The worst hundred days
It’s a journalism tradition to review a new presidential administration and analyze what’s been accomplished in the first hundred days. Normally, a new president’s “honeymoon” lasts that long, and the new president is at the peak of his powers. (Sadly, still only “his” powers.)
I’m changing up the tradition for this president from the first hundred days to the worst hundred days. My career covering government and politics goes back 50 years, and I’ve never seen a worse hundred days in my life. I would guess neither have you.
Granted, we don’t hit the 100-day mark until the end of April, but this Easter Sunday will mark three months since Trump’s January 20th inauguration – so close enough to get a decent handle on what’s gone right and what’s gone wrong.
What’s gone right? Well, he hasn’t started a war.
Yet.
The list of what’s gone wrong is much, much longer.
The economy
Trump inherited high prices but a stable economy. He campaigned on a promise to bring down prices “on day one”, but they’ve only gone up. His reckless, ever-changing tariff policies have rattled investors and shaken confidence in government bonds. All of us are worth considerably less than we were 100 days ago. It’s painful to see decades of hard work erased by a couple of loony billionaires. I’ve joked, grimly, that the price of a dozen eggs and my retirement nest egg are rapidly approaching each other.
Slashing and burning
It’s truly appalling to see worthwhile government programs, and experienced federal workers, just tossed to the curb. Trump and Musk have dismantled programs that have made our country work. They’ve been able to make their billions because our government has been stable, we’ve been a nation of laws and we’ve been able to set an example for governments around the world. No more. Trump has made a mockery of the separation of powers. He has dismantled our “soft power” on the world stage. He’s fired scientists, doctors and meteorologists who keep us safe. He’s slashed the IRS, which makes money for federal programs.
The cruelty
Snatching people off the streets and shipping them out the country, without any criminal charges, is very, very wrong. It occurs to me that the more we talk about Juan Garcia Abrego being mistakenly sent to a hell hole prison in El Salvador, the more Trump wins – for two reasons. It forces those who care about such things into a position of defending a guy who might not be the most upstanding person. And the more the media talks about Abrego, the less attention paid to all the other horrible things Trump is doing, like crashing a once robust economy. So, for Trump, this case is a win-win.
The corruption
We’ve nearly forgotten Trump pardoned the January 6 criminals, because he’s enacted a revenge tour that is unparalleled in American history: dropping charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams in return for his help on immigration; firing Inspectors General whose sole purpose is to make sure Trump follows the law; gutting agencies like the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, the National Labor Relations Board and OSHA – all of which protect Americans. Their removal benefits Trump’s big business cronies and Elon Musk.
The bullying
A president should not his power to punish individual universities or law firms he does not like. Trump targeted one of those law firms, Susman Godfrey, because it represented Dominion Voting Systems, winning a $785-million settlement from Fox News. Dominion was in the right – Fox damaged its reputation by lying. The huge settlement proves it. Susman was right to take the case. What happens in this country if a law firm won’t take your case for fear of aggravating the president or the governor? Our system breaks down. Every American citizen and company is entitled to competent legal representation.
The list of the worst hundred days could go on – ignoring judicial orders, running roughshod over an impotent Republican majority in Congress, the war on DEI.
Many hundreds of days to go…
I will wrap this up with an anecdote. In February, my wife and I were hiking along a section of remote California coastline. I thought we were well out of cellphone range, but I kept hearing a dinging coming from the phone in her pocket. I asked her what all the dings were about. She fished out her phone and said, “Another breaking news alert about Trump. These days, it’s one damn ding after another.”
That’s a pretty good line! And it sums up what we’re all going through. On an hourly basis, we learn of yet another Trump outrage. Story after story after story. What I resent most is how much of my brain’s space has been occupied by this truly despicable little man. It’s been going on for ten years!
These first 100 days have been an utter disaster. An embarrassment. And just think – a little more than 13 100-day periods left. Maybe then he’ll leave us alone. Lord only knows if we’ll have a country left.
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A remedy to the "Trump problem," albeit just a partial remedy, is collective action ... by Congress. But that's not going to happen until enough members of Congress truly believe that their political survival is in serious jeopardy from angry voters, and that risk is greater than the risk from an angry Trump. Large public protests are good for educating the public and members of Congress, but the point of the spear should always be directed at getting Congress to change the situation and not for them to just throw up their hands and say they are powerless.
BTW, there's no need to remind me that powerful people in Congress support Trump's authoritarian agenda. We need to make that group a *minority* group in Congress -- THAT should be the goal.
Thanks Dave!! And I love the line…these days it’s just one damn ding after another!! Yes! Every damn day! He loves that we’re talking about him every waking minute! Cannot wait until I never have to see his orange face with the his anus lips and some poor dead animal for hair….and hear that disgusting whining, bragging, lying voice ever again!!