Trump celebrates 100 days in office with campaign-style rally

WARREN, United States: Donald Trump promised on Wednesday that he is just getting started as he marked the radical and vengeful beginning of a presidency that has shaken the world and destabilised the United States.

Basking in the adulation of cheering supporters in Michigan, the 78-year-old touted the “most successful first 100 days of any administration in the history of our country,” even as polls show Americans becoming disenchanted with the economic and political tumult.

Trump said he missed the campaign trail, and launched with visible relish into a speech that often sounded more like that of a candidate than a head of state.

Joe Biden is “sleepy,” the media is “fake,” judges who oppose him are “communist,” Democratic opponents are “radical left,” and friendly countries have “abused us more so than foe on trade,” Trump said, listing targets of his ire.

The president promised to conclude deals on trade, but provided little in the way of details.

And -- to chants of “USA! USA!” -- he showed a video of migrants in handcuffs and shackles being taken from a plane, transported by bus and filmed on their knees as their heads were shaved, illustrating his controversial deportation policy.

Trump has shaken up the United States like few presidents before him.

His billionaire backer Elon Musk has led dramatic cutbacks of the federal workforce, and the president himself has reshaped relations with the world by unveiling sweeping tariffs, berating allies and eliminating much foreign aid.

Polls show that the honeymoon period that Americans historically accord presidents at the start of their terms has evaporated for Trump, who has angrily dismissed the results, but has tacitly acknowledged that he must moderate some policies as stock market turmoil takes a toll.

He also recently backtracked on threats to fire Jerome Powell -- who has warned that Trump´s tariffs would likely reignite inflation -- but still criticized the Federal Reserve chairman Tuesday as “not really doing a good job.”

After a 2017-2021 term in which some aides sought to rein him in, Trump has surrounded himself this time with unabashed loyalists -- and told reporters he was on track to accomplish all of his second-term goals.

“I think either we´ve done everything, or it´s in the process of being done,” Trump said before heading to his rally.

In the grand entrance hallway of the White House, Trump has removed a portrait of Barack Obama, the United States´ first Black president, to make way for a painting of himself surviving an assassination attempt.

He has used threats of cutting off government access and contracts to pressure law firms whose partners once were involved in cases against him, and he has frozen billions of dollars in funding for universities -- hotbeds of criticism against the administration.

Unlike most presidents, Trump has focused more on energising his base than broadening his appeal -- and many supporters are still with him.

“He´s amazing. Everybody´s worried about tariffs. We don´t care -- look at everything else that´s coming together too,” said Donna Fitzsimons, a 65-year-old merchandise seller at the Michigan rally venue ahead of Trump´s appearance. “People don´t realise it takes time to get where you need to go.”