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Good morning.
It's Sunday, December 22nd, 2024.
With the government shutdown averted, much of the work of Washington is wrapping up for the year, winding down the last of the Biden administration and preparing for President -elect Donald Trump's second term.
Our question this morning, how are you feeling about the next Trump presidency?
If you're feeling optimistic, 202 -748 -8000.
If you're feeling pessimistic, call us at 202 -748 -8001.
If you're not sure, that number is 202 -748 -8002.
You can also text us.
That number is 202 -748 -8003.
Just please be sure to include your name and where you're writing in from.
And you can also find us on social media.
Facebook .com slash C -SPAN and on X at C -SPAN WJ.
Now, there has been quite a bit of polling looking at how Americans are feeling about the incoming Trump administration, including reporting here in Fox News about a Monmouth University poll finding a majority of Americans are optimistic about Trump's agenda,
a poll finds, despite tariff concerns.
A majority of Americans say they are optimistic about the policies President -elect Trump will pursue in his incoming administration, according to a new poll from Monmouth University.
That poll found that 53 % of Americans are either very or somewhat optimistic about Trump's second term.
Now that's a slight rise from the weeks prior to his first term, when just 50 % of Americans said they were optimistic.
The only segment of Americans who are less optimistic about Trump's second term than they were about his first term are Democrats, with just 10 % saying they look forward to the next four years.
There's been other polling, as reported in Reuters, showing about how people are feeling about Trump more generally.
In a polarized America, 41 % of Americans have a favorable view of Trump, according to a Reuters /Ipsos poll.
Finding that about two in five Americans view President -elect Donald Trump favorably, fewer than when the Republican was on the cusp of his first presidential term, a new Reuters Ipsos poll showed.
Some 41 % of respondents in the three -day poll, which closed on Sunday, that's last Sunday, said they viewed Trump favorably, while 55 % viewed him unfavorably as his January 20th inauguration approached.
That was down from Trump's 51 % favorability rating in December 2016 after his stunning victory in that year's election, even though for months he had garnered ratings around 40%.
The post -election boost carried into the initial months of his 2017 to 2021 terms.
Now, those were looks at polling, looking at both how people are feeling about Trump's policies, as well as Trump in general.
President -elect Donald Trump himself spoke with reporters.
So we're inheriting big challenges at home and all over the world.
Again, we had no wars.
We had no problems.
We had no inflation.
We had no inflation.
We had it less than 1%.
A perfect number.
And then we had inflation, the likes of which I say I don't believe the country's ever seen inflation like that.
They say 38 years.
I don't know.
I think it's probably ever, but we're going to take care of all of it.
We're going to get the prices down by energy.
The energy is going to come in.
We have more energy than anybody else.
We're going to use it.
We don't have to buy energy from Venezuela when we have 50 times more than they do.
It's just insane what we're doing.
We will not rest until America is richer, safer, and stronger than it has ever been before.
And we have a big head start.
Last time, we didn't.
And last time, we didn't know the people.
We didn't know a lot of things.
But by the time we got it up and going, it was incredible.
Again, we built the greatest economy in history for that period of time, and we'll do it again.
I believe substantially more so because we understand, number one, the people of Washington.
I know them.
I didn't know any of them virtually.
I relied on other people for recommendations.
Some were very good recommendations.
We had some great people.
Bob Lighthizer I thought was great.
We had a lot of great people.
But we had some people that I wouldn't have used in retrospect and now I know them better than anybody.
Better than they know themselves.
Now, in terms of the Democratic perspective on the incoming Trump administration, there's reporting here in The Hill, Democrats recalibrate their resistance to Trump.
Democrats are not planning an all -hands resistance to President -elect Donald Trump, at least not in the 2016 style, when lawmakers, activists, volunteers, and millions of angry voters mounted a party -wide effort to curb his newfound influence in Washington,
where so much was once unprecedented.
We're good to go.
We're good to go.
Mr. President, I'm on the floor today to talk to my colleagues about something that is happening right in front of our eyes.
It's a set of events that aren't random.
They're connected to one another that threaten to destroy this country that we love.
Everybody can see it, but for some reason, maybe the exhaustion of the aftermath of a brutal election, maybe the distraction of the Christmas season, maybe...
Just an instinct to flee instead of fight.
There are far too many people that are denying to themselves what they are seeing.
What is happening right now is that Donald Trump and his billionaire advisors are unfolding for the country in real time a plan to transition this country from a democracy to a restrictive oligarchy.
Where political opposition is silenced, where the media isn't free, and where government just exists to enrich a small cabal of elites that surround the man in charge.
I know a lot of my colleagues do see how these dots exist and how they connect, and I know in your gut a lot of you see the specter of the disaster that is coming.
But if you don't, I want to spend just a few minutes laying it out.
And to make things simple, I'm just going to focus on three events that happened in the last seven days.
The recommendation by House Republicans that Trump critic Liz Cheney be subject to criminal prosecution, the lawsuit filed by Trump against an Iowa pollster in an Iowa newspaper,
and the decision by ABC to pay Trump $15 million to get rid of a bogus lawsuit.
And now we're ready to hear your perspectives on how you're feeling about the incoming Trump administration, whether you're optimistic, pessimistic, or not sure.
Some comments we've already received from text and social media.
Sandy in Bloomington, Indiana says, I am quite pessimistic regarding Trump's presidency, beginning with his picks for cabinet members, etc.
And then on X, Deb Johnson says, I am very optimistic that our future is in the best hands.
However, the current administration is doing everything it can to take our country down before it leaves.
And another comment from X, from Elvin Brown, I'm very optimistic that Trump will bankrupt our nation.
Now to your calls.
James is in Fort Myers, Florida, and is pessimistic about the incoming administration.
Good morning, James.
Good morning.
Yes, I am quite pessimistic.
Now remember, I'm just one of these poor people out here trying to make a living and trying to, you know, live my life.
I try to be as objective and fair as I can be about things, but I will tell you, mark this day, of those of you who want to, that two years from now, he will be impeached.
He'll be lucky to even make it two years.
Now James, what in particular has you pessimistic about the incoming Trump presidency?
Are there particular policies?
Well, there's not hardly anything about it that I find positive.
He's just chaotic.
This last deal with the passage of the CR and so forth, he just threw a wrench in the works.
It's like he enjoys screwing things up as much as he can.
I doubt that he knew any more about it than I did.
The man, if he's talking, he's lying.
Okay, let's hear from Dan in Louisville, Kentucky, who's optimistic about the second Trump term.
Good morning, Dan.
Good morning, I have to tell you.
Trump deranged my syndrome still strong and steady.
But the only way to get impeached is if he, you know, has a bunch of rhinos.
I believe he'll do good, just like he did the first term.
He got quite a bit done, being that he had to fight the Democrats, Republicans, mainstream media.
You know, he got a lot of things done.
I think he'll get a lot more done now, this time, because everybody's tired of the same old, same old.
And, you know, it's just like the last four years.
Every time I got a cost of living increase, Are you referring to your Social Security,
Dan?
That way I'm going to be at least breaking even, you know, instead of losing every year.
I always had extra.
Are there particular things about some of the policies that President -elect Trump has suggested that you're looking forward to?
Oh, yeah.
Deportation, closing the border.
You know, I'm hoping he could bring groceries down because I'll tell you what, it's tight for me.
I'm a diabetic and I try to eat.
You know, good.
I like salads.
Stuff to get for salads, it's up or high, you know.
But once prices are up, you know how hard they are to come down.
You know, he'll have a better chance bringing gasoline down than groceries.
People, you know, they think like, well, they're used to it now, just keep it that way.
Well, you know what?
If it's going to be like that, the real poor people, they're having a hard time.
Especially us as elderly and, you know, having benefits cut.
You know, I don't know how they figure it.
You know, they say, well, it's because you're LG &E.
You know, your gas and electric bill.
Well, they take it at fall.
Well, during the summer, you're not using that much heat and air.
During the winter, my bills double.
Why don't they take it during the winter?
That way, they wouldn't be gouging me.
Well, I'm not sure about what's going to happen in the future, except that based on Trump's past history,
I am sure that it'll be a lot better than right now.
It's not going to...
Social Security will not be cut, Medicare, I'm a vet, I'll vet them in.
Everything will be in place and better.
C -SPAN, BNN, MSNBC, Fox, etc.
You folks, my concern is the maltreated.
He's an old man, elderly.
No, I don't go along with Biden, but he's still a senior citizen.
Your own Wall Street Journal say he is not fit.
The function.
Yet you people and you C -SPAN are supposed to be on top of all these things.
Seems to me you're covering this up.
Trump would do fine.
My concern is our national security.
Biden can't even sign the bill into effect.
So who is going to sign it?
It'll look like he's signing it.
Who is running our country now?
One caller said he was appalled that...
Well, let me tell you something, Carla.
We have unelected officials right now running our country.
It is not Biden.
And C -SPAN, you just deny these facts.
Anyway, everybody have a Merry Christmas.
And everything's going to be fine with Trump.
Certainly a lot better.
Take care.
I just feel that he knows the game a little better now than he did when he was first elected.
I think the GOP is more willing just to roll over and do his will than before.
I don't see any Republican with a backbone that can stand up to him.
And his agenda is, it is.
All right, let's hear from Paul in the UK, calling all the way from England, who's not sure.
Good morning, Paul.
All right, let's hear from Paul in Cornwall, New York,
who is optimistic about the Trump administration coming in.
Good morning, Paul.
I'm very optimistic about the Trump administration, the new Trump administration coming in.
It's going to be a lot better than what we got, well, what's supposed to be in the White House right now, because no one knows really where Joe Biden is or Kamala Harris.
So as far as I'm concerned, Trump is president.
He's already taken control.
And I want to thank them very much for noticing that 40 % pay raise that Congress wanted to give himself, and they put the kibosh on that.
No way to a 40 % increase.
I don't believe it was a 40 % pay raise.
If I'm not mistaken, I believe it was six.
But let me pull up the exact detail so we can get that number right.
But continue your point while I look for that.
I'm looking forward to seeing the border finally getting secured and getting the fentanyl out of this country.
The Democrats are screaming, oh, drug addiction and this and that, but they do nothing about it.
And as far as everybody else saying well the GOP is going along with Trump's agenda, what do you think the Democrats would do if Harris was elected?
They'd go along with her agenda.
That's just the way this is played.
So Paul, before I let you go, Paul, I just want to read about that 40 % number.
So there is a fact check on that in Reuters saying that the bipartisan stopgap spending bill did not include a 40 % pay raise for Congress.
The temporary spending bill scuttled by opposition from President -elect Donald Trump would have made U .S. Congress members eligible for a 3 .8 % salary increase, not 40 % as suggested in posts.
I'm trying to find the exact detail here.
The bill would have ended a long time pay freeze, allowing lawmakers to be eligible for a 3 .8 % salary increase in January, which would have been equal to $6 ,600.
So that is the detail on that there, Paul.
Did you have any other points before I let you go?
No, I'm glad you fact -checked me on that.
I do appreciate that.
But still, they don't even deserve that because the working class in America isn't even getting that.
Have a Merry Christmas, everybody, next year.
All right.
Carl is in Chicago, Illinois, and is pessimistic about the incoming Trump administration.
Good morning, and why is that, Carl?
Yes.
Hello.
There's two principal things that concern me.
One is Trump's unwillingness to even acknowledge climate change, which is our only real existential threat.
In the world, because humans are big animals, and we need a lot of clean air and not overly warm world.
Secondly, there was a book written, How Democracies Fail.
And one of the principal parts of the book indicated that if the two political parties in Congress can cooperate, they can get the work of democracy done.
However, if they...
Okay.
Arthur is in Winter Garden, Florida and is optimistic about Trump's next term.
Good morning, Arthur.
Yes, ma 'am.
If we can cut the waste in our government, all the wasteful projects, that's going to be a very big improvement.
If we can take care of America first and not get involved in everybody else's conflicts, that will be an improvement.
Thank you.
So, Arthur, before I let you go, President -elect Donald Trump has suggested and is planning to set up this new Department of Government Efficiency to deal with potential government waste.
What do you think of that proposal?
I think that's a step in the right direction.
Okay.
Jasper is in Memphis, Tennessee, and is pessimistic about the incoming Trump administration.
Good morning, Jasper.
Good morning.
Got a couple of things here real quick.
Number one, I listen that these old poor Republicans living in the rural area, around these people, around these towns, all these people, these blacks and Mexicans that voted for Trump.
Look at the last four years.
In the last two years, Trump was in office.
This country was in ruins.
We was out of jobs, people in food lines, dust in the stores.
The supply lines broke down.
He was in Mar -a -Lago golfing and trying to hide documents down there.
Do you mean during the pandemic?
During the pandemic time, the last two years now, look at it real good.
And now he's coming in with the same policies.
The first policy he wanted to do is to bail out the farmers.
He the one went to China and they messed it up.
Why should the taxpayers mess up something that he went over and messed up?
You know what I'm saying?
And every time that they talk about money, these Republicans, all they say is about money.
There's nothing about community.
Every time that they get in, I heard these old poor jokers calling from out in the country.
Money, money.
I had more money under Trump.
You did not have no money under Trump.
Trump gave you a tax break.
But now, your retirement, when you get Social Security time, you're going to have less.
See?
Trump is not going to do nothing, man.
Six months, you're going to see the difference.
We're going to be going back into depression and recession time.
Because nobody in other countries is going to want to work with Trump.
They already done told them.
So you can fly your little flag and bring this little stuff about, but we are headed for a hard time, Eric.
I mean, a very hard time.
It's coming.
Thank you.
Jeffrey is in Greensboro, North Carolina and is optimistic about Trump's second term.
Good morning, Jeffrey.
Good morning.
Thank you for taking the call and happy holidays.
Chief Spann does an excellent job.
It's amazing.
This is really amazing that the wonderful blessing of being in a position to everybody have the opinion.
But here's the fact.
It is out just over the top.
So Jeff, what are you optimistic about?
is make sure.
We are sure.
The second time around, are we talking about the wall or stopping drugs?
No, he's going to make sure, absolutely, he's going to get his debt back from the pending charges or litigation on that civil aspect.
He's going to get his money back.
And as far as the drugs -wise, this is just another on a larger scale.
They really wanted to, from any president before him, wanted to stop the flow of drugs.
Think about how it was in the 70s.
in the communities the black communities that was destroyed families destroyed right now to the present because of the drug infestation back then there is no way they're going to uh realistically fix that what should have been the top agenda in america back then this is just now overlapping and as far as the people that administration has run in the country it is just beyond that
So it seems like you're not actually optimistic, and you called it on the optimistic line.
But Jeffrey did mention policies around drugs, and there is quite a bit of...
you know reporting regarding various policies that the incoming Trump administration might do.
This is a poll from the Washington University, the University OF Maryland, and Washington POST has done a poll looking at support for various Trump policies, including one of the things that Trump has associated with the drug problem in the United States, which is mass deportations, and so, in terms of the using the US military,
We took in $600 billion and more.
In taxes and tariffs from China.
No other president took in 10 cents.
Not 10 cents.
Not 10 cents.
And no, we're going to be doing things.
We're going to be treating people very fairly.
But the word reciprocal is important because if somebody charges us, India, we don't have to talk about own.
If India charges us 100%, do we charge them nothing for the same?
They send in a bicycle and we send them a bicycle?
Are you concerned that tariffs might hurt the stock market rise that you have seen and the economy more broadly?
Our country rich.
Properly used.
No, well, I didn't have any inflation and I had massive tariffs on a lot of things.
We put tariffs on steel.
If I didn't put tariffs on steel, 50 % and more, they were dumping steel in.
China and others.
I put tariffs on and it stopped and we took a fortune.
We made a fortune on it.
Tariffs, properly used, which we will do.
And being reciprocal with other nations.
Now back to your comments about whether you're feeling optimistic or pessimistic about the next Trump presidency.
We've heard from several of you via text message and on social media.
Larry in Milford, Michigan says, "I'm excited about Trump's second term.
The US first policies will lead to more prosperity and security." Also, Larry from New Jersey saying, "I am very pessimistic.
Trump is very transactional and easily distracted by flattery." Alan in Huntington, West Virginia.
As someone that loves our form of government, checks and balances, free and fair elections, and peaceful transfer of power, I'm very pessimistic.
All the signs are right in front of us.
The president -elect doesn't respect these, and a substantial percentage of his followers don't.
And then Kristen in Portland, Maine says,
Pessimistic with hope for optimism.
Trump destroyed the economy with his mismanagement of the pandemic.
You judge a leader by their actions during a crisis.
If we have another unforeseen disaster, I believe he will fail again.
Let's hope he can just coast off Biden's accomplishments, the infrastructure law, the American Rescue Plan, Chips and Science Act, and more.
And on X, BC Venice says, I was pessimistic the first time, and I was right.
It'll be worse this time, guaranteed.
It's a government of, by, and for the oligarchs now.
Good luck getting it back.
And now, let's get back to your calls.
Dan is in Atlanta and is pessimistic.
Why is that, Dan?
Good morning.
Hey, and good morning, like, how you doing?
I just want to let you know the reason why we have to bail the farmers out is because of the tariffs that Trump...
We're good to go.
I think?
to the and to the economy and the reason why he wanted the debt limit raised is so he can add even more and all of and all those congressmen who are sick there you know during the last session you know you know you know trying to keep the government open all of those republicans you know talking about spending those are the same guys who because who voted for that seven and a half trillion dollars the last time but but when the democrats come in All of a sudden,
they want to be fiscally responsible.
They just setting the country up for another massive tax cut.
And during the last administration, outside of the tax cuts, what else did the Congress do?
It was infrastructure week.
They never spent anything.
The only thing Trump did in that first term was just the tax cut.
That's the only piece of legislation that he's going to be concentrating on now.
It's just giving...
All right.
Joel is in Mountain Home, Arkansas, and is not sure.
Good morning, Joel.
Yes, good morning.
Merry Christmas to our country and everyone.
Well, I sit here and listen to all these crybabies calling in, and it's just disheartening.
They think the government owes them a living.
I've never taken a dime from the government.
I served in the military.
I retired from the military.
I fought in two wars, Korea and Vietnam.
I served in Germany in the Cold War.
But I don't understand why these people are crying so much here at Christmas time.
So Joel, what do you think of Trump's next administration?
Are you optimistic?
Why are you sort of on the fence about how you're feeling about Trump's next term?