Trump’s first 100 days: Promises made, promises broken

President Trump made lowering costs a central theme of his campaign, but 100 days into his administration, he has yet to deliver on that promise.

But don’t just take my word for it.

Small business owners in Chinatowns across the country are pleading with the Trump administration to reverse course after it had implemented sweeping tariffs, including a devastating 145% tariff on Chinese goods. Mom-and-pop stores that barely survived the pandemic are now staring down another crisis, wondering if they will have to shutter their businesses for good.

I recently met with Asian American residents struggling to stay afloat amid this economic uncertainty. One neighbor worried about how they will afford imported staples like rice and dried fish on a fixed income. Another small business owner was forced to crunch numbers late into the night to determine if they could keep their doors open.

Some of my constituents supported President Trump, believing he would make lowering costs his top priority. The America they received in the last 100 days is far from what they were promised.

So what happened to Trump’s pledge to “bring prices down, starting on day one”?

The answer is simple: No president can wave a magic wand to instantly lower prices — and Trump never should have made such a promise.

The real truth, however, is more insidious. Instead of bringing down costs for working people, the administration is focused on providing taxpayer-funded handouts to billionaires like Elon Musk.

If you find that hard to believe, just take a look at the administration’s record. Despite Republicans controlling the White House and both chambers of Congress, they have yet to pass a single bill into law that will make life more affordable for everyday Americans.

But there’s been no shortage of actions President Trump has taken to enrich his billionaire donors. This includes cutting vital programs like Medicaid — which provides health care to 4.5 million Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders — to pay for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy, firing IRS employees who go after billionaire tax cheats, and cutting backroom deals to shield corporate giants from the very tariffs that are crushing small businesses.

Unless you can afford a $50,000 Mar-a-Lago fundraiser or an army of lobbyists, you’re out of luck.

And the administration’s harmful policies go far beyond the economy. Over the past 100 days, President Trump has tested every limit to undermine the rule of law and threaten our inalienable rights guaranteed under the Constitution.

The president has issued a flurry of executive orders to revoke birthright citizenship, dismantle the Department of Education, and eliminate federal translation services for Americans with limited English proficiency. The administration has even gone as far as to detain, disappear, and deport legal U.S. residents and children who are citizens without due process.

This is a dark moment in our country’s history.

But we are not powerless.

As Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), I am using every tool available to stand up to policies that harm Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. As a Caucus, we have submitted amicus briefs to the Supreme Court to defend our fundamental freedoms. We introduced legislation to curb executive overreach. And we are fighting every day — in Congress, in the courts, and in our communities.

Now is not the time to sit on the sidelines. We have to educate. We have to organize. We have to make our voices heard, now more than ever.

The future of our democracy depends on it.