Trump’s frenetic activity has invited comparisons with FDR’s 100 days. How do the two stack up?
FDR took office during the depths of the Great Depression. The American economy was on its knees, and there was no meaningful federal safety net. Using his massive majority in Congress, he pushed through legislation that addressed some of the worst impacts of the downturn. He also worked hard to regain the waning confidence of the American people. His first 100 days were a success.
Trump took office at a time when unemployment was at four percent and inflation was easing. Instead of pursuing legislation, he signed a blizzard of executive orders that were designed to wreck American institutions, violate the Constitution, and amass power to an unprecedented degree. His changing rationales for tariffs damaged consumer and investor confidence and threatened to send the economy into a slump. Does that sound like a success to you?