Trump at 100 Days

Latest From Brookings



Is there a point to all of the energy devoted to assessing Donald Trump’s presidency at 100 days? In the depths of the Great Depression, FDR’s stunning achievements set a standard that has never been and likely never will be matched. Since then, in purely practical terms, it has not been a particularly useful time frame for gauging how a new administration, much less the country, will fare in the months and years ahead. Surely the economic, foreign policy and political conditions facing a new president importantly shape the need for and success in a quick start. Events inevitably shape the presidential calendar and significant policy making typically has a long gestation.
President Trump has dismissed this standard as “ridiculous” but made much of his promise during the campaign and transition to start making America great again on day one. He is reportedly deeply agitated by the prospect of a low grade from the press on his hundred-day report card and in recent weeks has frantically tried to set the stage for some signs of progress in working with Congress while generating enough executive orders and controversy to persuade his political base that he is fighting the good fight against the Establishment. What lies ahead in the next week or two are historical rankings, dueling lists of achievements and tales of failures, and attacks by Trump on the “fake news” of mainstream media, the “enemy of the American people.”
Alongside this inevitable spectacle—the governing equivalent of “horserace” coverage of the campaign—it might be instructive to ask some questions different than we usually do at this juncture. How durable does our democracy appear? What are the most telling signs of resilience and erosion? What impact has Trump had on the presidency itself? Do most Americans have reason to be embarrassed by his own special form of presidential performance ...

Read More