Indian Council of World Affairs

President Trump celebrated the first 100 days of his second presidency on 29 April 2025. While the Administration listed the achievements and campaign promises that they have been able to fulfil, there remain differing opinions on the Administration’s performance. Polls by various agencies show the voter dissatisfaction with President Trump. According to a poll conducted by the Pew Research Centre in April, 40 per cent of Americans approve of President Trump, a drop of seven per cent from February.[i] This paper highlights four important issues addressed by the Trump Administration in the initial 100 days. 
 
Secure the Borders

Securing the borders by ending asylum for illegal border crossers, cracking down on criminal sanctuaries and enhancing vetting and screening of aliens[ii] remain a priority for President Trump. He signed an executive order on his first day in office to exclude birthright citizenship for the U.S.-born children of parents who are temporarily or illegally in the country. Most legal analysts called the order unconstitutional. The order also suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP)[iii] along with other programmes looking at asylum applications. The Administration has used the Aliens Enemies Act (1798), a wartime authority that allows the president to detain or deport the natives and citizens of an enemy nation without a hearing and based only on their country of birth or citizenship. President Trump recently signed three executive orders that are seen as being anti-immigrant. One order states that to operate a commercial vehicle, a driver must “read and speak the English language”. The transportation department will “review non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses”.[iv] The move is seen to limit the job opportunities for migrants. The second order directs “… the Attorney General … (to) publish a list of states and local jurisdictions that obstruct the enforcement of federal immigration laws (sanctuary jurisdictions)”.[v] Non-compliance will lead to suspension or termination of federal grants. Among the provisions of the third order on law enforcement, it directs the Attorney General and the Secretary of Defence to “increase the provision of excess military and national security assets in local jurisdictions to assist state and local law enforcement”. This allows military equipment to be provided to police. It also calls for providing legal help to law enforcement officers accused of wrongdoing.[vi] All or parts of the various orders are currently being challenged in multiple courts across the country. 

The Administration’s actions have yielded results with illegal border crossing across the southern border at its lowest in recent times; nonetheless, it has also led to widespread questioning of the extent of the executive’s power. The decision to deport criminals to third countries, the detention of people including students and their deportation along with mass-scale student visa revocations and disregard for court orders have shocked the international community. The Administration has also targeted universities if they do not comply with federal orders, suspending federal grants and threatening to decertify their SEVP[vii] status, placing the future of international students in jeopardy. Many international students are rethinking their education in the U.S. as the federal government revokes visas, often over minor infractions. A shift away could carry a heavy economic toll, as international students contributed billions every year to the U.S. economy. The U.S. is also looking at potential revenue loss in 2025 due to declining foreign tourist inflow due to possible hostility they may face at immigration checkpoints. This is likely to have a ripple effect on tourism-related industries, such as airlines, hotels and restaurants, retail and small businesses in gateway cities such as New York. 

Drain the Swamp 

Improving and reforming the government bureaucracy under the slogan “Drain the Swamp” has been another highlight of the Trump Administration. This led to the formation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).[viii] It is an advisory body led by industrialist Elon Musk. However, its authority has been questioned, and it faces legal challenges over the scope of its work and lack of transparency. Questions have been raised about the agency’s authority, especially with respect to access to sensitive data systems, with its head being an unelected official. Conflict of interest issues have also been raised given Musk’s business contracts worth billions with the U.S. government agencies. 

There is broad voter support to reduce bureaucracy; however, the effectiveness of DOGE remains questionable. While the Administration claims DOGE has been able to identify fraud and abuse in various government agencies, it has not provided any conclusive proof to back these claims. DOGE’s actions have resulted in more than two million government employees being asked to leave through a “buyout” deal, with some being fired outright. This has led to staff shortages and affected the workings of various departments and agencies. A vast majority of programmes run by USAID, America's main foreign aid organisation, have been frozen, stalled or disrupted, leading to food and health care crises in some nations and denting America’s image in the international arena. Critics say the actions curtail America’s soft power. Cuts in federal funding domestically have also affected research and development in critical sectors such as disease control and prevention. 

Questions are being raised on DOGE’s achievements to cut federal spending. The initial stated target was to save close to US$ 2 trillion a year, which was later reduced by half and was further revised in April 2025 to US$ 150 billion by the end of the 2025–26 fiscal year. This was a tenth of the starting amount. The DOGE website states it has already saved US$ 160 billion, but many analyses have highlighted the inaccuracies, errors, omissions and overstatements in the data, pointing out that DOGE’s “wall of receipts” provides data to account for only US$63 billion. There’s little evidence to support the claim that DOGE is saving agencies significant money or changing the fact that the federal government spends more money than it collects. According to data from the U.S. Department of Treasury, as of 31 March 2025, the government spending has increased by 10 per cent compared to the same period last year, while revenue is only up 3 per cent, leading to a 23 per cent increase in the deficit.[ix] Currently, a number of DOGE’s initiatives are facing litigation and/or being revised. 

Tariffs and Trade Wars 

During the campaign, a vast majority of Americans were of the opinion that the economy would do better under President Trump than his opponent. His “America First” in Trade Policy was well received. However, today that no longer holds true. There is growing discontent over the handling of the economy and the concerns about global trade wars. According to the Pew poll, 59 per cent of Americans disapprove of the Administration’s tariff increases, while 39 per cent approve.[x] The back-and-forth on tariffs to actual implementation has caused considerable turmoil in the economy. As per the U.S. Department of Commerce data, the economy contracted at a rate of 0.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2025, down from a growth of 2.4 per cent in the last quarter of 2024.[xi] Analysts say the slowdown, though concerning, is not indicative of recession, but efforts need to be made to end the trade war to support growth in the economy. There continues to be demand from consumers and businesses, but it cannot be denied that the trade wars have shaken investor confidence and increased pessimism among consumers and businesses. Economists predict that the U.S. economy will slow down in 2025, as companies pass on import duties as a result of the tariffs, either partly or completely, to the consumers, which will depress consumer spending going forward. 

Internationally, the imposition of “reciprocal tariffs” has brought a change in global commerce. Instead of resolving tariff issues through international mechanisms, the U.S. has taken unilateral actions. It wants to pressure nations to sign bilateral trade ties. U.S. trading partners have retaliated and imposed similar tariffs on American goods. There is also a growing movement to buy more locally made products. This can be seen with people boycotting American products or travel to the U.S. and governments focused on reducing dependency on the U.S. as much as possible. For example, many European nations are working towards a buy European approach in the defence sector. According to political analysts, the belligerent nature of U.S. actions has led to a trust deficit and reduced American power. Major U.S. partners and allies have made it clear that the fundamental nature of their relations with the United States has changed and is unlikely to revert to the old ties. 

Peace in Ukraine 

Despite President Trump’s pledge to bring peace to Ukraine quickly, the prospects of a ceasefire agreement have been elusive. Moscow and Kyiv have blamed the other for violating ceasefire agreements, leading Washington to threaten to withdraw from negotiations if no compromise is reached by both sides. 

For European allies who are invested in the conflict and want peace, the U.S. shifting policy position from reaching out to Moscow to negotiate peace without involving Kyiv or other European capitals, cutting military aid and intelligence to Ukraine, suggesting that Ukraine cede Crimean to Russia for peace has unsettled and confused them. 

The recently signed minerals deal between Ukraine and the U.S. is being viewed as a positive through transactional development that will ensure that America remains invested in peace negotiations. Under the deal, the two nations have agreed to share profits from the future sale of Ukraine’s mineral and energy reserves. The deal will also see the establishment of an investment fund to spur Ukraine’s economic recovery from the war. While the accord shows that the U.S. is still a valued partner, however, President Zelenskiy’s recent visit to South Africa is seen as efforts to broaden Ukraine’s support and engage with the countries of the Global South. Europe is also making policy changes that will allow it to be more independent and support Ukraine in the face of decreased support from the U.S. 

Conclusion 

The first hundred 100 days of the Trump Administration have been eventful. Compared with other modern presidents, President Trump has signed the most executive orders in this period (143). The executive order is becoming the preferred choice to express and implement policy directives without opposition from the bureaucracy and the legislation raising concerns within the U.S. There is support for border security, but the arrests and deportation of immigrants, along with the future effects of the trade wars and cuts and layoffs affecting government functioning, have seen mixed support, with Administrative actions facing lawsuits across the U.S. 

A cornerstone of the Trump presidency has been economic policy. He has argued for tariffs to force companies to shift production to the U.S., pressure other countries into more favourable trade deals and create a new stream of government revenue that would allow for bigger income tax cuts. Trade negotiations take time, and with federal offices losing staff, it will be a challenge. Secondly, by most industry estimates, shifting production is a long-term process involving costs that would not be made in haste. The early results of this policy have included a spike in the amount of money the federal government is collecting in customs duties. But amid the geopolitical and economic turmoil tariffs have caused, critics have argued that the countries targeted will not bear all the higher costs. Instead, the penalties are likely to fall on the companies and American consumers who ultimately purchase the products that enter the country at higher costs. 

Internationally, the Trump presidency has changed and challenged many aspects of American foreign policy. Continuing from his first term, he has withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris Accord and the World Health Organisation and warned alliance partners to contribute more to NATO. He has halted funding to USAID programmes, the Millennium Challenge Account, Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. In peace negotiations, the U.S. is viewed as pushing Ukraine to accept unfavourable terms of ceasefire while siding with Russia. Many point to the fact that it has not yet defined its policy towards China, which is seen as a strategic priority by the Administration. According to political analysis, the difficult communication between Washington and capitals across the world will add to geopolitical stresses and turmoil in the near to medium term. 

The first 100 days of President Trump’s second term have heralded an era of chaos and confusion in the U.S. with repercussions across the world and repercussions for a superpower, the ‘global cop’, which is consolidating its actions around an ‘America First’ policy.

***** 

*Dr Stuti Banerjee, Senior Research Fellow, ICWA.
Disclaimer: The views expressed are personal.

Endnotes

[i] Pew Research Centre, “Trump’s Job Rating Drops, Key Policies Draw Majority Disapproval as He Nears 100 Days, April 23, 2025,” https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2025/04/23/trumps-job-rating-drops-key-policies-draw-majority-disapproval-as-he-nears-100-days/, Accessed on April 30, 2025.

[ii] The White House, “President Trump’s America First Priorities January 20, 2025,” https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2025/01/president-trumps-america-first-priorities/, Accessed on April 30, 2025.

[iii] The White House, “Realigning The United States Refugee Admissions Program, January 20, 2025,” https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/realigning-the-united-states-refugee-admissions-program/, Accessed on April 30, 2025.

[iv] The White House, “Enforcing Commonsense Rules Of The Road For America’s Truck Drivers, 28 April 2025,” https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/enforcing-commonsense-rules-of-the-road-for-americas-truck-drivers/, Accessed on April 30, 2025.

[v] The White House, “Protecting American Communities From Criminal Aliens, 28 April 2025,” https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/protecting-american-communities-from-criminal-aliens/, Accessed on April 30, 2025.

[vi] The White House, “Strengthening And Unleashing America’s Law Enforcement To Pursue Criminals And Protect Innocent Citizens, April 28, 2025, https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/strengthening-and-unleashing-americas-law-enforcement-to-pursue-criminals-and-protect-innocent-citizens/, Accessed on April 30, 2025.

[vii] To be able to accept international students with F and M student visas, an educational institution must be certified by the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement unit, or ICE, through the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, known as SEVP.

[viii] The White House, “Establishing And Implementing The President’s “Department Of Government Efficiency, January 20, 2025, https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/establishing-and-implementing-the-presidents-department-of-government-efficiency/, Accessed on April 30, 2025.

[ix] The US fiscal year is October-September of each year. The data is available at https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/americas-finance-guide/, Accessed on April 30, 2025.

[x] Op.Cit 1, Pew Research Centre.

[xi] Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, “Gross Domestic Product” https://www.bea.gov/data/gdp/gross-domestic-product, Accessed on May 01, 2025.