Remembering
James Robison

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The Brew: 100 Days Down

By Gayle McQueary Published on April 29, 2025

If the news cycle has felt like a rollercoaster lately, you’re not alone. From Trump’s energetic return to the political stage to 60 Minutes’s stunning internal drama, and even a surprising announcement of a ceasefire, there was no shortage of exhilaration Monday (or fear, if you don’t like rollercoasters). Let’s dive into it all — with a clear head and a slightly raised eyebrow.

First 100 Days

Monday marked the 100th day of President Donald Trump’s second term. Trump has always promised swift action — and judging by the number of executive orders he’s signed, his first 100 days back in the Oval Office have been an all-out sprint.

The White House released a report yesterday showing the campaign promises Trump made and has already kept on border security alone, but you don’t have to take their word for it. The Epoch Times reported that citizens who live near our southern border who have been dealing with chaos and crime over the last four years say that Trump’s policies have already made a “night and day” difference for them.

Social media lit up with a firestorm of comments after Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shared a video showing all the yard signs posted along the White House’s western driveway yesterday morning.

Of course, the mainstream media remains critical. MSNBC waxed apopletic about the White House placing the signs directly behind the spot where news correspondents conduct their live standups.

But they had a solution for their TikTok and Instagram posts: blur the yard signs.

@msnbc Dozens of large posters with photographs of migrants the White House claims to have been arrested for various crimes now line the White House driveway that leads to the West Wing. The posters, each with a large photo of a migrant with a caption noting the crime the White House alleges they committed, come as the Trump administration highlights its border policies as a key accomplishment of Trump’s first 100 days in office. “White House has not provided any information to support their claims that these are criminals who have been arrested.” #news #trump #immigration #politics #washington ♬ original sound – MSNBC

On one hand, at least it forced the mainstream outlets to start reporting on the dangerous people who’ve been crossing the border; on the other, those outlets couldn’t wait to come their defense. There’s honest reporting, and then there’s forgetting that “illegal immigration is not a victimless crime,” as Border Czar Tom Homan pointed out at yesterday’s press briefing.

Polling

Trump’s effective staunching of illegal immigration was almost overshadowed yesterday by media that pounced on an opportunity to discuss Trump’s approval rating hitting a record low of -6%. A quick Google search of the term “Trump approval” turned up an onslaught of headlines reporting the lowest 100-day approval rating for any president in 80 years.

However, not everyone is buying into this poll. Commentator Benny Johnson invited Rasmussen pollster Mark Mitchell onto his show to discuss the new numbers and question the rationale for conducting it in the first place. Watch:

Obviously, no one can make everybody happy all the time, and approval ratings ebb and flow because our feelings go up and down depending on our satisfaction with the person in question. But we must keep in mind that the people conducting this poll are the same ones who said Kamala Harris was leading all the way up to Election Night. (We still don’t know what made her approval ratings go so high, considering that she lost to Trump in a landslide, but we can guess.) We’d like to hear how you think Trump is doing for this round of 100 days. Let us know in the poll below or by emailing us at [email protected].

60 Minutes

Speaking of Washington and media drama, 60 Minutes anchor Scott Pelley publicly criticized CBS News and its parent company, Paramount Global, this weekend for exerting editorial influence over the show’s content — a matter over which Executive Producer Bill Owens recently resigned in protest. In Sunday night’s broadcast, Pelley suggested Paramount’s intervention — which apparently is motivated by a pending merger that requires approval from the Trump administration — compromised the show’s “journalistic independence.” Pelley praised Owens’ 26-year tenure at 60 Minutes, portraying his resignation as a principled stand for honest journalism.

But let’s be honest: Paramount’s increased oversight could be the consequences of 60 Minutes hosts’ alleged scandals, biased reporting, and loss of credibility and viewership. For example, the show has:

  • deceptively edited an interview with Kamala Harris, prompting a $10 billion lawsuit from Donald Trump.
  • conducted softball interviews with Barack Obama, in contrast with its hostile treatment of Trump (such as Lesley Stahl’s dismissal of the Hunter Biden laptop story in 2020).
  • produced a misleading report on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2021, falsely implying he was involved in a pay-for-play scheme with Publix for COVID vaccine distribution.
  • dispensed biased coverage of issues like climate change, free speech in Germany, and voter fraud claims after the 2020 presidential election, often downplaying or ignoring conservative views.

Paramount has every right to intervene to save their bottom line. Completely overhauling the staff could restore the former prestige and viewer ratings the show once enjoyed.

Three-Day Ceasefire

And finally, in global news with massive implications, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday announced there will be a three-day ceasefire in its war with Ukraine from May 8 to May 11 to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviets’ victory over Nazi Germany in World War II; the dates fall on a significant holiday in both Russia and Ukraine. The Kremlin urged Ukraine to follow suit, warning that any violations by the ceasefire would prompt a “proportionate and efficient” response from Russian forces, which will remain on alert. Putin also reiterated he is willing to hold peace talks without preconditions.

But Ukraine Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha rejected the proposal, asking why there’s a delay and advocating for a monthlong ceasefire to begin immediately. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy echoed that sentiment in a public Telegram message, saying human lives are more important than symbolic gestures like parades. Ukraine, which shifted its Victory Day observance to May 8 after Russia invaded in 2022, has consistently pushed for a lasting truce.

The announcement follows a deadly Russian missile attack on Kyiv last Thursday that killed 13 civilians, including a teenager and his parents, whose funerals were held Monday.

President Donald Trump, expressing frustration with both leaders, has urged an end to hostilities, criticizing recent Russian missile strikes on civilian areas as unnecessary and questioning Putin’s commitment to peace. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated Monday that Trump seeks a permanent ceasefire, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that U.S. mediation efforts may cease altogether if no agreement is reached soon.

Along The Stream…

Read Jules Gomes’ hard-hitting reporting from the papal funeral in Rome.

Later today, Pastor Shane Idleman talks about ” When to Obey God Over Government” and how to do it with the right heart.

Gayle McQueary is The Stream’s social media coordinator. She has a background in production and is a scary judge of biased media reports.