Trump's 100 Days: A Disaster for Workers!

WASHINGTON – AFSCME President Lee Saunders released a scathing statement marking the first 100 days of the second Trump administration this week. The verdict? A complete and utter disaster for working people. Trump promised the moon during his campaign—lower costs, preserved benefits, and a focus on working people. But what we got was a relentless assault on unions and workers, fueled by lies and broken promises.

Trump handed over the reins of government to billionaires, appointing the wealthiest cabinet in American history. He kicked off a trade war that’s raising prices on everyday goods, attacked Social Security and Medicaid, cut wages for workers, and stripped collective bargaining rights from more than 1 million federal employees. The White House claimed it had nothing to do with Project 2025, yet it has already implemented over one-third of the anti-worker agenda, often sidestepping Congress and the courts to do so.

The fallout has been immediate and devastating. Retirees are left wondering how to navigate Social Security as staff are laid off, offices are closed, and services are cut. People are watching their retirement savings shrink. Lifesaving health and safety regulations have been put on hold. Students with disabilities are losing vital support from the Department of Education. The Department of Health and Human Services is clawing back funding from states, cities, and towns to fight infectious diseases as measles is on the rise, and it’s just the beginning. It is clear that Medicaid cuts are next on the agenda, kicking millions of retirees, children, and working people off their health care and upending our entire health care system.

This administration refuses to reverse course because its No. 1 goal is to hand out massive tax breaks to billionaires by robbing our communities of public services and workers of our power. Make no mistake—this will devastate our economy. Workers across the country are organizing with AFSCME to build real people power. Tens of thousands of public service workers have joined AFSCME since the start of the year. They are getting organized—hosting town halls, mobilizing their co-workers, and flooding Congress with thousands of letters, calls, and petitions demanding action to rein in this hostile takeover.

In the courts, AFSCME is fighting to stop the mass firings of federal employees, safeguard Americans’ Social Security data, block the unlawful shutdown of federal agencies, challenge cuts of federal grants to state and local governments that fund essential public services, contest the elimination of collective bargaining rights, and more.

No matter how this administration attempts to reframe and erase history, we will never forget: It is working people who are the backbone of this nation. We built the middle class. We built this country, and we will fight to protect our freedom to thrive.