Off and Running

The opening days of Trump 2.0 already have turned out to be a much more severe and hardened version of Trump 1.0.  For those who believed that the second Trump Administration would be more compassionate, more constructive, less ideological, and non-combative, they appear to have been totally wrong. 

Given the weeks and months that the Trump team had to prepare for their anticipated second term—plus the fiasco that occurred during their previous transition—the team was committed to producing a new Administration that would hit the ground running. In some respects, the transition team took off immediately after the election.  Although it may be difficult to believe, this Trump Administration appears likely to be more vindictive, more angry, more retaliatory, and even more committed to overturn everything that was created or accomplished by the Biden Administration.

This behavior will be done not only because the new President has policy differences with President Biden, but also because President Trump is determined to seek retribution and to negate any and all accomplishments achieved by President Biden. Anyone connected or possibly sympathetic to the previous Administration is quickly being shown the exit door. The Trump team is not cleaning house it is dismissing or firing or placing on leave all those deputies and senior bureaucrats who historically were responsible for enabling Government to function. Many of Biden’s initiatives in all spheres are being suspended or cancelled. The Trump 2.0 turnover is being conducted with a calmness and efficiency that reflect a rhythm totally at odds with the first term.   

Meanwhile, President Trump continues to use hyperbole and superlatives to describe anything and everything he and his team touch.  He once again glows in degrading and disparaging the accomplishments not only of former President Biden but also any of his predecessors, especially Democrats. It is abundantly clear already that not only does President Trump seek to continue where he left off in 2020, the newly inaugurated president wants to enshrine himself and his Administration in future American history. As he put it in his inaugural address, he wants to be remembered as having presided over "the Golden Age of America.”

President Trump has yet to encounter any serious voice of dissent from his fellow Republicans. Trump will need to resolve budgetary, tax extensions, budget reconciliation, etc. matters in the weeks ahead; but there is a sense that Trump is trying to negotiate with the various Republican factions before a fight goes public.  He intends to “persuade” his team to resolve their issues without any ugly, polarizing debates.

It will be interesting to watch if there will be any serious pushback from Senate Republicans to his Cabinet nominees.  At the moment, except for the quick dismissal of Matt Gaetz, the President is unlikely to receive challenges to getting his Cabinet confirmed. While there may be a few isolated defections, Trump’s team should have the votes to have everyone in place in a few weeks.

President Trump appears this time to have lined up the leaders of most of the major media giants and corporate conglomerates to support his Administration. These leaders all seem to fear what Trump might seek to do to their multi-billion-dollar businesses if they do not acquiesce to his desires.  They intend to bend the public media as well as their social media platforms to ensure that they will not suffer the indignities of prolonged litigation from a President who has a long history of dragged-out legal battles with all those who oppose or challenge his will. The presence of the world’s richest man--entrepreneur, manufacturer, and campaign donor—in his camp throwing ideas at the President, also will serve to embolden Trump to further crush those who attempt to challenge him.

Against this bullying style, it is become rapidly apparent that the Democratic Party is wandering about in the wilderness, leaderless. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer may be legislative crunchers and vote counters for the Democrats in Congress, but neither of them possesses charisma or finesse to wage a serious public challenge to the very aggressive snowballing being employed by Trump and his team.

These men are not Nancy Pelosi. They both understand policy and their respective chamber’s legislative rules.  They know the intricacies of their legislative craft as well as the art of compromise and negotiations; but neither of them offers a dynamic voice or image able to articulate an alternative vision for or critique of Donald Trump’s plans.

At this very early moment in Donald Trump’s second term, all signs signal that his first weeks or months will be a rolling success. Whether this enthusiasm and excitement can be sustained domestically and especially globally remains to be seen.