The phrase “100% shocking, 0% surprising” encapsulates the polarized and intense media coverage of Donald Trump’s first 100 days as the 47th President of the United States, from January 20 to April 30, 2025. Major news networks, reflecting their ideological leanings, provided sharply divergent takes on Trump’s actions, which included a record-breaking 143 executive orders, aggressive immigration policies, sweeping tariffs, and a controversial restructuring of the federal government led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Below is a synthesized analysis of how major networks covered these events, drawing on available sources and sentiment expressed in posts on X, while critically examining the narratives.
Overview of Trump’s First 100 Days
Trump’s second term began with a flurry of executive actions, many fulfilling campaign promises:
- Immigration: Declared a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 for deportations, and initiated mass deportation procedures, though large-scale removals were slower than promised. Controversial moves included deporting alleged gang members to an El Salvadoran mega-prison and defying a Supreme Court order to return a wrongly deported Maryland resident.
- Economy and Trade: Imposed tariffs on 75 countries, including 145% on Chinese goods and 25% on Canada and Mexico (later paused for 90 days), triggering a stock market crash, a bond market sell-off, and retaliatory tariffs from trade partners. Consumer confidence plummeted, with fears of recession rising.
- Government Restructuring: Established DOGE, led by Musk, which slashed federal agencies like USAID and the Department of Education, fired thousands of civil servants, and faced legal challenges for overstepping authority.
- Foreign Policy: Rejected post-World War II alliances, berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and suggested the U.S. could “own” Gaza, raising fears of endorsing ethnic cleansing. He also warmed to Zelenskyy unexpectedly while cooling on Putin, setting a two-week deadline for a Ukraine-Russia peace deal.
- Culture and Media: Banned the Associated Press from White House events for not adopting the “Gulf of America” rebrand, targeted media outlets like CBS and NBC for investigations, and dismantled diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
- Public Health and Other Moves: Ended federal support for electric vehicles and the Paris Climate Agreement, pardoned 1,500 January 6 rioters, and declassified JFK assassination documents. Measles outbreaks were reported, linked to vaccine hesitancy.
Network Coverage: Shocking Actions, Predictable Narratives
The networks’ takes were “shocking” in their intensity and the scale of Trump’s actions, but “0% surprising” given their established editorial biases and Trump’s campaign rhetoric. Here’s how major outlets framed the period:
Liberal-Leaning Networks (MSNBC, CNN, NBC, ABC)
- Tone: Alarmist, framing Trump’s actions as chaotic, authoritarian, and economically disastrous. MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, as cited in X posts, labeled Trump a “fascist authoritarian dictator-wannabe,” comparing his moves to the Third Reich while criticizing his incompetence.
- Focus: Emphasized the economic fallout from tariffs, with CNN reporting a “freak” bond market sell-off and consumer confidence drops. They highlighted human rights concerns, such as deportations defying court orders and the Gaza “ownership” comment, interpreting it as ethnic cleansing.
- Criticism: MSNBC and NBC focused on DOGE’s dismantling of federal agencies as an attack on the administrative state, with legal challenges underscoring overreach. They also covered media restrictions, like the AP ban, as assaults on press freedom.
- Polls and Public Sentiment: CNN cited a Reuters/Ipsos poll showing Trump’s approval dipping to 45% by January 28, 2025, with 46% disapproval, and his January 6 pardons widely unpopular. X posts from @gelliottmorris referenced AP-NORC and NYT polls showing 60% of Americans viewed the first 100 days as “chaotic and scary,” with immigration policies criticized by independents.
- Narrative: Portrayed Trump as dangerously erratic, undermining democracy and global stability, though some acknowledged his immigration policies resonated with his base. The shock came from the speed and scale of executive actions, but the moves aligned with his campaign promises, making them unsurprising to critics.
Conservative-Leaning Networks (Fox News, Newsmax, NewsNation)
- Tone: Celebratory, framing Trump’s actions as bold and fulfilling voter mandates. Fox News praised his “Promises Made, Promises Kept” approach, citing border security gains and energy policy shifts.
- Focus: Highlighted immigration enforcement, with Fox reporting a “sharp drop” in illegal border crossings. They also touted economic wins, like $500 billion in AI investments from SoftBank and Oracle, and steel industry support, as per the Steel Manufacturers Association.
- Defense of DOGE: Newsmax and Fox portrayed Musk’s DOGE as a necessary purge of bureaucratic waste, downplaying legal challenges and framing layoffs as efficiency gains. They avoided deep scrutiny of tariff-related market crashes.
- Polls and Public Sentiment: Fox News acknowledged a 44% approval rating, lower than other post-World War II presidents at this stage, but emphasized Trump’s slight improvement over his first term’s 41%. X posts from @DavidBozell praised Fox, Newsmax, and NewsNation for covering “major successes” ignored by liberal media.
- Narrative: Presented Trump as a decisive leader reshaping America for the better, with shocks attributed to the pace of change but viewed as expected given his campaign. Critics’ outrage was dismissed as partisan overreach.
Centrist and International Outlets (AP, Reuters, BBC, Sky News)
- Tone: Analytical but critical, focusing on the global and systemic impacts. The AP called Trump’s tariffs “historic” for sparking public anxiety and market chaos, while Sky News described his first 50 days as a “memorable” upheaval of the world order.
- Focus: Emphasized foreign policy shifts, like straining alliances with Europe and Canada, and the Zelenskyy confrontation. Reuters reported on the trade war with China and Canada’s retaliatory tariffs. The AP won a court ruling against the administration for restricting its access over the “Gulf of America” dispute.
- Critical Lens: Highlighted legal challenges, with the AP noting dozens of lawsuits against Trump’s executive orders and Politico reporting DOGE’s cuts as “exceptionally difficult to unwind.” They also covered public health concerns, like measles outbreaks in Texas.
- Narrative: Viewed Trump’s actions as unprecedented since Franklin Roosevelt, with shocks stemming from their global ripple effects (e.g., allies rethinking U.S. reliability). However, the alignment with campaign promises made the moves predictable, especially on immigration and trade.
Critical Analysis
The “100% shocking, 0% surprising” framing reflects a media landscape where Trump’s actions were both jarring in their execution and expected based on his rhetoric. Liberal networks amplified fears of authoritarianism, often echoing Democratic talking points, while conservative outlets mirrored Trump’s narrative of transformative leadership, downplaying economic and diplomatic fallout. Centrist sources provided a more balanced but still critical view, focusing on systemic consequences.
- Shocking Elements: The sheer volume of executive orders (143, far surpassing predecessors), the tariff-induced market crash, and defiance of court orders (e.g., El Salvador deportations) stunned even seasoned observers. The Gaza comment and Zelenskyy rebuke were diplomatic shocks, alienating allies.
- Unsurprising Elements: Trump’s focus on immigration, tariffs, and government downsizing was telegraphed during his campaign. His media confrontations and pardons for January 6 rioters echoed his first term, making them predictable to both supporters and critics.
Posts on X, like those from @oppenheimera, highlighted negative outcomes (stock market plunge, 55% disapproval in a Fox News poll), while @DavidBozell’s post accused liberal media of bias, claiming 92% negative coverage. These reflect the polarized public sentiment, with no single narrative dominating.
Conclusion
The networks’ takes on Trump’s first 100 days were “100% shocking” due to the unprecedented scale and speed of his actions—tariffs, deportations, DOGE, and diplomatic ruptures—described as the most consequential since FDR. Yet, they were “0% surprising” because they fulfilled campaign promises, aligning with Trump’s established persona. Liberal outlets cried authoritarianism, conservative ones cheered bold reform, and centrists warned of global instability, but all operated within predictable ideological lanes. The real shock may lie in the long-term fallout, as legal battles and economic woes mount, while the lack of surprise underscores Trump’s consistency in defying norms.
If you’d like a deeper dive into a specific network’s coverage or a particular policy, let me know!