
Unpacking President Trump’s first 100 days – the highs, the lows and the tone that’s been set for his second term. Plus, the Democrats putting out feelers for a 2028 run.
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Aaron Blake
Hey, folks, we're starting the show today with some news that broke after we recorded our show on Thursday morning. The Washington Post has confirmed that President Donald Trump plans to replace his national Security advisor, Michael Waltz. It's the first high profile departure of a top Trump appointee, and it comes just after Trump's 100th day in office. Trump then announced on social media that he plans to nominate Waltz as the next ambassador to the United Nations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio would serve as National Security advisor in Waltz's place. You might recall that Waltz was the official who in March added the Atlantic's Editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg to an unclassified group chat that contained attack plans in Yemen, the scandal that became known as Signalgate. More revelations about the administration's casual approach to information security soon followed. Waltz has also been at the center of disagreements in the MAGA movement, given his hawkish politics don't neatly align with maga's isolationist elements. So becoming UN Ambassador would mean he would still play a significant role in Trump's foreign policy. It would also mean that Waltz would face a Senate confirmation hearing where he could be questioned under oath about the Signal controversy. All right, with that news out of the way, let's get to the show. From the newsroom of the Washington Post, this is Post Reports. I'm Aaron Blake, senior politics reporter and host of our weekly Politics roundtables. It's Thursday, May 1st. I'm joined this week by White House reporter Natalie Allison. Hey, Natalie.
Natalie Allison
Hi, Erin.
Aaron Blake
And also joining us all the way from the west coast is national political reporter Maeve Reston. Hey, Maeve.
Maeve Reston
Hey, guys.
Aaron Blake
So, first, a little bit of housekeeping. First, for the next month or so, we're gonna be bringing you these roundtables on most Thursdays instead of our usual Friday. That will make room on Post Reports for a special Friday series about, let's just say, an embattled pop culture figure. I'm gonna leave it at that. Little bit of a tease. So come back for that on Friday. Today, we're gonna be talking about President Trump's first 100 days. The highs, the lows, and the tone that has been set for the remainder of his second term. And in the second half of the show, we're gon get into some of the early and very different recent maneuvers from some ambitious Democrats who could lead the party into the 2028 election. We're talking here about Illinois Governor J.B. pritzker, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer. To start, Natalie, people who have been reading a lot about politics in recent weeks will have heard a lot about the hundred days thing. 100 days is obviously kind of an arbitrary number. It's not like a defined in law thing where a president has to get a certain amount of things by this point. Why has this hundred days thing become a thing? And what do people look for when they're judging a presidency this early on?
Natalie Allison
Well, of course, we know it dates back to a period during FDR's presidency that has since just been adopted by presidents who are in power to tout before they take office what what they say they're going to accomplish when they're elected. And then, of course, once they've entered office, to say what they've been able to accomplish during what is typically a honeymoon period now for the Trump administration. They have done a lot in a hundred days. Not all of it is held, but they have done a lot. And so this is a way for them to essentially take a victory lap on the speed with which they've moved. We did not see this kind of productivity, if you will, under Trump's first term. And so his advisors and Trump himself are really wanting to drive that message home that, hey, this is what we've done, and they claim this is what you elected us to do.
Aaron Blake
Yeah, Natalie, you got at something in that answer that I think is really important here, which is the idea of doing a lot of things versus maybe accomplishing a lot of things. A lot of the things that Trump has done have been by executive action. A lot of those things are subject to challenges in the courts. They might get held up, they might get overturned eventually. There hasn't been a lot of legislating from Congress, I guess. Can you talk a little bit about how this has been different when it comes to talking about the things that he's done compared to your usual presidency? Right.
Natalie Allison
Yeah. Most of what they're touting that he has done in this, this first 100 day period is a matter of something that was done by executive action. And the border is absolutely the top of that list. But if you look at interviews with people like Susie Wiles as Chief of staff or Even Vice President J.D. vance, interviews that they've given in recent days, they're going ahead and they're forecasting that the next 100 days, if you will, are going to be a lot harder. They've sort of, in a way, run out of things to do by executive action. They've done a lot, and then now they have to do things like actually try to broker in an end to the Russia, Ukraine war that Trump previously said he would do on day one. And they have to, you know, deal with this whole thing called reconciliation. And they have to try to pass their tax cut bill, and they have to figure out what to do about the economy. We're seeing them going ahead and setting the bar, I think a lot lower in terms of what they want people and even his own base to see and feel, saying, like, we're not necessarily going to be able to do as much as we did in this first 100 days. And really cautioning the public to accept that.
Aaron Blake
Right. So let's look at some of the things that they have done or attempted to do. And I'm wondering, Natalie, you know, among all these many things that they've been doing, what are the issues and actions that Trump has done over the course of the first hundred days that have defined this period? Can you pick out a few ones that are really the most important here?
Natalie Allison
Yeah, I think the most important one, not only to Trump and his team, but just, you know, what there is an undisputed result on is that he was able to, quote, secure the border. That is one thing he campaigned on. He said he was going to do. Now, he took that a step forward and he said there would also be mass deportations on day one. Clearly, they have tried to implement a very aggressive deportation strategy. It has not been as successful as just clearly upping security at the border. They've not only run into just the problem of sheer numbers, they haven't been able to round up the people they said they would, but some of the people they have deported. Obviously there are intense legal fights surrounding that. And then another, like, really big theme we've seen from this first 100 days is just the way that Trump has been able to get all of these institutions to essentially bend the knee to him. That's something we've seen a lot of coverage on. But I think it is in many ways shocking to see the way that the Trump administration and an administration that eight years ago still even elected Republicans weren't fully getting behind at this stage. We are seeing liberal institutions like universities and traditionally Democratic aligned law firms, even corporations that kind of fully embrace this, what Trump would call woke DEI agenda. We're seeing people completely back away from those things just because they are afraid of Trump and they want to get on his good side and they want to protect themselves and their bottom line, of course, and their federal funding. But I don't think that many people expected to see these massive institutions be brought to their knees in the way that they have. And that is something that the Trump administration, of course, is really proud of, not to mention Trump himself.
Aaron Blake
Maeve? Natalie brought up a lot of the things that have been on my mind. I wondered if there's anything else that you think has defined this first hundred days.
Maeve Reston
I do think that really the climate that he has created around his policy objectives, and of course his critics would say a climate of fear. You know, I can't remember another recent president who has amassed so much power and been able to kind of bend institutions and people to his will, you know, just purely through executive actions. I think that, you know, it's a lot of the things that he has been doing, I don't think people are feeling yet out in the country. They see all these things happening, but they aren't sure if some of them are going to take effect or ultimately will be successful, like with the Doge cuts. And so that's been a really interesting kind of delayed reaction that we are watching for and listening for out in the country.
Aaron Blake
Yeah. And we have started to see some real reactions from the American people. Trump's approval rating at the a hundred day point is worse than any modern president except himself in his first term. So most presidents usually have a majority support at this point, but Trump has been below majority support in both of his terms, so he's not getting much of a honeymoon period. And his approval rating has clearly been dropping in recent weeks, especially. Natalie, can you just talk a little bit about what you're seeing from the White House as far as a reaction to not just those numbers, but the obvious concerns that people have about the impact that these tariffs are going to have, the potential inflation that's going to create, things like that. What are they talking about? And is there any sense that they're kind of getting cold feet about this approach?
Natalie Allison
Well, in typical Trump fashion, what we're seeing is defiance and not, of course, admitting that they've done anything incorrectly. When Trump was asked about the tariff plan and concerns from Americans, including people on his own base, about the economy as a result, his response was, well, they actually did sign up for this. The interviewer said, like, what would you say to people who said they didn't sign up for the stock market to crash like this and for these economic concerns? And, and he doubled down. And he said, yeah, they did sign up for it. I said I was going to run on an aggressive tariff plan that was going to, in his words, level the field and increase manufacturing jobs for the Us. And so he's, he's, he's saying things like people are going to have to do with fewer dolls. And that's not really a message of someone who is showing any kind of remorse for what's happening. He's saying this is all part of the plan and it's going to get better. He says he did tariffs in his first term. Of course, nothing like this. And the economy was great, it was booming. So just trust the process. Listen to me.
Aaron Blake
Yeah, Maeve, I wanted to unpack that a little bit with you. You know, Trump did talk a lot about tariffs on the campaign trail. This was a pretty central plank, maybe the most consistent thing that he talked about and has talked about for a number of decades. Is it fair to say that people signed up for that, or are the tariffs maybe something a little bit different even than what he was talking about on the campaign trail?
Maeve Reston
He, to his credit, absolutely outlined what he was going to do. I think that a lot of people, at least that I've been talking to out in the country, did not understand what that would mean, because no one has ever tried this before. And I don't think that people knew that they were signing up for this level of economic turmoil and businesses feeling paralyzed because of the uncertainty surrounding the tariffs and how high they will be, who will be carved out. What we're seeing happening in the country is businesses delay making decisions or even doing layoffs. And so when I've been talking to voters about it, they're hearing all these stories around them of what the impact is, and they definitely are feeling like that they didn't sort of know that that was all part of the deal. And I think that's the really key point, is that people seem to be souring very quickly, as you mentioned, on his handling of the economy, which was always his greatest strength, and really the tipping point in the election last year. And so I don't know how much people have a stomach for this. I mean, I was out talking to people who. One woman stands out of my mind who said, we just lost $350,000 out of our retirement account because of the stock market.
Aaron Blake
Right.
Maeve Reston
Because of the stock market swings. And so when you are thinking about people that are seeing that kind of impact, who are close to retirement, I think it's a very different conversation than what tariffs were gonna look like in theory, when people were listening to him at a campaign rally.
Aaron Blake
Yeah. And if you look at polling before the election, when Trump was talking about these things, and I've written about this Quite a bit. First of all, Trump sold these tariffs not as taxes on imports that would be paid by Americans, which is what tariffs generally are, but as something that basically we would just be charging these other countries and these other countries would just be giving us all this money. He kind of billed it as kind of a win, win situation in ways that are at odds with how the administration is talking about things right now. And I think that's really borne out in what we see in the polling. So during the campaign, we saw people generally liked the idea of tariffs. It was, you know, close to even or people leaned in favor of the idea that we would put tariffs on these imports. But the most recent Washington Post ABC News IPSO survey actually showed Americans disapproved of Trump on the tariff policies by 30 points, 64% to 34%, which feels, you know, this is something we're seeing in a number of surveys this week. That feels like a pretty significant signal to the White House. Right, Natalie? Like this is something that even many of Donald Trump supporters seem to be at least concerned about the potential impacts of this.
Natalie Allison
Yeah, yeah. And Donald Trump's team is obviously hyper aware of the polling. They see the polling. That's something they keep close tabs on. But they're not going to quickly back down from this. Yeah, they are looking for an off ramp. Trump is signaling that he is having some kind of discussions with Xi and.
Aaron Blake
Unclear if President Xi Jinping.
Natalie Allison
Correct. And it's unclear if those are actually happening. No one else is really been able to corroborate that those are happening. But that tells us, you know, we can't stay in this standoff with China. At least the Trump administration won't allow that to happen long term. As, you know, the shelves become bare under his watch. And so, you know, I think we're going to see some kind of wind down now. They're going to try to do it very gracefully and not admit defeat and say this is always part of the plan and spin it into a victory with credit to his genius negotiating skills. But, yeah, that's not something that they will be able to sustain long term given public sentiment and what's likely going to happen to the economy as a result.
Aaron Blake
And another thing that we've talked about when it comes to them really pressing the limits of what they can do or what's traditionally been done, and we've talked about this in this conversation, which is their efforts to bring media companies, colleges, law firms to heal, you know, targeted political enemies, kind of all under this umbrella of bending their opponents and other institutions to their will. But the question that I've been thinking a lot about is as President Trump becomes less popular, and that's clearly the trend that he's on right now, does it become easier for these institutions and other entities to stand up to him when it comes to this stuff? Will we see people decide, well, this guy isn't really popular with the American people. Why do we have to play ball with him? Is that something that we're seeing already? A little bit. Is it something that we're expecting to see? What's your guys take on that?
Natalie Allison
I mean, I think to some extent you saw it with the law firms and the universities, if you will, that declined to comply with what the federal government wanted, like Harvard, for example. But I think, yeah, we're likely to see that if his approval rating tanks even more and we start seeing people on the Hill who are particularly vulnerable, Republicans who are looking at reelection next year, who are speaking out against him as well. I think, you know, it's, it's something that is totally foreseeable that we see his influence over some of these people and groups just stop being as effective.
Maeve Reston
And there also just has been such an outcry about the capitulation that, you know, for a lot of these, the.
Aaron Blake
Capitulation, Trump critics about these, these institutions who are, who are bowing to his will, basically.
Maeve Reston
Exactly. Whether it's law firms or certain universities that I think that they are beginning to see that there are consequences on both sides and that that is creating a different calculation.
Aaron Blake
Yeah. I think it's clear that a big story of Trump's first 100 days is testing many limits. But after the break, we're going to be talking about something else entirely, which is how some of the names that have been thrown out as potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidates are making waves in recent weeks, and especially this week. We'll be right back.
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Aaron Blake
So President Donald Trump's first 100 days have just elapsed. But as that's happened, we have begun to see some interesting actions from some of the Democrats who could run to succeed him in the 2028 election. We're gonna kind of quickly tick through some of these recent appearances from big name Democrats and what they say about the direction of the party right now. Maeve, I'm so glad that you're here with us today because I know you've been all over this story. You were actually with former Vice President Kamala Harris for her first major appearance since she left the White House. This was on Wednesday night. It was also pegged to Trump's 100 days, the big theme of our show here. I haven't had a chance to catch up on what was said by the former vice president on Wednesday night. But can you just give us the highlights of what she said and what it kind of signaled about where the Democratic Party is right now?
Maeve Reston
Yes. So this is sort of a long awaited re emergence by Kamala Harris. This was her first major address, kind of a homecoming of sorts for her at this gala here in San Francisco on Wednesday night.
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We all know President Trump and his administration and their allies are counting on the notion that fear can be contagious.
Maeve Reston
She took the moment to really condemn what she called Trump's reckless policies on.
Unnamed Advertiser
Tariffs, the greatest man made economic crisis in modern presidential history.
Maeve Reston
She called out his, quote, unconstitutional demands, it is not okay to violate court orders.
Unnamed Advertiser
Not okay.
Maeve Reston
So it was a very kind of thoughtful but also forceful repudiation of what he has done in his first hundred days. And a moment where she was really asking supporters to stay engaged, keep pushing back. This was a room full of women who have been running for office or who are thinking about running for office, really encouraging them to stay in the fight and not give in to sort of this, this climate of fear that she described.
Aaron Blake
Was it the speech of somebody who seemed like they were intending to remain a figure on the national stage? I know there's been a lot of talk about her potentially running for California governor instead of running in 2028 for president again.
Maeve Reston
Yes, definitely someone that is planning to fully stay engaged on the national stage and really try to drive the debate. There were no tea leaves in this speech that I heard, and I was listening very carefully about whether she will run for governor here in California. And I think that just from talking to people in her world, she is genuinely conflicted about what she's going to do next. She very well could run for governor and she is taking pitches, thinking seriously about that. But I think that what is clear is that the door is very much open to her running in 2028. You know, she feels like she knows the White House and what it takes to be president, you know, better than a lot of people who would run for that office. She has met with something like 150 world leaders. And so I think she clearly wants to do big things going forward and feels that she has a really unique voice in this debate. And so she's very much gonna stay part of that mix and running for governor, if she were to choose to do so. And she has a self imposed deadline of mid to late summer that would foreclose running for president. You really can't do both things at the same time and.
Aaron Blake
Right. You have to turn around and run for president basically right away.
Maeve Reston
Yeah. And I think that's why she's really thinking deeply about what she wants to do next.
Aaron Blake
Speaking of California governors, there's another fellow Californian who's in the mix here and has been talked about for a number of years in this context, and that's current California Governor Gavin Newsom. I've been really interested to see what he's been up to of late. I'm thinking, of course, about his launching a podcast. He had a conversation at one point with Charlie Kirk, a conservative kind of provocateur who many Democrats don't think is worth legitimizing. Recently, he kind of threw up some caution flags when it came to Democrats aligning with the cause of Kilmar, Abrego Garcia. It seems like Newsom is kind of playing an interesting game here, where he's trying to suggest the party shouldn't marginalize itself and almost seems to be kind of tacking to the middle a little bit. Is that something you're seeing, too? And how do you think that's playing with the Democratic Party right now?
Maeve Reston
I have been getting a bit of whiplash covering Governor Newsom of late. At first, it seemed like he was gonna come out and be the vanguard of the resistance. Then he backed off of that. Then I was down with him at the border right before Trump was taking office, and he was talking about how he was extending a hand to Trump. You know, it wasn't a closed fist. Then we saw the rollout of the podcast, which brought a lot of blowback to him because a lot of Democrats were angry that he was platforming voices like Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon. And so there's been a real back and forth between being a voice of the resistance, but also someone who is extending a hand and really deeply trying to understand, understand why the Democratic Party failed in the last election. So, I mean, that has made him a very interesting figure on the stage right now. He's also in this very unusual position where the fires ravaged California in early January. And he really needs the Trump administration to partner with him to get the $40 billion that he is seeking from the federal government to help California rebuild after these fires. And so he's having to take kind of both an outside and inside lane. And that's a very tricky position to be in because he has his own political ambitions, but he also has to do what's best for his constituents. And so that's put him in a unique position. And that position also is a position that Governor Whitmer, for example, of Michigan is in as well.
Aaron Blake
I'm glad you brought up Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, because this is the one I've maybe been most fascinated by this week. People might remember a few weeks back, she found herself in the Oval Office. She said she was kind of unwittingly in there at a time when Trump was signing an executive action that was targeting his political enemies. Kind of an unusual circumstance for a Democrat to be in the Oval Office during that point. She actually, at one point, was photographed putting a binder over her face as she was. They were taking pictures of her. So there was a lot of blowback to that. And then this week, we also saw Governor Whitmer decide to appear again with Donald Trump. This was at an announcement for a new mission at an Air National Guard base outside of Detroit. So Governor Whitmer decided to show up. Let's take a listen to what she said during this event.
Gretchen Whitmer
Well, I hadn't planned to speak, but on behalf of all the military men and women who serve our country and serve so honorably on behalf of the state of Michigan, I am really damn happy we're here to celebrate this recapitalization at Selfridge. It's crucial for the Michigan economy. It's crucial for the men and women here, for our homeland security and our future. So thank you. I am so, so grateful that this announcement is made today. And I appreciate all the work. Thank you.
Aaron Blake
Maeve. I think it's worth noting that she didn't thank Donald Trump by name at this event. But, you know, he was there. This is now the second time she's kind of been pulled into something involving Trump where she was there and then he kind of sought to spotlight the fact that she was there. What is going on here? There's no way this plays well with the Democratic base, right?
Maeve Reston
Yes. But what the Democratic base is missing here is that this has been a years long push by Governor Whitmer. The Pentagon had been slated to phase out some key functions of this base that is critical to Macomb county and a lot of the economic activity around it. So she was pushing to recapitalize this fighter mission. She said that that kind of decision could bring a lot of jobs to the region, would secure its economic future. And it was a really big deal, not just for the pilots and the support staff that work at the base that were going to see their jobs phased out, but also for businesses and the economic activity around this particular base. She could not convince the Biden administration to, you know, give her this promise that she wanted. And so she had this very robust case to make to the Trump administration. And when she put that blue folder over her face in the Oval Office, you know, that was actually a meeting that was entirely devoted to getting this done and getting them to agree to what she wanted. And so this has been, you know, a huge gamble for her, but that she feels is really worth it because she got something for her constituents and she knows that she is paying a big political price for it now from her base. But I think that her calculus is that in the long run that she will have pushed for something that helped the people that she served. And I think the long game might be really interesting here for her. I mean, short term loss But I think in the end, this could pay off for her.
Natalie Allison
And as an aside, Trump and his advisors, while they have enjoyed seeing Governor Whitmer squirm a little bit in these situations.
Aaron Blake
A little bit. Maybe just a little bit, they basically throw like, literally, if they could literally cast a spotlight on her when she's at the events, they would do that if they had one in place.
Natalie Allison
It feels like, yeah, they knew what they were doing when they invited her into the Oval when they did. They enjoy seeing the awkward position she's in. But I will say that they do respect her and think highly of her and they've been impressed with her.
Aaron Blake
Yeah. And Trump has said some very nice things about her. I think it's also worth noting, you know, we assume that all of these people we're talking about have presidential aspirations, but that's not necessarily always the case. Maybe Gretchen Whitmer has decided that she doesn't wanna run for president in 2028, and she's just gonna be doing the things that she feels she needs to as the governor of Michigan. But one person who I think it's pretty clear Maeve has signaled that they are very much interested in the 2028 campaign, and I think really kind of made a name for themself this week was Illinois Governor J.B. pritzker. People might not be too familiar with him, but he made a splash during a speech in New Hampshire this week. And I think you were there, Maeve. Can you talk about why this speech made headlines?
Maeve Reston
So this is a dinner, an annual dinner that happens in New Hampshire that brings together, you know, activists, it brings together the most influential people in the party. In the first in the nation primary state, New Hampshire takes its role as sort of the vetting machine of presidential candidates very seriously. And so a lot of people turned up for J.B. pritzker's speech in New Hampshire to get a look at what lane he was going to pick in the Democratic Party right now. And he really blew the doors off with this speech.
Jason Rezaian
Fellow Democrats, for far too long, we've been guilty of listening to a bunch of do nothing political types who would tell you that America's house is not on fire. Even as the flames were licking their.
Maeve Reston
Faces, people were not expecting this kind of almost Chicago bar brawl tone that he took.
Aaron Blake
Just so people know JB Pritzker is a billionaire, like, businessman type who, whatever you think about him, he doesn't seem to be the most exciting candidate that Democrats could put forward, but he seemed to kind of be trying to change that perception of him? Maybe a little bit.
Maeve Reston
Yeah. And he went after Trump in personal terms. He went after the cabinet secretaries as being hypocrites and people who are trying to tear down the foundations of democratic institutions in this country. It was really just kind of like a brass knuckles calling people out into the streets. He said he'd never called for, you know, mass protests and resistance before, but he was doing so now. And people loved it in the room. I mean, people were jumping to their feet. They were whistling, cheering. It was really surprising to see in the moment because I think no one knew what what to expect when they got in there. And it was a very staid crowd before he started speaking. But there is so much desire in the Democratic Party right now to see that kind of fire and people who are willing to take on the administration. And so he served that up on Sunday night.
Aaron Blake
Yeah. There's no question there is a vacuum in Democratic leadership right now. So certainly something that we're going to be watching a lot moving forward. But that's it for today's episode. I wanted to thank you so much for joining us. Maeve and Natalie, thanks so much.
Maeve Reston
Great to be with you.
Natalie Allison
Thanks for having us.
Aaron Blake
Maeve Reston is a national political reporter for the Post, and Natalie Allison is a White House reporter. Today's episode was produced and mixed by Ted Muldoon. It was edited by Laura Benshoff and Sean Sullivan. I'm Aaron Blake. We'll be back tomorrow with more stories from the Washington Post.
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Post Reports: Waltz Bounced, Trump’s 100 Days, Dems Eye 2028 – Episode Summary
Release Date: May 1, 2025
Hosts: Aaron Blake, Natalie Allison, Maeve Reston
Produced by: The Washington Post
Aaron Blake opens the episode with a significant update regarding President Donald Trump's administration:
Aaron Blake [00:02]: "The Washington Post has confirmed that President Donald Trump plans to replace his national Security advisor, Michael Waltz."
The hosts delve into an in-depth analysis of Trump's initial 100 days in office, assessing both accomplishments and challenges.
Natalie Allison discusses Trump's strategy of utilizing executive actions to swiftly implement policy changes, highlighting:
Border Security: Trump's aggressive approach to securing the U.S. border, including mass deportations, though faced with legal challenges and implementation hurdles.
Institutional Influence: Trump's administration successfully exerted considerable influence over various institutions, including universities, law firms, and corporations, pressuring them to align with his "woke DEI agenda."
Natalie Allison [05:43]: "He was able to, quote, secure the border. That is one thing he campaigned on."
Maurice Reston and Natalie Allison explore the impact of Trump's tariff policies:
Tariffs and Economic Turmoil: Trump's implementation of aggressive tariffs has led to economic uncertainties, affecting businesses and contributing to stock market volatility. Contrary to his campaign portrayal of tariffs as a win-win, recent polls indicate significant public disapproval.
Approval Ratings: Trump's approval ratings have plummeted, marking one of the lowest early in a presidency, with disapproval ratings surpassing 64% according to a Washington Post–ABC News–Ipsos survey.
Natalie Allison [13:49]: "The most recent Washington Post ABC News IPSO survey actually showed Americans disapproved of Trump on the tariff policies by 30 points, 64% to 34%."
The discussion shifts to the increasing resistance from institutions and the potential sustainability of Trump's policies:
Bending Institutions: While initially successful in compelling institutions to comply with his agenda, the declining approval ratings may weaken this influence, allowing more entities to resist Trump's directives.
Economic Concerns: The administration faces mounting pressure due to economic challenges, with Trump maintaining a defiant stance despite public concerns.
Maeve Reston [07:29]: "Another big story of Trump's first 100 days is testing many limits."
Transitioning from the Republican perspective, the hosts examine emerging Democratic figures positioning themselves for the 2028 presidential election.
Maeve Reston provides insights into Kamala Harris' recent activities:
Kamala Harris (as referenced by Maeve Reston [20:24]): "Her first major address... was a very kind of thoughtful but also forceful repudiation of what he has done in his first hundred days."
Governor Gavin Newsom of California is portrayed as navigating a complex political landscape:
Maeve Reston [24:19]: "There's been a real back and forth between being a voice of the resistance, but also someone who is extending a hand."
Maeve Reston explores Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan's recent interactions with the Trump administration:
Gretchen Whitmer [26:53]: "I am really damn happy we're here to celebrate this recapitalization at Selfridge."
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker emerges as a fiery contender within the Democratic field:
J.B. Pritzker [31:25]: "Fellow Democrats, for far too long, we've been guilty of listening to a bunch of do nothing political types who would tell you that America's house is not on fire."
Aaron Blake wraps up the episode by acknowledging the fluid dynamics within both the Republican and Democratic parties:
Trump’s Testing of Limits: Trump's aggressive policies and diminishing popularity present challenges both domestically and within his administration.
Democratic Resurgence: Emerging Democratic leaders like Harris, Newsom, Whitmer, and Pritzker are charting diverse strategies to unify the party and prepare for future electoral contests.
Aaron Blake [33:18]: "We'll be back tomorrow with more stories from the Washington Post."
Aaron Blake [00:02]: "The Washington Post has confirmed that President Donald Trump plans to replace his national Security advisor, Michael Waltz."
Natalie Allison [05:43]: "He was able to, quote, secure the border. That is one thing he campaigned on."
Maeve Reston [20:24]: "So it was a very kind of thoughtful but also forceful repudiation of what he has done in his first hundred days."
J.B. Pritzker [31:25]: "Fellow Democrats, for far too long, we've been guilty of listening to a bunch of do nothing political types who would tell you that America's house is not on fire."
Trump's Administration: Leveraging executive actions, Trump has made significant policy moves in his first 100 days, particularly regarding border security and tariffs. However, his aggressive tactics and declining approval ratings pose sustainability challenges.
Democratic Strategy: With figures like Harris, Newsom, Whitmer, and Pritzker stepping into the spotlight, the Democratic Party is actively shaping its future leadership for the 2028 election, balancing ideological stances with strategic governance.
Political Climate: The episode underscores a highly polarized political environment, with shifting alliances and emerging leaders poised to influence the next phase of American politics.
This summary encapsulates the critical discussions and insights from the "Post Reports" episode, providing a comprehensive overview for those who have not listened to the full podcast.