In the annals of American history, no presidential debut has matched the seismic impact of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first 100 days—until now.
But where FDR built, Donald Trump destroys. Where Roosevelt rescued a nation from collapse, Trump exploits crisis to wage war on the very people he swore to protect.
As the 100-day mark of Trump’s second term approaches, Americans’ views of what he’s done so far have turned deeply negative, landing the president’s job approval rating in the thirties just three months into his second term.
The parallels are striking—both men stormed into office promising revolution. Roosevelt, inheriting a nation broken by the Great Depression, unleashed an unprecedented wave of reform: banking safeguards, labor protections, and the foundations of the modern social safety net. His New Deal was a lifeline to millions, reshaping the covenant between government and its citizens.
Trump’s second-term blitzkrieg, by contrast, is a demolition derby. His weapon? The executive pen—slashing regulations, gutting agencies, and unleashing a torrent of punitive policies targeting immigrants, workers, and the vulnerable.
Where FDR governed with Congress to pass 16 landmark laws in 100 days, Trump rules by fiat—issuing over 140 executive orders, each one a ticking time bomb for the next administration to defuse.
Since January 20, 2025, Congress has passed only one major piece of legislation beyond essential budget measures—the Laken Riley Act—allowing detention of undocumented immigrants accused of minor crimes.
The contrast in vision could not be starker. Roosevelt’s fireside chats rallied a terrified nation; Trump’s rallies stoke division.
FDR’s New Deal lifted wages and curbed corporate greed; Trump’s agenda—tax cuts for billionaires, union busting, and a crusade against “woke” institutions—serves only the oligarchy.
Even their mandates differ wildly: Roosevelt won in a 57% landslide with supermajorities in Congress; Trump eked out victory with under 50% of the vote and a fractured legislature.
Yet Trump clings to the FDR comparison, even musing openly about mimicking Roosevelt’s four-term reign.
The irony is grotesque. Roosevelt’s legacy birthed Social Security and the minimum wage;
Trump’s will be remembered for mass deportations, abandoning the global leadership role the US has played since World War II, and a bevy of authoritarian whims.
The American people have rendered their verdict: just 39% approve of Trump’s performance, a dismal showing for a man who promised “American greatness.”
Historians agree—where FDR’s reforms endured for generations, Trump’s edicts are built on sand.
“Nothing in these 200 executive orders will outlast his term,” warns Elaine Kamarck of the Brookings Institution.
But the damage is real. While Roosevelt faced down “economic royalists,” Trump has become their champion—a president who doesn’t just ignore the working class but actively impoverishes them. The question now is whether democracy itself can survive his assault.
FDR once said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Today, we have far more to fear—a lawless president, a complicit GOP, and the eerie silence of Democrats who still haven’t learned how to fight.
History will judge this moment. And it will not be kind.
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