SPECIAL EDITION PREVIEW: My take on Trump's first 100 days (Part Two)

Summary

Summary of "Tangle" Podcast Episode: SPECIAL EDITION PREVIEW: My Take on Trump's First 100 Days (Part Two)

Host: Isaac Saul
Release Date: May 2, 2025
Podcast Description: Tangle offers independent, non-partisan political news, featuring diverse viewpoints from across the political spectrum, in-depth analyses, and interviews with key figures in the political landscape.

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Introduction

In the second part of the review of former President Donald Trump's first 100 days in office, Isaac Saul delves deeper into the promises, controversies, and significant actions taken by the Trump administration that were not covered in the initial episode. This episode offers a comprehensive look at lesser-discussed topics, presenting arguments from both the left and the right before sharing Saul’s own perspective on the administration's early actions.

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Key Topics Covered

1. Transgender Athletes in Sports

• Promise and Action:
  Trump had criticized Democratic policies regarding transgender individuals, specifically focusing on transgender women and girls participating in women's sports. In October, he promised an executive action to ban transgender athletes from competing in sports teams that align with their gender identity.

  • Isaac Saul notes, "In February, he fulfilled that promise, signing an executive order prohibiting all participants who do not meet the government's definition of biological females from competing in girls and women's sports." (04:15)

• Impact:
  This move sparked significant debate over inclusivity and fairness in sports, drawing criticism from LGBTQ+ advocates and supporters of transgender rights.

2. Energy Production and Policy

• Executive Orders and Initiatives:
  On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order declaring a national energy emergency, prioritizing the identification and development of domestic energy resources, including oil and gas drilling on federal lands.

  • Isaac Saul states, "Trump also moved to open 625 million acres for oil and gas drilling and has overseen the start of production on new oil ventures involving US Energy companies." (05:30)

• Outcomes:
  While the administration aimed to reduce energy costs and increase domestic production, uncertainty surrounding trade policies impeded parts of this agenda. Subsequently, US oil prices saw a significant drop, falling over 20% to four-year lows since January 20th due to decreased demand growth forecasts.

3. Targeting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Programs

• Policy Reversals:
  President Trump actively dismantled DEI initiatives across the federal government through a series of executive orders. These orders aimed to eliminate DEI-related mandates, policies, and programs, and directed federal agencies to identify and address discriminatory DEI practices within various institutions.

  • Isaac Saul explains, "One of his first orders called for the elimination of all DEI related mandates, policies, programs, preferences and activities within the federal government." (07:00)

• Consequences:
  These actions were met with resistance from organizations and legal challenges, with some federal judges blocking large portions of the orders.

4. Pardons Related to January 6th

• Execution of Campaign Promises:
  Trump followed through on his campaign promise by pardoning or commuting the sentences of approximately 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the January 6, 2021 Capitol riots.

  • Isaac Saul notes, "Trump specified that he would pardon those wrongfully convicted, his pardon did not commute unrelated sentences of those who were pardoned for their January 6th participation." (10:15)

• Criticism:
  The pardons were controversial, with critics arguing that they undermined the rule of law and accountability for the events of January 6th.

5. Signalgate and Pentagon Controversies

• Incident Details:
  In March, The Atlantic revealed that Jeffrey Goldberg was inadvertently added to a Signal group chat containing Trump administration officials discussing military operations against the Houthis in Yemen.

  • Isaac Saul reports, "Goldberg published a partial transcript of the chat with details on military operations excluded, and then published the full transcript after the Trump administration challenged his story." (12:00)

• Leadership Scrutiny:
  Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth faced scrutiny for sharing sensitive information in these chats, leading to internal conflicts and the eventual search for his replacement.

6. Social Security and Medicare

• Promises vs. Actions:
  Despite promising not to cut Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid, the Trump administration implemented measures that threatened these programs.

  • Isaac Saul states, "The administration has significantly cut jobs at the Social Security Administration... the budget blueprint... calls for the House Energy and Commerce Committee to find at least $880 billion in savings over 10 years." (14:50)

• Political Stance:
  Trump vowed to veto any legislative efforts that would cut these essential programs, aligning with statements from House Speaker Mike Johnson who also pledged not to reduce Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid.

7. Strikes Against the Houthis and International Policy

• Military Actions:
  The US conducted regular strikes against Yemen's Houthi rebels starting in March, which Trump justified as retaliation for attacks on commercial shipping.

  • Isaac Saul mentions, "Trump also redesignated the group as a terrorist organization after the President Biden removed the Trump-era designation to allow aid deliveries to civilians in Yemen." (16:00)

• Environmental Withdrawals:
  Trump proceeded with withdrawing the US from the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organization, actions previously reversed by President Biden.

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Editorial Perspectives

Left-Leaning Critiques

• Ineffectiveness and Chaos:
  The left criticizes the Trump administration for being ineffective and chaotic, particularly highlighting the Department of Government Efficiency's (referred to as "Doge") detrimental impact on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

  • Robert Borisage emphasized, "Trump promised repeatedly in his campaigns to protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid... yet Doge operatives parachuted into Social Security offices, illegally, gaining access to computer systems..." (17:20)

• Foreign Policy Concerns:
  Trump's foreign policy, especially his handling of alliances and adversaries, has been a major point of contention, with commentators expressing alarm over the administration's international strategies.

Right-Leaning Perspectives

• While not extensively covered in this episode, the right side typically supports Trump's actions, arguing that his administration is fulfilling campaign promises and prioritizing American interests both domestically and internationally.

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Isaac Saul’s Take

Isaac Saul provides his own analysis of Trump's first 100 days, balancing the documented actions with the surrounding controversies and public reactions. He acknowledges the administration's efforts to reshape federal policies in line with campaign promises but also recognizes the significant pushback and legal challenges these moves have encountered.

Saul emphasizes the importance of scrutinizing early administrative actions to understand the broader implications for American society and governance. He invites listeners to consider the long-term effects of these policies and the administration's approach to governance.

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Conclusion

In this special edition preview, Isaac Saul effectively outlines the multifaceted actions and policies of Trump's first 100 days, highlighting both achievements and contentious decisions. By providing detailed accounts and incorporating perspectives from different parts of the political spectrum, Saul ensures that listeners gain a comprehensive understanding of this critical period in recent American political history.

For those interested in a more in-depth analysis, Saul encourages accessing the full episode through a membership, which offers ad-free content and additional exclusive materials.

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Notable Quotes

• Isaac Saul on Executive Orders:
  "Trump also moved to open 625 million acres for oil and gas drilling and has overseen the start of production on new oil ventures involving US Energy companies."
  (05:30)

• Critique from Robert Borisage:
  "Trump promised repeatedly... yet Doge operatives parachuted into Social Security offices, illegally, gaining access to computer systems..."
  (17:20)

• Isaac Saul on Social Security Cuts:
  "The administration has significantly cut jobs at the Social Security Administration... the budget blueprint... calls for $880 billion in savings over 10 years."
  (14:50)

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Additional Information

• Membership Benefits:
  Members of Tangle gain access to exclusive content, including ad-free podcasts, in-depth interviews, and special editions like this preview.

• Support and Subscription:
  Interested listeners can support the podcast by subscribing through readtangle.com, which offers various membership options to access premium content.

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This summary is intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the podcast episode for those who have not listened to it. For the full experience and detailed discussions, consider subscribing to Tangle.

Transcript

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From executive producer Isaac Saul.

[Isaac Saul]

This is Tangle. Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening and welcome to the Tangle podcast. The place we get views from across the political spectrum, some independent thinking and a little bit of my take. I'm your host, Isaac Saul and Today is part two of our review of Trump's first 100 days in office. Yesterday, in case you missed it, we published part one of our review of Trump's first 100 days. There is a podcast and a newsletter version of that review. You can go back to yesterday's episode if you missed it, and I highly recommend that you do. Today we are going to cover some of the promises and controversies and stories that we didn't have space for in part one. And then we're going to share some arguments from the left and the right. And then I'm going to give my take on Trump's first 100 days. A quick reminder that today's episode is a members only episode. So you know, partway through this, the music will fade out, my voice will disappear into the ether, and you'll have to cough up some of that sweet American dollars to listen to the full thing. Which you should do because being a member gets you ad free podcasts, exclusive content like this, and it supports our work more broadly. All right, with that, we're gonna start with some of the stories that we missed from yesterday. Throughout Trump's first hundred days, there were plenty of big stories that broke on issues that were not centerpieces of his campaign. We didn't really know where else to share those stories of accomplishments or controversies or whatever else, so we decided to cover a few blurbs in a section titled Things We Missed. Where appropriate, we will reference promises Trump made related to the story. First up is Banning trans women and girls from women's girls in sports. President Trump centered criticisms of Democratic policies on transgender people in his campaign's final stretch, in particular trans women and girls participation in sports. In October, Trump suggested that if elected, he would take executive action to ban transgender athletes from competing on sports teams that match their gender identity. In February, he fulfilled that promise, signing an executive order prohibiting all participants who do not meet the government's definition of biological females from competing in girls and women's sports. On energy production, Trump promised to bring down the cost of energy and drill, baby, drill. Then, on his first day in office, he signed an executive order declaring a national energy emergency and directing department and agency heads to facilitate the identification, leasing, siting, production, transportation, refining and generation of domestic energy resources, including but not limited to on federal lands. Battery storage and solar and wind energy were excluded from the order's definition of energy. Trump also moved to open 625 million acres for oil and gas drilling and has overseen the start of production on new oil ventures involving US Energy companies. However, uncertainty about the administration's trade policies has hindered some aspects of its energy agenda. Lastly, US oil prices have decreased over 20% to four year lows since January 20th amid lower oil demand growth forecasts. Next up is his executive orders on targeting DEI programs. President Trump and his campaign surrogates spoke out against diversity, equity and inclusion programs in government, schools and other areas of US Society. Additionally, the campaign planned to reinterpret civil rights era laws to address purported anti white discrimination and rollback government policies designed to aid minority groups. Broadly, Trump sought to cast his campaign as a rebuke of the left social agenda during President Biden's term, often used interchangeably with the dei. Trump has continued to center this issue in the early days of his administration signing a slew of executive orders that aimed to dismantle DEI initiatives across the federal government. One of his first orders called for the elimination of all DEI related mandates, policies, programs, preferences and activities within the federal government. An order issued on his second day revoked previous executive actions that promoted DEI and federal operations, eliminated a firm affirmative action requirements for federal contractors, and directed federal agencies to identify corporations, nonprofits and educational institutions that may be engaged in discriminatory DEI practices. Subsequent orders targeted issues like DEI and foreign service and subjects taught in K through 12 schools involving gender, ideology or critical race theory. Trump has also issued a slew of executive orders targeting law firms since February that he claims have engaged in conduct detrimental to critical American interests. The order suspended security clearances and access to government buildings for lawyers from the targeted firms and also called for a review of their federal contracts. Some of the firms have responded by making deals with the White House that include a commitment to pro bono work on behalf of the administration and acknowledgments of wrongdoing. Others have sued to challenge the orders, and federal judges have blocked large portions of them from going into effect while the cases play out related to January 6th pardons President Trump pardoned or commuted the sentences of roughly 1500 people who had been charged in connection to the January 6, 2021 Capitol riots, fulfilling a campaign promise. A note Although Trump specified that he would pardon those wrongfully convicted, his pardon did not commute unrelated sentences of those who were pardoned for their January 6th participation. We also have to make mention of Signalgate and some of the controversies at the Pentagon. In March, the Atlantic revealed that Editor in Chief Jeffrey Goldberg had been inadvertently added to a Signal Group chat with Trump administration officials as they discussed impending military operations against the Houthis in Yemen. Goldberg published a partial transcript of the chat with details on military operations excluded, and then published the full transcript after the Trump administration challenged his story. In April, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who shared sensitive details about the Houthis strikes in the Signal chat, came under scrutiny after Defense Department officials who had been fired for allegedly leaking sensitive information criticized his leadership. Additionally, the New York Times reported that Hegseth shared sensitive information about the strikes in Yemen in a second Signal chat that included his wife, brother and personal lawyer. These incidents preceded an NPR report that the Trump administration had begun the search to replace Hegseth, but the White House denied the story. We'll be right back after this quick break.

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[Isaac Saul]

On Social Security and Medicare President Trump consistently promised on the campaign trail and during his first term in office that he would not support any cuts to Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid. However, after Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency was tasked with identifying waste, fraud and abuse within these programs, the administration has significantly cut jobs at the Social Security Administration. Additionally, the budget blueprint adopted by House Republicans calls for the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees Medicare and Medicaid, to find at least $880 billion in savings over 10 years. Although the Congressional Budget Office calculated that those savings would not be possible without cuts to Medicaid, Trump told TIME that he would veto any bill that includes cuts to Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid. House Speaker Mike Johnson also affirmed that these programs would not be cut, though he did not specify where the proposed budget cuts would come from. And wrapping up here on some of the stories we missed is also the strikes against the Houthis. Beginning in March, the United States has carried out regular strikes against Yemen's Houthi rebels, which President Trump said were retaliation for the Houthis attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and surrounding waters. Trump also redesignated the group as a terrorist organization after the President Biden removed the Trump era designation to allow aid deliveries to civilians in Yemen. Trump had previously criticized Biden for carrying out strikes against the group, and finally Trump withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organization. During his first term, President Trump moved to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement and World Health Organization, and he promised to do so again if re elected. Biden reversed the removal orders during his term and on his first days in office. Trump followed through on these promises, signing executive orders to withdraw the US from both organizations, which will take effect next year. All right. That is it for some of the stories we miss. Which now brings us in to some of the editorializing and opinions out there about the first 100 days. We're going to start with what the left is saying. The left is uniformly critical of the start of President Trump's term, with many arguing that several worst case scenarios have already come to pass. Overall, their core critiques focus on the impact of the Department of Government efficiency's cuts to government, Trump's posture toward traditional US Allies and adversaries, and the administration's use of executive power and tariffs. Commentators on the left say Doge has been ineffective and chaotic, making frequent mistakes while failing to provide the transparency that Elon Musk promised in the Nation. Robert Borisage highlighted negative effects of Doge on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, writing trump promised repeatedly in his campaigns to protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, the heart of America's limited safety net. Yet Musk's Doge operatives parachuted into Social Security offices, illegally, gaining access to computer systems, calling for shuttering regional offices, eliminating staff, rewriting computerized systems while planning cuts of 7,000 employees and offering buyouts and early retirement to the entire staff of 57,000. The New York Times Maureen Dowd said, when people begin to realize that their Veterans affairs office has been closed, or when Doge is messing around with Social Security and Medicare, when it filters down to them, which it's going to do really fast. It's cliche to say he's like the wizard of Oz, but the curtain is opening. Some, like Jacobin's Nick French, also note that Doge has failed to make a dent in federal spending. For others, Trump's foreign policy has been the most alarming part.

[John]

Hey everybody, this is John, executive producer of YouTube and podcast content and co host of the Daily Podcast. I hope you enjoyed this preview of our Sunday podcast with Ari and Isaac. We are now offering this podcast exclusively to our Premium Podcast members along with our ad free daily podcasts, Friday editions, in depth interviews, upcoming new podcast series, bonus content and much more. If you want to receive all that and give your support to help grow Tangle Media, Please go to readtangle.com where you can sign up for a newsletter membership, a podcast membership or a discounted bundle membership which gets you both access to the premium newsletter and the Premium podcast. If it's not the right time for you to sign up, please don't worry. Our ad supported Daily podcast isn't going anywhere, but if it is in your ability to support by signing up for a membership, we would greatly appreciate it and we're really excited to share all of our premium offerings with you. We'll be right back here tomorrow. For Isaac and the rest of the crew, this is John Mull signing off. Have a great day. Y'all.

[Isaac Saul]

Take care.

[John]

Bye.

[Isaac Saul]

Our podcast is written by me, Isaac Saul, and edited and engineered by John Wall. The script is edited by our Managing editor, Ari Weitzman, Will Kaback, Bailey Saul and Sean Brady. The logo for our podcast was designed by Magdalena Bokova, who is also our Social Media Manager. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet75. If you're looking for more from Tango, Please go to readtangle.com and check out our website.

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