President Donald Trump once said, “No dream is too big. No challenge is too great. Nothing we want for our future is beyond our reach.”
At 100 days of his second term, the president is proving that’s true.
The greatest visions we could have for our country are being realized every day. This milestone is only the beginning for our new Golden Age of America, yet where we stand today as a country already presents a stark contrast from where we were less than a year ago.
Inflation was through the roof. Jobs were dwindling. Companies were fleeing the United States. Countries were ripping us off with bad deals while politicians racked up a $1.2 trillion trade deficit. Our share of global manufacturing output was an embarrassing 17.4%, down from 28.4% in 2001.
Our nation was fully immersed in an identity crisis — and a leadership crisis. If it weren’t for those dark days, however, we might not truly appreciate this new dawn of American exceptionalism.
One hundred days in, the president is rolling out the mandate that the people handed him in November.
From manufacturing to mining and from technology to transportation, our industries are roaring back to life. Companies from around the world are responding to the return of strong leadership with new investments. In fact, since Inauguration Day, there has been more than $5 trillion in private investments.
It’s my honor to be beside him as we bring back jobs and put the American worker first again.
With last month’s jobs report, we saw that the America First agenda is already working. 228,000 jobs were added in March, including 13,000 in construction and more in transportation and manufacturing.
The bottom line: America is back in full force.
Not only are jobs coming back, but transparency and accountability in our government are making a return — or rather, an introduction.
At the Department of Labor, we uncovered $1.4 billion of unspent and unusable COVID funding and returned that money to the Treasury. We also saved over $250 million in hard-earned tax dollars by canceling America-Last foreign handouts. Carrying out the president’s directives, I have also put states on notice: Rewarding illegal immigration by treating unemployment benefits like a handout to those in our country unlawfully will result in the loss of federal funds.
The days of waste, fraud, and abuse are over. The Trump administration is bulldozing through red tape and big bureaucracy, returning freedom and purchasing power back to hardworking men and women.
Now, paychecks can and will go toward the things that actually matter: putting food on the table, gas in cars, and securing a future for our families.
From the miner who powers our communities to the farmer who feeds our nation, America’s workers are finally in control of their own lives again.
For too long, D.C. politicians told these men and women what’s best for them. As a former small business owner and mayor, I’ve always found that getting the best results requires listening first, not one-size-fits-all mandates.
That’s why I launched my nationwide listening tour, America at Work, to travel to communities across the country, engaging, learning, and bringing hardworking Americans’ feedback with me to Washington.
What I’ve seen on the ground, even in this early stage of my time as secretary of labor, is a sense of relief and gratitude from those who felt forgotten for so long. Workers feel heard, respected, and empowered by this president.
Instead of selling our workers out to the whims of foreign countries, the president and I have fought to level the playing field and sharpen our competitive edge. Using every tool in the toolbox, the White House has instated the Golden Rule for the Golden Age, using smart tariffs and projecting strength to bring leaders to the negotiating table.
This is the first president in modern history to take such a resolute stand for the working class by asking other countries to follow the golden rule on trade: treat us like we treat you.
Thanks to our negotiator-in-chief, we’re holistically ushering in a better economic climate to open our nation up for business again.
Just last week, the president issued two executive orders to better equip our workforce as we regain our competitive edge. The first order, “Preparing Americans for High-Paying, Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future,” calls on the Departments of Labor, Commerce, and Education to strengthen registered apprenticeships, modernize workforce development programs, and invest in opportunities to upskill workers so they can meet current labor market demands.
The second directive supports the Department of Labor’s efforts to create and promote artificial intelligence education and work-related opportunities for America’s youth, so that our future workers will gain expertise and resources to drive innovation and become empowered leaders of tomorrow.
These decisive actions are yet another example of promises made, promises kept.
And we’re just getting started.
We are witnessing a resurgence of the same grit, determination, and ingenuity that built our country into a shining city on a hill. With workers at the pinnacle of this administration’s priorities, the American dream is alive and well — and within reach for all.
President Trump’s unwavering commitment to putting them first has reignited a sense of pride and possibility. Together, we’re rebuilding a nation where hard work is rewarded and opportunities are within reach.
That’s why we celebrate this 100-day milestone — because it’s a launchpad, not an endpoint. As our 45th and 47th president reminds us, no dream is too big, and with the American spirit driving us forward, no challenge is too great. For our children, our communities, and our workers, we will make America not just great again but greater than ever before.
Lori Chavez-DeRemer is the U.S. Secretary of Labor.
Editor’s note: This was first published as an op-ed in the Washington Examiner.
