Welcome to the new normal in Washington.
President Trump expressed shock and awe upon his election, but his inauguration at times felt like an effort to overwhelm his critics, opponents, and the media trying to keep up.
The day began with a church service around 8:30 a.m. ET and ended with an inaugural ball just after midnight. During that time, Trump signed dozens of executive orders and immediately began reorganizing parts of the federal government.
The changes President Trump is trying to effectuate are at times breathtaking, some of them already sparking legal challenges within his first 24 hours. For his supporters, it was an eye-opener.
“The Trump train rolled into town and was completely unpacked,” said Republican donor Dan Everhart, who described the new administration's first day in office with the words “shock and awe.”
“Unlike 2017, yesterday it felt like a well-oiled machine ready to take the reins,” he added.
President Trump's first day in office was a reminder of the frenetic pace of his administration. Even some aides were surprised at how quickly he calmed down after answering questions for nearly an hour behind a resolute desk while signing dozens of executive orders in the Oval Office.
The president signed an executive order suspending refugee admissions. Activate Department of Defense resources for the southern border. Advocates for greater presidential control over federal employees. It recognizes only two genders: male and female. Delay ban on TikTok. and seeks to end birthright citizenship.
He answered questions, writing his name in a black sharpie with each order. He informed that the United States is considering imposing 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada starting February 1st. He was critical of Russia and the war in Ukraine. And when asked if Biden had left a letter, Trump spontaneously opened his desk drawer and pulled out an envelope with “47” scrawled on it.
Four years of the Biden presidency, when one, maybe two, people appeared on the show every day, let alone made unscripted statements, and the president often didn't make a single public appearance for a day, it was whiplash. was sufficient to cause cases of Mr. Biden rarely had the kind of unscripted interactions with reporters that Mr. Trump favors.
But Trump's team knows the onslaught of early action has a purpose.
Trump is a lame duck president. That means he won't get another term to act, but it also means he won't have to worry about the political consequences of overstepping the limits of presidential power.
Aides also acknowledge the reality that the president's party typically loses in midterm elections, leaving Trump with no choice but to pursue policies in a unified Republican administration that can bend his will. He has been given a grace period of just under two years.
“The thinking in the administration is go big or go home,” said one Republican associated with Trump World. “They know they have two years left and they have to get a W from the start.
Receiving legal challenges
While President Trump is regaining his governing rhythm, civil rights groups, watchdog groups, and Democratic attorneys general are ramping up their legal battles against Trump's policies.
President Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship was expected to face legal challenges, and it already has. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit late Monday over the order. About two dozen Democratic-led states and two cities filed a lawsuit Tuesday asking a federal judge to rule that the order is inconsistent with the Constitution, which grants citizenship to people born in the United States under the 14th Amendment. .
President Trump's newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was sued multiple times for failing to comply with the Federal Advisory Commissions Act, just minutes after taking the oath of office in the Capitol Rotunda. .
President Trump's White House did not respond to a request for comment about the legal challenge.
However, this is unlikely to be the end of the lawsuit. Legal scholars and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle argue that President Trump's order to extend the ban on TikTok is on shaky legal ground because it directly conflicts with the law passed by Congress.
President Trump's communications strategy
When it comes to conveying the president's message, it's the Trump show.
Mr. Trump's team knows that the president is his own best messenger, able to capture the news cycle and engage reporters in ways that tend to obscure the true nature of what he says.
But despite talk of reconfiguring briefing room seating and replacing traditional news outlets, President Trump has turned to mainstream anchors and the same journalists who covered his first term to get his message across. I've been relying on you.
The president has texted some reporters directly, like when he messaged NBC's Kristen Welker with his reaction to then-President Biden's last-minute pardons for Anthony Fauci and House committee members on January 6. Sending messages or making phone calls.
On the day of his inauguration, Trump answered questions for about an hour from a large group of reporters covering his movements.
The first sit-down interview of his second term will be with Fox News opinion host Sean Hannity and will be broadcast from the White House in prime time Wednesday.
Podcasters Theo Fung and Logan Paul, who hosted Trump's show during the campaign, attended the U.S. Capitol for the inauguration in honor of the new media landscape that helped Trump enter the White House. did.
When will the nation see Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt take the podium for the first time?
“There will be an announcement,” she said Tuesday.
