Indiana Senator Jim Banks, a staunch Trump ally, predicted that President Trump’s return
to power would be characterized by “shock and awe.” In many ways, the events of President
Trump’s first 100 hours in office during his second term have lived up to that promise. Within
this brief period, Trump signed nearly 40 executive orders covering a wide-range of issues–from
diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives to reforms affecting the federal bureaucracy and
responses to the events of January 6, 2021. Through this dizzying number of executive orders,
Trump has adopted a concentrated strategy not only to dismantle his predecessor’s policies but
also to reshape the very framework of United States governance. In a blog post on the
administration’s website, Trump touted this “historic start,” claiming that he had taken
“hundreds” of actions within 100 hours, including “securing the border, deport(ing) criminal
illegal immigrants,” among other executive actions. These executive actions have shown a level
of intensity and aggressiveness not seen in the previous two presidencies, which includes
Trump’s first term in office. This article will explain how President Trump’s first 100 hours back
in office–as the 47th president–compares to his first 100 days in office back in 2017 and will
analyze the intensity of these executive orders and their effects on the federal bureaucracy and
society at large.

Firstly, the sheer volume of executive orders signed during the first 100 hours of Trump’s
second administration is unprecedented. According to Axios, on his very first day back in office,
Trump signed nearly 30 executive orders. To put this into perspective, only Presidents Biden and
Truman issued more than 40 executive orders within their first 100 days. In total, Trump issued 35 executive orders on his first day, a figure that is, on average, 50% more than the 17 executive orders signed by President Biden on his first day in office. Comparatively, during Trump’s first term in office, his very first day saw him signing only one executive order aimed at repealing the Affordable Care Act. Trump’s total number of executive orders within his first day in office in his second term nearly ties the number of executive orders he signed in the first 50 days in office in his first term. In essence, the total number of executive orders signed in his first 4 days (100 hours) during his second term dwarfs the entire set of orders from his first 100 days in office of his first term. This stark numerical contract highlights a dramatically accelerated pace of
executive action in his second administration with an aim at reshaping the federal bureaucracy itself.

There are several factors that help explain why Trump’s first 100 days were significantly
less expedited compared to his second 100 hours. During his initial term, there was significant
grassroots pushback accompanied by numerous protests that erupted during and after his
inauguration and throughout his first 100 days in office. High-profile demonstrations such as the
Women’s March in 2017, and widespread protests against Executive Order 13769, the so-called
“Muslim Ban” that restricted travel from several Muslim-majority countries, served to check
some of Trump’s most draconian proposals. Additionally, Trump’s early cabinet was marred by
controversy and chaos and allegations of impropriety, with resignations and firings of senior
level officials further complicating his agenda. For example, David Shulkin, former head of the
Veterans Affairs Department, stated that Trump’s cabinet operated chaotically, in stark contrast to
the “well-run machine” of Barack Obama’s administration. This combination of vigorous
grassroots opposition and internal administrative instability largely prevented Trump from
instituting rapid, far-reaching measures that he had envisioned during his first term.

By comparison, Trump’s second 100 hours have been, characterized by an expedited and
productive approach, seemingly unencumbered by the significant obstacles that impeded his
earlier efforts. Trump’s numerous executive orders have aggressively tested the limits of
executive power in a way that his first 100 days did not. There are notable similarities of the
executive orders of the two administrations. Both have seen measures such as federal hiring
freezes, the re-entrance into the “Mexico City” policy, and efforts to promote energy
independence. However, many of the orders issued in this second administration are markedly
different. For instance, some like the blanket pardon of January 6th rioters, including figures
such as Stewart Rhodes and Kelly Meggs, display clear partisan leanings, incorporate
intentionally vague language, and seem to extend executive power beyond constitutional limits.
Unlike in 2017, these recent actions have met with little grassroots protest in the initial 100
hours, with the only significant demonstration being the People’s March in Washington, D.C., on
inauguration day, receiving significantly fewer numbers than it did in 2017. Moreover, Trump’s
second administration has benefited from cabinet picks such as Robert F. Kennedy and Tulsi
Gabbard, who are noted for their unwavering loyalty and readiness to advance his agenda with
expedited speed and without pushback. This is in contrast to his first administration’s first 100
days, where cabinet members like John Kelly, who served as his first chief of staff from
2017-2019, eventually pushed back and ultimately resigned due to their disagreements. Kelly
later described Trump as a “fascist” prior to Trump’s electoral win in 2024.

In conclusion, the differences between Trump’s first 100 days in office and Trump’s
second 100 hours in office are striking. His first hundred days were marred with significant
internal controversies, public protests, and legal challenges, all of which hindered the
implementation of some of his most controversial executive actions. Conversely, his second administration appears to have learned from those early mistakes, as evidenced by the bold, rapid-fire executive orders that had encountered minimal pushback from both grassroots
organizations and internal dissent. While these recent executive actions remain
contentious–drawing criticism from opponents, such as the courts, and raising questions about
the boundaries of executive power–they also signal a much bolder approach that leaves open the
possibility of even more sweeping changes in the future that can have grave consequences for
democracy in the United States. Despite this, resistance to Trump’s sweeping agenda, particularly his immigration agenda, has been mounting in recent weeks. But only time will tell if the resistance against Trumps agenda will amount to any meaningful pushback against Trump’s bold moves to radically reshape the federal bureaucracy to his will.