Multiple State Department, DOJ, and military officials were immediately placed on leave and dozens of current and former intelligence officials were stripped of their security clearance in an unmistakable sign that the Trump administration quickly wants to dictate its own terms to the unruly behemoth that is the Federal government.
But personnel appointments were not all the new government pursued with the “utmost speed.” Trump also shattered the record for most Executive Orders (EO) signed on day one as President, with many more in the days since, which doesn’t even count the 78 Biden-era EOs, erased by Trump with the stroke of a sharpie. Yet there is something temporary about a presidential directive: Just as quickly as it’s signed, it can also be overturned by its signer’s successor or the courts who may find that an EO violates existing law. Indeed, such a fate likely awaits, for example, EO 14156, “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” which attempts to undo birthright citizenship.
No doubt America’s extremely permissive form of jus soli (right of the soil) acts as a massive magnet for migration, with Trump’s directive being one of a series of measures taken in the first days of his second term to discourage further mass migration and to expedite the remigration of millions of illegal immigrants. But attorney generals from blue states have already filed lawsuits against EO 14156, and it’s far from obvious that even some Trump-appointed Supreme Court Justices would dare to dramatically reinterpret the existing laws on birthright citizenship.
Other EOs signed by Trump do fall under his auspices, however, such as his designation of international drug cartels as terrorist organizations or his announcement to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization or the Paris Agreement.
Then there was President Trump’s extremely liberal usage of the presidential pardon. Most notably, he freed about 1,500 individuals who were convicted following the events of January 6th, 2021. Trump also gave a full pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the creator of Silk Road, a darknet marketplace where illicit drugs and other illegal goods and services were traded. With this gesture, Trump fulfilled a promise he made to the Libertarian Party last year in order to win over yet undecided third-party voters.
Naturally, some of Trump’s early presidential measures have angered Democrats, above all his mass pardon of the January 6ers, some of whom included individuals who were convicted of violent actions against Capitol police. But the Democrats are still licking their wounds after a shocking defeat in the presidential election and loss of control over the Senate. A recent CNN poll found that “just 33% of all Americans express a favorable view of the Democratic Party, an all-time low in CNN’s polling dating back to 1992.” The Democrats can no longer mobilize masses of women and young voters against Trump in the way they did in 2017.
Neither must Trump fear negative portrayals by the mass media who eight years ago were still able to control the narrative about the President. While attacks will still come, Americans report record low trust in the news media, according to Gallup, so these will have less of a sting.
In “acting with the utmost speed” and flooding the news cycle with a plethora of executive actions, the Trump White House likewise overwhelmed any potential opposition by giving it too much material to be angry about. In January 2017, Trump’s signature measure was the temporary immigration ban from some majority Muslim countries. It allowed the self-styled “Resistance” to focus its outrage on one sole issue.
And while some among his dozens of first-day EOs might indeed get struck down, not one alone determines the narrative around Trump. In our fast-paced media environment, viral memes —sometimes several in a day—are quickly forgotten. When the dust settles, Trump’s measured appearance on Inauguration Day may be all which sticks in people’s memories.
It certainly impressed Celinda Lake, a Democratic pollster. Lake told the influential political reporter Mark Halperin on his media platform 2WAY that Trump acted “brilliant[ly]” both during his Inaugural Address and after. “He showed the power of solo executive leadership,” Lake added. “He has shown that he brings about change. He's been decisive. He seemed on top of it. He seemed confident ... And his numbers are improving. Even though people disagree with his policies, they think he's doing a good job.”
Trump’s decisiveness and confidence are another Clausewitzian principle for defeating one's enemy: “act with the utmost concentration.” This may have been perhaps the most surprising revelation of the entire presidential transition and his first days in office. Whereas in the past, Trump liked to present himself as the tough deal-maker and decisive leader, in reality he was often anything but. He’d been known to promise bold measures only to tone these down back at the last second.
But back then he didn’t have the certainty that his own Cabinet and staff would jump to his defense rather than betray him via leaks and tell-all books. Now Trump 47 is more than just a man—he is the living embodiment of “America First”, with true believers on board who have spent the last years building the infrastructure in anticipation of Donald Trump’s triumphant return to the White House. Joining Trump 47 are long-time faithfuls like Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, the designated FBI director Kash Patel, or Russell Vought, the nominee for director of the inconspicuous but most consequential Office of Management and Budget in the White House. These may certainly help keep the President’s eye on the ball.
In addition, since Trump now also is well aware of the fact that for the first time, a majority of Americans approve of his job performance, he would draw strength and confidence knowing he is executing the will of the American people. And they like what they’ve seen in these first few days of Trump 47.
