Cliff Notes – 100 days of Trump part deux
- David Axelrod characterises the first 100 days of a presidency as a mere “hallmark holiday”, yet it remains an important barometer for US presidents’ early effectiveness.
- Barack Obama focused on reviving the Economy and promoting social issues during his first months, including efforts to close Guantanamo Bay, which ultimately did not succeed.
- Donald Trump, now in his second term, has adopted an aggressive executive order strategy, reversing many of his predecessors’ policies while facing criticism for undermining democratic norms.
Trump faces awkward reckoning 100 days into the job – notwithstanding his dreams of being King of America
David Axelrod, Barack Obama’s chief strategist, tried to downplay interest in the president’s first “100 days”.
He said it is just a “hallmark holiday”, meaning that the date is of little interest to those who make a point of remembering milestones such as greeting card manufacturers.
That did not prevent a reluctant Obama from having to join the media in assessing what he had achieved in his first few months in the White House.
He used early 2009 to reboot the American economy after the credit crunch and to promote social issues such as equal pay, healthcare for children and gender rights. He also ordered the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.
But “Gitmo” never shut. On returning to office this year, Donald Trump ordered its expansion to accommodate migrants arrested in the US.
Many of this president’s executive orders aim to reverse the spirit of what Obama and his Democratic successor, Joe Biden, tried to do.
Rather than a greeting card, the assessment at one hundred days has become an important report card for US presidents.
Optics
Donald Trump is keen to celebrate his first 14 and a half weeks back in office with victories. Optics are the most important thing for the US president.
He made a very presidential appearance at the Pope’s funeral yesterday and the image of him sitting with Zelensky would have given millions hope, but it was also exceptional optics.
He is planning to hold his first MAGA rally since the election in one of the key swing states which helped him to victory.
“President Trump is excited to return to the great state of Michigan next Tuesday, where he will rally in Macomb County to celebrate the FIRST 100 DAYS!” his press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced in capital letters on social media.
There is something magic about 100, 10 x 10, the first number in three figures. In politics, “100 days” has assumed a talismanic status, defining both good and bad fortune for those it encompasses.
The phrase was coined in French in 1815 by the Comte de Chabrol de Volvic as a polite euphemism when he welcomed the restoration of Louis VIII following Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte’s attempt to take back power.
Trump’s first 100 days in pictures
