Source : NEW INDIAN EXPRESS NEWS
WASHINGTON: The weeks since President Donald Trump returned to office have been a whirlwind of activity to show Americans that his administration is relentlessly pursuing his promises.
With a compliant Republican-controlled Congress, Trump has had a free hand to begin overhauling the federal government and upending foreign policy.
As Trump hit his 100th day in office Tuesday, his imprint is everywhere. But the long-term impact is often unclear.
Some of the Republican president’s executive orders are statements of intent or groundwork to achieve what has yet to be done. On Day 1, for example, he declared an energy emergency to spur production. But he’s not promising a payoff until next year, when he told voters to count on a big drop in their utility bills.
Trump’s goals occasionally conflict with each other. He promised both to lower the cost of living and to impose tariffs on foreign goods, which will most likely increase prices. Other issues are languishing.
Very much unsettled is whether Trump has run up his scorecard lawfully. He has faced lawsuits over some of his actions, meaning much of what he’s done could be undone as cases play out.
Here’s a look at where progress on his promises stands:
He promised to be a price-dropper
Inflation has been falling since a peak of 9.1% in 2022. It was at 3% in January, the month Trump was inaugurated, and 2.4% in March. “We already solved inflation,” Trump boasted. But the Federal Reserve warned that the president’s tariff plans will most likely lead to higher prices by taxing foreign imports.
In addition, it’s unlikely Trump will manage to “pay off all our debt.” His plans for tax cuts would reduce revenue to cover the country’s bills. Besides, he made a similar pledge in 2016, and then the national debt ballooned during his first presidency.
He’s cracked down on illegal immigration
Trump has clearly made progress on a signature promise to control the border.
The number of people trying to cross illegally into the U.S. from Mexico dropped steeply in President Joe Biden’s last year, from a high of 249,740 in December 2023 to 47,324 in December 2024. Under Trump, the numbers sank to only 8,346 in February and 7,181 in March.
It’s unclear whether Trump is matching Biden’s aggressive deportation record last year — the numbers are not yet in.
Meanwhile, Immigration and Customs Enforcement is arresting large numbers of people across the country. Many who assert their innocence have been deported without due process. The case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia is one of those hanging in the balance. He was deported to a Salvadoran prison despite having no criminal record and no hearing into whether he’s a gang member as alleged by the administration.
He promised to slash energy bills
In the campaign, Trump gave voters a pledge they’ll be able to judge for themselves, simply by looking at their utility bills. He promised to reduce their energy costs by half to three-quarters in 12 to 18 months.
At times, he hedged: “If it doesn’t work out, you’ll say, ‘Oh, well, I voted for him, and he still got it down a lot.’”
Other times, he didn’t hedge. “Under my plan, we will cut energy and electricity prices in half,” he told a Mint Hill, North Carolina, rally in September.
He brought on the tariffs
Trump made no secret of his fondness for tariffs or his conviction that other countries were ripping off the United States in international trade. “I will impose across-the-board tariffs on most foreign-made goods,” he said in the campaign.
He’s followed through, big time, though with frequently changing caveats.
Trump began by escalating tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, ostensibly as punishment for allowing fentanyl into the U.S. Then he announced even more widespread taxes on foreign imports on April 2, part of what he described as “Liberation Day.” Trump retreated from parts of that plan, choosing to pursue negotiations instead, but he left in place tariffs on China as high as 145%.
The stock market has whipsawed from the hefty import taxes and the erraticism in their application. Trump has shown more tolerance for market chaos than in his first term.
He failed to end a war as promised
At rally after rally last summer, Trump promised peace between Russia and Ukraine merely by winning the election. “Before I even arrive at the Oval Office, shortly after I win the presidency, I will have the horrible war between Russia and Ukraine settled,” he told a National Guard Association conference in Detroit in August. By then, he’d been making the same vow at least since May. It did not happen.
At times, he framed the promise differently, saying he would end the war in one day. That day has not come.
He promised ambitious tax cuts
Trump has tested the limits of what he can do by decree, but he’ll need Congress to achieve his promised tax cuts.
He pledged to eliminate taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security payments and said he will make permanent the expiring tax cuts he enacted during his first term.
SOURCE :- NEW INDIAN EXPRESS
