100 Days

Depending on your point of view today marks either 100 days Donald Trump has been president or 1361 days before Donald Trump's term ends. Trump himself started his celebration of the former by delivering a speech Friday to annual convention of the National Rifle Association in Atlanta.

The sitting President of the United States trotted out a few of his golden oldies including the racist nickname "Pocahontas" he's dubbed on Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren. He chest thumped his intent to build a border wall with Mexico while leaving out details on when he'll start or how it will be funded. And, of course, he declared the eight year "assault" on the Second Amendment over. All of it played well to the scared white people in attendance but the no gunsense crowd isn't exactly one that would notice a lack of sensitivity or logic. The arguments of their own organization are fundamentally devoid of both. To anyone else, the speech should be seen as uncouth, unpresidential, and a strong reminder we deserve better.

Trumps list of accomplishments in his first 100 days on the job are few. He's signed, but arguably not read, 29 executive orders. The highlights of those weaken a number of climate and environmental initiatives and include his two attempts at Muslim travel bans. The administration has not led any new legislation to passage, and notably failed at turning Trumpcare version 1.0 into law.  Even his touted wall is not under construction and Republicans in the House and Senate passed a temporary funding bill on Friday that included zero dollars for Trump's border debacle.

Listening to Trump bloviate in front of the NRA is reminiscent of watching Norma Desmond relieve her glory days in Sunset Boulevard. Ensconced in the friendly confines of a room filled with one issue ideologues that adore him, Trump fed his narcissistic hunger without the inconvenience of a real world that doesn't universally embrace him. He was in his element, could be himself, and lived up to the lack of expectation we hold him to when it comes to competence and decency.

In contrast, earlier in the day, Trump admitted during an interview with Reuters, "This is more work than in my previous life. I thought it would be easier."

President Trump's revelation about the work involved in being the nation's chief executive is one of several reversals of position from that of candidate Trump he's demonstrated during the first 100 days. "Nobody knew healthcare was so difficult", "NATO is no longer obsolete", and "They (China) are not currency manipulators" are all in opposition of Trump campaign rhetoric. The good news is that Trump appears to be learning on the job and evolving some of his flat out wrong assumptions. The bad news is Trump is at such a preparedness deficit what he's learning is remedial in level.

Tax reform seems to be the issue the administration is leading off with for the next 100 days. Earlier in the week Trump released a one page summary of his plan to reform the tax code. A single page. The current Federal Tax Code is 74,604 pages long and team Trump delivered a one page report outlining how to fix it. A first year CPA at Deloitte could deliver a broader treatment on tax reform.  One page seems about Trump's attention span and it's near certain he will be surprised when the oversimplified measure he'd previously believed to be a solution to complex problem fails.

Let's hope the country doesn't fail with it. Just 1361 more days to go.