was subsquently replaced by Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster.

Although, depending on who you ask, the fact that he took the United States out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership can be seen as a plus for his first 100 days. Likewise, some laissez-faire thinkers praise his Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs executive order, which will add a cap to the total cost of government regulations and will eliminate the rule that new agencies must meet with at least two regulations. To some, his nomination of Neil Gorsuch to Supreme Court can be viewed as a good thing.

A more recent event that has created a large reaction among the American public was his order for the missile attack on the Syrian airbase. For those that may not remember, the Syrian government utilized a chemical weapons attack on Syrian civilians, killing at least 70. In response, Trump made an order to send out 59 missiles to the airbase that the Syrian government was ordering to carry out the chemical attacks. This order met mixed reactions: Isolationists condemned the attack, citing that the United States should simply stay out of Middle Eastern issues. Others praised the order and felt that it showed off the power that the United States military has.

Clearly, Trump has been receiving lots of mixed reactions, as most presidents do. Criticized for the legislation he has failed to pass and praised for the actions he has done, Trump’s first 100 days may come across as mediocre at best for some, especially when compared to that of past presidents such as Franklin D. Roosevelt. Although, past presidents such as Bill Clinton and John F. Kennedy have faced opening 100 days that are considered to be some of the weakest by many, only to end up having overall good presidencies.

Sources

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