SUBSCRIBE & SAVE Less than $3 per week View Profile The Explainer Talking Points The Week Recommends Newsletters From the Magazine The Week Junior Food & Drink Personal Finance All Categories Newsletter sign up Talking Point Trump's first 100 days: the reshaping of America The second Trump White House is 'less a new administration', and more a 'vengeful monarchy' Newsletter sign up Even Trump's opponents have had to acknowledge the administration's 'supercar' energy (Image credit: Saul Loeb / AFP / Getty Images) The Week UK Donald Trump wasn't kidding when he promised "the most extraordinary first 100 days of any presidency in American history", said Jonathan Chait in The Atlantic. Since his 20 January inauguration, Trump has passed an avalanche of executive orders (139 and counting) designed to dismantle traditional constraints on presidential power, and to advance his agenda: threatening law firms, universities and media owners into compliance; authorising Elon Musk's Doge to "cripple" the federal bureaucracy; firing the heads of 18 federal watchdogs; "disappearing" innocent migrant workers; and deporting foreign students who have written anti-Israel articles. It's "less a new administration", said Andrew Sullivan in The Times, and more a "vengeful monarchy". The "trappings of a republic remain", but they are increasingly mere "facades". And for what, asked Andrew Rawnsley in The Observer. King Donald's assault on US universities has triggered a brain drain. His attack on the global order has been "ruinous" for the reputation of the US. He promised Americans he would bring down costs, but his trade war is set to fuel inflation and perhaps trigger a recession. "Make America Great Again? Trumpism doesn't do what it says on the baseball cap." Tell that to Trump's supporters, said Kimberley A. Strassel in The Wall Street Journal. "Creative destruction" is exactly what they wanted: they're fed up of the waste and "indolence" of Washington elites, and they voted for Trump to tear it all up. Besides, said Harry Cole in The Sun, who says his "manic" approach isn't working? "Woke and trans sacred cows have been slaughtered" by presidential decree; wasteful spending has "gone up in smoke". Countries are begging for new trade deals, and illegal border crossings, according to the administration, are down by 95%. Subscribe to The Week Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives. SUBSCRIBE & SAVE Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. I've "detested" almost all of Trump 2.0, said David Brooks in The New York Times, but even I have to admire his team's "energy". It's like "a supercar with 1,000 horsepower", while his Democratic opponents coast around on "mopeds". If they want to win back power, they'll need to whip up some of that élan vital. The resistance is already building, albeit not yet in Congress, said the FT. The bond markets have forced Trump to rein in his tariffs. The Supreme Court has taken a stand against illegal deportations. American voters, fretting about their wallets and retirement plans, are starting to abandon him too: Trump has one of the lowest approval ratings of any president after 100 days, at 40%. If Democrats win next year's midterm elections, said Katie Stallard in The New Statesman, he could spend his last two years in office fighting off investigations and impeachments, ensuring his authoritarian agenda is derailed. But that's assuming, of course, the midterms actually happen. On the current trajectory, we may not get "free and fair elections in 2026, let alone a peaceful transfer of power in 2028". Explore More Donald Trump Republican Party Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. The Week UK Social Links Navigation Crossword: May 3, 2025 The Week's daily crossword puzzle Sudoku medium: May 3, 2025 The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle Sudoku hard: May 3, 2025 The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle You might also like Trump moves to gut PBS and NPR in latest salvo against the media IN THE SPOTLIGHT The president's executive order targeting two of the nation's largest public broadcasters comes as the White House seeks to radically reframe how Americans get their news Trump judge bars deportations under 1798 law A Trump appointee has ruled that the president's use of a wartime act for deportations is illegal Trump ousts Waltz as NSA, taps him for UN role President Donald Trump removed Mike Waltz as national security adviser and nominated him as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations How could Trump ending a VA mortgage program leave veterans on the streets? Today's Big Question Vets could face foreclosure as a result of the White House's actions Kamala Harris steps back on center stage IN THE SPOTLIGHT In her first major speech since Donald Trump took office, the former presidential candidate took solid aim at this administration as speculation grows about her future Trump blames Biden for tariffs-linked contraction The US economy shrank 0.3% in the first three months of 2025, the Commerce Department reported Trump's crypto 'sea change' upends Washington's finances In the Spotlight By embracing digital currency, the White House is clearing a path for a new era in dubious self-enrichment 'It is not enough to simply defend the status quo' Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day View More ▸ Contact Future's experts Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Advertise With Us The Week is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site. Future US, Inc. 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