Of the 18 accomplishments listed on the White House website devoted to President Trump’s first 100 days in office, at least half were achieved through executive orders and other executive actions.
The site groups Trump’s efforts into three broad categories: prosperity, security, and accountability. Under each category, six more specific measures are listed, resulting in a total of 18 achievements. Those achievements are all linked to explanations, giving readers a clear sense of why the administration decided to include them.
An analysis of each achievement reveals nine of the 18 were accomplished in full or in part by the president signing executive orders or broader executive actions.
Excerpted from the website, below is a list of achievements that link to justifications including executive orders or actions:
- Approved the Dakota Access Pipeline and the Keystone XL Pipeline
- Promoting America’s energy independence
- President Trump has rolled back job-killing anti-coal regulations
- Buy American, Hire American Executive Order
- President Trump is keeping his promise to hold sanctuary cities accountable
- Imposed new sanctions on 25 Iranian entities
- Initiated the process for the most ambitious agency reorganization in modern history
- Launched the opioid abuse commission
- Five-year lobbying ban and lifetime foreign lobbying ban
Given Trump’s prior criticisms of his predecessor’s use of executive action, that half of his own administration’s list of 100-day accomplishments was achieved through executive action is notable. “Obama goes around signing executive orders,” Trump said in February 2016. “He can’t even get along with the Democrats, and he goes around signing all these executive orders. It’s a basic disaster. You can’t do it.” That sentiment was echoed frequently by conservatives throughout the Obama-era.
In fairness to the president, some of his executive action has involved rolling back regulations, rather than creating them. But to his own point, Trump’s first 100 days have been characterized by an icy relationship with Democrats, the vast majority of whom refuse to compromise with him and show no signs of thawing, and even by his fight to wrangle competing Republican factions.
He can thank that struggle to “get along” for his list’s lack of major legislative accomplishments.
According to the White House, Trump is on track to sign 32 executive orders by Friday. That’s the most of any new administration since World War II.
Emily Jashinsky is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
