WASHINGTON—Upon returning to the White House, President Donald Trump rolled out a raft of executive actions and sweeping policy changes, making his first 100 days among the most consequential starts to a presidential term in modern U.S. history.
Serving as the 47th president, Trump is picking up where he left off, revisiting key priorities from his first term that were delayed by the Russia investigation, derailed by nationwide Black Lives Matter riots, or sidelined during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump has refocused with unprecedented intensity on the staple issues that have defined his Make America Great Again agenda: securing the border, countering China’s unfair trade practices, and increasing domestic energy production.
On all three fronts, the president has taken actions many didn’t see coming, including a broad tariff strategy that targeted all global trading partners, or paying El Salvador to house illegal immigrant gang members.
Trump shattered President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s record of 99 executive orders in his first 100 days, potentially positioning himself as one of the most influential presidents in reshaping Washington.
Supporters have hailed Trump’s first 100 days back in the Oval Office as a restoration of American values and strength while opponents condemn what they see as overreach and chaos.
Trump has raced to build momentum on both domestic and foreign fronts, recognizing that without early progress, the window for advancing key items on his agenda could close quickly.
Here’s a look at some of his major actions so far.
Immigration: Border residents describe dramatic changes in the three months since Trump took office.
China: The Trump administration has stepped up the offensive against the Chinese regime. And not just on the trade front.
BOOKMARKS
North Korean officials revealed on April 28 that President Kim Jong Un has sent troops to aid Russia in its conflict with Ukraine. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry is warning that the alliance “seriously undermines peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.”
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) announced on Monday that he will not seek reelection, and will step down from his seat on the House Oversight Committee, as he is battling esophageal cancer. “With no rancor and a full heart, I move into this final chapter full of pride in what we’ve accomplished together over 30 years,” Connolly said.
Trump says he is urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to get on board with a cease-fire agreement, and that he believes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “wants to make a deal” to end the conflict between the two nations. “We’ll see what happens over the next few days,” Trump said.
A massive power outage struck Spain and Portugal on April 28, leaving millions of homes without electricity. The cause of the outage was not immediately clear, but Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said a “strong oscillation” in the European power grid may be at fault.
—Stacy Robinson
