100 Days of Shock and Awe: the Good, the Mixed, and the Untold Stories - 10 Minute Drill

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10 Minute Drill Episode Summary: "100 Days of Shock and Awe: the Good, the Mixed, and the Untold Stories"

Release Date: April 29, 2025
Host: Matt Whitlock
Podcast: 10 Minute Drill

I. Introduction: Marking President Trump's 100 Days

In the milestone episode commemorating President Donald Trump's first 100 days in office, host Matt Whitlock delves deep into the administration's achievements, setbacks, and the nuanced stories that often go underreported. Whitlock sets the stage by highlighting the diverse range of topics covered, from border security triumphs to economic challenges and media missteps.

II. President Trump's 100 Days: Wins and Accomplishments

A. Border Security: A Significant Victory

One of the administration's standout successes, as Whitlock emphasizes, has been the aggressive push to secure the U.S. borders. President Trump confidently stated, "You didn't need a new bill to secure the border. You just need a new president" (00:35). Data supports this assertion, showing a substantial decline in border crossings since Trump's inauguration.

The public's response has been overwhelmingly positive. Polls from Washington Post indicated strong approval for the administration's deportation efforts, with 56% support from CBS polling alone (00:35). While initial support for deporting all illegal immigrants was between 60-70%, and 90% for deporting violent criminals, sustained campaigns have slightly tempered these numbers. Nevertheless, significant majorities remain in favor of Trump's robust immigration policies.

B. Deportation Efforts: Sustained Public Support

Whitlock underscores the consistent public backing for Trump's deportation initiatives. Despite media opposition, efforts to identify and remove illegal immigrants have maintained a high approval rating. The administration's focus on deporting criminal illegal immigrants continues to resonate strongly with the American populace, reinforcing the administration's stance on national security and law enforcement.

C. Lesser-Known Achievements: Regulatory Reforms and Healthcare Transparency

Beyond the prominent headlines, Trump has enacted policies with long-term impacts:

Revamping Home Appliance Regulations: Whitlock highlights Trump's rollback of Biden-era regulations that had inflated costs for everyday appliances. This move not only reduces consumer expenses but also stimulates economic activity by lowering operational costs for households (03:40).
Healthcare Price Transparency: A pivotal policy initiative has been the enforcement of healthcare price transparency. Trump reintroduced rules requiring hospitals to disclose real-time pricing for services, a feature Democrats under Biden neglected. This transparency aims to curb exorbitant medical bills and empower consumers with better information (04:31).

President Trump: "President Trump is paving the way for health care price transparency with his latest executive order. Real prices will lower costs for consumers and boost the American economy." (04:31)

III. Polling and Public Opinion

A. Approval Ratings: A Mixed Bag

Whitlock provides a comprehensive overview of Trump's approval ratings, which currently fluctuate between 43% to 48% across various polls. For instance, CBS reports a 45% approval rate with a 55% disapproval rate, while Fox News mirrors similar figures (00:35). Outliers like the AP present more polarized views, but the general consensus points to Trump's strong influence on public opinion.

B. Economic Policies: Facing Headwinds

Despite the administration's successes, economic handling has faced criticism. Whitlock notes a significant decline in approval for Trump's economic policies:

Economic Management: CBS polling shows approval dropping from 51% to 42%, and Washington Post polls reflect even lower sentiments at 39% (00:35).
Tariff Plans: Approval for Trump's tariff strategies stands at 34% according to Washington Post and 39% per NBC polling (00:35).
Cost of Living: NBC reports a 40% approval rate for Trump's handling of the cost of living, while CBS indicates that 48% believe his policies are making them worse off, with only 19% feeling better (00:35).

The administration hints at upcoming trade deals with countries such as Japan, India, and South Korea, aiming to bolster the economy and consumer confidence. Whitlock remains optimistic that these developments will eventually improve public perception of Trump's economic management.

IV. Political Landscape: Democrats' Declining Support

A. Plummeting Democratic Approval

Whitlock shifts focus to the Democratic Party, revealing a steep decline in their support. The Harvard Youth Poll indicates a dramatic drop from 48% support in 2020 to a mere 23% in 2024. Additionally, confidence in Democratic leaders has halved to 39% (05:16).

B. Democratic Strategies Under Scrutiny

The host criticizes the Democrats for relying on ineffective "stunts" rather than coherent policy agendas. A prime example is Senator Cory Booker's recent sit-in protest on the Capitol steps. Whitlock argues that such actions lack substance and fail to convey a clear message, leading to public disinterest and ridicule.

Host Whitlock: "They continue to rely on very silly stunts. For example, Senator Cory Booker... they used the word sit in...07:14)"

The sit-in, portrayed as a civil rights-era peaceful protest, was criticized for being misplaced and unproductive. Whitlock points out the absence of a unifying theme or actionable outcome from Booker's demonstration, deeming it ineffective.

C. Notable Democratic Figures and Criticisms

Whitlock highlights instances where Democratic lawmakers appear disengaged or misaligned with voter priorities:

Mark Takano: Depicted as uninterested, symbolizing Democratic detachment (06:29).
Hakeem Jeffries: Accused of providing inflammatory rhetoric without substantive policy proposals (06:34).

Furthermore, the presence of Debbie Pringle and Randy Weingarten, associated with Democratic policy failures such as school closures and learning loss, at Booker's sit-in underscores Whitlock's argument about Democratic incompetence and poor judgment in leadership decisions.

V. Trade Deals and International Relations

A. Emerging Trade Deals: Opportunities Ahead

Whitlock touches upon the administration's potential trade agreements with major economies like Japan, India, and South Korea. These deals are expected to have substantial positive effects on both market stability and consumer confidence, potentially mitigating some of the economic approval challenges currently faced.

B. The European Union's Trade Conundrum

An insightful segment from Real Clear Politics by Michael Lucci of State Armor is referenced, discussing the European Union's precarious position in global trade. Whitlock argues that Europe's over-reliance on Russia and China, particularly in energy sectors, presents an opportunity for the EU to reorient its trade relationships towards democratic allies.

Michael Lucci (Real Clear Politics): "Europe has come to a fork in the road on trade. It's time to side with the free world." (08:45)

Whitlock suggests that this realignment could strengthen transatlantic ties and reduce dependence on autocratic regimes, fostering a more resilient and democratic global trade network.

VI. Whack a Mole: Media Misreporting and Misinformation

In this segment, Whitlock addresses recent media narratives that misrepresent the Trump administration's actions, particularly regarding deportations and judicial conflicts.

A. Misrepresented Judicial Arrest

Whitlock scrutinizes media coverage surrounding the arrest of a Wisconsin judge accused of aiding a previously deported violent criminal. Contrary to media portrayals of an escalating "war on the judiciary," Whitlock clarifies that the judge's actions were unlawful and not indicative of a broader constitutional crisis.

Host Whitlock: "This Wisconsin judge was arrested for breaking the law to help a previously deported violent criminal... 10:31)"

B. Deportation of a Two-Year-Old American Citizen

Another focal point is the controversy over the deportation of a two-year-old U.S. citizen to Honduras. Media outlets painted this as a family separation crisis, but Whitlock provides context:

Tom Homan: "What we did is remove children with their mothers who requested the children depart with them. This was a parental decision, Parenting 101." (11:42)

Whitlock argues that the administration respected parental choices, contradicting claims of forced family separations. He stresses the importance of understanding the full story beyond sensational headlines.

C. New York Times' Glowing Profile of a Deported Individual

Whitlock criticizes the New York Times for featuring a sympathetic portrayal of a deported individual with a substantial criminal history. He contends that such narratives are misleading, as the subject spent 15 of 21 years in prison for kidnapping, highlighting the media's tendency to humanize problematic figures to undermine Trump's deportation policies.

Host Whitlock: "They have decided to work with Democrats to make heroes of the worst possible people." (11:57)

VII. Conclusion: Navigating the Complex Political Landscape

In wrapping up the episode, Matt Whitlock reiterates the importance of scrutinizing media narratives and understanding the intricacies of political maneuvers. He emphasizes that President Trump's first 100 days have been a blend of significant achievements and ongoing challenges, set against a backdrop of declining Democratic support and media misrepresentations.

Whitlock encourages listeners to stay informed and critically evaluate the information presented by various media outlets. As the administration moves forward with potential trade deals and continues its policy implementations, the evolving political landscape will undoubtedly shape public opinion and policy outcomes in the months to come.

For those who missed the episode, "100 Days of Shock and Awe: the Good, the Mixed, and the Untold Stories" offers a comprehensive and nuanced analysis of President Trump's early tenure, providing valuable insights into the successes, struggles, and the ever-shifting dynamics of American politics.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

President Trump (00:19): "The story of America is the story of an adventure. I can hear you."
Media Representative (00:24): "The rest of the world hears you."
President Trump (00:26): "We are a nation under God, and I believe God intended for us to be free."
President Trump (04:31): "President Trump is paving the way for health care price transparency with his latest executive order. Real prices will lower costs for consumers and boost the American economy."
Tom Homan (11:42): "What we did is remove children with their mothers who requested the children depart with them. This was a parental decision, Parenting 101."

Stay tuned to 10 Minute Drill for more incisive analyses and updates on the most pressing issues in news and politics.

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Transcript24 lines

[00:00]
Host or Commentator
President Trump at 100 days. We mark some of the wins, some of the losses, and some of the smaller wins you might not have heard about, but are very, very important. We're also going to talk about whack a mole, some of the biggest media misfires of the recent weeks. All that and more today on 10 Minute Drill. Everybody get up. Get up.
[00:19]
President Trump
The story of America is the story of an adventure. I can hear you.
[00:24]
Media Representative
The rest of the world hears you.
[00:26]
President Trump
We are a nation under God, and I believe God intended for us to be free.
[00:35]
Host or Commentator
Today marks President Trump's 100th day in office. If you've been along for this ride, it's been a wild one. We're going to talk about some of those wins, some of those losses, and some of the things that are very positive that you just might not have heard of. But to start with the overarching themes, there was a bevy of new polls over the weekend on President Trump's approval. CBS had President Trump's approval at 45% with 55% disapproval. Fox News, 44% approved, 55% disapprove. That was a pretty consistent theme across most polls. President Trump's approval is currently sitting somewhere between about 43 and about 48%, depending on the polls. You have some outliers like AP that put it significantly lower and some that put it even higher. The common theme of these polls is the impact of President Trump's tariff and economic agenda. And we'll get to that in just a second. But for the wins, the biggest, easiest win to pinpoint here is President Trump's work on closing the border. President Trump said you didn't need a new bill to secure the border. You just need a new president. And I think that the data speaks for itself there and the fact that border crossings have gone down massively in the months since President Trump took office. There also is overwhelming support for his efforts to find and deport illegal immigrants, even after a sustained campaign against it from Democrats in the media. Washington Post polling gave President Trump positive marks, saying his plans to deport illegal immigrants are handling it about right or even not going far enough. CBS had support for President Trump's efforts to find and deport illegal immigrants at 56%. That's been a consistent theme that we've seen. Most polling shows that while President Trump came into office with about 60 to 70% of the country supporting deporting all illegal immigrants and about 90% supporting deporting all criminal illegal immigrants, particularly violent, criminal illegal immigrants, a sustained campaign has lowered that Slightly, but you still have very strong majorities that support President Trump's efforts to remove criminal, illegal immigrants. Moving on to the areas where there's a little bit of work to do. Polling over the last few weeks has shown a significant drop in support for President Trump's handling of the economy. CBS polling on President Trump's handling of the economy has gone from 51% approved down to 42% approved. Washington Post has President Trump's approval on the economy at 39%, approval on his tariff plans at 34%. NBC polling has President Trump's approval at handling cost of living down to 40% and approval on his tariff plans at 39. CBS polling has 48% saying President Trump's policies are making them worse off and only 19% saying better off. However, the administration hinted over the weekend that several major trade deals could be in the works, including countries like Japan, India, South Korea and several others. We'll watch and see. But those should have a strong impact both on the market, but also on consumer confidence. That I believe will eventually help improve some of this data on how people feel about the economy in general and in President Trump's handling of it. Lastly, in this block, some of the wins that you might not have heard quite as much about. First, President Trump's attack on the terrible Biden regulations on your home appliances. We have talked quite a bit here about how President Biden's rules and regulations on your home appliances had driven up costs for just about everything you do, from taking a shower to cooking a meal with your gas stove. That's something that President Trump took on in his first hundred days to great effect. It's a incredibly popular issue. It didn't get quite as much attention with everything else going on, but it will impact your daily life for years to come. The other major win was on an issue called healthcare price transparency, something that we talked about here previously. President Trump in his first administration passed a rule requiring hospitals to publish the real prices for care you might get in the hospital. President Biden failed to enforce that rule for whatever reason, meaning that patients were paying exorbitant fees when they got care without any idea what that would be until the bill came. President Trump has made it a major priority to come back in and highlight that. Here's a video on that from a group called Patient Rights Advocate.
[04:31]
President Trump
President Trump is paving the way for health care price transparency with his latest executive order. Real prices will lower costs for consumers and boost the American economy. Thank you, President Trump.
[04:50]
Host or Commentator
President Trump isn't the only person seeing some challenges in the polling, as we've talked about here quite a bit. Democrats have hit rock bottom and continue to go a little bit lower and lower. Harvard Youth Poll found that support for Democrats has dropped by about 50% from 2020 to 2024. It was 48% in the fall of 2020, and now it's down to just 23%. Democrats also have very, very low confidence in Democrat leaders in Washington that the.
[05:16]
Democratic Speaker
Democratic leaders in Congress would do the right thing when it comes to the economy. And keep in mind, this is Democrats. Look at where we are now. That number has been slashed in half to just 39%. Holy Toledo.
[05:27]
Host or Commentator
Why are Democrats facing so much disapproval? Well, one thing that I would point to is the stunts. There's no direction, there's no theme, but they continue to rely on very silly stunts. For example, on Sunday, Senator Cory Booker, who you probably heard about for the first time a few weeks ago when he held 8th floor speech, did a what they called a sit in on the steps of the Capitol on Sunday. Now, they didn't pick Saturday when it was raining cats and dogs. They picked Sunday, which was one of the nicest weather days of the year. And they used the word sit in. Now, sit in refers to a civil rights era peaceful protest where you're sitting in. For example, the city of Alexandria, Virginia had a segregated library during the civil rights movement. They held a sit in there to protest that. But Cory Booker wasn't sitting in or disrupting anything. They were sitting on the Capitol steps on Sunday while everything was closed. So again, it was a bit meaningless. And what they did is primarily just listen to each other talk. There wasn't a common theme or a common call to action that came out of any of that. So it led to some quirky moments. For example, this video, I will build.
[06:30]
Tom Homan
This world from love, yada die die.
[06:34]
Host or Commentator
Die yada da da. Now, as you hear that singing, look at some of the faces right behind him in the green. That's Mark Takano, member of Congress, who looks like he'd rather be anywhere else in the world. Hakeem Jeffries had a lot of inflammatory rhetoric to go along with his complete lack of substance, ideas and agenda.
[06:53]
Media Representative
There are but two parties in America right now, patriots and traders.
[07:01]
Host or Commentator
One thing that you'll note is when Cory Booker does these stunts, he's far more excited to talk about the physical feats of strength than any particular policy issue in there. Here he is celebrating his own sitting still on a beautiful day outside for.
[07:15]
Media Representative
12 hours at the 6 o'clock hour. We're officially at the 12 hours that we've been at this. We started walking in your office, got down here a few minutes after 6:00am.
[07:24]
Host or Commentator
Is now 6:00pm you'll remember after his 25 hour floor speech, nobody talked about any of the policy ideas he had discussed. And within two days of his 25 hours floor speech, nobody's mentioned it again. So it had no impact. And I expect this sit in to have the same no impact. However, one thing I wanted to highlight is the presence of two key figures at this sit in. One, Becky Pringle, who we have talked about before, the teachers union boss who gave herself a raise while student success dropped in public schools, but also Randy Weingarten, our very, very favorite grim reaper of school closures and public school learning loss. The irony of propping up Becky Pringle and Randy Weingarten, who are two perfect faces of Democrat policy failures across the board, is just jarring. But it shows how poor this judgment is and why there is so much major distaste for Democrats here in Washington. So as we talk about emerging trade deals that we hope to see this week, one that you likely won't hear about is the European Union. Now the European Union is largely staying on the sidelines in part because it seems like they're a little bit disjointed. Europe has painted themselves into a corner these last few years, particularly on the issue of energy with their reliance on esg, but also their own efforts to sort of destroy their own fossil fuel industry. Now as they destroyed fossil fuels, they're not using less fossil fuels, they're just now buying them from Russia. So as the European Union calls on America and other countries to spend more money helping defend Ukraine, they are actually funding and supporting Russia by buying their oil and gas to make up for their own supplies that they've destroyed. So some would argue that this presents a unique opportunity for the European Union to recenter some of their relationships, both energy with Russia but also much more largely trade supply chains, telecom with China. They have relied far too heavily on both Russia and China for so many different things. I would point you to this really important piece in Real clear politics from Michael Lucci of State Armor. Lucci writes that Europe has come to a fork in the road on trade. It's time to side with the free world. Very, very smart piece about how this is the European Union's opportunity to recenter their relationships on their democratic allies instead of the autocratic adversaries like China and Russia around the world onto one of my favorite segments, our Whack a Mole segment, where we take on a piece of really terrible either media reporting or Democrat misinformation and explain how a narrative that got very far out there turned out to be completely false. When we got more information today, we're going to talk about some of the stories around deportations. First, there was a tsunami of coverage over the weekend about a judge from Wisconsin who was arrested. There was a bevy of breathtaking coverage about how this was a escalation in President Trump's war on the judiciary. Credit to Western Lensman for this quick compilation of members of the media using the same talking points.
[10:22]
Media Representative
We begin tonight with the escalation in the President's crackdown on illegal immigration.
[10:26]
Host or Commentator
Today's dramatic escalation in the Trump administration's conflict with judges.
[10:31]
Media Representative
The Trump administration signaling a major escalation in its deportation efforts.
[10:35]
Host or Commentator
But it wasn't just the media. Democrats also nearly copied and pasted each other completely about this escalation. Now, as with all of these, there was much more to the story. This Wisconsin judge was arrested for breaking the law to help a previously deported violent criminal, illegal immigrant evade the law. Not only had this person been deported before and had a very, very crazy rap sheet, which we can show you a little bit of for a number of different violent crimes, but this judge broke the law to try and help him stay in this country. I hope every Democrat who is claiming this is a constitutional crisis will hold a rally with Eduardo Flores Ruiz to demand justice for Judge Dugan. It only seems fair that they would make him a center point of all of their campaigning going forward. Our second story today, there was a flurry of coverage about President Trump deporting a two year old American citizen without due process.
[11:32]
Media Representative
Right.
[11:32]
Tom Homan
The Trump administration is defending sending a.
[11:37]
Host or Commentator
Two year old US Citizen to Honduras. First, here's pushback from Tom.
[11:42]
Tom Homan
What we did is remove children with their mothers who requested the children depart with them. This was a parental decision, Parenting 101. The mothers made that choice. And I tell you what, if we didn't do it, the story today would be Trump administration separating families again.
[11:58]
Host or Commentator
As Mr. Homan said, if the White House did not allow this 2 year old to travel back with their mother, they would be accused of separating families. So again, you have to get the details of these stories as you hear them from the media and from Democrats. Thirdly, the New York Times featured a glowing profile. 21 years later, deported to a home he barely knew. Seeing this graphic and seeing the social media attraction around it. You would have thought that this was a beloved member of a community here in America who had lived here for 20 years. You'd be incorrect. He spent 15 of those 21 years in prison for kidnapping. This is who the New York Times believes deserves a glowing profile to attack President Trump's deportation plans, when in reality he is the perfect face of President Trump's growingly popular deportation plans because he is a dangerous, criminally legal immigrant who has a violent rap sheet who 90% of the country believes should be deported. So as you see stories like this, please approach them with skepticism, understanding that for whatever reason, the media has decided to work with Democrats to make heroes of the worst possible possible people. That is all the time we have for today. Thank you so much for joining us here on 10 Minute Drill. Please subscribe on YouTube, subscribe on Apple Podcast. Leave us a review. Thanks for joining us.