An Emerson College poll published Tuesday found
Trump’s favorability rating had increased by 6 percentage points since the
election, putting him at 54 percent.
The postelection period has not been entirely free of drama
for Trump, however, as one of his Cabinet nominees, former Rep. Matt Gaetz,
has already withdrawn, and another, Pete Hegseth, is facing allegations of
sexual assault that cloud his chances of confirmation.
Here are five reasons Trump is riding high three weeks after
Election Day.
Quick
Cabinet assembly
Trump has rolled out new picks for his incoming
administration almost daily in the past two weeks, wasting little time
installing allies at top posts in the White House and nominating staunch
loyalists to lead major government agencies.
Following his 2016 victory, Trump did not name his first Cabinet
picks until 10 days after the election. This time around, he has named choices
for nearly his entire Cabinet, plus several top White House positions, within
three weeks of his victory.
Trump allies said the quick pace showed a more cohesive
transition than eight years ago, reflected his team’s preparedness for victory
this time around and underscored how Trump was ready to rely on those he knew
rather than more establishment figures.
“The people that he is surrounding himself with now are all
committed to advancing the agenda,” former White House press secretary Sean
Spicer said.
The rapid pace of nominations has kept headlines moving from
one pick to the next, but some of Trump’s choices are likely to face intense
scrutiny as the confirmation process moves along.
In particular, Hegseth, his choice for Defense secretary, is
facing allegations of sexual assault, which he denies. Former Hawaii
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s choice for director of national
intelligence, has faced criticism for parroting pro-Russian talking
points. And Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the man tapped to lead the
Department of Health and Human Services, has spread anti-vaccine rhetoric,
among other controversial views.
End of
legal cases
Trump and his legal team spent more than a year fighting to
delay various legal cases against him in the hopes that a victory in the
presidential election would effectively end his court battles.
This week proved that effort was a success when special
counsel Jack Smith moved to dismiss both his election interference case
and classified documents case against Trump, citing Department of Justice
policy against prosecuting a sitting president.
The motion for the election interference case was approved
by Judge Tanya Chutkan, bringing to a close the prosecutorial effort to hold
Trump accountable for seeking to thwart the peaceful transfer of power that
culminated with his supporters storming the Capitol.
In Trump’s Florida documents case, where he is facing
charges for violating the Espionage Act and obstruction of justice, Smith also
moved to dismiss an appeal to a motion tossing the case.
Trump was convicted earlier this year on 34 felony counts
over a hush money scheme to keep an alleged affair quiet during the 2016
campaign. But his sentencing has been indefinitely adjourned, and Judge Juan
Merchan now faces a choice of freezing the case in place until he leaves
the White House or tossing it entirely.
Fewer
signs of Democratic resistance
After Trump’s first victory in 2016, Democrats quickly
rallied from the top down with vows to oppose and resist his agenda.
The Women’s March took place one day after Trump was
inaugurated, lawmakers planned for how to delay confirmation of Trump’s
nominees and critics seized on questions about Russian influence in the 2016
election.
This time around, Democrats appear more focused on sorting
out where their own party went wrong during the 2024 campaign than on forming
an organized resistance to Trump’s plans. With President Biden on his way out
of the White House and Vice President Harris defeated, there is no clear leader
of the party.
Instead of vowing to oppose Trump’s Cabinet picks, senators like
Sen. John Fetterman have openly talked about supporting nominees such
as Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of State and even Dr. Mehmet Oz, who was
nominated to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Fetterman
defeated Oz in 2022 to win his Pennsylvania Senate seat.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis drew backlash when
he expressed excitement over Trump’s choice of Kennedy to lead the Department
of Health and Human Services.
Some state-level leaders, particularly those with
aspirations for 2028, have appeared keener to position themselves as a bulwark
against Trump. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has vowed to push back against
certain Trump policies, while Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has signaled he
would fiercely protect his state’s rights.
Middle
East peace deal
One major victory for Trump since the election came thanks
to the work of the Biden administration, which announced Tuesday a ceasefire
agreement between Israel and Hezbollah.
President Biden made the announcement that Israel and
Hezbollah agreed to pause their fighting in and around the border with Lebanon
as of early Wednesday morning following months of fighting and airstrikes in
the region.
The terms of the deal include a 60-day truce during which
Israel will gradually withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon and Hezbollah
will withdraw its troops north of the Litani River in Lebanon.
Trump has not publicly commented on the announcement, but
the Biden team briefed Trump transition officials twice in recent
weeks about the ongoing push for a ceasefire.
The Washington Post reported earlier this month that
the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aimed to
reach a ceasefire with Hezbollah as a gift to the incoming Trump
administration.
While Trump must still contend with the conflict between
Ukraine and Russia and Israel’s war with Hamas, which has decimated Gaza, the
truce between Israeli forces and Hezbollah takes one foreign policy concern off
the table.
Out of
the public eye
Trump has largely been absent from the public eye in the
roughly three weeks since he secured a second term.
He appeared in Washington DC, to meet with House Republicans
and President Biden at the White House, and he made a trip to Texas to witness
a SpaceX rocket launch alongside Elon Musk, the founder of the company.
But he has not held a press conference or delivered remarks
on camera, making announcements largely through press releases from his
transition team or on Truth Social.
Trump has in the past enjoyed some of his stronger political
stretches when he has stayed out of the spotlight and avoided the kind of
self-created controversies that come from his own on-camera remarks to the
press or at rallies.
The question is how long he can keep it up. Some of his
Cabinet picks are sure to come under growing scrutiny in the weeks ahead, his
threat of tariffs against allies Mexico and Canada have rankled officials and
could upend the economy, and there will be an even greater focus on Trump’s
every move once he takes office in January.
Courtesy: The Hill
