The Trump Administration's First 100 Days: Policy Agenda Summary

Executive Overview

By late April 2025, President Trump had signed 143 executive orders, demonstrating an exceptionally rapid and broad deployment of executive power. This aggressive strategy aimed to:

  • Create immediate transformation across multiple policy domains

  • Overwhelm potential opposition through sheer volume

  • Fulfill campaign promises articulated under "Agenda 47"

  • Establish a new governing narrative from day one

Project 2025: The Ideological Blueprint

Project 2025, spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation and involving more than 100 conservative organizations, represents an "unparalleled" movement-wide effort to construct "a comprehensive plan to deconstruct the out-of-touch... administrative state". Built on a controversial interpretation of the unitary executive theory that states that the entire executive branch is under the complete control of the president, this 900-page manifesto outlines sweeping policy proposals that would upend nearly every aspect of American life. The initiative is structured around four foundational pillars: 1) The Mandate for Leadership policy guide authored by more than 350 leading conservatives; 2) A "Conservative LinkedIn" personnel database for vetting and placing political loyalists; 3) The Presidential Administration Academy for training candidates; and 4) A detailed implementation playbook for the first 180 days. The project calls for the replacement of merit-based federal civil service workers by people loyal to Trump and to take partisan control of key government agencies, including the Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of Commerce (DOC), and Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The Heritage Foundation emerged as the primary operational playbook:

  • 36 of the first 53 executive orders directly mirrored Project 2025 proposals

  • Nearly two-thirds of early executive actions reflected Project 2025 recommendations

  • Key targets: dismantling the "administrative state," rolling back LGBTQ+ rights, eliminating DEI programs, prioritizing fossil fuels

  • Systematic approach to replacing merit-based civil servants with political loyalists

Key Policy Domains

1. Social and Cultural Transformation

Gender and LGBTQ+ Rights

  • Defined sex as "strictly binary and immutable" (Jan 20 EO)

  • Banned transgender military service

  • Mandated transfer of transgender federal prisoners to birth-sex facilities

  • Blocked federal funding for schools allowing transgender athletes in women's sports

  • Immediate legal challenges resulted in multiple temporary restraining orders

DEI Elimination Campaign

  • Dismantled federal DEI programs and terminology

  • Eliminated disparate-impact liability enforcement

  • Revoked federal contractor equal opportunity requirements

  • Legal pushback argues violations of Title VII of Civil Rights Act

Education Policy

  • Directed "race-neutral" school discipline guidance

  • Promoted school choice and parental rights

  • Targeted accreditors' DEI policies

  • Worked toward dismantling Department of Education

Religious Liberty Commission

  • Established commission led by conservative Christian figures

  • Focused on religious exemptions and public school prayer

  • Critics cite concerns about separation of church and state

2. Economic Nationalism

Aggressive Tariff Strategy

  • Baseline 10% tariff on most imports (April 2)

  • Higher rates for countries with trade surpluses

  • Targeted China with 125-145% tariffs

  • Threatened 100% tariff on foreign films

  • Economic projections: 0.5-0.9% lower GDP growth, $2,100-$3,800 annual cost per household

Domestic Production Focus

  • Reclassified coal as strategic mineral

  • Promoted domestic medicine production

  • Enhanced offshore resource extraction

  • Aimed to reshore critical industries

3. Law Enforcement and Immigration

Police Support Initiatives

  • Provided legal indemnification for officers

  • Enhanced military equipment transfers to police

  • Reviewed federal consent decrees with police departments

  • Directed prosecution of officials "obstructing" law enforcement

Immigration Crackdown

  • Reinstated "Remain in Mexico" policies

  • Expanded detention and deportation operations

  • Invoked Alien Enemies Act (later blocked by court)

  • Targeted "sanctuary cities" with funding threats

  • Signed Laken Riley Act requiring detention for certain arrests

4. Environmental Deregulation

Systematic Rollback

  • Rescinded NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) implementing regulations (effective April 11)

  • Eliminated methane emissions charges for oil/gas industry

  • Implemented sunset rules for energy regulations

  • Challenged state climate laws through DOJ action

  • Paused wind energy project approvals

Fossil Fuel Promotion

  • Prioritized coal leasing on federal lands

  • Promoted coal for AI data centers

  • Directed agencies to remove coal production barriers

  • Reversed climate mitigation efforts

5. Government Restructuring

Civil Service Changes

  • Made it easier to remove probationary federal employees

  • Required "affirmative certification" for tenure

  • Initiated "Schedule F"-style workforce changes

  • Targeted perceived political opposition within agencies

DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency)

  • Led by Elon Musk (until May 2025)

  • Claimed $150 billion in savings by mid-April

  • Conducted mass layoffs of federal employees

  • Faced legal challenges and conflict of interest concerns

Regulatory Process Reform

  • Ended federal funding to NPR and PBS

  • Mandated federal procurement changes

  • Promoted "market-based solutions"

  • Targeted perceived "biased media"

Implementation Status

Rapid Execution

  • CEQ rescinded NEPA regulations (effective April 11)

  • HHS rescinded gender-affirming care guidance

  • DHS implemented border security measures

  • Commerce implemented tariff schedules

Pending Actions

  • Multiple guidance documents due May-June 2025

  • Attorney General reports on state climate laws (due June 7)

  • Sanctuary cities list publication (due May 28)

  • Various agency reviews and recommendations

Legal Resistance

  • Over 20 major lawsuits filed against executive orders

  • Multiple temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions

  • Constitutional challenges on Due Process, Equal Protection, First Amendment grounds

  • State attorneys general coalitions challenging federal actions

Early Impact Assessment

Economic Effects

  • Market volatility and business uncertainty

  • Retaliatory tariffs from trading partners

  • Mixed reactions from industry sectors

  • Questions about long-term competitiveness

Social Consequences

  • Mobilization of civil rights organizations

  • Increased anxiety in affected communities

  • Partisan polarization intensification

  • Public opinion divided along party lines

Administrative Challenges

  • Federal agencies scrambling to implement directives

  • Legal departments overwhelmed with challenges

  • Career civil servants facing uncertainty

  • International partners reassessing relationships

The Theater vs. Substance Dichotomy

Many actions blend symbolic politics with substantive policy changes:

High Theater, Lower Substance

  • Religious Liberty Commission

  • "Beautiful Clean Coal" rhetoric

  • 100% foreign film tariff threat

  • Victory Day proclamations

Substantial Policy Impact

  • NEPA regulations rescission

  • Tariff implementations

  • Civil service probationary changes

  • Immigration enforcement directives

Dual-Purpose Actions

  • Gender ideology executive orders (legal and cultural impact)

  • Sanctuary city targeting (policy and political messaging)

  • DEI elimination (administrative and symbolic significance)

  • Energy deregulation (economic and ideological goals)

Forward Trajectory

The administration appears committed to:

  • Continued aggressive executive action use

  • Full Project 2025 implementation

  • Sustained legal battles across multiple fronts

  • Deepening ideological divide in governance

Key Variables

  • Court decisions on executive authority limits

  • Congressional response or inaction

  • Economic consequences of trade policies

  • Public reaction and mobilization

  • International diplomatic fallout

Conclusion

The first 100 days revealed a systematic effort to rapidly transform federal policy through executive action, closely following the Project 2025 blueprint. While immediate effectiveness varies by domain, the ideological intent is unmistakable. The success of this approach depends on navigating significant legal, institutional, and practical constraints—with outcomes likely to shape American governance for years to come.