In the last year or so I have published various blogs regarding Harvard University’s longstanding and well-entrenched antisemitic culture, both overt and covert, which dates back at least to the early 20th century. This was minimized or ignored by most of the media and the federal government until the current administration. To be fair, Harvard is not by any means the sole perpetrator; many other universities are guilty as well. However, for purposes of brevity I will focus this blog on Harvard.
Recently, this long-festering problem has come to a head. I attribute this primarily to two events: (1) the plethora of vitriolic and malevolent protests on campus incited by the far left and foreign radical groups and (2) the election of Donald Trump. The aforementioned protests have been excessive on many levels. The civil rights of Jewish students are being routinely violated. They have been subjected to intimidation, ridicule and violence in the classroom, in the dorms, and on campus and have generally been obstructed from pursuing the college education to which they are entitled and for which they have paid.
In Trump we finally have a president who has the mandate and the will to address and resolve this problem. This is one of the problems he campaigned to address and was elected to address. He has various powers at his disposal to compel these universities to cease and desist, and they know he will use them. More on this later. As we all know Trump says what he means and means what he says.
The university’s current president, Alan Garber seems to be trying to address this problem. As reported in the NY Post and various other media outlets recently the university commissioned two task forces comprised of both students and faculty, to conduct a thorough and objective analysis of antisemitic, anti-Isreal and anti-Muslim/Palestinian bias. They interviewed over 500 members of the “Harvard community.”
Their recently published reports are particularly damning. According to the Post they opined that “decades of woke activism have destroyed Harvard University and turned it into a cesspool of antisemitism.” They cited as examples “cruel and hateful posts” with respect to Jews, Israel and the Holocaust. Furthermore, some protesters unveiled a poster of Garber, who is Jewish, featuring “devil horns and a tail.”
Moreover, the studies contended that Harvard has “failed to live up to its mission including stifling diversity of thought and denying historical facts to prop up activist political agendas.” One faculty member told a Wall Street Journal reporter anonymously that if the current culture remained unresolved satisfactorily it could “pose an existential threat” [to the university].
The reports denoted that some members of the faculty are as biased as the protesters. These biases are routinely manifested in their lectures. For example, it was reported that one professor asserted that the Jewish people have “no historical connection” to Israel,” which is not only historically inaccurate but also grossly inflammatory. Other faculty members were linked to pro-Hamas and pro-Palestinian advocacy groups.
Conclusion
As stated above President Trump has a variety of remedies at his disposal. For instance, he has frozen some $2.2 billion in federal grants due to HU. (According to published reports the federal government provides Harvard with some $9 billion of federal contracts, and grants annually.) Additionally, the university enjoys a tax-exempt status.
Today’s NY Post reported that Trump intends to make good on his threats. He announced that he intends to strip HU of its tax-exempt status on the grounds that it is not in compliance with the requirements of it pursuant to the tax code, namely it is failing to operate in the “public interest,” and it is failing to “operate exclusively for public educational purposes.”
These actions will likely be challenged in the courts, but nevertheless the message to HU and other universities is clear. The established order is unacceptable, has no place in our educational system, and will no longer be tolerated. Trump was elected to root out bias in our educational system, and he intends to do just that. Academia would be wise to take him seriously.
The term “First 100 Days” was conceived by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933 as a benchmark to evaluate his administration’s progress in implementing the much-ballyhooed “New Deal.” As some of you will recall from history the ND was his key campaign slogan, his plan to lift the country out of the Great Depression. It focused on three key areas: relief for the unemployed and impoverished, economic recovery, and reforms to the financial system to prevent another depression. Over time we have come to recognize the first 100 days as an arbitrary benchmark to evaluate a president’s tenure. I believe it is useful, to some degree, but it is important to realize that some of an incoming president’s policies will take months or even years to bear fruit. Nevertheless, in my view Trump has accomplished more during this period than any other president.
Wednesday, April 29 marked the 100th day of President Trump’s second term. How has he done? Has he implemented the policies for which he was elected? Please read on for my observations and opinions.
The Trump Administration hit the ground running. He had a mandate and a plan, and he wasted no time to begin implementing it. The same has been true for his cabinet appointees, all of whom have been most effective. According to CBS News in the first 100 days he has signed 142 executive orders, the most of any president.
The Trump Administration has been the most transparent of any in history. He has given dozens of interviews many of which last for an hour or more during which he has answered every question often extemporaneously. Many of his cabinet meetings have been televised. Contrast this with the opaqueness of the Biden presidency where Joe would remain sequestered for days on end and then answer prearranged fluff questions, such as his favorite flavor of ice cream, from prechosen reporters, often incoherently.
Any objective analysis of Trump’s accomplishments must recognize the impact of the intense negative and mendacious media coverage, which, reality, has plagued him since he began his first presidential campaign.
For example, the latest polls published by the Media Research Center have reported that 92% of the media coverage by three of the major tv networks – ABC, CBS and NBC – has been negative. Even though the media’s credibility has been in sharp decline it is inevitable that this one-sided coverage would affect the public’s viewpoint to some degree. For example, according to the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll twice as many people opined that President Trump deserves a grade of “F” rather than an “A” for how he’s handled his first 100 days in office. This would be among the worst first 100 days rating for any president. However, I have seen many other pols and opinions that strongly endorse his many accomplishments and assert the country is on the “right track.” So far, Trump’s legion of fans has been sticking with him.
Trump’s greatest achievement has been reasserting control of our southern border, which has resulted in a 55% approval rate. By any objective measure the border is the most secure it has ever been.
Trump has made us feel safe and secure again. We are now respected by our allies and feared by our enemies.
Homeland Security and ICE have been rounding up and deporting illegals at a massive rate. We don’t really know how many entered the country under the Biden-Harris open border policy of the last four years, nor their intentions nor where they are. Estimates run as high as 20 million. In addition, tragically we have “lost” some 500,000 children many of whom are likely being “trafficked.”
The initial deportee groups include criminals, traffickers of illegal drugs such as fentanyl, and other undesirables. They have been the priority and deservedly so, but the plan is eventually to also address other groups. According to ICE, to date, it has deported nearly 66,000 illegals and arrested some 66,000 more, 75% of which have pending criminal charges or convictions.
It should be noted that this effort has been hindered to some degree by some far-left district judges whose overly zealous rulings have exceeded their legal authority, and Dem congresspersons and most notably Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen who have advocated for an MS13 gang member who is a convicted murderer (of a Maryland citizen, no less, that Van Hollen conveniently ignores) and wife beater who had been ordered deported on two separate occasions by two different judges.
Border encounters have been down 93%, crossings 99% and “gotaways” 95%.
Perhaps, his biggest criticism has been with respect to his tariff policy. He has aggressively sought to reverse what he has characterized as a well-entrenched, longstanding, inequitable trade system whereby other countries have been charging us high tariffs, which have impeded our ability to export products. There are many egregious examples of this. His oft-stated goal is to create an equitable playing field by equalizing tariffs. A corollary goal is to encourage foreign-based businesses to relocate to the US to create jobs.
These tariff policies have hollowed out many of our key our industries to the point where we now manufacture virtually nothing. This presents a potentially existential threat to the US should there be a war or another COVID-like disaster that interrupts our supply chain of necessary imports. We could be at the mercy of our enemies, particularly China. (To quote acerbic Louisiana Senator John Kennedy, “The Lord made the earth in seven days. Everything else is made in China.”) Over 100 countries have been lobbying Trump to make tariff deals, but negotiations are complicated. This is one of the policies that will take some time to bear fruit. Eventually, they should work to our benefit, but there has been some short-term pain.
He has facilitated the return of 26 Americans who were being held hostage in foreign countries.
He has been getting inflation under control. Due to the Biden Administration’s wild, irresponsible spending the Consumer Price Index for all items rose 2.9 percent from December 2023 to December 2024. The CPI reported a 2.4% increase for March, a six-month low, and for the next few years most predictions forecast a gradual return to the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.
He has commenced drilling for oil with the intent of creating jobs and making us energy independent again.
The financial markets have been fluctuating wildly, which has caused angst among investors, but I believe one should trust that the long-term prognosis is positive.
He created the DOGE to identify and eliminate waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government.
Perhaps, the most critical task, however, will be to extend the 2017 “Trump Tax cuts” which are set to expire this year. Congress hopes to include this in its “one big, beautiful bill.” An extension would likely result in a massive tax cut, which, like all tax cuts, would probably provide a substantial boost to the economy. If not, the country will likely suffer a huge tax hike which could lead to a recession and a decisive defeat in the 2026 mid-term elections. In my opinion this bill holds the key to Trump’s economic policy and perhaps his presidency.
He has begun to crack down on sanctuary jurisdictions that have insisted on harboring illegals in defiance of federal law.
He is cracking down on colleges who have failed to rectify the rampant and blatant antisemitism on their campuses.
He is curtailing DEI and wokeism and eliminating transgender men invading women’s safe spaces and competing against them in sports.
All that said, Trump’s most significant and long-lasting achievement may be that he has maneuvered the Dems into advocating for the wrong side of every significant issue that the voters care about. This is because the Dems simply are unable to support ANY policy or issue that Trump has advocated, even if it is obvious and makes common sense.
Thus, the public perceives that they favor criminals over victims, illegal aliens over citizens, open borders over closed borders, radical Muslim terrorists over Israel and Jews, government fraud, waste and abuse over government efficiency, foreign workers over American workers, and America last over America first to name a few examples.
Conclusion
As I have said in previous blogs the Dems are in disarray. Six months after the election they still have not figured out how and why they lost so decisively. In my view until they do so they will not be able to win a national election again. They are allowing themselves to be dominated by the party’s far-left wing. They are woefully out of touch with the voters. The party’s favorability rating in most polls is in the 20th percentile. Senate Majority Leader Chuck (the “Chameleon”) Schumer’s approval rating is a well-deserved 15%, and he is in danger of being ousted by the radical AOC in his next election.
They make speeches and tv singalong commercials that are inane and nothing short of buffoonery. They are unable or unwilling to offer cogent alternatives to Trump’s policies. All they do is criticize and spew hatred and divisiveness. They have become the Party of “no.” This is not a sustainable strategy in the long-term.
Has Trump’s tenure been perfect? No. Have some of his policies caused some concern? Of course. However, we elected him decisively to do a job, which is to fix what ails the country. I say give him a chance. Love him or hate him, there is one undeniable truth; he means what he says and says what he means.
Remember, 100 days is just an arbitrary benchmark. He deserves more than 100 days to accomplish what needs to be done, to undo the damage of the last four years, a lot more.
For many years Harvard University has enjoyed a most impressive reputation. Many people have always viewed HU as among the finest and most prestigious educational institutions in the world. Many people still do. According to Wikipedia HU students, alumni, faculty, and researchers include eight US presidents, 24 heads of state, 31 heads of government, 188 living billionaires, ten Academy Award winners, and 110 Olympic medalists, including 46 gold. Additionally, they comprise a plethora of Nobel laureates, Fields Medalists, Rhodes Scholars, Pulitzer Prize winners and prominent members of government.
Furthermore, the Academic Ranking of World Universities has ranked Harvard first in each of its annual rankings of the world’s colleges and universities; the Times Higher Education–QS World University Rankings, which was published from 2004 to 2009, ranked Harvard first in the world in each of its annual rankings; it has been ranked first in the world each year since 2011 by its successor, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings; and according to annual polls conducted by The Princeton Review, Harvard is consistently among the top two most commonly named “dream” colleges in the United States for both students and their parents.
However, recent events tell me that HU has been reading its own press clippings, so to speak. In my opinion HU thinks it is above not only the law but also above common decency. Read on, and I will explain.
HU is a private university located in Cambridge, MA. It was founded on October 28, 1636, and it is the oldest university in the US. It was named for its first benefactor, John Harvard. By the latter part of the 19th century, it had become a favorite among the Boston elite. In the opinion of many both it and its students had developed a snobby or bumptious attitude, which exists unfettered to this day.
By the early 1920s the percentage of Jewish students at HU had grown to 20%. The university’s president at the time thought that was excessive. Accordingly, he sought (unsuccessfully) to limit the admission of Jewish students to 15% of the undergraduate population. He also refused to require desegregation of the university’s freshman dorms. He stated that, “we owe to the colored man the same opportunities for education that we do to the white man, but we do not owe to him to force him and the white man into social relations that are not, or may not be, mutually congenial.” A certain antisemitic and anti-Black culture was being established, which has only intensified since then.
For many years this sentiment was mostly covert, but in the last few years it has exploded into the open. In January 2024, Harvard’s president, Claudine Gay, was forced to resign in the wake of allegations of antisemitism after having served only six months. Gay was succeeded by Alan Garber, who has done nothing to rectify the campus culture. In fact, it can be argued that it has deteriorated further during his short tenure.
Now the HU Administration has developed a brazenness that is astounding. It has resisted reining in antisemitic/anti-Israel “protesters.” It has hardened its stance even in the face of losing substantial amounts of federal money and being subjected to other penalties and ridicule.
For instance, HU normally receives some $8 billion per year from the federal government most of which is earmarked for research and affiliated hospitals. The Trump Administration has already frozen $2.2 billion in grants, canceled a $60 million contract for further aid, and threatened to revoke the school’s tax-exempt status, which would be a huge blow. Regardless of these financial penalties, HU is stubbornly adhering to its policies. According to the NY Post it views these protests as a “civil right for the school [and the protesters] instead of a violation of Jewish students’ civil rights. Moreover, the school’s attorneys have reiterated HU “will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.”
Conclusion
This high-profile obstinance only reinforces the public’s perception of elitism and antisemitism as exhibited by HU, Columbia and various other colleges in the Ivy League and elsewhere in recent years. As I said antisemitism has been festering covertly at the nation’s colleges for many years. The Biden Administration’s laissez-faire attitude and the October 7, 2023 terror attacks against Israel have brought it out in the open by giving “cover” to these radicals.
Unlike most schools HU has the financial resources to reject any federal assistance, at least for a time. It possesses an endowment estimated at $53 billion, by far the largest of any university. So, for now it can afford to stand on principle.
In the meantime, this is just another example of the far left being on the wrong side of every issue. Its TDS has forced it to oppose any policy espoused by Trump. This group has taken control of the Dem Party thereby making it the Party that favors open borders, criminals over law-abiding citizens, the rights of illegals over US citizens, government waste fraud and abuse, antisemitism, anti-working man, trans rights, and many other highly unpopular issues.
The latest iteration of this involves Maryland Dem Senator Chris Van Hollen. He ignored the horrific murder of Rachel Morin, a Maryland constituent. He didn’t even bother to make a condolence call to the family. Now, he feels compelled to free the murderer from the El Salvador prison in which he is being incarcerated. He has taken the highly unusual step of traveling to El Salvador to make a personal appeal for his release. This publicity stunt makes him look like a publicity-seeking buffoon and only serves to buttress his and his Party’s negative image. Good luck with that. Keep it up Dems.
Based on the political news since the November 2024 election I have come to the conclusion that the Dems are heading slowly, but inexorably, toward self-destruction. Figuratively, I feel as if I am watching an out-of-control speeding vehicle careening toward a cliff, and there is nothing I or anyone else can do to stop it. What’s more, the Dem Party professionals and their allies in the media are driving the car. Hyperbole, perhaps, slightly, but after reading this blog, I believe that, unless you are a “Kool-aide drinker,” you will come to the same conclusion.
Consider:
The election was nearly five months ago, long enough for the shock to have worn off. Long enough for the Dems to have regrouped and formulated a strategy to rebound.
And yet, after all this time many if not most of them have still not ascertained why and how they lost. They cannot fathom that they, themselves and their policies, were to blame. Rather than looking internally, they are continuing to blame others.
Most of us know that the first step to resolving a problem is to admit that you have one. This is a hard lesson to learn, but it is a necessary one. Drug addicts learn it; alcohol abusers learn it; why can’t the Dem politicians learn it?
In my opinion it is because they are in complete denial. They live in a figurative bubble and cannot conceive how the vast majority of people live, how they continually have to deal with real life problems, like finding a good-paying job, putting food on the table, and paying the rent or mortgage.
In essence, they believe their own propaganda. We all know the drill. The border is secure; go “Green;” illegals, even criminals, drug dealers and terrorists, have rights even superseding those of citizens; inflation is transitory; and transgenders should be allowed to enter girls’ private spaces and compete with them in sports.
Last November the GOP won an election as decisively as any in a long time. Trump won the presidency in a landslide; he won the popular vote, which is rare for a Republican; he won all seven swing states; he made significant inroads into traditionally Dem voting blocs such as blacks, Hispanics, Jews and young people; and his coattails flipped the Senate and retained the House.
However, the numbers do not tell the entire story. Five months later the Dem Party finds itself in complete disarray. It is firmly in the control of its radical left wing. Its spokespersons are AOC, Bernie Sanders, Hakeem Jeffries, and Jasmine Crockett, all left wing, not a moderate in the bunch. CNN, MSNBC, the NY Times and the Washington Post are spewing their distorted fake news as aggressively as ever.
Meanwhile, the Trump Administration has established itself on the “right side,” the “commonsense side,” of every issue that is important to voters, the so-called “80-20 issues,” such as securing the borders, the rights of citizens over illegal aliens, law and order, energy independence, deporting criminal illegal aliens, eliminating fraud, waste and abuse in government, Israel over Hamas, peace in Ukraine, local control of education, and eliminating transgenders from women’s private spaces and sports. On the other hand, the Dem’s, since they must oppose any Trump policy, have been forced to support the opposing side in all of those issues.
Thus, they have been forced into the ludicrous and untenable position of supporting, or at least tolerating pro-Hamas, anti-Jewish riots and lawlessness on college campuses, blocking the deporting of criminal illegals who have committed the most heinous of crimes, and firebombing Tesla showrooms. The latter is especially inane. It was the Dems who pushed EVs and other “green” policies on the reluctant public for years. Elon Musk was their hero. Now, just because Musk is an ally of Trump’s they are advocating the destruction of his company and returning to gas guzzler cars? Don’t they realize how unhinged that appears? Don’t they care? Furthermore, let’s not overlook the fact that they are endangering innocent people’s lives and damaging thousands of workers’ livelihoods.
Now the radical Dems are attempting to depose Chuck Schumer as Minority Leader in the Senate and replace his with a more left-leaning senator. Regular readers know I am not a Schumer fan. In fact, I despise him politically. I have no respect for him. I consider him to be a political chameleon with no integrity. His support for Israel and Jews, in general, has been tepid at best. He has not spoken out in support of Israel in its war against Hamas nor in opposition of the riots and lawlessness on college campuses against Jewish students. That said, I believe they would be making a mistake if they were to replace him with a more radical senator.
Conclusion
The Dems need to regroup and fast. They need to recognize why and how they lost in 2024 and change their policies. They need to get over their TDS and join the Republicans on the right side of the aforementioned 80-20 issues. They need to control their radical left wing and coalesce behind moderate leaders. Otherwise, there will be more of the same in 2026 and beyond.
On the humorous side, Joe Biden has resurfaced. He has offered to help the Dems with their current predicament. That should be a “hard pass.”
By most accounts, President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress on March 4 was a rousing success. That’s not just my opinion; it’s an opinion shared even by normally anti-Trump sources.
For example, a CBS poll reported that 76% of respondents approved of the speech. The same poll disclosed that 77% are in favor of his program to eliminate government waste, fraud and abuse; 77% support his border/immigration policies; 73% support his efforts to negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine; and 65% agree with him on tariffs. A CNN poll disclosed that 69% of respondents had a positive reaction to his speech.
Only 20% thought that Congressman Al Greene’s antics were “appropriate.” Political disagreements are fine, even to be expected, but they should be decorous. In general, the Dems’ antics were unprofessional, undignified, and unbefitting members of Congress. Although not unprecedented they were highly unusual and overly extreme. Most viewers were appalled. Even other Dems were loath to defend them. Trump’s reaction was restrained. He denoted that “these people sitting right here will not clap, will not stand and certainly will not cheer [for any of my achievements no matter what].”
Most devastating, according to a Quinnipiac poll only 21% of respondents view the Dem Party favorably at this time. More on this later.
In my opinion, in just a little over six weeks in office President Trump has accomplished more than any other president in that short time period, with the possible exception of FDR in his first term. I would argue that he has already accomplished more than President Joe Biden and his various unofficial and unelected surrogates did in four years. Those of us who have been paying attention know what they are, and there is no need to repeat all of them in detail in this blog. There are too many of them anyway. Trump has been a veritable whirling dervish. He has set such a fast pace that before his critics can react to one decision, he will have enacted three more. They literally have been unable to keep up. But I would like to highlight a few of what I consider to be the more significant ones.
So, as David Letterman might say, below please find my “Top Ten:”
He was ready to go full bore on Day 1.
Eighteen of his cabinet nominees have already been approved, and they, too, have hit the ground running.
He has signed in excess of 100 Executive Orders and has promulgated over 400 Executive Actions.
He has virtually closed the southern border. The Dems had insisted it couldn’t be done without new legislation. It turned out all that was needed was a new president and a new border Czar.
He has commenced the rounding up and deporting of illegal alien gang members, criminals, cartel members, spies and psychos.
He has made significant progress toward peace in the Russia-Ukraine War, which has claimed thousands of lives and cost us billions of dollars. The spat between Zelensky and Trump will be resolved. Apparently, Zelensky’s belligerent attitude in their meeting in the White House was the result of bad advice by certain Dems with whom he had met beforehand. Ukraine needs the US’s support in order to survive, and we need access to their copious supply of raw earth minerals.
He has made significant progress in “convincing” Hamas to release many of the hostages from the October 7 attack with more to come.
He has ordered the commencement oil and gas drilling and the reopening of the Keystone Pipeline.
Through DOGE he has commenced an aggressive program to eliminate government fraud, abuse and waste. The program has already saved billions of dollars, and the goal to save one trillion dollars seems to be within reach.
He has encouraged many companies to relocate to the US or else face tariffs on their products, and he has instituted reciprocal tariffs against countries that have been imposing tariffs on us. These tariffs are scheduled to commence on April 2 if deals have not been finalized by then. If they come to pass certain prices will likely increase. Hopefully, they will not be needed
All that said, his most enduring accomplishment has been to maneuver the Dem Party and its allies in the media into supporting the wrong side of all the so-called 80-20 issues that are most important to voters. These people are poster boys for “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” aka TDS. Over the past several years it has become increasingly apparent that this is a real condition. The primary symptom is that they cannot agree with any Trump policy or action no matter what, even if it is obviously beneficial and makes common sense. For instance they could not bring themselves to stand and applaud the capture of the “top terrorist” who had masterminded the bombing of the Kabul Airport during the bungled withdrawal from Afghanistan, or in acknowledgment of the various Gold Star moms, widows and orphans whose loved ones had been slain by illegal aliens and/or criminals, or the young female volleyball player whose head was smashed in by a transgender during a match, or the 13-year-old boy who had survived brain cancer who was made an honorary member of the Secret Service, or the orphaned high school graduate who it was announced had been admitted to West Point, or the captive who was recently released from a Russian prison to whom Trump paid special tribute.
Thus, they are presently being portrayed as:
being against commonsense,
advocating the rights of illegal aliens over those of American citizens,
defending the rights of criminals rather than law abiding citizens,
being antisemitic and misogynistic
opposing eliminating taxes on tips, overtime and social security payments for seniors,
favoring war over peace,
advocating transgender males competing against biological females in sports and entering female spaces, and
perpetuating fraud, waste and abuse in government.
They have become the Party of “no.” They have not articulated any viable alternative policies to Trump’s. They just reject his and call him hateful names. They stand for nothing. They have been forced out of the mainstream onto the far-left fringe on many issues. Undoubtedly that accounts for their low approval rating. Even though voters’ political opinions can and normally have changed radically in a short time, the current climate does not augur well for those Congressmen and women who will be running for office in 2026, many of whom represent districts that voted overwhelmingly for Trump in 2024.
Conclusion
For the time being Trump has flipped the Dem coalition of working people, middle class, blacks, Hispanics and Jews that was established by FDR in 1932. The Dems are now perceived as the party of elites and out of touch with everyday Americans. Hopefully, that will endure. We’ll see.
What is “commonsense?” We’re all familiar with the expression, but for many of us it is hard to define. It’s reminiscent of former Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart’s response when asked to define pornography: “I know it when I see it.” According to the dictionary commonsense is characterized by “sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts.” Sounds good, so let’s go with that.
In his first month in office Donald Trump has accomplished a great deal, arguably more than any other president in history. However, perhaps his greatest achievement has been to cop-opt the common- sense approach to the key issues facing the country, relegating the Dems to the fringes. As I said, we may not be able to define it, but we know it when we see it, and we see it in what Trump is doing.
There have been a plethora of obvious examples, but just a few will suffice to make my point:
Immigration. Open borders with no security and no vetting never made any sense. It’s akin to leaving your home unlocked and the doors and windows open allowing anyone unfettered access. No one in their right mind would do that. Most of the advocates for open borders were those who enjoy the security of walled and gated communities or doormen and/or travel with private security. The obvious results have spoken for themselves. It’s commonsense that people and countries need secure barriers such as walls and other security measures for protection. The Vatican Wall and the Great Wall of China have served this purpose for centuries. The original Vatican Wall dates back to 846, although it has been expanded over the years. The Great Wall of China was constructed over a period of over 2,000 years beginning in the third century BC. Both walls were built to protect citizens from marauders. It is inane to claim they are not needed or don’t work as the Dems have maintained. On the other hand, look at the European Union. The borders between member states generally resemble a sieve. In the past decade some 29 million immigrants, both legal and illegal have entered causing political, social, criminal and economic problems. Trump’s security measures are commonsense, and they are working.
Biological males’ access to females’ bathrooms and locker rooms and competing against them in sports. This is another commonsense issue. Only a sliver of the populace advocates this. I doubt that very many females would be comfortable with this, nor be would any sane parent of a young girl. Similarly, females should not have to compete against biological males in sports. Males are generally physiologically bigger and stronger. It is not fair, but more importantly it is dangerous. Anyone who watched a biological male boxer beat up a biological female boxer in the last Olympics would attest to that. For years the Dems have ignored this issue or even defended it. Trump has vowed to resolve it. Again, it’s commonsense.
Crime. The Dems’ ill-conceived and ill-advised sanctuary jurisdiction policy and lenient attitude toward crime and criminals has rendered “blue” cities unsafe. Criminals operate with impunity. Law-abiding citizens fear for their safety. Many businesses have been unable to survive. Thousands of people have relocated from “blue” to “red” jurisdictions. This is another commonsense issue.
Government waste, fraud and abuse. This is another obvious issue. For decades people have wanted politicians to deal with this issue. Finally, someone, Trump, is doing something about it. Trump, through Homeland Security and ICE, is cracking down, hard. How could any reasonable person object to tackling this issue? Yet, many Dems are objecting, which has led many people to conclude that they have been complicit and have something to hide.
CONCLUSION
In my view, Trump’s policies and actions to date cannot be categorized as either Dem or Republican, liberal or conservative. He is more of a populist. He is working on behalf of all Americans, regardless of political persuasion.
As I have written in previous blogs, he has not only been resolving America’s problems, more significantly he is on the verge of rendering the Dems a minor party. The Dems hate Trump so much that they are blindly and instinctively committed to opposing anything he says or does regardless of the consequences or if they make sense. As a result, they have found themselves on the wrong side of each of the above issues as well as most others. These are not closely contested issues either. Trump has staked out positions favored by 80-90% of the voters, leaving the Dems stuck with positions favored by a very slim minority.
In addition, they are leaderless at the present time. No one has stepped up to try to unite the Party. It is dominated by its far-left wing. The moderates have been cowed into silence.
The Dems have not offered any viable alternative policies or solutions. They have become the party of “no” and name-calling. They still have not come to terms with the reasons why they lost the 2024 election much less corrected them. That does not augur well for them in 2026 or 2028.
Reporter to Trump: “So, Mr. President, how did your first two weeks as president go? What did you accomplish?”
Trump’s reply: “Not much. It was a quiet two weeks. I’m just familiarizing myself with matters. However, I did manage to accomplish a few things.”
Reporter: “Such as?”
I have done precisely what I said I would and what I was elected to do. The voters have spoken. They gave me a resounding mandate, and I am implementing it.
In stark contrast to my predecessor, I have implemented a policy of transparency. My Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, will be holding frequent, impartial and open press conferences.
My first and most critical accomplishment was gaining control of our borders, both northern and southern.
A recent NY Times poll disclosed that 87% of voters are in favor of deporting illegal immigrants with criminal records, and a recent WSJ poll reported 74% in favor of it. (It is unheard of for 87% of Americans to agree on anything.) Additionally, the same NYT poll revealed that 55% of Americans favor deporting ALL illegals.
The number of illegal entries has decreased to a trickle. According to Fox Newsthe number of migrants seeking entry at the southern border has dropped by over 60% since Trump’s inauguration. There were 7,287 migrant encounters at the southern border in the first seven days (Jan 20-26) after Trump’s inauguration by both Border Patrol between ports of entry and by the Office of Field Operations (OFO) at ports of entry, including a low of 600 on January 26.
That compares to 20,086 encounters in the final seven days of the Biden administration (Jan 13-19) prior to Trump’s inauguration, (2,869 encounters per day).
I have dispatched military troops to the border to support CBP personnel.
ICE has been rounding up thousands of illegals, focusing on criminals, drug dealers, cartel members, gangbangers, psychos and other undesirables. Thousands have been deported to their home countries. After some reluctance on their part, I have convinced Mexican and Canadian authorities to render assistance. Thousands of others (the “worst of the worst”) have been and will be transferred to Gitmo pending their deportation. The capacity of the facility is being expanded to accommodate up to 30,000 inmates. Furthermore, I will be dispatching up to 500 troops to augment the force presently there.
Congress approved the Laken Riley Act, which I had championed, and I signed it into law.
I will be investigating FEMA, whose performances most recently with respect to disasters in NC and CA, have been woefully inadequate, with the possibility of reforming or eliminating it entirely and turning over its duties to the individual states.
ICE will be “cross-designating” local police to assist in enforcing immigration laws, including detaining illegals in their jurisdictions. Already, several local police units have volunteered to participate.
As reported in the Wall Street Journal the US Postal Service placed a tariff on packages that some Chinese and Hong Kong companies had been shipping into the US duty-free.
I placed a 25% tariff on imports of certain goods from Mexico and Canada and a 10% tariff on certain goods imported from China. I have employed these tariffs as a negotiating tool to secure cooperation, and they have been very effective. Mexico and Canada have acceded to my demands. China has retaliated by imposing “targeted tariffs” on U.S. imports. I am not concerned about a trade war. I will commence negotiations with President Xi in due course to obviate one.
The US has proposed to assume responsibility for rebuilding and resurrecting Gaza. Currently, much of it is a wasteland of destroyed and burned-out buildings and unexploded ordnance owing to years of war. Basically, it is unlivable. I fear that if the Palestinians were to return to those conditions the seeds of further wars will have been planted, and the cycle of endless wars will continue. To date, no country has stepped up with a viable solution. Therefore, I have suggested that the US assume responsibility for resurrecting it and in the process bring stability and jobs to the area. Sounds good, but I can foresee some hurdles. For example, this would involve the relocation of the current residents. President Netanyahu and various other ME leaders have expressed support for the plan, in general, but the devil will be in the details. For instance, to which country(ies) would the Gazans be relocated? Already, Egypt and Jordan have declined to accept them. Also, the plan presupposes that the Hamas terrorists would be eliminated beforehand, which will necessitate further conflict.
DOGE has commenced cutting waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government. USAID is a prime example. It has strayed from its original purpose. The agency’s doctrine of promoting democracy and supporting programs for disadvantaged people worldwide sounds good on the surface, but it has devolved into a veritable slush fund for fraudulent, radical and wasteful woke projects including some that benefit “miscellaneous foreign awardees” that are anti-American, anti-Israel, and/or affiliated with terrorist groups such as Al Awda, the Marxist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and the Palestinian Medical Relief Society. Examples abound, but some include (1) $20 million for condoms for Gazans (not just for safe sex but more likely as casings for IEDs), (2) $20 million for a Sesame Street show in Iraq, (3) $56 million to boost tourism in Tunisia and Egypt, (4) $40 million to build schools in Jordan, (5) $11 million to instruct Vietnam how to burn garbage, and (5) $2 million to strengthen “Trans-Led” organizations. What are the common denominators of these pet projects? They are wasteful; they were authorized by nameless, faceless unelected bureaucrats; and they DO NOT BENEFIT AMERICAN CITIZENS who paid for them with their tax dollars and could also use the money. The good news is that DOGE has uncovered these abuses; the bad news is that it has just scratched the surface of government fraud, waste and abuse. No wonder the swamp-dwellers are squawking so vociferously.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has assumed the role of acting director of USAID. He will ensure that USAID funds will go to true humanitarian organizations as originally intended.
I have targeted various areas of waste, anti-Americanism and antisemitism in the UN. For example, I have declared my intention to withdraw the US from WHO and UNRWA unless they reform their policies.
I am requiring all Federal employees who have been working remotely to return to their offices. In a related matter I have offered most of them the option of taking deferred retirement. I offered full pay plus benefits through September 30. The goal is to reduce the payroll by as much as 10%, which would save about $100 billion. Some 20,000 have already accepted. Also, the CIA has offered buyout packages to all of its employees.
Inexplicably, in a misguided act of defiance NJ Governor Phil Murphy admitted that he was harboring an illegal in his home, and he challenged Tom Homan to “try to get her.” Such actions constitute a violation of Federal law and I’m sure Tom Homan will be up to the challenge. (Murphy’s aides have tried to “walk back” his comments.)
I have canceled the project of building windmills off the coast of NJ.
Venezuela has voluntarily released six hostages that most Americans were not even aware it was detaining.
I informed Panama that we would retake control of the Panama Canal unless it terminated China’s influence over the area. It agreed to do so.
I terminated the security clearances of the 51 “intelligence liars” who had impacted the 2020 election by falsely swearing Hunter Biden’s laptop constituted “Russian election interference.”
I banned biological men from participating in women’s sports or entering women’s locker rooms under Title IX.
Sanctuary jurisdictions that fail to cooperate with ICE will face reductions or elimination of federal funds.
For the safety of the ME and the world Iran cannot be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. I will ensure that it doesn’t.
In a related matter according to a CNN report 60% of employers say they have already terminated some of the Gen Z workers they had hired fresh out of college just a few months ago. Apparently, their work is just not “up to company standards,” and they are “difficult to work with.” Not surprising given the US’s woke educational system and attitudes of many young people.
Conclusion
The Dems are in total panic, shock and disarray. I think they are afraid that DOGE may uncover their complicity in the aforementioned fraud, waste and abuse. I have more bad news for them. DOGE is just scratching the surface. There is significantly more to uncover in other departments such as education, Medicare, Medicaid and social security. There is no intention to reduce legitimate benefits just save the taxpayers money.
Furthermore, they have no effective counterproposals to Trump’s proposals and actions. Moreover, they have given no indication that they realize why they lost the election. If they can’t or won’t identify the reasons, they won’t be able to fix them. Recently, all eight major candidates for the head of the DNC ascribed it to the old standbys, misogyny and racism. The Party and its supporters are continuing to adhere to the same old tired policies, such as DEI, wokeism, and opposing anything Trump proposes or does. They are on the wrong side of every important issue. Quite simply, they are out of touch with the electorate. They epitomize the definition of insanity, repeating the same thing over and over again expecting a different result.
Chuck (the “Chameleon”) Schumer looks like a fool on tv. The divisive Ilhan Omar and AOC have been among their most vocal speakers. Good luck with that.
Trump has been moving at “warp speed.” They cannot keep up. By the time they protest one action he has instituted three more. They are scurrying around like “Lucy in the chocolate factory.” The good news is he is just getting started. To use a baseball analogy, he has not even entered the game yet. He’s just warming up in the bullpen. Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be an eventful four years. I, for one, look forward to it and will enjoy it.
In the words of ex-NY Giants football coach Tom Coughlin “talk is cheap; play the game.” For the past several years various politicians have been advocating the need for a “comprehensive” immigration policy, but for various reasons nothing substantive has been accomplished. President Trump also has been staunchly advocating strengthening the southern border. This includes preventing illegal immigrants from entering the country and deporting the undesirable ones that are already here. Only five days into his presidency Trump has been demonstrating that, unlike his predecessors, his talk was not cheap. He intends to “play the game.” We are witnessing yet another example that Trump “says what he means and means what he says.”
The Great Deportation has begun. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt proclaimed that “President Trump is sending a strong and clear message to the world that if you illegally enter the [US] you will face severe consequences.” Officials assert that this is just the beginning of the deportation process. Moreover, the US has already deployed some 4,000 active-duty military personnel to render assistance to inundated CBP personnel. This is an obvious tactic that somehow eluded the prior Administration.
While Trump has vowed a campaign of mass deportations, his White House border czar has repeatedly said that initially they will be targeting the low-hanging fruit, people who have committed crimes. That includes known terrorists, spies, psychos, and criminals, such as rapists, pedophiles, gang members and murderers. (The NY Post has dubbed this phase “pervs and perps,” which is an apt moniker.) Many of these people are relatively easy to find. Law enforcement officials have arrested and released them multiple times. They know where to find them. They are not hiding. Heretofore, they have had no fear of law enforcement. That is about to change.
ICE is now be authorized to seek out illegals in locations that were previously prohibited on the grounds of being “sensitive,” such as schools, churches and hospitals. Some rights groups, such as the ACLU, have launched plans to protect immigrants who are detained at these locations even though border czar Tom Homan has declared repeatedly that ICE operations will be focused initially on specific people who have committed crimes.
According to a survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research there is widespread support in America for beefing up security at the southern border and undertaking some targeted deportations, particularly of people who have committed violent crimes. The same poll reported that most Americans think local police should cooperate with federal immigration authorities on deportations in at least some cases. Support declines when it comes to deporting people in the country illegally who have not been convicted of a crime. Some deportations may be controversial, such as those that split families where some members are citizens and others are not, but for now the public is squarely behind these deportations.
In just five days, Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, has accomplished more than Kackling Kamala did in four years. There have been hundreds of arrests and hundreds more detentions. Fox News reported that this included illegals from dozens of countries. Multiple media outlets have shown the visual of these people boarding C-17s in shackles to be transported to various countries. It’s true what they say: “a picture is worth a thousand words.”
Trump has suspended the entry of all undocumented migrants to the US, and border patrol agents have been instructed to turn people away without granting them asylum hearings. Heretofore, migrants were able to arrive at the US border and had the legal right to seek asylum. He also ended a major Biden-era policy that allowed up to 30,000 migrants per month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to fly into the US on “humanitarian” grounds.
People, both foreign and domestic, are getting the message. As these deportees return to their home country other wannabees are realizing the futility of even trying to come to the US. On Friday, Guatemala received three flights from the U.S. loaded with Guatemalan nationals who had been sent back to their home country. A spokesperson for the Guatemalan Migration Institute told NBC News that two of Friday’s flights were on military aircraft and the other was on a non-military plane. The total number of Guatemalans who arrived in Guatemala City from the three flights was about 265.
In another interesting development the city of Huntington Beach, CA, located in deep blue Orange County, passed a “non-sanctuary city resolution” that basically requires local law enforcement to cooperate with ICE and other federal agencies in the performance of their duties with respect to locating, detaining and deporting illegal aliens. I view this as a direct “shot” at Governor Newsome and CA’s sanctuary policies. Could it be the first of many? We’ll see.
According to the AP Mexico denied a U.S. military plane access to land Thursday, at least temporarily frustrating the Trump administration’s plans to deport immigrants to that country. In a press release, Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not go into detail as to why the U.S. plane was not allowed to land. However, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government has said it opposes “unilateral action” by Trump to implement “restrictive immigration standards,” such as the reinstatement of the “remain in Mexico” policy.
The Administration dealt with that issue with alacrity. A White House official said in a text message that “the flights thing was an administrative issue and was quickly rectified.” Indeed, on Friday White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced, that “yesterday, Mexico accepted a record four deportation flights in one day.” President Scheinbaum added, “Mexico has a very good relationship with the United States government, and we cooperate on a wide range of issues, including migration.” She added “when it comes to repatriations, we will always welcome the arrival of Mexicans to our territory with open arms. Mexico embraces you.”
Mexico is anticipating an influx of migrants pursuant to Trump’s deportation orders and has started building giant tent shelters in nine border cities to temporarily house them. For example, according to Reuters as part of the “Mexico Embraces You” program the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juárez has commenced to construct shelters that will be able to house thousands of migrants and should be ready in a few days. The shelters will provide food, medical care and assistance in getting identification documents. Additionally, a fleet of buses will be available to help transport Mexicans back to their hometowns. Other nations, such as Guatemala are planning to launch similar efforts to absorb their returning deportees.
Another significant development was the scrapping of the CBP One smartphone app, which migrants were able to use to schedule appointments with US border patrol agents. The CBP One app was launched by the Biden administration as a way to organize and streamline the entry of migrants who are fleeing persecution. According to CBS News, some 270,000 migrants who had been hoping to utilize the app to obtain appointments have become stranded in Mexico. The American Civil Liberties Union has since filed a legal challenge against the app’s closure.
In other related news the Trump Administration removed Secret Service protection from Anthony Fauci, John Bolton and Mike Pompeo. Trump, somewhat facetiously, offered to “give them some [telephone] numbers of some very good security people” if they wanted to hire their own.
Conclusion
According to Fox News Digital illegal immigrant encounters at the southern border have dropped significantly since Trump’s inauguration compared to the end of the previous administration. It is refreshing to finally have a president who recognizes a problem and proceeds to resolve it quickly and efficiently. Illegal immigration is but one of many problems Trump has inherited, and my hope and expectation is that he will handle the others in a similarly expeditious fashion.
He’s baaaack! The country is ecstatic (most of it anyway, the wokers not so much, but who cares?). Our allies are reassured. Our enemies are wary, or perhaps, even fearful.
Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution states that “The executive Power shall be vested in the President of the United States of America,” and it provided an oath of office for the President-elect’s official swearing-in. This 35-word oath has remained unchanged for more than two centuries, in part because it so clearly and simply describes the responsibilities of the Chief Executive. It says:
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” (Washington added the words “so help me God,” which became a permanent part of the oath.)
There is no constitutional requirement that the oath be administered by the chief justice. It has been administered by 15 chief justices (one of whom—William Howard Taft—was also a former president), but due to various exigent circumstances also by one associate justice, four federal judges, two NYS judges and one notary public.
The word inauguration is derived from the Latin augur, which refers to the rituals of ancient Roman priests seeking to interpret if it was the will of the gods for a public official to be deemed worthy to assume office.
Trump’s inauguration took place on Monday at 12:01, yes, the oath of office commenced one minute late, but who cares. There is no requirement that the Bible or any book for that matter, be used to administer the oath, and none is mentioned in the Constitution. John Roberts, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court administered the oath of office to President Donald Trump whereupon Trump officially became the 47th president of the United States of America. Attendees included Trump’s and J. D. Vance’s families, a plethora of other prominent politicians, business leaders, entertainers and other assorted dignitaries, including former politicians Bush, Clinton and Obama and of course Biden, Harris and their spouses.
Biden and Harris, who undoubtedly loath each other, sat side-by-side and listened stone-faced as Trump ripped their failed Administration to shreds. Perhaps, his criticisms were a bit excessive, but I don’t believe he said anything that wasn’t accurate. At the conclusion of the ceremony, they faded away into history. They still have their supporters, but most Americans will breathe a sigh of relief. They depart with one of the lowest approval ratings ever. Prospectively, historians will assess their tenure, and in my view not in a positive way.
For most of us, the resurrection of America has begun. Trump characterized it as the “golden age of America.” The changes will be radical, virtually 180 degrees. For the past four years the country had lost its way. It had morphed from a 250-year democracy into a morass of wokeism, DEI, and divisiveness. The swamp was overflowing and threatening to drown us all. We were unable or unwilling even to defend our borders. The southern border was more akin to a turnstile than a real border. We were wrecking our economy by paying excessively for foreign oil and gas while ignoring a literal ocean of it under our feet. America was being perceived around the world as weak, indecisive, and fatuous. All that changed in an instant at 12:01 yesterday.
There were some unusual facets to Trump’s Inauguration Day. First of all, although Presidential inaugurations have traditionally been held outside and in public, due to the freezing weather it was held indoors. This was to protect the health of the public who wanted to see the festivities. This year’s was not the first one to be moved indoors due to the weather. For example, in 1909, Taft’s inauguration was moved to the Senate Chamber due to a blizzard, and in 1985, harsh weather forced Reagan’s second inauguration to be moved inside. These were wise decisions. History buffs will recall the tragedy that befell William Henry Harrison following his outdoor inauguration. More on that below.
Secondly, over the course of the day Trump delivered three speeches of roughly 33 minutes each, first at the inauguration, itself, then in a separate room to a group of elected officials who had been unable to gain access to the main room, and finally a third speech to a group of supporters. These were followed by a casual impromptu press conference while he was signing some 100 EOs. Unlike Biden, who basically hid from the media, he answered any and all questions. To me, this illustrated the true genius of Trump. It’s not just what he says, which is important; it’s also his style – relaxed, conversational, and transparent.
In his speeches Trump did not say much that was new. Generally, he reiterated what he has been saying for the last four years on the campaign trail, in the debate, and in press conferences. I didn’t object to the repetition. I realize it served a purpose as it was new to some people. Few people doubt that he will follow through. He has demonstrated that he says what he means and means what he says.
As promised, Trump signed a slew of EOs, including, among others:
Reversing 78 EO’s that Biden had signed.
Halt temporarily the Tik Tok ban pending negotiations.
Withdraw from the ill-advised, ill-conceived Paris climate accords.
Declare a “National emergency” at the southern border. This will facilitate the various reforms to our border policy that Trump has been advocating.
Declare a “National emergency” with respect to energy. This will enable us to resume drilling and reopen the Keystone Pipeline.
Designate drug cartels and migrant gangs as terrorist organizations.
Pardon some 1,500 persons who were convicted of crimes related to the January 6 demonstrations at the capitol.
Authorize the creation of DOGE.
Terminate the practice of men competing against women in sports. Prospectively, there will only be two genders – male and female.
Rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, replace Mt. Denali with the original name, Mt. McKinley, and resume control of the Panama Canal.
Terminate the policy of “birthright citizenship.” The success or failure of this will ultimately be determined by SCOTUS’ interpretation of the 14th Amendment.
Some of these will be enacted immediately; others will take some time; and others will face legal challenges. However, as we have seen, Trump is persistent and persuasive.
What was my favorite part of the inauguration? EVERYTHING! I loved the pageantry. I loved the speeches. I loved it all. Mostly, I loved the fact that it took place at all. It was four years in the making and long overdue. To put it succinctly, the country could not have survived four more years of Biden/Harris.
The initial inauguration (of George Washington) in 1789 in New York City, which was the nation’s first capital, was delayed due to harsh weather, which made travel even more difficult than normally. It was supposed to take place on March 4, the day of the year on which the federal government was to begin operations that year in accordance with the Constitution. But it took until April 6 for a quorum of congressmen to make its way to NYC to even count the electors’ votes and officially declare GW the President (unanimously) and John Adams the Vice President.
Washington wasn’t even there. It took several days for the news to reach him at his home in Mount Vernon. He left for NYC immediately, but he didn’t arrive for several weeks. It was probably an arduous journey by horseback, coach and barge. Inauguration Day was April 30. All subsequent (regular) inaugurations from 1793 until 1933 were held on March 4. Martha did not even join him until later.
One issue was GW’s official title. After much debate finally, a congressional committee settled on the title we still use today: “President of the United States.”
The only ones who heard GW’s Inaugural Address were those members of Congress gathered in Federal Hall in NYC on April 30, 1789. Over the years the Inaugural process has undergone various iterations, but the First Inauguration established many traditions that continue today. For example, President Washington followed his swearing-in with an Inaugural Address, a special speech written for the occasion. In 1793 the oath of office for Washington’s second term was administered by William Cushing, an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court and the first in a long line of Supreme Court Justices to preside over Presidential Inaugurations.
Thomas Jefferson was the first to be sworn in as President in Washington, D.C., the location chosen for the permanent capital and the site of all but a handful of subsequent Inaugural ceremonies. Jefferson showed his taste for simplicity by going on foot to the Capitol for the oath-taking and returning to his boardinghouse afterwards for dinner. Imagine that!
After his second Inauguration, however, Jefferson rode on horseback from the Capitol to the President’s House (the name then used for the White House) amid music and a spontaneous gathering of mechanics from the nearby Navy Yard – a procession that has morphed the Inaugural Parade.
Jefferson’s second Inauguration also began the tradition of the Inaugural Open House, when the executive mansion was opened to all who wished to greet the President after his swearing-in. The popularity of the Open House would later cause our seventh President, Andrew Jackson, to flee through a window after a mob of well-wishers stormed the White House, ruining furniture and breaking china in their eagerness to see him.
James Madison, America’s fourth President, and his wife, Dolley, were the guests of honor at the first official Inaugural Ball, held at Long’s Hotel in Washington, D.C. His inaugural address was the first to be published in the newspapers for all to read. Martin Van Buren’s Inauguration featured two balls.
The most tragic inauguration was that of William Henry Harrison. He was inaugurated as the ninth President of the US on March 4, 1841. The day of the inauguration was overcast with a cold wind, but foolishly, Harrison eschewed an overcoat, hat, and gloves for the ceremony. Furthermore, he delivered the longest inaugural address to date, 8,445 words over nearly two hours. On March 26, Harrison developed a cold, which evolved into pneumonia. In those pre-antibiotic days pneumonia was often fatal. Harrison died on April 4. He was the first president to die in office; his 31-day tenure is the shortest of any President.
James Polk took the oath of office in 1845 while Samuel Morse, inventor of the electric telegraph, sat near him on the platform tapping out the news on his newly invented machine. In 1857 James Buchanan’s Inaugural ceremony became the first to be photographed. Citizens across the country were able to share in the festivities through pictures.
In 1865, despite growing concern about safety, Abraham Lincoln shook some 6,000 hands after his second Inauguration. President Grover Cleveland, realizing that the White House could no longer accommodate such crowds, instead held a review of the troops from a flag-draped grandstand just outside, adding another element to the Inaugural Parade.
In 1897 William McKinley became the answer to a trivia question (Who was the first president to appear in a motion picture?) Most people assume the answer to be Ronald Reagan, but it was McKinley as highlights of his inauguration were recorded by movie cameras.
In 1925 Calvin Coolidge’s oath of office was broadcast on the radio. In 1949, Harry Truman became the first President to whose swearing-in was televised. In 1997 President Bill Clinton’s second Inauguration was the first to feature an official web site and to be seen live on the Internet by people around the world.
Later Inaugurations have featured specially built pavilions for dancing, balls held at several sites throughout the capital, and even Inaugural parties in other cities. Modern Inaugural festivities reflect not only the President they honor, but also the desire to include the many Americans who want to take part in celebrating our nation’s rich history and the transfer of presidential power. Moreover, due to the wonders of modern technology millions of people are now able to view the festivities on television, streaming services or even their phones from the comfort of their own home.
Normally, the content of inaugural addresses is soon forgotten, but there are exceptions. Some examples of enduring moments include:
During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln called on Americans to “…finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds.”
In 1933 Franklin Roosevelt reached out to citizens discouraged by the Great Depression, saying, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
And the one I remember, in 1961 JFK urged, “…ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.”
Conclusion
At the present time the country is more united than in several years. Trump has a strong mandate, but the people will expect him to fulfill it. History tells us that the public’s patience will wear thin. Winning the election was an important first step. Now, comes the hard part – governing. The GOP has a very slim majority in the House, and the Dems will likely not be inclined to cooperate. Trump will have only 12 or at most 18 months to demonstrate progress before the 2026 midterm elections where history tells us that the president’s Party can expect to lose Congressional seats. We have a great opportunity. Let’s hope we don’t waste it.
Today is January 14. Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the 47th President of the US on Monday, January 20. For those of you who may be math-challenged, that’s six days from now, or as we used to say in the Navy, “five days and I wake up.” Six days until we cleanse ourselves of the Wokers. Six days until we rid ourselves of all the DEI BS. Six days until we begin to drain the swamp. Six days until, to paraphrase former President Gerald Ford, “the long national nightmare will be over.” Six days until the day of reckoning for America’s enemies. Six days until we have a real country again with real borders. Six days until we begin to expel all the drug dealers, criminals, spies, psychos, and other interlopers that have infested our country. Six days until we begin to “drill, baby, drill.” Six days until we will take back our country. On November 5, 2024 the “deplorables” spoke loudly and clearly. In six days, America will once again be a democracy.
Based on multiple media reports Trump has compiled some 100 executive orders that he plans to sign on Day 1 and implement asap. One hundred may seem like a lot, but other presidents have signed more, many more. For example, FDR signed 3,021 during his tenure.
An executive order (EO) is a written directive from the President of the United States that has the force of law and directs and empowers the members of the Executive Branch of the federal government to take certain actions. EOs are based on the President’s power and authority derived from Article II of the Constitution. EOs have the effect of law and do not require action by Congress.
EOs can be controversial. Some people deride them as a means for the president to govern by bypassing Congress. However, EOs are legal as long as they do not “”make new law.”
Much of the damage Biden perpetrated was via EOs, for instance, summarily halting the use of the Keystone Pipeline, so Trump should be able to undo them just as easily. Indeed, Trump has declared “I can undo almost everything Biden did through EOs, and on Day 1 much of that will be undone.”
That said, voters will have to be patient. It will not be possible to enact all changes on Day 1 or even Week 1. Some may require the consent of Congress. Others, such birthright citizenship and transgender issues will likely face legal challenges. But the voters gave Trump a strong mandate, and he can be very persuasive and persistent. I expect most of them to get done eventually.
Below please find a sample of the pending EOs. Most of these are already well into the planning stage and will be ready to be implemented on Day 1:
Secure the border. This will include finishing the border wall, reinstituting travel bans and the remain in Mexico policy, mass deportations of criminals, drug dealers, suspected terrorists, spies, migrants who commit crimes, and other undesirables. Contrary to what many Dems are saying ICE will not be snatching people off the street or separating families. The focus will be on the low hanging fruit as described above. It is estimated that there are several hundred thousand such persons, plenty enough to keep ICE busy.
Rein in sanctuary jurisdictions. These entities are breaking the law, and the Federal government has the power to stop them. For example, the Feds could suspend funding for these jurisdictions and/or prosecute those who adamantly refuse to cooperate.
Resume oil and gas drilling and reopen the Keystone Pipeline. I have discussed this issue many times in previous blogs. The US has access to massive amounts of oil and gas in the ground and offshore. We have enough to not only supply our needs but also much of the world’s. There is a plethora of positive ramifications of this action, such as restoring energy independence, adding good paying jobs, and reducing the price of oil and the rate of inflation, in general, to name just a few of the obvious ones. Additionally, it would confer upon us the ability to impair the economies of Iran and Russia who currently are making fortunes from oil. An ancillary benefit would be to severely diminish Iran’s ability to fund terrorism and Russia’s ability to continue to prosecute its war with Ukraine. You may recall that by the end of Trump’s first term Iran was virtually bankrupt.
Pardon some January 6 prisoners. There are some 1,500 protesters who were convicted of crimes related to January 6. Most of the convictions were for non-violent crimes (or maybe even bogus crimes). Trump has pledged to direct the DOJ to review these on a case-by-case basis.
End the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas Wars and secure the return of the hostages. Trump will employ his influence, strength, toughness, persistence and powers of persuasion. Don’t bet against him.
Terminate the electric vehicle mandate and curtail excessive Green New Deal policies. Many of these are unworkable, unpopular and of dubious benefit.
Ban transgender individuals from competing against women in sports. These policies constitute wokeism run amok. They are extremely inappropriate and dangerous and only favored by a small sliver of voters.
Conclusion
I expect the Trump Administration to hit the ground running. His designated cabinet members and other members of his Administration have already commenced working on their respective programs and policies. Congressional hearings on his proposed Cabinet members have already begun. Some will sail through; others will face some difficulties. Legitimate questioning is appropriate. Lies, innuendo and besmirchment are not.
Yes, the voters gave Trump a strong mandate, but governing is not always easy. In order to fully implement his program, he will have to deal with Congress. Many senators and congressmen will have their own agendas and can be contentious, and the GOP only has slim majorities, especially in the House. The voters will not be patient. They will expect tangible results quickly.
According to former Speaker-of-the-House Newt Gingrich, some of Trump’s policies, such as the continuation of the so-called Trump Tax Cuts, must be approved by mid-2025 in order to have an impact on the economy by the 2026 midterm elections. If the voters do not perceive improvement by then it could be problematic for the GOP to retain its control. History shows that the ruling party often loses many seats in the midterm elections. All in all, 2025 figures to be a very interesting year.
We Built It Blog by Larry Jacob 