Lawrence on Trump's second term: 'He is in his 94th consecutive day of failure'

Summary

The MSNBC segment by Lawrence O'Donnell offers a critical analysis of Donald Trump's presidency as it navigates the early 100 days, notably marked as his 94th consecutive day of perceived failures. The commentary juxtaposes Trump's tenure against historical milestones, emphasizing economic turbulence, the administration's alleged incompetence, and a series of controversies, from tariffs to foreign policy stances. O'Donnell critiques Trump's policies and their implications on public opinion and economic conditions, creating parallels with past presidential terms that faced significant challenges and remarking on the growing disapproval even among Trump's initial supporters.

Highlights

• 92 years ago, FDR's presidency began with impactful changes in 100 days; Trump's has reportedly been the reverse 🤔
• Trump’s mass deportation plan and economic strategies have faced widespread criticism and are viewed as failing by many 📉
• There's a notable disparity between expected economic outcomes under Trump’s tariffs and the current financial discontent 💸
• Polling indicates a growing disillusionment among Trump voters concerning his handling of economic and international issues 📊
• Controversies and incompetence within Trump's administration are making headlines, eroding public trust further 🔄

Key Takeaways

• Understanding the critical comparison between Trump's early presidency failures and Roosevelt's historic first 100 days 🌟
• Examining the impacts of Trump's economic policies, particularly tariffs, which were initially suggested to be favorable, causing discontent 😬
• Analyzing the implications of Trump's foreign policy(especially concerning Ukraine) and its perception internationally 🌐
• Spotlighting the administration's internal chaos and the public's reaction toward Trump's cabinet choices 🎭
• Reflecting on how Trump's approach has altered voter support dynamics even among his base 🚩

Overview

Lawrence O'Donnell takes us on a journey contrasting the significant achievements of Franklin D. Roosevelt's first 100 days in office with the perceived failures of Donald Trump's early days in his second term. O'Donnell paints a picture of widespread dissatisfaction and disenchantment among the public and even within Trump's own support base, due to his handling of the economy, foreign policy, and internal governance.

With Trump’s aggressive tariff policies taking center stage, O'Donnell unpacks the real-world implications they're having on American consumers and industries. Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s approach to foreign policy, particularly with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, adds another layer of complexity and criticism from international and domestic observers alike.

Amidst the turmoil, the segment underscores internal chaos within the Trump administration, highlighting stories of conflict and failures, such as the Secretary of Defense's unprofessional conduct. O'Donnell suggests that the inherent chaos could be symptomatic of broader incompetence, which could influence voter sentiment and potentially reshape political alliances.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 01:00: Introduction to Presidential First 100 Days The concept of evaluating a president based on their first 100 days in office began with Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1933, during the Great Depression. This period was marked by significant economic turmoil, partly attributed to a tariff bill signed by the previous Republican President, Herbert Hoover.
• 01:00 - 02:00: Comparison of Roosevelt and Trump's Initial Days In the initial days of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's term, he enacted more reforms and legislation than any previous president. This included measures to stabilize a collapsing banking system and create employment opportunities, effectively shaping the modern economic landscape.
• 02:00 - 03:00: Trump's Failing Deportation Policy This chapter discusses the failings of Donald Trump's deportation policy within the first 94 days of his presidency. Despite instilling fear and showcasing a harsh stance, the anticipated mass deportations have not occurred as planned. Trump's approach has caused distress among many but hasn't achieved the large-scale deportation he aimed for, marking it as a critical failure in one of his major policy promises.
• 03:00 - 04:00: Stock Market Crash Under Trump The chapter discusses the adverse effects and controversies arising from decisions made during Donald Trump's presidency. It highlights issues such as small yet significant deportations marked by legal and moral errors and addresses the severe stock market crash attributed to Trump's actions. Furthermore, it touches upon Trump's controversial stance of siding with Vladimir Putin, even in the midst of the war initiated by Putin.
• 04:00 - 05:00: Promise to End Ukraine War The chapter discusses Donald Trump's failure to fulfill his promise to end the war in Ukraine on his first day in office. It highlights that Trump has been unsuccessful for 94 consecutive days in meeting this commitment. Additionally, it mentions his inadequacies in handling the economy and suggests his cabinet is among the most incompetent in history. This perceived failure has led to public disapproval, including from his own supporters.
• 05:00 - 06:00: Public Opinion Turn Against Trump In this chapter titled 'Public Opinion Turn Against Trump,' the shift in public opinion against Donald Trump is discussed. It highlights the steadfast support of some of Trump's die-hard voters, drawing a parallel to those who continued to support Nixon even after his impeachment and resignation. However, the critical focus is on the marginal or swing voters who initially propelled Trump to presidency. These voters, according to the transcript, have now turned against him. Particularly, those who supported Trump's policies like tariffs expecting them to hold China accountable are faced with the reality of the opposite impact.
• 06:00 - 07:00: Trump's Influencing Senators' Stance The chapter discusses the impact of tariffs imposed by Donald Trump and how they are affecting economic dynamics, which in turn could influence political outcomes. As people begin to feel the economic strain, Trump's influence seems to be waning. This shift could extend to Republican senators and House representatives facing re-election. With Trump not facing re-election again, the pressure mounts on Republican senators to adjust their stance if their polling numbers start to mirror Trump's declining popularity.
• 07:00 - 08:00: Cabinet Incompetence In the chapter titled 'Cabinet Incompetence,' the focus is on the ineffectiveness and chaos within Donald Trump's cabinet. The discussion highlights that Republican senators and House members are not necessarily loyal to Trump himself, but rather to his voters, out of fear of being ousted from their positions. This chapter points out the vivid incompetence within Trump's cabinet, exemplified by an incident involving the Treasury Secretary engaging in a screaming match with the richest person in the world, emphasizing the dysfunctional dynamics.
• 08:00 - 09:00: Leaking Classified Information The chapter titled 'Leaking Classified Information' discusses unethical behavior within the U.S. government administration. It highlights a Treasury Department official who deviates from traditional responsibilities, comparing it to unusual and potentially unethical actions by a Commerce Secretary. This official unusually urged the public to purchase Tesla stock, showcasing blatant promotion of a private company's stock, which breaches ethical standards expected from a cabinet member. The narrative suggests such actions lie in a grey area, bordering on criminality.
• 09:00 - 10:00: Trump Tariffs and Economic Impact The chapter delves into the controversies surrounding Trump's tariffs, particularly focusing on an incident involving Defense Secretary Pete Hegth. The chapter highlights a heated confrontation where Hegth, at 44 years old but perceived to have acted immaturely, aggressively threatened Admiral Christopher Grady with a polygraph test. This anecdote, reported by the Wall Street Journal, serves as a catalyst for discussing the broader economic implications of Trump's tariff policies and their impact on national and international levels.
• 10:00 - 11:00: Trump's Approval Rating on Economy and Inflation The chapter discusses the controversy surrounding Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's promise to quit drinking if confirmed into his position. Despite a profane outburst involving a threat to subject Staff Admiral Grady to a polygraph test, Hegseth's personal commitment to abstain from alcohol is a focal point, casting doubt about his conviction and the implicit suggestion he might continue drinking if not confirmed.
• 11:00 - 12:00: Polling Indicates Economic Discontent The chapter focuses on the theme of economic discontent, as indicated by recent polling data. It appears to critique the current Secretary of Defense by highlighting allegations of incompetence and the controversial handling of classified information. This includes leaking sensitive combat information to a spouse and a journalist. The chapter suggests a misjudgment in the Secretary's actions and the implications of these leaks.
• 12:00 - 13:00: Trump and China's Trade Negotiations This chapter discusses disclosures by a journalist from the Atlantic and addresses statements regarding the classification of battle plans. According to the discussion, battle plans have traditionally been among the most classified and protected pieces of information by the American government. It critiques a viewpoint by Pete Hegath suggesting a novel definition of classified information, highlighting the importance of maintaining strict classification of military strategy to safeguard national security.
• 13:00 - 14:00: China's Reaction to Trump's Tariffs This chapter discusses China's reaction to the tariffs imposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump. The narrative also draws a historical analogy, referencing General Dwight Eisenhower during World War II, who could have disclosed classified invasion plans to his wife, according to a hypothetical new definition of what constitutes classified information. The chapter underscores the importance and intricacies involved in strategic decisions and sensitive information handling.
• 14:00 - 15:00: Mockery of Trump and Administration in China The chapter discusses the deception strategies used by the Germans during World War II, such as misleading the Allied forces about the location of invasions. It draws a comparison with the current political climate, specifically how confidential information and strategic decisions are classified. The narrative appears to critique the Trump administration and the perceived lack of awareness among some of Trump's supporters.
• 15:00 - 16:00: Tariff Policies Compared to the 1930s Era The chapter discusses the economic and security implications of the Trump administration's tariffs, drawing parallels with the 1930s. It highlights criticisms of the policies and their perceived stupidity and harm to international security by figures such as Pete Hgsth.

Lawrence on Trump's second term: 'He is in his 94th consecutive day of failure' Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 the focus you know on the first 100 days of a presidency actually began 92 years ago with the first 100 days of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's presidency in 1933 in the depth of the Great Depression and it was a worldwide economic depression caused to some degree by the Republican President Herbert Hoover signing into law a Republican tariff bill pushed through the Congress by
• 00:30 - 01:00 Senator Reed Smoot and Congressman Willis Holly president Roosevelt did more in his first 100 days than any other president in history more to build back the economy of this country with a flood of legislation and executive action that stabilized the banking system that was on the verge of collapse delivered new employment opportunities for workers basically created the shape of the modern economy that we have all been
• 01:00 - 01:30 living with since Donald Trump is in his 94th day and his presidency is sinking lower than any previous presidency in its 94th day donald Trump has scared a lot of people donald Trump has heaped cruelty on people but not as much cruelty as he wants to donald Trump's mass deportation plan is a complete failure at the mass level we have not seen mass deportations
• 01:30 - 02:00 we have seen relatively small deportations with some glaringly stupid cruel illegal and unconstitutional mistakes that they have made we have seen the most dramatic stock market crash ever caused by a single human being and today Donald Trump is effectively trying to have the United States switch sides in the middle of a war the war the man he admires and has called a genius Vladimir Putin started
• 02:00 - 02:30 in Ukraine donald Trump said he would end the war in Ukraine on the first day of his presidency he's in the 94th con consecutive day of failure on that promise to end the war in Ukraine on the first day he has failed every day on the economy and he has surrounded himself with the most incompetent cabinet the White House and White House's advisers in history and the public including Trump voters have noticed and have turned on Donald Trump there will be
• 02:30 - 03:00 some Trump voters who support Donald Trump until the end just as there were some Nixon voters who supported Richard Nixon after articles of impeachment were drawn up against him and after he resigned from the presidency and accepted a pardon for crimes committed during his presidency but the marginal voter who made Donald Trump that swing voter who made Donald Trump president has now turned against Donald Trump if those voters voted for Donald Trump because they believed China would pay his tariffs they now know that they have to
• 03:00 - 03:30 pay those tariffs they have learned the hard way that they have to pay those tariffs and they don't like it and so Donald Trump's power is slipping and could slip away if the polling disaster Donald Trump is personally facing right now tonight spreads to Republicans in the Senate and the House facing re-election next year donald Trump will never face re-election again in his life but Republican senators will and if their polling numbers start to get as bad as Donald Trump's they will then be
• 03:30 - 04:00 able to abandon Donald Trump because they have never actually feared Donald Trump republican senators and House members have always feared Donald Trump's voters they have always feared Donald Trump's voters throwing them out of their jobs the vividness of the incompetence in Donald Trump's cabinet from a Treasury Secretary who gets in screaming matches in the White House with the richest person in the world because the richest person in the world is seizing the
• 04:00 - 04:30 department that's supposed to be run by the Treasury Secretary to the inane babblings of a commerce secretary who promised people that the Tesla stock price would go up and urged them to buy Tesla stock something that no previous member of a cabinet has ever done advocating the purchase of a private stock is as unethical as a cabinet member can possibly get not criminal but criminal is the next step for that kind of behavior and then there's the guy who
• 04:30 - 05:00 said "I'll hook you up to an effing polygraph." Screamed that how unhinged do you have to be to scream that at an admiral i'll hook you up to an effing polygraph that's what the Wall Street polygraph that's the Wall Street Journal is reporting tonight 44 year old defense secretary Pete Hegth who sounds 14 years old shouted at Admiral Christopher Grady who was then the acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs
• 05:00 - 05:30 of Staff admiral Grady was never hooked up to a polygraph despite the profane screamed threat by the Secretary of Defense pete Hegsth promised that he would quit quit drinking completely stop if he was confirmed and became Secretary of Defense that was his promise he would stop drinking if he became Secretary of Defense and implicitly in that promise he would maybe keep drinking if he didn't become Secretary of Defense screaming "I'll hook you up to a effing
• 05:30 - 06:00 polygraph to an admiral," should get you hooked up to a breathalyzer any Trump voter can see how incompetent this Secretary of Defense is when he is leaking sensitive information that he claims isn't classified and everyone else in government insists is classified to his wife and to a journalist at the Atlantic pete Hegsth has never denied leaking specific combat information to his wife or to a
• 06:00 - 06:30 journalist from the Atlantic but he has said that those battle plans were not classified information all battle plans have always been classified information it's why classification was invented the most protected information in the history of the American government has always been the details of the next combat attack the American government is going to launch according to Pete Hegath's brand new definition of classified that has never existed before
• 06:30 - 07:00 General Dwight Eisenhower could have told his wife all about the D-Day invasion and exactly which day in the spring or early summer of 1944 he was thinking about according to Pete Hegett's new definition of classified General Eisenhower could have told his wife when he delayed the invasion by one day he could have told his wife exactly where the invasion was going to be exactly which beaches in Normandy the American and British allies spent months and months and months did a great deal of classified work to try to convince
• 07:00 - 07:30 the Germans that they were going to invade Europe at a different location from where they actually did invade Europe and that location was classified just like every other location of every other American battle plan and every one of those details was classified for every minute that those details were being contemplated or planned or carried out and so even the most uninformed Trump voter in the country which is probably
• 07:30 - 08:00 Donald Trump himself knows that battle plans have always been classified and a secretary of defense is not supposed to tell anyone about them very much including his wife pete Hgsth is making the stupidity of the Trump administration fully vivid to anyone who might still be having a bit of trouble understanding just how stupid the Trump tariffs are or how stupid and harmful to international security Donald Trump's
• 08:00 - 08:30 switching sides in the war in Ukraine is as you may have noticed the media likes to call it chaos i'll hook you up to an effing polygraph screamed at an admiral that could be chaos that could be rank stupidity that could be a lot of things but what the vast majority of Americans know is that that stuff only
• 08:30 - 09:00 happens in a Trump administration and nothing like it has ever happened when anyone else has been president of the United States donald Trump's first 100 days will be studied almost as much as Franklin Roosevelt's first 100 days and they will be studied for the opposite reasons the Roosevelt 100 days became the model for every subsequent president to aspire to no president has ever faced greater challenges in his first 100 days than Franklin Roosevelt faced or accomplished more no president has ever accomplished more than those first 100 days no president ever faced an easier
• 09:00 - 09:30 first 100 days than Donald Trump and no president has ever turned the best economy ever handed to an incoming president into a disaster with predictions of recession and China responding to a trade war with the promise "We will fight to the end." Donald Trump's friendliest polling operation the Fox Network has produced the most disastrous report card on any president's first 100 days in a country
• 09:30 - 10:00 that does not teach economics in high school as a required subject and does not teach economics anywhere as a required subject Donald Trump has always scored well in polling questions about the economy in a country uneducated about the economy he's never scored well with people who actually understand the economy and know what tariffs are but in general polling he has scored very well on the economy and that's all over now donald Trump destroyed that donald Trump destroyed that polling advantage he used to have in the 94th day of his
• 10:00 - 10:30 presidency according to Fox 38% of registered voters approve of Donald Trump's handling of the economy 38% that number used to be often 20 points higher than that for Donald Trump almost always above 50% now he's at 38% and it gets worse donald Trump's handling of inflation the very thing he claimed he was going to fix on the first day of his presidency the reason so many people voted for him Donald Trump's handling of inflation has the approval now of just 33% of voters same with
• 10:30 - 11:00 Donald Trump's tariffs the candidate who ran for president saying tariff was his favorite word the candidate who ran for president lying to every voter every day that China would pay the tariffs that Donald Trump's audience would in fact have to pay those people who are now listening to radio ads and TV ads from car dealers telling them it's time to run out and get to the dealerships to get the pre-tariff price on cars those people have turned against Donald Trump
• 11:00 - 11:30 and only 33% approve of Donald Trump's tariffs 72% now know Donald Trump was lying about tariffs and inflation 72% correctly believe Donald Trump's tariffs will increase the cost of products according to the Fox poll donald Trump said it himself yesterday as I pointed out here last night and it's worth pointing it out again because it's the first time in his life he has ever admitted that a tariff is something added to the price of goods in the
• 11:30 - 12:00 United States so when you add that to the price of a product you know a lot of those products aren't going to sell yeah you add that to the price of a product that's right a tariff is added to the price of a product and it's also right that a lot of those products won't sell now that they're more expensive and they won't sell to the Americans who are looking at those products in America with the higher price tags because the tariffs and and the Americans who still
• 12:00 - 12:30 have enough money to buy one of those products are the people who will be paying the Trump tariffs and Donald Trump has said he doesn't care he Donald Trump has said he doesn't care if prices of cars go up he said I couldn't care less if they raise prices those are his words recessions and economic depressions are driven by real economic conditions like insanely high tariffs but feelings also steer an economy toward a recession if I'm pessimistic
• 12:30 - 13:00 about my personal economic future or the country's economic future I might decide not to buy a car this year or not to buy a house this year or not to buy a new washing machine this year i might put a lot of stuff a lot of buying decisions on hold and that slows down the economy and that helps get you to a recession and Donald Trump is fueling pessimism in this economy which can help push us toward a recession with just 32% telling Fox in their poll that Donald Trump's policies are helping the
• 13:00 - 13:30 economy that means most people don't think Donald Trump's policies are helping the economy and that is going to make them less enthusiastic about helping to fuel that economy with their purchasing power 71% tell Fox that the economic conditions are fair or poor 55% told Fox that the economy is getting worse for their families donald Trump couldn't possibly win an election now with 55% saying the economy
• 13:30 - 14:00 is getting worse for their families because of him and with virtually all of those people knowing that it's getting worse entirely because of one person Donald Trump donald Trump's reaction to this report card from Fox about his disastrous 94 days in the presidency was of course an unhinged Trumpian complaint about the poll itself on social media saying Rupert Murdoch has told me for years that he is going to get rid of his Fox News Trumphating fake pollster but he has never done so this pollster has
• 14:00 - 14:30 gotten me and Mega wrong for years also and while he's at it he should start making changes at the China loving Wall Street Journal the China loving Wall Street Journal imagine if Joe Biden had ever called it the China loving Wall Street Journal the screams about Joe Biden's mental competence would be filling the White House press briefing room filling the Fox studios donald Trump appears to be caught in what will be the thousands
• 14:30 - 15:00 upon thousands of lies he tells in his second term as president we might not have an official count of those lies this time because the Washington Post's owner has decided to stop counting them in the first Trump presidency Jeff Bezos's Washington Post caught Donald Trump in 30,573 provable lies and so with that in mind Donald Trump is claiming that negotiations are underway on a great trade deal with China but China is saying there are no negotiations none
• 15:00 - 15:30 the New York Times David Sanger reports the White House kept hinting that the Chinese were beginning to negotiate seeking a way to end the tariffs in fact the strategy that Beijing appeared to be following was to wait for Mr trump to feel the pain of his own actions the expected phone call from President Xi Jinping never came and Mr trump didn't want to be the first to call either a sign of desperation in private some Trump officials concede that they did not accurately predict China's reaction mr trump seemed to expect China to be
• 15:30 - 16:00 among the first to come begging for relief given the size of its exports to the United States cnbc's Unice Yun reports from Beijing this tougher stance comes as a perception is growing here that the Chinese government is is really trying to ferment that the Chinese have the upper hand and that President Trump is in a weaker position the hashtag Trump chickening out um has been trending with
• 16:00 - 16:30 250 million views um state TV has also been using one of the memes that has bursted onto the scene here uh when um mocking President Trump officially calling him the 10,000 tariff grandpa and saying that his constituents have been uh suffering because of some of his actions uh the other memes that are going around uh King know-it-all and Trump the nation builder but that nation is China
• 16:30 - 17:00 cnbc reports quote at present there are absolutely no negotiations on the economy and trade between China and the US Ministry of Commerce spokesperson told reporters in Mandarin ch translated by CNBC he added that all sayings regarding progress on bilateral talks should be dismissed if the US really wants to resolve the problem it should cancel all unilateral measures on China and yesterday a spokesperson for the Chinese government said "We will fight till the end." Donald Trump is not
• 17:00 - 17:30 saying "We will fight till the end." None of the Trump administration cheerleaders of the tariffs during the first week of the tariffs none of them is now saying "We will fight to the end." Donald Trump's enthusiasm for trying to save Tik Tok in the United States might weaken now that the Chinaowned Tik Tok is filled with anti-Trump tariff posts and Tik Tok is not the only humiliation Donald Trump is suffering in China new York Times reports that in China the internet is filled with images videos music mostly
• 17:30 - 18:00 generated by artificial intelligence mocking the American leaders for what the Chinese believe are ridiculous and outrageous policies and remarks mr trump is mocked for expecting a call from Mr z who's ghosting him to make a trade deal in a widely shared AI generated image a character that looks like Mr trump lies on a pink bed in a pastel colored children's bedroom with his face resting on his hands he stares at a smartphone
• 18:00 - 18:30 behind him on the wall is a large portrait of Mr xi smiling haha who's going to call after a breakup commented a Weebo user with an internet address in the northwestern province of Ganu trump do you think you're filming a soap opera mr vance has attracted the most brutal trolling his peasants comment offended many Chinese in a widely shared AI generated video a character resembling Mr advance in a pink jacket pink nails
• 18:30 - 19:00 and hot pink lipstick applies eyeliner while saying in a promotional female tone "Sis hillbilly brand eyeliner made in China reliable quality." Another video shows a cartoon character saying "Vice President Vance I'm a Chinese peasant do you realize your tariff policy will lead to the soaring price of your eyeliner?" There are so many posts about the topic that Mr advance is now known as the eyeliner man on the Chinese internet agreeing with Mitch McConnell didn't used to be such a strange feeling
• 19:00 - 19:30 for me he was a Republican member of the Senate Finance Committee which has jurisdiction over tariffs and taxation when I was the chief of staff of that committee under the Democratic chairman Daniel Patrick Moahan i disagreed with Mitch McConnell completely and always about taxes then and now but I mostly agreed with him and many other Republicans about tariffs as did many Democrats today Mitch McConnell made me feel like I was back in the hearing room in the Senate Finance Committee sitting behind the senators while he said
• 19:30 - 20:00 something that every member of the Senate Finance Committee Democrat and Republican in those days would have agreed with about tariffs i think the public needs to understand this issue is not about exporting jobs it's a tax increase for everybody for everybody that's where the cost will end up being Senate and so
• 20:00 - 20:30 this is part of the public education of the impact of a tariff war it's also for those who are paying close attention to it remarkably similar to what happened in the 30s it was called the Smoot Holly Taff Bill signed by Herbert Hoover before FDR came into office which was widely thought to
• 20:30 - 21:00 help move the depression worldwide and the slogan in the 30s was America first so we we've seen this in history unfold in a way that did not work for us or for other countries and there's some of us who think Mr president why don't we try something different