100 days of Donald Trump: Behind the hype and headlines
Commentators have their say on what the US President has achieved in his first three months in office
The 100-day milestone has become a landmark for US presidents, a moment to measure the impact of the new administration - and a yardstick for things to come.
On 29 May, it will be 100 days since Donald Trump shocked the US and the world by defeating Hillary Clinton to become the 45th President of the United States.
Since then, everything from travel bans to tough talk on North Korea has landed Trump's administration on the front pages. But, beyond the headlines, what has Trump achieved so far?
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
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.
There is a "giant contradiction" at the heart of Trump's first 100 days in office, say ABC's Shushannah Walshe and Rick Klein.
"Few modern presidents have accomplished so little in the opening months of their time in office," they write.
Trump has failed to make headway on key campaign promises - none more so than his attention-grabbing pledges to build a border wall with Mexico and refuse US visas to citizens of seven majority-Muslim countries, both orders effectively stymied by legal challenges.
And yet, the very nature of his first 100 days - chaotic, controversial, unpredictable - has fulfilled a "more basic promise" to his grassroots supporters, say Walshe and Klein: "He has redefined the office of president."
Trump is far from the first president to make missteps in his first months in office, says CNN's David Gergen. The real worry is that he keeps making the same mistakes.
As the 100 day mark nears, the Trump White House is still characterised by "deception", "internal struggles", "sliming of opponents" and "lack of strategy", says Gergen. The administration's learning curve appears "a lot flatter than it should be".
On the contrary, writes conservative commentator Kayleigh McEnany in The Hill, Trump has amassed a "significant resume of accomplishments" considering that the Democrats have been obstructing his administration every step of the way.
While the media has focused its glare on "gossipy, salacious stories" about goings-on inside the White House, the President has "signed more legislation and executive orders than any president in the past five decades", she writes.
However, the substance of Trump's achievements may actually prove to be irrelevant, says Politico's Michael Kruse - the property mogul has "made a career of convincing people that his failures were the exact opposite".
None of Trump's many business failures have ever shaken his conviction that he is a success, and so far none of his political misfires appear to have had a humbling effect, either, Kruse writes.
Most telling of this attitude is Trump's response last month to a Time reporter who quizzed him on his performance: “I can’t be doing so badly,” he said, "because I’m President, and you’re not."
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
-
Why Bhutan hopes tourists will put a smile back on its face
Under The Radar The 'kingdom of happiness' is facing economic problems and unprecedented emigration
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
7 beautiful towns to visit in Switzerland during the holidays
The Week Recommends Find bliss in these charming Swiss locales that blend the traditional with the modern
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Werewolf bill
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
'This needs to be a bigger deal'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
The political latitude of Musk's cost-cutting task force
Talking Points A $2 trillion goal. And big obstacles in the way.
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
John Prescott: was he Labour's last link to the working class?
Today's Big Quesiton 'A total one-off': tributes have poured in for the former deputy PM and trade unionist
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
New York DA floats 4-year Trump sentencing freeze
Speed Read President-elect Donald Trump's sentencing is on hold, and his lawyers are pushing to dismiss the case while he's in office
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Last hopes for justice for UK's nuclear test veterans
Under the Radar Thousands of ex-service personnel say their lives have been blighted by aggressive cancers and genetic mutations
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
'It may not be surprising that creative work is used without permission'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
What message is Trump sending with his Cabinet picks?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION By nominating high-profile loyalists like Matt Gaetz and RFK Jr., is Trump serious about creating a functioning Cabinet, or does he have a different plan in mind?
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Gaetz ethics report in limbo as sex allegations emerge
Speed Read A lawyer representing two women alleges that Matt Gaetz paid them for sex, and one witnessed him having sex with minor
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published