It’s Been One Month. How’s the Trump Agenda Going? – NBCNews.com
One month in, Donald Trump's presidency looks much like his campaign: a continual series of crises.
Trump's formula worked in the campaign and led to his surprise victory. So far, however, his administration is having trouble turning his election promises into a functioning government.
Trump has been confronted with a series of administrative crises while struggling to move the ball on key policy priorities. He even returned to the campaign trail in Florida on Saturday.
At his first solo news conference last week, Trump likened his White House to a "fine-tuned machine." But the president was in the midst of a personnel crisis after firing national security adviser Michael Flynn. Trump's first choice to replace him, retired Navy Vice Adm. Robert Harward, turned him down. On Monday, however, he named Army Lt. General H.R. McMaster to the post, a widely respected figure in military circles.
The White House has also been bogged down in side battles over such issues as the size of the crowd at his inauguration to voter fraud conspiracies, sapping attention and draining aides.
One of Trump's signature policy initiatives, blocking travel and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, has been held up by the courts and widely panned for its faulty deployment. And there are ongoing issues surrounding his potential conflicts of interest and recent reports linking campaign advisers to Russia.
Trump has said the focus on those struggles overlooks success elsewhere.
He has argued that other executive orders he's signed, besides the travel order, deserve more attention, along with emerging work on foreign policy, trade and energy. Many of his key Cabinet choices have been confirmed despite a wall of Democratic opposition, which delayed their Senate votes and helped derail his first nominee for labor secretary, Andy Puzder.
"There has never been a presidency that's done so much in such a short period of time," Trump said.
But most of Trump's executive orders are still limited in scope, and some of the more far-reaching proposals face serious obstacles before they can take effect.
Congress has yet to send major legislation to his desk, apart from measures to roll back some regulations issued in the last months of President Barack Obama's administration.
In many cases, the new administration still hasn't worked out consistent positions on such important issues as health care, immigration and taxes, which makes it hard to judge their progress.
There's also still a feeling-out period abroad, as world leaders nervously try to determine which of Trump's more unorthodox proposals were campaign rhetoric and which ones are new policies.
At the same time, Trump has attended to some less difficult campaign promises and laid the groundwork for potentially major moves. There's still plenty of time to regroup, but the first 100 days are considered crucial to enacting a new president's agenda. One month in, here's a look at some of the movement Trump has made.
Trump made no mention in his inaugural address of repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, despite its being a cherished Republican priority. Yet the future of the ACA, or "Obamacare," may end up as the defining policy fight of Trump's presidency.
Republican hopes for rapid repeal have been deflated by intraparty disagreements on policy and procedure.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, says legislation is imminent that would partly repeal and at least partly replace the ACA. But details are scarce, and there's a widening divide between conservatives, who want a cheaper replacement that would likely cover fewer people, and moderates (especially in the Senate) who are reluctant to adopt changes that would take Medicaid or private insurance from those who have obtained it under the law.
Part of the problem is that Trump's own orders have been unclear. He initially said he would release his own plan that would include "insurance for everybody" and "much lower deductibles," but so far Congress is taking the lead.
Trump said at his news conference to expect an "initial plan" in March, without specifying its origin. It's not yet clear whether he'll intervene if Republican leaders produce legislation that falls short of his coverage goals or violates his pledge not to cut Medicaid spending, which looks especially likely in the House.
In the meantime, ACA exchanges are troubled as more insurers pull out, and delays in naming a replacement plan could spook companies further. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price has taken some steps to try to stabilize the market while the administration works out a replacement.
The Trump administration moved quickly to implement a version of Trump's pledge to enact "extreme vetting" of travelers and a freeze on refugees from countries that pose "security concerns" a climbdown from his initial proposal to ban all Muslim travel to the United States, which almost no Republican official supported.
The confusing rollout of the executive order ended up trapping permanent U.S. residents at airports and generating widespread protests. It was blocked by the courts, which prompted an enraged response from the president. Trump has since said he plans to issue a new order rather than continue to defend the original one in court.
But there's been other movement on immigration, too. Trump issued executive orders to build his signature wall along the Mexican border, cut funding to so-called sanctuary cities and expand deportations. The Homeland Security Department is considering further directives that could authorize officials to detain and deport certain undocumented immigrants more quickly.
The wall, which would require funding from Congress, faces a variety of legal and logistical hurdles, and it's not clear that the White House has much leverage over local governments. But the administration's order broadening its deportation priorities beyond serious criminals might already be having an impact.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say recent raids and arrests are in line with policies under Obama, but immigration activists say Trump's orders are spurring authorities to go further. In one case, a mother of two children who are U.S. citizens was arrested and deported, even though she had checked in with immigration authorities regularly after a 2008 arrest for using a false Social Security number to work.
Other areas are still to be determined.
Trump has held off calls from the right to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, which protects young undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children, but his long-term position is ambiguous. He told reporters "I love these kids" last week, saying the situation was a "very difficult subject" that required "heart," without elaborating on policy details.
His stance on legal immigration and foreign work visas is also unclear, and it could pit advisers against one another.
This is arguably Trump's biggest success so far. His choice of Neil Gorsuch to fill the Supreme Court seat left open by the death of Antonin Scalia earned universal praise from Republicans, and the rollout has been relatively smooth, even if Trump wasn't always happy with the process. Gorsuch hasn't been confirmed yet, however.
Trade is another area in which Trump has had at least one significant accomplishment: He formally rejected the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which he attacked regularly on the campaign trail.
Trump has continued to criticize Mexico for what he claims are unfair trade practices, and he reiterated his demand that Mexico pay for a border wall, which prompted Mexican President Enrique Pea Nieto to cancel a planned meeting.
At the same time, Trump has suggested that Congress fund construction of a wall immediately, even if no agreement with Mexico is in place. Republican leaders in Congress sound amenable, but there's no legislation yet.
The president said at a news conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that he still plans to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, but his primary concerns were with Mexico and not Canada.
Trump signed executive orders advancing approval of the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines, a departure from Obama administration policy. Smoothing their progress was a popular promise among Republicans during the campaign, but it faces opposition from environmental groups and Native American activists.
There could be more action soon, however. When he was attorney general of Oklahoma, Scott Pruitt, now the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, led lawsuits against the federal government's regulations on emissions tied to climate change. Environmental groups are gearing up for a fight over what they expect to be a major effort to dismantle them.
Trump has also questioned climate science and criticized regulations and international agreements surrounding the topic as overly burdensome to business.
Trump campaigned on a pledge to cut taxes, although he was inconsistent on the details and changed plans entirely late in the race. He's identified tax reform as a top priority since winning in November.
As with repealing the Affordable Care Act, it's a popular Republican idea on paper, but it's troubled in practice a month into Trump's presidency. And as with health care, Trump has made fairly confusing statements about what he expects from a deal.
House Republican leaders want to adopt a new border adjustment tax, which would penalize companies that rely heavily on imported goods, to finance an across-the-board cut in corporate tax rates. Trump criticized the idea shortly before he took office, but he has since indicated that he might be open to it.
Manufacturers, whom Trump has emphasized in speeches, like the idea, but big retailers, who rely on cheap goods from abroad to stock their stores, are gearing up for a major campaign to stop it.
Trump and top advisers like Stephen Bannon have long mentioned infrastructure spending as a top priority to generate jobs and fix crumbling roads, bridges and airports. But so far, there hasn't been much visible movement in Congress.
Steve Bannon MANDEL NGAN / AFP - Getty Images
Democrats are
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, told reporters last week that Republicans still expect to tackle the issue in some form, but he has previously warned the White House against spending too much.
Nowhere has Trump broken further from mainstream politics than in foreign policy, with even few Republican lawmakers willing to fully endorse his views.
Since taking office, Trump has sent mixed messages on his priorities, with a mix of conciliatory moves and more aggressive ones, and world leaders have
Trump has praised the use of torture even as he says he won't implement it and he has suggested that he might consider seizing Iraq's oil in the future, which Defense Secretary James Mattis
Trump is noted for his calls for closer relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he praised often during the campaign. That story got more attention after Flynn resigned over his discussions with Russia's ambassador to the United States and reports unconfirmed by NBC News that several Trump aides had contact with Russian intelligence officials during the campaign.
Trump was reluctant to accept the intelligence community's consensus report that Putin was behind hacks against his political opponents, and he has dismissed interest in the cyber-attack as an effort to undermine his legitimacy.
Policy changes toward Russia are still a work in progress, however.
Trump's secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, faced extra scrutiny from senators in both parties for his business ties to Putin. Mattis is
Vice President Mike Pence, who often took more conventional positions during the campaign,
Trump criticized NATO throughout the campaign and alarmed world leaders when he appeared to suggest that the United States might not defend an ally from a Russian attack if it hadn't paid its dues. Mattis praised NATO extensively in his confirmation hearings, but he also warned in Europe last week that the United States would "
In other areas, early bluster has given way to a different reality. After the election, Trump said he potentially would abandon the "One China" policy toward Taiwan and China as leverage to negotiate a trade deal. But he quickly backed down this month and
The Trump administration also reaffirmed its commitment to defend Japan and South Korea after the president threatened to withdraw his support as a candidate and even suggested that both countries might be better off pursuing nuclear weapons rather than relying on U.S. protection.
On Israel, his administration has
Trump also surprised some observers by opposing Israeli settlements and indicating interest in a new peace initiative at a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, even as he kept his criticism gentler than Obama had.
View original post here:
It's Been One Month. How's the Trump Agenda Going? - NBCNews.com
- Map Shows Donald Trump's Approval Rating in Every State on 4th of July - Newsweek - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Keir Starmer says good relationship with Donald Trump based on shared family values - The Guardian - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Donald Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Heads Back to the House: What's Next? - Newsweek - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- The play-by-play of the 24-hour war of words between Elon Musk and Donald Trump - Business Insider - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Donald Trump Says Hes Found a Group of Very Wealthy People to Buy TikTok and Keep App in U.S. - Variety - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Says Group Of "Very Wealthy People" Looking To Acquire TikTok - Deadline - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Confirmed to Return with Speaking Part in Disney World's Hall of Presidents - WDWMagic - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Warns NY Mayor Candidate Zohran Mamdani: 'Do the Right Thing' - Newsweek - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Donald Trump says 'very wealthy group' has agreed to buy TikTok in the US - Sky News - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Orchestrated grovel: critics react to Europes attempts to tame Donald Trump - The Guardian - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Is About to Confront the Real Reason the US Keeps Starting Wars - Politico - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Cuts Off Trade Talks With Canada, 'Effective Immediately' - Newsweek - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Jen's Version: Are we really going to pretend Donald Trump is concerned about classified material? - MSNBC News - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Makes Major Change to Mortgages: What to Know - Newsweek - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- 'It's possible' Putin will invade more than Ukraine, says Donald Trump - Euronews.com - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Nobel Peace Prize Nomination Withdrawn - Newsweek - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Dear heads of state: Donald Trump wont love you back. He may be the worst boyfriend the world has ever seen - The Guardian - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Marjorie Taylor Greene Flips Out Over 'Dirty Rumors' About Her And Donald Trump - Yahoo - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- 'How angry Donald Trump is': Social media reacts to Trump dropping F-bomb live on TV - Times of India - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- President Donald Trump: The strikes were a spectacular military success - Fox News - June 22nd, 2025 [June 22nd, 2025]
- Donald Trump Bombs Iran, and America Waits - The New Yorker - June 22nd, 2025 [June 22nd, 2025]
- Bombing Iran, Donald Trump is triggering a tragedy that Thucydides foretold long ago - The Forward - June 22nd, 2025 [June 22nd, 2025]
- Is Donald Trump an Antagonist or Champion of the Gay Community? - The New York Times - June 22nd, 2025 [June 22nd, 2025]
- Donald Trump to Address Nation After Attacking Iran Nuclear Sites - Newsweek - June 22nd, 2025 [June 22nd, 2025]
- Donald Trump says US has attacked three Iranian nuclear sites and totally obliterated them - The Guardian - June 22nd, 2025 [June 22nd, 2025]
- Juventus meet Donald Trump at the White House as he discusses Iran conflict and transgender women in sport - The New York Times - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Trump denies approving Iran attack plan but will make decision within two weeks | Donald Trump - The Guardian - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Donald Trump's National Park Tip Line Flooded With Angry Messages - Newsweek - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Opinion | What the Godfather of American Conservatism Would Think About Donald Trump - Politico - June 16th, 2025 [June 16th, 2025]
- The quiet truce between Gavin Newsom and Donald Trump is over - CalMatters - June 10th, 2025 [June 10th, 2025]
- Gavin Newsom Dares Donald Trump to Arrest Him: 'Get It Over With' - Newsweek - June 10th, 2025 [June 10th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Accused Of Inciting Violence With Chilling New Rhyme - Yahoo News - June 10th, 2025 [June 10th, 2025]
- Opinion | Donald Trump vs. California (and everywhere else) - The Washington Post - June 10th, 2025 [June 10th, 2025]
- 'So much for being nice guy': Donald Trump reignites trade tensions, warns China it has violated tariff d - Times of India - May 30th, 2025 [May 30th, 2025]
- Mike Pence Accuses Donald Trump of Ignoring Constitution - Newsweek - May 30th, 2025 [May 30th, 2025]
- We demanded justice after George Floyds death. Donald Trump made things worse, but we fight on | Al Sharpton - The Guardian - May 26th, 2025 [May 26th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Posts All-Caps Memorial Day Message Attacking USA Hating Judges And Scum Who Are Trying To Destroy Our Country - Deadline - May 26th, 2025 [May 26th, 2025]
- CNN abruptly stopped for breaking news as Donald Trump explodes at reporter over Ukraine question - The Mirror US - May 26th, 2025 [May 26th, 2025]
- Donald Trump is throttling Americas oil industry - The Economist - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Donald Trump prizes more Gulf investment in the US - BBC - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Vows to Reduce Prescription Drug Costs by Up to 80 Percent - Newsweek - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- What is habeas corpus and why might Donald Trump want to suspend it? - BBC - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Donald Trump calls for 20,000 new officers to aid with deportations - BBC - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Donald Trump is a bigger threat to UK than terrorists, poll says - politico.eu - May 8th, 2025 [May 8th, 2025]
- Donald Trump to announce 'major trade deal' with a big and highly respected nation - Times of India - May 8th, 2025 [May 8th, 2025]
- Donald Trump picks the wrong trade fight with China - The Economist - April 30th, 2025 [April 30th, 2025]
- Donald Trump says he will be talking to Australias prime minister about tariffs - The Guardian - April 30th, 2025 [April 30th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Names His Dream Successor for Pope Francis Ahead of the Papal Conclave - People.com - April 30th, 2025 [April 30th, 2025]
- Giants say they had no conversations with Donald Trump about Saquon Barkley - NBC Sports - April 30th, 2025 [April 30th, 2025]
- Donald Trump is proving disastrous for big tech - The Economist - April 30th, 2025 [April 30th, 2025]
- Opinion | Donald Trump Is Selling the White House to the Highest Bidder - The New York Times - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- 'Kicking butt' or 'going too fast'? Donald Trump voters reflect on 100 days - BBC - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Donald Trump's approval rating takes a hit as he reaches 100 days: New polls - USA Today - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Experts On Russia Say Donald Trump Is Wrong About The War In Ukraine - Forbes - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Donald Trump went after one of America's top law firms. Its decision to fight back took just two hours. - Business Insider - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Sweeping change. Donald Trump voters reflect on controversial first 100 days of second term. - Chicago Tribune - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Donald Trump wants celebrities to kiss the ring. Bill Maher did: wholl be next? | Emma Brockes - The Guardian - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- Donald Trump's trip to Pope Francis' funeral puts a sharper focus on their clashes over the years - AP News - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Is Tanking One of Americas Greatest Exports in the Middle of a Trade War - Slate - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- 'Reality bites Donald Trump in the you know where': China contradicts the White House over tariffs - MSNBC News - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- Donald Trump's "Objectively Embarrassing And Hilarious" Message To Vladimir Putin Is Now A Meme - Yahoo - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- The Nobel is just the start: 16 imagined victories for Donald Trump | Ariel Dorfman - The Guardian - April 21st, 2025 [April 21st, 2025]
- Is Donald Trump Breaking the Law? Seven Experts Weigh In. - The Free Press - April 21st, 2025 [April 21st, 2025]
- JD Vance: Donald Trump's Global 'Bad Cop' In His First 100 Days In Office - NDTV - April 21st, 2025 [April 21st, 2025]
- What is the Insurrection Act? What To Know as Donald Trump Deadline Hits - Newsweek - April 21st, 2025 [April 21st, 2025]
- Vince Vaughn Visits Donald Trump and The White House Shares Wedding Crashers Parody Poster - Variety - April 21st, 2025 [April 21st, 2025]
- President Donald Trump Is Saving Social Security Hundreds of Millions of Dollars per Year. But Is It Enough to Prevent Benefit Cuts? - Yahoo Finance - April 21st, 2025 [April 21st, 2025]
- We knew Donald Trump is bad at business. Now the world does, too. | Sheneman cartoon - NJ.com - April 14th, 2025 [April 14th, 2025]
- Donald Trump is now badly wounded. Europe and the UK can seize an advantage - The Guardian - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- Bill Maher Says Donald Trump Was Gracious and Willing to Listen During White House Visit - hollywoodreporter.com - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- Bill Maher Recounts Surprising Meeting With Gracious and Measured Donald Trump - TV Insider - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- Bill Maher's full monologue on his Donald Trump meeting: Read the transcript - USA Today - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- Donald Trump's tariffs on China, EU and more, at a glance - BBC - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Says 'Market Is Going To Boom,' Claiming '$6-7 Trillion' Worth Of Inflows Will Come After The Worst Selloff Since 2020 - Yahoo Finance - April 5th, 2025 [April 5th, 2025]
- Live updates: 'Hands Off!' protesters rally against Donald Trump, Elon Musk - The Hill - April 5th, 2025 [April 5th, 2025]
- Donald Trump's Tariff Formula 'Based on an Error'Conservative Think Tank - Newsweek - April 5th, 2025 [April 5th, 2025]
- The ridiculous real story behind the tariff plan that turned Donald Trump into a global disaster - MSNBC News - April 5th, 2025 [April 5th, 2025]
- "Hang Tough, It Won't Be Easy": Donald Trump To Americans Amid Tariff War - NDTV - April 5th, 2025 [April 5th, 2025]
- This Economic Paradox Nearly Took Down Three Presidents. Is Donald Trump Next? - Politico - April 5th, 2025 [April 5th, 2025]
- Donald Trump says he is very angry with Vladimir Putin over Ukraine - The Guardian US - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]