Trump's First 100 Days End — One Number Nobody Saw Coming

One hundred days.

That's how long Donald Trump has been back in the White House — and by almost every measure, **this stretch has been unlike anything in modern presidential history.**

Not since FDR's legendary first 100 days in 1933 has a president moved this fast, signed this many orders, or triggered this many legal fights in a single quarter.

But here's the number that's dominating conversation this morning: Trump's approval rating has dropped to **39%** — the lowest for any president at the 100-day mark in recorded polling history, according to a new ABC News/Washington Post survey.

That's lower than Jimmy Carter. Lower than George W. Bush after 9/11's initial shock faded. Lower than even his own first-term numbers.

The White House is pushing back hard.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the poll "a complete fiction" and pointed to a separate Rasmussen poll showing Trump at 53% approval — a 14-point gap between surveys that tells you everything about how differently Americans are experiencing this presidency.

So which number is right? Probably somewhere in the middle — and that's exactly why today matters.

**The 100-day mark is never really about governing.** It's a report card moment. A temperature check. And right now, the temperature is running hot on all sides.

On the economy, Trump's tariff war is reshaping global trade in real time.

The administration imposed a **145% tariff on Chinese goods** — and Beijing fired back with 125% duties on American exports. The two largest economies on Earth are now in a full-scale trade standoff, and American businesses are caught in the crossfire.

Retailers are warning of empty shelves by summer. Auto parts suppliers are halting orders. And at least three Fortune 500 CEOs have pulled their earnings guidance entirely — a Wall Street signal that the uncertainty is too thick to see through.

Here's what that means for your wallet: prices on electronics, clothing, furniture, and toys are expected to rise between **15% and 40%** over the next 90 days, according to analysts cited by Reuters.

And yet — Trump isn't blinking.

"China wants to make a deal," he posted on Truth Social this week. "They just don't know how to get there without losing face. I'm waiting."

**The immigration front has been equally turbulent.** The administration has deported over 139,000 people since January 20th — a pace that exceeds every previous administration at the same point.

But the legal walls are closing in.

Federal judges in at least four circuits have issued rulings blocking or limiting specific deportation programs. The Supreme Court stepped in twice — once to allow deportations under the Alien Enemies Act to proceed, and once to demand due process hearings before removal.