As President Donald Trump’s second term barrels past the 100-day mark (April 30th, 2025), conservatives across America are taking stock of a presidency that’s hit the ground running with bold moves, yet left some promises on the sidelines and sparked a few head-scratching moments.
The Good: A Conservative Comeback in Full Swing
Trump’s return to the White House on January 20, 2025, kicked off with the same fire that got him elected. He’s unleashed a wave of executive actions — 130 executive orders, 35 proclamations, and 36 memorandums by mid-April — that show he’s serious about reshaping the out-of-control federal government and keeping one of his core campaign promises.
First, immigration enforcement is back with a vengeance. The Laken Riley Act, signed into law on January 29, 2025, requires ICE to detain illegal immigrants accused of theft-related crimes or assaulting police officers. It also lets states sue the Department of Homeland Security for failing to enforce immigration laws — a big win for state rights and accountability. ICE arrests have surged 627% compared to the Biden years, with over 20,000 illegal migrants detained in February alone, and border crossings have dropped by 95%. Trump has gone after high-priority targets, including suspected members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua under the Alien Enemies Act. Despite critics like Ezra Klein claiming Trump is “disappearing” people, the reality is he’s lawfully deporting illegal immigrant-criminals to their home countries, others to nations willing to accept them — often with safer, more dignified transportation than the dangerous routes they took to get here.
On the economic front, Trump’s fight to extend the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) has conservatives fired up. With the TCJA set to expire at the end of 2025, Trump’s team is pushing to keep lower tax rates, bigger deductions, and the child tax credit — policies that let working families and businesses hold onto more of their hard-earned cash.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), spearheaded by Elon Musk and his team, is a standout victory, delivering on Trump’s promise to gut the federal bureaucracy. DOGE has slashed tens of thousands of federal jobs. On top of that, around 75,000 employees, including over 20,000 at the IRS, have taken deferred resignation offers, opting for paid leave through September in exchange for leaving their posts. These cuts, targeting probationary workers and agencies seen as bloated, are a conservative dream come true, trimming waste and reining in a government conservatives view as out of control.
Trump’s foreign policy has also scored points with the America First crowd. His brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, led by special envoy Steve Witkoff, shows he can still close tough deals on the world stage.
1,200 to 1,500 per day — which is still short of the “millions” he talked about. Border Czar Tom Homan has pointed to funding shortages, saying it’ll take $86 billion to ramp up operations. Without action from Congress, conservatives are wondering when Trump’s deportation plan will fully take off.
The gutting of the Department of Education — over 1,300 workers fired — is a strong step toward dismantling an agency conservatives can’t stand. But completely shutting it down needs Congress’s approval, and while Republicans control both chambers and the White House, some moderate senators might slow things down.
Trump’s pledge to pause refugee admissions and cut Biden’s annual cap of 125,000 hasn’t fully come together yet. While his team has hinted at tougher rules, no firm cap has been set, leaving conservatives hungry for a stronger stance on resettlement programs they see as a security concern.
The Challenges: Roadblocks from the Outside
Then there are the moments that have conservatives frustrated — not because Trump’s lacking commitment, but because bureaucrats, activist judges, and liberal holdouts keep throwing up obstacles. These setbacks only make conservatives more determined to see Trump’s agenda through, but they’re hard to swallow.
Topping my list is the troubling news that FBI Director Kash Patel has let agents opt out of joining ICE raids. For conservatives, ICE operations targeting criminal illegal immigrants are a fundamental duty of federal law enforcement. It’s maddening to hear some FBI agents are allowed to skip these raids because they’re uncomfortable.
The Guantanamo Bay migrant detention plan is another sore spot. Trump’s order to expand the facility to hold thousands of high-priority detainees was a smart move to show criminal illegal immigrants will face real consequences. But bureaucratic delays and logistical holdups have slowed things down, with only 20 migrants detained by early March and construction stuck in neutral. This isn’t a lack of conservative resolve; it’s sluggish contractors and outdated infrastructure blocking a policy that embodies America First.
The firing of nearly 25,000 recently hired federal workers was a conservative favorite, aimed at cutting down a bloated bureaucracy. But an activist judge’s ruling, steeped in judicial overreach, called these firings likely illegal, forcing the administration to bring the workers back. This isn’t a conservative mistake; it’s a clear case of unelected judges ignoring the will of the American people to protect the swamp.
The slow progress on defunding sanctuary cities has conservatives restless. Trump campaigned hard on cutting federal funds to cities like San Francisco and Chicago that protect illegal immigrants — a policy conservatives see as critical for law and order.
Before we get too frustrated, let’s not forget: Trump’s a sharp dealmaker, and what seems like a delay might just be him laying the groundwork for something big. We don’t always see his full plan, and he’s got a track record of pulling off surprises.
Looking Ahead: Can Trump Keep the Momentum?
Trump’s first 100 days have been packed with conservative victories, from immigration crackdowns to tax and deregulation pushes that put America First. The unfinished business — mass deportations, dismantling the education department, and keeping the deficit in check — reminds us that governing is harder than campaigning.
Conservatives are fired up, but they’re also keeping a close watch. Will Trump deliver everything he promised, or will bureaucratic pushback and logistical snags slow him down? As we head toward the next 100 days, one thing’s certain: Trump’s at the helm, and the road ahead is rough. Here’s hoping he keeps his foot on the gas and his focus on the prize.
M. Ray Evans, a U.S. Navy veteran who served his time, lives in Northeast Florida, with his wife, Grace. Recently retired after decades as a senior executive in international real estate development, working across more than ten countries, mostly in East Asia, where he built a solid track record over the years. A conservative and patriot by conviction.
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