Trump Re-emerges in the Public Eye
The president's inaugural week highlighted a significant difference compared to his predecessor.
TroibNews 
Joe Biden had promised Americans a four-year reprieve from constant presidential focus, but that break came to an end at 12:01 p.m. on Monday, as Donald J. Trump took the oath of office once again.
It was as though he had never stepped away.
Following his inaugural address in the Capitol rotunda, the former reality TV star delivered an impromptu speech to his supporters, engaged in a 47-minute exchange with reporters in the Oval Office, and made remarks at three formal galas. By the end of the week, he had issued multiple policy announcements via Twitter, participated in a two-part prime-time interview with Sean Hannity, and spoke in recovery and disaster areas in Asheville, North Carolina, and Los Angeles.
While eager to reverse Biden’s policies through executive orders, Trump's real demonstration of power at 78 was his ability to showcase his accessibility, skill, and activity, in stark contrast to his predecessor, who was often cloistered by aides concerned about the 82-year-old's visible challenges.
As the White House furniture was swiftly rearranged, the nation shifted from an invisible president unable to command attention to one who constantly craved the public's focus.
“Did Biden ever do this?” Trump queried reporters on his first day in office while casually signing numerous executive orders later that evening in the Oval Office.
While Biden occasionally entertained questions from reporters, his informal interactions were infrequent and brief. More often, he was out of sight.
Trump re-entered the Oval Office and, with cameras rolling, promptly began dismantling Biden’s agenda and promoting his own.
As he quickly signed pardons for 1,500 individuals involved in the Capitol riot and revoked various Biden administration initiatives, nearly two dozen members of the press surrounded him, asking questions and taking in the scene.
The gathering of journalists dwarfed the typical 13-member White House press pool, reflecting the media’s renewed interest in Trump after years of seeking access to a more withdrawn Biden.
“It was a bit of a free-for-all,” one reporter remarked afterward. “Exactly what the first term was like.”
On Friday, Trump engaged with reporters on the South Lawn before departing in Marine One and had another media availability on Air Force One en route to North Carolina, where he answered questions at two public events, many of which had already been posed in prior encounters. After inspecting fire damage in Los Angeles, he was scheduled for additional remarks in Las Vegas.
Karoline Leavitt, the new White House press secretary, has yet to conduct a briefing, largely due to Trump’s dominance over media coverage. Her comments indicated that the current pace was not going to slow down: "I hope the press is ready to work their asses off after their four-year vacation covering the previous administration,” she said.
However, within the press corps, there is a sense of mixed feelings about Trump’s rapid-fire approach. The enthusiasm in asking about his pardons and other issues is tempered by the overwhelming volume of information to process.
Unlike his first two chiefs of staff, Reince Priebus and John Kelly, who struggled to contain Trump, Susie Wiles takes a different approach. She navigates the chaos surrounding him, a skill some aides refer to as her “superpower,” which may grant her more longevity than her predecessors. The new crop of White House staffers primarily rooted in the MAGA movement echo this dynamic.
Yet, “it’s a double-edged sword for White House staff,” noted a veteran from Trump's initial White House, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “When he answers every question, he runs the risk of taking away from his own message.”
They pointed to one specific press interaction this week, which was meant to highlight $500 billion in private spending on artificial intelligence.
“But the reporters wanted to talk about [Jan. 6],” the source noted. "And if you turned on most of the legacy media channels, that’s probably what they have been discussing."
While the press no longer chases every social media remark Trump makes, fresh quotes and clips continue to proliferate online. On Wednesday, he used Truth Social to criticize a bishop advocating mercy and to warn Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine or face new “Taxes, Tariffs and Sanctions.”
Trump's instinctual communication style, although often difficult for fact-checkers and politically risky in the short term, has generally served him well. His return to the presidency after two impeachments and the events of Jan. 6, combined with a felony conviction, highlights his unique and lasting appeal.
“They are better at this than they were in 2016,” said Kevin Madden, a longtime Republican communications consultant in Washington. “And they are using the contrast between them and the Biden administration to their advantage.”
Biden struggled to convince the public that the economy was robust and failed to gain politically from a host of legislative successes, missing opportunities to leverage his position. In contrast, Trump and his team seem to operate with a “certain level of volume and intensity that they believe will help them overwhelm their critics and reinforce the momentum they have with their allies,” Madden added. He emphasized that dependence on legacy media is decreasing. “They have an ability now with all of the other platforms — Megyn Kelly’s show, Joe Rogan’s podcast, Steve Bannon’s show — to directly communicate with their key stakeholders and audiences they can mobilize to help enact their agenda.”
Trump’s bustling first week back in the White House presents numerous actions for his supporters to celebrate, but also poses a challenge for the media and public to keep up. Cable networks have primarily focused their coverage on Jan. 6 pardons while offering far less attention to orders that eliminate Biden-era environmental protections or the suspension of refugee admissions, affecting thousands of Afghans slated for relocation to the U.S.
Jay Rosen, a journalism professor at New York University and a noted press critic during Trump’s first term, argued that traditional media outlets are increasingly losing influence in a rapidly changing and segmented information landscape.
“I don't believe there is a broad national audience anymore,” Rosen said. “I think we're in a golden age for propaganda organized around Steve Bannon's maxim: Flood the zone with shit.”
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
It was as though he had never stepped away.
Following his inaugural address in the Capitol rotunda, the former reality TV star delivered an impromptu speech to his supporters, engaged in a 47-minute exchange with reporters in the Oval Office, and made remarks at three formal galas. By the end of the week, he had issued multiple policy announcements via Twitter, participated in a two-part prime-time interview with Sean Hannity, and spoke in recovery and disaster areas in Asheville, North Carolina, and Los Angeles.
While eager to reverse Biden’s policies through executive orders, Trump's real demonstration of power at 78 was his ability to showcase his accessibility, skill, and activity, in stark contrast to his predecessor, who was often cloistered by aides concerned about the 82-year-old's visible challenges.
As the White House furniture was swiftly rearranged, the nation shifted from an invisible president unable to command attention to one who constantly craved the public's focus.
“Did Biden ever do this?” Trump queried reporters on his first day in office while casually signing numerous executive orders later that evening in the Oval Office.
While Biden occasionally entertained questions from reporters, his informal interactions were infrequent and brief. More often, he was out of sight.
Trump re-entered the Oval Office and, with cameras rolling, promptly began dismantling Biden’s agenda and promoting his own.
As he quickly signed pardons for 1,500 individuals involved in the Capitol riot and revoked various Biden administration initiatives, nearly two dozen members of the press surrounded him, asking questions and taking in the scene.
The gathering of journalists dwarfed the typical 13-member White House press pool, reflecting the media’s renewed interest in Trump after years of seeking access to a more withdrawn Biden.
“It was a bit of a free-for-all,” one reporter remarked afterward. “Exactly what the first term was like.”
On Friday, Trump engaged with reporters on the South Lawn before departing in Marine One and had another media availability on Air Force One en route to North Carolina, where he answered questions at two public events, many of which had already been posed in prior encounters. After inspecting fire damage in Los Angeles, he was scheduled for additional remarks in Las Vegas.
Karoline Leavitt, the new White House press secretary, has yet to conduct a briefing, largely due to Trump’s dominance over media coverage. Her comments indicated that the current pace was not going to slow down: "I hope the press is ready to work their asses off after their four-year vacation covering the previous administration,” she said.
However, within the press corps, there is a sense of mixed feelings about Trump’s rapid-fire approach. The enthusiasm in asking about his pardons and other issues is tempered by the overwhelming volume of information to process.
Unlike his first two chiefs of staff, Reince Priebus and John Kelly, who struggled to contain Trump, Susie Wiles takes a different approach. She navigates the chaos surrounding him, a skill some aides refer to as her “superpower,” which may grant her more longevity than her predecessors. The new crop of White House staffers primarily rooted in the MAGA movement echo this dynamic.
Yet, “it’s a double-edged sword for White House staff,” noted a veteran from Trump's initial White House, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “When he answers every question, he runs the risk of taking away from his own message.”
They pointed to one specific press interaction this week, which was meant to highlight $500 billion in private spending on artificial intelligence.
“But the reporters wanted to talk about [Jan. 6],” the source noted. "And if you turned on most of the legacy media channels, that’s probably what they have been discussing."
While the press no longer chases every social media remark Trump makes, fresh quotes and clips continue to proliferate online. On Wednesday, he used Truth Social to criticize a bishop advocating mercy and to warn Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine or face new “Taxes, Tariffs and Sanctions.”
Trump's instinctual communication style, although often difficult for fact-checkers and politically risky in the short term, has generally served him well. His return to the presidency after two impeachments and the events of Jan. 6, combined with a felony conviction, highlights his unique and lasting appeal.
“They are better at this than they were in 2016,” said Kevin Madden, a longtime Republican communications consultant in Washington. “And they are using the contrast between them and the Biden administration to their advantage.”
Biden struggled to convince the public that the economy was robust and failed to gain politically from a host of legislative successes, missing opportunities to leverage his position. In contrast, Trump and his team seem to operate with a “certain level of volume and intensity that they believe will help them overwhelm their critics and reinforce the momentum they have with their allies,” Madden added. He emphasized that dependence on legacy media is decreasing. “They have an ability now with all of the other platforms — Megyn Kelly’s show, Joe Rogan’s podcast, Steve Bannon’s show — to directly communicate with their key stakeholders and audiences they can mobilize to help enact their agenda.”
Trump’s bustling first week back in the White House presents numerous actions for his supporters to celebrate, but also poses a challenge for the media and public to keep up. Cable networks have primarily focused their coverage on Jan. 6 pardons while offering far less attention to orders that eliminate Biden-era environmental protections or the suspension of refugee admissions, affecting thousands of Afghans slated for relocation to the U.S.
Jay Rosen, a journalism professor at New York University and a noted press critic during Trump’s first term, argued that traditional media outlets are increasingly losing influence in a rapidly changing and segmented information landscape.
“I don't believe there is a broad national audience anymore,” Rosen said. “I think we're in a golden age for propaganda organized around Steve Bannon's maxim: Flood the zone with shit.”
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
Find more stories on the environment and climate change on TROIB/Planet Health
