Trump's Second Term: Rhetoric and Reality

Within hours of his Inauguration, and shortly after proclaiming that his victory had been preordained by God, Donald Trump signed dozens of executive orders. These included exiting the World Health Organization, attempting to end birthright citizenship in the United States, and renaming the Gulf of Mexico. He also issued pardons for hundreds of the January 6th convicts. David Remnick, the editor of The New Yorker, joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss what Trump’s first days back in office portend for the next four years. “[Trump] hasn’t changed one iota,” Remnick says, “except that his confidence has increased, and his base has increased, and the obedience of the Republican Party leadership is absolute.”

This week’s reading:

• “Donald Trump’s Inaugural Day of Vindication,” by Susan B. Glasser
• “Donald Trump Plays Church,” by Vinson Cunningham.
• “ ‘An Oligarchy Is Taking Shape,’ ” by David Remnick
• “What Trump 2.0 Means for Ukraine and the World,” by Isaac Chotiner
• “Donald Trump Returns to Washington,” by Antonia Hitchens
• “Donald Trump Invents an Energy Emergency,” by Bill McKibben

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