Trump's first 100 days: A revolution that shook the foundations of the world order

Donald Trump has completed 100 days in office at the epicenter of a total global tsunami of his own making that has affected every existing world order with his executive orders. The more than 210 he has signed in this period of time, the highest number of any president in history, have rewritten the national economic (energy and reduction of government spending control), international (imprisonments), social (war on woke, arrests and deportations of illegal immigrants with criminal records) and international relations landscape. At the moment, the world is really revolving again around the U.S.

Donald Trump wasted no time in his second term and started from minute zero with the signing of more than two dozen executive orders on the very day of his inauguration, with the border and the fight for the elimination of the woke agenda and green policies that stifled the economy as clear priority. In less than a week, he had already signed measures covering all his electoral promises.

This legislative virulence caught everyone by surprise, allies and enemies, who have been forced to face a radically new scenario almost daily with hardly any time to react, let alone take the initiative to stop the Republican whirlwind.

The clearest example is the internal opposition. With the Democratic Party gone and with only a handful of leaders waging war on their own, the only real resistance to Trump has come from the judiciary. At the hands of Democratic attorneys general and judges appointed by the last three Democratic presidents, many of Trump's initiatives are blocked by court orders. Not even the Supreme Court, a priori tailor-made for conservatives, is giving the administration the green light in the judicial trenches.

Border security and immigration policy

The border was one of the keys to Trump's campaign and his arrival at the White House, and a priority for the president from minute zero. With the help of Tom Homan and Kristi Noem on the front lines, the administration has brought encounters with illegal migrants to historic lows almost from day one. With barely a month in the Oval Office, arrivals in a month at key hotspots were lower than those recorded in a day during the height of Biden's tenure.

Raids of gang members and illegal immigrants with criminal records and their deportation either to their country of origin, to Guantanamo, and ultimately to Nayib Bukele's prison in El Salvador are turning the national situation upside down. It is no coincidence that on the eve of his 100th day, Trump signed a new executive order on this matter, tightening policies on sanctuary cities.

Economy

The imposition of tariffs against products from partners and enemies has been one of the biggest earthquakes caused by Donald Trump in the world. With the aim of balancing trade deficits with third countries, and with the imposition of "reciprocal" tariffs on those countries that imposed taxes or legislative measures detrimental to American products, world stock markets have suffered several of the darkest days since the 2008 crisis, while the president assures that if Americans hold out, the benefits will be enormous.

For the moment, only China is challenging the world's leading economic power, with nods to the negotiating table from both sides as the two contenders try to get into a dominant position with their sanctions against each other. The rest of the world is crowding around the doors of the Treasury and Commerce Departments to sit at the table and set new terms. The E.U. is holding its breath waiting for Trump's decisions.

Trump is also applying the principles of his "art of the deal" to the fullest, throwing his partners and adversaries into confusion with his continued tariff announcements and suspensions, keeping everyone in suspense as they await the Republican president's next move.

Energy

Another of his election pledges that he has been quick to address. Biden's Green New Deal is now history with executive orders and the avalanche of measures implemented by Lee Zeldin at the helm of the EPA to "unleash American energy." In addition, the U.S. has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement.

Reducing the cost of government

Under Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the administration has detected hundreds of billions of dollars being spent unchecked and on issues that are shocking to say the least. Despite the resistance of several agencies to seeing their staff or funds cut, DOGE employees have raised proposals for multimillion-dollar spending cuts.

The intensity of the DOGE has put Musk in the crosshairs of the radical left, encouraging boycotts of Tesla and attacks on Tesla vehicles even when they are already in the hands of their owners.

War on woke

The eradication of gender ideology, as well as the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies of the administration have also been among Trump's main priorities. In his first days he ordered the ousting of transgender military members in the military and the prohibition of "radical mutilations" of children for so-called gender reassignment surgeries. He also legislated against the participation of transgender athletes in women's sports.

His crusade against DEI has brought him face to face with major national universities, which he has threatened to freeze funding for if they continue to apply these criteria in admissions. The situation has already claimed the head of the interim president of Columbia University.

International relations

The arrival of Donald Trump has meant a 180-degree turnaround from Joe Biden's policy. Under the "America first" principle, the president has once again brought the world into step with the White House, either to support him or to try to defend against him. In addition to the tariff war, which was previously discussed in the "Economy" section, the Republican president and brand new Hispanic Secretary of State Marco Rubio have set new priorities that factor in U.S. interests in Latin America in the face of the threat of China, whose expansion in South America is as rapid as it is dangerous.

The struggle for control of the Panama Canal, as well as the warnings to South American countries to limit their interactions with the Asian country are two clear examples of this. Rubio has also tightened the screws on dictatorships such as Maduro's in Venezuela, and has left strong messages to regional leaders who, like Colombia's Gustavo Petro, have tried to oppose Washington.

War in Ukraine

Within international politics, the Russian invasion of Ukraine deserves a separate chapter. Within the back and forth that has characterized much of the Trump administration in these 100 days, probably the conflict between Kiev and Moscow takes the cake. From messages that sounded like support for Russia's theses, going so far as to call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a "dictator," through a boisterous shouting match at the White House to the latest twist after the talk at the Vatican between the two that led the Republican to demand a clear gesture from Putin in search of peace.

Trump, who guaranteed he would end the war within a month of being elected, is beginning to tire of the lack of real progress after two failed ceasefires and through the mouths of members of his cabinet has already warned that he could move "on to something else."

Antisemitism and total support for Israel

Putting an end to the antisemitism unleashed over the past year by the radical left and which manifested itself especially on the campuses of the country's major universities is another of Trump's priorities. Federal funding for these institutions will be conditioned on policies to curtail and eradicate hatred against Jewish students, for example.

In addition, Trump has expressed full American support for the Netanyahu government in its war against Iran's terrorist proxies in the region, especially Hamas. Trump himself has threatened to eradicate the terrorists if they do not hand over the Oct. 7 Israeli hostages who are still alive.

Pressure and negotiations with Iran while eradicating its proxies in the Middle East

Donald Trump is determined to bring peace to the hornet's nest that is the Middle East. That involves, above all, Iran and its nuclear program, as well as Tehran's stance against the West and Israel in particular. Thus, U.S. Central Command has already launched operations against more than 800 Houthi targets in Yemen that have cost the lives of "hundreds of terrorists," according to the military, to put an end to rebel attacks against ships of all kinds crossing the Red Sea.

With Iran, Trump is alternating threats with the start of negotiations to curb Tehran's nuclear program, which have already been going on for three "productive" sessions, according to negotiators.