Last Tuesday marked Donald Trump’s first 100th day of his second presidency, but his hovering 39% to 41% approval rating is the lowest any newly elected president has seen in at least seven decades.
In his 100 day rally last Tuesday at Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan, the president said this is “the most successful first 100 days of any Administration in the history of our country,” later adding “We’ve just gotten started. You haven’t seen anything yet.”
Throughout Trump’s presidential campaign journey, he promised Americans many things, but some of those promises have fallen short.
Professor for the UTRGV Department of Political Science Nicholas Kiersey discussed the unprecedented and radical nature of Trump’s early presidency, noting his Administration is openly pursuing major changes under the claim of a public mandate.
While some on the left call this fascism, Kiersey is skeptical of that label, pointing out inconsistencies, such as Democratic leaders using the term during campaigns but then returning to business-as-usual after Trump’s win.
Instead of fascism, he sees Trump’s actions as part of a broader, long-standing shift in American politics toward unitary executive theory, which is the idea the president can act unilaterally in emergencies without congressional approval.
According to Kiersey, this trend has been growing since Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency and accelerated after 9/11, with Congress giving broad powers to the executive and never reclaiming them.
He added Trump isn’t seizing power so much as using authority Congress already surrendered. While his actions may feel authoritarian, they’re legally grounded in this unchecked executive power.
But Kiersey also doubts the seriousness of Democratic “resistance,” seeing it more as political fundraising than meaningful opposition.
“What Bernie Sanders and AOC [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez] are doing, going around the country, filling a stadium with 30,000 people is a big deal, especially when they’re doing that in, like, really rural parts of America where you’d think that there were just, you know, according to the cliche, this is where Trump’s heartland support is to be found,” he said. “So, you know, I think that’s where we’ve got to be looking if we’re seriously interested in what all is kind of coming out of this moment as resistance.”
The American Farm Bureau Federation reported the combination of inflation and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has caused egg prices to rise more than 350% per dozen compared to this time last year. The daily national average price for a dozen large eggs was $8.15 on March 4.
An article by the Economic Times wrote the U.S. stock market experienced a significant decline across major indices, with Dow Jones Industrial Average decreasing by over 900 points, NASDAQ Composite Index fell by over 500 points and S&P 500 Index dropped by over 100 points.
Assistant Professor for the UTRGV Department of Political Science Alvaro Corral said the most significant policy change under Trump has been the imposition of tariffs, which has shaken markets and hurt his approval rating.
Corral said Americans are concerned both as consumers, who are facing rising costs, and as workers, who see negative impacts on the stock market and retirement savings. The unpredictability of Trump’s tariff decisions adds to the instability and public concern.
“There’s been a, sort of, whiplash around, ‘Are tariffs on, are tariffs off?’” he said. “Just, sort of, a back and forth of imposing tariffs, negotiations, delaying tariffs, then reimposing them. And so, that’s just inserted an incredible degree of uncertainty in the market, which is what investors really don’t like. And so, that’s just really led to, I think, an unprecedented sort of tailspin of economic performance and long term projections for the health of the U.S. economy and the global economy.”
With Trump’s new 25% auto tariffs, an article by USAToday wrote Wedbush Securities Analyst Daniel Ives estimates the president could push up the average car price from $5,000 to $10,000, depending on the make and model.
The National Corn Growers Association reported U.S. soybeans and corn are prime targets for Trump’s tariffs with China. The combined soybean and corn contribution to total economic output could be expected to drop $4.9 billion annually under China removing existing waivers on soybeans and corn or $7.9 billion annually under China implementing 60% tariffs on soybeans and corn.
An article by the New Republic wrote Trump stated he made 200 trade deals with foreign leaders during his 90-day pause on his “reciprocal tariff” policy, but refused to answer who those deals were with.
According to Kiersey, Trump’s efforts to restructure global trade through unilateral tariffs represent a shift away from America’s role as the world’s economic hegemon. Since World War II, the U.S. has been the global referee, maintaining a system of trade norms and standards that benefited its own economy, especially through the demand for the U.S. dollar.
However, he added Trump has signaled a withdrawal from this responsibility, arguing the U.S. can no longer afford to oversee global trade and should let rising economies, such as the “BRICS” nations, which include Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, to take over.
Kiersey argued this shift has destabilized the markets, with corporations and global investors pushing back. The U.S. government found itself having to offer higher interest rates on treasury bonds due to reduced demand, signaling a lack of global confidence in U.S. economic policies. He said this has led to an increased supply of U.S. dollars, implying a lack of demand and a weakening of the currency.
Kiersey said the resistance to Trump’s economic policies has come from global capitalism itself. Investors worldwide, including in countries such as China and Japan, have made it clear Trump’s approach isn’t sustainable, underscoring capitalism’s market forces are pushing back against his policies.
“This isn’t gonna work, we’re not investing in your economy anymore,” he said. “… It’s too unpredictable. You’re acting weird right now. We’re getting out. We’ll maybe come back in the future if you get it back together. But right now we’re out, right. You need to show consistency. You need to show predictability for us to think you’re worth investing in. The thing that seems to have so far been most successful in constraining that agenda has not been the courts … it’s been the markets. The markets have punished Trump.”
According to CNN reports, at least 121,000 federal workers have been laid off or targeted for layoffs in the three months since Trump’s second term began.
An article by MLive wrote officials are preparing for a possible $500 billion decline in collected tax revenue this year due to Trump’s efforts to reduce staff at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Corral explained recent Schedule F changes have led to the mass firing of nonpartisan federal workers, especially in D.C., based on Trump’s political alignment. This shift, driven by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is unprecedented and could harm U.S. governance and global influence, particularly through agencies such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
“That means that America’s footprint abroad in these areas of public health and security has essentially disappeared, right,” he said. “And so, America abroad just essentially means our military. … Even just limiting myself to talking about the major changes in terms of USAID and international development aid, those changes, I think have probably been met with the most controversy, made the most headlines because, again, it’s really shifting America’s footprint abroad and how other countries view us in that regard.”
The Center for American Progress reported under the Trump Administration , DOGE has put everyone with a Social Security number at risk of their information being misused, ripped off or manipulated for political gain.
The report said in April, the SSD is holding the banking details of more than 67 million seniors, disabled people and other beneficiaries. DOGE has also falsely marked more than 10 million people dead since March, including many seniors who are alive.
Kiersey said Congress has the power to check the president but hasn’t used it because Democrats avoided limiting executive power when their own party held the White House. Now, with Trump in office, the courts have issued some temporary blocks, but real limits are lacking.
He sees this as a long-term shift toward executive power, and doubts Democrats are serious about resisting it. The 2026 midterms will be the real test.
“The executive branch is only doing what they’re allowed to do under current law,” Kiersey said. “It’s very hard to say that what Trump is doing is illegal. The one or two areas where he’s had pushback are on these mass deportations, and especially those sorts of issues dealing with freedom of speech around Israel and Gaza.”
The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health reported the Trump Administration froze $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contacts after the university argued the infringement on constitutional and independent rights when Trump tried to take over admissions, faculty hiring and curriculum.
Corral described the Trump Administration ’s broad attack on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, especially in higher education, in both public and private universities, as having faced pressure, including threats to withhold federal funding to eliminate DEI initiatives. The Administration also redefines equal opportunity, moving away from affirmative action’s intent to address historical injustices.
“That’s why, you know, the federal government, really instituted these programs in the ’60s and ’70s, right, to diversify the federal workforce so that there’s an understanding that if the government is trying to deliver goods and services to a very diverse American public, maybe it makes sense for government bureaucrats to reflect America’s diversity as well,” he said. “The federal government now, under President Trump, disagrees with that as a principle and have ended those policies.”
The American Civil Liberties Union reported U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported three U.S citizen children. CBS reported more than 200 migrants were sent to a maximum security prison in El Salvador because Trump claimed they were terrorists and violent gang members, yet most have no apparent criminal convictions or charges.
Corral notes President Trump’s approval rating has dropped about 20 points to the upper ’30s 100-days into his term. A key reason is his controversial immigration policy, particularly the unprecedented deportation of undocumented immigrants to a prison in El Salvador. He highlighted the lack of due process and concerns about the conditions and fate of detainees.
“What’s occurring is that these men are being, you know, essentially just rounded up and then very quickly being deported there without any sort of legal process, right, without any sort of, adjudication from an immigration judge to say, ‘Yes, this person is worthy of such a punishment and therefore should be taken there,’ right,” Corral said. “So, I think there’s very troubling sort of legal precedents that are being set here.”
BBC reported the president issued pardons to the 1,600 people convicted or charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021 Capital riot.
The ABA Journal reported nine major law firms, including Skadden and Kirkland & Ellis, pledged pro bono work on issues backed by Trump to avoid executive orders threatening lawyers’ security clearances and their clients’ government contracts.
According to the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, a Reuters report said the Trump family is directly affiliated with World Liberty Financial (WLF), and could personally profit as much as $400 million from WLF token sales.
The Lowy Institute critiques Donald Trump’s territorial ambitions, such as proposing U.S. control over the Panama Canal and attempting to buy Greenland. These moves, experts argue, risk damaging U.S. credibility, straining alliances and undermining international cooperation.
Science reported National Institutes of Health (NIH) employees are dealing with a mandate to eliminate $2.6 billion in contracts, with many supporting staff scientists in NIH’S labs and Vaccine Research Center, as well as funding many clinical trials conducted at academic institutions, small business research awards and influenza research centers under the Trump Administration.
Corral said Trump can’t sustain his current path if he hopes for success. Presidents usually enjoy a “honeymoon” period, but Trump’s early policies have hurt his approval ratings. If this continues, Republican leaders may need to push for a change in direction to protect their chances in the 2026 midterms.
“That seems to be the only way out of this, or the only sort of response that could sort of lead to a sort of shift in policy, right,” he said. “I think the president’s party, and leaders in that party outside of the White House, would need to organize, and make the case essentially against him to shift course in some sort of meaningful way.”
The midterm elections will take place Nov. 2026. Trump will end his presidency Jan. 20, 2029.
This is Victoria Gonzalez for Vaquero Radio.
