Trump kicks off whirlwind week marking his 100th day back in the Oval Office

President Donald Trump’s 15th week in office will include his 100th day back in the White House, which he will celebrate by hosting a rally in Michigan – the last state he campaigned in before polls opened on Election Day of last year. 

‘President Trump is excited to return to the great state of Michigan next Tuesday, where he will rally in Macomb County to celebrate the FIRST 100 DAYS!’ White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an X post announcing the rally. 

Trump’s presidential campaigns in 2016, 2020 and 2024 all ended with rallies in the battleground state of Michigan. Trump’s visit to Macomb County this week follows his final 2024 campaign rally in Grand Rapids, where he joined the crowds just after midnight in the final hours before his victory over then-Vice President Kamala Harris. 

The event is billed as a celebration of Trump’s ‘LEGENDARY start to his presidency,’ according to the Republican National Committee’s website. The rally will be held at Macomb Community College in Warren and will kick off at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday. 

Trump wraps up his 100th day in office with more executive orders signed than any other president over the same period since President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Trump has signed at least 137 executive orders, ranging from dismantling the Department of Education, establishing the Department of Government Efficiency, and stripping diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives from the fabric of the federal government following the Biden administration. 

‘Very critical week’ for Russia and Ukraine peace talks 

Trump returned from Rome on Saturday after attending Pope Francis’ funeral mass at the Vatican with first lady Melania Trump. Trump met with Ukrainian President Vlodomyr Zelenskyy during the trip as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues to rage and negotiations for peace stall. 

‘There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social, shortly after he met with Zelenskyy at the Vatican on Saturday. 

‘It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’ Too many people are dying!!!’ he added.

While on the campaign trail, Trump vowed to end the war between Russia and Ukraine in a matter of 24 hours, but negotiations have proven difficult. Trump’s Truth Social post on Saturday followed Russia launching a missile strike on Kyiv that injured dozens and killed at least 12. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday during an appearance on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’ that the coming week will be ‘very critical’ as the White House weighs whether it wants to continue working towards a peace deal. Rubio warned this month that the U.S. might ‘move on’ from trying to secure a deal between Russia and Ukraine if progress was not made. 

‘I think this is going to be a very critical week,’ Rubio said on Sunday. ‘This week is going to be a really important week in which we have to make a determination about whether this is an endeavor that we want to continue to be involved in or if it’s time to sort of focus on some other issues that are equally, if not more, important in some cases. But we want to see it happen. There are reasons to be optimistic, but there are reasons to be realistic, of course, as well. We’re close, but we’re not close enough.’

Trade talks expected to advance following reciprocal tariff pause 

Trump put a 90-day pause on reciprocal, customized tariffs he had imposed on dozens of nations this month, sparking a trade deal negotiation blitz as dozens of nations began knocking on the proverbial doors of the White House in the hopes of striking more favorable terms. 

The White House has met and spoken with a handful of nations looking to make deals, including South Korea last week. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said negotiations with the Asian nation have progressed quickly and that the two countries could reach a trade agreement as early as this week. 

‘We had a very successful bilateral meeting with the Republic of South Korea today,’ Bessent said from the White House on Thursday. ‘We may be moving faster than I thought, and we will be talking technical terms as early as next week as we reach an agreement on understanding as soon as next week.’

‘So South Koreans came early. They came with their A game, and we will see if they follow through on that,’ Bessent continued. 

Congress reconvenes with eyes on passing Trump-backed budget

Congress will reconvene on Monday following a spring recess, with Republican lawmakers expected to resume talks on a budget plan to advance Trump’s first-year agenda, including extending Trump’s 2017 tax cuts and carving out millions in funds for border security.

Democrats on Capitol Hill protested on Sunday ahead of Republicans returning to the table for budget plan talks. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker took to the steps of the Capitol on Sunday morning while flanked by supporters to protest the budget plan. 

‘Republican leaders have made clear their intention to use the coming weeks to advance a reckless budget scheme to President Trump’s desk that seeks to gut Medicaid, food assistance and basic needs programs that help people, all to give tax breaks to billionaires. Given what’s at stake, these could be some of the most consequential weeks for seniors, kids and families in generations,’ the two Democrat lawmakers wrote in a statement of the protests. 

Trump has repeatedly called on Republican lawmakers to pass the ‘big, beautiful’ tax and spending package to advance his first-year agenda. 

Trump to deliver University of Alabama’s commencement speech 

Trump is expected to travel to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Thursday where he will deliver a commencement speech to graduating students at the University of Alabama. 

‘I have agreed to do the Commencement Address at two really GREAT places, the University of Alabama and, WEST POINT. Stay tuned for times and dates!!!’ Trump posted to Truth Social last week. 

Trump is expected to deliver his speech from the school’s Coleman Coliseum arena on Thursday evening. 

‘The University of Alabama is honored to have been selected as one of the universities President Donald J. Trump will visit to deliver a spring commencement address,’ the university said in a statement this month.

Trump-funded American flags to be installed at White House 

Trump previewed last week that his administration is in the midst of purchasing and installing massive flag poles to feature Ol’ Glory on both the north side lawn and south lawn of the White House. Trump told the media he will personally fund the flags and said they could be ready sometime this week. 

‘We’re putting up a beautiful, almost 100-foot-tall American flag on this side and another one on the other side, two flags, top of the line,’ he told reporters on Wednesday outside the White House, adding they will be ‘paid for by Trump.’

‘They needed flagpoles for 200 years. It was something I’ve often said, you know, they don’t have a flagpole per se. So we’re putting one right where you saw us, and we’re putting another one on the other side, on top of the mounds. It’s going to be two beautiful poles.’

Trump added on Wednesday that the flags will ‘arrive in about a week or so.’ An American flag is currently only flown from the White House roof.