Trump Takes Office, and the TikTok Roller Coaster

Summary

The Headlines: Trump Takes Office, and the TikTok Roller Coaster

Episode Release Date: January 20, 2025
Host: Tracie Mumford, The New York Times

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1. Trump's Inauguration and Return to Power

On Inauguration Day, January 20, 2025, Donald Trump was officially sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. The ceremony took place inside the Capitol Building—a last-minute relocation due to freezing temperatures in Washington, D.C. Attended by every living former president, as well as numerous billionaires, CEOs, and foreign dignitaries, the event marked Trump's significant return to the Oval Office.

2. Jonathan Swan on Trump’s Governance Challenges

Jonathan Swan, The New York Times Reporter, provides an in-depth analysis of Trump's reentry into the White House:

“When Trump now returns, Washington is markedly different from his first term. He faces fewer guardrails, a depleted opposition, and a more compliant Congress. Additionally, his relationship with major tech billionaires like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos has shifted from adversarial to supportive” (01:24).

Swan emphasizes that unlike his previous term, Trump’s primary challenge now lies in governing effectively and delivering on campaign promises without the intense opposition that once defined his presidency.

3. Immediate Executive Actions by Trump

Trump indicated a swift and decisive approach to undo the Biden administration's policies:

“Every radical and foolish executive order of the Biden administration will be repealed within hours of when I take the oath of office” (02:36).

At a pre-inauguration rally in D.C., Trump teased a barrage of executive orders set to be signed immediately, contrasting with calls for a more measured approach:

“Oh, you're going to have a lot of fun watching television tomorrow. Somebody said yesterday, sir, don't sign so many in one day. Let's do it over a period of weeks. I said like hell we're going to do it over weeks. We're going to sign them at the beginning” (02:52).

Key initiatives expected to be among his first moves include:

• Easier termination of federal employees, potentially allowing Trump to remove those opposing his agenda.
• Reversing Biden's climate initiatives, signaling a shift in environmental policy.
• Aggressive immigration reforms, aiming to seal the U.S.-Mexico border and initiate mass deportations.

Trump further asserted his commitment to halting illegal immigration swiftly:

“By the time the sun sets tomorrow evening, the invasion of our borders will have come to a halt and all the illegal border trespassers will in some form or another be on their way back home” (03:39).

4. Operation Safeguard and Immigration Raids

The Trump administration unveiled Operation Safeguard, targeting sanctuary cities like Chicago that resist federal demands to detain undocumented immigrants. Tom Homan, Trump's border czar, stated:

“If they're not going to help us, then we'll just double the manpower in those cities” (03:58).

Hundreds of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have been mobilized to participate in potential raids, with operations possibly commencing imminently.

5. Gaza Ceasefire and Regional Implications

A significant development emerged in international affairs as a ceasefire in Gaza took effect at 11:15 am local time, ending 470 days of conflict between Israel and Hamas. The six-week truce involves:

• Withdrawal of Israeli troops from populated areas.
• Release of 33 hostages by Hamas in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

Tracie Mumford reported emotional reunions as hostages were returned, while areas in Gaza grappled with extensive destruction. Patrick Kingsley, The New York Times' Jerusalem Bureau Chief, provided insights into Hamas's strategic posturing:

“This was clearly a very pointed attempt by Hamas to project strength... that they, Hamas, remain the dominant force in town” (06:05).

Kingsley noted the militants' organized display in Gaza City, aiming to assert control and influence future governance discussions post-conflict.

6. TikTok Ban Roller Coaster

The episode delved into the tumultuous weekend surrounding the social media app TikTok, which faced a potential ban in the U.S. due to national security concerns:

• Saturday Night: Users were met with a message stating TikTok was unavailable as the company worked with Trump to bypass the ban.

“Oh my God, I've already opened and closed the app probably six times already just to keep getting the same stupid warning message” (07:38).

• Sunday Morning: Trump's intervention led to a temporary reinstatement of the app via an executive order:

“Why is TikTok back up?” (07:38).

However, the future of TikTok remains uncertain as the congressional law, upheld unanimously by the Supreme Court, mandates that TikTok must find a non-Chinese owner. Trump proposed that an American entity acquire a 50% stake in the app, a move TikTok previously deemed impossible. Despite existing users retaining access, Apple and Google have removed TikTok from their app stores, facing potential fines for continuing access.

7. Establishing a Women’s Suffrage Monument on the National Mall

In a historic move, President Biden signed a bill authorizing the creation of a monument dedicated to the women's suffrage movement on the National Mall. This marks the first monument on the Mall specifically honoring women, a long-sought achievement since women secured the right to vote.

Key points include:

• Legislative Effort: Years of advocacy by lawmakers overcame existing restrictions preventing new additions to the National Mall.
• Design and Location: Details are still under development, with an expected unveiling timeline of approximately five years.
• Historical Context: An earlier statue commemorating suffragettes was briefly displayed in the U.S. Capitol in 1921 but was removed after a single day, remaining hidden for 75 years.

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Tracie Mumford concludes the episode by highlighting these pivotal stories, offering listeners a comprehensive overview of the day's most consequential events.

Transcript

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[Tracie Mumford]

From the New York Times, it's the headlines. I'm Tracie Mumford. Today's Monday, January 20th. Here's what we're covering. Today is Inauguration Day. This morning, Donald Trump will be welcomed to the White House by President Biden. The two will meet behind closed doors before they travel together to the Capitol. There, just before noon, Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. The ceremony will happen inside the Capitol Building, a last minute shift because of the freezing cold temperatures in Washington. Every living president will be there, along with a host of billionaires, CEOs and foreign leaders. Times reporter Jonathan Swan is reporting on Trump's return to power.

[Jonathan Swan]

I covered Trump's first term in office and you just can't emphasise how different Washington was when he arrived here last time. It was a city primed to resist his presidency. But he now returns with fewer guardrails, a depleted opposition, a court system that he transformed in his first term, and a Congress that's much, much more compliant than existed in his first term. And he's also got the big money on his side. He has Elon Musk, the world's richest man, literally working for his government. He's got all these tech billionaires, people like Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, people who used to be his adversaries but are now scrambling to curry favour with him. In fact, when I talk to people close to Trump, there's a point that keeps re emerging, which is he's always needed an enemy. He's always thrived on opposition. The difference this time is his enemies are all but vanquished. So Trump faces a different challenge, actually governing. He's going to be judged more than ever over the next four years by his ability to deliver on the promises that he made to his voters.

[Donald Trump]

We've had so much help. Every radical and foolish executive order of the Biden administration will be repealed within hours of when I take the oath of office.

[Tracie Mumford]

Trump is expected to start putting some of his campaign campaign promises into action as soon as this afternoon.

[Donald Trump]

Oh, you're going to have a lot of fun watching television tomorrow. Somebody said yesterday, sir, don't sign so many in one day. Let's do it over a period of weeks. I said like hell we're going to do it over weeks. We're going to sign them at the beginning.

[Tracie Mumford]

At a pre inauguration rally in D.C. he teased signing a flurry of executive orders immediately. Among other things, Trump is expected to make it easier to fire federal workers, which could allow him to clear out those who challenge his agenda. And he plans to undo some of Biden's climate initiatives. Some of his most dramatic first moves may center on immigration. Trump has plans to essentially seal the U. S. Mexico border and carry out mass deportations.

[Donald Trump]

By the time the sun sets tomorrow evening, the invasion of our borders will have come to a halt and all the illegal border trespassers will in some form or another be on their way back home.

[Tracie Mumford]

The Times has learned that the Trump administration is planning immigration raids in Chicago this week under a plan called Operation Safeguard. The goal is to send the message that it will crack down on so called sanctuary cities like Chicago which refuse to hand over undocumented immigrants to federal authorities. Trump's border czar Tom Homan said, quote, if they're not going to help us, then we'll just double the manpower in those cities. Hundreds of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were asked to volunteer for the Chicago raid. It could begin as soon as tomorrow, though Homan said the final decision hasn't been made yet. Foreign yesterday at 11:15am local time, the ceasefire in Gaza went into effect. After 470 days of war, Israel and Hamas are now observing a six week truce. Israeli troops will fall back from populated areas and hamas will release 33 hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The first of the hostages to be released were three women who were taken from Israel on October 7th. They were reunited with their families to tears and relief while in Gaza, people poured into the streets to celebrate the ceasefire, but also to begin the grim work of surveying what's left. Most of the territory has been destroyed. Some of the most striking images of the pause in fighting so far have come out of Gaza City, where videos showed Hamas militants in their uniforms fanning out with Israeli troops gone.

[Patrick Kingsley]

Usually when we've seen clips of the fighting in Gaza, we've seen young men in civilian clothes, sometimes in flip flops. We haven't seen them in this very coordinated fashion wearing their uniforms, carrying their assault rifles, wearing balaclavas and green Hamas bandanas.

[Tracie Mumford]

Patrick Kingsley is the Times Jerusalem Bureau chief.

[Patrick Kingsley]

When we saw zoomed out drone imagery of these militants surrounded by crowds of supporters, we could see that these were actually not very many people. But nevertheless, it was clearly a very pointed attempt by Hamas to project strength to show not only to Israel but also to their own people, the Palestinians in Gaza, that they, Hamas, remain the dominant force in town and that they will have to be reckoned with in any conversation about who gets to govern Gaza in a post war future.

[Tracie Mumford]

So dumb coming on the Internet and crying about an app. But the fact is that this has been a sense of community for me for years now and it got me through really, really hard times in my life. For TikTok users in the US it was a roller coaster of a weekend as the app shut down, citing the law that banned it over national security concerns. Oh my God, I've already opened and closed the app probably six times already just to keep getting the same stupid warning message. Oh my go. Starting late Saturday night, people who opened TikTok got a pop up message saying it was unavailable, but that the company was working with Trump to find a way around that. Just hours later. Yo, it's Sunday. What happened?

[Donald Trump]

Why is TikTok back up?

[Tracie Mumford]

TRUMP announced that he would issue an executive order to push back the ban and the app flickered back to life.

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[Tracie Mumford]

This time with a new message, quote. As a result of President Trump's efforts, TikTok is back in the US but the future of the app is still very much up in the air. The law in question was passed by Congress and unanimously upheld by the Supreme Court. So legal experts say Trump trying to block it would be uncharted territory. Trump says he's trying to find a solution by striking a deal. The law requires TikTok to find a non Chinese owner. Trump's proposing that an American entity buy out 50% of the app. But TikTok had previously said a sale was impossible, and the Chinese government has signaled it might block one. For the moment, people who already have TikTok can keep scrolling, though Apple and Google have both dropped it from their app stores since they faced fines of up to $5,000 per person for anyone who uses their platforms to access it. For more on what could Happen Next for TikTok, listen to today's episode of the Daily and finally, for more than a century, the National Mall has been home to monuments honoring presidents, veterans, the Postal Service, even horses. But there's never been one specifically honoring women. In one of Biden's last official acts, he signed a bill allowing the creation of a monument to the women's suffrage movement. The effort to get this kind of thing has been underway almost since women got the right to vote. The most recent effort required a years long push by lawmakers and an exception to an existing law that forbids any new additions to the National Mall. The monument's exact location and design are still being worked out, but it's expected to be unveiled in about five years. Notably, there was an early statue honoring suffragettes that was displayed in the US Capitol back in 1921. It was up for exactly one day before it was banished to a service closet for 75 years. Those are the headlines. I'm Tracy Mumford. We'll be back tomorrow.