Trump’s First 100 Days in Office: What’s Changed?

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Trump’s second term in office has just recently reached its 100 day mark. While his two terms were not consecutive, there are many similarities between the two. American citizens have seen Trump act on his promise to “Make America Great Again.” In order to do so, Trump has continued to put strict regulations on immigration, pulled out of many international organizations for more “at home development,” and passed symbolic pieces of legislation that try to show off America’s strength to the world. To dive in deeper, let’s take a look at Trump’s domestic and foreign policy decisions.

Domestic Policy Actions:

Inauguration Day (January 20):

Executive Order 14151
- Removal of DEI Programs
  - This order required all DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs to be removed by January 23, via a three-part process aiming to remove DEI related jobs.

Executive Order 14168
- Legal Implementation of Only 2 Genders
  - Gender was strictly redefined to be male or female, chosen by one’s biological gender. Transgender people were no longer recognised, and documents now required gender to be specified.

Executive Order 14160
- End of Birthright Citizenship for Foreigners
  - Birthright citizenship was ended for undocumented immigrants or people with temporary visas.
  - This was challenged in federal courts,

DOGE Established
- The Department of Government Efficiency was created to organize government operations.
- Over 100,000 jobs were cut across other departments.
- Led by Elon Musk.

January 21-29:

Executive Order 14173
- Non-discrimination Measures Removed
  - Removed non-discriminant requirements for federal contractors. Anti-discrimination enforcement was centralized under the Department of Labor.

Executive Order 14190
- Anti-American Content Abolished
  - K-12 schools were not allowed to teach any “anti-American” materials, including gender identity. The law also allows investigation for teachers facilitating any transitions of transgender children.
  - Violations can lead to the loss of federal school funding and criminal charges.

March 31 – April 9:

Executive Order 14253
- “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History”
  - The Smithsonian Institution and the Department of the Interior must review exhibits to make sure they do not undervalue or defame any American events or historical figures.

New Tariffs
- 145% tariffs were introduced on Chinese goods, as well as an increase in tariffs for many other foreign exports.

Suspension on Tariffs
- Due to serious economic backlash, Trump announced a 3 month pause on the tariffs. The tariffs on China were excluded and still continued.

Foreign Policy / Immigration Actions

Inauguration Day (January 20):

Executive Order 14162
- Withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement
  - The decision to leave this agreement was because Trump wanted to focus on national goals instead of being tied to international climate commitments.

Executive Order 14155
- Withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO)
  - Similar to the Paris Climate Agreement, Trump took a more isolationist stance in global politics and also condemned the WHO in their methods of handling global health crises.

Executive Order 14169
- Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid
  - This act paused foreign developmental aid for 90 days. During these 90 days, the Trump administration would evaluate whether or not the aid sent out to these countries aligned with America’s values.

Presidential Proclamation 10886
- Declared that there was a crisis on the Southern border (Mexican border)
  - This proclamation allowed for Trump to send more US troops to defend the border. It was one of the first acts of his second term that dealt with immigration.

End of “Catch and Release” Policy
- The “Catch and Release” Policy let immigrants without legal status leave
  detention before their court hearing.

Reinstatement of “Remain in Mexico” Policy
- This policy, which is not new, required Mexican asylum seekers to stay in Mexico while they waited for their court hearing.

Officially Designated Criminal Cartels as Terrorist Organizations
- Because they are now “foreign terrorist organizations,” the army is now able to have an increased freedom to carry out missions and other military exercises.

January 21:

Expansion of Expedited Deportations
- This policy allowed for immigration officials to deport undocumented individuals without a court hearing if they could not prove that they were in the United States for over 2 years.

January 23-24:

Operation Safeguard Initiated
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement used Operation Safeguard to target immigrants who had a criminal record. They were able to legally raid cities and use military transportation vehicles to deport them.

Suspension of Foreign Aid Programs
- Not even after 90 days, the Trump administration suspended all foreign aid except for food assistance and military support to Egypt and Israel.

February 6:

Executive Order 14203
- Sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC)
  - The international criminal court convicts people (usually top national leaders) if they have been convicted of a war crime. The US along with Russia and China are some of the biggest powers that have not ratified the treaty to join. They claim the immunity interpretation that says the ICC can not prosecute them if they are not part of it. This is also to retaliate against the ICC for sending out arrest warrants for Netanyahu.

February 24:

U.S. Votes Against UN Resolution on Ukraine
- The United States voted against a UN General Assembly resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This means that the US shares a stance with North Korea and Syria.

March 11:

Rejection of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- The Trump administration formally rejected the UN’s 2030 SDGs. For similar reasons with the Paris Climate Accords, Trump rejected these SDGs because they interfered with US sovereignty or decision making.

March 13:

Scrutiny of UN Humanitarian Agencies
- Trump demanded that if any UN Humanitarian Agencies had ties with communism or were against US values, they would get less funding. This was probably done for symbolic rather than actual gains.