 "Trump@100: From signing executive orders to tariffs, 10 key moments from US president's time in office")
US President Donald Trump has been in the Oval Office for 100 days now. And, a lot has changed in this time. Since the US president’s return to the White House, several policies, including the US foreign policy have turned upside down. His policies have also sent shock waves through financial markets.
As Trump completes 100 days in office, let us take a closer look at 10 key moments from his second term as president.
Trump signs 26 decrees on his first day
Trump took his first day very seriously and signed nearly 26 decrees . He set the tone of his second term when he signed the decrees to pull the US out of the World Health Organisation and pardoned the rioters who invaded the US Capitol four years earlier.
Claims to relocate Palestinians from Gaza
During a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Trump stated that the war-torn Gaza Strip, which houses over two million Palestinians, could be transformed into “the Riviera of the Middle East.”
He subsequently proposed a plan for the United States to assume control of the territory for redevelopment purposes, expressing his aspiration for the removal of Palestinians from Gaza. This proposition triggered widespread international condemnation.
Elon Musk and his young son join Trump at the Oval Office
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk joined the 78-year-old president for a news conference in the Oval Office. He was accompanied by his young son X , full name X Æ A-Xii. During the conference, the head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, dismissed criticisms of a lack of transparency and possible conflicts of interest.
Trump ends years of diplomatic isolation of Vladimir Putin
In a historic move, Trump held a 90-minute phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin . This move ended years of diplomatic isolation with Russia.
Following the initial call, a second communication occurred on February 28, succeeded by several bilateral meetings between the United States and Russia, from which European powers were excluded. This developing reestablishment of relations has thus far resulted in two instances of prisoner exchange between the two nations.
JD Vance criticises European leaders
Vice President JD Vance sent shock waves across the world and Europe, particularly when he criticised the European leaders at the Munich Security Conference. He reprimanded them for limiting freedom of expression, urged them to “increase” their defence contributions, and voiced criticism regarding their immigration policies.
His broadside and others that follow from the Trump administration signal an end to the old trans-Atlantic certainties regarding US support for Europe.
Trump chides Zelenskyy during White House meet
During a tense, televised meeting at the White House, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was subjected to verbal criticism from Trump and Vance , who expressed disapproval of his perceived lack of gratitude for US support.
“Trump and Vance are doing Putin’s dirty work,” Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer posts on social media.
Trump administration cuts grants to several US universities
The Trump administration accused several US universities of tolerating anti-Semitism at demonstrations on campus denouncing Israel’s war in Gaza.
It cut $400 million in federal grants to Columbia University over claims the institution stood by “in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students” following anti-Israel protests. More recently, it has frozen $2.2 billion in federal funding to Harvard University, threatening to strip its tax-exempt status as a non-profit institution after it resisted moves to submit to government oversight.
Expulsion of suspected gang members to El Salvador jail
The Trump administration uses an obscure wartime law to justify the expulsion of more than 200 suspected gang members to a high-security jail in El Salvador. Challenged by the courts, the affair has gone to the Supreme Court. The executive branch has refused to back down and one federal judge now says there is “probable cause” to find the administration in contempt of court for ignoring a stay order on the expulsions.
Trump’s plans of taking over Greenland
Trump doubled down on comments in December that the US needs Greenland and refused to rule out the use of force two days before a visit there by Vance and his wife.
“We need Greenland for international safety and security,” he said. “We have to have it.” Danish leaders react sharply and the Vances do not in the end meet members of Greenlandic society, restricting their visit to the US military base there.
Trump announces massive tariffs
On April 2, Trump announced a wave of huge tariffs against swaths of the world’s countries, accusing them of taking advantage of the United States.
By April 9, the day his tariffs are due to come into force, Trump performs a partial climbdown. He reduces tariffs on most of the world’s imports to a blanket 10 percent for a 90 day period, while China tariffs soar to 145 percent on many imports. The crisis has rattled world markets, sent the price of gold soaring and hit the value of the dollar.
With inputs from AFP
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