After 100 days, Trump far from honor roll

Among all the guaranteed applause lines Donald Trump had during his campaign, this one caused some of the wildest cheers.

Yes, even more than “We will build the wall” and “lock her up,” candidate Trump could work a crowd into a frenzy with this line:

“We’re going to win so much, you’re going to be sick and tired of winning.”

But today, 100 days after Trump’s inauguration, wins have been rare for the 45th president, even with a Republican House and Senate. He promised repeatedly to repeal and replace Obamacare with something better. It didn’t happen, partly because of the complexity of health care, and partly because the Republican Party wasn’t nearly unified in support. His badly misguided travel ban that targeted Muslim-oriented countries was thankfully shot down by the courts. Twice. And Mexico isn’t paying for any wall.

Wewere cautiously hopeful about Trump’s presidency. Not optimistic, but hopeful the Trump we saw on an ugly, divisive campaign trail would be different once he got into the Oval Office.

We can’t say we’ve been disappointed by Trump, because our expectations were low. Trump has earned theworst Gallup approval ratings— about 44 percent— of any president at 100 days since the polling started in 1953, although 96 percent of those who voted for him say they would do so again. There have been very few victories, while the president’s actions and temperament too often revert back to the egotistical bluster, divisiveness and ugliness of the campaign.

The president has also learned his job is different than being a corporate dictator. Trump told Reuters thisweek that “this is morework than inmy previous life. I thought itwould be easier.” That remark shows how unprepared Trump was for the presidency. Trump set a dizzying pace, signing 30 executive orders in 100 days, 11 more than President Obama over the same time. But rather than rushing, a more thoughtful approach would help.

Trump likes numbers, when they show him in a positive light. He likes polls and ratings only when they are positive. Otherwise, they are “fake news.” He likes quick sound bites.

With that in mind, we’ll give Trump grades in several categories for his first 100 days.

Economy. Some good things have happened here, although much of itwas in place before Trump took office.

The stock market has risen 11percent to record highs since October, right before the election. Padded retirement accounts make Americans smile, although the market was doing well before Trump took office. On the flip side, the U.S. economy grew just 0.7 percent in the first quarter, its lowest level since 2014. Consumer spending was lower, and car sales were weak.

Trump continues to get rid of regulations put in place by Barack Obama’s administration, saying this will increase productivity and jobs. Consumer confidence is high, and we’ve had 83 consecutive months of job growth. Most of that growth happened under Obama, but give Trump credit for keeping things going in the right direction. However, he seems more interested in the concerns of millionaires than the problems of blue collar folks who got him elected. Trump’s promise of delivering a “phenomenal tax plan” has fizzled. Grade: B-minus

Trustworthiness and ethics. Trump has a fleeting relationship with the truth. In his tweets and public appearances, the truth is often just a rumor.

Trump started the lies quickly, saying his inauguration crowd was the largest ever. It wasn’t.

Trump claimed he lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by three million only because of massive voter fraud. There is no proof of that. None.

Trump has claimed the New York Times has lost subscribers. False. Trump claimed terrorist attacks in places like Orlando, Boston and Paris, among others, were not covered well by the media. Very false.

Trump claimed hewas wiretapped by President Obama. He claimed Muslims celebrated in New Jersey on 9/11. You get the idea.

Trump has had regular trips to his Palm Beach estate Mar-a-Lago, which have turned into golf excursions. A president needs relaxation, but these weekend jaunts are costing taxpayers millions.

Trump has steadfastly refused to release his tax returns. He has refused to release visitor logs at the White House and Mar-a Lago, his “winter White House.”

We won’t even get into the red flags from Trump’s troublesome business ties, and how he and his family have gotten even wealthier since the election. As for Trump’s Russian connections, and whether Moscow helped him gain election, stay tuned. Grade: F

Appointments. Neil Gorsuch was well qualified, and a strong Supreme Court appointment. That one move may be the highlight of Trump’s 100 days.

He named Rick Perry as U.S. energy secretary— the same agency Perry once wanted to eliminate. Michael Flynn, Trump’s first pick as national security adviser, resigned after misleading the White House about conversations with Russia’s ambassador. He also took payments from Russia after retiring fromthe military, without disclosing the payments on his security clearance. He is being investigated by the Department of Defense.

Scott Pruitt, the Environmental Protection Agency administrator, is a climate change denier. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos never attended or sent her children to public schools, and has shown favoritism to charter schools. There have also been some good picks. Nikki Haley has provided a strong voice for the U.S.— and Israel— as United Nations ambassador. James Mattis is highly qualified as secretary of defense. Grade: C

Draining the swamp. If draining the swamp means getting rid of lobbyists, that hasn’t happened. Since Election Day, the number of new lobbyist registrations is up froma year ago. Trump liked to criticize

Goldman Sachs, but Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin was with Goldman Sachs for 17 years. Trump then named Jim Donovan — a Goldman Sachs employee for two decades— as deputy secretary.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said “drain the swamp” was a clever line on the campaign, but added Trump doesn’t use it anymore. Trump’s Cabinet is full of billionaires, which doesn’t make them corrupt, but hardly lets them connect with themiddle class. Grade: C-minus

Foreign policy. After calling NATO obsolete, Trump now recognizes its importance. And, after earlier ripping the North American Free Trade Agreement, he said thisweek hewants to renegotiate NAFTA with Mexico and Canada to get the United States a better deal. He also has a good relationship with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Trump likes to talk tough— he talked about bombing ISIS off the face of the earth, and now says a major conflict with North Korea is possible. His missile strike following Syria’s use of deadly sarin gas got bipartisan praise. It also showed he’ll be more aggressive than his predecessor. Let’s wait and see what he does about North Korea.

During the campaign, Trump said China was a currency manipulator. He has walked back that criticism, and also says hewould give China a better deal on trade if Chinese leadership works on cooling North Korea’s aggression. Grade: Incomplete

Temperament. Trumps till goes on Twitter jags, although not as often as earlier. He also gets paranoid about things like Arnold Schwarznegger’s ratings on “Celebrity Apprentice,” and Alec Baldwin’s impersonation on “Saturday Night Live.”

Trump has done his best to make Americans mistrust some of democracy’s pillars— in particular a free press and the court system, both of which act as checks on the power of the presidency. He has created fear among immigrants. Trump is also prone to unseemly hissy fits and threats when the courts rule against him or the media is critical. Grade: F

Overall: President Trump has turned out to be too much like candidate Trump. He loves creating chaos, picking unnecessary fights, and too often acts like he’s still a reality TV performer. Americans remain bitterly divided, and Trump’s actions haven’t helped. Everything seems much more unsettled than Americans are used to. He gets an overall Dgrade, which is not considered winning anywhere.