Trump Makes Strides on Key Campaign Promises at 100-Day Mark
The White House has moved forward advancing its agenda, with President Donald Trump signing more than 140 executive orders during his first 100 days
Trump Reaches 100-Day Milestone in Second Term, Presses Ahead on Key Agenda Items
As of Tuesday, President Donald Trump has completed the first 100 days of his second term in the White House, marking a period defined by aggressive policy action and renewed focus on core campaign promises.
Among the major initiatives: the imposition of steep tariffs on Chinese imports, active engagement in peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, a proposal to dismantle the Department of Education, and a wide-reaching crackdown on immigration as part of a mass deportation strategy.
The pace of executive action has sharply increased during this term. Trump has signed over 140 executive orders in the first 100 days—more than quadrupling the 33 he issued in the same period of his first term, and surpassing Franklin D. Roosevelt’s previous record of 99.
One of the administration's most prominent actions has been its mass deportation effort. Border Czar Tom Homan stated Monday that illegal border crossings have declined by 96% since Trump took office for his second term. Earlier in April, the White House reported that over 100,000 undocumented immigrants had been deported in 2025. However, the initiative has not been without controversy. In one high-profile case, El Salvadoran national Kilmar Abrego Garcia was reportedly deported in error, though the administration later claimed he was a member of the MS-13 gang and released protective order filings from his wife.
Another campaign promise Trump acted on was trade reform. On April 2, the administration announced sweeping tariffs on multiple countries, accusing them of exploiting U.S. trade policies. “For decades, our country has been looted, pillaged, raped and plundered by nations near and far,” Trump said during a White House address. After some backlash, the administration revised the plan on April 9, raising tariffs on Chinese goods to 145% while temporarily reducing tariffs on other countries to 10% for a 90-day period. China responded by hiking its tariffs on U.S. products to 125%.
Education reform was also front and center. On March 20, Trump signed an executive order to begin dismantling the Department of Education, in line with his pledge to eliminate federal oversight in education. A White House fact sheet said the order seeks to “return education authority to the States” and instructed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin the department’s closure, while preserving essential programs such as Pell Grants, student loans, and services for individuals with special needs.
On the international front, Trump continued to push for a resolution to the war in Ukraine—a promise he made to end the conflict within 24 hours if re-elected. While a quick resolution remains elusive, Trump has pursued diplomatic efforts, including hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House in February. Speaking to reporters on Sunday following his return from Pope Francis’ funeral in Italy, Trump said he hopes to broker a peace deal within the next two weeks. “I want [Putin] to stop shooting, sit down and sign a deal,” he said. “We have the confines of a deal, I believe, and I want him to sign it and be done with it.”
