Trump’s Triumph

Defying the Deep State in the First 100 Days

100 Days Down, 1,361 To Go

Wednesday, April 30th, 2025: By Walter Curt

America is witnessing a stunning comeback. In just 100 days of President Donald J. Trump’s second term, the Washington establishment – from hostile judges to scheming bureaucrats and the biased media – has thrown everything at him. And yet, Trump stands triumphant, delivering on the bold promises he made to put America First. With unapologetic patriotism and sheer will, he has crushed an attempted “deep state” insurgency and set the nation on a path of renewed strength.

From the southern border to the D.C. swamp, President Trump’s message is clear: the American people are back in charge. “After a lifetime of unelected bureaucrats stealing your paychecks, attacking your values and trampling your freedoms, we are stopping their gravy train, ending their power trip and telling thousands of corrupt, incompetent and unnecessary deep state bureaucrats, ‘You’re fired!’” Trump declared. This defiant battle cry echoes across the land. In this brief span, Trump has not only secured our borders and streamlined our government – he’s done so while fending off relentless attacks with a fighter’s heart.

Border Shutdown: A Promise Delivered

Candidate Trump vowed to stop the “invasion” at our southern border, and President Trump has delivered in spectacular fashion. The numbers tell the story that the media can no longer deny. Illegal crossings have plunged to the lowest levels ever recorded. At times during Joe Biden’s open-border era, Border Patrol agents were overwhelmed by 10,000 illegal migrants a day. Now, under Trump, that daily number has dwindled to a mere hundreds – on a recent Sunday it was just 178. In March 2025, roughly 7,180 migrants were caught at the border for the entire month, the lowest monthly total on record, down from a monthly average of 155,000 under Biden. By any measure, this is near total shutdown of unchecked migration.

The southern border is effectively sealed. “Illegal crossings are at the lowest level ever detected. Border migrant shelters have shut down because the number of people caught and released has dropped 99.99%,” reports one analysis. The catch-and-release policies of the past are history – virtually no one is being released into the interior now. Under President Biden, “gotaways” (sneaking in undetected) averaged around 1,800 per day; now that figure is down 99% to only a few dozen. Smuggling cartels, once thriving on Biden’s border chaos, are “struggling to find customers” as their illicit pipeline dries up. One Border Patrol veteran, now White House border czar, Tom Homan, marveled at seeing just 229 border arrests in a 24-hour period – the lowest daily number in over 40 years – and vowed to “drive that to zero”.

Vivid scenes of victory dot the borderlands. Towering new sections of steel wall are rising again in places like the Rio Grande Valley, plugging holes left when Biden halted construction. In March, U.S. Customs and Border Protection awarded a contract to build 7 miles of new border wall in Texas – filling gaps from the prior administration’s cancelled projects. The moment the ink was dry on Trump’s inauguration, work crews were back out welding and securing the border barrier. Meanwhile, camouflaged National Guard troops and empowered Border Patrol agents on horseback patrol the desert with confidence, ensuring that anyone daring to trespass is immediately turned back. “Border Patrol agents are empowered like never before to shut down unlawful entry and protect American lives,” Acting CBP Commissioner Pete Flores affirmed. The result? Empty migrant camps, quiet border towns, and a sense of law and order restored. As one correspondent observed, it’s now hard to even find a single migrant to film at the border – a dramatic turnaround from the caravans and crises of the past.

President Trump achieved this border miracle by learning from experience and acting decisively. He invoked a national emergency at the border on Day One, surging military support and reinstating tough policies that worked before. Asylum abuse – the biggest loophole – has been all but halted by a sweeping asylum ban on fraudulent claims. Would-be illegal migrants got the message loud and clear: Don’t even try it. Even Mexico has ramped up enforcement under renewed U.S. pressure. At the border itself, anyone caught is swiftly sent back. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem put it bluntly in a public warning video: “If you are here illegally, we will find you and deport you. You will never return.” That uncompromising stance, backed by action, has demolished the crisis.

For contrast, one need only recall the Biden years – when border security was willfully neglected. Under Biden, illegal crossings hit historic highs, with over 2 million encounters a year and chaos reigning. By late 2023, the border was seeing a quarter-million arrests in one month as Biden belatedly scrambled to contain the fallout of his lax policies. Those days are over. President Trump’s America First immigration crackdown has restored sanity. In the words of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, “the border is secure” – and it was done in 100 days without waiting on Congress. This is a promise kept, and our nation is safer for it.

Learning from Term One: Loyalists and Lightning Action

President Trump’s first term taught him a crucial lesson: personnel is policy. In the past, entrenched insiders and hesitant appointees slow-walked his agenda. He vowed never to let that happen again, and he meant it. “This time around, Trump has said only true believers in him – and in his ‘Make America Great Again’ movement – will be allowed into government,” Reuters reported. From day one of Term Two, the President hand-picked a team of loyal, battle-ready patriots determined to carry out his vision without delay or dissent.

The contrast with 2017 could not be greater. Back then, some cabinet members and advisers tried to “talk Trump out of his most controversial plans” or refused to carry them out. That “deep state” resistance within only emboldened the permanent bureaucracy to undermine the President’s policies. But now, the dissidents and foot-draggers are gone – replaced by steadfast allies who live and breathe the America First agenda. From the Justice Department to the Pentagon, and every agency in between, Trump has installed fighters who won’t flinch when it’s time to implement bold reforms. The results speak for themselves: fewer leaks, faster decisions, and an administration unified in purpose.

Crucially, President Trump also streamlined how the White House gets things done. He is wielding executive power more skillfully than ever, cutting through bureaucracy with an urgency befitting the people’s mandate. “In 100 days, we have delivered the most successful first 100 days of any administration in the history of our country,” Trump said at a jubilant rally in Michigan this week. “We’ve just gotten started. You haven’t even seen anything yet.” That confidence comes from knowing that his team is executing orders immediately, not getting bogged down in interagency “process” or political correctness. Every cabinet meeting, Trump demands action. Every dawn brings a new flurry of executive orders cutting red tape, enforcing the law, or correcting some Biden-era blunder (WMAL News Now | News Talk 105.9 WMAL). The President has wasted no time clawing back regulations and reining in the bureaucracy. In short, Trump learned from his earlier struggles and is now applying those lessons to govern with lightning speed and iron resolve. The swamp’s old tricks can’t slow him down this time.

Elon Musk and the War on Red Tape

Perhaps the most intriguing weapon in President Trump’s second-term arsenal is Elon Musk, the tech billionaire turned government reformer. Washington’s permanent bureaucracy – the so-called “fourth branch of government” – has long been a fortress of inertia. Trump, ever the disruptor, found the perfect ally in Musk to blow open the doors of Washington’s bureaucratic castle. On his very first day back in office, President Trump signed an order creating the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and, as Trump put it, “put a man named Elon Musk in charge”. That sent shockwaves through the Beltway.

Musk arrived in D.C. like a human wrecking ball against waste and bureaucracy. Wearing a mischievous grin (and occasionally a MAGA ballcap), the SpaceX and Tesla CEO brought Silicon Valley audacity to the heart of government. He sees Washington’s bloat for what it is: an “unelected” fourth branch of government with more power than any elected representative, as Musk bluntly described it. And he’s determined to dismantle that power on behalf of the people. “The people voted for major government reform, and that’s what the people are going to get,” Musk told reporters, standing beside President Trump in the Oval Office. “That’s what democracy is all about.” His words struck terror into the hearts of career bureaucrats – and hope into the hearts of taxpayers.

In just over three months, Musk’s DOGE task force has slashed through decades of accumulated red tape. Nicknamed the “Tech Support” for Uncle Sam (Musk even sported a cheeky “Tech Support” t-shirt in Cabinet meetings, he applied the same tactics he used to turn around struggling companies. Directives go out to agencies at warp speed, layers of middle management are bypassed or eliminated, and no sacred cow is spared scrutiny. The result: tens of thousands of federal employees shown the door, particularly those deemed redundant or obstructive. Entire departments have been told to justify their existence or face downsizing. Massive cost savings are already being tallied – as much as $160 billion so far, according to DOGE’s own running count. That figure comes from canceling wasteful contracts, cutting off fraud, selling unused federal assets, and trimming bloated programs. While Washington insiders quibble over the exact number, no one disputes that Musk’s relentless cost-cutting has saved taxpayers tens of billions in record time.

Musk’s unconventional methods have ruffled feathers among the elites – and he revels in it. He offered federal workers a stark choice: get on board with the new direction or take a severance package “Fork in the Road,” as he dubbed it, borrowing from his Twitter playbook. When some agencies dragged their feet, Musk and Trump simply shifted gears, issuing memos to impose hiring freezes and demanding weekly accountability reports from every employee. As Musk famously said, this mission is “common sense… not draconian or radical” – it’s about making government finally work for citizens. And President Trump has Musk’s back every step. “Elon is doing a great job, but I would like to see him get more aggressive,” the President posted in a rallying cry on Truth Social. “Remember, we have a country to save… MAGA!” . That unapologetic push for even deeper cuts sent a clear signal: no amount of shrieking from the bureaucracy will derail this effort. Musk has essentially been given the green light to remake Washington, and he’s charging ahead with patriotic fervor. The Department of Government Efficiency may be new, but already its initials – DOGE – strike fear into the heart of any pencil-pusher clinging to a useless job. For the rest of America, DOGE stands for something long overdue: accountability and action in government. Musk himself puts it best: “The people asked for change. We’re delivering it.”

Fighting Back Against Judges and the Media

Of course, none of this transformation has come without a fight. President Trump’s enemies are as determined as ever to impede him – but they are losing. In these 100 days, partisan operatives have tried to use the courts and the press to do what voters forbade: stop Trump. Progressive attorneys general raced to courthouses to file injunctions against Trump’s directives. A few Obama-appointed judges did oblige them by temporarily blocking some orders – from deportations to federal layoffs – but these setbacks have proven only speed bumps on Trump’s road to success.

The administration has won key early legal battles, and where injunctions popped up, Trump’s team nimbly adjusted tactics to keep pressing forward. Far from being cowed by judicial meddling, Trump is calling it out. He’s lambasted “highly political judges” who try to legislate from the bench and hinted that their blatant overreach won’t stand. Elon Musk has been even more combative, blasting what he calls a “judicial coup” attempt on social media. The message: neither the President nor his reformers will be intimidated by rogue courts protecting the swamp. As Trump said of those who would block cleaning up corruption, “It seems hard to believe that a judge could say, we don’t want you to do that… So maybe we have to look at the judges.” Bold words – and exactly what his 74 million supporters want to hear.

Meanwhile, the mainstream media has been in full meltdown mode trying to tarnish Trump’s achievements. The usual suspects on cable news sneered at Trump’s fast start, predicting chaos or failure. But they’ve ended up with egg on their faces. Night after night, Americans see with their own eyes what a determined president can do. Even usually critical outlets have been forced to acknowledge the truth on the border: “Border Crossings Grind to Halt as Trump’s Tough Policies Take Hold,” blared a Wall Street Journal headline. “How Trump’s Hard-Line Tactics Are Driving Down Migration,” admitted The New York Times. CBS News reported that illegal crossings have “plunged to levels not seen in decades.” These are not MAGA propagandists saying it – this is the mainstream media, finally recognizing Trump’s success. For President Trump, such validation is sweet, but hardly necessary. He has always drawn strength from defying the naysayers. At his 100-day rally, Trump was triumphant and unapologetic, torching the media elites who doubted him and reasserting that he answers only to the American people. He has proven that their smears and fake narratives cannot stop him from getting results.

Picture the scene in Michigan at that rally: President Trump stands before a massive crowd of flag-waving patriots, basking in the victory of these first 100 days. He recounts how he took on the press, the bureaucrats, and the judges – and how, despite it all, “In 100 days, we have delivered the most successful first 100 days of any administration… You haven’t even seen anything yet.” The crowd roars because they know it’s true. This is a people’s victory as much as Trump’s. Every attack he overcomes is a win for us – the ordinary Americans who for too long saw our interests subordinated to a cynical establishment.

Yes, there have been skirmishes and setbacks. Radical activists have staged noisy protests; left-wing pundits have spun every story negatively; bureaucrats who were fired ran to sympathetic journalists with sob stories. But none of that has slowed the Trump Train. If anything, the resistance has only made the President more determined. He thrives in battle, and right now he is winning those battles decisively. Each executive order implemented, each mile of wall built, each factory job saved by an America First policy – they all add up to a momentum the opposition cannot halt. Trump’s passion and love for country shine through every action he takes. As he said, “Removing the invaders is not just a campaign pledge. It’s my solemn duty as commander-in-chief. I have an obligation to save our country.” That sense of mission guides him through the storms of criticism. He is fulfilling his oath to defend this nation, come hell or high water.

Congress, It’s Your Turn

One hundred days in, President Trump has given America a second wind. The economy is stirring to life, buoyed by the restoration of common-sense policies. Inflation, which raged under Biden, is finally easing. American energy production is unfettered again, and our allies and adversaries alike know that the U.S. has a strong leader back at the helm. It’s morning in America, but this new dawn must be safeguarded. That’s why now, Congress must step up and lock in the gains of Trump’s opening act. The President has accomplished wonders through executive action – but lasting change requires legislation. It’s time for the Republican-led House and Senate to put these victories into law so that no future administration can recklessly undo them.

First and foremost, border security must be codified. Build the wall, end catch-and-release permanently, mandate E-Verify, reform asylum – all of it should be written into the U.S. Code. Encouragingly, lawmakers are already moving. The House Homeland Security Committee just proposed a whopping $46.5 billion budget for finishing the border wall, along with funds for more agents and equipment. Congress should send that bill to Trump’s desk without delay. They should also pass Kate’s Law and other tough measures to ensure that criminal illegal aliens are kept out for good. By enshrining Trump’s border policies into federal law, Congress will ensure America’s border remains secure well beyond this presidency.

Likewise, Trump’s war on the bureaucracy needs legislative reinforcement. Civil service reforms – such as making it easier to fire poor performers and eliminating redundant agencies – should be passed to solidify the work Musk’s DOGE has begun. Imagine the impact of a permanent “Schedule F” that allows a president to clear out deep-state saboteurs, or a statutory cap on federal regulatory costs. These ideas are ready for prime time, and with Trump’s leadership and a willing GOP majority, they can become reality. No doubt the President will be leaning on Congress to act. He knows that to truly “drain the swamp,” the rules of the game must change so that the swamp can’t simply refill itself when he’s not looking.

Then there’s the economy. Trump has already leveraged his executive authority to reimpose pro-America tariffs on unfair foreign imports (prompting some howls from globalist CEOs, which Trump has characteristically brushed off). To keep U.S. industry roaring, Congress should make the tax cuts permanent and slash rates even further for middle-class families and small businesses. Regulatory relief, too, can be bolstered by updating outdated laws. President Trump is negotiating America First trade deals and restoring manufacturing; lawmakers need to back him up by approving those deals and appropriating funds to rebuild our industrial heartland. In short, the Trump Boom that is on the horizon will be stronger and steadier if Congress locks in policies that put American workers and companies first.

Finally, Congress should join President Trump in a renewed commitment to American strength abroad. The world is already taking note that the United States is no longer led by apologists and appeasers. From the Middle East to Eastern Europe, adversaries are recalculating their moves now that Trump’s resolve is back on the global stage. To keep that momentum, Congress ought to fund a robust defense – focused on our security, not woke pet projects – and stand with Trump’s efforts to bring our troops home from endless wars while keeping our foes in check. The President’s critics doubted his foreign policy, but in these 100 days, there’s been historic progress toward peace through strength. Now our legislators must help lock in a new era of respect for America on the world stage by supporting Trump’s diplomatic and military strategy.

The call to action is loud and clear: President Trump has led the way; now Congress must follow through. In the face of hysterical opposition, Trump has proven what fearless leadership can achieve. He has reignited the flame of American greatness that the deep state and radical left tried so hard to extinguish. It’s up to our elected representatives to keep that flame burning bright by writing Trump’s victories into the law of the land.

As this thrilling chapter of Trump’s second term unfolds, one thing is certain – the American spirit is unbreakable. We have a president who refuses to lose, who wakes up every day fighting for us, and who is not afraid to topple the old order to build a better future. The first 100 days have been nothing short of remarkable. But, as President Trump himself said, “You haven’t even seen anything yet.” With our borders secure, our government finally working for the people, and our confidence restored, the stage is set for an American renaissance.

Let patriots rejoice in this moment – and then get to work alongside President Trump to cement these gains for generations to come. Call your representatives, demand they stand with our President, and remind them that we the people are watching. The deep state has been defied and beaten back; now let’s finish the job. If the next 100 days are anything like the first, we are on track to Make America Greater Than Ever. Trump’s triumph is America’s triumph – and we’re just getting started.