“Shock and Awe” Presidency — “The Sunday Political Brunch” —  Feb. 2, 2025

“Shock and Awe” Presidency — “The Sunday Political Brunch” —  Feb. 2, 2025

Whether you agree or disagree with President Donald Trump, it’s hard to be critical of his tenacity. Every day, he is seemingly everywhere, rolling out parts of his agenda, as promised during the campaign. I have covered the last nine presidents and don’t recall any commander-in-chief being this aggressive right out of the starting gate. Now, some of it could be overturned by the courts, undone by Congress, or overruled in the court of public opinion. But so far, he’s hit the ground running. Let’s “brunch” on that this week.

 

“Trump’s Spending Freeze” – On one day; off the next! Late Monday, President Trump announced an order that would freeze money for federal grant and loan programs, especially those that help states. Initially, there was a panic at the state level as this could freeze the delivery of SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps. There could also be a suspension of TANF, which stands for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Other federal aid to states could be stopped as well, and portals to the Medicaid website were shut down for hours. The next day critics filed for an injunction in federal court. By Wednesday, the White House rescinded the spending freeze, while Trump blamed the media for using scare tactics. This issue is not over and again a court test could tell us where the boundaries are when it comes to sole presidential authority.

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“Laken Riley Act” – I firmly believe that the one single issue that put President Trump back in the White House is the problem with immigration and border security. On Wednesday, Trump signed the bipartisan Laken Riley Act into law. Trump said, "Today's signing is bringing us one step closer to eradicating the scourge of migrant crime in our communities once and for all." Riley was a 22-year-old nursing student in Athens, Georgia. One day she went for a jog and was attacked and killed by Jose Ibarra. Ibarra was living in the U.S. illegally and had been arrested on misdemeanor shoplifting charges but was allowed to stay in the U.S. while his immigration case proceeded. It was while he was awaiting trial that he murdered Riley. Among other things, the new law would allow immediate deportation for people like Ibarra. Again, Trump promised action after the bill stalled in Congress last year, and he and lawmakers delivered. Trump said, “That’s why I’m here (in the White House again) instead of somebody else. Actually, it’s the biggest reason.” 46 House Democrats and 12 Senate Democrats backed the bill.

 

“Laken’s Legacy” – Even before Trump signed the Laken Riley Act, he was “dipping his toes in the water” over his authority to stem the immigration problem. Last week, Trump ordered two military flights to Columbia to return dozens of people from that country who were in the U.S. without authorization, deeming them “illegal criminals.” Then Columbian President Gustavo Petro said the planes would not be allowed to land in his country. Trump responded by threatening a 25 percent tariff on Colombian imports such as coffee and oil into the U.S. for one week, then bumping it up to 50 percent indefinitely. President Petro then promised a 50 percent tariff on U.S. goods coming into Colombia, but soon backed down and said the U.S. military planes could come. The standoff lasted 12 hours, but Trump prevailed. I bet we will see this same scene play out with other nations and perhaps often.

 

“The 14th Amendment Challenge” – As I mentioned, some of what Trump is doing can be upset by the courts (at least temporarily), and so far, we have a couple of examples. A federal judge in Oregon rejected Trump’s executive order ending so-called “birthright citizenship.” The judge ruled Trump’s order as “blatantly unconstitutional” saying a presidential order cannot eliminate a constitutional amendment. Appeals are in the works, and the future of this and other executive orders may well rest with the U.S. Supreme Court.

 

“What Does the Amendment Say?" – Section 1 of the 14th Amendment reads, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” To that judge, (and in my humble opinion), the language seems clear: You’re born on U.S. property (even on a U.S. Navy base in Panama, as was the case of the late Sen. John McCain), then you are a U.S. citizen. Richard, one of my loyal readers, disagreed with my analysis, saying, “The Constitution most certainly does not state that “…if you are born on U.S. soil, you’re a U.S. citizen, even if one or both of your parents are not here legally…” Indeed, Native Americans did not become citizens until 1924 (and not all were born on reservations). He urged me and others to check out a website with differing analysis: https://americanmind.org/feature/the-case-against-birthright-citizenship/. While he and I disagree, I support sharing other points of view. Thank you, Richard!

 

“He’s Doing What He Said He’d Do!” – A well-known Democrat I often interview requested I not use his name, but he said, “Trump is doing all the things he said he was going to do. Why are people in my party acting surprised?” This is a person who agrees with absolutely none of the Trump agenda, but in a roundabout way was complimenting Trump’s political strategy. In football there is a play known as “flooding the zone” where you send a bunch of receivers into the same part of the field, to overwhelm the defenders, letting the quarterback complete a pass. Sometimes the catch is made, sometimes it isn’t. But the goal is to be overly aggressive and make as many completions as possible. Trump is simply “flooding the political zone.” By week’s end he carried through with a promise to levy 25 percent tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China, as well promising to purge top brass at the FBI. This really is unprecedented.

 

“The Kennedy Family Feud” – I think the oddest political story of the week was the feud that erupted within America’s storied Kennedy political family. With former Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, the more liberal elements of the Kennedy clan split. Caroline Kennedy, daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy, sent the Senate committee a video saying, in part, “I have known Bobby my whole life. We grew up together. It’s no surprise that he keeps birds of prey as pets because he himself is a predator.” She added her cousin, “is addicted to attention and power.” Caroline’s son Jack Schlossberg also objected to his uncle’s nomination saying on X, “LIFE AND DEATH DECISIONS by someone who cannot tell the truth.” Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump, who is the former co-chair of the Republican National Committee, called the remarks, “disgusting” and part of a “political game.” A source told “People Magazine” the Kennedy family is “in tatters.” This isn’t over.

 

“Mourn First; Find Fault Later” – Like all Americans my heart goes out to the victims of the midair crash over the Potomac River Wednesday night. I watched as President Trump addressed the nation Thursday morning and felt his first few minutes of commentary were kind, compassionate, heartfelt, and appropriate. I think he should have ended it there, but he began to make it political and blame others for aviation safety problems he says he had fixed, including ending diversity hiring practices. “I did change it. I changed the Obama policy, and we had a very good policy. And then Biden came in and he changed it. And then when I came in two days, three days ago, I signed a new order, bringing it to the highest level of intelligence.” I think that is a conversation for another day. This tragedy was only 14 hours old when Trump spoke. I mean give people time to grieve and mourn. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D) Maryland said, “We've just experienced a great tragedy, and the President of the United States has already rushed to politicize it… His comments were grotesque and outrageous, and he owes the American people an apology.”