100 Days of Chaos

 

From: National Security Action
To: Interested Parties
Date: April 29, 2025
Subject: 100 Days of Chaos


Summary: “President Donald Trump regained the White House in large part by trumpeting his ability to get things done, accusing his opponents of ineptitude and senility and promising that on Day 1 he would restore basic competence to government.” But as we reach the president’s 100th day of office, the American people are getting exactly the opposite.

The Trump White House has attempted to “flood the zone,” overwhelming opponents’ capacity to effectively push back on the president’s actions. However, this strategy has unintended consequences as well. We should not pass up any opportunity to highlight the near-constant, unforced errors of this Administration and tie them to a broader sense of chaos and dysfunction in Washington. 

An effective message connects the chaos of this administration to the real-world outcomes that Americans are experiencing on a daily basis. Voters feel the chaos of Trump’s Administration when they look at their 401(k)s, when they try to access their Social Security benefits, or go grocery shopping. A concerted effort is necessary to ensure they remember it when they go to the ballot box.


Polling: 

  • The early months of Mr. Trump’s administration are seen as “chaotic” and “scary” by majorities of voters — even many who approve of the job he is doing.

  • “When asked if certain words or phrases accurately described Trump, ‘chaotic’ handily topped the list, with 62% of voters saying it adequately described him.” Even 11% of Trump voters said that "incompetent" described him well. 

  • 56% percent of voters – including 66% of independents – believe that, “since taking office, Trump has rushed to make changes without considering their impact.”


A Smarter Approach – Calling Out Chaos Across the Board: Recent polling suggests that Americans are increasingly frustrated with the Trump administration's erratic approach. The pervasive sense of chaos, incompetence, and dysfunction is a glaring vulnerability for the Trump White House – and we would encourage our community to emphasize his chaos when communicating with Americans. 

  • Trump’s Tariffs & the Cost of Living: Trump promised a booming economy, and then triggered a $6 trillion stock market crash. He pledged to slash taxes, and then implemented the largest tax increase since 1968. It’s important to make clear that this is not only a poor strategy, but sheer incompetence. Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs contained clear mathematical errors, mistakenly imposed massive penalties on uninhabited Antarctic territories, and were abruptly paused just days after they were announced. Trump’s actions aren’t making life easier for working families – he’s actively tanking the U.S. economy and pushing our partners and allies closer to China. 62% of Americans – including 47% of Republicans – believe the president has not done enough to reduce the prices of everyday goods.

  • DOGE Wrecking Ball: The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has brought dysfunction and chaos to government programs Americans depend on. Government workers – including scientists trying to fight a worsening outbreak of bird flu and employees who worked on the Veterans Crisis Line – have been fired only to be rehired days later when their absence created critical service gaps. The Administration canceled funding for Ebola prevention during an active outbreak, cut salaries for guards of 9,500 ISIS militants detained in Syria, and abruptly fired hundreds of employees working on the nation’s nuclear weapons programs. Americans are paying attention – 60% are concerned about DOGE. Elon’s “move fast and break things” approach may work in Silicon Valley. But in Washington, his chaotic approach has disastrous, long-term consequences for the American people. 

  • The “Master Dealmaker”: On the campaign trail, Trump promised to end wars in Ukraine and Gaza on day one of his presidency. Barely three months in, a hard-won ceasefire that Trump inherited has unraveled in Gaza. Ukraine and Russia remain far from a ceasefire, even after Trump offered massive concessions to Russia. In fact, Russian leaders appear to be digging in and demanding further concessions from Trump – while the Ukrainians are forced to accept a peace plan that sharply favors Putin. Most Americans (54%) disapprove of Trump’s handling of foreign policy.

  • Territorial Expansion: Rather than working to lower costs, Donald Trump has spent valuable time and energy pursuing bizarre territorial expansion. He offered to pay each Greenlander $10,000 a year to accept annexation and threatened to use military force to take the island. He has directed top military advisors to develop plans for “reclaiming” control over the Panama Canal. And he continues to inflame tensions with our top trading partner by suggesting Canada become the 51st state. He even proposed sending thousands of U.S. troops to occupy the Gaza strip. Who asked for this? Only 1% of Americans believe territorial expansion should be a priority for the President. 

  • National Security Leaks: Within weeks of taking office, Trump’s National Security Advisor added the Editor-in-Chief of The Atlantic to a group chat discussing the timing and location of U.S. military strikes. Later, it was revealed that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth created yet another Signal chat where he shared sensitive and detailed military plans – on his personal phone – with his wife and “a dozen other people from his personal and professional inner circle.” The chaos and ineptitude displayed by Trump’s national security team is raising alarm bells with the American people. “Only 3 in 10 are ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ confident that Trump will pick qualified people to serve in his administration.”

  • Constitutional Crisis: The Trump Administration deported a Maryland resident and father of three to a terrorist confinement center in El Salvador due to – in its own words – an “administrative error.” The Supreme Court unanimously found the deportation illegal and ordered his return, but Trump has defied the Court’s orders. Trump has also deported three children who were American citizens and revoked visas for over 1,300 students before reversing course. 60% of Americans oppose deportations without due process and, in sharp contrast to a few months ago, most (53%) now disapprove of Trump’s overall deportation strategy. 


Conclusion: “This is not a smooth-running operation. Indeed, the extent to which Trump’s first three months back in office have been characterized by mistakes – from bumbling embarrassments to calamitous errors endangering national security – is frankly breathtaking.”

The American people elected Donald Trump because they believed he was a fighter and changemaker – not a chaos agent. But 100 days into his second administration, self-imposed errors are quickly coming to define the president. We would be wise to underscore this reality.

Published: April 2025