Readers give their verdict on Trump’s 100 days: ‘Extraordinary destruction’

The first 100 days of Donald Trump’s second term have polarized the United States and the world.

Public opinion polls show the president’s approval rating is around 40% – having flipped from positive to negative since his inauguration. A vast majority of Americans are worried about a recession and how his trade war will affect the economy.

The Guardian asked readers to react to what the president said would be an “extraordinary” first 100 days in office.

Here, 100 Guardian readers share their thoughts on the first 100 days in 100 words or less:

A whirlwind 100 days

The 100 worst days of my life.

– James McGraw, Louisiana, 76 years old, retired

It’s extraordinary that he has made 100 days feel like 1,000.

– Joe, New Zealand

This was the plan and now it’s in action. People who were shocked weren’t listening, and the people who knew were mocked and called crazy.

– Aleesa Edwards, Georgia, 17, high school senior

I’m fearful of the future. And I’m sad to see what’s happening to our democracy and the erosion of our freedoms. So many people are suddenly less safe due to the policies of this administration. We’ve gone backwards.

– T Handley, Huntsville, Alabama, 44, working in the real estate industry

He’s an abuser, he’s a liar, and he fakes his golf game.

– Chris, Maine, 47

The pace and breadth of his destruction of the constitution and federal government makes me ill. I’ve never felt so afraid and powerless, but I suppose that is his goal.

– Amanda Harris, Louisiana, 42, caregiver for two disabled people

I didn’t vote for Trump, but I know that a lot of people regret it now because they realise they’ve voted against their own interests.

– Megan, Brainerd, Minnesota, 28, pregnant and disabled

Trump has succeeded in extraordinary destruction. He has warmongered, gutted time-honoured institutions and endangered everything Americans hold dear.

– Taraneh Ghajar, Washington DC, public relations

He’s a stupid, selfish, crass and unremarkable man. He knows this and is just taking it out on the rest of us. His first 100 days have been a nightmare.

– Paige Harris, Swansboro, North Carolina, 37, student and substitute teacher

His first 100 days? Deplorable!

– Christopher Stevens, Chattanooga, Tennessee, data analyst

President Trump has packed so much into his second presidency that I’m so excited about. The end of “woke” nonsense, DEI, etc has been a welcome step forward. The cutting the fat mentality has also been eye-opening and I’m excited to see corruption sniffed out and efficiency take hold.

– David, Davenport, Florida, 43, radio personality

Unmitigated disaster!

– Arjen Bootsma, Atlanta, Georgia, 60, county engineer

I’m terrified and angry and terrified for my teens and what type of future they will have, let alone my life as a middle-aged person with retired, elderly parents.

– Michele West, Oregon, 52, stay-at-home mom

Few of the promises he made to his supporters have been kept: the wars in Ukraine and Gaza are not over; the stock market has tanked; inflation can only go up due to tariffs; Musk is wreaking havoc, while failing to hit the trillions in cuts he projected. But on the positive side, I think Democrats will win big in 2026 and 2028, if this continues. Or rather, they should.

– Lucas Miller, Locust Valley, New York, TV advertising producer

Our other branches of government seem content to just sit back and let him do it. I have been waiting since his first campaign for the thing that would be “bad enough” to get everyone to wake up to his lunacy, but apparently we still aren’t there yet.

– Lacy, Colorado, marketing consultant

Trump has delivered on his promises with bold action and clear results. He prioritized securing the border, reinstated strong immigration policies, and finished the wall in key areas. Trump revitalized the economy by slashing regulations and bringing jobs back to America. He defended American energy, withdrew from harmful global agreements, and put American interests first. His swift executive actions dismantled Biden-era diversity mandates and returned power to the people. Trump restored law and order, backed law enforcement, and strengthened the military. In just 100 days, he kept his word and proved that leadership rooted in patriotism can get results fast.

– Felix Basco, Las Vegas, Nevada, chef

Short of a nuclear holocaust or a successful junta, it’s hard to imagine things can get much worse.

– Don Stevens, Washington, 68, IT in education

Trump has gutted our rights, social safety net, allies and trade relationships.

– Larry Gassan, Camarillo, California, mostly retired

We’re going to have to come up with a new word for whatever’s worse than a cluster fuck.

– Mark Warren, Michigan, 63, retired

His all-out assault on our freedom, our climate, our international relations, and our financial security is not only impulsive and ill-advised, it is dangerous to our democracy.

– Larry, Arlington, Texas, 65, retired

Fear and sorrow for my lovely planet, children, grandchildren, future. Aghast at the inhuman choices for cutting funding to science, the poor, everything just to enrich the rich. Totally engaged in personal and community resistance to the local politics and regime in place. Will never show loyalty to this buffoon.

– Elise, Michigan, retired

If this is what people define as great, they need to refer to a dictionary. I don’t know who is doing well under this administration except Trump and his buddies.

– Will C

The worst presidency I have personally lived through. An idiotic president with an incompetent cabinet that is working hard to dismantle our great country and its institutions.

– Preet, California, 32, software engineer

Are you familiar with the story of Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius? The only difference is that Trump will disappear all the bodies. Evidence? What evidence?

– Steven Baty, Maine, 65, retired

Full of chaos, cruelty and completely unconcerned with anyone but himself.

– Jen, Gainesville, Florida, retired doctor

There is no rating low enough. The Maga party is a danger to our country.

– Chris Gates, Portland, Oregon, healthcare worker

At this point, optimism has come down to hoping he’ll do something so horrendous that I’ll qualify as a political refugee in a functional nation. Spain, I’m looking a ti.

– Henry Quinn, Maine, 50, tutoring

He led his base to believe he was going to make our life better. He never gave details about how his plan would work. Now things appear to be off track. He has convinced his voters that they will have to suffer for a while before things get better. Yet many of his voters still believe him. I don’t know why.

– Bert, Wisconsin, chemical processes industry

It has been a catastrophic presidency. I am embarrassed and ashamed of his actions, words and decisions.

– Candace

It’s a daily rollercoaster, it is overwhelming and shocking. We are protesting, we are making calls to government officials. Trump doesn’t seem to care how he treats Americans. It is disgusting and quite terrifying!

– J Bowman, Alaska, 45, accountant

Trump has acted exactly as promised and expected. He promised tariffs; he delivered in a typical spasmodic manner. He promised an immigration crackdown; he delivered a “best that I can do” waddle. He promised dictatorship on day one; he’s done his best to supersede his incompetence.

– Darryl K, Virginia, retired

Chaotic at best, mediocre for sure, and totally fucked-up.

– Erik Charpentier, Montreal, Canada

He has succeeded beyond my greatest fears.

– Joe, California, business owner/operator

Trump’s second term has unfolded about as we expected, with an administration equal parts billionaire grifters and incompetent sycophants.

– Jim Summerville, South Carolina, 65, healthcare IT consultant

Trump has succeeded in remaking the government in his image and cowing Congress and rankling markets and all, but on a day-to-day level, on the ground, nothing has changed. Everything feels eerily normal. There’s a disconnect between everyday reality and Washington.

– Stephen Twentyman, northern Virginia, 39, meat guy at Walmart

Trump’s first hundred days are great; if you don’t care about clean air, clean water, freedom of speech, freedom of choice, or democracy.

– Craig, northern California, 78, retired high school teacher and Vietnam veteran

Project 2025

The nation was told by Trump, pre-election, that he knew nothing about Project 2025. On day one he swiftly began implementation of the program.

– Shirley Deakins, Tennessee, retired professional nurse

He seems to be following Project 2025 pretty closely. As of now, for me, little has changed in my daily life. But I drip with privilege. Everything he’s doing, he promised to do during the election. Anyone clutching their pearls at this time is a performance artist seeking attention.

– Paul Grajnert, Beverly Shores, Indiana, 60, writer, film-maker, social worker

He’s followed the Project 2025 plan alarmingly closely, occasionally veering off on his own to be extra crazy.

– James Gosling, California, 69, retired

Endangering democracy

I grew up hearing my grandmother’s stories about when the Germans came to her village in the 1930s, and I’m watching it happen all over again.

– Michelle, New Orleans

By definition Trump has succeeded at being extraordinary in almost all negative ways. He has violated laws, norms, decency, human rights, and morals. He is doing what his wealthy funders want and destroying all the best things in America

– Oliver

He governs like a bull in a china shop, preferring chaos over law and order.

– Jacob Hansen DO, North Carolina, 48, physician

Trump is tearing down the foundations of American democracy, aspiring for autocracy, in service to fellow billionaires.

– Bruce Brod, Sequim, Washington, 76, retired software and IT manager

Trump is a psychopathic narcissist who is destroying the US, abetted by the spineless Congress. My father fought in the second world war to free Europe. He would be heartbroken to see those alliances destroyed. I am enraged and I am fighting back.

– Kathy Callaway, Woodacre, California, 75 years old

I feel like the iron curtain is falling over our country.

– Sara, Detroit, Michigan, 39, IT project manager

I knew Trump hoped to make drastic changes to the country on every level, but I thought saner heads would prevail and keep him in check.

– Christine, Georgia, 70, retired

Efforts to abolish ‘‘DEI’’ policies have been effective, and, in my opinion, need to be a continued focus of the current administration. Likewise, there has been some success in “downsizing”, or abolishing, some federal agencies, notably the US Agency for International Development. The motivation for previous US administrations to make an open-ended commitment to underwriting “social” programs in foreign countries was difficult to justify. Closing down such programs seemed appropriate.

– Martin F Heyworth, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 78, retired academic

He and his henchmen promised to institute fascism and they did.

– Mac Markeiwicz, Reno, Nevada, teacher

He has only riled up his supporters and base. He has hurt the majority of Americans with his attacks on the environment, education and health system. He is a nightmare one cannot wake from.

– Matthew Gallagher, New York, retired teacher

He’s taking us backwards in time.

– Teri Poyner, Colorado Springs, Colorado, disabled

Trump does not have the burden of responsibility for his rash actions.

– Frank Boekhout, Sint Maarten, retired teacher

One fails to remember how shortsighted and simple his mind is. When you elect a monkey, don’t then blame the monkey when he throws excrement on the walls.

– Jâms Ward, Liverpool, United Kingdom, musician and housing officer

If a foreign power had managed to gut federal agencies, crash the markets, alienate allies and take citizens off the streets and “disappear” them, it would be considered an act of war. The old America would muster all its resources and obliterate the attacker. But, the current lawless Republican cult is an insidious cancer consuming us from the inside.

– JP Hussey, Columbia, Maryland, 67, retired

[Trump] has also succeeded in showing how you build an oligarchy in the west.

– Gil Garces, Porto, Portugal, 43, entrepreneur

No time in our history have so many civil liberties been stripped while simultaneously destroying our global positions of strength economically and democratically. I am not sure the majority of Americans have realized the strides towards authoritarianism that have been made and am afraid they won’t realize before it’s too late.

– Ryan Sweet, South Carolina, 32, restaurant manager

He has gone against the constitution several times, and is slowly destroying our entire system of law.

– Victoria, Tennessee, 32

He (as expected) hasn’t done a single positive thing for the American people. Plenty for billionaires, his cronies and Musk, but he has not lowered costs for average Americans, hasn’t improved their day-to-day lives and hasn’t kept us safer.

– Sunni Willis, Florida

I wish the media would treat this administration as extraordinary instead of acting as if it’s “normal”. There is nothing normal about it. Trump has very rapidly demolished American democracy. I expect to never have another free and fair election in this country. He will simply declare a national emergency and cancel the elections, leaving his minions in place. The American experiment has failed.

– David, Arizona, 70, auditor

He has managed to turn the entire country into a failed Atlantic City casino. In the words of Pussy Riot we as Americans “have to wake up”.

– Mark, Arkansas, 66, physician

Economic turmoil

The most heartbreaking results of this catastrophic administration are seen daily in the faces and demeanor of my elderly patients, all of whom rely on social security, Medicare or Medicaid for survival. Every single patient is panicked about losing their earned benefits, and most are experiencing some amount of cognitive decline. So they worry. A lot.

– Andrew Maxwell, Thurston county, Washington, 40, in-home caregiver

My situation is not terrible as yet, but further economic turmoil will severely damage my pension and possibly my social security payments.

– Richard, North Carolina, 76, retired university professor

My retirement funds have diminished dramatically. I now add stress about continuing to receive social security and my retirement annuity to stress about healthcare costs and availability, food costs and availability. And stress about my poor children and grandchildren.

– Joan, Michigan, 68, retired healthcare provider

He promised lower prices. That seems to be the last thing he has on his mind. My small retirement fund has lost at least 25% (and counting).

– Michael Lynch, Billings, Montana, 70, retired

As my portfolio declines, my chances of a decent retirement decline. We seniors are through working and we do not have years and years to wait for our portfolios to regain what they have lost.

– Cecil Corson, Westfield, Indiana, retired, sales account representative

He did a phenomenal job of duping conservative working-class voters into voting for him and they will likely pay the biggest price

– Matthew, California, 41, hospitality leader

[Trump] might be able to skip the recession middleman and take us straight to depression – he’s that good. So if that’s the definition of extraordinary, (and with apologies to George W Bush) mission accomplished.

– Sylvia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 69, retired

A dictator wannabe who has simultaneously ruined our economy and our stability, our safety and our good name in the world.

– Deb Edge, Wisconsin, 67, retired

I believe we are headed towards a “Trumpression” – a Trump-led depression that will shake the world.

– Stuart Reis, New York, 75, retired, part-time tai chi instructor

His willingness to compromise the economy was a surprise. The myth that he understands the economy is extremely important to maintaining his power, so I tend to view undermining that as a sort of self-sabotage.

– Jasmine, Wisconsin, 37, self-storage

Everything is worse, scarier and more expensive.

– Joey Gonnella, New York City, 27, artist and college professor

Elon Musk

Trump has not succeeded. Bringing in Elon Musk was a bad idea, including setting up Doge to wreak havoc on our civil servants with firings and layoffs. The appointment of unqualified goons to cabinet positions is without merit.

– Paul G, Marana, Arizona, 65, process consultant

He violates US law and is not held accountable. He’s allowed Musk to destroy our government.

– JM, California, physician

Doge is not doing anything efficiently. It is targeting departments for layoffs that have zero understanding of the departments they are ravaging.

– Chris, Pennsylvania, 56, geriatric healthcare

Dismantling important agencies and betraying allies is lunacy.

– Jeff Stone, San Francisco, California, 73, retired surgeon

The staff around are dreadful. At best “C” players.

– Michael Bruno, New Jersey, management consultant

US leadership around the globe

What has taken me more by surprise is the international chaos. The president and his team have managed to evaporate American soft power in a matter of weeks, yet he seems to think that he can handle international trade like a mob boss running the least subtle protection racket in history. Sometimes I wonder if the country is mere months away from a sort of quiet pariah status. Or perhaps that’s already happened.

– Allan Scott, Sunnyvale, California, 45, software engineer

He has single-handedly wrecked decades of US leadership and international goodwill.

– William, South Carolina, retired teacher

He has destroyed the reputation of the US.

– Gary Farrar, United States, 72, retired

To our friends, allies and those seeking a home, I apologize, and know that many of us stand with you.

– Ian, Alexandria, Virginia, 35, consulting

I am heartbroken over America’s decline in morals and leadership.

– Margaret Szoke, Boulder, Colorado, 71, retired

Our president has isolated us from the rest of the world. We no longer have any allies that trust us.

– Chris, Michigan, non-profit executive

I think Trump has succeeded at further dividing our country, fracturing our institutions and alienating us from the rest of the world.

– Sarah, Reno, Nevada, 39, healthcare admin

Three months ago, I was a proud American. I loved my country, cherished our democracy, and appreciated our government for what it did domestically and internationally. I am now ashamed for all that has transpired these past 100 days.

– Keith, Smalltown, Washington, 67, retired

The US is in danger of losing its powerful position in the world and damaging itself beyond repair.

– Ed Strosser, New York City, 60, contractor and writer

For the first time in my life, I am embarrassed to be an American.

– Matt, Massachusetts, white-collar professional

[W]hen a 79-year-old man says that countries are “kissing his ass” to make deals, it makes me cringe.

– Chris Harvey, Illinois, 74, retired

Tariffs

It has been a disaster. The tariffs have taken away 20% of my business.

– John K Thomas, California, self-employed in manufacturing

The man is a fucking idiot. He has harmed most Americans with Doge, especially, and tariffs.

– Janet L Colbran, Nashville, Tennessee, retired biochemist

Trump’s tariffs are economic lunacy and unfair to Australia where the US had a trade surplus.

– Jim Graham, New South Wales, Australia, 78, retired teacher

This unstable tariff situation seems like a replay from his first time in office, his inability to actually understand finance and manufacturing is only creating uncertainty and fear.

– Wayne Stiles, grants administrator

His Maga base is willing to suffer the consequences to their retirement accounts from his tariff folly yet whined when they had to wear masks during the pandemic. Make it make sense!

– Brian, Massachusetts, 68, semi-retired marketing manager

Trump has choked the life out of the GOP, and is now strangling our economy with his absurd tariffs policy that seems to have been enacted for no reason other than providing a forum for transactional diplomatic flattery and grift.

– Geoff Morrison, San Diego, California

As a small business owner I am now fearful of the cost of my supplies ballooning and becoming unaffordable.

– Steven G Hittelman, California, attorney specializing in family law

Instead of honoring campaign promises to bring down the cost of living and broker peace in Ukraine, he has implemented radical tariffs and brought chaos to international trade agreements; alienated our best allies; and issued a slew of constitutionally questionable if not illegal executive orders.

– John O’Leary, Indiana, retired

Rule of law

Extraordinarily cruel and vindictive toward people who favored diversity and equity, opposed him or denied his false statements about the 2020 election, and pursued basic constitutional rights, including law firms, universities, and private businesses.

– Lewis Kirshner, Waterford, Vermont, retired professor at Harvard Medical School at the Brockton VA Medical Center

Trump has trashed the country, the constitution, our civil rights, and the things this nation was founded on, in order to make himself a king.

– Heather Swierczek, Pottstown, Pennsylvania, 49, physical therapist

Because of Trump we are moving towards a dictatorship. Need I say more?

– Patrick Doherty, Wisconsin, self-employed home remodeler

Diversity and protest

I’m afraid for my profession. I’m a proud librarian. And, I see how my profession and colleagues are being attacked by far-right extremism and how that’s being encouraged by this administration. I don’t plan on taking books off of our shelves because they feature queer characters or rolling back our DEI collection development policy. I feel grateful to live in a more liberal state, but Massachusetts libraries, including my own, have been targeted with challenges to programs and materials.

– Meaghan, Massachusetts, 44, librarian

There’s been an obvious focus on suppressing student dissent on Gaza and that’s frightening, but the Democrats have been almost silent on that front.

– Blair Zarubick, Petaluma, California, 64, living on a fixed income

As a gay man and immigrant, witnessing the rising tide of disrespect and animosity directed towards individuals who embody these dual identities is disheartening. The United States, often regarded as a land of opportunity and freedom, should ideally serve as a sanctuary for all individuals seeking a better life, irrespective of their sexual orientation or nationality.

– Carlo Licheri, Sydney, Australia, interior design