100 Days of Chaos The Second Trump Admin Stumbles Out the Gates Alexander Vindman May 4 Late last week, the second Trump administration officially completed its first 100 days. My expectations for this administration were low and I knew that we were going to be in for a rough ride. However, after seeing the chaos and disorganization over the past few months, I think it’s safe to say that the second Trump administration has managed to under-perform in pursuing its stated policy objectives while simultaneously delivering the full vision for governance held by MAGA hardliners and the architects of Project 2025. Essentially, we’re getting the worst of both worlds. Why It Matters is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. The most immediate display of incompetence from the administration is the ongoing fallout of signalgate which has led to the first casualty of the Trump administration: Mike Waltz. Mike Waltz has been demoted from his current position as National Security Advisor and has been reassigned as the United States’ Ambassador to the UN. While Waltz’s actions may have been the instigating factor to signalgate (as he was the person who added Atlantic journalist Jeffrey Goldberg to the chat), we should consider that Waltz is essentially taking the fall for Pete Hegseth. Hegseth’s discussion of confidential military information in the chat and overall management of signalgate has been an absolute disgrace to the Department of Defense and the United States military. I’m sure that signalgate will be just one of many instances of abuse, misconduct, and mismanagement overseen by Hegseth during his time as Secretary of Defense - for the sake of this country and its military, let’s hope his tenure ends soon. The actions of the current administration can be divided into two categories. The first is what I would call “America First Fumbles”. These are the clumsy, uncoordinated efforts by Trump and his people to actualize “America First” policy objectives while having none of the experts and policy advisors needed to achieve success. The most visible examples of America First Fumbles are seen in trade and foreign policy. Trump has burnt bridges with nearly all of America’s allies over the past 100 days. Policy-makers assumed that the reasoning behind Trump’s abrasive rhetoric was that the United States could cajole its allies into increasing military spending or balancing the trade deficit by threatening American withdrawal from partnerships and alliances. However, this strategy has failed because Trump has not only chosen to direct his aggression towards willing partners of the United States, but his administration has also repeatedly backtracked on threats and folded under pressure. This communicates a sense of weakness from Trump and his team. For the record, I fully disagree with Trump’s approach to foreign policy, but if the United States is going to issue threats and ultimatums then the United States should follow-through with them. All this approach has done is embolden our adversaries and harm our allies. Additionally, it should be noted that even if the administration undoes major sweeping policy changes, the risk-adverse nature of the international economy means that the damage may last longer than people think. Large companies and industry leaders will need to consider the possibility of sudden arbitrary tariffs in their planning for the foreseeable future. This uncertainty translates to higher prices for consumers and slower growth for certain sectors of the American economy. Even if Trump walked back all the tariffs tomorrow, the decision to levy tariffs will hang over his presidency for the remainder of this term. The second category of policy actions taken by the Trump administration relate to the rapid reshaping of the federal government and executive branch. This includes the heavy-handed enforcement of immigration law, the decimation of the federal civil service under the false pretense of “efficiency”, and the minimization of checks and balances against the executive branch. Many of these policies were laid out in Project 2025 and are pushed by conservative organizations like the Heritage Foundation that view Trump as a vehicle for bringing about their agenda. Unlike the America First Fumbles, these policies are often set in motion away from public view and with little commentary from the White House. However, they represent a major threat to the future of the country and are laying the foundation for a hostile takeover and end to American democracy. These policies represent the greatest threat to American prosperity and liberty - Democrats should focus their efforts on pushing back against these overreaches in the coming years. There’s no sign of an end to the chaos of the second Trump presidency. The courts will likely be faced with a serious constitutional crisis in the near future, conflicts in the Middle East and Eastern Europe will continue to rage, India and Pakistan may slide into war, and the shock of Trump’s tariff plans will begin to ripple through the American economy. As Americans mobilize against the political overreach from the White House and the growing economic woes brought about by Trump’s administration, there is always the possibility that the Insurrection Act is evoked against demonstrators and protestors. Chaos is the only constant in the Second Trump Administration - we must keep our vision focused on the future and lay the groundwork for victory in the 2026 midterms and beyond. Why It Matters is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.