It will be done come Monday at 12pm when bone-chilling cold weather is expected. Donald Trump, a convicted criminal and described as a fascist by some who worked for him, will put his hand on the Bible and become president of the United States again.
The 45th and 47th presidents will then deliver inaugural addresses setting out their challenges for the next four years. His speech eight years ago became synonymous with the phrase “American genocide.” This time he may promise a new “Golden Age” for America. But the content and tone of his remarks will be closely analyzed for clues about what Trump 2.0 will bring to America and the world.
Trump, 78, who joked on “Day 1” that he would become a “dictator,” within hours issued mass deportations, amnesty for the Jan. 6, 2021 riots, and strong orders for Canada and Mexico. and China, which is expected to implement a slew of executive orders and measures, including tariffs. One Trump ally said words like “shock and awe” don’t convey it.
“I tell people, ‘Shock and awe was a (20)17 concept,'” former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon said at an event hosted by the website Politico in Washington this week. spoke. “I think thunder days will be the concept starting next Monday, and I think the thunderstorms that continue into next week will be incredibly intense.”
The first 100 days of President Trump’s first term were marked by turmoil. An executive order banning visitors from seven Muslim-majority countries has thrown airports into chaos. A hasty attempt to repeal and replace President Barack Obama’s health care law failed in the House. National Security Adviser Mike Flynn was forced to resign after being accused of misleading Vice President Mike Pence over a conversation with the Russian ambassador.
Sean Spicer, who falsely claimed as press secretary that President Trump’s inauguration crowd was larger than President Obama’s, admitted: There was no sense of mission or unfamiliarity with each other. ”
But Spicer argues that Trump’s second White House will be more organized and effective. “You guys have known each other for a lot longer and Trump has known them for a lot longer and you’re watching him come into this administration. His relationship with Susie Wiles (chief of staff). Think about it. He’s worked very closely with her over the years. It’s a whole different dynamic, and that’s going to make a huge difference.”
Spicer added: “There are three things I always say are different: the people, the policies, and the process. They will use this four-year absence to plan their return in a way no administration in modern history has been able to do. I was able to do that.”
Enabled by a Republican-controlled Congress, a conservative Supreme Court, and a Cabinet chosen primarily on loyalty, President Trump could seek to dramatically expand presidential powers. He stands to benefit from a reimagined Republican Party, a demoralized Democratic opposition, and the rise of right-wing media influencers amplifying his message.
“They feel different because they’re smarter, they’re faster, they’ve spent four years planning and planning,” said Michael Steele, former chairman of the Republican National Committee. They weakened the infrastructure of critical sectors such as law enforcement and the Department of Justice.
“I don’t think Democrats are prepared to deal with what’s going to be thrown at them from Inauguration Day. It’s going to be a shock to them, but I don’t think they’re ready for that.”
In what he describes as the biggest political comeback in history, Trump won both the electoral vote and the national popular vote last November, supporting past legal troubles and efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss. Nevertheless, this suggests that the support base has become stronger. But the political honeymoon won’t last forever.
From the moment he takes the oath of office, Trump will be under pressure to fulfill his promises. On the economy, his plan includes extending the 2017 tax cuts, imposing significant tariffs and increasing oil production. Critics have warned of potential economic instability and damage to international relations.
No issue is more central to his campaign than immigration. He has vowed the largest deportation operation in U.S. history and has already begun to pressure Mexico and Canada on border security.
Allies say the Trump team will first focus on the estimated 1 million immigrants who have recently entered the country, been convicted of a crime, or have been determined by a court to be ineligible to remain in the United States. He said he was looking forward to it. But the plan would run into massive and costly logistical challenges and could spark widespread protests.
The president-elect also vowed to launch an effort to fire or otherwise neutralize federal employees he believes are disloyal and obstruct his policy agenda. He may use legal threats or other means in retaliation against his perceived enemies, including political opponents, journalists and the so-called “deep state.”
President Trump will also continue the culture wars. He vowed to cut federal funding to schools that promote critical race theory, transgender rights, and vaccine and mask mandates. He remains a climate change skeptic and is likely to reverse Biden’s policies, withdraw from the Paris climate accord and promote fossil fuels.
Meanwhile, foreign leaders are rapidly calculating how to respond to the new normal. From his first term, they learned about Trump’s affinity for powerful people and his emphasis on personal relationships.
President Trump has sought to end the war in Ukraine, possibly by making concessions to Russia, and has promised to resolve the war in Gaza. His “America First” approach signals the potential for increased isolationism and the weakening of alliances such as NATO. But in recent weeks, he has also mused about seizing the Panama Canal, buying Greenland and making Canada the 51st U.S. state.
There is another important difference in President Trump’s second coming. American companies, especially Silicon Valley’s big tech companies, are on bended knee. Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, spent an estimated $200 million on Trump’s election and has emerged as a key adviser to the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), a non-governmental task force.
In addition to Musk, attendees at the inauguration ceremony included OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, TikTok’s Xiang Zhi Chu, Apple’s Tim Cook, Google’s Sundar Pichai, and Meta’s Mark Mark. Mr. Zuckerberg will also be in attendance. Facebook’s announcement that it will stop using third-party fact checkers has raised concerns that a flood of misinformation could undermine democracy’s guardrails.
said Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. how much? I don’t know. But they won’t be able to fight back the way we can. Because those who control the outlets that were supposed to help us fight are crouching, crouching, crouching.
“Yes, I’m talking about you, Mr. Facebook and Bezos. I’m really tired of all of them. Their god is money and whatever God tells them, It’s a way to make more money, and that’s what they do.”
In his farewell address this week, Joe Biden formally warned about the rise of oligarchy and the high-tech industrial complex in America. But some Democratic strategists believe the alliance could hurt President Trump politically and undermine his claims to side with the little guys against the elites.
“Trump won with the working class. I’m angry about it, but I really admire it,” said Paul Begala, a former White House adviser to President Bill Clinton. It’s a big thing to do. But this is a setback (for the Democratic Party).
“If Trump is running a billionaire boys’ club, which he seems to want to do, he has 11 billionaires in his administration, which is more than Joe (Biden). 11 more people than Barack (Obama). 11 more people than George (Bush). 11 more people than Bill (Clinton). You could say it’s a government of the wealthy.”
“I’ve never understood President Trump. I’ll never understand why he doesn’t demand a $15 minimum wage right now,” Begala admitted. But he isn’t. He may revolutionize American politics, but he won’t. ”
At least for now, anti-Trump resistance feels calmer than it did in 2017, and media outlets are adjusting to the new normal. Disney-owned ABC News has agreed to pay President Trump’s library $15 million to settle a seemingly flimsy defamation lawsuit. The Washington Post, which served as a relentless watchdog during Trump’s first term, is in crisis due to staff departures and declining subscription numbers. After refusing to endorse presidential candidates and launching the slogan “Democracy Dies in Darkness” in 2017, the company has now adopted an internal mission statement of “compelling storytelling for all of America.” There is.
Some in Washington have suggested that concerns that Trump is an authoritarian focused on revenge and destroying democracy are overdone. But some warn that his campaign promises, cabinet picks and bombastic rhetoric indicate his second term could be even more extreme and dangerous than his first.
“Trump 2.0 will be far more radical, and we’re already seeing that in the transition, both in terms of policy and personnel,” said Charlie Sykes, a conservative author and broadcaster. In many ways, Trump 1.0 will at least look relatively normal compared to what’s to come.
“We see that in Mr. Trump’s actions. Almost every day, he tears at the fabric of our society and inflames divisions in American society. Part of the challenge is that the attacks are on so many fronts. Everything, everywhere, all at once, and it starts on day one.”
