What to Expect from Trump’s First 100 Days

Much is made of the first 100 days of a new Presidential administration. New Presidents enter eager to make good on campaign promises and build political capital. Obviously, Trump has the experience of his first administration and, while debated, specific policy proposals laid out in Project 2025.   

At the same time, Trump’s transition team has rejected federal email servers, office space, and other secure resources traditionally used by federal employees to protect proprietary information and ensure adherence to democratic processes and protections. The Trump administration took many weeks to sign agreements with the White House and Justice Department, delaying background investigations of Presidential appointees.  

Executive Orders 

According to reports, the Trump team is preparing around 100 executive orders (EO) – presidential directives that manage operations of the federal government – on immigration, tariffs, energy, and other policy fronts for him to sign as soon as he takes office on Monday, January 20th. Trump is expected to repeal EOs issued by President Biden, including:

  • Restoring Trust in Government Through Scientific Integrity and Evidence-based Policymaking  
  • Guaranteeing an Educational Environment from the Discrimination on the Basis of Sex, Including Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity  
  • Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights  

Trump is also presumed to reinstate EOs from his first term which were repealed by Biden, including: 

  • Evaluation and Improving the Utility of Federal Advisory Committees  
  • Collecting Information about Citizenship Status in Connection with the Decennial Census  
  • Suspicion of Entry as Nonimmigrants of Certain Students and Researchers from China 

Presidential Appointments and Senate Confirmations 

With multiple confirmation hearings expected this week, Senators in both parties have complained that they haven’t yet seen the FBI background checks and financial disclosures they typically receive at least a week before holding a hearing on a nomination.  

Another complicating factor is the extreme wealth of many of the Cabinet picks, increasing the processing time required for candidates’ disclosures. 

In the past, incoming administrations have conducted background checks and financial clearances before publicly sharing their Cabinet picks. Presumably, administrations would be interested in these reports for their own purposes when nominating a candidate.  

While FABBS is closely watching the nominations and confirmation process, we are focusing on the nominations most relevant to federal agencies funding behavioral and brain sciences, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), US Department of Education. To date, while nominated to lead NIH, the confirmation hearing has not been set for Dr. Jay Bhattacharya. No nomination has been announced to lead IES and the current Director of the National Science Foundation, Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan, will complete his six-year term in June of 2026.  

Federal Budget 

Members of Congress are quick to say that the President’s budget is worth the paper that it is printed on. While the President works with the Office of Management and Budget and federal agencies to develop a President’s Budget Request that reflects the administration’s priorities, the Congress has the power of the purse.  

(See article on 119th Congress

White House