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Trump’s inaugural address — carnage, optimism or empty words?

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Michael Graham: Trump skips ‘carnage,’ embraces optimism in 2nd inaugural

The New York Times called it “A Grim Picture of America.”

Politico labeled it “American Carnage, Part 2.”

However, for most Americans, President Trump’s second inaugural address was a positive, hopeful vision of his America First politics. And the days when negative media coverage could convince them otherwise are long gone.

His first sentence said it all: “The golden age of America begins right now.”

Describing a Donald Trump speech as “uplifting” or filled with (apologies to Kamala Harris) “joy” would be a stretch. Trump does optimism the same way President Biden did news conferences — rarely and not very well.

At the same time, it’s hard to deny that the message of his first 24 hours in office was, yes, things are lousy (hey, he’s Trump), but they will get better. We, the American people, can fix them.

“I return to the presidency, confident and optimistic that we are at the start of a thrilling new era of national success, a tide of change is sweeping the country. Sunlight is pouring over the entire world,” Trump said.

And then there was this telling gem:

“I stand before you now as proof that you should never believe that something is impossible to do. In America, the impossible is what we do best.”

It’s a callback to a slogan embraced by the Air Force during World War II: “The impossible we do immediately; the miraculous takes a little longer.”

Yes, Trump rudely criticized the previous president as the poor man sat there, slumped and sour, listening to the litany of policy failures on his watch.

Rather than blaming Biden for every botched job, Trump put the past four years in a larger, and more meaningful, context.

“We now have a government that cannot manage even a simple crisis at home,” he said, listing the inept response to the hurricane that hit North Carolina and the incompetent policies that fed the devastating wildfires in California.

By doing so, Trump made his speech about a bigger problem than the Biden presidency. He addressed a growing fear Americans feel that our nation can’t get things done anymore, that we can’t fix problems and that we can’t get results.

That’s when Trump made a very non-“carnage” turn: “My recent election is a mandate to … give the people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy and, indeed, their freedom. From this moment on, America’s decline is over.”

Then Trump started listing his policies and plans to turn things around. 

Some were common sense, like reversing the record number of border crossings and ending politically motivated policies attacking U.S. energy production.

Others were, well, crazy: Seizing the Panama Canal? The “Gulf of America”?

But — and this is what Trump’s critics did not have ears to hear — much of what Trump wants to do is popular.

Listeners who were shocked to hear Trump declare that the U.S. government will now embrace the fact that there are only two sexes, male and female, need to pick up a copy of the New York Times. Its latest poll shows 79% of Americans support keeping biological males out of girls’ sports.

On immigration, 88% support Trump’s plan for a mass deportation of undocumented aliens with criminal records.

Americans scandalized by Trump’s “extreme” positions need to consider the possibility that they are the “extremists.”

In the end, Trump spent most of his speech talking about victory. His, of course (once again, he’s still Trump). But also the victory he predicts Americans will achieve in the future.

“Above all, my message to Americans today is that it is time for us to once again act with courage, vigor, and the vitality of history’s greatest civilization.”

American carnage? Those could have been the words of Reagan, or Roosevelt, or even Obama.

They could not, however, have been the words of the Donald Trump that America heard eight years ago.

And that’s perhaps the most crucial thing Trump shared with America in the first speech of his new presidency.

Editor’s note: Michael Graham is the managing editor of InsideSources.com. Please send your comments to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.

 

Laura Rodriguez: Trump’s empty words ignore the heavy price Americans could pay for his presidency

As Donald J. Trump returns to the role of U.S. president, many Americans ask themselves a simple question: Will his administration protect their pocketbooks, their way of life and their health? While we want our government to do just that, Trump focused his first speech as the 47th president of the United States on fear-mongering and culture wars.

The priorities Trump’s administration has outlined make it clear their work will not be focused on cutting costs for the American people. Instead, they’re gearing up to cut vital programs that Americans rely on, from health care to infrastructure.

They also plan to purge apolitical civil servants from government agencies, undermining the very systems designed to protect us. This is not a government for the people; it’s a government for the powerful, focused on self-enrichment and special interests at the expense of everyday Americans.

Let’s face it, while many Americans are struggling with the high cost of living, Trump is inheriting a macro economy that any president would envy. Inflation is around the lowest it’s been since 2021. The Biden-Harris administration created 16 million jobs. The unemployment rate has held at around 4% for one of the most extended stretches in half a century.

Now, Trump risks squandering this progress by making irresponsible moves like suspending refugee resettlement, which has helped drive local economies nationwide.

Instead, Americans should brace for their cost of living to increase under Trump’s economic policies. His plans to implement substantial tariffs on all imports — including from China and Mexico — are expected to raise the prices of goods like groceries, furniture, toys and clothing. Moreover, these tariffs could incentivize companies to relocate their manufacturing operations abroad, potentially displacing U.S. jobs and harming our economy. If Trump’s tax and other economic policies were implemented, U.S. economic growth would actually slow down.

Trump has also signaled intentions to implement significant spending cuts across several federal programs. Key to this initiative is the establishment of a new Department of Government Efficiency, led by tech billionaire Elon Musk, aiming to reduce as much as $2 trillion in government expenditures by July 2026.

This ambitious goal will require cutting spending in some notable areas — including education, health care and social services. For example, there are concerns about substantial cuts to programs for child care and college tuition, which could negatively affect low-income communities. Additionally, the Trump administration is keen to eliminate the Department of Education in the name of fighting culture wars, which could severely affect services countless Americans rely upon.

Trump’s purge of civil servants — scientists, engineers and public health experts — will prove to be one of his more dangerous proposals. Removing and replacing up to 50,000 career civil servants with political loyalists smacks of corruption Americans won’t tolerate. This approach will create a climate of fear among federal workers and will only slow down the services Americans need.

Too often, Washington has failed to address the real concerns of working families. Trump’s administration shows no sign of reversing that trend. Despite their campaign rhetoric, MAGA Republicans lack substantive plans to tackle the issues that matter most — like controlling inflation, lowering housing costs, and making healthcare more affordable. Instead, this administration plans to focus on consolidating power, enriching themselves, and rewarding billionaire donors like Musk, who exemplify the MAGA oligarchy.

In his inaugural speech, Trump spoke about moving the country away from investments in clean energy, quipping “drill, baby, drill.” This rhetoric ignores the reality of a country that will only suffer more — both economically and personally — from climate disasters. It also fails to recognize that the U.S. produced more oil in the last four years than ever.

Americans deserve better than a government that works only for the wealthy and well-connected. While Trump talks a big game about standing up for the middle class, his actions betray a profound indifference to their struggles. We must hold his administration accountable to prioritize the needs of the people they were elected to serve. Americans are watching, and they will not forget who stood by them — and who sold them out.

Editor’s note: Laura Rodriguez is the senior vice president for government affairs at the Center for American Progress. She wrote this for InsideSources.com. Please send your comments to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.

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