After 100 days, North Carolina has yet to see big impacts from Trump's policies, promises

As President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office wind down, much of the legislation he hoped to pass seems to have come up short.

“So many of the things he has proposed have yet to really take their full effect, especially here in North Carolina,” said Rob Schofield, director of research at N.C. Policy Watch.

Trump’s published campaign plan for his first 100 days focused on three areas: cleaning up corruption and special interest schemes in Washington, protecting American workers and restoring rule of law.

And these policy changes could have distinct effects on North Carolina if passed, according to experts in the state.

Environmental policy

Trump’s most effective work so far has dealt with regulation, specifically in the environment and energy fields, said Michael Walden, an economics professor at N.C. State University.

Recently relaxed regulations on the coal and automotive industries could have effects nationwide, he said.

The administration is moving away from climate change research and environmental protections, Schofield said.

“That’s gonna take a while to have actual tangible effects in the state, but I think it will help embolden legislators in the General Assembly who are now sort of aggressively pushing an agenda in which environmental regulation is a dirty word,” he said.

Trump might sign new executive orders on oil exploration off of the East Coast of the United States, Walden said. And North Carolina is estimated to have very large oil reserves, which have historically attracted interest from the oil industry.

“... That could have a positive impact in creating a new industry for the state and creating new jobs, but a potentially adverse impact on the tourist industry and fishing industries,” Walden said.

‘A chilling effect’

Trump has yet to secure funds for his proposed border wall, and a federal judge recently blocked Trump’s effort to withhold money from sanctuary cities.

The White House has primarily tackled immigration policy in the regulatory realm, Walden said.

“They have stepped up the pursuit of illegal immigrants where there is documentation they have committed crimes, so that affects the entire country,” he said.

The president also recommended changes in the visa process for foreign workers — something that could impact North Carolina’s immigrant workers, Walden said.

Though some immigration policies have been struck down by the courts, Schofield said there has been a chilling effect.

“It has clearly resulted in increased deportations and in a general sense of terror amongst immigrants,” he said.

Healthcare and hard promises to keep

Henry Aaron, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said Trump’s campaign promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act would raise premium rates and the number of uninsured people.

But Aaron said the Republican Party’s replacement plan has many conflicting objectives.

“You can’t simultaneously cover more people, lower their costs, and reduce public spending — which are the three goals Trump set out,” he said.

UNC journalism professor Ferrel Guillory said North Carolina has not accepted the expansion of Medicaid — a chief element of the Affordable Care Act.

Gov. Roy Cooper supports expanding the Medicaid program, which would increase federal funding to cover low-income people.

“The fact that Congress did not repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it in the way Trump proposed still holds open the opportunity for North Carolina to expand its Medicaid program,” Guillory said.

Trump criticized the media’s portrayal of his first 100 days in a tweet Friday, citing the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch as a major accomplishment.

“No matter how much I accomplish during the ridiculous standard of the first 100 days, & it has been a lot (including S.C.), media will kill!” the tweet said.

But Guillory said Trump hasn’t changed much in the day-to-day lives of citizens.

“He’s made a lot of proposals, but little has happened yet,” he said.

@beccaheilman

state@dailytarheel.com