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Donald Trump is running up against a deadline. Saturday marks his 100th day in the White House and he has yet to pass any of the major policies laid out in the 100-day plan he issued during his campaign. In typical Trump fashion, the president now says the whole thing is an “artificial barrier,” and recently told the Associated Press “I've done more than any other president in the first 100 days.”
Nevertheless, the self-proclaimed “Resistance” is pointing to the scoreboard: The Affordable Care Act still stands; that border wall has yet to be built; the travel bans have been thrown out, and tax reform remains untouched. Leaders of the movement are claiming credit for those outcomes.
“I think it’s clear that Trump’s first 100 days has been an overwhelming failure because the resistance has been far more effective and won far more fights than anyone anticipated,” Anna Galland, MoveOn.org’s executive director, told Refinery29.
While grassroots anti-Trump movements have made a mark, pressure from courts and within Congress also played a key role in derailing Trump’s agenda. “There’s nothing new here. Donald Trump just didn’t expect it and he wasn’t prepared,” Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf argued.
Regardless of who is responsible for Trump’s policy roadblocks, one thing is clear: As the president hunkered down at the White House and Mar-a-Lago, trying fruitlessly to bend the government to his will, grassroots organizers were busy building a political network that mirrors the rise of the anti-Obama “Tea Party” movement in 2009. Established progressive groups reported huge spikes in activism and small dollar donations. Planned Parenthood reports an “unprecedented outpouring” of support, with 252,000 contributions from new donors since the inauguration. Swing Left, a new activist group hoping to flip the House in 2018, has seen its volunteer reserves grow to 300,000 since November. “Resistance” leaders believe they can cripple Trump’s remaining agenda and set congressional Republicans on edge — if they can continue to channel the groundswell of anti-Trump sentiment effectively.
“We’re going to see some tough and important fights in the coming months,” Galland said. “And I think the resistance is ready.”
Here’s a look at six key battles of days zero to 100 — and what’s ahead.
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