Graphic Account: Skyrocketing Costs, Fading Support: A Look at Trump's First 100 Days by the Numbers
- by Lukas Wessling
- 8 Min
1. Inflation
Escalating Costs, Deteriorating Approval Ratings: Quantifying Trump's First One Hundred Days in Digits - Escalating Costs and Declining Approval Ratings: Key Numbers from Trump's Initial 100 Days in Office
Inflation spearheaded Donald Trump's journey to the Oval Office. While not the sole issue, it resonated strongly with voters who felt the pinch in their wallets daily - at the grocery store, gas pumps, and everywhere in between. Trump promised instant relief. The incumbent Biden bore the brunt of the price hikes from the previous years.
This peak of inflation reared its head in the sweltering summers of 2022. Since then, the rate has slowed, albeit barely keeping pace. Trump's much-touted relief has yet to present itself.
As a symbol of inflated prices, Senator Mark Kelly shared a grocery receipt in mid-April: salad, peanut butter, eggs, milk, bread, ground beef, and raisins, totalling $47. A minimum-wage earner in Arizona would need to labor more than three hours to foot the bill.
Eggs, in particular, have become a symbol of high prices, with a dozen costing as much as $6 and empty shelves stirring uneasy reminders of shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic. Just prior to Easter 2025, Trump's administration begged for European supplies.
With tariffs looming, these rosy memories might soon pale in comparison: if Trump follows through on his threats, prices could rise across the board in the US. The general public and experts alike anticipate a 6.7% inflation rate for the coming year, according to a University of Michigan poll.
2. Tariffs
Trump's tariff policy hinges on a simple premise: "What they do to us, we do to them." He aims to level out trade barriers erected by partners like Canada, Mexico, the EU, China, and even Cambodia, using general price increases on imports from these countries.
After initially targeting Canada and Mexico with 25% tariff threats, Trump stepped back. The economic fallout from a potential trade war could spill over into the US itself, causing both price hikes and job losses.
Since then, the US has mainly focused its pressure on the EU. Trump complained, threatened tariffs on European cars and wines, proclaiming the EU was solely founded to "fleece" the United States. On April 9, US import tariffs on EU goods came into effect, with Trump declaring, "They're ripping us off, we're charging them 20%." Just hours later, the EU's special tariff was suspended. A uniform 10% tariff rate remained, along with the uncertainty.
China has been the exception to Trump's tariff policy, with no concessions made. In a matter of weeks, the two superpowers have reached a tariff level where China claims it's no longer profitable to import US products into their market. The tariff standoff seems to have reached a stalemate, with further escalation seemingly for show.
"Ohhhh look at Cambodia," Trump boasted on April 2, brandishing his infamous tariff chart, "They've minted a fortune with us." Indeed, the US is Cambodia's most critical trading partner, procuring shoes, textiles, and various goods that account for roughly 40% of Cambodia's total GDP. However, for workers laboring for pennies, profits are elusive.
Trump's tariffs on Cambodian goods have been suspended for 90 days. If they resume by the end of July, the blow will be felt by two groups: one manufacturing products in Cambodia, Vietnam, or Myanmar at minimal wages, the other purchasing these goods in the US at affordable prices. Thousands of workers and American consumers alike risk losing out if Trump carries out his threat.
Currently, Trump's disapproval rate remains at a similarly dispirited level as it did after the first hundred days of his first term: every second person is dissatisfied. Yet, more Americans approve of the president's work than in his first term. Is approval and disapproval closer this time because people are more rigidly aligned with a political camp or because they evaluate political measures differently?
For example, the Pew Research Center found two distinct groups in a survey: one supported the tariffs threatened and imposed by Trump by 70 percent, the other rejected them by 90 percent. The first group was politically inclined towards the Republicans, the second, the Democrats. That political allegiance influences evaluations of a single measure is not surprising, but the enormity is.
Even as Trump's approval and disapproval numbers creep closer, his popularity remains relatively stable. Hoping to sway voters, Elon Musk's advisor has promised massive savings and layoffs, attracting both skepticism and controversy. Indeed, Musk's numbers are often off the mark, as evidenced by his Doge department's glaring errors.
5. Laws and Decrees
Much like Musk's grand announcements of new savings, Trump signs executive orders with dizzying speed. The legal community takes months to review each individual regulation for constitutionality, but by then, the dust has settled, and Trump's administrative changes have already taken effect.
U.S. constitutional law expert Jodi Short from UCLA San Francisco warned sternly: "The government has likely hollowed out a series of agencies via unconstitutional executive orders." These orders bypass Congress, allowing Trump to circumvent legislative processes. Short's concern echoes data suggesting that fired employees rarely return to their positions.
Trump has signed more than 130 executive orders in the first 100 days of his second term, compared to only six in the same period under Barack Obama. While law creation seems to have fallen by the wayside, the administration appears more interested in implementing changes furtively, behind the scenes. This strategy could backfire, as reversible regulations leave Trump particularly vulnerable to scrutiny by any judicial challenge or the next president.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, CBS, Doge, GIZ, "New York Times," Pew Research Center, "The Intercept," Real Clear Polling, U.S. Congress/National Archives
- Donald Trump
- Retrospective
- USA
- White House
- The European Union, committed to the fight against terrorism, has expressed hopes that policy-and-legislation, especially tariffs, will help in the prevention of war-and-conflicts, particularly in war-torn regions.
- In the realm of politics, President Trump's administration has implemented numerous laws and decrees that have been somewhat controversial, with constitutional law experts like Jodi Short voicing concerns about their constitutionality.
- In the general news, the continuing disagreements and threats of tariffs between President Trump and other countries like the EU, China, and Cambodia have raised concerns about the potential impact on inflation.
- Inflation, in this new political landscape, has become a symbol of Elon Musk's grand promises, as his advisor once claimed massive savings and job losses could result from President Trump's policies, attracting skepticism and controversy.
- The skyrocketing costs of essential items like groceries, as evident in Senator Mark Kelly's shared receipt, are a stark reminder of the ongoing inflation and its impact on the general public, particularly minimum-wage earners.
