The Trump Presidency: A Libertarian Review of the First 100 Days
Understanding the “First Hundred Days”
The idea of judging a president by their first 100 days in office dates back to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal blitz in 1933. Ever since, it’s served as a benchmark for evaluating early priorities, tone, and executive impact. For libertarians, that means asking: Has government grown or shrunk? Have Americans gained more freedom, or lost it?
Let’s examine where President Trump’s return to the White House stands on those counts.
Economy
Tariffs Return with a Vengeance: Trump’s sweeping tariffs on imports, from allies and adversaries alike, signal a revival of protectionist policy. Markets wobbled, and consumer prices are already rising in key sectors.
Tax Cuts Without Spending Cuts: Promises to eliminate taxes on tips and overtime sound good, but without significant spending reductions, they risk compounding the federal debt.
Libertarian View: Tariffs are taxes on consumers, not foreign governments. We favor tax relief, but when paired with spending discipline.
Foreign Policy
Ukraine Aid Halted: The administration has halted lethal aid to Ukraine and called on Europe to assume more responsibility. This marks a shift away from interventionist spending.
Blank Check to Israel: Simultaneously, the administration continues sending arms to Israel and offering military support without conditions.
Libertarian View: We applaud a move toward restraint in Ukraine, but oppose maintaining entanglements elsewhere. America should not be the world’s police force, or arms dealer.
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Domestic Policy and Regulation
Executive Order Overload: Over 140 executive orders in the first 100 days alone. Topics range from rolling back DEI mandates to renaming geographic regions and expanding executive authority.
DOGE and Downsizing: A new Department of Government Efficiency claims billions in cuts and tens of thousands of federal layoffs, though questions remain about the math. Even with these cuts, overall U.S. spending remains at or near record highs.
Libertarian View: Shrinking government is a win. But relying on executive orders instead of legislative change centralizes power, even when the policy is right. Real decentralization requires structural change, not just a reshuffling of bureaucracies.
Justice and Criminal Reform
Mass Pardons: President Trump has pardoned over 1,500 individuals, including non-violent January 6 d
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