Commentary
Earlier this month, when the stock market was going wild over the tariff issue, I reminded readers that patience is a virtue. While the market has settled down somewhat, it seems as though some people are now losing faith in President Trump across a range of key issues.
I shouldn’t need to remind people that he has not yet been in office 100 days, but they recall his campaign promises that he will do this or that in his first days in office, namely ending the Ukraine-Russia war and Israel’s conflict with Hamas over Gaza.
Regarding his repeated vow to end the Russia-Ukraine war on Day 1, in a recent interview with Time magazine, he said, “Well, I said that figuratively to make a point. Obviously, people knew that when I said it.”
Those who follow politics know that polling firms chomp at the bit as the 100-day milestone nears, officially April 30, 2025.
It wasn’t surprising, however, to see the headline, “Americans, including Republicans, losing faith in Trump, new polls reveal,” in the latest edition of The Guardian, as the leftist British paper jumped the gun with results from a mid-April New York Times/Siena poll revealing that Americans have a 42 percent approval, 54 percent disapproval of Trump, citing words like “scary” and “chaotic.”
In one sentence, The Guardian, commenting on a poll by the Associated Press-Norc Center for Public Affairs Research revealed Republicans are not overwhelmingly convinced that Trump ‘s attention has been in the right place.
It then followed saying, “54 percent of Republicans surveyed said that Trump is focused on the “right priorities.” In Washington, a 54 percent majority is considered good.
Pew Research Center, obviously anxious to get its name in print with its disapproval numbers on Trump, on April 23, referred to the “roughly 100 days” into his second term, as if that gives them cover when they report “Trump’s job approval had declined across a range of demographic and partisan groups.” Pew reported that Trump’s approval rating dropped seven percent to 40 percent since the 47 percent rating in February, however, unlike The Guardian, Pew noted that 96 percent of those who voted for him approve of the job he is doing as president.
In my April 15, 2025, edition, you may recall, I mentioned the Wall Street Journal piece, “Trust Unshaken: Trump Voters Are Sticking With Their Guy.”
I use poll results from time to time because they are in the news, but I detest them because respondents are generally ill-informed. Take the Pew poll on international policy for example, where respondents believe Trump has put America in a weaker position than Biden, with just 38 percent believing Trump’s policies are strengthening our standing. However, 73 percent of Republicans believe he is putting us in a stronger position. The 86 percent “weaker” response by Democrats reflects their position on America First.
I find it interesting that the same descriptors are used from poll to poll – “gone too far,” “weaker and stronger.”
Of course, the Washington Post couldn’t wait until the milestone day either, citing results from the Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll conducted on April 18, 2025.
“As he nears the end of his first 100 days in office,” they report, “President Donald Trump is facing growing opposition to his ambitious and controversial agenda, with his approval rating in decline, majority opposition to major initiatives, and perceptions that his administration is seeking to avoid complying with federal court orders.”
Ironically, the poll revealed that while Trump’s approval is sliding, he still commands more trust than Democrats in Congress to work on key issues.
Of all publications, the Wall Street Journal is aware of day-to-day fluctuations in numbers, yet a week before the 100-day mark, the paper’s headline reads, “Trump’s First 100 Days, by the Numbers.”
In an optimistic view of the 100-day milestone, Wall Street Journal columnist Kimberly A. Strassel, writes that Trump, while taking a look back at his initial success, might “seize it as his chance to retake the narrative.”
She described his opening months as “mold-breaking,” recalling “day after relentless day” of flooding the zone with new policy directives and reforms – cutting waste, killing regulations and imposing accountability.
Strassel’s comment that the overwhelming actions denied Democrats and the media a chance to turn any one of them into a negative story line was pretty much true, except for the left’s activist judges, who interfered with Trump’s deportation effort.
As a result, about half of Americans (according to the AP/Norc poll) say Trump has “gone too far” deporting illegals living here and oppose revoking foreign students’ visas over anti-American activism. Unbelievable.
“Mr. Trump has a feel for politics,” says Strassel, commenting that it shouldn’t be hard for him to see what works in policy and politics. Suggesting that he may want to use the 100-day reset as a chance to look over his team, but I think he knows who the team players are and those who aren’t will know how to find the door.
I agree with Strassel’s concluding recommendation. “Use the 100-day mark to double-down on Trump 1.0 and never look back.
Pollster Frenk Luntz, appearing to bait Trump voters into expressing displeasure over their retirement accounts, asked for a show of hands among 15 Trump supporters, asking how many of them lost money over the crash of the stock market. Just three raised their hands, with one indicating he had lost more money under the Biden administration.
Boricuaconreazon writing @Latinsucks said: “We are all in for the long term. Ride it out. Stay the course. Willing to take the pain. There will be no America if we don’t fix this.
Time to Celebrate
The president will fly to Michigan on Wednesday to hold a first 100-day rally in Macomb County, a frequent stop during his campaigns. I find it hard to believe that he will not have something up his sleeve to mark the day special.
My Advice
Be prepared for the left to use the 100-day milestone to pick apart Trump’s performance, highlighting “promises (so far) not kept.”
Incidentally, the national average for a gallon of regular gas was $3.17 this week, down 62 cents from this time last year, according to MotorBiscuit.
Remember, too, that tariff deals and delivering on that “big beautiful” bill in the next 100 days will brighten your day.
May God continue to bless the United States of America.
