Trump’s 100 Days: An Unprecedented Presidency

April 29th, 2025 marked the official 100th day of Trump’s 2nd presidential term. In the first 100 days of his return to the White House, President Donald J. Trump has moved with unprecedented actions, reshaping American governance in ways both striking and controversial. CBS cites that by signing 142 executive orders, Trump has already surpassed the previous record set by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933, who issued 99 in the same time span, also noted by the Roosevelt Institute. For comparison, George H. W. Bush signed just 11 executive orders in his first 100 days, the fewest among modern presidents. 

From the moment of his inauguration, Trump acted decisively to reverse the legacy of his predecessor. Within hours, he had revised or overturned 78 executive actions from the Biden administration. NPR details that this aggressive approach to executive authority has not gone unchallenged. Legal backlash has been swift and substantial, with Trump facing over 200 lawsuits, and some estimates placing the number at 258 legal challenges within his first three months in office.  

Despite the legal scrutiny and a deeply divided public reaction, Trump has remained active. His approval rating currently sits at approximately 42 percent reflecting the polarized political climate. His use of presidential pardons has drawn national attention and criticism. Trump has issued 39 pardons, including a sweeping “full, complete and unconditional” pardon for individuals involved in the January 6th Capitol riot. This action is estimated to have pardoned up to 1,500 people.

In a 40-minute interview with ABC News, President Trump repeated key themes from his platform. He mentioned former President Biden a total of 14 times, tariffs 16 times, and the border 7 times, emphasizing the core issues driving his administration’s agenda.

In terms of border policy, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection provides that under the Trump administration there has reportedly been a significant reduction in unauthorized crossings. In March, there were reportedly 7,180 crossings at the southwest border, the lowest figure in recorded U.S. history. This is a dramatic decrease compared to the monthly average of 155,000 over the previous four years. Although its evident undocumented crossings have dropped significantly, in Trump’s ABC Interview Terry Moran points to the methods the Trump Administration had been using to reach those numbers.

On the economic side, President Trump’s controversial tariff policies have sparked global concern. According to Yale Budget Lab, Americans are now experiencing an average effective tariff rate of 28 percent, the highest level since 1901. NPR alludes that the increase in tariffs has coincided with reports of tens of thousands of layoffs and growing uncertainty in the markets.

Mrs. Taylor, an AP Government teacher and Model United Nations sponsor, shared her perspective by noting, “President Trump’s first 100 Days have been an unprecedented time. President Trump came into office with a sense that politics would be changing and, whether you agree or disagree with the changes, he and Elon Musk have done a lot to alter our federal government and its systems. This has been an interesting time to teach AP Government class as all these changes have brought out a bunch of new examples to use to teach different aspects of our government’s functions. Real life examples abound to help us learn about our Constitution, precedents, laws, and executive powers. Keep your eye on the news. It’s important to see how things stay the same or change over the coming days and weeks.”

Mr. Gibbons, who teaches AP World History and AP Economics, offered an economic analysis of the administration’s impact sharing that “Economically, the announcements of the president’s tariffs and the subsequent indecision has caused damage to the markets. Also, the first quarter GDP has contracted for the first time in three years. At a fundamental level, tariffs cause prices to increase and lead to less benefits for consumers and hurt world trade. The US economy is part of the world economy and protectionism policies, historically, hurt the economy.”

President Trump’s first 100 days have brought sweeping changes, legal controversy, and a bold shift in terms of both domestic and foreign policy. Whether these decisions will define the remainder of his term or will provoke lasting consequences remains to be speculation, but the country is already experiencing the effects of a presidency determined to make its mark.