Welcome to the beat. I'm Ari Melbert, and we begin right now with a special report drawing on an American tradition you know, looking at the results of a president's first hundred days in office. We are now on the eve of Trump's first hundred days, a busy, sometimes chaotic period, not only for him as a president, if you follow news and politics, but really a chaotic period for the country

at times dealing with his choices and actions as president. This benchmark dates back to

FDR's sort of high watermark for a productive first hundred days. President Roosevelt combating

the Depression with over a dozen pieces of major legislation that range from

banking reform to jobs programs it was big assertive effective leadership historians would

ultimately say for a big time a test of the country of the economy of what america was going to be

but he did something that goes beyond just that particular era.

And I say this as introduction here, FDR capitalized on his election mandate.

And that's really what made it a governing tradition, even if we sort of know 100 days as a

made-up thing, right?

It could be 110, could be 120.

But it matters, and every president

won't live up to FDR, but it's a Washington tradition because that political town and the other

branches of government, no, 100 days are the best opening period for a president to get things done.

Now, I can tell you, Trump's first hundred days is a long way

from FDR's record. This year, for all the headlines, the crises, or the bluster, we're going to

look right now at the objective facts and results about these 99 days, 100, beginning tomorrow.

We're going to focus on key areas of this president's leadership,

his priority policy of immigration, something he says he should be judged on, his clashes over

the rule of law, and of course the economy where the Trump administration has faced,

the most sweeping problems and a very costly rejection of its trade war. This also is the very issue where candidate Trump

vowed to focus his second term governance, vowing to slash prices and inflation.

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