Up First from NPR
Grading Trump's First 100 Days, Presidential Retaliation, Detained Student Speaks
Tue, 29 Apr 2025
In a new poll, voters graded President Trump's first 100 days in office. An NPR analysis finds more than 100 people and groups the President targeted for retribution in his second term, and NPR traveled to Vermont to speak with a Columbia University student detained by the Trump administration.Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.Today's episode of Up First was edited by Megan Pratz, Barrie Hardymon, Jan Johnson, Janaya Williams and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. Editor's note: After this segment aired, Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, responded to our request for comment. She said: "It is a privilege to be granted a visa or green card to live and study in the United States of America. When you advocate for violence, glorify and support terrorists that relish the of killing Americans, and harass Jews, that privilege should be revoked, and you should not be in this country." McLaughlin did not respond to NPR's request that the government provide evidence for its allegations that Mahdawi's actions amounted to antisemitism and led to violence. Mahdawi and his lawyers say those allegations are false.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Chapter 1: How did voters grade President Trump's first 100 days in office?
A survey asked voters to grade President Trump's first 100 days in office. Some gave him an A, while the most common grade was F. What is working for the president, and how do some voters think he's falling short? I'm Steve Inskeep with A. Martinez, and this is Up First from NPR News. The president campaigned on a promise of retribution and also blurred what he meant by that.
100 days in, NPR has a list of people and institutions the president has targeted using government power.
Also, the U.S. has deported or detained college students who advocated for Palestinians. NPR visited one in detention.
I want the American people to see this too, to see this level of injustice.
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Hey, it's report card day. Now, if that brought back feelings of anxiety from when you were in school, relax. You are not being graded, but the president is.
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Chapter 2: What are the main reasons for President Trump's mixed approval ratings?
About a quarter of voters gave Trump an A. Let's hear now from senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro, who's been analyzing the numbers. Domenico, so no one likes an F. I am very familiar with that grade, by the way, from my high school years. I don't believe you. It's true. But so, I mean, why did so many respondents give him an F?
Well, it really looks like it has a lot to do with tariffs and the economy and just 39 percent approve of how he's handling the economy. That's his lowest mark ever for that, including for his first term and even lower, 34 percent approve of his tariffs. Almost six in 10 say Trump's tariffs on imports will hurt the economy.
The percentage of people expecting prices to increase is up seven points from last month.
Well, that's pretty damning. I mean, the economy is the most important issue for most voters, I would assume. Yeah.
Yeah, I mean, across all age groups, you know, whether it's men or women, The economy inflation that comes up over and over again. It was certainly the biggest issue in the 2024 election. And arguably, there was no bigger reason that Trump won than his promises to bring prices down. But the bottom line here is that people are sending a very clear message.
They largely think these tariffs are a bad idea.
OK, now this disapproval of the president can't be just about the economy.
Yeah, that's true. I mean, majority is disapprove of how he's handling most aspects of his job, actually, from tariffs and the economy. to foreign policy and immigration, which, by the way, had been a relative strength for Trump. Overall, Trump is down to just a 42% approval rating.
That's second only to himself in 2017 for the worst score for any president at the 100-day mark, if you look at the numbers that Gallup has put together since Harry Truman. Things can change. Some presidents who were very high at the 100-point mark went down. Others like Bill Clinton, who was only at about 45 percent at 100 days left office with a very high approval rating.
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Chapter 3: Who are the people and institutions targeted by President Trump's administration?
And when we say targeted, what kinds of actions are involved here? So at maybe the harshest end are these criminal investigations. And Trump has actually ordered multiple Justice Department investigations right from the Oval Office. One of those investigations targets Christopher Krebs. He was a top cybersecurity official in the first Trump administration.
Trump fired him back then for saying the 2020 election was safe and secure. And here is what Trump said about Krebs earlier this month.
He's the fraud. He's a disgrace. So we'll find out whether or not it was a safe election. And if it wasn't, he's got a big price to pay.
Then there's Miles Taylor, who also served in the first Trump administration. Back then, Taylor wrote this anonymous op-ed that said Trump was erratic and dangerous. Here is what Trump said about him.
I think he's guilty of treason, if you want to know the truth. But we'll find out. And I assume we're recommending this to the Department of Justice. Yes, sir.
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Chapter 4: What kinds of government actions has Trump used for retaliation?
So Trump was not just ordering an investigation into Taylor. He was also effectively telling the investigators what he thought the outcome should be. Both Krebs and Taylor say they are being retaliated against for telling the truth.
It's striking to think about this, Tom, because Trump, of course, accused President Biden of using the Justice Department against him. Lawfare is what Republicans called it. He said that was wrong. Biden denied he was doing any such thing. Trump is openly doing that. openly doing the thing that he said was wrong. So what other government powers is he using?
Well, we found the administration using more than 10 different agencies in various ways, not just the Justice Department, which we should say is also announcing criminal investigations into the Democratic governor and attorney general of New Jersey over immigration policy. Trump has also pulled secret service protection for two of President Biden's children, Hunter and Ashley.
Media companies that Trump dislikes are facing investigations from the FCC. That includes NPR, we should say. Hmm. Universities are facing investigations from the Department of Education. International students who protested the war in Gaza have also faced ICE detention and deportation.
Well, what does the administration say about this?
Well, they didn't respond to our request for comment for this story. And on the one hand, the White House says that Trump is ending what they call the weaponization of government, which you just mentioned.
And when they're pressed on this issue, though, and the fact that Trump is actually directing specific criminal investigations from the Oval Office, well, they say their investigations are merited and it's about accountability.
What do the people targeted by the power of the presidency have to say?
But even the process of investigation can be stressful and scary. Law firms are losing clients. People have lost jobs. And multiple sources said they could not talk with us because speaking out just puts a bigger target on your back.
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Chapter 5: How does the Trump administration respond to allegations of targeted retaliation?
I am centered. Internally, I am at peace. While I still know deeply that this is a level of injustice that I am facing. I have faith. I have faith that justice will prevail.
And when he says Justice A, he means his release and his ability to stay in this country. His lawyers filed a petition in federal court here in Vermont accusing government officials of violating his First Amendment right to free speech and due process in what they argue is a policy by these officials to silence Palestinian rights advocates.
Did he tell you about the day he was detained?
Yeah, I mean, it was kind of a roller coaster. I mean, he's lived here for 10 years and he was on track to graduate next month with a bachelor's from Columbia. And he went to this meeting thinking, he would finally become an American citizen.
After growing up in a Palestinian refugee camp in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, he says he only understood the concept of freedom of movement or freedom of speech without retaliation from living here. But because he had watched the experiences of other students, he knew there was a risk.
I see the risk. I see the opportunity, and I want the American people to see this too.
See what?
To see this level of injustice, that I am doing everything legally, that I have prepared and studied for the Constitution, and that I went willingly and respected the law.
And despite that, he says he's in prison, although the government wasn't able to move him to Louisiana like other students, at least not yet, because of an injunction a judge granted here.
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Chapter 6: What is the experience of a detained Columbia University student under the Trump administration?
Now, he's not charged with a crime, but as with most of these students, the government is invoking a rarely used immigration act. Court filings say his presence has, quote, adverse consequences for foreign policy. In this case, they say his presence would undermine the Middle East peace process and a policy to combat anti-Semitism.
A letter for the Secretary of State was the only evidence the government submitted this week as proof of this. It did not elaborate on how his presence supposedly undermines Middle East peace or how he supposedly fueled anti-Semitism. And what have his lawyers said?
One of his lawyers, Luna Druby, says the accusations are completely false and the government is, quote, scraping the bottom of the barrel to punish students for the advocacy of Palestinian rights. Mahdawi has been very vocal about his opposition to anti-Semitism and is part of peace initiatives with Israeli and Jewish students.
Tomorrow, the federal court here in Vermont will hear Mahdawi's request for immediate release as this case continues.
That's NPR's Leila Fadl. Leila, looking forward to hearing more of this on Morning Edition. Thanks a lot. Thanks, ACU in D.C. Mark Carney has been elected as Prime Minister of Canada, according to the projections from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
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Chapter 7: Why is Mohsen Madawi being detained and what are the legal arguments?
This was seen as a referendum on which candidate could best handle the United States under President Trump, who placed tariffs on Canada and sparked a wave of Canadian nationalism. Carney defeated Conservative Party leader Pierre Pallief.
Politev's momentum began to slip when former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigned earlier this year, which gave the Liberals a lift. But the real boost came when President Trump began targeting Canada's economy and its sovereignty. Many Canadians were outraged by Trump's threat to make Canada the 51st state. And that's a first for Tuesday, April 29th. I'm E. Martinez.
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And we got one more thing for you today. Because you listen up first, we're pretty sure you're the curious type. And since our friends at NPR Science Podcast Shortwave are some of the most curious people we know, we think you would love to listen to them. They bring you new discoveries, everyday mysteries, and the science behind the headlines in under 15 minutes. Here's a great example.
The risks and rewards of giving your kids melatonin. This is such a great podcast.
You're listening to Shortwave from NPR. Hey, Shore Wavers, Emily Kwong here. Okay, so possibly my favorite thing in the entire world is a good night's sleep. I mean, nothing makes a bigger difference to my mental and physical health. Without quality sleep, we're less productive, grumpy. It can even affect our hearts. And for kids, sleep is crucial for physical, mental, and emotional development.
But there are a lot of things keeping us awake these days. Screens, electronics, stress. Researchers say that, like adults, kids are having problems falling asleep and staying asleep. So more and more parents are turning to a supplement called melatonin as a possible solution.
It's like so many parents dream, which is like, is this the answer? Is there this one gummy or this one thing that can help me get through this part of the day that can be really, really hard for parents and families?
Michael Scholzen is a contributing editor at Undark Magazine, where he writes and edits stories about science. And he recently looked into why more and more people are using sleep supplements, especially with their kids. Melatonin is a hormone, and it's one that our bodies produce naturally.
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Chapter 8: What do Mohsen Madawi and his lawyers say about the government's accusations?
Every night, the pineal gland in our brain releases a bit of melatonin.
So when people take synthetic melatonin in the form of a pill or a gummy... It also can have that experience of helping people feel a little bit more tired, a little bit sleepy, in ways that a lot of people find helpful for getting to sleep.
Melatonin is widely considered safe for adults in low doses and for kids with certain neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions that get in the way of a good night's sleep.
I think it's really important to understand that when families are seeking to help their children get a better night's sleep, it's not just like an abstract health goal that they're trying to solve. They're often really speaking into very real challenges and very real problems that are affecting all parts of a family and are also really affecting their kids flourishing.
But some experts worry that we don't know enough about how regularly taking melatonin affects kids in the long term. So today on the show, melatonin and kids, what the research says, how melatonin is being used, and how to navigate obstacles for getting kids enough Cs. I'm Emily Kwong, and you're listening to Shorewave, the science podcast from NPR.
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Starting in the 1950s, there was a push to get meat onto Americans' plates at every meal.
So you would have breakfast with maybe perhaps sausage offered. You'd have lunch where it would be deli meat sandwiches. And you'd have dinner that would center over a large cut of meat.
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