Apple News Today: How Voters Feel About Trump’s First 100 Days

Host: Shemitah Basu
Release Date: April 29, 2025

1. Donald Trump’s 100-Day Milestone

Overview:
On April 29, 2025, Donald Trump marked his 100th day in office during his second term as President of the United States. Host Shemitah Basu explores the multifaceted impacts of Trump's policies over this period, particularly focusing on economic changes, governmental restructuring, and controversial legislative actions.

Key Policies and Actions:

• Economic Shifts: Trump initiated a global trade war, leading to significant uncertainty regarding the possibility of a recession. Collaborating with Elon Musk, the administration has reduced spending and staffing across various government departments.
• Judicial Clashes: There have been notable confrontations with the judiciary, especially concerning immigration policies where Trump has been perceived as disregarding court orders.
• Social Policies: The administration has reversed Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, rolled back protections for transgender Americans, increased deportations and detentions of illegal migrants, and achieved a historic low in border crossings.

2. Voter Sentiments and Public Opinion

Mixed Reactions Among Voters:
Journalists from outlets like Reuters and CNN conducted nationwide surveys to gauge American voters' opinions on Trump's administration.

• Supportive Voices:

  • Rod Ohrud (South Dakota) [00:33]: A farmer and Trump supporter, Ohrud expressed concerns about tariffs but emphasized patience:

    "I just think we need to let the president do what he's doing and we need to just see what's going to happen here and give him a little latitude so that, you know, if it doesn't work, then we're going to have to try something different."
    (00:33)

• Economic Discontent:

  • Stephen Egan (Florida) & Jim Hartman (North Carolina) [02:06]: Both expressed financial strain due to tariffs:

    "I did vote for Trump, and now I will deal with the aftermath of the tariffs. I compared 2024 first quarter to 2025 first quarter. I am down 70%."
    (02:06)

• Concerns Over Government Cuts:

  • Tamara Varga (Arizona) [02:19]:

    "I'm worried about Medicaid and Medicare and Social Security. He did say that he wasn't going to cut them, that he was just going to find the waste. And I really hope that he sticks to that because we need to take care of our people with disabilities and our elderly."
    (02:19)

• Support in Education Reforms:

  • Gen Z Voters via Fox News [03:11]: One Gen Z voter supported Trump's approach to higher education:

    "This is not an unprecedented attack on higher education. It's simply President Trump saying that we're going to ensure that all students are treated with equality under the law. Why I campaigned and voted for Donald Trump."
    (03:11)

• Democratic Opposition:

  • Melissa Cordero & Becky Hofer [03:37]:

    "He's like crazed right now. I'm constantly going, can he do that?"
    (03:37)
    "I just feel like nobody cares right now until it affects them. And I don't understand how they don't see that. They're not dumb. These people aren't dumb. And they're not unkind people and selfish people and thoughtless people. So I don't understand why they're okay with it."
    (03:42)

Poll Insights:
Recent weekend polls indicate Trump's approval rating has slipped to between 39% and 45%, marking one of the lowest 100-day ratings for any president in over seven decades. This decline reflects a growing disenchantment among the electorate, even among some traditional Trump supporters advocating for patience to observe long-term effects.

3. Economic Analysis: Turmoil and Uncertainty

Current Economic State:
Economist Nick Timiros of the Wall Street Journal characterizes Trump's first 100 days as tumultuous for both businesses and consumers:

"His first hundred days have been shock and awe for businesses and consumers."
(05:05)

Key Economic Issues:

• Stock Market Performance: Analysis reveals this period as the worst opening 100 days for the stock market since Richard Nixon's presidency.

• Federal Reserve and IMF Projections: Both institutions forecast slower U.S. growth due to Trump's tariffs, with several economists warning of a potential recession in 2025.

• Business Concerns: Companies supportive of reshoring manufacturing jobs are apprehensive about the administration's unpredictable policies. Timiros notes:

  "President Trump keeps things in turmoil and we do not know what he will do next."
  (05:17)

• Supply Chain Disruptions: Reduced shipping container flow to West Coast ports is causing broader logistical challenges, complicating businesses' ability to plan and operate efficiently.

Administration’s Defense:
White House Treasury Secretary Scott Betsant asserts that the economic disruptions are intentional strategic moves aimed at long-term benefits. However, many businesses find the ongoing uncertainty counterproductive to their operational stability.

Historical Context:
Trump inherited an economy with an unemployment rate of 4% and declining inflation rates. While certain sectors like housing showed vulnerabilities, the overall economic outlook was stronger than expected. Timiros adds:

"You know, the economy of 2018 and 2019, when I talked to voters, that's what they reflected on. They wanted to go back to that economy that we saw in Donald Trump's first term."
(06:44)

Administration’s Promises:
The White House maintains that tariff-induced hardships are temporary and will yield long-term gains. Commitments include new trade agreements, peace deals, and tax cuts within the next 100 days, with Press Secretary Caroline Levitt stating:

"More American greatness is on the way."
(07:29)

4. Supreme Court Case: Religion in Public Education

Case Overview:
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear a pivotal case regarding the separation of church and state, specifically whether Oklahoma can establish the nation’s first religious charter school. Reporter Maureen Grappe provides an in-depth look:

"They're going to be deciding whether Oklahoma can create the nation's first religious charter school."
(07:45)

Key Arguments:

• Proponents' View:

  • Kate Anderson (Lawyer for Charter School Board) [09:22]:

    "The Supreme Court has every single time said that these monies can go to religious entities when they're taking part in a program that should be open to them, but for them being religious. So they need to be treated fairly, the same as any other organization..."
    (09:22)

• Opponents' View:

  • Rachel Lazer (President & CEO of Separation Advocacy Group) [10:00]:

    "I'll quote Thomas Jefferson that it's sinful and tyrannical to require a man to fund a religion that's not his own. So that is fundamentally why it would violate America's DNA to fund this type of education directly and fully with tax dollars."
    (10:00)

Implications:
If the Supreme Court sides with the charter school, it could redefine the landscape of public education by allowing full public funding for religious schools, significantly altering the established separation of church and state.

Court Dynamics:
Justice Amy Coney Barrett has recused herself from the case due to potential conflicts of interest, tightening the conservative majority to a 5-3 split. This shift could influence the court’s ruling, with potential widespread ramifications for educational and religious policies nationwide.

5. Additional News Highlights

• Canadian Federal Elections:
  Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal Party secured a victory, defying polls that favored Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. Carney's campaign emphasized resistance to Trump's policies, with promises to safeguard Canadian sovereignty.

• U.S. Department of Justice Shake-Up:
  The DOJ's Civil Rights Division has seen approximately half of its 400 lawyers depart amidst a strategic pivot towards addressing issues like anti-Christian bias and anti-Semitism, diverging from previous focuses on racial discrimination.

• Power Outage in Spain and Portugal:
  A massive blackout affected both countries, halting trains, ATMs, traffic lights, and essential services. Authorities are working to restore power, with officials dismissing cyberattack theories and highlighting the interconnectedness of the electricity grids.

• Emerging Podcast Debate:
  A New York Magazine investigation into the "Telepathy Tapes" podcast has sparked national discussions regarding its portrayal of non-speaking individuals with autism, who are purported to possess telepathic abilities.

Conclusion:
In this episode of Apple News Today, Shemitah Basu provides a comprehensive examination of President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office, highlighting the polarized voter responses, economic challenges, and significant judicial debates shaping the nation's trajectory. Additionally, the podcast touches on international political shifts, governmental restructurings, and unexpected crises, offering listeners a broad spectrum of current events and their potential implications.

For more detailed coverage and ongoing updates, listeners are encouraged to access the Apple News app.