DAVID MARCUS: Trump's first 100 days matter. But the next 100 days will tell the tale of the Trump era

The key thing to understand about President Donald Trump’s action-packed first 100 days in office is that his base, the 40% or so of the country that loves him, are not only thrilled, they are yelling "more, more, more," as if they were Billy Idol.

Meanwhile, the similarly sized group of Americans who detest Trump see in this second term a threat to democracy unfolding that is second to none in history, even Trump’s first term, which was also supposedly a harbinger of fascism.

What we have on our hands here, folks, is a good old-fashioned Rorschach test. How Americans feel about Trump today tells us more about them than about Trump’s policies, which for the most part have not reached fruition.

STEVE MOORE: 9 TOP TRUMP ECONOMY WINS AFTER HIS FIRST 100 DAYS

There is no question that Trump entered office on a high note, with polls showing him at or near 50% approval, and in his first 30 days, a keen focus on the low-hanging fruit of 80/20 issues kept him mostly above water.

The actual closing of the southern border, for example, something the Biden administration called impossible, has been miraculous, with daily interactions falling in some cases from tens of thousands to dozens. 

It is likely that no major problem facing the American people has ever been solved so quickly by an incoming president.

Likewise, on cultural issues, Trump has done well. Americans do not want men playing in women’s sports and do think that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) have gone too far. Trump took a hatchet to both lefty policies.

As good as things seemed, it was inevitable that as March snow turned to April showers, Trump was going to have to tackle closer issues, harder issues upon which a large majority consensus does not exist.

TRUMP STEAMS AHEAD ON THESE CAMPAIGN PROMISES AS HE REACHES 100 DAYS IN OFFICE

The biggest of these 50/50 issues is Trump’s tariff policies, rolled out on April 2nd, or as the administration called it, Liberation Day. The on-again-off-again tariffs and hectic negotiations sent the major stock market indices flying around like super balls in a fish tank, and media coverage was widely negative.

Likewise, on immigration, the closing of the border was a huge hit, but some voters, even those who pulled the lever for Trump, are worried that the deportations are coming too fast, and without enough due process.

Put simply, everyone seems to agree we should not let illegal immigrants in, but what to do once they are here is a much closer question.

Even on foreign policy, Trump’s approach to Ukraine has been too coddling of Russia for many Trump critics, and too tolerant of Israel for others. These are also areas that require some convincing by Trump.

Here we come to the crux of why the next 100 days will make or break not just Trump’s second term, but likely his entire historical legacy. 

One of the most difficult positions a politician can be in is when he or she truly believes that a very popular goal can best, or even only, be achieved by far less popular means and this is precisely what we see in all three of Trump’s toughest issues.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION

Almost everyone wants our small industrial towns to thrive again, but tariffs are a scary way to get there. 

Almost everyone wants the worst criminals among the ranks of illegal aliens removed, but what if a federal judge says no?

Almost everyone wants peace in Ukraine but cutting off aid and letting Vladimir Putin rampage his way to Kiev is off-putting.

In the next 100 days, all three of these thorns in Trump’s side will come to some kind of crescendo, with tariffs or deals set to take hold, with mass deportation kicking into full gear, and with a clear answer to whether or not Trump can bring peace to Ukraine.

The ambition and zeal of the Trump administration’s first 100 days is like nothing in living memory, and given that, as well as an out-of-the-box cabinet with controversial figures like FBI Director Kash Patel and Health and Human Services chief Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s 45% standing in the Real Clear Politics polling average is pretty solid.

There are those in the GOP, reasonably concerned about next year’s midterms, who would like to see Trump slow down, or moderate his policies, but those voices will likely fall on deaf ears. 

No, Trump is not in a mood to back down, and core supporters, the working-class folks who made him the new face of the Republican Party could not be happier, could not feel more represented by their president.

The next 100 days will tell the tale of the Trump era, but win, lose or draw, one thing is all but certain, Trump is going to go out as he came in, fighting.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM DAVID MARCUS