Trump marks his first 100 days in office in campaign mode, focused on grudges and grievances

WARREN, Mich. (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday celebrated the 100th day of his second term — yet spent much of his rally marking it in campaign mode, fixated on past grudges and grievances.

He repeatedly mocked his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, attacking his mental acuity and even how he appears in a bathing suit. He again uttered the lie that he won the 2020 presidential election. And he attacked polling and news coverage not favorable to him.

And Trump again and again returned to immigration, his signature issue, at the rally that marked his largest political event since returning to the White House — boasting about his administration's “mass deportation” efforts that have sent arrests for illegal crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border plummeting.

“Removing the invaders is not just a campaign pledge,” Trump said in his 90-minute speech. “It's my solemn duty as commander-in-chief. I have an obligation to save our country.”

He paused his remarks to play a video of migrants who Trump asserts are gang members arriving at a notorious prison in El Salvador, with rallygoers cheering as images of deportees having their heads shaved were played. And while Michigan has seen unemployment rise since Trump reclaimed the White House, Trump used his speech to defend his administration’s steep tariffs on cars and auto parts — hours after the White House announced it was softening those.

“We’re here tonight in the heartland of our nation to celebrate the most successful first 100 days of any administration in the history of our country,” Trump said, standing before large electronic screens reading “100 Day of Greatness.” He later added: “We’ve just gotten started. You haven’t even seen anything yet.”

His Republican administration's strict immigration policies have pushed the boundaries of the judiciary, and its protectionist import taxes imposed on America's trade partners have also sought to reorder a global economy that the U.S. built in the decades after World War II.

Trump has also championed sweeping expansionism, refusing to rule out military intervention in Greenland and Panama, suggesting that American developers could help convert the war-torn Gaza Strip into a Riviera-like resort and even suggesting annexation of Canada. Meanwhile, government-slashing efforts led by billionaire adviser Elon Musk have shaken Washington to its core.

“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 said.

Yet only about 4 in 10 Americans approve of how Trump is handling the presidency, and his ratings on the economy and trade are lower than that. Additionally, 46% of U.S. adults approve of Trump's immigration policies, with about half of Americans saying he has “gone too far” when it comes to deporting immigrants living in the country illegally.

Just 33% of Americans, meanwhile, have a favorable view of Musk, the Tesla CEO and the world's richest person, and about half believe the administration has gone too far in working to pare back the government workforce.

“The bottom line for the first hundred days is, lots of damage being done to the fundamentals of our government,” said Max Stier, founding president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit dedicated to better government.

Typically, presidents use the 100-day mark to launch multiple rallies. But Trump is doing only the Michigan stop.

Administration officials say Trump is at his most effective when staying at the White House, having meetings and speaking to reporters nearly every day. Indeed, the speech in Macomb County was one of the few large political crowds he’s addressed since Inauguration Day on Jan. 20.

The exceptions have been flying most weekends to golf in Florida or attend sporting events, including the Super Bowl and the Daytona 500. The limited travel to see supporters is a major departure from his first term, when Trump held a series of rallies before celebrating 100 days in office with a Pennsylvania speech in 2017.

Michigan was one of the battleground states Trump flipped in 2024 from the Democratic column. But it’s also been deeply affected by his tariffs, including on new imported cars and auto parts.

Automaker Stellantis halted production at plants in Canada and Mexico after Trump announced a 25% tariff on imported vehicles, temporarily laying off 900 U.S. employees. Industry groups have separately urged the White House to scrap plans for tariffs on imported auto parts, warning that doing so would raise prices on cars and could trigger “layoffs and bankruptcy.”

That seemingly would make the state an odd choice for Trump to hail his accomplishments.

Luis Guevara, of Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, said outside Trump’s rally that he’s “cautiously optimistic” about Trump’s first 100 days in office but noted that change can be hard.

“We don’t look at our 401(k) or our portfolio on a daily, weekly, monthly basis or even year to year. I think the market is very skittish," Guevara said. “Now is certainly not the time to mimic the market and be skittish. I think we have to hold tight. It’s going to be a rough ride. Change is difficult for a lot of people.”

Earlier Tuesday, Trump issued an executive order relaxing some of his tariffs on cars and auto parts. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the goal remained enabling automakers to create more domestic manufacturing jobs, noting Trump is concerned with “jobs of the future, not of the past.”

Carolyn Martz, of Royal Oak, Michigan, said outside the Trump rally that she supports the president's tariffs. She said her husband is an auto technician and has noted how parts come from China and elsewhere overseas.

“I'd like to see more stuff made in America, by Americans, for Americans," Martz said, adding that tariffs could stimulate U.S. manufacturing.

“If we have to eat more in the beginning with higher prices, that might just be part of it,” she said.

Michigan will be important for Republicans in 2026 as their party tries to pick up a Senate seat in the state for the first time in decades and regain control of the governor’s office, with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer term-limited. Multiple competitive House races will also be on the midterm ballot, along with control of the state legislature.

Though she can't run again for the governor's mansion, Whitmer remains in the spotlight as a potential future Democratic presidential candidate. Long a Trump critic, Whitmer has sought to find common ground with the president lately, appearing with Trump at Selfridge Air National Guard Base earlier Tuesday to announce a new fighter jet mission in the economically valuable base.

Kim reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price in Washington and Patrick Aftoora-Orsagos in Warren, Mich., contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump greets Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as he arrives on Air Force One at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Harrison Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump gestures after speaking at Macomb Community College, Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Warren Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

President Donald Trump dances after speaking at Macomb Community College, Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Warren Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

President Donald Trump speaks on his first 100 days at Macomb County Community College Sports Expo Center, Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Warren, Mich. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump arrives to speak on his first 100 days at Macomb County Community College Sports Expo Center, Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Warren, Mich. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump arrives to speak on his first 100 days at Macomb County Community College Sports Expo Center, Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Warren, Mich. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump arrives to speak on his first 100 days at Macomb County Community College Sports Expo Center, Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Warren, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

President Donald Trump speaks as he welcomes the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles NFL football team to the South Lawn of the White House, Monday, April 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

President Donald Trump arrives to welcome the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles NFL football team to the South Lawn of the White House, Monday, April 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump was heading to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the first leg of his three-nation visit to the Middle East this week meant to tackle multiple crises and conflicts across the region.

His first stop is a visit to Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The two are to hold talks on U.S. efforts to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, end the war in Gaza, hold down oil prices and more.

The crown prince is also expected to fete Trump with a formal dinner and a gathering of members of the Gulf Cooperation Council — made up of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — later on Tuesday.

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U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday that America and China now have a “mechanism” to avoid tensions.

He spoke at an investment forum just before Trump was to land in Saudi Arabia.

“We had a plan, we had a process. What we did not have with the Chinese was a mechanism,” Bessent told the forum. “After this weekend, we have a mechanism to avoid escalation like we had before.”

Bessent said America could have a “big, beautiful rebalancing” with China as Beijing aims to have more of a consumption-based economy and Trump wants to see more precision manufacturing done in the U.S.

Previous trips by U.S. presidents to the kingdom have drawn comments about Saudi Arabia being “milked” by the Americans for oil and dollars for military sales.

But this time, Iranian newspapers and state television largely are not discussing Trump’s trip in detail.

The quiet may be due to the fact Riyadh and Tehran have been in a Chinese-mediated detente since 2023. Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, a brother to the Saudi crown prince, also traveled to Tehran in a high-level visit unthinkable in recent years of tensions between the two Mideast rivals.

Hussein Ibish, an analyst at the Washington-based Arab Gulf States Institute, said Saudi Arabia’s economic development projects at home means the kingdom wants peace across the region.

American and Saudi flags are lining the streets in Saudi Arabia’s capital ahead of Trump's arrival, along with a noticeable security presence in Riyadh of all American-made police cars.

At a “Media Oasis” set up for journalists, giant video screens showed off Saudi construction projects like its futuristic NEOM city and its hosting of the 2034 FIFA World Cup. A mobile McDonald’s sat in the parking lot, still shuttered.

Prince Turki al-Faisal, who led Saudi intelligence for more than two decades and served as ambassador to the U.S. and Britain, wrote in the English-language Arab News newspaper to Trump that “our doors and hearts are open to you.”

Saudi Arabia’s tightly controlled media offered positive comments regarding Trump’s visit. Columnists in the kingdom sought to describe the visit as part of a strategic reset in American-Saudi relations, which date back to when then-President Franklin Roosevelt met King Saud aboard the USS Quincy in 1945.

“Many countries around the world, including in Europe, are following Saudi Arabia’s lead in managing their affairs with Trump,” wrote Abdulrahman al-Rashed in Asharq Al-Awsat. “The era of relying solely on political and military alliances with Washington is over; the focus now is on forging shared interests.”

Faisal J. Abbas of the English-language Arab News wrote that “the significance of the visit cannot be overstated — nor could its timing be more crucia,” given Saudi Arabia’s mediation in the Russia-Ukraine war and the recent conflict between India and Pakistan.

He also acknowledged business deals would be part of the trip as well.

“Putting America first does not mean ignoring opportunities abroad; it means seizing them,” Abbas added.

Trump’s trip to Saudi Arabia comes as the president can already point to one thing for American voters — oil prices are down.

It’s not Trump’s doing, though he’s repeatedly criticized Saudi Arabia and the OPEC+ oil cartel over higher oil prices in the past. Those prices translate directly back into gasoline prices in the United States, which can become a major pain point for the U.S. public. The average price for a gallon of gasoline in the U.S. is $3.13, according to AAA, down from $3.61 a year ago.

Right now, benchmark Brent crude trades around $64 a barrel. That’s higher than when the around $50 a barrel it traded on his first trip to the kingdom as president in 2017. However, it’s nowhere near the spikes seen after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Then, the average gallon of gas in the U.S. was $5.01 at its height.

Economic uncertainty over Trump’s tariff policy has depressed global energy prices — as has OPEC more rapidly opening up production than initially thought. Saudi Arabia in particular needs that extra revenue as the crow prince's expansive development plans and the kingdom hosting the upcoming 2034 FIFA World Cup will need hundreds of billions of dollars of investments.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry says the sanctions on the country were imposed under the government of ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad and helped in removing him from power.

But they are now harming the Syrian people, the ministry says, describing Trump’s comments about removing them as “an encouraging step” to end the suffering of Syrians.

The ministry said in a statement late Monday that the sanctions are hindering reconstruction in the war torn country.

The Syrian people are looking for the “full lifting of the sanctions” as a step that boosts peace and prosperity both in Syria and the region, and open the way for international cooperation, it said.

Trump had intended to focus on pressing wealthy Gulf Arab nations during the Mideast trip to pour billions in new investment into the United States.

But Trump finds himself navigating a series of geopolitical crises — and searching for glimmers of hope in the deep well of global turmoil.

Those challenges are casting greater import on his first extended overseas trip of his second term, but the president is brimming with an overabundance of confidence about some of the world’s most intractable problems.

▶ Read more about Trump’s three-nation visit

FILE - President Donald Trump speaks with reporters as he signs executive orders in the Oval Office at the White House, Feb. 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, file)