As Donald Trump's 100th day in office approaches, many are likely wondering what, if anything, the president will do to acknowledge the occasion. On Twitter last Saturday, the president announced that he plans to hold a "big" rally in Pennsylvania to mark his 100th day in office, during which Trump will likely give a speech to attendees.
An American president's first 100 days in office are typically used as a metric for evaluating success. The first 100 days are often perceived as a "honeymoon period" during which a president stands the greatest chance to pass legislation. They are also usually viewed as an indicator of how the president interacts with Congress, the press, and the American people.
Trump has already received a good deal of criticism for his apparent lack of achievements during his first 100 days in office as well as for backpedaling on campaign promises that centered around a first 100 days action plan. According to The Independent, as he nears the 100 days mark, Trump has the lowest 100 days approval rating of any U.S. president since 1945. Moreover, he has achieved very little of the 100 day action plan he created during his campaign, something which he touted as a "contract with the American voter."
Trump's rally to mark his 100th day will take place at 7:30 p.m. EST at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on April 29. According to the The Philadelphia Inquirer, Trump likely chose the state for his rally because of the crucial role it played in helping him secure a victory in the presidential election. The White House has not yet provided details about the schedule for the rally, but it is extremely likely that Trump will give a speech, considering he has done so at previous rallies.
Interestingly, the Pennsylvania rally will occur at the same time as the White House Correspondents' Dinner, an event which is typically attended by the president and first lady but which Trump has controversially declined his invitation to attend.
Some news outlets have suggested that Trump intends to use his Pennsylvania rally as "counter coverage" for the negative attention he is likely going to receive from the press on Saturday, both through comedic "roasts" at the White House Correspondents' Dinner and through media critiques of his lack of progress during his first 100 days in office.
It certainly will be interesting to watch Trump's rally and the White House Correspondents' dinner to see how they frame Trump's presidency thus far. You can bet that the two events will likely have vastly different takes on his first 100 days.
