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As Donald Trump completes 100 days in office during his second term in the Oval Office, his tenure so far has been anything but traditional. While many presidents typically enjoy a honeymoon period marked by high approval ratings and cautious policymaking,Trump chose to take decisions with a disruptive approach, reshaping both domestic and global policy at a rapid pace.

From imposing high import duties, tightening immigration laws, cutting back on federal agencies, and withdrawing from the UNHRC and Paris climate deal — Trump signed various executive orders to keep up with his promises.

His actions changed how the United States is run and caused disruption not only in global markets but also in diplomatic circles.

Let’s take a closer look at Trump's major decisions and their good, bad, and ugly aspects.

Tariffs, turmoil, and Trump – The president took the boldest step in April, marked as ‘Liberation Day,’ by slamming world economies with tariffs as high as 145% on Chinese goods and 26% on Indian products.

Later, on April 9, the administration announced a 90-day pause on the newly imposed "reciprocal" tariffs, temporarily halting duties on most countries that took effect at midnight, with one key exception — China.

Good: Trump's decision was aimed at addressing trade imbalances, reviving American manufacturing, and making America great again.

Ugly: As Trump imposed the tariffs, the US market, along with other markets, saw a downturn. After the sharp dip in the market and backlash, Trump decided to pause the tariffs. Even after the tariff pause, Trump’s first 100 days back in office marked the worst stock market performance since Nixon, with the S&P 500 down 7.9 percent, according to CFRA Research.

Immigration policy — Tougher immigration policies – The Trump administration launched a sweeping crackdown on illegal immigration, marked by a steep drop in unauthorized border crossings — from 249,740 in December 2023 to 7,181 by March 2025.

Illegal border crossings fell sharply to 7,181 in March 2025, following a surge in deportations and tighter border enforcement.

President Trump signed an executive order targeting birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants. The order has triggered legal challenges now progressing through federal courts and is expected to reach the Supreme Court.

Good: Trump used an 18th-century wartime law to deport immigrants. Reportedly, among the deportees were Venezuelan gang members from Tren de Aragua sent to a prison in El Salvador. Deporting criminals can be considered a good move.

Bad: A Maryland resident, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, was deported to a mega-prison in El Salvador despite a court order prohibiting his removal due to fears of persecution in his home country.

Ugly: As part of the immigration crackdown, at least 4,000 student visas have been revoked in the first 100 days of Donald Trump's term, according to a New York Post report. The mass revocation has caused significant disruption for many foreign students studying in the US.

Trump targets Harvard, DEI programs to reform education system – Trump’s administration took major steps to change the American education system.

Ugly: Trump ramped up pressure on universities, particularly Harvard, over policies related to antisemitism, diversity, and foreign student enrollment. The president has threatened to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status and block its foreign student admissions, which make up over a quarter of its student body. He also froze more than $2 billion in federal grants to the school.

Bad: Trump’s administration is making broader efforts to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs across public institutions, including federal agencies and universities receiving government funding. In March, the White House issued directives halting DEI initiatives in the military, federal agencies, and law firms tied to federal grants.

Trump and Musk’s bold bureaucracy overhaul (DOGE) – In a bold move to shrink federal bureaucracy, President Trump launched the Department of Government Efficiency, an idea spearheaded by Elon Musk.

Ugly: Elon Musk has led efforts to slash 10% of the civilian workforce, with federal job cuts impacting health agencies and the Pentagon planning major civilian staff reductions.

Bad: Musk targeted USAID early on, calling it a "criminal organization" rife with fraud. After clashes over system access, several officials were placed on leave, aid programs were halted, and the agency began merging into the State Department.

Good: If promises hold, Musk projects $150 billion in savings for 2026. DOGE claims it has already saved $160 billion by cutting contracts, selling assets, and tackling fraud.

Some decisions carry both troubling and deeply controversial consequences.

Capitol Hill pardon – In his second term, Trump issued pardons to roughly 1,500 individuals linked to the January 6 Capitol attack, labeling them “patriots” despite earlier condemnation. The Justice Department is now examining whether the sweeping clemency oversteps constitutional boundaries.

Transgender rights – Trump has issued a series of executive orders aimed at blocking transgender athletes from joining women’s sports, a move that has drawn strong reactions. After the February order, the NCAA quickly followed suit, but not without resistance. The state of Maine challenged the decision in court. As legal disputes continue, the policy’s future remains uncertain.

While Trump took some bold steps to fulfill promises he made during his campaign, there are also some promises he has been unable to keep.

The promise unkept – President Trump entered office with bold promises to end the Russia-Ukraine war swiftly, claiming he could broker peace even before stepping back into the Oval Office.

Tensions between the US and Ukraine escalated following a strained meeting between President Trump and President Zelenskyy.

At the same time, Trump has continued to speak out on the Middle East, claiming the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel wouldn’t have occurred if he had been in office. He’s kept regular contact with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and promised to work toward peace in the region.

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