‘Flooding the zone’: Trump hits warp speed in first week in office

president donald trump is back in the White House and is speeding through his long-awaited agenda with dozens of executive orders, inspecting damaged areas in North Carolina and California and rallying behind his cabinet nominees for confirmation.

In his inauguration speech on Monday, the new president promised that things around the country “will change starting today, and it will change very quickly.” And moments later, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich took to social media to tease: “Now comes SHOCK AND AWE.”

Trump signed a barrage of executive orders and actions on his own first eight hours in officethat not only fulfilled major campaign promises, but also allowed the incoming president to flex his executive muscles again and address some long-standing grievances.

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The president immediately cracked down on immigration; it moved toward a trade war with major allies and adversaries; and reversed many policies implemented by former president Joe Bidenincluding the elimination of much of the previous administration’s federal diversity actions and energy and climate provisions.

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He also sparked controversy by pardoning or commuting the sentences of approximately 1,500 supporters who participated in the January 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol in an unsuccessful attempt to reverse Congressional certification of the election victory of Biden 2020. Among those whose sentences were commuted were some who violently assaulted police officers in one of the darkest days of America

Trump also fired some top government officials; made a high-profile half-billion-dollar tech investment announcement; he gave extensive, unscripted, informal, impromptu press conferences during his first two days in the White House; and even renamed the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America.”

The frantic pace continued throughout the week, with more executive orders signed and actions taken by Trump and his new administration in their first 100 hours in office.

Amid the hectic environment of Trump’s first week in the White House, Senate Republicans and the president’s allies are rallying behind his cabinet nominees and pushing them to be confirmed. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Radcliffe were confirmed by the Senate earlier this week, and several other nominees are expected to be confirmed between the weekend and next week.

On Friday, the president flew to hurricane-ravaged western North Carolina and then to Los Angeles, where this month’s devastating wildfires have left a wide path of destruction.

“I think it’s great how they’ve been handling it, immediately finding the moment with action. It’s exactly what he needs to do and it’s exactly what the people voted for,” veteran Republican strategist Kristin Davison told Fox News.

“Americans vote for decisive, swift action and real leadership. And Trump understands that more than anyone. I think he and his team knew how important it was to show that they listened to what the people wanted and that they respond with leadership,” he argued.

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Longtime Republican consultant Alex Castellanos agreed.

“He’s flooding the area. He’s making a case for action. He’s demonstrating action. He’s rallying a wave of American support for a massive transformation of government,” said Castellanos, a veteran of numerous presidential campaigns. of the GOP, on Fox News.

Seasoned Democratic strategist Joe Caiazzo did not question Trump’s frantic actions.

“The pace of this shouldn’t surprise anyone. Trump made it very clear that he would act quickly, he would act boldly, and he would do exactly what he told voters he would do,” he said. .

But Caiazzo argued that “the things he’s doing will directly affect working families from coast to coast. It’s also a sign that he has no respect for the rule of law.”

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When asked if Trump’s actions were what Americans voted for last fall, Caiazzo replied, “Of course not. What Americans voted for was cheaper groceries. What Donald Trump will give us is a litany of policies that work to erode our institutions, that.” work to enrich the rich and consolidate their position among the oligarchy of this country.”

There’s another reason for Trump’s fast pace: Even though he’s the new president, he’s also a lame-duck term-limited president. And by Labor Day, much of the political world will begin looking toward the 2026 midterm elections.

“This is his second term. He needs to move quickly,” Davison stressed.

Trump’s show of strength in the early days of his second administration also contrasts with eight years ago, when he first entered the White House.

The president and his team are much more experienced the second time around, and the supporting cast is intensely loyal to Trump.

“In the last administration, there would be traffic jams and bottlenecks because there were people who didn’t agree with him,” a White House source told Fox News. “Now we have a whole infrastructure and staff that’s been built around him, to support him. When he says something, he’s doing it. It’s a testament to him and the team he built.”

Credit is also being given to the White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, who, as co-manager of Trump’s 2024 presidential bid campaign, kept the trains running.

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“What Susie has done is look at the entirety of Trump and find the best players and put them in the best positions to support the president. Trump is surrounded by Trump people who have proven over the years not only to be loyal but ultra-competent operators,” added one adviser, who requested anonymity to speak more freely.