Returning to the White House for a second term, Donald Trump announced an ambitious program aimed at radical changes in the economy, immigration policy, and energy sector. His election victory was accompanied by promises to quickly end the war in Ukraine, significantly lower electricity prices, impose tough tariffs on imports, and completely halt illegal migration across the southern border. One hundred days after the inauguration, some of these plans have begun to materialize, but several initiatives have already faced legal challenges and contradictions that call their long-term viability into question.
Since Donald Trump's return to the White House, his administration has sought to demonstrate that it is energetically delivering on its promises to Americans. With a compliant Congress fully controlled by Republicans, Trump has had the opportunity to quickly reshape the federal bureaucracy and shift the country's foreign policy direction.
One hundred days after the inauguration, which expires on Tuesday, his influence is felt across many areas. But how lasting it will be remains unclear.
Many of the president’s executive orders are more declarations of intent and groundwork for future changes than completed reforms. On his first day, Trump declared an energy emergency, promising to boost production. However, he only pledged a tangible reduction in utility bills by next year. Some of Trump's goals conflict with each other—for example, he promised both to lower the cost of living and to impose tariffs on imported goods, which would likely drive prices up. Meanwhile, some issues remain stagnant.
The question of whether Trump has achieved his initial successes legally remains open. Some of his actions have already become the subject of lawsuits, creating the risk that a significant portion of the measures could be overturned in court.
Promise to Lower Prices
Inflation had already begun to decline before Trump's inauguration—from a peak of 9.1% in 2022 to 3% in January and 2.4% in March 2025. "We have already defeated inflation," the president declared. However, the Federal Reserve warned that Trump's tariff policy, which envisions higher duties on imported goods, is likely to push prices up again.
Another promise—"to eliminate the national debt"—looks equally doubtful. The tax cuts proposed by the president are expected to reduce budget revenues. Moreover, Trump made a similar promise back in 2016—at that time, the U.S. national debt only grew.
Tougher Immigration Policy
Trump has indeed made notable progress in fulfilling one of his key promises—to strengthen control over the border.
The number of illegal border crossing attempts from Mexico had already begun to fall in the final year of Joe Biden’s presidency, dropping from a record 249,740 cases in December 2023 to 47,324 in December 2024. Under Trump, the trend accelerated: only 8,346 attempts were recorded in February and 7,181 in March.
It remains unclear whether the current deportation policy matches the scale achieved under Biden, as official data have yet to be published.
Meanwhile, Immigration and Customs Enforcement is conducting large-scale raids across the country. Many detainees, claiming innocence, have been deported without due process. Among them is Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was sent to prison in El Salvador without trial, despite having no criminal record or proven gang ties.
Energy Promises
During the campaign, Donald Trump made voters a promise that would be easy to verify—simply by looking at their electricity bills. He pledged to cut energy costs by half or even by three-quarters within 12 to 18 months.
Sometimes Trump left himself room for maneuver: "If it doesn't work out, you'll say: well, I voted for him, and at least he still lowered prices significantly." In other instances, he was more categorical. "Under my plan, we will cut energy and electricity prices in half," he declared at a rally in Mint Hill, North Carolina, in September.
Tariffs
Donald Trump has never hidden his fondness for tariffs or his belief that the U.S. is being "ripped off" in international trade. "I will impose sweeping tariffs on most foreign goods," he promised during the campaign.
This time he kept his word—though with shifting caveats. Initially, Trump raised tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico, and China, claiming it was a response to their failure to stop the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. On April 2, he announced even broader tariff hikes, dubbing the day "Liberation Day." Later, the White House walked back some parts of the plan in favor of negotiations, but tariffs on Chinese goods—reaching as high as 145%—remained in place.
The stock market reacted sharply to the new trade barriers and the unpredictability of their application. Unlike during his first term, Trump is now showing greater tolerance for market volatility.
% % % %
Tariffman
Trump’s New Tariffs in Cartoons from Around the World
Politics of Loud Threats
Ultimatums as Donald Trump’s State Strategy
The Peace That Never Came
Last summer, Donald Trump repeatedly assured voters at every rally that his election victory would automatically bring an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine. "Before I even get into the Oval Office, shortly after winning, I will have this horrible conflict settled," he declared at the National Guard conference in Detroit in August. By that point, he had been repeating the promise since at least May. The promises remained just that—promises.
At times, Trump phrased his commitment differently: he vowed to end the war in a single day. That day has yet to come.
Unpeace
A Search for Understanding
The Crimea Deal: How the Bloodless Annexation of 2014 Paved the Way for New Concessions to Moscow
As Kyiv Holds the Front, the West Debates Whom to Blame and Where to Cut Costs
Breakdown
Trump’s Plan Breaks the U.S. Principle That Borders Can’t Be Changed by Force
If Crimea Becomes a Precedent, Redrawing Maps May Become the New Global Norm
Tax Cut Promises
Donald Trump has set ambitious goals for cutting taxes, but their implementation requires congressional approval.
He promised to eliminate taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security payments, as well as to make permanent the tax cuts introduced during his first term. So far, none of these promises have been realized. Moreover, with the introduction of new tariffs, the overall tax burden on Americans is likely to rise before it—possibly—falls.
Nevertheless, Trump is working with Republicans to push a corresponding bill. However, with only slim majorities in both chambers of Congress, securing near-unanimous support will be difficult—even though the president calls his initiative "a big and beautiful bill."
Universities
Donald Trump's promises to reform higher education have begun to materialize into political action. During his campaign, he vowed to combat antisemitism on campuses, dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and curb the influx of international students, whom he portrayed as a threat to American values.
Some universities signaled a willingness to accommodate the White House’s demands, but Harvard adopted a more defiant stance. In response, the Trump administration threatened to strip the university of its tax exemptions, bar it from enrolling international students—who account for more than a quarter of its student body—and froze over $2 billion in grants and contracts.
The clash with Harvard became part of a broader campaign. The White House ramped up pressure on institutions nationwide, securing—albeit temporarily—the revocation of legal status for many foreign students.
Strikes Against Cultural Institutions
Donald Trump's war on "progressive politics" has extended beyond government into the cultural sphere. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, launched during Joe Biden’s presidency, have been dismantled; references to diversity policies are being scrubbed from official documents.
But the changes have gone far deeper than hiring practices and workplace standards. Nowhere has the purge been more visible than at the Pentagon, where thousands of images and materials hosted on official websites came under review. Even a photograph of the World War II-era bomber Enola Gay was flagged for removal—apparently because of the word "gay" in its name. Materials celebrating Black war heroes, Navajo code talkers, and pioneering women also faced scrutiny, although most were ultimately preserved.
A separate presidential order on "restoring truth and common sense in American history" barred the use of federal funds to support Smithsonian Institution programs that, according to the White House, promote "misguided ideology."
Restrictions on Transgender Citizens
During his campaign, Donald Trump made opposition to the recognition of gender diversity a central theme, vowing to put an end to what he called "transgender madness." He specifically criticized the participation of transgender athletes in women's competitions, as well as broader initiatives in Democratic-led states aimed at recognizing gender identities beyond the traditional binary model.
As president, Trump signed executive orders banning transgender women from competing in girls' and women's sports. His administration also petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn lower court rulings that had blocked efforts to ban transgender individuals from serving in the armed forces.
DOGE
Last year, Elon Musk proposed the creation of a new agency to Donald Trump—the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—tasked with radically downsizing the federal bureaucracy. "I'd be delighted," Trump replied at the time.
The idea's implementation has been far more aggressive than many expected. Musk effectively joined the administration, brought in allies, and saw his appointees gain access to federal agencies' internal data, audit the performance of civil servants, and push for mass dismissals.
The results have been mixed. Trump and Musk succeeded in sending shockwaves through the bureaucratic system and managed to orchestrate the dismissal of tens of thousands of employees, with further cuts planned. Yet meaningful savings remain elusive. Musk has already scaled back the initial target—from one trillion dollars to $150 billion. Even that figure is in doubt: critics argue DOGE's projections are inflated.
Pardons for Capitol Rioters
In the immediate aftermath of January 6, 2021, Donald Trump condemned the attack on the Capitol, calling it a "heinous assault" and expressing "outrage at the violence, lawlessness, and mayhem." Yet during his presidential campaign, his tone shifted: he began describing the rioters as "patriots" and "hostages" of the justice system, promising to sign their pardons on the first day of his new term. He kept that promise. Roughly 1,500 individuals, including those who assaulted police officers, were granted amnesty.
Loosening Environmental Standards (With Caveats)
As part of his stated commitment to boosting the oil, gas, and coal industries, Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders. However, there is less substance behind the bold rhetoric than appearances suggest. One order revoked the so-called Biden-era "electric vehicle mandate"—though in reality no such mandate existed: Biden had merely set a nonbinding goal for half of all new cars to be electric by 2030.
Trump also moved to strip California of its federal waiver allowing the state to gradually phase out the sale of internal combustion vehicles by 2035. Yet overturning that right ultimately requires congressional action—which has yet to materialize.