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 some people remember dreams and others don't
Under The Radar Age, attitude and weather all play a part in dream recall
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The Week contest: Hotel seal
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
New FBI Director Kash Patel could profit heavily from foreign interests
The Explainer Patel holds more than $1 million in Chinese fashion company Shein
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
New FBI Director Kash Patel could profit heavily from foreign interests
The Explainer Patel holds more than $1 million in Chinese fashion company Shein
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Trump's Ukraine about-face puts GOP hawks in the hot seat
IN THE SPOTLIGHT The president's pro-Russia pivot has alienated allies, emboldened adversaries, and placed members of his party in an uncomfortable position
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump seeks to end New York's congestion pricing
Speed Read The MTA quickly filed a lawsuit to stop the move
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Who is actually running DOGE?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION The White House said in a court filing that Elon Musk isn't the official head of Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency task force, raising questions about just who is overseeing DOGE's federal blitzkrieg
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump officials try to reverse DOGE-led firings
Speed Read Mass firings by Elon Musk's team have included employees working on the H5N1 bird flu epidemic and US nuclear weapons programs
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump blames Ukraine for war after US-Russia talks
Speed Read The US and Russia have agreed to work together on ending the Ukraine war — but President Trump has flipped America's approach
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
What will the thaw in Russia-US relations cost Europe?
Today's Big Question US determination to strike a deal with Russia over Ukraine means Europe faces 'betrayal by a long-term ally'
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
The end of empathy
Opinion Elon Musk is gutting the government — and our capacity for kindness
By Theunis Bates Published