Trump's Next 100 Days: The Real Test Begins

After a Fast Start, Trump Faces a Tougher Road in His Second 100 Days

President Donald Trump launched his presidency with a whirlwind of executive orders aimed at swiftly fulfilling campaign promises, shrinking the federal government, and redefining America's global role. But the road ahead is more complex. Now, the self-proclaimed "dealmaker-in-chief" must navigate a divided Republican Party in Congress to turn his ambitions into lasting legislative achievements.

“Trump’s first 100 days were notable for their speed and impact. The hard part starts now,” said Stephen Dover, chief market strategist at Franklin Templeton Institute, in a memo to investors. “The next phase shifts to the challenge of passing laws and reducing the deficit. That means forging coalitions in Congress.”

In his first three months, Trump exercised executive power more aggressively than any recent president, signing over 140 actions on immigration, cultural issues, and cutting bureaucracy. But executive orders have limited staying power and often face legal or constitutional hurdles — as Trump experienced early on.

For lasting change, he’ll need Congress to pass laws, especially on big-ticket items like tax reform, border security, and energy. Yet, with declining approval ratings and skepticism about his handling of key issues, his political capital is under strain.

Trump’s record on legislative wins is mixed. While he brokered the Abraham Accords and revised trade terms with Canada — only to later damage them with tariffs — he failed to repeal Obamacare and made no progress with North Korea despite high-profile summits. Congress, meanwhile, managed to pass just five laws in his first 100 days, the fewest in decades.

The GOP has set a July 4 deadline to pass key elements of Trump’s agenda, including extensions to the 2017 tax cuts and promises to eliminate taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security payments. But internal divisions threaten to derail progress. Conservatives demand deep spending cuts to offset the $5 trillion cost of the tax proposals, while moderates worry about gutting programs like Medicaid.

“This next stretch will be a lot trickier,” said Andrew Koneschusky, a veteran tax policy negotiator. “In tax legislation, math is the ultimate adult in the room. You can’t cheat it.”

Time is short. With the 2026 midterms looming, Trump’s legislative window could close fast. He's banking on the Senate’s reconciliation process to bypass Democrats — a necessity, given fierce opposition. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has denounced Trump’s agenda as “unconscionable” and pledged to block it entirely.