US President Donald Trump celebrated the 100th day of his second term in the White House with a campaign-style speech, highlighting his achievements and targeting his political opponents.
He spoke of a “common sense revolution” to a crowd of supporters in Michigan, while emphasizing that he is using his presidency to bring about “profound change.” At the same time, the Republican president again mocked his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, made new criticism of the chairman of the US Federal Reserve, while questioning polls that show his popularity is declining.
Trump has stressed that he has achieved a dramatic reduction in the number of immigrants entering the United States illegally, but the economy is his potential political vulnerability as he wages a global trade war.
"We've just begun, you ain't seen nothing yet," Trump said.
Speaking at the center of the American auto industry, the US president said that automakers are "queuing up" to open new production plants in the state.
Earlier, he eased a key element of his economic plan: tariffs on imports of foreign cars and parts, after American automakers warned of the risk of rising prices.
At his rally, Trump also said that polls showing his popularity has declined are "fake."
According to Gallup, Trump is the only president since World War II to have the support of less than half of the public after 100 days in office, with an approval rating of 44%.
However, the majority of Republican voters still support him, while the Democratic Party is also struggling in the polls.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) said Trump's first 100 days were a "colossal failure."
"Trump is to blame for the fact that life is more expensive, that it is harder to retire, and that a 'Trump recession' is on our doorstep," the DNC said.
Trump conducted his own informal “poll” in his remarks Tuesday, asking the crowd for their favorite nicknames for Biden. He mocked his Democratic predecessor, even his swimsuit appearances, while insisting he was the winner of the 2022 election, which he lost.
He also fired back at Jerome Powell, the chairman of the Fed, saying he was not doing a good job.
Celebrated for immigration
Trump also praised his administration's progress on immigration - as migrant arrivals at the southern border have plummeted to just over 7.000, from 140.000 in March of last year.
The White House also said that nearly 65.700 immigrants have been deported so far in his tenure, although this is a slower pace, as last year US authorities deported more than 270.000.
During his speech, Trump showed a video of people being deported from the US and sent to a large prison in El Salvador.
His crackdown on immigration has faced a barrage of legal challenges, as has his effort to end the automatic granting of citizenship to anyone born on American soil.
Economy
At the same time, during his speech on Tuesday, he insisted that egg prices have fallen by 87%, a claim that is however refuted by the latest government data on prices.
Inflation, energy prices and mortgage rates have all fallen since Trump took office, although unemployment has risen slightly, consumer sentiment has eased and the stock market has been plunged into turmoil by tariffs.
It is noteworthy that while US stocks tend to rise gradually in the first days of a president's presidency, in Trump's case they gradually declined due to the tariff announcements, while they fell sharply when he introduced them.
Before Trump's speech, Joe DeMonaco, a Michigan carpentry business owner, said Trump's patchwork of import taxes has started to raise prices, which he will have to pass on to his customers.
"I was hoping he would approach things a little differently seeing as he's a little more experienced going into a second term," he told the BBC. "We're just treading water and seeing if things get better from here on out," he noted.
But it is clear that Trump's most steadfast supporters stand by him.
"I'm just thrilled," Teresa Breckinridge, owner of the Silver Skillet Diner in Atlanta, Georgia, told the BBC. "He's handling things where he can, multiple times a day, and keeping the public informed. I think the tariffs will definitely end up in our favor," the Trump voter said.
It is also worth noting that Trump has signed the most executive orders than his predecessors.
That's more than half of what he spent during his first term – and nearly 90% of what Joe Biden spent in four years.
Source: skai.gr
