Smoke and noise aside, Trump has done virtually nothing since taking office

Just weeks into Donald Trump’s presidency, you would think that everything had changed. The uproar over the president’s tweets grows louder by the day, as does concern over the erratic, haphazard and aggressive stance of the White House toward critics and those with different policy views. On Sunday, White House aide Stephen Miller bragged, “We have a president who has done more in three weeks than most presidents have done in an entire administration.”

But Miller was dead wrong about this. There is a wide gap, a chasm even, between what the administration has said and what it has done. There have been 45 executive orders or presidential memoranda signed, which may seem like a lot but lags President Barack Obama’s pace. More crucially, with the notable exception of the travel ban, almost none of these orders have mandated much action or clear change of current regulations. So far, Trump has behaved exactly like he has throughout his previous career: He has generated intense attention and sold himself as a man of action while doing little other than promote an image of himself as someone who gets things done.

It is the illusion of a presidency, not the real thing.

The key problem here is understanding Trump’s executive orders and presidential memoranda. Trump very quickly seized on the signing of these as media opportunities, and each new order and memo has been staged and announced as dramatic steps to alter the course of the country. Not accustomed to presidents whose words mean little when it comes to actual policy, opponents have seized on these as proof that Trump represents a malign force, while supporters have pointed to these as proof that Trump is actually fulfilling his campaign promises.

Neither is correct. The official documents have all the patina of “big deals” but when parsed and examined turn out to be far, far less than they appear. Take the order authorizing the construction of a border wall between the United States and Mexico. The relevant section of the January 25 order read: “It is the policy of the executive branch to … secure the southern border of the United States through the immediate construction of a physical wall on the southern border, monitored and supported by adequate personnel so as to prevent illegal immigration, drug and human trafficking, and acts of terrorism.” That sounds indeed like an order to fulfill a controversial campaign promise. The problem? Congress initially passed a Secure Fence Act in 2006 that required the construction of nearly 700 miles of fortified border. By 2011, under the Obama administration, most of that was completed, with a mix of pedestrian fencing and vehicle fortifications. Since then, there has only been minimal funding for further fortifications.

The result is that Trump issued an executive order mandating something that has in many respects already been done—with no congressional funding yet to redo the current fortified border with a larger, more expensive structure. The president does not have the budgetary discretion to build such a wall, and it remains to be seen whether Congress will authorize what promises to be a controversial and redundant project. This executive order, therefore, changes nothing, and only mandates something that has already been mandated, already been constructed and that the president lacks the spending authority to upgrade.

Then take things like the Keystone pipeline permits, the promise to deregulate and the most recently signed orders about crime. The January 24 order on infrastructure begins with a sentiment almost anyone could agree with: “Infrastructure investment strengthens our economic platform, makes America more competitive, creates millions of jobs, increases wages for American workers, and reduces the costs of goods and services for American families and consumers. Too often, infrastructure projects in the United States have been routinely and excessively delayed by agency processes and procedures.” It then declares that the policy of the Executive Branch is to expedite the permitting of such projects. That was followed by two memoranda on the Keystone and Dakota Access Pipelines that had been denied permits during Obama’s tenure, which urges the companies to re-submit their permit applications for review.

That might seem like an order to have the pipelines built. But Keystone remains almost entirely an idea, and oil shipments and infrastructure from Canada have long since been routed elsewhere given the years and years of delay in ever authorizing it. The Dakota Access Pipeline is largely complete, with a major dispute over its passage through tribal lands, and here too, it is unlikely that a presidential memorandum has any legal bearing on how that issue is resolved given that it lies within the purview of the Army Corps of Engineers and cannot simply be countermanded by the White House.

Or take the orders of deregulation. Those were widely hailed as a rollback of Dodd-Frank, especially given that the morning that the order was issued, February 3, Trump met with bank CEOs and expressed his dislike for many of the legislation’s provisions. The actual order, however, delivers much less than it promises, merely directing the secretary of the Treasury to review existing regulations and report back on which ones might be refined to achieve better outcomes.

Or the crime orders signed on February 9, which were widely hailed as cracking down on “transnational criminal organizations” and “preventing violence against … law enforcement officers.” Nothing in the text of these orders is either objectionable or in any respect a departure from current law and policy. One order states plainly that it shall be the policy of the administration to “enforce all Federal laws in order to enhance the protection and safety of Federal, State, tribal, and local law enforcement officers, and thereby all Americans.” The other says that the administration will seek to use existing laws to crack down on trafficking. You would have known none of that from the headlines both supporting and denouncing the efforts. Breitbart claimed “Trump Signs Three Executive Orders to Restore Safety in America” while many took these orders as a sign that police will have new, expanded powers and protections. In truth, the orders changed the status quo not one whit.

On it goes: The recent crackdown on undocumented immigrants that followed Trump’s January 25 order on enforcement priorities may depart from Barack Obama’s post-2102 policies to de-emphasize deportation of undocumented immigrants who do not have criminal records, but it appears fully consistent with deportation actions during both Obama’s first term and during significant portions of George W. Bush’s administration. The orders on health care, on defeating ISIS, on rebuilding the armed forces—all were essentially statements of intent with no legal force and requiring no action except a mandate to relevant departments and agencies to study issues and report back.

The travel ban, of course, is different. It was an actual policy order that dramatically changed immigration and visa policies for seven Muslim-majority countries. It was swiftly rejected by the courts, however, which meant that the signature policy of the Trump administration is now not a policy at all—at least, unless and until the White House finds a different approach.

Lord Independent Thoughts wrote:Sounds like a pretty biased article written by a butt-hurt snowflake.
Let's take a real look, for some real perspective.

-DOW closing at record highs, since Trump won the election.
-Israel and Russia wanting to repair relations
-Eased relations with Russia
-Dakota pipeline gets approved
-Carrier is no longer sending 1000 jobs to Mexico (directly due to Trump)
-Ford cancels Mexico plant. Will create 700 U.S. jobs in 'vote of confidence' in Trump
-Intel, in Show of Support for Trump, Announces Factory in Arizona
(BTW... this plant will bring over 10,000 jobs)

So, he's been in office for 3 weeks and has already saved nearly 12,000 jobs, for starters.  That's more than Obama managed to save in 8 years.

The Dakota Access Pipeline is largely complete, with a major dispute over its passage through tribal lands, and here too, it is unlikely that a presidential memorandum has any legal bearing on how that issue is resolved given that it lies within the purview of the Army Corps of Engineers and cannot simply be countermanded by the White House.

Ben wrote:
Dow & Israel have nothing to do with Trump

CNN Money wrote:
"We are excited to work with President-elect Trump and his administration to do our part to drive economic growth and create jobs in the U.S.," said Sprint (S) CEO Marcelo Claure. He called it "critical" for business and government to work together.

Lord Independent Thoughts wrote:

Ben wrote:
Dow & Israel have nothing to do with Trump

Puh-leeeze!  
Stocks are on a tear, and the US dollar is rising — all since Donald Trump was elected the 45th US president.


And here's more of the "nothing" he's been doing.

CNN Money wrote:
"We are excited to work with President-elect Trump and his administration to do our part to drive economic growth and create jobs in the U.S.," said Sprint (S) CEO Marcelo Claure. He called it "critical" for business and government to work together.

President-elect Donald Trump is claiming another victory: Sprint will bring back 5,000 jobs to the U.S.

That makes 17,000 jobs in 3 weeks.  Saved.  You never got these results from Obama in 8 years!

Ben wrote:
...I'm going to let some of our other happy warriors chew your ass about this one...

Ben Reilly wrote:I was surprised by this, because it certainly feels like a lot has been going on. But this (admittedly long) examination sifting fact from the B.S. is pretty convincing:

Just weeks into Donald Trump’s presidency, you would think that everything had changed. The uproar over the president’s tweets grows louder by the day, as does concern over the erratic, haphazard and aggressive stance of the White House toward critics and those with different policy views. On Sunday, White House aide Stephen Miller bragged, “We have a president who has done more in three weeks than most presidents have done in an entire administration.”

But Miller was dead wrong about this. There is a wide gap, a chasm even, between what the administration has said and what it has done. There have been 45 executive orders or presidential memoranda signed, which may seem like a lot but lags President Barack Obama’s pace. More crucially, with the notable exception of the travel ban, almost none of these orders have mandated much action or clear change of current regulations. So far, Trump has behaved exactly like he has throughout his previous career: He has generated intense attention and sold himself as a man of action while doing little other than promote an image of himself as someone who gets things done.

It is the illusion of a presidency, not the real thing.

The key problem here is understanding Trump’s executive orders and presidential memoranda. Trump very quickly seized on the signing of these as media opportunities, and each new order and memo has been staged and announced as dramatic steps to alter the course of the country. Not accustomed to presidents whose words mean little when it comes to actual policy, opponents have seized on these as proof that Trump represents a malign force, while supporters have pointed to these as proof that Trump is actually fulfilling his campaign promises.

Neither is correct. The official documents have all the patina of “big deals” but when parsed and examined turn out to be far, far less than they appear. Take the order authorizing the construction of a border wall between the United States and Mexico. The relevant section of the January 25 order read: “It is the policy of the executive branch to … secure the southern border of the United States through the immediate construction of a physical wall on the southern border, monitored and supported by adequate personnel so as to prevent illegal immigration, drug and human trafficking, and acts of terrorism.” That sounds indeed like an order to fulfill a controversial campaign promise. The problem? Congress initially passed a Secure Fence Act in 2006 that required the construction of nearly 700 miles of fortified border. By 2011, under the Obama administration, most of that was completed, with a mix of pedestrian fencing and vehicle fortifications. Since then, there has only been minimal funding for further fortifications.

The result is that Trump issued an executive order mandating something that has in many respects already been done—with no congressional funding yet to redo the current fortified border with a larger, more expensive structure. The president does not have the budgetary discretion to build such a wall, and it remains to be seen whether Congress will authorize what promises to be a controversial and redundant project. This executive order, therefore, changes nothing, and only mandates something that has already been mandated, already been constructed and that the president lacks the spending authority to upgrade.

Then take things like the Keystone pipeline permits, the promise to deregulate and the most recently signed orders about crime. The January 24 order on infrastructure begins with a sentiment almost anyone could agree with: “Infrastructure investment strengthens our economic platform, makes America more competitive, creates millions of jobs, increases wages for American workers, and reduces the costs of goods and services for American families and consumers. Too often, infrastructure projects in the United States have been routinely and excessively delayed by agency processes and procedures.” It then declares that the policy of the Executive Branch is to expedite the permitting of such projects. That was followed by two memoranda on the Keystone and Dakota Access Pipelines that had been denied permits during Obama’s tenure, which urges the companies to re-submit their permit applications for review.

That might seem like an order to have the pipelines built. But Keystone remains almost entirely an idea, and oil shipments and infrastructure from Canada have long since been routed elsewhere given the years and years of delay in ever authorizing it. The Dakota Access Pipeline is largely complete, with a major dispute over its passage through tribal lands, and here too, it is unlikely that a presidential memorandum has any legal bearing on how that issue is resolved given that it lies within the purview of the Army Corps of Engineers and cannot simply be countermanded by the White House.

Or take the orders of deregulation. Those were widely hailed as a rollback of Dodd-Frank, especially given that the morning that the order was issued, February 3, Trump met with bank CEOs and expressed his dislike for many of the legislation’s provisions. The actual order, however, delivers much less than it promises, merely directing the secretary of the Treasury to review existing regulations and report back on which ones might be refined to achieve better outcomes.

Or the crime orders signed on February 9, which were widely hailed as cracking down on “transnational criminal organizations” and “preventing violence against … law enforcement officers.” Nothing in the text of these orders is either objectionable or in any respect a departure from current law and policy. One order states plainly that it shall be the policy of the administration to “enforce all Federal laws in order to enhance the protection and safety of Federal, State, tribal, and local law enforcement officers, and thereby all Americans.” The other says that the administration will seek to use existing laws to crack down on trafficking. You would have known none of that from the headlines both supporting and denouncing the efforts. Breitbart claimed “Trump Signs Three Executive Orders to Restore Safety in America” while many took these orders as a sign that police will have new, expanded powers and protections. In truth, the orders changed the status quo not one whit.

On it goes: The recent crackdown on undocumented immigrants that followed Trump’s January 25 order on enforcement priorities may depart from Barack Obama’s post-2102 policies to de-emphasize deportation of undocumented immigrants who do not have criminal records, but it appears fully consistent with deportation actions during both Obama’s first term and during significant portions of George W. Bush’s administration. The orders on health care, on defeating ISIS, on rebuilding the armed forces—all were essentially statements of intent with no legal force and requiring no action except a mandate to relevant departments and agencies to study issues and report back.

The travel ban, of course, is different. It was an actual policy order that dramatically changed immigration and visa policies for seven Muslim-majority countries. It was swiftly rejected by the courts, however, which meant that the signature policy of the Trump administration is now not a policy at all—at least, unless and until the White House finds a different approach.

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/02/president-trump-has-done-almost-nothing-214775

Amazing that all this nothing has netted Trump a net 25 percent disapproval rating, with people saying he's off to the worst start since William Henry Harrison (who died a month after taking office).

Lord Independent Thoughts wrote:

Ben wrote:
...I'm going to let some of our other happy warriors chew your ass about this one...

Great.  Tell them to stop by this thread and chew someone else's ass out before swinging by here.

http://www.newsfixboard.com/t19709-joy-villa-shoots-up-the-album-charts-after-wearing-pro-trump-dress-at-grammys

If they're going to start flinging around the feigned "morals" argument, too, I'd like for them to show some, before preaching about it.

Tommy Monk wrote:Obama got a nobel prize after a few months as president doing nothing...


If trump is so good at doing nothing... Maybe he will get one in less time than Obama....


Although trump doing nothing means a continuation of what Obama has been increasingly doing in recent years...


The figures on link are quite startling... and especially when you consider that he was hailed as a hero of peace with the nobel award...

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

Lord Independent Thoughts wrote:

Great.  Tell them to stop by this thread and chew someone else's ass out before swinging by here.

http://www.newsfixboard.com/t19709-joy-villa-shoots-up-the-album-charts-after-wearing-pro-trump-dress-at-grammys

If they're going to start flinging around the feigned "morals" argument, too, I'd like for them to show some, before preaching about it.

The utter bulldust simply flows,  every time you even get near a keyboard...

The nonsense that you keep on writing,  I have to wonder if English is even your native language..

nicko wrote:Nail on the head Ben.

nicko wrote:Ben,why did he get it,    as far as I can see he'd done nothing to deserve it.     Or am I missing something?

Original Quill wrote:

nicko wrote:Ben,why did he get it,    as far as I can see he'd done nothing to deserve it.     Or am I missing something?

The Republicans (Bush and Cheney) left the country in an ugly, purposeless war, on the brink of the next depression, with double-digit unemployment, a $17-trillion deficit and bin Laden still alive and running around.

Obama got the country out of Iraq, saved America from the next Depression, brought unemployment down from 10.5% to 5.1%, overseen the creation of 6-million jobs, saved the American automobile industry, overseen the American stock market soar to over $20,000 average in the Dow Jones (highest ever), finally created a highly successful medical care system (despite the sour grapes of Republicans) and he got bin Laden when the Republican administration was completely inept at even finding him.

That's a hell of a record.  The only reason Republicans don't like him is because of his race.  

Lurker wrote:

Original Quill wrote:

The Republicans (Bush and Cheney) left the country in an ugly, purposeless war, on the brink of the next depression, with double-digit unemployment, a $17-trillion deficit and bin Laden still alive and running around.

Obama got the country out of Iraq, saved America from the next Depression, brought unemployment down from 10.5% to 5.1%, overseen the creation of 6-million jobs, saved the American automobile industry, overseen the American stock market soar to over $20,000 average in the Dow Jones (highest ever), finally created a highly successful medical care system (despite the sour grapes of Republicans) and he got bin Laden when the Republican administration was completely inept at even finding him.

That's a hell of a record.  The only reason Republicans don't like him is because of his race.  

When you prove them wrong all you get back are crickets. LOL

Tommy Monk wrote:

Lurker wrote:

When you prove them wrong all you get back are crickets. LOL

Wow... he did all that in his first 9 months as president... when he was awarded the nobel peace prize...!?

Tommy Monk wrote:"...I am both surprised and deeply humbled by the decision of the Nobel Committee. Let me be clear: I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments..."

Said Obama when he was awarded with the nobel prize... after only a few months of becoming President...

Tommy Monk wrote:"...I am both surprised and deeply humbled by the decision of the Nobel Committee. Let me be clear: I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments..."

Said Obama when he was awarded with the nobel prize... after only a few months of becoming President..

nicko wrote:Why do  "the usual suspects"  keep on giving them selves "Greens"

Have they got to bolster each others confidence?

nicko wrote:Why do  "the usual suspects"  keep on giving them selves "Greens"

Have they got to bolster each others confidence?

nicko wrote:Ben,why did he get it,    as far as I can see he'd done nothing to deserve it.     Or am I missing something?

Lord Independent Thoughts wrote:

Ben wrote:
Dow & Israel have nothing to do with Trump

Puh-leeeze!  
Stocks are on a tear, and the US dollar is rising — all since Donald Trump was elected the 45th US president.


And here's more of the "nothing" he's been doing.

CNN Money wrote:
"We are excited to work with President-elect Trump and his administration to do our part to drive economic growth and create jobs in the U.S.," said Sprint (S) CEO Marcelo Claure. He called it "critical" for business and government to work together.

President-elect Donald Trump is claiming another victory: Sprint will bring back 5,000 jobs to the U.S.

That makes 17,000 jobs in 3 weeks.  Saved.  You never got these results from Obama in 8 years!

Original Quill wrote:Eds and Benji sitting in the tree
K-i-s-s-i-n-g!
First comes love.
Then comes marriage.
Then comes baby in the baby carriage,

Ben Reilly wrote:

nicko wrote:Nail on the head Ben.

You get the joke, right?

The Nobel committee makes up its own mind and neither informs nor consults its nominees.

Obama had no idea he was going to get that prize.

Original Quill wrote:

nicko wrote:Ben,why did he get it,    as far as I can see he'd done nothing to deserve it.     Or am I missing something?

The Republicans (Bush and Cheney) left the country in an ugly, purposeless war, on the brink of the next depression, with double-digit unemployment, a $17-trillion deficit and bin Laden still alive and running around.

Obama got the country out of Iraq, saved America from the next Depression, brought unemployment down from 10.5% to 5.1%, overseen the creation of 6-million jobs, saved the American automobile industry, overseen the American stock market soar to over $20,000 average in the Dow Jones (highest ever), finally created a highly successful medical care system (despite the sour grapes of Republicans) and he got bin Laden when the Republican administration was completely inept at even finding him.

That's a hell of a record.  The only reason Republicans don't like him is because of his race.  

Angry Andy wrote:Which is also the reason Tommy, Dickhead and IT never liked him.
But watch how they swoon over the fat, wig wearing, sexist, misogynistic , racist and alt right wannabe dictator who lies every time he opens his gob.

Original Quill wrote:

Tommy Monk wrote:


Wow... he did all that in his first 9 months as president... when he was awarded the nobel peace prize...!?

Yep, pretty much...except for the things that took place over time, and even with those, he initiated the actions that set them going at the start.

Don't forget, the Congress for most of his tenure was dedicated to making America fail.  That was the McConnell-Boehner doctrine, which dogged Obama from the beginning.

The Devil, You Know wrote:

Ben Reilly wrote:

You get the joke, right?

The Nobel committee makes up its own mind and neither informs nor consults its nominees.

Obama had no idea he was going to get that prize.

but what did he get it for?
he certainly hasn't promoted peace and harmony around the world. It is a far more violent place than the one he inherited, and that was pretty violent. He hasn't brought peace anywhere, and certainly not in his first months of office. He divided america across race lines far more than other presidents. So please give us an inkling as to why he got a nobel peace prize. was it
"coz i'z black"?  as one satirist used to say

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

WHAT DO  Tommy,  DYKfacedeano and their pet robot troll Lord_No_Independent_Thoughts have in common  ?

They are three clueless and desperate alt.right goons, continually competing against one another to see who can appear the most stupid and uninformed..

Whose whole raisson d'etre is to cause as much disruption, deflection and as many derailments as possible on here...
When will their insanity stop..   The horror,  the horror.          

nicko wrote:Why do  "the usual suspects"  keep on giving them selves "Greens"

Have they got to bolster each others confidence?

The Devil, You Know wrote:

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

WHAT DO  Tommy,  DYKfacedeano and their pet robot troll Lord_No_Independent_Thoughts have in common  ?

They are three clueless and desperate alt.right goons, continually competing against one another to see who can appear the most stupid and uninformed..

Whose whole raisson d'etre is to cause as much disruption, deflection and as many derailments as possible on here...
When will their insanity stop..   The horror,  the horror.          

thankfully all of us can make a point without resorting to personal abuse.something you are a bit of a master at.

But lucky for you you are teachers pet.

The Devil, You Know wrote:
oh do shut up you islamaphobic racist

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

nicko wrote:Why do  "the usual suspects"  keep on giving them selves "Greens"

Have they got to bolster each others confidence?

You can't give yourself a green nicko...

You would need to have two i.d's for that..

P.S.         Why do you only question why someone 'greens' one of your opposition --  but don't seem at all worried why somebody sees fit to swipe that "+" button for some fascist, racist or xenophobic tripe from you, Tommy or your associates on here  ?