100 days in, Donald Trump’s Georgia allies couldn’t be happier

As President Donald Trump marks 100 days in office this week, he’s ushered in a wave of changes that go far beyond the typical transitions of power in Washington.

He’s fundamentally reordered global diplomacy. He’s started to dismantle the federal bureaucracy and warred with the justice system. And he’s altered the inner workings of the nation’s economy.

And though a flood of national polls show his approval ratings have eroded — we’ll release our own set of Georgia data tomorrow — Trump’s closest allies couldn’t be happier with the opening act of his second term.

“Now, in just 100 days, we’re seeing all of his promises being fulfilled,” said Kelly Loeffler, a former Georgia U.S. senator who now leads the Small Business Administration.

Loeffler and other Trump stalwarts visited the Winton Machine Company in Suwanee on Monday night to mark the 100-day milestone, aiming to soothe concerns over a fast-shifting tariff strategy that has rattled Wall Street investors and small business owners alike.

“Small businesses borrow when they have increased confidence that there is an opportunity for growth,” Loeffler said. “They know that this period of negotiation with the trade discussions will pass — and we’ll get back to a stronger, bigger opportunity in this country.”

What about firms worried that Trump’s whiplash decisions over tariffs could hurt them in the long run? Loeffler said an even bigger battle is on the horizon: a landmark bill that could extend many of the GOP tax cuts that Congress approved in 2017.

“We’re looking at making sure that not only do we extend the 2017 tax cuts — which affect all small business, tariffs may not, but taxes will — and those small businesses would absolutely buckle under the weight of a tax increase.”

Things to know

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

Good morning! Gov. Brian Kemp has 15 days left to either sign or veto bills passed by the state Legislature this year. He’s signed 20 bills into law so far and hasn’t vetoed anything yet.

Here are three things to know for today:

Polling season

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

A plethora of public polling released this week suggests the honeymoon period for President Donald Trump didn’t survive his first 100 days in office.

National polls from The Washington Post/ABC, CNN, NBC, CBS, and the New York Times/Sienna College all show Trump’s approval rating underwater. CNN said his 41% approval rating is the lowest for any new president’s 100 days dating back to Dwight Eisenhower, the country’s 34th president.

Even in ruby red South Carolina, where Trump won with 58% of the vote in November, residents were split on Trump’s job performance. That poll, from Winthrop University, is rare in that it includes the general population, not just likely voters.

The fixation on the first 100 days of a president’s term date’s back to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who pushed through an incredible number of policies aimed at pulling the country out of the depths of the Great Depression. Now, Trump’s base believes he’s addressing a crisis of his own, only it’s more cultural than economic, said Scott Huffmon, director of the Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research at Winthrop University.

“He’s addressing a crisis of culture that his base perceives is going on in the same way FDR was addressing an actual crisis of the economy,” he said.

The AJC will release its latest poll tomorrow, which includes a look at how voters in one of the country’s pivotal swing states think of Trump after 100 days in office. The true poll, however, will come during the midterm elections next November.

2026 watch

Credit: Elijah Nouvelage for the AJC

Credit: Elijah Nouvelage for the AJC

The Republican field for attorney general of Georgia is still taking shape.

We’re hearing some within the party are pushing for attorney Jake Evans to enter the race. Evans ran for Congress in 2022, losing in a runoff for the Republican primary to now-U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick.

But Evans earned President Donald Trump’s endorsement during that campaign, and some in GOP circles see him as more aligned with the MAGA wing of the Republican Party.

Attorney General Chris Carr is not seeking reelection, opting to run for governor instead. Republican State Reps. Bill Cowsert and Brian Strickland are running to replace him. But the Democratic field is still in flux.

Evans’ father, Randy, was an attorney for former Republican Gov. Nathan Deal and an adviser to former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Deal appointed Jake Evans to the State Ethics Commission, where he was chair when he stepped down in 2021.

White House meeting

Credit: Adam Beam/AJC

Credit: Adam Beam/AJC

We told you last week about how Ted Decker, CEO of Atlanta-based Home Depot, met with President Donald Trump at the White House. We now have a better idea of what they talked about.

Former Republican U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss told the Atlanta Rotary Club on Monday that he heard Decker and the leaders of Walmart and Target were “very direct” with the White House about how tariffs will make their products more expensive — and consumers will pay the difference.

“It’s critically important that the right, levelheaded members in that Cabinet group continue to emphasize to him that the long term tariff war cannot be won,” Chambliss said.

Chambliss is now a partner with DLA Piper law firm, which counts Atlanta-based Home Depot among its clients.

Deciding vote

Credit: AJC file photos

Credit: AJC file photos

The Cobb County Commission is split between two Democrats and two Republicans. Today, voters will break the tie.

A special election in District 2 pits Democrat Erick Allen, a former state lawmaker, against Republican Alicia Adams. The election marks the end of a redistricting dispute between the County Commission, which has been controlled by Democrats, and the Republican-controlled state Legislature.

Lawmakers redrew the commission lines, forcing Democrat Jerica Richardson out of her district. The commission responded by drawing their own lines. The case went to court, and the Legislature won.

Richardson exhausted all of her appeals to stay in her seat through the beginning of February, even though her term officially ended in January. The seat has been vacant since then.

Also on the ballot today: District 4 Commissioner Monique Sheffield, an incumbent. She faces Republican Matthew Hardwick.

Push in your chips

Credit: AJC file photo

Credit: AJC file photo

Much of the modern world, including the device you’re reading this on right now, is made possible by semiconductors or simply chips. But they’re mostly made in Taiwan, an island off the western coast of China whose geopolitical future is in constant turmoil.

That’s why policymakers have long yearned for a semiconductor pipeline in the United States, something that would take decades to develop. Now, Georgia lawmakers are looking to lay the groundwork.

The Legislature passed House Bill 216 this year, which would create the Georgia CHIPS and Advanced Technology Commission. The nine-member commission would act as a hub for research and development, seeking to connect Georgia’s research universities with industry and nonprofit groups.

“That’s what this whole bill is about, to market us as a chips location,” said state Rep. Vance Smith, a Republican from Pine Mountain and the author of the bill.

It’s one of hundreds of bills on Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk. He has until May 14 to decide whether to sign or veto them.

Georgia has a fledgling semiconductor industry. Absolics, a subsidiary of the South Korean conglomerate SK Group, recently built a 120,000-square-foot semiconductor parts factory in Covington. And Georgia Tech has received millions of dollars in federal grants to boost its semiconductor research.

Listen up

Credit: Courtesy photo

Credit: Courtesy photo

Today on “Politically Georgia‚” Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy break down U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff’s recent town hall. Plus, they introduce Everton Blair, a former Gwinnett County Board of Education chair now challenging U.S. Rep. David Scott of Atlanta in the Democratic primary.

Have a question or comment for the show? Email us at politicallygeorgia@ajc.com or give us a call at 770-810-5297 and you could be featured on a future episode.

You can listen and subscribe to the show for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Today in Washington

Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC

Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC

Shoutouts

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Before you go

Former U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss had this to say when asked if he had any suggestions about how to return to a more centrist, commonsense approach to politics: “Get rid of the crazies.”

That’ll do it for us today. As always, you can send your best scoops, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.beam@ajc.com.