Theory 2 Action Podcast
Theory 2 Action Podcast
LM#61--Trump's First 100 Days: A Conservative Report Card
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What happens when a determined president returns for a second term after four years in the political wilderness? Donald Trump's first hundred days back in power provide a fascinating case study in executive leadership that's reshaping American government at breathtaking speed.
Trump's administration has launched what can only be described as a conservative counter-revolution, systematically dismantling progressive policies through an unprecedented 142 executive orders. The boldest move might be the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency headed by Elon Musk, already identifying billions in potential savings and representing the most significant government reduction effort since Reagan.
The southern border transformation stands as perhaps the most dramatic success story. Without new legislation, merely through focused executive action, illegal crossings have reportedly plummeted by an astonishing 95% - a statistic that speaks volumes about the impact of determined leadership. Meanwhile, America First trade policies have reintroduced tariffs targeting China and other trade partners, with early economic indicators showing promise despite some market uncertainty.
Foreign policy hasn't been neglected either, with NATO allies facing renewed pressure to increase defense spending contributions and energy independence once again prioritized as a national security imperative. Not all moves have been universally embraced - mass pardons for January 6th defendants have proven deeply polarizing, though Trump campaigned explicitly on this promise.
The most significant challenge may be judicial resistance, with an unprecedented number of nationwide injunctions issued against Trump's policies. This constitutional struggle between executive authority and judicial oversight will likely define much of the administration's legal strategy moving forward.
Whether you view these developments with enthusiasm or alarm, there's no denying we're witnessing a pivotal moment in American governance - one that asks fundamental questions about executive power, constitutional interpretation, and the proper role of government. What grade would you give Trump's first 100 days?
Key Points from the Episode:
• Record-breaking 142 executive orders targeting climate regulations, COVID mandates, and diversity initiatives
• Creation of Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk identifying billions in potential savings
• 95% reduction in illegal border crossings through emergency declaration and enhanced enforcement
• Implementation of America First trade policies with tariffs on China, Canada, and Mexico
• Pushing NATO allies to increase defense spending while reducing foreign aid
• Mass pardons for January 6th defendants as promised during campaign
• Confronting "judicial tyranny" with unprecedented nationwide injunctions against policies
• Priority recommendations: pass tax cuts by July 4th, solidify DOGE with congressional action, and work with Congress to curb nationwide judicial injunctions
Keep fighting the good fight.
Other resources:
Trumps first 100 days written report card
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Those are the drums of liberty, trump's first 100 days of his second term. Let's grab the report card and see what grade he deserves on this Liberty Minute.
Speaker 2:Welcome to the Theory to Action podcast, where we examine the timeless treasures of wisdom from the great books in less time, to help you take action immediately and ultimately to create and lead a flourishing life. Now here's your host, David Kaiser.
Speaker 1:Hello, I am David and welcome back to this Liberty Minute. Today we're going to take ourselves on a journey, not through time exactly, but through one of the most talked about political milestones in recent memory. Imagine this it's a dawn of a new administration, a second term, the promised bold action and unapologetic change. What would the first 100 days look like if the commander in chief were none other than the 47th president of the United States, donald J Trump? And what would those first 100 days look like coming on the heels of one of the worst presidents in modern American history, going back to the days of Woodrow Wilson? Well, buckle up, my friends, because we're about to dig into that very story Now.
Speaker 1:You've probably heard the saying that the first 100 days of any presidency are like the opening act in a grand play. They set the tone and hint at what the other four years will hold. Well, trump didn't walk onto the stage quietly, did he? In fact, by some accounts, he was planning these moves, strategizing like Bobby Fischer over a chessboard. Trump hit the ground running, and I do mean running. From day one. He tackled a long list of priorities with the same energy that made him a larger-than-life figure in American politics. Some say Donald Trump is the political force of nature that the last time we saw this type of force was Andrew Jackson in the 19th century. Let's move past the headlines for a moment, because I want to paint a vivid picture of what these 100 days really achieved. And at the end of it all, we'll assign some grades to his policies, as if we are sitting down with a red pen and a syllabus of modern America and we will grade him from the conservative point of view. Sound good? All right, here we go.
Speaker 1:One of the first things Trump did was pick his pen up and sign a staggering 142 executive orders. Think about that number for a second. It's not just high, it's record-breaking. These orders reached into nearly every corner of government, aiming to reverse policies from the previous administration Climate regulations gone. Covid-19 mandates rolled back across the board. Even diversity hiring initiatives were shelved in favor of a more streamlined federal approach.
Speaker 1:And speaking of streamlining, how about this for a curveball? Trump created an entirely new department to make the government itself leaner, more smaller political jitsu. The Department of Government Efficiency, or DOJ as it's called, was entrusted to none other than Elon Musk, a former liberal. Yes, elon Musk. Imagine taking the same innovation behind rockets and electric cars and turning it towards trimming federal budgets. Thank you, elon, for your tenacity in the face of overwhelming pushback. Billions in savings have already been identified, making this one of the boldest reductions of government size since the Reagan era. Now think about that for a second. Reducing government bureaucracy has been on the conservative wish list for decades, but here we are watching it unfold in real time. If we're grading Mr Trump in this area, I think it's safe to say that effort deserves an A it's ambitious, but the real test will come if Congress enshrines those reforms into law.
Speaker 1:And then there's the southern border. You knew this would be the key part of the story, right? A national emergency was declared within days of Trump taking office and resources were funneled into expanding walls and barriers along the border. And here's the kicker, though Illegal border crossings plummeted by an astounding 95%. You heard that right. Bingo 95. Folks, we are still in the first 100 days. The issue this issue is game over.
Speaker 1:We didn't need no more new laws, we just needed a new president. What does a start like that mean of 95% drop in crossings? It means that for Donald Trump's base and, frankly, the whole country, this is a headline triumph. He made promises about securing the border and the results speak for themselves. Promises made, promises kept. This isn't just about policies, it's about political theater. People love results like this, don't they? If I were to grade his efforts here, I'd have to say, no questions asked. A++, that's right, he gets an A++. But Trump didn't stop with domestic policies. He took his America First mantra and named it squarely.
Speaker 1:At the economic landscape, his trade policies put tariffs back in the spotlight, targeting nations like China, canada and Mexico. The early indicators are quite promising Inflation started to cool down, us unemployment remains low and even big-name companies like Apple and Mercedes have committed to investing in American manufacturing. Investing, that's the key term here. However and this is a big however the sudden shock of trade policy shifts have left some global markets a bit wobbly. Could this have been sequenced any better? Probably. There's talk that a proactive tax cut beforehand could have eased the transition. If that happens, it might stabilize the situation. In my humble opinion, he should have pushed for the tax cuts in the first year and waited for the terror fight in the second year. With the wind at his back, so to speak, and his economic moves a B+, because it's good potential, but we are in a wait and see phase Now.
Speaker 1:Shifting gears slightly we're going to talk about foreign policy has been well to put a word to it assertive. From pushing NATO allies to pay more for their share to cutting back on foreign aid and reigniting debates about energy independence, and then taking action. He is making waves around the globe. Remember when the US was energy independent by the end of Trump's first term, way back in 2020? He's aiming to restore that very status again, and there's no subtlety in how he's going about it. For conservatives, this is a much-needed recalibration after years of perceived compromises by a very, very weak Biden administration. So Donald Trump gets another solid A in this area.
Speaker 1:Of course, there is one part of this administration's early days that stands out as particularly polarizing. Trump issued pardons en masse for those charging connections in connection to the events of January 6th, and love it or hate that. You could, in fact, even loathe that move, and it's certainly a stirred debate nationwide, but I, for one of them and it appears the voting public too was in my camp. He ran on that very talking point that he was going to pursue the pardons of the January 6th attendees, and he didn't shy away from it all the way through the campaign. So the American people knew what they were voting for, because Trump had campaigned on it. So again, it might be suspect, but I think the president was right in doing it and I think he has the power to do it.
Speaker 1:Now there's the matter of judicial reform. Trump's team has pushed back against what they call judicial tyranny, and I happen to agree with them wholeheartedly. These courts handing down national injunctions against his policies at unprecedented rates is unbelievable. By the way, did you know there's more nationwide injunctions that have been issued against Trump than any other modern president? Think about that. That's food for thought. The fight to restore balance in this area is ongoing, but I'd say for the Trump administration it's off to a decent start. They caught this pushback early and they have fought correctly fought for their right in the Article 2 powers that are, fact, invested in the presidency from the Constitution, plain and simple. So for this area, we're going to give Donald Trump and his team a B plus With room for improvement through more focused messaging and action.
Speaker 1:My recommendation is to get Vice President JD Vance out on the talk circuit more often. He's been there in drips and drabs, but getting him out more often on the talk circuit defending those Article II powers JD Vance can certainly carry the message, especially on Federalist 78, as it itself addresses these radical judges. That is a lot of ground to cover. We just went over executive orders, border security, trade, foreign policy, judicial reform. The list goes on and on.
Speaker 1:But what's clear in Trump's first 100 days of his second term is this it's been anything but quiet. He has made big promises and in many ways delivered bold results. Promises made, promises kept. Of course, it's too far, too early to declare every initiative a victory. Challenges certainly remain and some strategies might need some revisiting and recalibrations. But our priorities should be this number one, get the tax cut passed by july 4th and made retroactive. Number two, solidify the doge cuts with congressional action. And number three, work with Congress on curbing these nationwide judicial injunctions, since Chief Justice Roberts has said it's making a mockery of the Supreme Court. We agree, chief Justice, so rein your lower courts back in play. Those three priorities will take some time because Congress is required to do the heavy lifting now. But it's fair to say, for Trump's first 100 days, he stayed true to his reputation as a disruptor and determined to shake things up. So there you have it, my liberty-loving friends. You can also check out a written version of this piece on Substack. We'll put the link in the show notes.
Speaker 1:So in today's Liberty Minute, a whirlwind recap of a whirlwind start. Agree or disagree, trump's second term is a story still being written with a lot of mojo behind it, and that's what this whole great country is about getting some mojo back into the American step. I think Trump is rivaling FDR's first 100 days right now and FDR's liberal revolution that happened in the 1930s. And whether you or we are cheering from the sidelines, or perhaps some of you are raising your eyebrows in skepticism, we're witnessing history unfold as we speak. So what kind of grade would you give Donald Trump so far?
Speaker 1:Well, for me, his final grade is an A and the tagline for this first 100 days is it's a conservative counter-revolution. The conservative counter-revolution has begun countering all those liberal policies put in place for the last well, close to 100 years, 100 plus years, in fact. So for now, I say Donald Trump, keep going, push, push, push, whereas the president likes to say these days, fight, fight, fight. May god bless our country resetting its principles back to the constitution, and we have a little ps here, the cath7th successor to the Apostle Peter. So we offer our prayers for them to select a good and holy and virtuous man to lead the worldwide church during this difficult time. And for now, we will see you next time and, as always, keep fighting the good fight.
Speaker 2:Thank you for joining us. We hope you enjoyed this Theory to Action podcast. Be sure to check out our show page at teammojoacademycom, where we have everything we discussed in this podcast, as well as other great resources. Until next time, keep getting your mojo on.