One month down in Trump's presidency, 47 to go. Democrats better buckle up. | Opinion
President Donald Trump is just getting started, and he shows no signs of slowing down. Thursday marks his first full month in office (I know. It seems longer, right?).
I recently returned from a much-needed week away from arctic Michigan, and I’ll admit I (mostly) took a break from the news as well.
Holy cow, I missed a lot.
This is the new normal with President Donald Trump back at the helm. Between his many social media posts, announcements and executive orders, Trump can control the news cycle like no one else.
After four years of former President Joe Biden, who essentially hid from the news media and the public for much of that time, it’s easy to feel whiplash.
Trump is just getting started, and he shows no signs of slowing down. Thursday marks his first full month in office (I know. It seems longer, right?).
As one colleague of mine framed it, Trump has completed just 2% of his second term, which is likely a joyful thought for his fans – and something quite different for his foes.
Sorry, Democrats. It’s going to be a long four years for you.
Trump's doing a lot. And he's more popular than ever.
This time around, Trump isn’t wasting any time before taking action. He’s breaking records with the number of executive orders he’s signing, and he’s got no shortage of other things on his to-do list.
The president also is getting the team he wanted in place at a brisk pace.
With a Republican majority in the Senate, Trump’s Cabinet nominees are sailing through the process with more ease than anticipated – even controversial picks like Pete Hegseth for Defense secretary and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health and Human Services secretary.
Now, as I’ve argued before, I’d rather Trump work with Congress to make more meaningful, long-lasting change than take the much easier (and more legally dubious, in some cases) executive approach.
Yet, Trump made a lot of promises on the campaign trail, and he’s following through quickly.
His supporters – and even some who didn’t use to be – are noticing. A recent CBS News poll found Trump had a 53% approval rating.
As CNN’s data reporter Harry Enten recently observed on X, “Trump's broken the mold by remaking the electorate from +6 Dem in 2021 to +2 GOP now!”
That’s a significant swing in our polarized times.
Trump is also starting out his second term much more popular than he was in his first. Enten noted that in Trump’s first 21 days, he achieved a positive net approval rating each day. Compare that with his first term, in which he had only 11 days total in four years of net positive approval rating.
Trump is taking the right side on issues Americans care about
What is Trump doing so right? Several conservative pundits, including Scott Jennings, have recently made the excellent point that Trump has a knack for championing the issues that vast majorities of Americans support.
He certainly does.
Take, for instance, Trump’s stance on protecting the integrity and fairness of women’s sports. This month, he signed an executive order doing just that by keeping transgender athletes off of girls and women’s teams.
While progressives like to make conservatives seem like they are cruel and out of touch on this important issue, they got this fight wrong.
Nearly 80% of Americans – including a majority of Democrats – say male athletes should not be on female teams or in their locker rooms.
Trump campaigned on this issue, and he was smart to do so.
The president is approaching his final term in office with energy and an apparent commitment to following through on his promises to voters.
If he succeeds, we’ll all win.
Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at Paste BN. Contact her at ijacques@usatoday.com or on X: @Ingrid_Jacques