While US President Donald Trump has been making the rounds proclaiming the great successes of his first 100 days, the evidence is mounting that his ambitious agenda to remake the government and the country is in trouble. He has been forced into retreat or recalibration on almost every major issue, even on some aspects of immigration, which continues to be his most aggressive and strongest suit.
The most recent polls show a negative swing of almost 14 percentage points away from the President, combining rising disapproval and cratering approval ratings. He retains the fervent support of his base, but has lost significant ground with many of the swing voters who delivered him victory last November. His support among younger voters has declined by 15 per cent, among moderates by 12 points, independents by 11 points and Hispanics by 10 points. He is, in short, in considerable trouble with the voting public, especially those who matter the most.
Mr Trump is persisting with his tariff-driven trade war with China, but has otherwise greatly retreated from the broad-based and highly aggressive universal tariffs announced on April 2. Instead, he is relying on a generalised 10 per cent tax on American consumers of imported goods, with some important exceptions. And there is considerable evidence that he is looking for a way out when it comes to trade tensions with key partners such as Canada, Mexico, the UK and the EU.
The tariffs on Canada (and his stated desire to make it America’s “51st state”) have already managed to reverse the political polarity in that country, delivering a stunning and almost immediate resurgence to the Liberals who were just re-elected over the formerly ascendant Conservatives. Mr Trump’s Canadian allies were defeated precisely because his opponents gained the nationalist credit for standing up to him. It’s a good example of how, trade and economics aside, the ill-considered tariff agenda can backfire spectacularly at the political register.
The biggest question isn’t whether or not Trump’s term is in big trouble already, but rather if he cares
The real impact of the vast tariff on most Chinese imports has yet to be felt by US consumers. But Mr Trump seems to know what’s coming, observing that children may need “two dolls instead of 30”. This is hardly what he promised voters during the campaign, and visits to department stores such as Target, Walmart and Costco may produce severe political blowback against the White House in coming months.
His agenda to reshape the federal workforce is not fully thwarted, but many of the most far-reaching mass dismissals and agency closures are on hold pending court decisions. Mr Trump has some stalwart allies in the Supreme Court, but he may not be able to command a majority that will agree that he has the power to not spend money specifically allocated by Congress as a matter of legislation. To recognise that would be to upend the most fundamental distinction between the legislature and the executive baked into the US Constitution, and enthusiasm for smaller government may not be enough to secure him a high court majority in favour of such a sweeping and drastic transformation.
Like all presidents, Mr Trump has the freest hand when it comes to foreign policy. But even the biggest transformation – Washington’s apparent shift of support away from Ukraine and towards Russia in their conflict – may be undergoing its own fundamental recalibration.
On Wednesday, Kyiv approved a sweeping minerals deal with Washington that creates a joint investment fund incentivising the US to continue to back Ukraine. It does not provide Kyiv explicitly with the security guarantees it has been seeking, but it’s a big step away from the embrace of Russian military goals that has previously characterised Trump administration rhetoric, to the dismay of many in Washington.
Even on immigration, where the President continues to enjoy high approval ratings, Mr Trump has found many of his most sweeping policies challenged by judges, including some of the most well-known conservatives in the country. The attempt to deport Venezuelan and Salvadoran men without any process and dump them into one of the world’s most fearsome prisons has set up a confrontation over fundamental due process that is unlikely to end well for Mr Trump. And most recently, a judge in Vermont ordered the release of one of the pro-Palestinian students picked up on trumped-up charges of posing a security threat because of criticisms of Israel’s brutal war in Gaza.
Americans certainly want stronger action on immigration, but even among conservatives they generally have a strong regard for the concept of due process and the idea that everyone ought to have their day in court. Images of masked, unidentified agents whisking people away without warning or process, particularly because of their free speech advocacy, ultimately doesn’t have a lot of public support.
And the apparent widespread unpopularity of billionaire Elon Musk, his point person in mass dismissals of federal civil servants, means that this project is likely to have to continue without its leader soon. Mr Trump has said several times that Mr Musk will be returning to his private companies “within months”, and it could even be within weeks if he doesn’t manage to rebuild his credibility.
The biggest question isn’t whether or not Mr Trump’s second presidential term is in big trouble already, but rather if he cares. He is almost certainly a lame-duck, unable to run for re-election in 2028. He and his most extreme supporters, like Steve Bannon, insist there may be some way for him to seek re-election. But not only will he be 82 years old at the time, the Constitution explicitly prohibits it. He couldn’t even run for vice president, relying upon the presidential candidate to resign in his favour after they win, because no one can run for vice president who is ineligible to serve as president.
The US Constitution could not be more explicit in barring any candidate from being elected more than twice to the presidency. Mr Trump may hope to find some way around that, but he hopes in vain. With history suggesting that the midterm elections are likely to return control of the House of Representatives, if not the Senate, to the Democrats, he has about 18 more months to complete his radical transformation of the country. Judging by this start, he won’t be able to fundamentally alter nearly as much as he hopes and many fear.
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
The biog
Name: Marie Byrne
Nationality: Irish
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption
Book: Seagull by Jonathan Livingston
Life lesson: A person is not old until regret takes the place of their dreams
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Results
United States beat UAE by three wickets
United States beat Scotland by 35 runs
UAE v Scotland – no result
United States beat UAE by 98 runs
Scotland beat United States by four wickets
Fixtures
Sunday, 10am, ICC Academy, Dubai - UAE v Scotland
Admission is free
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: Dh898,000
On sale: now
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Biog
Age: 50
Known as the UAE’s strongest man
Favourite dish: “Everything and sea food”
Hobbies: Drawing, basketball and poetry
Favourite car: Any classic car
Favourite superhero: The Hulk original
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
The story in numbers
18
This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens
450,000
More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps
1.5 million
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m
73
The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association
18,000
The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme
77,400
The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study
4,926
This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee
Seven tips from Emirates NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
