Humble Beginnings
President Trump’s honeymoon with the American people is officially over at 100 days. So how did he do?
In his opinion he says, “I truly believe that the first 100 days of my administration has been just about the most successful in our country’s history.”
Now that’s a statement that I can rally behind.
There are a dozen examples of how Trump’s presidency has been the most successful in our country’s history and here are his top 10.
1. Pres. Trump has been the most successful president in history in organizing a massive grassroots movement.
The Women’s March took place the day after Pres. Trump’s inauguration on January 21, and was the largest single-day protest in United States history. The movement organically grew in response to Pres. Trump’s agenda and not only fights for women’s rights, but defends our healthcare, immigrant population, and the world’s climate.
The movement has grown since that first march and includes Republicans, Democrats, and Libertarians.
2. Pres. Trump is the most successful golfer of any president.
Pres. Trump has reportedly played golf 19 times in his first 100 days in office.
That number blows all the other presidents out of the water, including Obama, who only played once in his first 100 days.
3. Pres. Trump is the most successful at signing executive orders
Presidents have the most political capital to enact their agenda during their first 100 days in office. Studies have found that it’s the most productive time for legislative action.
But the 115th United States Congress isn’t going to be remembered as a struggle between Republicans and Democrats, but rather between Republicans and Republicans. Even with a huge Republican majority, Pres. Trump cannot get his party behind him. He only needs 216 out of 247 Republicans in the House to vote on his legislation but he can’t get it.
That means the only way Pres. Trump can get things done is by executive order. Since taking office he has signed 30 executive orders. In President Obama’s first 100 days he signed 19.
But even getting things done in Washington by fiat isn’t working for Pres. Trump. Three times his executive orders have been blocked by the courts. The first was his travel ban against Muslims. The second was his travel ban against Muslims, where he left out the word “Muslims.” (The judge figured it out.) The third was his executive order withholding federal funds from Sanctuary Cities.
Maybe this Democracy thing isn’t working out for Pres. Trump. Prince Albert II of Monaco has been in the limelight his entire life and might be itching to retire. The Principality has some of the world’s best casinos and the country is a tax haven for the uber wealthy. Maybe Pres. Trump would have better luck ruling Monaco.
4. Pres. Trump is the best at keeping secrets
With only one leak of his 2005 tax return, Pres. Trump has been successful in keeping his returns under wraps. Being the “King of Debt” this is no small feat. All of the accountants and banks with whom he does business need access to his taxes.
This is in contrast to the American people, who Pres. Trump has deemed do not need access to his tax returns.
5. Pres. Trump is the best when it comes to being compared to
President Richard Nixon
Pres. Trump was actually being compared to Pres. Nixon even before he was elected. Both presidents have a healthy contempt for the press and the judicial system. Both presidents have also made verbal attacks against the FBI and CIA.
Pres. Trump and Nixon both have the same proclivity towards paranoia, often taking on the demeanor of “everyone is out to get me.” in December, 1972, Nixon told his National Security Advisor, Henry Kissinger, “The press is the enemy. The establishment is the enemy. The professors are the enemy,” during one of their taped conversations.
Pres. Trump tweeted that the New York Times, ABC, CBS, CNN and NBC are “the enemy of the American people.” He called these outlets “the fake news media” and said they are out to get him.
To protect him from getting conned by “fake news,” Pres. Trump counts on Fox News and the National Enquirer to keep him informed as to what is going on in the world.
The most obvious similarity, though, is how both presidents intersect with the word “impeach.” Pres. Nixon resigned before the House could impeach him on charges of obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress.
It’s not hard to imagine the same charges being filed against Pres. Trump, starting with his administration’s not handing over vetting documents for National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.
6. Pres. Trump has been the most successful fighting America’s war on facts.
Pres. Trump said that his inauguration crowd, “was a million and a half people, whatever it was, it was, but it went all the way back to the Washington Monument.” White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer doubled down, claiming that “This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration — period.”
Pres. Trump’s audience did not come close to the Washington Monument and was estimated to be about a third of President Obama’s inauguration in 2009.
Pres. Trump also stated, “I guess it’s the biggest Electoral College win since Ronald Reagan.”
President Ronald Reagan won 525 Electoral College votes in 1984, the largest landslide in recent history, and 489 the previous election. Bill Clinton gained 379 in 1996, and George H W Bush gathered 426 votes in 1988. Former President Barack Obama won 332 votes in 2012 and 365 in 2008.
Pres. Trump won 304 Electoral College votes in 2016.
7. Pres. Trump has been the most successful in making money while president,
Just like Vlad, his idol in Moscow, Pres. Trump is making a killing financially while in office. Memberships to Pres. Trump’s private beach club, Mar a Largo, in Florida, have doubled from $100,000 to $200,000 since he was elected and are selling like hotcakes.
This is good information, because it’s nice to know the going rate for access to our president.
Also, what dignitary is not going stay in Trump International Hotel in Washington DC who wants to curry favor with Pres. Trump?
Also since being elected, he gained something he has been trying to get from China for a decade: trademark rights to his own name.
After suffering rejection after rejection in China’s courts, he saw his prospects change dramatically after starting his presidential campaign.
Then, maybe as an inauguration gift, the Chinese government has granted preliminary approval for 35 Trump-related trademarks in businesses ranging from mining and construction to restaurants, hotels and golf courses
The big payout, though, is in tax reform. By getting rid of the Alternative Minimum Tax and lowering his tax bracket, Pres. Trump will save more money than 95% of American families see in their lifetime.
And he will be leaving a nice little nest egg for his kids, a tax-free $30 billion estate.
8. The Trump administration has been most successful in making terrorism a joke
The American public learned in February about the Bowling Green Massacre – but it seems the only two victims were Councilor to the President, Kellyanne Conway, and Pres. Trump.
Citing the massacre as justification for her boss’ travel ban from seven predominately Muslim countries, Ms. Conway later had to admit the massacre didn’t happen.
News of the massacre prompted fictitious websites asking for donations for the supposed survivors and instructions where to send condolences and flowers. Fake Vigils were held in New York and Kentucky, the real location of Bowling Green, in commemoration of the event.
Following the Bowling Green Massacre was the terrorist attack in that hotbed of violence, Sweden.
Pres. Trump said during a rally, “We’ve got to keep our country safe. You look at what’s happening in Germany. You look at what’s happening last night in Sweden. Sweden, who would believe this? Sweden. They took in large numbers. They’re having problems like they never thought possible.”
Carl Bildt, the former Swedish Prime Minister, questioned the president’s statement on Twitter.
“Sweden? Terror attack? What has he been smoking? Questions abound.”
9. Pres. Trump has been the best in doing the worst
Most presidents have hovered between 65% to 80% approval rating during their first 100 days in office.
Pres. Trump’s approval rating is 41% while his disapproval rating is 55%. He is the first president ever to have a higher disapproval than approval rating.
10. Twit in Chief
Finally, Pres. Trump has been the most adept in using Twitter to demonstrate the humility and dignity of his office.
As evidence a sampling of his tweets:
“Happy Thanksgiving to all–even the haters and losers.”
“Happy New Year to all, including to my many enemies and those who have fought me and lost so badly they just don’t know what to do. Love!”
“Watch Kasich squirm — if he is not truthful in his negative ads I will sue him just for fun!”
“Obama is, without question, the WORST EVER president. I predict he will now do something really bad and totally stupid to show manhood!”
For his 100 days’ anniversary, the Donald Trump Campaign created an ad to celebrate all of the president’s successes. It highlights the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, signing-off on the Keystone XL pipeline and the release of his one page tax reform proposal that looks like my first resume out of high school.
Says the ad, “Donald Trump. Sworn in as president 100 days ago, America has rarely seen such success.”
The Trump administration did have one huge legislative win during its first 100 days–the government didn’t shut down. With only hours to spare, Congress managed to pass a stop -gap funding bill to keep the government open for a week.
Coming from Pres. Trump, who said, “This is more work than in my previous life. I thought it would be easier.”
I guess we should be grateful that’s all he accomplished.