Trump’s inaugural message: U.S. is totally broken, I’ll fix it in 4 years. Good luck | Opinion
Donald Trump never shies away from exaggeration. So in one sense, it wasn’t that odd to hear him, in his second inaugural address, describe a completely broken federal government that he will somehow totally fix in four short years.
It was a classic Trump speech, a dire assessment of America’s situation and a sweeping pledge to right every wrong. He pulled few punches, offered no olive branches and directly rebuked past presidents and other leaders as they watched him assume power for the second time.
“My recent election is a mandate to completely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal and all of these many betrayals that have taken place and to give the people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy, and, indeed, their freedom,” Trump said.
And yet, he pledged: “From this moment on, America’s decline is over.”
If Trump’s first inaugural speech in 2017 was memorable for its description of “American carnage,” this one could be summarized as “government carnage.” He painted a picture of deep corruption and failure in the American state.
Monday’s address was political in a way that most such speeches are not. It was more like a State of the Union address, with the stunning visual of half the crowd clapping and half not at an event that usually features at least an attempt to unify and lift the American spirit.
It was also a policy speech, with announcements of specific, immediate orders on energy and the border. And it featured a wide litany of promises, from renaming the Gulf of Mexico to declaring that the federal government recognizes only two genders.
Trump’s speech reflects two realities: first, that Americans are grossly dissatisfied with the direction of the country and have been for a long time. They’re tired of institutions failing and want a significant direction change on immigration, the economy and energy. They want a level playing field rather than what they see as elites rigging things for themselves and their own.
Then, there are the next-level complaints of Trump and his “make America great again” base — political persecution, cultural issues and perceived slights to American greatness, down to whether we call the great mountain in Alaska McKinley or Denali.
It was fan service, and the fans surely loved it. The internal contradictions — how exactly does one take back the Panama Canal and yet end and avoid wars? — can wait for another day.
Except they won’t wait long. Just as there were two levels to the speech, there will be two sides to the Trump administration. One hallmark of his first term was a lack of sustained attention to almost anything. Trump himself was the biggest culprit, although investigations, staffing controversies and incredible events, such as the COVID-19 outbreak, also played major roles.
Trump may accomplish more with a more disciplined and devoted staff, and if he re-enters the White House with clarity that this is his last chance to build his legacy. His party may lose at least one half of Congress in two years, given historical political patterns. Attention will then quickly turn to the wide-open races for both parties’ presidential nominations.
Trump is in an unusual position, with strong political capital off a decisive election win but also instant lame-duck status. The White House will need fast, sustained work to accomplish a fraction of what he’s laid out, let alone deal with the inevitable crises that will arise.
It’s not a clear formula for what Trump promised Monday: a new American “golden age” brought about by a “peacemaker and unifier,” a country that “will reclaim its rightful place as the greatest, most powerful, most respected nation on Earth, inspiring the awe and admiration of the entire world.”
That’s a tall task for any single presidential term, let alone one led by someone as impulsive as Trump.
This story was originally published January 20, 2025 at 3:08 PM with the headline "Trump’s inaugural message: U.S. is totally broken, I’ll fix it in 4 years. Good luck | Opinion."
