In his “Contract with the American Voter,” issued on the campaign trail last fall and bearing his distinctive, spiky signature, U.S. President Donald Trump outlined his 100-day plan to make America great again.
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The plan included measures to “clean up corruption” in Washington, protect American workers and introduce “extreme vetting” of people arriving to the U.S. from “terror-prone” regions.
Trump made dozens of other promises throughout the election campaign, but what has he actually done in his first 100 days in office?
The president’s attempts to enforce a travel and immigration ban on people from Muslim-majority countries have been blocked by U.S. courts. Not a single metre of the U.S.-Mexico border wall – a key election promise -- has been built. Trump has also failed to deliver on a major promise to repeal and replace Obamacare.
But he received praise for launching a surprise strike on Syria in response to the government regime’s horrific chemical attack on civilians and rolling out his “Buy American-Hire American” plan. Most recently, Trump repeatedly blasted Canada over what he called “unfair” dairy and softwood lumber trade practices.
And, although he has hosted a number of world leaders over the past 12 weeks, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump has not made a single foreign trip so far. His predecessor, Barack Obama, had visited nine countries, including Canada, in the first 100 days of his first term as president.
With the 100-day milestone looming, Trump told The Associated Press that the marker is “an artificial barrier” and “not very meaningful.”
He also suggested that the “Contract with the American Voter” he touted on the campaign trail wasn’t really his idea.
"Somebody put out the concept of a 100-day plan," he said.
But in his speeches, tweets and other interviews, Trump has shown that he does care about how his first batch of executive orders and proclamations from the Oval Office are perceived by the public and the media.
To help you decide how Trump should be graded on his actions so far, CTVNews.ca has rounded up all the highlights of his first 100 days in the White House.
WEEK 1
Jan. 20 – Inauguration Day
Just hours after being sworn in, Trump signs an executive order aimed at dismantling some of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, known as “Obamacare.”
The legislation was a cornerstone of Barack Obama’s presidency, designed to regulate the health insurance industry and provide more Americans with affordable health-care coverage.
Trump’s order directs federal agencies to stop issuing regulations that would expand Obamacare. It also directs them to grant exemptions and delays of provisions in the law that would impose costs on states or individuals.
Jan. 21 – Anti-Trump protesters hit the streets
As hundreds of thousands of people descend on Washington, D.C., for the massive anti-Trump women’s march, the president’s attention is focused on media coverage of his inauguration.
Speaking in front of a memorial for fallen CIA agents, Trump slams reports that the crowd at his inauguration was significantly smaller than his predecessor’s. Trump claims that more than a million people showed up to watch him get sworn in, despite photographic and video evidence to the contrary.
Jan. 22 – 'Alternative facts'
After Trump accused the media of lying about the size of the inauguration crowd, his adviser Kellyanne Conway explains in an interview that the White House was offering “alternative facts” on the matter.
Conway’s remark is widely mocked on social media, with plenty of sarcastic #alternativefacts tweets.
Jan. 23 – Trump signs memo to withdraw from TPP
Trump signs a memorandum withdrawing the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which took years to negotiate. Canada, Australia and Mexico are among the countries that had signed the trade agreement.
Trump also signs a memo to freeze most federal government hiring, except for the military. He reinstates a ban on providing federal money to international groups that perform abortions or provide information about abortions.
Jan. 24 – Trump's continued claims of voter fraud
Trump continues to assert his unproven claim that “millions” of people voted illegally in the election, costing him the popular vote. White House press secretary Sean Spicer doubles down on those claims during a press briefing, saying Trump “believes what he believes.”
Neither Trump nor Spicer provides any evidence of voter fraud.
Jan. 25 – Trump signs Mexico border wall order
Getting a start on one of his most controversial campaign promises, Trump signs an order to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Throughout the election campaign, Trump has repeatedly said that Mexico will pay for the wall, although he has not explained how he expects that to happen.
Trump’s order also calls for the hiring of 5,000 additional border patrol agents and 10,000 more immigration officers. He plans to cut federal grants to so-called “sanctuary cities” across America, which have promised not to co-operate with immigration authorities when it comes to rounding up residents for deportation.
Jan. 27 – Trump signs first travel ban order
In a drastic policy shift, Trump signs an executive order barring travellers, immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries -- Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Somalia – from entering the United States.
The immigration order results in chaos at airports in the U.S. and around the world, and even prompts a disapproving statement from former president Barack Obama.
A couple of days later, Trump fires acting Attorney General Sally Yates, after she orders Justice Department lawyers to stop defending the refugee and immigration ban.
WEEK 2
Jan. 31 – Trump unveils Supreme Court pick
Trump saves his biggest announcement of the day for the prime-time TV slot, when he unveils his pick for the Supreme Court:conservative judge Neil Gorsuch.
Feb. 1 – Rex Tillerson confirmed as secretary of state
Another high-profile Trump pick, Rex Tillerson, is confirmed by the Republican-led Senate. Tillerson, the former CEO of Exxon Mobil, becomes Trump’s secretary of state.
WEEK 3
Feb. 6 – Trump claims media ignores terror attacks
As part of his regular assaults on the media, Trump accuses the “dishonest press” of ignoring or underreporting terrorist attacks. But a list of 78 such attacks provided by the White House shows that many of them were widely covered in the news, often for days and even weeks.
Feb. 7 – Betsy DeVos confirmed as education secretary
Betsy DeVos, who at one point during her confirmation hearing suggested that schools should have guns to fend off grizzly bears, is controversially confirmed as education secretary. She makes it through the process by the slimmest of margins, and thanks only to a tie-breaking vote from U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence.
Feb. 8 – Trump lashes out at Nordstrom
Trump attacks Nordstrom on Twitter, accusing the department store chain of treating his daughter “so unfairly” after it stopped carrying Ivanka Trump’s clothing and accessory line. The outburst raises yet another unprecedented conflict-of-interest concern involving the U.S. president.
Also on Feb. 8, the U.S. Senate confirms Sen. Jeff Sessions to be Trump’s attorney general, despite Democratic opposition over his record on civil rights and immigration.
Feb. 9 – Appeals court refuses to reinstate Trump travel ban
In a unanimous decision, a panel of three judges from a U.S. federal appeals court refuses to reinstate Trump’s ban on travellers from seven predominantly Muslim countries.
“SEE YOU IN COURT,” Trump tweets shortly after the decision is released.
WEEK 4
Feb. 13 – Michael Flynn resigns over Russia controversy
Trump's national security adviser Michael Flynn resigns following reports he misled Vice-President Mike Pence and other officials about his contacts with Russia’s ambassador to the U.S. on the day the Obama administration imposed sanctions on Russia for election-related hacking.
It’s also revealed that the U.S. Justice Department had previously warned the White House that Flynn could be in a compromised position due to his Russian contacts.
Feb. 15 –Trump meets with Netanyahu, discusses two-state solution
Trump hosts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, where the two men discuss a peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians.
Trump asks Netanyahu to “hold back” on the expansion of Israeli settlements and does not explicitly endorse a two-state solution, causing a stir among U.S. and international diplomats.
Feb. 16 –Trump holds rambling press conference
In a lengthy, often rambling press conference, Trump launches a bizarre hour-and-a-half attack on the press, Hillary Clinton and whoever leaked information about Michael Flynn.
Asked about incidents of anti-Semitism across the country, Trump tells the reporter to “sit down” and then gets combative.
“Number one, I am the least anti-Semitic person that you’ve ever seen in your entire life. Number two, racism – the least racist person. In fact, we did very well relative to other people running as a Republican,” Trump says.
Feb. 18 – What happened in Sweden?
Trump leaves Swedes scratching their heads by exclaiming at a rally in Florida: "Look what's happening last night in Sweden!"
No one knows what he’s referring to; there were no terror attacks or any major incidents reported in Sweden the previous night. Trump later clarifies that he was referring to a Fox News report about immigrants in Sweden, but not before his comments become the butt of international jokes.
WEEK 5
Feb. 20 –Trump names new national security adviser
Following the Michael Flynn fiasco, Trump picks Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster as his new national security adviser. Trump calls McMaster, a prominent military strategist, "a man of tremendous talent and tremendous experience."
Feb. 22 –Transgender bathroom guidance lifted
Transgender students in the U.S. lose federal protections that allowed them to use school bathrooms and locker rooms matching their gender identities, after the Trump administration lifts an Obama-era directive and leaves the issue of transgender washrooms up to individual states and school districts.
The Obama administration guidance carried no force of law, and was under hold anyway, after 13 states sued. But transgender rights advocates say that formally lifting the Obama guidelines will still harm children across the country.
WEEK 6
Feb. 28 – Trump's first speech to Congress
Trump surprises many observers by taking on a more restrained tone in his first speech to the U.S. Congress. He seems poised and on-script, leading some viewers to say that he appeared “presidential” for the first time since taking office.
March 4 – Trump's shocking wiretap claims
In one of the most stunning moves of his first 100 days as president, Trump makes a shocking and unsubstantiated allegation against his predecessor. In a series of early-morning tweets, Trump accuses former president Barack Obama of “wiretapping” his phone in Trump Tower just before the presidential election.
Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my "wires tapped" in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017
How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017
A spokesperson for Obama denies the allegation.
Trump then asks Congress to investigate his unproven claim, even as the FBI asks the Justice Department to dispute the allegation.
WEEK 7
March 6 – Trump signs revised version of travel ban; plan to repeal Obamacare released
Trump signs a revised version of his controversial travel ban. His new executive order still bans people from six Muslim-majority countries (but leaves out Iraq, which was included in the original order) and temporarily shuts down the entire U.S. refugee program.
The ban affects potential visitors and immigrants from Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and Libya.
Meanwhile, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives release the long-awaited plan to repeal and replace Obamacare.
WEEK 8
March 16 – Judges in Hawaii, Maryland block new travel ban
Trump’s second attempt at a travel ban encounters more legal roadblocks when judges in Hawaii and Maryland block the executive order from taking effect as scheduled.
In Maryland, U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang calls Trump's own statements about barring Muslims from entering the United States "highly relevant” to his decision.
Meanwhile, the two top members of the U.S. Senate intelligence committee say there is no indication that Trump Tower was the subject of surveillance either before or after the presidential election. Their statement directly contradicts Trump’s claims that former President Barack Obama tapped his phones at the skyscraper.
March 17 – Trump meets with German chancellor
Trump has an awkward meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the White House. He ignores requests from the press to shake her hand for a photo-op and later jokes that he and Merkel “have something in common,” in reference to his wiretapping accusations against Obama.
WEEK 9
March 20 – Comey confirms Russia probe; airplane electronics ban announced
For the first time since allegations of Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election emerged, FBI Director James Comey confirms that the intelligence and law enforcement agency is investigating whether Trump’s associates co-ordinated with Russian officials in an effort to sway the vote. Comey also dismisses Trump’s claim that Barack Obama had tapped his phones at Trump Tower.
On the same day, the U.S. government announces an electronics ban on U.S.-bound flights from certain Middle Eastern and North African countries. The ban means that only cellphones and smartphones are allowed in the passenger cabin on affected flights. Other electronics, including laptops and tablets, have to be checked in.
March 24 – Trump's humiliating defeat on health-care reform, and Keystone XL approval
In a major blow to Trump’s agenda, the president and Republican leaders are forced to pull their bill to repeal the health-care law known as Obamacare when it became clear that it would fail miserably if it were put to a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Trump does, however, fulfill a different election promise on the same day, granting the controversial Keystone XL pipeline from Alberta to Texas a presidential permit. Obama had previously rejected the pipeline project over environmental concerns.
Even though a presidential permit does not guarantee that the pipeline will be built, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he’s “very pleased” with Trump’s announcement.
WEEK 10
March 27 –Trump tosses Obama's clean energy plan
Trump signs an executive order aimed at rescinding or suspending parts of Obama’s plan to curb global warming and restrict greenhouse gas emissions at coal-fired power plants. Trump says he wants to revive the coal industry and create jobs across the U.S.
March 29 – Ivanka Trump becomes official White House employee
Following controversy over Ivanka Trump’s role in the White House, accusations of nepotism and ethics concerns, the first daughter announces that she will join her father’s administration as an official, but unpaid employee. She had already been granted security clearance and a West Wing office.
March 30 – Flynn seeks immunity in Russia probe; first step in NAFTA renegotiation
The attorney for former U.S. National Security Adviser Michael Flynn says the general is in discussions with the House and Senate intelligence committees on receiving immunity from "unfair prosecution" in exchange for answering questions about possible contacts between Donald Trump's presidential campaign and Russia.
Trump later urges Flynn to take the immunity deal.
The Trump administration also takes an early step in renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement, sending the U.S. Congress a draft list of priorities for the negotiation.
April 2 – Trump says U.S. prepared to act alone on North Korea
In an interview with the Financial Times, Trump says the U.S. is prepared to act alone if China does not take a tougher stand against North Korea's nuclear program.
“China will either decide to help us with North Korea, or they won't,” he says. “And if they do that will be very good for China, and if they don't it won't be good for anyone."
WEEK 11
April 3 –Trump donates first 3 months of his salary
Trump donates the first three months of his salary, totaling $78,333.32, to the U.S. National Park Service.
April 4 –Trump blames Obama for Syria chemical attack
In response to a devastating chemical weapons attack in Syria that killed dozens of people and children, Trump issues a surprising statement blaming the Obama administration for the escalating crisis. Trump calls the “heinous actions” of the Syrian government “a consequence of the past administration’s weakness and irresolution.”
But Trump’s old tweets come back to haunt him once again, showing that he had repeatedly called in Obama to “stay the hell out of Syria” back in 2013.
April 5 – Bannon removed from National Security Council
Trump removes his chief strategist Steve Bannon from the National Security Council, reversing the controversial decision to give the former head of right-wing Breitbart News access to the high-level meetings.
April 6 – Trump launches missile attack on Syrian airfield
In a striking reversal of his previous public declarations, Trump orders cruise missile strikes on a Syrian airfield in response to the suspected use of chemical weapons by President Bashar Assad’s forces. The chemical attack that killed and injured dozens of adults and children in the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun crossed “many, many lines,” Trump says.
It marks the first direct U.S. military action against the Assad regime in the nearly seven-year-long Syrian civil war. The attack also raises many questions about the future of Washington’s Syria policy.
April 7 – Trump meets with Chinese president
After predicting a “very difficult” meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump says the two hit it off during their first face-to-face meetings at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
The two leaders discuss North Korea and U.S.-China trade.
April 9 – North Korea responds to U.S. strike on Syria
After Trump ordered a strike on an airbase in Syria, North Korea vows to bolster its defences to protect itself from similar attacks. The communist regime also says that Washington’s “outrageous” actions prove its nuclear weapons are justified.
WEEK 12
April 10 -- Gorsuch sworn into Supreme Court
After weeks of controversy and missteps, Trump scores a political victory when his Supreme Court pick, conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch, is confirmed and sworn in. Gorsuch fills the seat left vacant by the sudden death of Justice Antonin Scalia.
April 11 – A very bad day for Sean Spicer
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer sparks outrage when he says during a daily press briefing that Hitler "didn't even sink to using chemical weapons." Spicer later apologizes for “mistakenly” making an “inappropriate and insensitive reference to the Holocaust” while trying to make a point about Bashar Assad’s use of chemical weapons against civilians in Syria.
April 12 – Trump’s transition process under investigation; grim outlook on U.S.-Russia relations
A U.S. government office agrees to investigate whether Trump's transition team followed ethical guidelines. The probe, which will include a review of communications with foreign leaders and use of public money, was requested by several Democratic lawmakers, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
With tensions escalating over Syria, Trump says that U.S.-Russia relations "may be at an all-time low.”
"Right now we're not getting along with Russia at all," he says during a news conference with NATO Secretary-General Jens Soltenberg.
Trump echoes his Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier in the day and declared that the relationship between two countries has reached
April 15 – North Korea’s missile test fails
Amid ramped-up tensions with the U.S., North Korea suffers an embarrassing failure when one of its test missiles explode on launch, just one day after a massive show of force in a Pyongyang military parade.
Trump is unusually quiet on the matter, but U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence, who travelled to Seoul and the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea, warns Pyongyang that “the era of strategic patience is over.”
WEEK 13
April 18 – Trump blasts Canadian dairy industry
While touting his “Buy American-Hire American” executive order at a Wisconsin factory, Trump launches a surprise attack on Canada’s dairy industry.
Trump says "unfair things" have happened in Canada to U.S. dairy farmers because of Canada’s milk policy, although he doesn’t get into specifics.
"We're going to get together and we're going to call Canada, and we're going to say, 'What happened?'” he says. “And they might give us an answer, but we're going to get the solution and not just the answer, because we know what the solution is."
In response, Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. David MacNaughton says that Ottawa “does not accept the contention that Canada's dairy policies are the cause of financial loss for dairy farmers in the United States."
April 20 – Trump widens attacks on Canada trade
Taking yet another aim at trade with Canada, Trump tells reporters in the Oval Office that the Canadian dairy industry has been a “disgrace” to U.S. dairy farm workers. He also singles out “lumber, timber and energy” as issues in the Canada-U.S. trade partnership, but once again does not offer specifics.
In response, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he will “stand up for Canada’s interests.”
April 23 – Trump calls 100-day milestone an ‘artificial barrier’
In a sit-down interview with The Associated Press, Trump tries to downplay the symbolic significance of his first 100 days in office and even suggests that the 100-day plan he touted on the campaign trail was not his idea.
WEEK 14
April 24 – U.S. announces duties on Canadian softwood lumber
The U.S. Department of Commerce announces it will impose “countervailing duties” of up to 24 per cent on Canadian softwood lumber, opening a new round in the long-running trade dispute. In a subsequent interview with CTV News, the U.S. commerce secretary denies the administration is setting up a trade war with Canada.
April 26 – Trump proposes 'biggest tax cut' in U.S. history; judge blocks 'sanctuary city' order
Trump proposes dramatically reducing the taxes paid by corporations of all sizes in an overhaul his administration says will spur economic growth and bring jobs and prosperity to the middle class.
And once again, a federal judge blocks one of Trump’s immigration orders. In his ruling, District Judge William Orrick quotes Trump in blocking the president's order to withhold funding from "sanctuary cities" that do not co-operate with U.S. immigration officials.
Apr. 27 – Trump says he won't pull out of NAFTA
In phone calls with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, Trump tells them that he will not pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement, just hours after U.S. administration officials said he was considering a draft executive order to do just that.
The next day, Trump says he agreed to hold off on the NAFTA withdrawal because he likes Trudeau and Pena Nieto “very much.”
Trudeau tells reporters that he told Trump there are too many jobs that rely on the free trade measures laid out under NAFTA.
