Podcast Summary: Tangle – "President Trump's First Days in Office"

Episode Information

• Title: President Trump's First Days in Office
• Host/Author: Isaac Saul
• Release Date: January 23, 2025
• Description: Independent, non-partisan political news exploring diverse perspectives and in-depth interviews from the political sphere.

Introduction

In this episode of Tangle, host Will Kaback delves into President Donald Trump's initial days back in office, focusing on the flurry of executive actions he has undertaken. The discussion promises to ignite substantive debate, laying the groundwork for future episodes that will further analyze Trump's presidency and upcoming editions scrutinizing Joe Biden's term.

President Trump's Executive Actions

John Law provides a comprehensive overview of Trump's first-day actions, highlighting the unprecedented number of executive orders signed.

• Executive Orders Overview
  • "President Donald Trump signed 26 executive orders, 12 memoranda, and four proclamations on his first day alone." [04:27]
  • These orders primarily targeted immigration and asylum restrictions, energy policy realignment, federal employment changes, high-profile pardons, and reversals of Biden-era policies.

Key Executive Actions:

1. Immigration and Border Security

   • Declared a national emergency at the southern border.
   • Authorized the deployment of 1,500 additional active-duty troops to bolster border security. [01:28]
   • Reinstated the "Remain in Mexico" policy and ended the catch-and-release policy for illegal border crossers.
   • Issued an order to deny birthright citizenship for children born to undocumented immigrants, immediately met with legal challenges from 22 states.

2. Energy Policy

   • Declared an energy emergency, promoting petroleum drilling and pausing offshore wind farm leases.
   • Withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accords and the World Health Organization.

3. Federal Employment and Government Efficiency

   • Established the Department of Government Efficiency.
   • Instituted a federal hiring freeze and ended Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices within federal agencies.
   • Reinstated Schedule F designations to remove job protections for up to 50,000 federal employees.

4. Pardons and Clemency

   • Pardoned or commuted the sentences of approximately 1,500 individuals connected to the January 6 Capitol riot, including leaders of extremist groups. [04:27]
   • Notably pardoned Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road marketplace.

5. Economic and Trade Policies

   • Announced a $500 billion investment in domestic artificial intelligence infrastructure.
   • Proposed tariffs of 10% on all Chinese goods and 25% on goods from Canada and Mexico.

Notable Quotes:

• John Law: "Trump has issued too many orders in his first 72 hours to cover here, so I want to focus on two that seem to be sparking the most debate..." [18:56]

Reactions from the Political Spectrum

Right-Leaning Perspectives

The right exhibits a spectrum of reactions to Trump's executive actions, with some praising and others critiquing specific moves.

• National Review's Commentary

  • "Pardoning Capitol rioters is no way to restore law and order." [10:10]
  • Criticizes the mass pardons as a mistake, emphasizing the importance of exemplary punishment for violent offenses.
  • Supports Trump's energy policy changes, viewing them as a necessary shift from Biden's climate-focused agenda.

• New York Post’s Emmett Penney

  • "Trump jolted America out of decades of bad energy policy with the stroke of a pen." [10:10]
  • Lauds Trump's rollback of Biden's electric vehicle mandates and gas appliance bans, portraying them as moves towards energy abundance and realism.

• The Federalist’s John Daniel Davidson

  • Argues that Trump's swift border actions demonstrate that the Biden administration could have secured the border without new legislation.
  • "What we saw Monday with the enacting of these executive orders from Trump ... is that a secure border was always within reach." [10:10]

Left-Leaning Perspectives

The left criticizes Trump's actions, particularly focusing on the mass pardons and attempts to revoke constitutional protections.

• The New York Times Editorial Board

  • "Mr. Trump's mass pardon effectively makes a mockery of a justice system..." [10:10]
  • Condemns the pardons as undermining the rule of law and sending a dangerous message that political violence is permissible.

• MSNBC’s Ray Brescia

  • "Trump cannot simply erase birthright citizenship. The president does not have the authority to erase protections set forth in an amendment to the Constitution." [10:10]
  • Argues that Trump's attempts to end birthright citizenship are unconstitutional and would likely fail in the courts.

• The Atlantic’s David A. Graham

  • Observes that Trump’s current actions are met with muted responses compared to his first term, attributing this to societal desensitization and strategic overwhelm.
  • "American society has changed. People aren't just less outraged by things Trump is doing." [10:10]

Host’s Analysis: Will Kaback’s Take

Will Kaback provides a nuanced critique of Trump's early executive actions, focusing on immigration and the January 6 pardons.

• Immigration Policies

  • "Trump has called the amount of both legal and illegal immigration an invasion..." [18:56]
  • Supports ending birthright citizenship, labeling it both a flawed policy and an ineffective strategy doomed to fail due to constitutional protections.
  • Highlights the immediate legal challenges and the unlikely enforcement of the birthright citizenship order.
  • Acknowledges Trump's efforts to reinstate policies like "Remain in Mexico" as potentially curbing unauthorized immigration, though recognizing they are not comprehensive solutions.

• January 6 Pardons

  • Expresses discomfort with the broad nature of the pardons but acknowledges issues within the criminal justice system.
  • "I have even more trouble grappling with Trump's January 6th pardons." [Will Kaback]
  • Criticizes the mass pardons for undermining the severity of the Capitol riot and the rule of law.
  • Suggests that while individual commutations could be justified, the sweeping nature of the pardons sets a negative precedent.

• Overall Assessment

  • "Trump has done so much in his first days that a full assessment would require multiple editions or podcasts." [18:56]
  • While critical of certain actions, Kaback recognizes positive aspects, particularly in energy policy.
  • Concludes that the immigration and clemency actions overshadow other initiatives, setting a concerning tone for Trump's term.

Additional Insights and Data Points

John Law presents under-the-radar stories and statistical data to contextualize the political landscape.

• Executive Orders Comparison

  • "The number of executive orders signed by President Donald Trump on his first day in office is 26, the most since the Federal Register began keeping track of the statistic in 1937." [29:23]
  • Contrasts Trump's 26 executive orders with Biden's nine on his first day.

• Public Opinion Polls

  • "47% of Americans approve of Trump's presidency on his first day back in office." [29:23]
  • Highlights voter sentiments on key issues:
    • 30% support deporting all unauthorized migrants.
    • 59% support deporting unauthorized migrants accused of crimes.
    • 41% support ending birthright citizenship.
    • 57% oppose pardons for January 6 rioters.

• Under the Radar Story

  • Discusses a potential executive order to pause federal funding for gain-of-function research, a contentious area linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. [23:00]

• Oxford Children's Word of the Year

  • "This year, 61% of children participating in the final survey chose the word 'kindness'." [29:23]
  • Reflects the societal emphasis on compassion amidst global challenges.

Conclusion

The episode provides a multifaceted examination of Trump's initial executive actions, capturing diverse political reactions and in-depth analysis from the host. While acknowledging some positive shifts, particularly in energy policy, the podcast underscores significant concerns regarding immigration reforms and the controversial pardons related to the January 6 Capitol riot. The balanced discourse ensures listeners gain a comprehensive understanding of the complexities surrounding Trump's return to office.

Notable Quotes Highlighted:

• "President Donald Trump signed 26 executive orders, 12 memoranda, and four proclamations on his first day alone." — John Law [04:27]
• "Pardoning Capitol rioters is no way to restore law and order." — National Review Editor [10:10]
• "Trump cannot simply erase birthright citizenship..." — MSNBC’s Ray Brescia [10:10]
• "Trump has done so much in his first days that a full assessment would require multiple editions or podcasts." — Will Kaback [18:56]

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