100 days, 140 orders: Key numbers that marks Donald Trump’s second term

Donald Trump (File photo)

Donald Trump’s return to the White House for a second presidential term has brought a whirlwind of administrative changes in his first 100 days, with his administration touting sweeping reforms which included 140 executive orders, 139,000 deportations, 280,000 federal job cuts, and tariffs as high as 145 per cent.
Supporters highlight a surge in executive actions, aggressive immigration enforcement, workforce reductions, and a bold shift in trade policy. However, critics warn that the President’s use of power tests constitutional boundaries and threatens economic stability. Here are 100 days of Trump 2.0 in key numbers:

140 executive orders in 100 days

Since January, Trump has signed approximately 140 executive orders, nearly eclipsing the 162 total issued by Joe Biden over four years. The scale and speed recall Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Depression-era governance.
These actions include a sweeping crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes, a reorganisation of federal employment, and steep import tariffs — all executed without congressional input.
“These are very aggressive assertions of presidential authority in all kinds of ways,” said Professor John Woolley of the University of California, Santa Barbara. “None of those [from previous administrations] had the kind of arbitrary, forceful quality of Trump’s actions.”

Tariffs reach 145 per cent

Trump’s trade policies have made headlines with a 145 per cent tariff slapped on Chinese imports, triggering immediate retaliatory measures from Beijing. In North America, 25 per cent tariffs were imposed on Mexico and Canada, tied to fentanyl smuggling concerns.
The markets were shaken after Trump dubbed April 2 as “Liberation Day,” but stabilised following clarification of a 10 per cent baseline import tax.
“It’s up to China to de-escalate,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “They sell five times more to us than we sell to them.”

Tense foreign policy front: 10,000-square-mile Crimea proposal and 52,200 Gaza casualties

Trump’s proposal for Ukraine to recognise Russian control over 10,000 square miles of Crimea sparked immediate backlash. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded: “There is nothing to talk about – it is our land.”
In Gaza, a collapsed ceasefire has led to over 2,000 new Palestinian deaths since March, pushing the total above 52,200, with nearly two months of limited humanitarian aid access.

280,000 federal jobs cut

The federal workforce has shrunk by 280,000 employees during Trump’s first 100 days — including 60,000 dismissals and 75,000 voluntary departures. The rest were eliminated through attrition. The Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, is overseeing continued downsizing.

139,000 deportations, border crossings plunge

Trump’s immigration crackdown has resulted in 139,000 deportations of undocumented residents since January. Border encounters dropped to just 7,181 in March, a dramatic fall from 137,473 in the same month last year.
“We’re getting them out,” Trump said. “And a judge can say, ‘No, you have to have a trial.’ The trial’s going to take two years, and now we’re going to have a very dangerous country if we’re not allowed to do what we’re entitled to do.”