You’re shocked by the speed at which Donald Trump moves. On his first day in office, He pardons himself and the January 6th insurrectionists of all federal crimes. He introduces a controversial executive order to reallocate government money toward building a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, which is immediately challenged (but not halted) in the courts. He pulls out of the international climate change agreements (Paris Agreement) and stops all federal funding of climate adaptation, including halting NASA’s and USAID’s climate research. He reclassifies 50,000 government workers as Schedule F employees and tries to fire them, a move immediately halted by the courts — at least temporarily.
Day 2 keeps up the pace. Trump signs a “Back the Blue” order that extends legal protection for police and encourages them to arrest “people presumed as illegals.” He orders ICE to prepare for mass deportations. The next week, right-wing militias set up checkpoints along the border with Mexico and begin terrorizing immigrant rights groups. Seemingly in support of the militias, at 2:34 am, Trump writes on social media, “ILLEGALS ARE DESTROYING AMERICA! SEND THEM BACK.”
Lawsuits challenge many of the orders, including preserving almost two-thirds of those government jobs. Over the next 100 days, newspaper headlines are focused on keeping up with the massive changes. Trump uses the Federal Vacancy Replacement Act to bypass the Senate and install tens of thousands of loyalists into his government, including all cabinet and key positions. With his hastily assembled cabinet in place, he orders the Justice Department to investigate former U.S. Representative Liz Cheney and all of the House Select Committee on the January 6th Attack along with a list of 27 other “high-profile dissidents involved in stealing the election.” His first 100 days feel like a blur.
