The Memo: Trump set to ‘shock and awe’ with executive actions

President-elect Trump is expected to unleash a blizzard of executive orders as soon as he takes office on Monday, seeking to demonstrate he can deliver on the hopes of supporters who elected him to change the nation’s direction.

Trump could make immediate moves on immigration, energy policy and tariffs. He could also make rapid changes on hot-button cultural issues, shifting issues like abortion and trans rights in a more conservative direction.

The incoming president and his allies are signaling the general thrust of his intentions clearly, even if much is yet to be revealed when it comes to specifics.

Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) told CBS’s “Face the Nation” last weekend: “When President Trump takes office next Monday, there is going to be shock and awe with executive orders. A blizzard of executive orders on the economy, as well as on the border.”

The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Trump had told Senate Republicans in a two-hour private meeting that he had roughly 100 executive orders ready to go.

The advantage in the “shock and awe” approach, especially for an incoming president as controversial as Trump, is that it could leave his opponents uncertain what to focus on – and struggling to bring sustained opposition to bear on any one proposal.

It would also reassure the Trump base that their decision to re-install the most disruptive figure in the nation’s politics was likely to pay off – even as the very same dynamics would likely outrage Democrats and liberals.

Back in November’s election, roughly one-quarter of voters said they wanted “complete and total upheaval” in the nation, according to an expansive voter analysis commissioned by the Associated Press and Fox News. Trump won those voters by a huge margin over Harris, 71 percent to 27 percent.

There are also real doubts about whether the anti-Trump resistance can recapture anything close to the intensity it possessed in the early days of his first term.

Much is different this time around.

Trump’s victory over Vice President Harris last November was far more foreseeable than his shock win over Hillary Clinton in 2016. Trump prevailed in the popular vote this time around, and there is no question regarding the legitimacy of his victory.

There also seems a certain resigned weariness to liberals who have seen Trump increase his support even among young voters, urban voters and Black voters.

As to the specifics, immigration is considered especially ripe for immediate action. The issue was one of Trump’s strongest during the election campaign, as he capitalized on voter disquiet about unauthorized border crossings that hit an all-time high roughly a year ago.

Some possible areas for action could be a reinstitution of the “Remain in Mexico” policy, under which asylum-seekers had to remain south of the border while their claims for refuge in the U.S. were adjudicated, or a return of the use of Title 42 authority, which enables authorities to turn would-be migrants back in an expedited fashion.

Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security, South Dakota Gov Kristi Noem, at her confirmation hearing on Friday signaled a return to the “Remain in Mexico” policy was forthcoming.

The president-elect has also said he would like to get rid of “birthright citizenship” – the constitutional guarantee that anyone born on U.S. soil is an American – though the legality of any such shift would face instant challenge.

Critics argue that “Remain in Mexico” left asylum-seekers vulnerable to unsafe and abusive situations at overcrowded camps. They also contend that any claim that migrants pose a specific public health risk – the heart of Title 42 --- is specious as the COVID-19 pandemic fades further away in the rearview mirror.

Another key question surrounds what kind of moves Trump makes on tariffs – and at what scale.

A president has unusually wide latitude on tariffs, which can be levied by the commander-in-chief if they are asserted to be necessary to national security.

Trump has at various times suggested he would impose tariffs of 25 percent on imports from Canada and Mexico, 60 percent on China and up to 20 percent on a global scale.

But even some voices sympathetic to the president-elect believe such threats could be a negotiating tactic, especially when it comes to U.S. neighbors, whom Trump wants to take more robust action on migration.

The other complicating factor is that most credible economists believe tariffs to be inflationary. If the incoming president presses ahead, and the tactic misfires, it could cause him serious political damage.

Energy and environmental policy offers Trump several inviting targets when it comes to pushing back on Biden’s legacy.

The incoming president could erase fuel-emission standards for new vehicles, withdraw from the Paris climate accords – as he did during his first term, only for Biden to reverse the position – and expand oil and gas exploration permitting.

On abortion, it is widely expected that Trump will, at a minimum, reimpose the “global gag rule,” which prohibits foreign nongovernmental organizations in receipt of U.S. aid from providing abortion services or referrals. At home, abortion rights activists fear Trump could take action to further restrict medication abortion.

On other culture war issues, Trump has previously suggested he will instantly cut federal funding for schools pushing “woke” topics such as critical race theory and what Trump brands “transgender insanity.”

He has also pledged to act on his first day to prevent trans young people from participating in girls’ sports, though exactly how that goal would be accomplished is not immediately obvious.

But it all together and liberals are bracing for impact across the board, starting at midday on Monday.

For Trump’s MAGA supporters, the multitude of changes can’t come soon enough.

The Memo is a reported column by Niall Stanage.

Topics

Trump set to return to power with inauguration set for today

Donald Trump will become the 47th president of the United States at noon today. Follow live coverage and watch a live stream of the inauguration here.
CBS News - 9m
Trump to sign executive orders ‘moments after’ swearing in

Senior Trump adviser Jason Miller joins TODAY to discuss Donald Trump’s plans after he is sworn in as president for a second time, including signing executive orders “literally moments after” he is ...
NBC News - 56m
FirstFT: Trump prepares dozens of executive orders

Also in today’s newsletter, three Israeli hostages released and TikTok restores US access
Financial Times - 2h
In an improbable comeback, Trump set to be inaugurated as the 47th president

Donald Trump will complete his improbable comeback Monday, becoming the first former president to lose and return to power four years later since Glover Cleveland in 1893.
NBC News - 3h
Trump plans blitz of executive orders for first days in White House

President-elect tells a rally of supporters in Washington he will act with ‘historic speed and strength’
Financial Times - 6h
Trump promises spate of executive orders, including on Jan. 6 defendants

At a rally in Washington, D.C., President-elect Donald Trump said, "Everybody in this very large arena will be very happy with my decision on the J6 hostages."
CBS News - 9h
Trump expected to sign more than 50 executive orders Monday

Donald Trump plans to sign more than 50 executive orders Monday — and possibly more than 100 of them — on the first day of his second presidency, according to a person in his transition operation.
NBC News - 14h
Global trade will survive ‘initial shock’ of Trump’s rule, says Malaysia PM

Anwar Ibrahim argues that the US has lost ground to China in south-east Asia
Financial Times - 8h
Trump promises blizzard of executive orders on first day of presidency

At a raucous Washington rally, the president-elect pledged to to launch deportations, slash environmental regulation and release classified files within hours of taking office.
BBC News - 11h
Trump promises ‘historic’ day one with barrage of executive orders

President-elect tells thousands of supporters at rally: ‘You’re gonna have a lot of fun watching television’. An exultant Donald Trump has promised to act with “historic speed and strength” when he ...
The Guardian - 12h
Trump plans barrage of Day 1 executive actions on border, energy, federal workforce

President-elect Trump is planning a barrage of executive actions on energy, the border and immigration enforcement on his first day in office, four sources told The Hill. Stephen Miller, incoming ...
The Hill - 14h
Trump ally says first 100 days will be "shock and awe"

After Donald Trump sought to overturn his 2020 election loss, and a mob of his supporters attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021, many believed his political days were over. But now he's back. ...
CBS News - 22h
Trump ally: First 100 days will be "shock and awe"

President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House is the culmination of a political comeback that many in both parties believed would never happen. Now, Trump is promising swift action ...
CBS News - 22h
Martial law and Trump: political shocks add to South Korea’s economic woes

Problems in Asia’s fourth-largest economy predate the current crisis
Financial Times - 1d
Trump’s border tsar vows ‘shock and awe’ deportations in first week

Tom Homan said officers will carry out ‘targeted enforcement operations’ against immigrants with criminal records
Financial Times - 1d
Bitcoin gains as Trump reportedly plans crypto executive order

Bitcoin rejoined the crypto rally amid reports that President-elect Donald Trump could release an executive order on crypto as soon as day 1.
CNBC - 2d
What executive orders will Trump issue on Day 1?

President-elect Donald Trump is expected to issue a flurry of executive orders after returning to the White House on Monday. Political strategists Joel Payne and Kevin Sheridan join "America ...
CBS News - 2d
Trump into Masters semis and sets earnings record

World number one Judd Trump will play world champion Kyren Wilson in the last four of the Masters after beating Ding Junhui.
BBC News - 2d
MLS-heavy USMNT side set to get back in action under Pochettino; AC Milan take on Juventus without Pulisic

Elsewhere in today's edition of the Golazo Starting XI, Erling Haaland signs a massive new deal
CBS Sports - 2d
The Memo: Flags will fly high after all for Trump’s inauguration

President-elect Trump has won at least one battle in advance of Monday’s inauguration ceremony. Flags at the U.S. Capitol will be flown at full-staff when Trump is sworn in for the second time. ...
The Hill - 3d
With a Series of Actions, Biden Races to Constrain Trump

The president has issued policy decisions in a number of areas in the final days of his term to cement his agenda, including environmental justice, prison reform and immigration.
The New York Times - 3d
Trump Is Said to Consider Executive Order to Circumvent TikTok Ban

The move is under discussion as the Chinese-owned app faces a Sunday deadline to find a new buyer or shut down in the United States.
The New York Times - 3d
The Memo: Trump, Biden battle over credit for Israel-Hamas deal

It took more than 15 months to get a ceasefire deal in Gaza that might last. But it took no time at all for a political battle to erupt in Washington over who deserves the credit for it. “The EPIC ...
The Hill - 4d
Confirmations for Trump's controversial cabinet picks set to begin

President-elect Donald Trump's controversial picks are set to undergo confirmation hearings this week, as preparations for Trump’s Jan.20 inauguration ramp up. Over the course of four days, ...
NBC News - Jan. 13
Barrasso predicts Trump will issue a 'blizzard of executive orders' once inaugurated

Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said he believes President-elect Trump will issue a “blizzard of executive orders” once he is inaugurated. Barrasso joined CBS News’s “Face the Nation” ...
The Hill - Jan. 12
'There is going to be shock and awe with executive orders'

Republican Sen. John Barrasso predicted Donald Trump will hit the ground running.
Politico - Jan. 12
The Memo: Trump-Newsom feud ramps up as Los Angeles fires rage on

The feud between President-elect Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is hitting new peaks of intensity as wildfires rage on in Los Angeles. Trump has called on Newsom to resign, while the ...
The Hill - Jan. 9
Trump tells GOP he wants to write 100 executive orders

President-elect Trump during a meeting with GOP senators on Wednesday said he wants to enact 100 executive orders, with many of the orders focused on his plans for immigration. “He threw that out — ...
The Hill - Jan. 9
The Memo: Trump sparks political fight as Los Angeles wildfires rage

President-elect Trump has sparked a political battle over the wildfires ravaging Los Angeles even as those fires are still far from contained. Any suggestion that the disaster — which has already ...
The Hill - Jan. 8
House Republican: Gulf of Mexico name less important than Trump's actions

Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) said President-elect Trump’s musing about changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America is less important than his actions in the region, particularly ...
The Hill - Jan. 8
GOP senator: Biden's eleventh-hour actions 'slap in the face' to Trump voters

Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) says that President Biden’s moves in the final days of his presidency to ban offshore drilling, grant clemency to hundreds of Americans convicted of crimes, and ...
The Hill - Jan. 7
Pfizer executives descend on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago for planning meeting

Drugmaker becomes latest titan of corporate America to curry favour with president-elect
Financial Times - Jan. 7
McKibbin set for shock move to Rahm's LIV Golf team

Northern Ireland's Tom McKibbin is set for a shock switch to join Jon Rahm's LIV Golf team.
BBC News - Jan. 7
Morning Report — Trump aims for fast action on legislative agenda

In today’s issue: With an exceedingly tame 30-minute certification by Congress Monday, President-elect Trump saw his Electoral College victory immortalized inside a Capitol building that was ...
The Hill - Jan. 7
The Memo: Echoes of an earlier Jan. 6 reverberate as Trump’s win is certified by Congress

It was routine — and that was the point. Congress certified President-elect Trump’s election victory in a smooth and relatively brief ceremony Monday. The normalcy of the occasion was a ...
The Hill - Jan. 6
Congo executes 102 'urban bandits' with 70 more set to be killed, officials say

102 men were executed by the Congolese government in the past week, and 70 are set to be executed today, according to the Congolese Minister of Justice
ABC News - Jan. 5
Memo to Trump: US telecoms is vulnerable to hackers. Please hang up and try again | John Naughton

State-backed cyberspies are exploiting ageing infrastructure to penetrate every corner of the US government, it seems – even its phone-tapping systems. You know the drill. You’re logging into your ...
The Guardian - Jan. 4
Crypto Industry Anticipates Trump Executive Orders Day 1

Cryptocurrency could see a slew of policy positions when Trump takes office.
Inc. - Jan. 2
How Trump’s inaugural address could deliver the biggest shock of all

President Trump could surprise the world by delivering a speech of genuine humility and grace during his second inaugural address, acknowledging the potency of his own divisiveness and conceding ...
The Hill - Jan. 2