Donald Trump’s second term in the White House was supposed to be a moment of reckoning: a vindication for millions of people who felt their reality and aspirations were ignored by the political class.
It was a siren call that resonated positively in the ears of millions of Hispanic voters concerned about the high cost of living: food, gasoline, and housing.
Trump obtained an unprecedented 43% of Hispanic voters, 7 points more than in 2016 and one of the highest for a Republican presidential candidate.
A Pew Research Center survey shows that currently only 27% of the Latino community supports the president, a figure even lower than the national average of 41% in a CNN poll.
Disapproval of his trade war, his more radical measures against undocumented immigration, and his overall handling of the economy are the main reasons for voter dissatisfaction, according to several recent polls.
Trump’s return was the equivalent of a whirlwind. A long line of executive orders (140 so far) aimed at dismantling the Biden era: more border walls, eliminated climate protections, new barriers against migrants and asylum seekers, an attempt to abolish birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants, the cancellation of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, mass layoffs in the federal government, the invocation of the Alien Enemies Act, and challenges to judges and courts.
But also a tariff war against his main trading partners Mexico and Canada, as well as China, and later against the entire world with tariffs on cars, steel, and aluminum. With one exception: Russia.
For his supporters, it was like a long-awaited restoration of law, order, and pride. For his critics, it was the beginning of something more dire: a government fueled by resentment and fear.
But even though Trump came with the dual mandate of protecting the country and controlling inflation, his policies have the potential to lead the country into a recession or, worse, stagflation—a combination of a declining economy and high unemployment.
Abroad, allies view the United States with suspicion. Treaties and friendships carefully rebuilt over the past decades are fraying.
Although Trump has moderated some of his more draconian decisions, he has done so either in response to the financial markets or to the demands of wealthy individuals, many of whom financed his presidential campaign. But the common denominator remains a mix of uncertainty, volatility, and unpredictability.
At the end of these first 100 days, the skies over the United States are not clear. It’s full of clouds: restless, threatening, heavy.
