Trump’s First 100 Days of Chaos

Ever since FDR introduced the idea in 1933, new presidents have been judged by the actions of their first 100 days. Generally, those days are filled with rapid-fire legislating aimed at realizing campaign promises or responding to shifting conditions in the country. But the first 100 days of Donald Trump’s second term have been radically different. Rather than bringing relief and hope, as FDR did, Trump has brought chaos and pain. Democrats should label it ‘Trump’s 100 Days of Chaos’ and shape the coverage that will come when the period ends on April 30.

The ‘100 Days of Chaos’ theme can break through, because Trump came to office promising the opposite. In 2024, he ran on returning order to everything from grocery stores to government agencies. But at the end of his first 100 days, Trump has shattered those promises. He’s brought chaos to supermarkets and small businesses, chaos to the financial markets and international trade, and chaos to basic government services that keep us safe.

In Trump’s first 100 days, Americans have suffered the Trump Slump, as prices climb, retirement plans plummet, mortgage rates rise, and the risk of recession skyrockets. All of this was a predictable—and predicted—result of Trump’s bizarre and haphazard imposition of tariffs. And Trump and Elon Musk have wantonly attacked vital government safety functions, firing tens of thousands of highly skilled experts like infectious disease fighters and nuclear weapons specialists.

Democrats should seize the opportunity they have as Trump’s first 100 days end. They should relentlessly promote the notion of ‘100 Days of Chaos’ in mainstream and social media, at town halls, in mailers, etc. Here are just a few of the most politically salient points they can highlight:

Financial Chaos

• Trump has brought chaos to prices with his tariffs. Trump promised he would make life more affordable for Americans, but now he is saying clearly: he “couldn’t care less” about the higher prices and pain that American families will feel from the Trump tariffs. His policies could crash the economy and push us into a recession.
• Trump’s tariffs aren’t a tax on foreign countries, they're a chaos agent for American family budgets. Even if his preposterous April 2 tariffs are not reinstated, the Trump Tax of 10% across the board, the 125% China tariffs, and additional tariffs on Canada, Mexico, cars, etc., will jack up costs for everyday goods. The average household will pay $4,700 per year in higher prices. Families already living paycheck-to-paycheck will bear the greatest burden for Trump’s pointless and ruinous trade war. As a percentage of their income, those at the bottom will pay 2.5 times more than those at the top.
• Trump has sown retirement chaos as 401Ks and savings plummet. Trump’s erratic mismanagement and economic illiteracy have cost in other ways as well. The retirement savings of tens of millions of Americans has taken a giant hit, with the stock market (and those 401(k)s) down 14% (as of April 21st) since he took office.

Government Chaos

• Trump and Musk are creating entitlement chaos with their attacks on Social Security and health care. Musk has said these programs “are the big ones to eliminate” and that Social Security is “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time.”
• Trump and Musk are creating chaos in medical research by axing things like cancer and Alzheimer’s research. DOGE has fired doctors and scientists working to cure diseases that ravage American families. This will leave us sicker, weaker, and more vulnerable when the next disaster strikes.
• Trump and Musk are causing chaos for veterans. They have frozen funding for VA facilities and fired critical workers at VA hospitals, including disabled veterans. This has endangered veterans’ safety, increased their wait times for care, and will throw homeless veterans onto the streets.
• With Trump’s support, Musk has brought chaos to basic privacy protections. He and his team have combed through tax, Social Security, and health records, putting some of our most personal and private data in his hands and at risk.
• Trump’s mass deportation scheme is chaotic, violates due process, and is dangerous for law-abiding migrants and legal residents. Trump’s people even admitted an “administrative error” had led them to deport a blameless Maryland father to a Salvadoran prison notorious for torture with no due process. Seventy-five percent of the men sent to this prison had no criminal records.

Conclusion

As the pain of Trump’s chaos begins to have impact, Democrats must ask voters: Are you and your family better off today than you were 100 days ago? Was Trump’s 100 Days of Chaos good or bad for you?