Opinion

Opinion: The first 100 days: Is anybody happy

The first 100 days out of a potential eight years. Has President Trump fallen flat? When taking office on Jan. 20, 2017, Trump had grandiose ideas about what was to come in the next 100 days. The 45th president aimed to get Neil Gorsuch confirmed as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, repeal the Affordable Care Act (otherwise known as Obamacare) and deregulate Wall Street by dismantling the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

Democrat Washington Senator Patty Murray doesn’t agree with deregulating Wall Street.

“Republicans are pushing to overturn retirement programs spearhead by states — putting Wall Street first,” said Murray.

President Trump’s three major areas of concern were to clean up Washington D.C., protect American workers and return the order of law.

However, out of the many things he promised, not much has been done. This is partially do lack of administration planning, but also stonewalling (not allowing anything through) in Congress. Although to be fair, it takes a lot of players to pass a bill, when people aren’t working together to compromise it makes a president’s job infinitely harder.

While Gorsuch was approved, there was no healthcare reform to replace the Affordable Care Act proposed during the first 100 days. Which, depending on your views, could be considered either good or bad. But we did get a slew of proclamations regarding awareness days, such as the proclamation of Law Day on May 1 or National Charter School’s week — because that’s what keeps America running!

So is it just Democrats that are pissed about Trump? Absolutely not. Many Republicans are also rolling their eyes at the lack of meaningful action taken in the first 100 days. President Trump says the 100 day mark is a “ridiculous standard.” But doesn’t that seem like a toddler whining because “they didn’t have enough time?” I’ll leave that answer up to you.

During the April 25 conservative conference at the Washington State History Museum called the “Freedom Series: Trump’s first 100 days,”two prominent conservatives said Trump was doing around average.

One of whom being KTTH radio station personality and political commentator, Todd Herman.

He said Trump is “doing better than [he] was expecting” and that “right now [he’d] give him about a C” as well.

Michael Medved radio host, author and political commentator said, “Hopefully student Trump will continue to do better … [however] there was a real failure of pre-planning” in the weeks prior to being sworn in.

Overall, it seems, most Republicans who are not completely opposed to Trump either think he’s doing great or are very hopeful he will learn and do better.

However, Chris Vance, a former member of the Washington State Legislature and former chair of the Washington State Republican Party — which he identifies as the “Republican cheerleader” — sings a different tune.

“It’s been a disaster, even if you’re a Trump supporter — it’s just a question of how big a disaster,” Vance said.

It seems like many Americans agree due to President Trump’s crippling approval ratings: 41 percent as of April 30. As for polarization in the last 100 days, has anything actually gotten better or have people stopped talking? Herman believes “we’re in a state of cold civil war.”

The president has a lot of power over our society.

“Imagine if Trump, firstly passed [two bills] that would gain Democrat support,” said Medved.

Would we still be hating each other over where we stand? Would everyone recognize party affiliation does not define a person?

COURTESY OF THE WHITE HOUSE