During his first 100 days back in office, President Trump has seen his once-soaring public standing take a steep dive—with few of his signature promises bearing fruit.
1. Approval Ratings Slide
Upon inauguration, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found 47 percent of Americans approved of Trump’s return to the Oval Office. By January 28, that figure had fallen to 45 percent—matching his historically low approval at the same point in his first term and marking one of the sharpest early declines in modern presidential history.
2. #TrumpTaxCut vs. Reality
Trump entered office touting aggressive tax-cut packages and deregulation as engines of renewed growth. Yet those measures have done little to stem concerns over inflation, wage stagnation, and real‐world impacts on small businesses. Meanwhile, large corporations have largely plowed anticipated savings into stock buybacks, rather than hiring or investment—undercutting Trump’s claim that broad tax relief would “trickle down” to everyday Americans.
3. Tariff War Backfire
Believing that steep tariffs would bully China, the EU, and Canada into acquiescence, the administration slapped duties of up to 145 percent on a wide range of imports. Instead, trading partners retaliated vigorously: China, the European Union, and Canada each imposed their own tariffs on U.S. exports, igniting a tit-for-tat trade war that has hurt farmers, distillers, and manufacturers. As a result, key constituencies—from Midwestern soybean growers to Pacific Northwest timber producers—have voiced sharp criticism of the White House’s confrontational approach.
4. Unfulfilled Peace Promise
Perhaps most striking was Trump’s bold claim that he could broker an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. Promising to “end the Ukrainian-Russia conflict in 24 hours,” he raised hopes for a sudden diplomatic breakthrough. Yet the war grinds on, with no sign of the swift resolution he forecast—undermining his image as a deal-maker who can bend foreign powers to his will.
Taken together, these setbacks paint a portrait of a presidency that has, so far, delivered more broken promises than victories—leaving Trump’s approval hovering near historical lows and fueling questions about his strategy for the months ahead.
