A Day to Cheer, A Day to Fear
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Today, Donald J. Trump was sworn in as 47th President of the United States. Unlike what happened four years ago, the transfer of power was peaceful and without incident. No angry mob storming the Capitol, no sore loser egging them on, no one looking to hang the Vice President. In other words, democracy worked as it should, and that’s something to cheer about.
We did not vote for Mr. Trump. But, then again, the people we vote for don’t always win. That might be disappointing, but it’s not generally fear-inducing. Our constitutional democracy has proved to be remarkably resilient to changes in leadership. That’s also something to cheer … and support …and strive to continue.
But this time, it’s different, and we are truly fearful. Not just because we are likely to disagree with individual policies the incoming Trump administration will champion, but because of what he, his largely unqualified cabinet, and his billionaire buddies espouse. Aside from broad pronouncements (e.g., deport immigrants, drill baby drill), it can be hard to discern what specific policies Mr. Trump actually has in mind, as his comments, speeches, social media posts, and interviews are often fairly incoherent and filled with falsehoods.
It’s not clear that Mr. Trump understands the public policy process – or that he even respects the tenets of democratic governance. He seems more fueled by anger, grievance, and a desire for retribution than by the enormous responsibility of governance. Beyond that, he is a man who, by his own telling has been treated unfairly at every turn , though he is very rich, pays almost no taxes, knows all the “best” people and has been given unprecedented power. How will all this play out for our country over the next four years? We are about to find out.
Looking Back to Trump 1.0
In the first Trump term, the nation effectively carried on as we had before under presidents from both parties. The mechanisms of government to serve the people remained largely intact; that thing called checks and balances under our constitution mostly worked. We didn’t always like the executive, legislative, or judicial decisions, but we lived to fight another day on issues like woman’s rights, civil rights, foreign policy and public health and safety protections. To be sure, there were some deeply flawed agency leaders at the EPA, Department of Interior, and other cabinet and subcabinet agencies, but the civil service functioned and held to their missions, to the law, and to their legislative mandates.
Looking Ahead to Trump 2.0
Beyond our fears of Mr. Trump in the Oval Office, we and others have expressed concern about some of his nominees for cabinet and key leadership positions, like Mr. Kennedy at HHS and Mr. Hegseth at Defense (see here, here, here, here, here, here). We add Mr. Vought for OMB to the list.
If confirmed, Mr. Vought will lead one of the most powerful parts of government – the Office of Management and Budget. He served in the first Trump Administration and over the last four years was a principal driver of Project 2025. You know, the blueprint for the coming administration that candidate Trump said he knew nothing about and had no connection to…
ProPublica quotes one of Vought’s recent statements: “We want the bureaucrats to be traumatically affected,” he said. “When they wake up in the morning, we want them to not want to go to work because they are increasingly viewed as the villains. We want their funding to be shut down so that the EPA can't do all of the rules against our energy industry because they have no bandwidth financially to do so. We want to put them in trauma.”
Is that what you call leadership? We have worked in government as civil servants for part of our careers. With very few exceptions, our government colleagues were smart and hard-working people, dedicated and committed to fostering and protecting the public interest. And sure, there are policy differences with each administration. But, Mr. Vought, your expressed goal is to inflict trauma on people who are faithfully doing their jobs? And you will lead the office responsible for overseeing management and the budget for the United States government? Yes, that makes us fearful, and also pretty disgusted.
Fingers Crossed
Maybe political rhetoric has become so hyperbolic that it is no longer possible to discern policy and future actions from what some politicians say. Maybe the reality will be vastly different, and appointees will rise to the position and occasion as opposed to flaunting their power and allegiance to Mr. Trump with aggressive and headline-grabbing pronouncements to stir up or reassure their base. Maybe, as many Trump voters have said in interviews since the election, he won’t really do all those things he has said and repeated. Or perhaps they will use the phrase often heard in confirmation hearings so far, “Let me clarify my previous remarks,” thereby reversing their position.
But there are some real differences this time around, largely because many have been planning for this day for four years. And because Trump’s rhetoric and apparent desire to lead an autocracy have become more and more extreme. Along the way, a significant cadre of very wealthy people like Elon Musk have apparently scented opportunity for power and even greater profit. All that adds up to a toxic stew on the boil. Whether it simmers down – or we add four years of oligarchy to autocracy -- is an open question.
But hey, let’s close on the positive side. The basic structure and function of our government still stands. Activists and the public interest community have also had more time to plan and prepare to work together (see also here). Many are ready to speak out, like the scientists who have already petitioned Congress. We all knew what was coming. There is a lot of talk of taking a wrecking ball to agencies, the civil service, the rule of law, and the budget. But here’s the thing. We, the United States of America, are a tough nut to crack. The framers and the last 250 years didn’t engineer a flimsy house for democracy. This house will stand. And, sooner or later, the American people will stand up when they see that the Trump Administration is not serving their interests, but those of a very few. Don’t count us out billionaires, autocrats, sycophants, and your loyal henchmen. You will be surprised.
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