--- title: Donald Trump 100 Days: He Calls It 'Ridiculous Standard' description: Trump said Friday the first 100 days is a "ridiculous standard," but he's encouraged that metric in the past. canonical: https://time.com/4750181/trump-100-days-ridiculous-standard/ author: Tessa Berenson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-04-21T13:58:45.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:54:23.765Z article:section: Politics og:title: President Trump Didn't Always Think the First 100 Days Was A 'Ridiculous Standard' og:description: He criticized a metric he used a lot in the past. og:url: https://time.com/4750181/trump-100-days-ridiculous-standard/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf623d486e42eb88e/6988c38bab6d77ddf86adb36/gettyimages-669994524.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3500 og:image:height: 1969 og:image:alt: trump-turkey-conflict og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: President Trump Didn't Always Think the First 100 Days Was A 'Ridiculous Standard' twitter:description: He criticized a metric he used a lot in the past. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf623d486e42eb88e/6988c38bab6d77ddf86adb36/gettyimages-669994524.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # President Trump Didn't Always Think the First 100 Days Was A 'Ridiculous Standard' > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=ff62afb2-2fb3-446c-b761-55860a0fb669&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: In His Words: Trump Changes Course [Watch (HLS stream): In His Words: Trump Changes Course](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/1F3vpT03.m3u8) (1:20)  _Published 2017-04-13. President Donald Trump reversed course on several policy matters this week, from the status of the Federal Reserve Chairwoman to whether he believes China is a currency manipulator._  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Apr 21, 2017 1:58 PM UTC  President Donald Trump returns to the White House April 18, 2017 in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump returns to the White House April 18, 2017 in Washington, DC. Photograph by Kevin Dietsch—Getty/Pool  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Apr 21, 2017 1:58 PM UTC President Trump began Friday by blasting critiques of the first 100 days of his presidency as a “[ridiculous standard](http://time.com/4750064/trump-100-days-standard/).” But he hasn’t always felt that way. In fact, measuring the success of his first three months in office is something Trump has encouraged in the past. As a candidate, Trump released a “contract with the American voter” that included a “100-day action plan.” > [](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/791068123587686400) Among other things, the ambitious plan promised repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, reforming the tax code, ending illegal immigration, repairing infrastructure and fixing Social Security. While Trump has a lot of work to do to meet his own 100 day goals, as [CNBC reports](http://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/21/trump-calls-first-100-days-ridiculous-after-he-set-goals-based-on-it.html), he’s continued to publicize the milestone and raise expectations. “There are those that say I’ve done more than anybody in 100 days,” Trump said February 28 [on Fox](http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/02/28/trump-pelosi-trade-barbs-over-incompetent-charge.html). “No administration has accomplished more in the first 90 days,” he said this week in Wisconsin. Despite Trump himself promoting the first 100 days as a standard by which to judge his young presidency, his Friday tweet comes as no surprise. A new poll was released Thursday showing voters had tepid views of his time in office, and his 100 day mark coincides with a [looming government shutdown fight](http://time.com/4749300/obamacare-repeal-government-shutdown-congress-trump/) over the budget. Trump, ever the salesman, is now trying to manage expectations. ## Transcript The last few days have seen a number of policy shifts by the president. What should the American people make of these shifts, and are there any policy areas that are non- negotiable? [ MUSIC ] NATO is obsolete. They really NATO is obsolete? I think it's largely obsolete, yeah. I said it was obsolete. It's no longer obsolete. I'm going to instruct my Treasury Secretary to label China a currency manipulator. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] [ MUSIC ] Well, it's saying it's zero because she's obviously political and she doing what Obama wants her to do. I think it's very political. I think she's very political and to a certain extent I think she should be ashamed of herself. [ MUSIC ] Now honored to have Donald Trump. Mr. Donald Trump. Mr. Trump, thank you so much for joining us. And Mr. Donald Trump. Hello Mr. Trump, Steven K. Bannon. How are you doing, sir? Hello Steve, how you doing? 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