US President Donald Trump’s initial 100-day honeymoon period as leader has turned sour, with his approval ratings plummeting and economic indicators showing a precipitous drop. The single biggest achievement of those 100 days appears to be serving as a warning of the dangers of nationalist populism.
Trump’s approval ratings have fallen to their lowest level since 2017, with just 39% of Americans approving of his performance in office. This marks a significant decline compared to other newly installed presidents and is even worse than Trump’s own rating at this point four years ago.
The economic data has also been troubling, with the US economy contracting by 0.3% in the first quarter. Economists attribute this drop primarily to Trump’s tariffs, which have led to a surge in imports and dented consumer confidence. Apple has announced plans to assemble its US-bound iPhones in India, further eroding the effectiveness of Trump’s tariffs.
Trump’s foreign policy also faces criticism, with the Israel-Palestine conflict resuming after a brief ceasefire and Ukraine failing to secure the reimbursement it sought under Trump’s military support plan. Meanwhile, expansionist threats against Panama, Greenland, and Canada have yielded little concrete result.
The 100-day period has brought several high-profile firings, including that of his national security adviser Mike Waltz. This marks a significant turning point in Trump’s administration, with the firing of key officials exposing the chaos and churn at the heart of his leadership style.
As polls and economic indicators continue to paint a bleak picture for Trump’s presidency, it is clear that his power to terrify has begun to fade. The handful of senate Republicans who voted against his tariff policy and the Wall Street Journal’s scathing editorial condemning tariffs as an “economic policy mistake” signal a shift in the narrative around Trump’s leadership.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/may/02/donald-trump-first-100-days-tariffs-us-economy