30 April 2025

The speed and extent of change enacted by President Trump in the first 100 days of his second term seemed to surprise even his closest allies. While incredibly hard to summarise, here are some notable figures from the start of his historic second term:

Federal workforce: Approximately 121,000 federal workers have been fired or laid off through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts since Trump took office. This is about 4% of the total federal workforce, but USAID, the Department of Education and the Department of Housing and Urban Development lost between 50-97% of their workforce.

Tariffs: On 2 April, President Trump issued Executive Order 14257 which levied tariffs on 83 countries (56 countries and the 27 in the European Union). This kicked off a tit-for-tat trade battle with China and shocked global markets. One week later he issued a pause on most of these tariffs, but set a 10% baseline tariff for all countries included in the original order.

Pardons: President Trump has pardoned more than 1,500 individuals since he took office, but almost all of these were those involved in the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. While one of the largest pardons, this was still shy of the 200,000 Vietnam War draft dodgers pardoned by President Carter in 1977.

Payback: Fulfilling his campaign trail promise, President Trump has gone after individuals and companies whom he feels have unfairly targeted him. He issued EOs specifically naming five law firms and directed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate and consider sanctioning or pulling security clearances from more than 20 law firms who have worked on issues opposing Trump or his policies in the past. He has also ordered DOJ investigations into individuals, including two officials who defied the president in his first term. Trump threatened to withhold funding from five major US universities and has taken action against six media organisations.

Approval rating: Recent polling shows Trump’s approval rating between 39-42% - the lowest of any US president in their first 100 days since polling began. This is lower than in his first term and a six-point drop from when he took office.

Even if the majority of his EOs are overturned in future or if his administration loses the legal challenges they currently face, President Trump has secured his spot in the history books and we will continue hearing about him for decades to come.

Mari Koeck
Director, Engagement and Impact

Header photo by Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images

"I run the country and the world."

President Trump in his interview with The Atlantic | 28 April 2025

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