Trump's first 100 days: A troubled economy, a confused world

In his first hundred days back in office, Donald Trump has achieved what few leaders manage: unsettle markets, depress business and consumer expectations, and fray diplomatic standing of America — all at once. His tariff blitzkrieg, erratic commentary on Russia and Ukraine, and mounting pressure on the Federal Reserve have caused a level of uncertainty unseen even during the global financial crisis or the pandemic.


Data show consumer confidence in US sliding, inflation expectations creeping upwards, and tourism to the country falling sharply. Business sentiment across industries, once buoyed by promises of deregulation and growth, is now mired in doubt. Abroad, allies find little coherence in Washington’s foreign policy: Trump’s shifting tones on Putin and Zelensky unsettle both Eu rope and America’s own citizens, nearly half of whom now view his foreign interventions with scepticism.


The US, once seen as the most stable of advanced de mocracies, now looks volatile and diminished. As one commentator put it, it risks becoming “the most dysfunctional, kleptocratic, and unfree” of the industrial world.
If the first 100 days are any guide, the question is no longer whether Trump will make America great again but how much damage it will sustain — and export.