The first 100 days of a US presidency is a useful – but made-up – milestone. It was first made-up by Franklin Delano Roosevelt after his landslide 1932 presidential election victory. FDR promised a “New Deal” for the American people, and from the moment he arrived in the White House in 1933 Roosevelt brought Congress into a three-month (100 days) session to pass 15 major bills, 77 new laws along with 99 executive orders to repair the damage of the Great Depression.
New public works, new dams on great rivers, and a new kind of vigour energised the US government and the American people. FDR’s energy built the superpower.
It’s too early to judge Donald Trump’s presidency but his first 100 days is a landmark that will be reached on 30 April.
Already we can see a credibility gap between the boasts and few positive achievements. This has been blurred by the deluge of new words, new problems and new distractions.
It is therefore worth going through some of the most obvious yardsticks by which Mr Trump’s 100 days may be measured to compare promises and potential future progress. Or otherwise.
First, Ukraine. The much publicised and not-much-believed Trump claim was to end the conflict in 24 hours. Almost 100 days later, US administration statements suggest Mr Trump may now “pass” on bringing peace to Ukraine. Yet peace, not “passing”, was the Trump promise, even if no one, presumably not even Mr Trump himself, believed what he promised.
Then there is “the most beautiful word” in the Trump dictionary, “tariffs”. It’s too soon to say what kind of effect the proposed (and subsequently changed, reconfigured or withdrawn) tariffs will eventually have, although trade experts use words like “uncertainty” and “dislocation”.
What we can say is that the greatest geo-strategic competitor of the US, China, seems energised by the prospect of a Trump tariff battle. China commentators have reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s government appears to see trade dislocation and economic consequences as very unfortunate but perhaps ultimately bringing some political advantages.
Beijing, with a Communist government, is standing up for free trade against protectionism. In countries as far apart geographically and politically as South and East Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Europe, the Trump Tariffs can make the future look like a contest between protectionist Trumpland and the (mostly) free-trade Rest of the World.
Even countries that have at times difficult relationships with Beijing are sharing some Trump tariff pain. Market reaction includes descriptive words like “turmoil” or “uncertainty” or “jitters,” and as former UK Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher always lectured the British people: “You can’t buck the market”. Mr Trump may prove otherwise. I wouldn’t count on it.
One other key foreign policy ambition is worth touching upon, Mr Trump wants US expansion, specifically targeting Canada, Greenland and Panama. In his address to Congress in March he said that “to further enhance our national security, my administration will be reclaiming the Panama Canal”.
No member of the Trump administration has explained what “reclaiming” means. There are real concerns in Washington about alleged Chinese influence in the Canal Zone with unconfirmed reports of the US military being ordered to draw up contingency plans for possible action.
I was in Panama reporting for the BBC on the US invasion of Panama some years ago and can reveal the utterly unsurprising truth: the US has always had plans to seize control of the Panama Canal if this vital strategic asset for international trade ever comes under threat. No shock there.
Greenland, home to vital US military bases, has also always been a significant strategic interest for the Pentagon since 1945. Here, however, the Trump administration in sending an uninvited Vice President JD Vance to Greenland managed a remarkable trick by irritating both independence-minded native Greenlanders and also the old colonial power, Denmark. This was a text-book study in dim diplomacy.
Finally, the Trump 100 days report card ends with Canada. There Mr Trump has created another kind of unity. He has united Canadians around patriotism, the maple leaf and Canadian sovereignty. This has given an enormous electoral boost to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal party.
They were on course to lose power but in standing up to Mr Trump’s ambitions and tariffs Mr Carney is now considered the favourite to win the general election on April 28. In wanting Canada as the 51st state, as Mr Carney puts it, Mr Trump has a “strategy to break us so America can own us. We are over the shock of the betrayal. But we should never forget the lessons”.
We can all add our own reflections on Mr Trump’s first 100-day achievements but for now there isn’t space to discuss the attempted reformation of the entire US government, personnel changes, the attacks on universities, US-EU relations, Gaza, Iran and many other hugely important topics.
Two big domestic political questions also remain. Have the money markets really stabilised? And are Republicans in Congress really happy with how things are going? We’ll find out soon.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
More coverage from the Future Forum
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)
Date started: August 2021
Founder: Nour Sabri
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace
Size: Two employees
Funding stage: Seed investment
Initial investment: $200,000
Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East)
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic
Power: 169bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh54,500
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
