He's got the people surrounding him, watching him sign papers at a tiny table, and they're fully engaged in the show he's putting on, as if it's a big boxing match going on there in that little square in the center of the arena. Whoever thought of dramatizing order-signing like that and getting a rowdy crowd to cheer as if it's a sport?
Later, in the Oval Office, he signed more orders, this time in front of the press elite, and when they ventured questions, he answered — calmly, chattily, seriously, and easily. Joe Biden couldn't even answer one question from the press or get to the end of a single sentence without stumbling, and here's Trump, signing orders — take that, Paris Agreement — and holding a press conference at the same time... and showing no strain, even at the end of a long day of events, and with the Inaugural Ball yet to come:
Is it dangerous — reprehensible? — this showmanship in the exercise of power? Those who hate him and who hate the substance of those orders will, I presume, denounce the theatricality. It's cruel! But he's out there in the open, letting the people see him do his work, using the power he asked them to give him, and doing what he said he would do. What a contrast to Biden who campaigned hidden away in 2020 and who occupied the position of President without ever letting us see that — if! — he was the one doing the work.
After 4 years of The Man in the Basement, we have, once again, The Man in the Arena.
Posts
113 comments:
The stadium signing was unusual. Obama made quite a show of his ‘signing statements’ with less authority than Trump’s EOs…I liked the discovery of the letter in the drawer and Trump teased reading it to the gathered media. Someone running Biden had the presence of mind to keep up the letter in the drawer bit- haha…it seemed a rather banal press corps selection- no CNN asking ‘How Hitler are you?’. Maybe they’re too busy with the defamation, settling one while creating some others…
With the 1500 J6 pardons last night, Trump freed domestic American political prisoners, correcting a shameful time in our history. Only Abraham Lincoln freed more people here at home.
It was nice to see Trump unashamed of anything he was signing. No slight of hand. Just in your face. "Told you I was going to do it, and I'm doing it." Refreshing. Bravo!
Is the effect of revoking the security clearances of those 51 Democrat operatives in the intelligence community that people still in government are now prohibited from talking to them about anything important?
It has become routine for a campaigning politician to claim a number of things they will do on "day one" of their administration.
Has anyone fulfilled on their promises quite like this fellow?
First Round: As in Gladiator "Are you not entertained?"
Some of these Exective Orders have holes big enough to drive a truck or ten through. See the text of the federal employee's Return to In-Person Work EO:
Heads of all departments and agencies in the executive branch of Government shall, as soon as practicable, take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements and require employees to return to work in-person at their respective duty stations on a full-time basis, provided that the department and agency heads shall make exemptions they deem necessary.
This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law.
Challenges:
* As soon as practicable
* Agency head exemptions
* Consistent with applicable law (read: federal employee union agreements)
it should now be a felony for the person still in
I thought it was sort of endearing the couple of times the real estate developer in the President came out. As in, North Korea with all its sea coast has a lot of room for condos, or Gaza has such a great location: right on the beach with perfect weather.
But yeah, there could hardly have been a sharper contrast between Joe Biden’s interactions with the press and the masterful display we saw yesterday.
No.
Well.... and Joe Biden.
"Out in the open" - that's what I'm looking forward to the most from this administration. After the past four years of frank deceit (and bald-faced denial of it) from the Biden administration and the complicit news media, I'm expecting pretty dang unprecedented levels of transparency from the Trump administration.
That NYT interview with Andreesen a couple of days ago - he said just that, that the Trump people say the same things in private that they do in public. How refreshing.
I think yes, to the degree that those important things are non-public classified information. It also keeps them from being employed in any function that would require a similar clearance.
For all the talk of pardon's yesterday, did anyone see Biden proudly signing the pardon's he gave out to family and the politicians that installed him as President?
The showmanship is intrinsic. The visibility of his actions has great value after the last four years of subterfuge and bad faith. It also makes life easier for his press secretary.
Letting the people see him "do his work". You mean the work of signing documents? Do Althouse readers really believe he read any of the EOs the signed?
"Do Althouse readers really believe he read any of the EOs the signed?"
This from a supporter of Joe Biden.
You can read them too, here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/
Yes, Trump's effortless show of power is dangerous. That's what we voted for. We need a person who isn't ashamed or reluctant to use that power on our behalf.
To balance that power, we need conscientious Democrats who will agree or disagree with President Trump on the merits of his decisions. Progressives got so far into the weeds because they opposed anything Trump was for, and Trump is generally pragmatic. Marco Rubio was confirmed unanimously, so that is a sign that Democrats may be ready to start acting responsibly.
Which were inconstant with his policies? The baseline of ALL the executive orders were 100% Trump. Biden couldn't even read the Three Little Pigs over the last four years. Swing and a miss Jim!
Letting the people see him "do his work". You mean the work of signing documents? Do Althouse readers really believe he read any of the EOs the signed?
Pretty disingenuous there, buddy. Do you really believe Biden either read or comprehended anything he signed in the past year? (I tend to believe it's been longer than that, at least for some things, given the "good days and bad days" things.) Do you really believe Trump isn't more in command of his - well, let's just start with his own mental processes, than Biden?
How many of Joe's did YOU read before he sprung them on us?
That can't show it because it would reveal who pulled Biden's marionette strings and moved his pen.
I’m 75, and I have no desire to work as hard as Trump, and absolutely no ability to absorb the abuse. He’s, I believe, 78. How does he do it?
The audacity of wielding a pen and speech in public.
Do you think that he will deny that he signed any of them later the way Joe Biden did about cutting off LNG exports to Europe? An EO that Putin probably laughed his ass off over? It wouldn't surprise me if it was a Russian agent that put that EO under Biden's pen. "Biden" was probably using an autopen handing out pardons and commutations at the end, I imagine Hunter had filled out a very long order sheet and "The Big Guy" might have suffered a case of writer's cramp.
"This from a supporter of Joe Biden."
Biden's people straight out lied to him about what he was signing.
https://nypost.com/2025/01/18/us-news/president-biden-insisted-he-didnt-sign-executive-order-just-weeks-after-doing-so-speaker-mike-johnson/
@jim5301: Many of these EOs are so quirky that only Trump could have come up with the ideas, and only he would have proposed them as serious actions. See changing the name of the "Gulf of Mexico" to the "Gulf of America" for example.
What some perceive as Trumpian "showmanship", others view as intentional candor and transparency in government policy enactments, visible to all viewers.
Trump can banter with anyone, whether MSM press, progressive-liberal democrat, or average working-class person. He can converse without a teleprompter, candidly speak without notes and prescreened questions, and as demonstrated yesterday, enacted Executive Orders he promised to implement Day One --- fulfilling more campaign promises in first day than Biden accomplished in four years.
A strong constitution.
Who else but Trump would even think of turning EO signing into a public event, PA announcer and all, let alone get cheers for doing it? No one else. Trump is a unique dude in the literal sense of the word: one of a kind.
Such energy! Serious yet enjoying every minute. We won't see anything like this again. And that was before he donned a tux and went dancing!
“After 4 years of The Man in the Basement, we have, once again, The Man in the Arena.”
Amen!
Drinking a shit ton of diet coke apparently
LOL Aggie but...sadly true too.
But where was the famous trash truck? I wanted to see it cruise through the arena. Probably a safety thing given the diesel exhaust and all.
Gulf of America is geographically inclusive and nationally empathetic.
BTW this is exactly what the people of America elected him to do. And I don’t want to hear BS from the Left that it isn’t. You lost. That’s what elections are for.
Their outrage no longer has currency.
How sad that honest consistency is now so remarkable it can impress someone like Andreeson!
The People's rights were summarily denied on and following January 6th by government choice and are now restored by government in a poetic signature of justice.
Any interaction with the 51 by people holding a current clearance would require reporting the contact and details to an agency security official. Both parties would raise suspicion and it'd be added to their personal files.
The 51 are effectively blackballed from any work in the Intelligence Community, Department of Defense, and sensitive government roles. They also cannot be hired by contractors who require clearances. They'll likely move on to backroom Democratic Party roles, media jobs, uncleared research and policy think tanks, or retire.
If they reveal any classified material to anyone, ever, they are theoretically vulnerable to prosecution as...internal threats...spies... But, Hillary's email server was allowed by the same crew, she wasn't prosecuted, and the 51 were not addressed by Biden at all... Contrast with the Trump Mar-a-Lago raid and J6 prosecutions. Rules for thee but not for me.
He dictated them, Jim, word for word. That's something Biden never could have done, even his spry youthful segregationist self that slithered into politics a hundred years ago.
Politicians who master new developments in media win. Those who don't complain. So Stevenson resented Eisenhower. Nixon resented Kennedy. Humphrey resented Nixon. Carter resented Reagan. Bush resented Clinton. Now Trump is the one who knows how to use the media in innovative ways, so it's all unfair and a circus and even autocratic -- until a Democrat masters the technique and takes it to the next level,
Sixth Avenue in Manhattan was renamed Avenue of the Americas years ago, but nobody in New York calls it that. I suspect that people will continue to call the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of Mexico, especially those who live on its shores.
Amen!
It can't be done overnight. Arrangements have to be made. (My company took advantage of work from home to get rid of a lot of office space and now are literally unable to implement their return to office policy).
These qualifiers make the priority clear while giving departments the ability to not have debilitating chaos in the office for the next 90 days.
The Democratic (a tepid relation to Democrat in semantic games) Collusus rides atop a Constitutional framework in our Republican form of government.
I'm happy to adapt to a new name for it, though I still call Myanimar "Burma." And south Thailand "Siam."
@Enigma, the exemptions are needed because not all is as you naively imagine. For instance my daughter-in-law is a scientist at a federal agency. During the Biden administration some dim light bulb in the GSA signed a long term lease on the building where her agency resides. There’s adequate office and cubicle space for everyone in her agency, but if everyone shows up then there’s only a small fraction of the parking needed for their cars. It’s in a suburban setting so the staff can’t rely on parking garages, and there’s no nearby bus stops. Best guess is that the GSA staff drank the “in the future everyone will work from home” Kool-Aid, and the scientists and their support staff pay the price.
Arena, lions, pride parade. Hopefully, Trump will be king... president of the jungle and not the swamp on a forward-looking basis.
He just signed them yesterday. He and his team have had almost three months to write them.
"Do Althouse readers really believe he read any of the EOs the signed?"
I do. I can see how the idea of actually doing your job might be hard to comprehend for those on the left, what with their support of the turnip who has been inhabiting the White House for the last four years, though. They're more familiar (and comfortable, apparently) with lies and deceit from the people they choose as leaders.
Enigma said...
“@jim5301: Many of these EOs are so quirky that only Trump could have come up with the ideas, and only he would have proposed them as serious actions. See changing the name of the "Gulf of Mexico" to the "Gulf of America" for example.”
We could go old school and go back to Golfo de Nueva España.
n.n said…
“Gulf of America is geographically inclusive and nationally empathetic.”
Yes. 2/3rds of the countries bordering the gulf are not named Mexico. But all are in the Americas.
This was one of your best writeups ever. Bravo.
Watched a few minutes of this live yesterday. And although I likely disagree with whats in most of those orders he was signing, I came away impressed he was able field press questions, speaking extemporaneously, thinking out loud. So frustrating Biden wouldn’t (read: couldn’t). Doing that in front of my bosses and employees is what is expected of me as a corporate middle manage every day, I expect the president to be better. But I’m in my 40s, Trump is damn near 80. As much as I want believe Trump is dumb, I have to concede that’s cope. I just disagree with him.
How on Earth did Biden get 81M votes in 2020?
@Big Mike: I'm not naive here; just pointing out that the headline will not match reality. I have substantial knowledge of this topic and have observed federal rules gamed 1,000 different ways. "Snow day? Snow day? We'll have 1" of snow and muuuuuuuust stay home! Early release? How about giving 59 minutes because you don't need to record that?"
Quite a few people and agencies shifted to permanent remote or hybrid work, and some did this before the 2020 COVID era too. Various agencies enacted 5-year union agreements in the last 6 months, so they set up the "applicable law" roadblock quite effectively.
I personally think remote work is more useful and realistic than Trump/Musk and DC Mayor Muriel Bowser care to admit. Musk is a rigid ideologue here.
I am enjoying the meltdowns, the stunned realization that things have really changed.Trump fired the commandant of the Coast Guard, for failing in her job to protect our shores, and for promoting DEI over merit.
Is it just me, or did Biden/obama appoint lesbians to head every agency? and are there any who are competent? Seems biden picked people based on their ability NOT to do the job.
The culture has changed. People really dont want the BS anymore.
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...
"But where was the famous trash truck?"
Yes. This was a miss by Trump and a tremendous opportunity for the Democrats. They are starting to realize that they lost the working class vote to Trump and need to get it back. I propose that, at the next Democratic Convention, they bring in a garbage truck and drive it around the convention hall. Repeatedly.
Aside from the nonchalance, what stuck me about Trump's Oval Office signing was that the press didn't have to scream questions over each other, because there was essentially no cap on his press availability. It was calm and conversational. From the stack of documents to sign everyone knew there was time left. It was almost like the press ran out of questions before Trump was done.
How will this affect blinken’s book deal? I’m sure he’s got something in the works.
I don't know, but the people who do were recently pardoned.
"Trump found a letter from Biden in the Resolute desk, but only after a journalist reminded him to look for it.
While signing a series of executive orders, a reporter asked Trump if he'd received a letter. Trump said he didn't know and checked the desk drawers, holding up the letter for the cameras.
'Maybe we should all read it together,' Trump said before setting it aside. He said he'll read it himself before sharing it publicly.
The letter's envelope had '47' underlined, handwritten in what looked like pencil."
Priorities. Walter Kirn was really worked up on his podcast with Matt Taibbi last night, expressing his outrage starting with the Biden Pardon-palooza of the Crime Family and extending all the 4 years back. It's quite a contrast, these 2 administrations.
Another good question related to that is how did Biden get 81M votes in 2020 and Obama only got 69.5M in 08? I remember almost euphoric enthusiasm for many folks in 08 to vote for Obama and nothing at all like that to vote for Biden in in 2020.
I'm waiting for the press to complain again about Trump holding impromptu press conferences on the way to Marine One. It will probably be during the summer, when he's wearing his normal suit in 80+ weather, and standing on his feet for half hour or more. They'll complain about having to sit there and listen to him answer their questions, while being hot and uncomfortable.
When Klobuchar was giving her speech, mentioning the “peaceful transfer of power”, there was Biden sitting there snickering, making the sign of the cross. It’s up on YouTube.
Good riddance to this syphilitic, backslapping mediocrity.
We needed a BIG FAT CHANGE, we’re getting one, let’s see how it goes.
Other than waste our money and let China off the hook for their massive pollution and emissions- someone tell us what the "Paris" accord accomplishes?
Trump placed transparency on display.
The Biden Crime Family and his loyal handlers and dick jerkers - were the opposite.
One of Biden's first day orders was to send more troops into Syria. There wasn't a crisis in the world that Biden didn't deliberately pour more gasoline on.
It's perfectly up and up to have remote ballot boxes stuffed with hundreds of ballots by one person ... over and over.
The public signing in the arena with an announcer was a stroke of genius. Yes, it was theatrical, but it wasn't just theatrics. It was a shared moment of victory with the people who made it possible and a confirmation of each and every point of why they voted for him.
We weren't just watching the signing, we were PARTICPATING in it. Openly. For the whole world to see (imagine what citizens of China or even any other country thought seeing this). And we were cheering each and every signature. Liberation Day confirmed.
Biden, towards the end meaning the last three years, may well have been an autopen.
When there's a new sheriff town and he's gonna clean things up, it's best to send that message as loudly and clearly as possible. Mission accomplished.
Trump is amazing in that respect. Just contemplating that schedule was wearing me out, lol.
Feels like we, the People, have a position in his cabinet.
"fully engaged . . . he answered . . . what a contrast" Indeed. Just a reminder of what we went through in the last 4 years--starting in 2021, not 2024, as the clip shows--and how the JB-is-prez charade discredited Dems and the MSM. Trump's showmanship is helpful gravy. Decisive, alert, all-there leadership is the first job requirement.
But, but, but...it was HISTORIC!! That's what we heard each and every time they put a DEI hire in. Remember KJP claiming she was the first immigrant black lesbian to have that job?? And look how much she SUCKED at it.
Personal hand signing should make it possible to forensically establish validity with DNA match for FJB pardon documents???!!!!!
Trump invites us to share a peace pen in a fireside convention.
This was all built weeks ahead of time - you idiot. Of course he read them.
Biden Crime Family. It's all there. When Biden was VP - he used our tax payer money and washed it clean thru Ukraine.
Personal hand signing should make it possible to forensically establish validity with DNA match for FJB pardon documents???!!!!!
The proposition of carbon credits, per capita emissions, prosecutorial discretion, etc. implies that climate change is an evolution of ambiguity with unserious intent and ulterior motives.
Trump seems to have been well informed and well aware of how badly the J6 protesters were treated and I'm glad he's corrected the wrong done to them. Imagine that the MSM and cucked out Republicans were referring to these people as "Insurrectionists" and lying "they killed policeman", knowing that was a total lie.
"And look how much she SUCKED at it."
To be fair, she was the spoke person for the Biden regime. He was non-compos mentos and the people actually pulling the strings were doing stuff that most people opposed. The problem the Democrat party has is that the people running it are either completely corrupt or really do think they are morally superior to the rest of us. If you don't agree with them then you are stupid, ignorant, and a bigot that is no different than a KKK member. Or both. Try selling that to the public sometime.
how about reenacting Constitution creation by We the People?
Crazy that we have a POTUS that can actually answer questions without having them pre-screened and submitted in advance. Trump should actually require the White House press corps to treat him the way they treated Biden. He should demand they "tee it up" for him.
The collective left sure are butt-hurt about Big Tech.
Big Tech are on team Trump after 4 years of being threatened by the Corrupt Biden-Soviet Censorship Regime. Obama-Biden - Censorship + mass viruses - and forced jabs -that is who the Democrat Party is.
Remote work is one of the best tools for actually reforming government. It allows you to cast a far wider net for talent, rather than simply relying on the DMV pool of workers. It allows you to reduce office space, making it easier to move functions out of the DMV without significant backlash. It also forces agencies to consider how their operations are run, and how they measure performance.
Diversity is an umbrella philosophy for class-disordered ideologies (e.g. racism, sexism, feminism/genderism, ageism, etc.). DEI is an institutional, systemic practice of Diversity.
That said, diversity of individuals, minority of one.
Human rites performed after six weeks are premeditated murder (American Civil Liberties Unburdened), following conception it is a hate crime with Loving.
Rainbow symbols and rhetoric in human context are albinophobic.
All's fair in lust and abortion?
#NoJudgment #NoLabels #LoveWins
Was this Plan B after festivities had to be moved indoors? or as originally!!!
Was this Plan B after festivities had to be moved indoors? or as originally!!!
Never change, jim53IQ- you provide really good comedy writing.
I had forgotten about that.
Election reform should be one of Trumps top priorities.
It is only January but we already have the oxymoron of the year:
"conscientious Democrats"
So Trump got the idea of Day 1 Oval Office EO signings in front of press from Biden?
MJB Wolf: re the trash truck: too bad no one thought fast enough to get the boys from Stomp! to do can lid drills. Yet more homophilia. So much gay live.
JSM
Candid and transparent in his aims and goals. But doesn't telegraph all of his moves to achieve them. Flexible in his methods as necessary, but if his first term was any indication working within the letter of the law.
I watched his inauguration speech several times yesterday and I think I discovered a "tell" in Trump's body language. When we is talking about something that he absolutely set on doing he sets his shoulders square and erect with very little movement (Panama). When he is just spitballing his shoulders shift back and forth and up and down (Gulf of America). Anyone else see that?
I don't know where he gets his energy. But I know this: We will never see the likes of this man again. You may love him or hate him, but he is a constant breath of fresh air. Know that after him, it's back to the regular old politicians.It will be very boring (think: Joe Biden).
I do believe that the rest of the world gets this more than half of America.
Loyal opposition with an open mind. In the real sense. You are to be lauded for that. It has become pretty rare on the left. Hopefully you add to the conversation here.
Oh, my sweet, summer child …
If that thought gives you comfort you should go with it. Why not? Much better than facing a bitter reality.
I agree. I enjoyed reading this and was going to say the same thing.
Thanks, Ann.
Trump '16-'20 is the reason we are seeing the radical shifts in countries around the world. I can't wait to see what '20-'24 bring.
"Here's how Biden looked, signing his first executive orders — yay, Paris Agreement! — in the Oval Office in 2021. Scroll to 2:30 to hear — muffled behind masks — the first questions from the press. Biden answers one question as we hear aides hustling the reporters out of the room:"
His handlers were hiding his mental incompetence four years ago. I just don't understand how anybody can find this acceptable.
is this it kids would love it
Trump is doing what most Americans want him to do. He won the popular vote. No other republican has done that in 20 years. And he won the captains of industry. Granted, U.S. presidents have only executive power (no lawmaking power). And they are term limited. But for the time being, he is at maximum velocity. And most of America is happy with that.
if Trump reaches orbital velocity Musk can shoot him to Mars!!
"Collusus"? Probably a typo, given the author, but could be a clever portmanteau word for a Colossus of Collusion.
In future years the explanation of why Biden wore a black mask will lapse into the lost memory hole of history, and kids will see such pictures and wonder why was the bad man hiding his face. As is just and proper.
I always cringe at "Paris Climate Agreement" (or "Accord") like it was clay tablets Moses brought from on high. It was, originally, the Paris Climate Treaty (PCT). But (for you lefties) a Treaty has some real weight behind it. That's because it must be blessed by the Senate. The PCT was never even sent to the Senate because the light bringer and the crime family boss both knew it would not pass (cue Gandalf). So it's a phony baloney "agreement" that can, and now has been approved or dismissed at the whim of the POTUS.
Truly? Fired the commandant of the Coast Guard? That tells me that he is going to try and scour the place out.
Post a Comment