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On Monday, Donald Trump will place his right hand in front of an audience of millions, and he will swear on the Bible to serve the American people as their 47th president. The world will watch as the president-elect addresses a crowd in Washington from the steps of the U.S. Capitol where a group of his supporters stormed the building four years ago.
The moment will be history. But it will also only be the beginning. Trump's second tenure in the White House will be the opportunity to follow through on his promises: tamp down on immigration, protect American workers and cut government costs. While Trump won the popular vote with these pledges, a lot is still unclear as far as whether they will be seen to fruition, and it's also unclear how the returning president will leverage a Republican trifecta in both chambers of Congress. That's where Paste BN comes in, following every moment of the next four years for you, and with you, to decode what is happening in Washington.
👋 Nicole Fallert here and welcome to Your Week, our newsletter exclusively for Paste BN subscribers (that's you!). This week, we talk with Paste BN's Washington-based journalists about what they're looking to cover from the incoming administration.
Here are a few more headlines I've read this week from Paste BN:
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- Melania Trump on her return to the White House: "Standing on my own two feet."
- Fentanyl killed their kids, and they're desperate for change. Can Trump help?
- Ski vacations don't have to break the bank.
- Buckle up for a wild ride on Jerry Jones' Cowboys coaching search.
All eyes on Day One promises
"I’ll be watching to see how Trump’s experience from his first administration influences his second," said Bart Jansen, Department of Justice reporter. "He’s already tried to hit the ground running by designating candidates for Cabinet posts and other top administration jobs, so they can get confirmed quickly. But in the first term, legal challenges and resistance from the federal government slowed down and changed his priorities."
Jansen will be studying whether mass deportations, which is among Trump's top goals, will prove to be as costly and difficult to accomplish as his critics say. Trump has also talked about pardoning defendants from the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021, which Bart describes as "contentious."
"He hasn’t detailed yet how either program would work. How will he accomplish those priorities – who will face the brunt of deportations or enjoy the bulk of pardons – that he said he will act upon on Day One?"
Will Trump's return prove to be a 'mandate or a statement'?
"Trump says the American people gave him a 'mandate' to carry out his MAGA agenda after campaigning on mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, eliminating the 'deep state' from the federal government and undoing Biden-era policies ranging from the climate to the border," said Joey Garrison, White House correspondent. In effect, Garrison will be watching how Americans themselves react to these proposed changes.
"It’s debatable whether his election victory was less a mandate and more a statement from Americans about their frustrations with inflation and the status quo," he said.
Defining a Trump economy
White House correspondent Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy will be writing about the intersection of the economy and foreign policy as it relates to Trump's campaign promise to levy tariffs on international trade partners.
"That means examining if and how consumer behavior shifts due to tariffs if the plight of homebuyers dealing with ongoing housing shortages improves or worsens, how the construction industry deals with looming worker shortages, and the effect streamlined federal services will have on the daily lives of people," Venugopal Ramaswamy said.
She'll be reporting with Americans' wallets in mind, breaking down what policies mean for your everyday spending. And besides that? She's looking forward to the colorful cast of characters coming to the White House — and whether the strong personalities of Trump's Cabinet picks will yield results for his agenda.
"I’m also excited to cover some of the personalities heading up key agencies," she said. "Especially the perspective and ideas they will bring to the new administration."
Trump's fellow GOP could be friends — or foes
"A big thing I’m watching is whether Trump can keep Republicans united to pass his agenda," said White House correspondent Zac Anderson. "We’re already seeing big intraparty rifts emerge in the wake of the GOP’s post-election euphoria, including the turmoil over a stopgap funding bill that nearly led to a government shutdown in December and a feud between Steve Bannon and Elon Musk that began over immigrant visas."
Trump vs. the world
How is Trump going to situate the U.S. on the world stage? Francesca Chambers, White House correspondent, will be following the incoming administration's relationship with foreign conflicts, international trade and alliances.
"I'll be watching for how Donald Trump's peace through strength approach manifests in his foreign policy agenda," Chambers said. "He's pledged to end the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine swiftly and previewed plans to make U.S. allies contribute more to their defense. How he goes about that will be a central and defining storyline of his second term."
Read more about Trump 2.0 from Paste BN:
- Greenlanders are shocked, intrigued and bewildered by Trump's zeal for their Arctic territory.
- Trump is the first ex-president sentenced for a criminal conviction.
- Trump's potential tariffs could hit your wallet.
- Here's how Trump's company will avoid deals with foreign governments but not foreign companies.
Thank you
I'm so thankful for my incredible colleagues in Washington. Thank you for supporting our journalism with your subscription. Our work wouldn't be possible without you.
Best wishes,
Nicole Fallert