One hundred days ago, Donald Trump became president. Today, he is the least popular commander in chief of the modern era at this point of the presidency. In the intervening period, he assembled a Cabinet high in experience outside government and low in diversity. He made hundreds of misleading or downright false statements. He put his mark on the Supreme Court and pleased his supporters. He undid regulations to dismantle his predecessor's legacy.
Here's a look at those hundred days.
He has dramatically reversed course on many Obama priorities
As he promised to do in the campaign, Trump has signed a slew of executive orders to reverse Obama-era policies. The Post has tracked several tactics the administration is using to undo Obama’s legacy.
President-elect Donald Trump and President Obama walk together on the day of Trump’s inauguration in January. (Reuters)
Perhaps the most drastic shift in policy has been Trump’s proposal for a 31 percent budget cut at the Environmental Protection Agency, which became the chief tool for fighting climate change during the Obama years.
He hasn’t addressed most of his 100-day promises, and he has even broken some
The Fact Checker is tracking Trump’s progress on 60 promises he included in the “Contract With the American Voter,” a 100-day plan of action he issued Oct. 22, 2016. Trump has already delivered on some of the promises — filling the vacant seat on the Supreme Court and withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership — and taken some kind of action on several others. He has also broken promises, such as by refusing to label China a currency manipulator. A majority, though, have stalled or not been acted on.
6
Promises kept
5
Promises broken
15
Some action taken
34
Not yet rated
His Cabinet is stacked with outside experience, and less diverse
Trump’s Cabinet is larger than those of previous presidents, as he has elevated more positions to join the traditional 15 executive department heads as Cabinet-level.
Vice President
Mike
Pence
Chief of Staff
Reince
Priebus
Agriculture
Sonny
Perdue
Commerce
Wilbur Ross
Defense
Jim Mattis
Education
Betsy DeVos
Energy
Rick Perry
Health and H.S.
Tom Price
Homeland Sec.
John F. Kelly
Interior
Ryan Zinke
Justice
Jeff Sessions
Housing and U.D.
Ben Carson
Labor
Alexander
Acosta
State
Rex
Tilllerson
Transportation
Elaine
Chao
Treasury
Steven
Mnuchin
Veterans Affairs
David
Shulkin
CIA director
Mike
Pompeo
Manag. and
Budget
Mick Mulvaney
National
ntelligence
Daniel Coats
Environmental
Protection Ag.
Scott Pruitt
Small Business
Admin.
Linda
McMahon
United
Nations
Nikki Haley
Trade
Representative
R. Lighthizer
NOT CONFIRMED
Vice President
Mike Pence
Chief of Staff
Reince Priebus
Agriculture
Sonny Perdue
Commerce
Wilbur Ross
Defense
Jim Mattis
Homeland Sec.
John F. Kelly
Housing and U.D.
Ben Carson
Education
Betsy DeVos
Energy
Rick Perry
Health and H.S.
Tom Price
Interior
Ryan Zinke
Justice
Jeff Sessions
Labor
Alexander Acosta
State
Rex Tilllerson
Transportation
Elaine Chao
Treasury
Steven Mnuchin
Veterans Affairs
David Shulkin
CIA director
Mike Pompeo
EPA
Scott Pruitt
Manag. and Budget
Mick Mulvaney
Nat. Intelligence
Daniel Coats
Small Business Adm.
Linda McMahon
United Nations
Nikki Haley
Trade Rep.
Robert Lighthizer
NOT CONFIRMED
Vice President
Mike Pence
Chief of Staff
Reince Priebus
Agriculture
Sonny Perdue
Commerce
Wilbur Ross
Defense
Jim Mattis
Education
Betsy DeVos
Energy
Rick Perry
Health and H.S.
Tom Price
Homeland Sec.
John Kelly
Housing and U.D.
Ben Carson
Interior
Ryan Zinke
Justice
Jeff Sessions
Labor
Alexander Acosta
State
Rex Tilllerson
Transportation
Elaine Chao
Treasury
Steven Mnuchin
Veterans Affairs
David Shulkin
CIA director
Mike Pompeo
EPA
Scott Pruitt
Manag. and Budget
Mick Mulvaney
Nat. Intelligence
Daniel Coats
Small Business Adm.
Linda McMahon
United Nations
Nikki Haley
Trade Rep.
Robert Lighthizer
NOT CONFIRMED
Vice President
Mike Pence
Chief of Staff
Reince Priebus
Agriculture
Sonny Perdue
Commerce
Wilbur Ross
Defense
Jim Mattis
Education
Betsy DeVos
Energy
Rick Perry
Health and H.S.
Tom Price
Homeland Security
John F. Kelly
Housing and U.D.
Ben Carson
Interior
Ryan Zinke
Justice
Jeff Sessions
Labor
Alexander Acosta
State
Rex Tilllerson
Transportation
Elaine Chao
Treasury
Steven Mnuchin
Veterans Affairs
David Shulkin
CIA director
Mike Pompeo
EPA
Scott Pruitt
Management and Budget
Mick Mulvaney
Nat. Intelligence
Daniel Coats
Small Business Adm.
Linda McMahon
United Nations
Nikki Haley
Trade Rep.
Robert Lighthizer
NOT CONFIRMED
Trump’s picks have been criticized for lack of diversity. Compared with previous Cabinets, particularly Obama’s, Trump’s team has fewer minorities and women, and far more people without government experience.
= 1 Cabinet member
Trump has appointed fewer minorities
Alexander Acosta was nominated to be secretary of labor after Andrew Puzder withdrew from consideration.
17% minority
Trump
41%
Obama
25%
Bush
32%
Clinton
Fewer women than in Obama’s Cabinet
President George W. Bush also appointed four women to Cabinet-level positions, but he had a smaller Cabinet overall.
17% women
Trump
32%
Obama
20%
Bush
27%
Clinton
No previous experience in government
Many of Trump’s Cabinet appointees have no prior experience in government, reflecting his own outsider status.
Trump
42% no government experience
Obama
14%
25%
Bush
Clinton
36%
Cabinet numbers are based on the start of each president’s first term. For example, the Department of Homeland Security is not reflected in George W. Bush’s Cabinet because that position was not created until 2003. Cabinet positions change over time, resulting in the different numbers for each president.
= 1 Cabinet member
Trump has appointed fewer minorities
Alexander Acosta was nominated to be secretary of labor after Andrew Puzder withdrew from consideration.
Trump
17% minority
Bush
25%
41%
Clinton
32%
Obama
Fewer women than in Obama’s Cabinet
President George W. Bush also appointed four women to Cabinet-level positions, but he had a smaller Cabinet overall.
Bush
20%
Trump
17% women
Clinton
27%
32%
Obama
No previous experience in government
Many of Trump’s Cabinet appointees have no prior experience in government, reflecting his own outsider status.
25%
Trump
42% no government experience
Bush
Clinton
36%
Obama
14%
Cabinet numbers are based on the start of each president’s first term. For example, the Department of Homeland Security is not reflected in George W. Bush’s Cabinet because that position was not created until 2003. Cabinet positions change over time, resulting in the different numbers for each president.
= 1 Cabinet member
Trump has appointed fewer minorities
Fewer women than in Obama’s Cabinet
No previous experience in government
Many of Trump’s Cabinet appointees have no prior experience in government, reflecting his own outsider status.
Alexander Acosta was nominated to be secretary of labor after Andrew Puzder withdrew from consideration.
President George W. Bush also appointed four women to Cabinet-level positions, but he had a smaller Cabinet overall.
17% women
17% minority
42% no government experience
Trump
Trump
Trump
41%
Obama
32%
Obama
Obama
14%
Bush
25%
20%
Bush
25%
Bush
Clinton
32%
27%
Clinton
Clinton
36%
Cabinet numbers are based on the start of each president’s first term. For example, the Department of Homeland Security is not reflected in George W. Bush’s Cabinet because that position was not created until 2003. Cabinet positions change over time, resulting in the different numbers for each president.
= 1 Cabinet member
Trump has appointed fewer minorities
Fewer women than in Obama’s Cabinet
No previous experience in government
Many of Trump’s Cabinet appointees have no prior experience in government, reflecting his own outsider status.
Alexander Acosta was nominated to be secretary of labor after Andrew Puzder withdrew from consideration.
President George W. Bush also appointed four women to Cabinet-level positions, but he had a smaller Cabinet overall.
42% no government experience
17% minority
17% women
Trump
Trump
Trump
41%
Obama
Obama
14%
Obama
32%
Bush
25%
25%
Bush
20%
Bush
Clinton
32%
Clinton
27%
Clinton
36%
Cabinet numbers are based on the start of each president’s first term. For example, the Department of Homeland Security is not reflected in George W. Bush’s Cabinet because that position was not created until 2003. Cabinet positions change over time, resulting in the different numbers for each president.
He has formally nominated far fewer people than his predecessors
In a piece comparing the timelines of recent Cabinet confirmations, The Post showed that Trump’s major Cabinet positions took longer to confirm than most of his recent predecessors. A contributing factor was that only two of his main Cabinet heads were confirmed on Inauguration Day. Obama’s Cabinet took one day longer to complete, both coming in just under the 100-day mark.
Cabinet nominees confirmed
in president’s first 100 days
How long it took to fill vacancies,
excluding holdovers from
previous administration
All openings
filled:
March 11
April
28
Jan. 30
Number
confirmed on
Day 1
12
March 17
8
14 of 15 filled
as of April 24
W. Bush 7
Obama 6
4
Clinton 3
Trump 2
0
H.W. Bush 0
Feb.
March
April
Inauguration Day
Day 100
Cabinet nominees confirmed in president’s first 100 days
How long it took to fill vacancies, excluding holdovers from previous administration
15 of 15 filled
as of April 27
All openings filled:
Jan. 30
March 11
Number
confirmed on
Day 1
12
March 17
8
W. Bush 7
Obama 6
4
Clinton 3
Trump 2
H.W. Bush 0
0
Feb.
March
April
Inauguration Day
Day 100
He has also faced unprecedented opposition in the Senate, where senators have cast a historic number of “no” votes for his picks to head the major Cabinet departments — in many cases, more than any other nominee to their post.
Beyond the main Cabinet positions, Trump ranks way behind most of his predecessors. And while there’s certainly stalling on the part of the Senate (his nominees are taking longer to confirm on average), the total number of nominations submitted by the White House at this point of the presidency is substantially lower than usual.
Nominations sent to Senate
and confirmed in first 100 days
Confirmed
Failed
nominations
Sent but not
yet confirmed
D. Trump*
27
3
41
B. Obama
69
3
118
G. W. Bush
35
0
50
B. Clinton
49
2
125
G. H.W. Bush
50
1
44
*Totals include some posts that are not being
tracked as ‘key positions’ in the appointee
database. Trump data as of 3:30 p.m. on
April 28, or 99 days into the presidency.
Presidential appointments in the first 100 days
Failed
nominations
Confirmed
Sent but not
yet confirmed
Average time
to confirm
27
3
41
D. Trump*
30 days
69
3
118
24
B. Obama
35
0
50
G. W. Bush
8
49
2
125
B. Clinton
13
50
1
44
G. H.W. Bush
21
*Totals include some posts that are not being tracked as ‘key positions’ in the appointee database.
Trump data as of 3:30 p.m. on April 28, or 99 days into the presidency.
Of the 556 key positions tracked by the Partnership for Public Service, Trump has not announced a nominee for more than 84 percent of them. The president told Fox News in February that “in many cases, we don’t want to fill those jobs.” The 556 spots are a subset of more than 1,000 that will require Senate confirmation.
Trump is less popular than any modern president at this point of the term
While Trump’s core has remained loyal, his popularity at 100 days is the lowest of all modern presidents. Trump is the only president to have a net disapproval (more people disapprove than approve). A majority consider him a strong leader, but most say they doubt his honesty, judgement and temperament.
0
20
40
60
80
100%
Trump
Approval
Disapproval
-11
42%
53%
Obama
Disapproval
Approval
69%
43
26%
W. Bush
31
32%
63%
Clinton
20
59%
39%
H.W. Bush
71%
22%
49
Reagan
73%
19%
54
Carter
45
18%
63%
Ford
14
47%
33%
Nixon
49
61%
12%
Johnson
73%
64
9%
Kennedy
72
5%
78%
6%
Eisenhower
63
10%
73%
0
20
40
60
80
100%
Approval
Disapproval
DONALD TRUMP
Republican
42%
-11
53%
Approval
Disapproval
Barack Obama
Democrat
69%
43
26%
George W. Bush
Republican
32%
63%
31
Bill Clinton
Democrat
39%
59%
20
George H.W. Bush
Republican
22%
71%
49
Ronald Reagan
Republican
19%
73%
54
Jimmy Carter
Democrat
63%
18%
45
Gerald Ford
Republican
33%
47%
14
Richard Nixon
Republican
12%
61%
49
Lyndon B. Johnson
Democrat
73%
9%
64
John F. Kennedy
Democrat
78%
6%
72
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Republican
10%
73%
63
100%
JOHN F.
KENNEDY
BARACK
OBAMA
DWIGHT D.
EISENHOWER
RONALD
REAGAN
LYNDON B.
JOHNSON
GEORGE
H.W. BUSH
78%
GEORGE
W. BUSH
JIMMY
CARTER
Approval
80
73%
73%
RICHARD
NIXON
73%
71%
BILL
CLINTON
DONALD
TRUMP
69%
63%
63%
61%
59%
Disapproval
GERALD
FORD
60
53%
47%
43
31
20
-11
49
54
72
64
45
14
40
63
49
Approval
42%
39%
33%
32%
26%
Disapproval
20
22%
19%
18%
12%
10%
6%
9%
0
100%
JOHN F.
KENNEDY
BARACK
OBAMA
RONALD
REAGAN
LYNDON B.
JOHNSON
DWIGHT D.
EISENHOWER
GEORGE
H.W. BUSH
78%
GEORGE
W. BUSH
JIMMY
CARTER
80
Approval
73%
RICHARD
NIXON
73%
73%
DONALD
TRUMP
BILL
CLINTON
71%
69%
63%
63%
61%
GERALD
FORD
Disapproval
59%
60
53%
47%
43
31
20
-11
49
54
72
64
45
14
40
63
49
Approval
42%
39%
32%
33%
26%
20
22%
Disapproval
19%
18%
12%
10%
9%
6%
0
Post Opinions asked readers how they feel about the new president approaching this milestone. Many of the 3,800 respondents addressed similar themes in their answers.
Trump has made hundreds of false or misleading claims
To start his term, Trump made extravagant and false claims about the crowd size at his inauguration, which press secretary Sean Spicer defended in his first briefing.
The Post’s Fact Checker has also been tracking statements made by President Trump and tallying how many are false or misleading. On the Fact Checker page, claims can be sorted various categories and ranked by how many times Trump has repeated the statement.
The Trump campaign’s connections to Russia are increasingly clear
Several discoveries have been made about the contacts between members of Trump’s campaign and Russian officials. As a result, National Security Adviser Michael T. Flynn lost his job and Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the investigation. In addition to a Senate investigation, a House intelligence probe is back on track after Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) stepped away from the inquiry after questions about his possible coordination with the White House.
Trump pleased Republicans by putting Gorsuch on the Supreme Court
President Trump speaks during his announcement of Judge Neil Gorsuch as his nominee for the Supreme Court. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)
Trump has received the most praise among Republicans for his handling of the Supreme Court nomination of Neil Gorsuch to replace Antonin Scalia. In the process, Republicans in Congress invoked the ‘nuclear option’ to lower the threshold for a vote on high court nominations in response to Democrats’ attempts to filibuster.
Trump’s influence on the judicial branch could be far-reaching. He enters office with 103 circuit and district court judge vacancies to fill, double what Obama inherited when he began his presidency.
VACANCIES WHEN EACH PRESIDENT TOOK
OFFICE
Trump
17
circuit court
vacancies
88
district court
vacancies
Obama
13
40
Bush
26
54
Clinton
17
90
VACANCIES WHEN EACH PRESIDENT TOOK OFFICE
Trump
17
circuit court vacancies
88
district court vacancies
Obama
13
40
Bush
26
54
Clinton
17
90
His policy agenda has run into problems on Capitol Hill and in the courts
On other fronts, Trump ran into difficulties when he tried to quickly enact his agenda. Health-care reform stalled in the House when moderate Republicans and members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus were not persuaded to support the bill after a scramble to amend it to bring them aboard.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit halted Trump’s attempt to enact a ban on travel from seven majority-Muslim countries. A revised order eliminated Iraq from that list of countries, but was again struck down.
Countries covered by the travel ban
The original order:
SYRIA
LIBYA
IRAQ
IRAN
SUDAN
YEMEN
SOMALIA
The new order:
SYRIA
LIBYA
IRAQ
IRAN
SUDAN
YEMEN
SOMALIA
Countries covered by the travel ban
The original order:
The new order:
SYRIA
SYRIA
LIBYA
LIBYA
IRAQ
IRAQ
IRAN
IRAN
SUDAN
SUDAN
YEMEN
YEMEN
SOMALIA
SOMALIA
Trump’s executive order on immigration enforcement has also stalled in the courts. That order would have withheld grant money from local governments that don’t comply with federal authorities, also known as sanctuary cities.
Trump faces serious policy hurdles as 2018 looms in Congress
Looking ahead, Trump’s agenda faces some tough realities in Congress. The House extended the deadline for a government shutdown fight until next week, though funding for Trump’s promised border wall has been a point of contention in the negotiations.
The White House is also pushing forward on a revised health-care bill in the House and introduced a general outline of tax reform principles on Wednesday.
Farther, but not so far, down the road are the 2018 midterm elections, which could be perilous for Republicans trying to hold on to the House majority, as well as for Senate Democrats, who are defending 10 seats in states Trump won.
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