First 100 days of Trump administration ‘an assault’

By Diane Denish, Corner to Corner

This is a commentary piece submitted to NM Political Report. To submit your own, email editor@nm.news.

The first 100 days of the second Donald Trump term can be described as an assault. 

Assault on what? The federal government, due process, our allies, universities, immigrants, health and science, the military, the press, the courts and judges, the economy? Pick one. 

I pay as much attention on a day-to-day basis as possible to stay informed. I read a variety of opinions from journalists and commentators, listen to mainstream media, listen to podcasts and check in with social media. But I’ve yet to find a credible description of Trump’s first 100 days as a success. 

Food prices are up. The wars in Gaza and Ukraine are raging and the U. S. is engaged in a new war in Yemen. DOGE has failed to find fraud and waste costing taxpayers more than it saved. After 139 executive orders, there are 212 legal cases pending over Trump and DOGE overreach. U. S. allies have been alienated; deportations are down while high profile deportation “mistakes” dominate the news. The stock market is in turmoil, down 8.6% since January and Americans are worried about their investments and retirement accounts.

With all that’s going on, it’s hard to focus on just one or two topics, but let’s look at the economy and public health.

Food prices including eggs, meat, poultry and fish were up 1.3% in March. At the same time, consumer confidence fell 5%. In fact, U. S. Consumer confidence has declined every month since Trump’s election to just 52.2%. It was 77% this time last year. A majority of Americans (61%) and top CEOs believe a recession is on the way.

SmartScout, a software platform that analyzes Amazon data, recently reported that prices on over 1000 Amazon products have risen between 6% and 29%. The majority of Amazon products — electronics, baby products, shoes, sports equipment, home and kitchen items and jewelry — are made in China. Vendors who sell these products are responding to Trump’s 145% tariffs on products from China by raising prices or cancelling orders.

Two other online marketplaces, Temu and Shein raised their prices to include “import charges” equal to Trump tariffs. Tens of millions of Americans shop at each of these online stores.

Something even more worrisome is happening under the guise of “Make America Healthy Again.” The administration is gutting science, the heart of public health. While the Secretary of Health and Human Services worries about red dye in foods, he is indiscriminately slashing NIH research funding for dementia, childhood cancer treatments and strokes. Vaccine research is being eliminated. Grants for federal nutrition programs and non-profit meal programs, food banks and schools are being terminated. 

How do you make America healthy when people are hungry? 

The administration is replacing evidence-based science with ideology and cutting funds to universities with long established biomedical research programs. This slash and burn approach is driving scientists away from the U. S. workforce to other countries where research is valued. As one scientist and researcher described it to me, “This is not just a war on science, it’s a full-blown lobotomy of America’s intellect.”

The first 100 days are over, but the full effect of Trump policies is yet to come. Analysts predict the economy will get much worse for Americans in the next 90 days as consumer costs continue to climb and product inventory dwindles. 

The gutting of medical research and ultimately public health will have effects for generations. Americans will be deprived of new cures and treatments. and we will lose our standing in the world as number one in science and medical research. 

Americans are noticing and responding with frustration and disapproval. A CNN poll released April 27 shows Trump with a 41% approval rating – the lowest of any president in seventy years. In 100 days, Trump has dug himself a deep hole and taken America with him.