The world is remaking under the new US: Trump’s 100 days

Perhaps Donald Trump is the most talked about President in world history. There may not be statistics already to back that up, but we can make an educated guess. His name and actions dominate the headlines with the media unable to look away. While the man is considered reckless, transactional, and narcissist for the position—he doesn't spare a chance to brag about his effectiveness despite contrasting outcomes.

Trump believes America’s global standing has waned until he showed up with the mission to put America [interest] first and make America great again, both hallmarks of his presidential campaign and his 100 days of his presidency.

As most of the politicians do—over promise, pander their voters and embrace populism—Trump is no exception. While his election victory to become the 47th President of the most powerful country in the world marks a great political comeback, his 100 days of presidency tells a different story when grandiose claims are weighed against facts.

Trump had vowed to end the Russia-Ukraine war in 24 hours after holding office, but the war continues to drag on. The war as many saw neared its end after the Trump-administration's growing proximity with Russia and Trump’s first major foreign affairs decision to negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.

So much unfolded in between. 

Trump accused Ukraine for starting the war, began negotiations with Russia excluding Ukraine and Europe, proposed a US minerals deal to Ukraine, which made the US its primary benefactor and publicly berated the Ukrainian President Zelenskyy—all representing a new US and a new style of their foreign affair conduct, which as the Trump and his administration argues puts the US economic and political interests above everything else.

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Meanwhile, Putin has shown no signs of backing down. He has continued assaults on Ukraine despite repeated calls for truce. Their latest assault prompted the US President Trump to finally muster a direct plea last week tweeting ‘Vladimir, STOP!’ when Russian missiles hit Kyiv killing 12 civilians.

In a complete contrast, Trump’s 100 days has seen continued support to Israel in its resumed offence against Hamas in the Gaza strip and White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt saying “all hell will break loose” on those who go against Israel.

These are a few defining instances of Trump’s 100 days—which mark political showmanship, serious geopolitical and economic upheaval and a changing US. 

Trump’s foreign policy moves the world towards a new order

Trump’s second term kick started with a noticeable shift from the post-Cold War liberal global order—a system the US pioneered and long championed. Once a leader of global democracy, liberalism and rules-based systems, the US under Trump has taken a different tone, one with severe future implications globally. A world system operating on the notion that ‘might is right’ is one of those. This includes blaming Ukraine for the war and pandering to its aggressor Russia, suggesting for annexing Canada, Greenland, Mexico and Panama Canal, while providing unconditional support to Israel and making remarks about taking over Gaza.

At the end of the Cold War, when the Soviet Union fell and the US with its European allies emerged victorious, a US-led Western global order actively advocated for and supported liberal democracies and international norms, and set up several institutions whose foundations Trump now threatens.

Additionally, Trump’s America is growing distant with its longstanding ally Europe, which together forms today’s West. One key source of European’s anxiety is Trump’s handling of the Russia-Ukraine war. Another telling example was the Vice President JD Vance’s speech at the Munich Security Conference, which asserted that Europe faces ‘threats from within’. Trump’s multiple grievances, criticisms and taunts against Europe on their low defense spending and branding them as ‘freeriders’ have strained diplomatic relations. Moreover, it has compelled Europe to focus on their defence spending—which can mean a new geopolitical order within the West. To all this, EU President Ursula von der Leyen earlier put it, “The West as we knew it no longer exists”. 

All this because Trump’s ‘America First’ ideology, where his transactional foreign policy prioritises the US interests above all in global relations. Another  example is the minerals deal the US proposed with Ukraine—to jointly invest in the latter’s rare minerals [graphite, manganese, lithium among others] as a form of repayment for the aid provided so far. It is an indication that countries weaker in economy and defence may no longer have international norms to fall back on during crises anymore. 

On global agendas like public health, climate change, global poverty, Trump has withdrawn from the World Health Organisation (WHO), global climate change commitments, dismantling USAID without providing sufficient time for recipient countries to adjust financing to their humanitarian and development challenges—effectively removing the US from the role of global steward. 

Tariffs game sends the global economy into a frenzy

One of Trump’s promises is to revive US manufacturing and protect jobs through his key strategy—tariffs. Trump has imposed tariffs on allies and rivals alike but also revoking them frequently. On 2nd April, Trump announced tariffs on the whole world—including a blanket 10% tariff on all US imports and reciprocal tariffs on approximately 60 countries with which the US has a trade deficit, some were later paused for 90 days. Up to 145% tariffs were imposed on Chinese goods, to which China hit back with 125%, further escalating trade tensions.

The whole episode has fueled economic uncertainties. 

The IMF has reduced the global growth rates to 2.8% in 2025 from the previous estimate of 3.3%. The US stocks plummeted after the tariffs announcement in the first week of April with Standard & Poor’s 500 Composite Stock Price Index (S&P 500) falling by 9% in its worst since 2020. An estimated $6.6 trillion in value was erased from the market as per reports before the pause was announced. While the tariffs remained active, investment banking company Goldman Sachs forecasted a 65% chance of a recession in the next twelve months. Although there has been some revival after a 90-days pause in the reciprocal tariffs.

Such a protectionist strategy is unusual given that in recent history, the US actively advanced the free-trade movement, lowering tariff and non-tariff barriers in due course.

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From 1930, when the Smoot-Hawley Tariffs Act 1930 triggered a trade war as the US raised import tariffs to 60%, it has come down significantly to 2.7% in 2013—an era of US-led free trade movement and the growing global American influence driven by its trade.

A significant tariff hike across the world and a gruesome trade war between two super economies is expected to not only increase prices globally, global citizens and smaller countries are likely to bear the brunt of the fallout. 

A nation redefined at home

Another defining aspect of Trump’s 100 days is his domestic policy agenda and uncertainty over how the US will shape in the coming days.

Trum heavily relies on executive orders, signing 26 on his first day which ranged issues from foreign affairs to federal aid cuts. In 100 days, he has signed 141 of them, one of which was frequently changing tariffs. Such governance is erratic, a show of power and something hard to keep up for analysts. 

Despite having a Republican majority in the Congress, Trump has excessively used executive orders, moreover, to make sweeping decisions and consolidate power. Executive order is not an ideal tool for long term decision making—they can be challenged, courts can overturn them and the next president can revoke them the same way they came—without Congressional debates. These natures of the executive order could be a reason why Trump prefers them over the usual lawmaking process given his current decision making style.

On social front, while the US has been grappling with growing inequalities manifesting in the past decade through different forms of movements, Trump’s economic plans, like tariffs, are yet to show results, and there doesn’t seem to be a clear plan on how redistributive these supposed economic gains would be. So far, the gains have not been as Trump claimed either. Trump said his tariffs were bringing in two billion dollars a day, which is too far-fetched.

On the other hand, Trump’s immigration agendas are well known. He has announced plans to launch one of the largest deportation programs in American history, including mobilising the military if needed. While his immigration policy may resonate with many concerned about economic competition, security and cultural change, they signal the nation’s sharp departure from its historical identity as a refuge of immigrants.

His tactics to achieve his deportation goals have gone above and beyond—even to the point of defying supreme court orders. First, his administration wrongfully deported a US resident, Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador in March this year. Garcia had previously been granted asylum in the country in 2019. Then they defied court orders to ‘facilitate’ his return. Making a public show of his disregard for the court orders, Trump and the El Salvadorian president Nayib Bukele at a press conference in the White House both denied having the ability to return Garcia to the US as the court ordered. 

Another alarming move is silencing critics, students and universities. A Palestinian student, Mohsen Mahdawi, at Columbia University, also a permanent resident, was arrested and detained on the day of his US citizenship interview by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for pro-Palestinian activities. In  a similar case, Mahmoud Khalil, another Palestinian green card holder was also detained and ordered to be deported. Trump also froze federal fundings of the Universities demanding from them to contain pro-Palestinian movements. Harvard hit back with a lawsuit.

These activities echo the era of Hooverism—also known as Mccarthysim—a time in the fifties of political repression and persecution of alleged Communists. 

Further, Trump’s activities test the limits of his executive power and political consensus, and even the constitution—moves that increasingly resemble autocratic tendencies.

A while ago, when asked if he’s thinking of a third tenure, he didn’t rule out seeking it, stating, "A lot of people want me to do it. I'm not joking" and further adding “there are methods”. The US Constitution bars holding the presidency more than twice.

While Trump’s ambiguous response is set to spark debate and anxiety among the Americans in the coming days, it also sends a global signal for politicians to pursue more hardline leadership styles.

The US, as many know as a symbol to and guardian of freedoms, is undergoing profound changes, and the world is heeding in different ways.