President Trump's second term is coming into sharper focus in the first 72 hours, to the delight of his supporters but a huge alarm to liberal Americans.
President Trump has carried out the “shock and awe” approach promised by allies.
Trump, the first president to serve nonconsecutive terms since the 19th century, used his newly regained powers to declare a national emergency at the southern border. Designate Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations. Attack diversity, equity, and inclusion programs within the federal government. Withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organization. He will also rescind about 80 policies enacted by his predecessor, President Biden.
Most controversially, President Trump pardoned nearly everyone convicted of crimes related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, and commuted the sentences of the rest.
The lawsuit totals more than 1,500 people, including several people convicted of seditious conspiracy, numerous people convicted of assaulting or obstructing a law enforcement officer, and others who are still under indictment. It is targeted. Approximately 140 law enforcement officers were injured in the riot, which was largely fueled by President Trump's false claims of election fraud.
Even many Republicans appear reluctant to accept President Trump's Jan. 6 pardon, with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) telling reporters at the Capitol on Wednesday that the commander-in-chief He said he had no intention of “second-guessing.”
Mr Johnson added: “We are not looking back, we are looking forward.”
Beyond the pardon, the new president's first days back in the White House have been an uplifting reminder of the chaotic showmanship he enjoys.
President Trump dances with a sword to Village People's “YMCA,” gives off-the-cuff remarks to reporters on topics including Russian President Vladimir Putin, and verbally attacks the Episcopal Bishop of Washington on social media. did.
As if that wasn't enough, Trump ally Elon Musk drew fire himself on Monday for twice making a gesture resembling a fascist salute during a rally at Washington's Capital One Arena. caused. Other groups, including the Anti-Defamation League, say Musk's gesture was awkward but intended to show Trump's supporters that he cares.
Overall, Trump's actions evoked a mix of shock and familiarity among the president's fans and opponents.
Republican lawmakers have welcomed his move.
As two of many examples, Sen. Lindsey Graham (RS.C.) posted on social media, “designating certain Mexican and other foreign drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations under U.S. law.” I fully support him,” wrote Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who gushed that President Trump's cabinet picks were “all changemakers ready to disrupt the deep state.” He spoke clearly.
On social media, pro-Trump Americans have been posting about “promises made and promises kept,” which are similar to what Trump said last November when voters handed back the keys to the White House to him. It's a reminder that his plans weren't a secret.
Conservative commentator Megyn Kelly wrote on social media: “I feel like I went to sleep and woke up and all my dreams came true.”
But for liberals, that dream is a nightmare.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York referenced Musk's gesture in an Instagram post on Tuesday, saying, “If you want to be calm and defend 'Sieg Hyles' and Nazi salutes…whatever.” What you want to do is your responsibility. I'm on the other side of that. I'm not a Nazi. ”
Ocasio-Cortez was among a number of Democrats, including Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who did not attend President Trump's inauguration.
Bishop Marian Budde, who has clashed with President Trump, spoke during a homily at the National Prayer Service to people who are frightened by President Trump's policies and to gay and transgender people who “feel in fear for their lives.” He appealed for “mercy.”
“I want to emphasize respect for the honor and dignity of every human being,” the bishop said Wednesday on ABC's “The View.”
For Democrats and liberals, there's a lot to grapple with when President Trump returns to power.
They once believed that Biden's victory in the 2020 election had defeated him and that his comments leading up to the Capitol riot put the final nail in his political coffin.
Others believed that one term as president was enough for voters to tire of his penchant for controversy and tongue-lashing.
None of that was true, as the former president returned to power with a landslide victory in November.
He now sits at the pinnacle of power with Republican majorities in the House and Senate, Republican caucuses in both chambers packed with supporters and few opponents. The Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority, supported by three justices appointed by President Trump during his first term.
President Trump's authority also extends to the cultural realm. The prominence accorded to tech giants Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos and Musk at the inauguration is something Trump now views with skepticism, if not outright disdain, as he once did. This was proof that the company had the de facto support of the Silicon Valley elite who had previously been involved in the project.
Given the new president's political advantage, not all Democrats chose the complete opposite stance. Some are trying to make themselves less politically vulnerable on Trump's most serious issues.
The first major bill taken up in the new Congress was the Laken-Riley Act, which required the detention of immigrants without legal status who were charged with robbery, theft, or shoplifting.
On Monday, 12 Senate Democrats joined Republicans in voting in favor of the bill.
But even as some Democrats seek to minimize immigration vulnerabilities, the issue is only one part of a larger picture.
The bottom line is that the opposition parties are as determined for the next four years as they have been for the past three days.
For Democrats, that's a bleak outlook.
The Memo is a reported column by Niall Stanage.
