Ever since Donald Trump successfully engineered his return to the White House last November, Americans have anxiously waited for him to make good on his promise to “Make America Great Again” (MAGA).
Those MAGA supporters who voted for him came from a diverse group of voters: older citizens, white Americans, Latinos and Black men – all of whom fell under Trump’s “spell.”
Now, as the president hits the 100-day mark of his second term— after dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programming, raising tariffs, dismantling department and furloughing thousands of federal employees—new polls indicate that he has a lot to do if he’s going to resurrect the economy and justify reducing the size of the federal government – two linchpins in his so-called “mandate” from the voters.
Some Americans may now be suffering from “buyer’s remorse” – that is, voting for Trump over his opponent, former Vice President Kamala Harris. However, the president didn’t just win in November, but pulled members of the GOP on his coattails, with the Republicans taking control of both the House and the Senate.
But has he kept his promises? Not the ones that matter the most.
Who cares that his approval rating at 41% – the lowest for any newly elected president at 100 days, dating back at least to Dwight Eisenhower.
Polls have little meaning when ordinary Americans must contend with how to pay their rent, how to afford surging prices at the grocery store, how to pay back student loans, and how to absorb rising prices for utilities.
Voters may have given the president the greenlight to tackle the challenge of immigration as he sees fit. Voters may have even said it’s okay to change America’s decades-old stance on foreign diplomacy to bring manufacturing plants back from overseas to the U.S., but not at the cost of a potential recession. They didn’t vote for Trump at the cost of more Americans going hungry or homeless, or both.
Moreover, in just 100 days, the biggest losers, so far, appear to be Black and brown people – people who can least afford to “wait.”
It’s important for politicians and American citizens alike – particularly those who voted for Trump – to hold him accountable.
America is not getting better, but her citizens are certainly uncertain – with many suffering under an administration that is eliminating what makes a nation truly great – such as diversity and a strong economy.
