ANALYSIS — Boastful and more than a little defiant, President Donald Trump on Tuesday used a rally in Michigan and a network television interview to defend his first 100 days back in office against Democratic charges that he was making Americans worse off.
Trump’s first domestic trip to directly address voters took him to the automotive and industrial hub of Macomb County, where he bested Democrat Kamala Harris in November by nearly 70,000 votes. The choice of Macomb came as Trump continued selling his remake of the U.S. economy to focus on greater domestic production.
Trump opened his address by claiming to have orchestrated “the best … 100-day start of any president in American history.” After a loud chants of “U-S-A,” the president dropped some of his favorite claims: “Everyone is saying it,” and “We’re making America great again” via a “revolution of common sense.” And during the rally and his interview with ABC News, he repeatedly brought up his predecessor, Joe Biden, as he has done many times since returning to office.
He got cheers and more chants of “U-S-A” when he mentioned his mass deportation program, which Democratic lawmakers have panned, and played a video set to dramatic music showing deported migrants arriving at a prison in El Salvador.
As Trump rallied his supporters in Michigan, Democrats in Washington had spent the day rebutting his team’s claims about lowering prices.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at an early morning news briefing that “prices across the board for everyday goods” had declined since Trump took office.
“From airfare to used motor vehicles to prescription drugs, prices are dropping,” she said. “Oil and gas prices are now way down because of this bold approach. Gasoline price is down 7 percent, energy down — energy prices are also down as well.”
But Democratic officials took to social media to contend the opposite, sharing a chart that asserted that egg prices had hit “record highs” and “everyday costs have risen.” The chart also contended that Trump’s first 100 days back in power had “tanked the stock market” while claiming the president had “fired veterans and screwed workers.”
Here are five takeaways from Trump’s 100th day.
Two Americas
The long-term ramifications — positive or negative — of Trump’s economic agenda likely will not be fully felt for months or even years.
One thing that was certain before Trump began speaking in Macomb County or his ABC News interview aired: Congressional Republicans and Democrats were sharply divided about the last three months.
Like other Democrats, California Sen. Alex Padilla on Tuesday focused on his party’s claim that Trump’s first 100 days had made Americans’ lives worse. Padilla said in a statement that the president had “pummeled Americans’ retirement funds, raised prices by waging an unnecessary trade war, terrorized immigrant communities, undermined due process and has undone essential environmental protections that keep our air and water clean.”
“On everything from the economy to immigration, Californians are seeing the impacts of Trump’s disastrous policies,” he added. “Costs, chaos and corruption are up, while our economy, consumer confidence, and the livelihoods of the American people are down — that’s the legacy of Donald Trump’s first 100 days.”
But House Republican Leadership Chairwoman Elise Stefanik portrayed a much different period, maintaining that Trump’s “first 100 days are a testament to his dedication to restoring American values.”
“Promise kept: He has kept men out of women’s sports, ensuring fairness for female athletes,” the New York congresswoman posted on the social platform X. “Promise kept: Trump ended [diversity, equity and inclusion] programs in the government, prioritizing merit-based hiring and fairness. Promise kept: He signed executive orders to stop [critical race theory] in schools and ensure that American students learn true history.”
‘Can’t do much business’
During a sit-down with ABC News’ Terry Moran in the Oval Office, Trump remained defiant about his 145 percent tariffs on Chinese-made goods.
Moran told the president that the current situation amounted to a trade “embargo,” adding: “It’ll raise prices on everything from electronics to clothing to building houses.”
As Moran posed the question, Trump interjected, “They deserve it.” And about Moran’s warning on prices, the president said, “You don’t know that.”
“China probably will eat those tariffs,” Trump said without elaborating.
But with his next remark, he appeared to echo the ABC correspondent’s point about a U.S.-China trade embargo: “At 145 [percent], they basically can’t do much business with the United States.”
Onstage in Macomb County, Trump said China had used unfair trade practices to “drain us.” Defiantly, and to cheers, he declared, “Now we’re doing it to them … at levels never seen before.”
He also said traditional U.S. allies, in some instances, had treated America more unfairly on trade than its foes. Democrats have questioned why Trump has alienated so many allies. Asked by Moran about his underwater poll numbers and even some frustrated supporters over his economic agenda, Trump brushed off the question: “Well, it is what they signed up for — it’s what I ran on.” To be sure, his campaign trail trade rhetoric was not as harsh as the import duties he implemented, some of which are “paused” until July 9.
Michigan mix-up
After questioning Biden’s mental sharpness during and since the 2024 campaign, Trump had a mental slip of his own Tuesday.
During his Macomb County rally, he appeared to confuse Michigan Democratic Rep. Shri Thanedar with GOP Rep. John James, a candidate for Michigan governor who has tied himself closely to Trump.
“Some guy that I never heard of, John James. Is he a congressman? He said, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, I am going to start the impeachment of Donald Trump.’ What the hell did I do? Here we go again. They want to impeach me. This lunatic,” the president said. (Thanedar on Monday unveiled seven impeachment articles against Trump.)
Trump accused Democrats of going “totally crazy” and having “lost their confidence.” That’s why, he contended, their House and Senate leadership “can’t even tell a lunatic like this dumb guy that said it,” apparently referring to Thanedar.
Trump also lashed out at Rep. Al Green, who was removed from the House chamber and later censured for heckling the president at his joint address to Congress in March.
“And then you have the other one that’s always with the cane,” Trump said, referring to the Texas Democrat. “He’s always impeaching. He raises his cane. He always impeaches. But they have no control over those people.”
‘Biggest bill’
Trump began the public-facing part of his Tuesday signaling a priority pivot. He told reporters as he departed Washington that congressional Republicans’ work on a budget reconciliation package would be his new top priority as he deals with the fallout from his shifting trade policies and tries to broker a Russia-Ukraine peace pact.
“A very important element that we’re working on now, more important than anything, with the border in good shape, is the fact that we want to get, and very importantly, the ‘big beautiful new deal.’ If we get that done, that’s the biggest thing,” he said over Marine One’s idling engine.
“The next period of time, I think, my biggest focus will be on Congress,” Trump said. “The deal that we’re working on, that would be the biggest bill in the history of our country in terms of tax cuts and regulation cuts and other things.”
Senate Republican Whip John Barrasso earlier Tuesday took to the chamber floor to also preview what comes after the first 100 days of Trump’s second term.
“In the next 100 days, Republicans will continue to fulfill our promises. We will stop Democrats’ $4 trillion tax hike. This protects families and small businesses from the largest tax increase in history,” the Wyoming Republican said. “We will cut crippling regulations. Businesses will grow, innovate and thrive. We will strengthen our border by providing law enforcement needed resources.”
Hegseth hedge
As Democratic lawmakers have called for Trump to dump embattled Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the commander in chief issued a vote of confidence Tuesday — sort of.
“I had a talk with [Hegseth], and whatever I said, I probably wouldn’t be inclined to tell you, but we had a good talk,” Trump told ABC News’ Moran. “He’s a talented guy. He’s young, he’s smart, highly educated, and I think he’s going to be a very good Defense, hopefully a great, Defense secretary.
Moran asked if Trump has “100 percent confidence” in Hegseth.
“Only a liar would say, I have 100 percent confidence,” the president replied. “I don’t have 100 percent confidence that we’re going to finish this interview.”
The post Trump’s 100th day: Defiance, bold claims, tariff tough talk — and a Hegseth hedge appeared first on Roll Call.
