Washington — In the four years between his two terms, President Trump had a lot of time to consider what he could do differently if he won the presidency again. In the first 100 days of his second term, he’s been able to deliver on some of the promises he repeated most during his campaign, while others remain out of reach.
But much like the first 100 days of his first term, most of the progress Mr. Trump has made on his promises were achieved through executive orders.
Here’s a look at some his 2024 campaign promises and their status after 100 days:
The promise: End Russia-Ukraine war
Mr. Trump has yet to negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, a conflict he boasted would be settled before he even took office. He said more than once he would bring the war to a close within “24 hours” of his second term.
Despite U.S. pressure on Ukraine and to a lesser extent, Russia, there is no peace yet, or even a temporary cease-fire. The administration is now threatening to walk from negotiations with Russia and Ukraine, as Russia continues its attacks.
The promise: Pardon Jan. 6 rioters
This was one of the first promises Mr. Trump delivered on upon taking office. Hours after he was sworn in, he granted clemency to about 1,500 defendants who had been convicted of crimes related to the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Among those who received clemency are people who were convicted of violent and serious crimes, including assaulting police officers and seditious conspiracy.
Mr. Trump also ordered the Justice Department to end all pending cases connected to the riot, abruptly ending the department’s massive effort under former President Joe Biden to hold those who participated in the attack accountable.
The promise: “Save” TikTok
Before taking office, Mr. Trump promised to “save” the short-form video app used by 170 million Americans. In 2024, Congress passed a law that required TikTok to divest from its Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance, or be cut off from U.S. app-hosting stores. Despite lengthy legal wrangling, when ByteDance failed to cut ties with TikTok by Jan. 19, the deadline set by Congress, the app was effectively banned in the U.S.
On his first day in office, Mr. Trump signed an executive order that directed the Justice Department not to enforce the law for 75 days and TikTok later reappeared in app stores. The president on April 4 again delayed enforcement of the law for another 75 days as a sale remained elusive.
The promise: Make IVF free
In August, Mr. Trump told voters that the government or insurance companies “will be mandated to pay for all costs associated with IVF treatment.” He did not elaborate how he would enact it.
That has not yet come to fruition, though the president directed his administration to find ways to reduce the high costs of IVF for Americans struggling with fertility. The Feb. 18 order requested policy recommendations within 90 days.
The promise: Release JFK assassination records
The Trump administration released about 80,000 government documents related to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy in mid-March. The documents had been released before, but sections were redacted for national security purposes, but many of those portions were made public with the new release.
The declassified versions did not appear to contain significant new revelations about the assassination. Some documents are available in person at the National Archives, but others are still being uploaded. Additional documents remain under court seal, including some for reasons of grand jury secrecy. There are also IRS-related documents that must be unsealed before release, and the Archives and Justice Department are working on making these available.
The promise: Close the Education Department
Mr. Trump signed an executive order last month to begin the process of dismantling the Department of Education “once and for all.” The Education Department’s workforce has already been cut in half, and there are plans to transfer some of its functions to other agencies. Still, fully eliminating the department would require an act of Congress.
The promise: Carry out the largest mass deportation in U.S. history
“On Day One, I will launch the largest deportation program of criminals in the history of America,” Mr. Trump said on the campaign trail.
The Trump administration has aggressively pursued deportations, perhaps most notably by invoking an 18th century law known as the Alien Enemies Act that has only been used during wartime to immediately deport some migrants accused of being gang members to a prison in El Salvador.
The president’s attempt to use the Alien Enemies Act for this purpose is being litigated in the courts.
The promise: “Tariff the hell” out of countries that have taken “advantage” of the U.S.
Mr. Trump vowed to “tariff the hell” out of countries that he believes haven’t treated the U.S. fairly on trade. He followed through on that threat for just under a week, imposing heavy tariffs on most countries based on their trade deficits with the U.S. He blinked in the face of a bond market sell-off, suspending most of the tariffs for 90 days while he and top administration officials try to negotiate trade deals with individual nations. He still kept in place tariffs adding up to 145% against China.
The promise: Withdraw from the Paris climate accords
Just like he did in his first term, one of Mr. Trump’s first moves when he took office in January was to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement, after former President Joe Biden rejoined the agreement. Countries who have signed onto the Paris accord agree to specific efforts meant to help curb climate change.
The promise: Make expiring tax cuts permanent
Congress is working to make the income tax cuts enacted in Mr. Trump’s first term permanent. It’s not something the president can do on his own. Key provisions of Mr. Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act are set to expire at the end of the year.
The promise: Eliminate taxes on tips
One of Mr. Trump’s repeated campaign promises was eliminating federal income taxes on tips, something he found was popular with his working-class base. Republicans on the House Budget Committee estimate eliminating income taxes on tips would cost more than $100 billion over a decade.
But eliminating taxes on tips would require an act of Congress, and it’s not yet clear whether it will be included in the budget reconciliation package.
The promise: Eliminate taxes on seniors’ Social Security income
Eliminating federal taxes on Social Security income is also something Mr. Trump has pledged to do. This, too, will take an act of Congress. And Congress hasn’t made serious moves toward that end. Some economists warn that eliminating taxes on Social Security would create an even larger federal deficit.
The promise: Stop funding for schools with vaccine and mask mandates
Mr. Trump pledged during the campaign that he “would not give one penny to any school that has a vaccine mandate or a mask mandate.” He issued an executive order in February that prohibits schools and colleges with COVID-19 vaccine mandates from receiving federal money, though no states currently have such a requirement. It only applies to the COVID-19 vaccine.
The promise: End birthright citizenship
The president’s executive order on birthright citizenship, which has long been interpreted as guaranteed under the 14th Amendment, was one of the first that he signed after he was sworn in. The order denied birthright citizenship to children born after Feb. 19 to a mother who is unlawfully present in the U.S. or who is lawfully present on a temporary basis; or whose father is neither a citizen nor lawful permanent resident.
Mr. Trump’s mandate has been blocked by federal courts in several states as being unconstitutional. The Supreme Court will hear arguments in May on a Trump administration request to partially enforce the order.
The promise: Cut federal funding to schools that teach “critical race theory” and “transgender” matters
In January, Mr. Trump ordered schools to stop teaching what he views as “critical race theory” and other material related to race and sexuality. The executive order declared that K-12 schools could not use federal money on the “indoctrination” of children, including “radical gender ideology and critical race theory.”
He signed a separate executive order in February to ban transgender girls and women from competing on sports teams that match their gender identity. The order mandates that Title IX, the federal law banning sex discrimination in schools, be interpreted as prohibiting the participation of transgender girls and women in female sports. Those not in compliance jeopardize any federal funding they receive, Mr. Trump said.
