He should’ve stuck with “ridiculous.” That was the word President Trump used in late April to describe the “first 100 days” standard by which new commanders in chief are judged for their productivity. Trump himself cited the timeline before the election in his Contract with the American Voter, a “100-day action plan to Make America Great Again”—as realistic as a one-day push to build Rome. He’s learned since that legislating is a slog and externalities like foreign affairs and Congress’s Russia probe don’t politely yield to a domestic policy wish list. Acknowledging as much—”No matter how much I accomplish during the ridiculous standard of the first 100 days .  .  . media will kill!” he complained on day 92—wouldn’t have been hypocrisy. It would’ve demonstrated a realization that there’s only one FDR, who set the 100-day benchmark during the hyperactive first months of his administration. Nothing since has prompted a desperate rush of lawmaking quite like the Great Depression did. Not even American carnage.

But as day 100 (April 29) approached, the White House made it seem that far from being a ridiculous cliché, the milestone was a sensitive point of pride. In response to Democratic and media criticism that Trump has underwhelmed to this point, WhiteHouse.gov launched an image- and video-heavy “President Trump’s First 100 Days” webpage to highlight his accomplishments. The Republican National Committee began using the term in its releases: The April 24 subject line was “U.S. Economy Booms Under President Trump in the First 100 Days.” On April 25: “RNC Releases New Video: ‘100 Days of Obstruction,’ ” referring to Democrats. On April 26: “President Trump’s 100 Days of Streamlining Government.” In the offing, perhaps: “100 Days of Emails About 100 Days.”