Local political figures react to first month of Trump’s second presidential term

President Donald Trump issued 108 total executive actions through his first four weeks in office — including 73 executive orders, 23 proclamations and 12 memorandums — sparking further tensions between Republicans and Democrats.

Some of the executive actions Trump issued in his first month back in office include the pardoning of 1,500 convicted participants in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, approval of mass deportations and closure of the southern border, appointment of Elon Musk to the newly created Department of Government Efficiency and several foreign relations orders impacting Ukraine, Gaza, Canada, Mexico and China.

During a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, March 4, Trump touted his work throughout the first month of his second presidency, proudly opening his speech by proclaiming, “America is back”. Republicans showed overwhelming support for the president’s words and actions Tuesday night, often standing to applaud while Democrats largely remained in their seats.

Local state lawmakers and political figures weighed in on the president’s first month. District 27 state Sen. Jamie Burger, District 146 state Rep. Barry Hovis and District 147 state Rep. John Voss, all Republicans, mostly supported Trump’s initiatives, with Cape Girardeau County Democratic Party chairman Andy Leighton overwhelmingly dissenting.

“President Trump is doing what he said he would do,” Voss said. “I am grateful that he is closing our southern border, as well as examining all of our federal spending. Our country needs to be more fiscally responsible so the dollar remains the world’s reserve currency, and we leave future generations a more secure financial foundation.”

Leighton said “Trump 2.0” has “a lot of the same features as the first Trump administration.”

“Essentially, there's been a lot of distraction, deflection, blame, blowing things up and stepping on his own message, I'm sure sometimes intentionally,” Leighton said, “because the whole point is to confuse and confound everyone, citizens and foreign competitors alike.”

Through the “confusion and confoundment”, Leighton said he believes the point is to distract the American public from the president’s implementation of Trump Coin, a “meme coin” cryptocurrency that was launched three days before the inauguration.

“It should be criminal, and our president has the gall to tell the Treasury Department that they cannot regulate digital coinage and that he's going to make the United States the world leader in digital currency,” Leighton said. “Do you know what digital currencies are most effective at doing? Hiding assets, helping tax dodgers, organized crime.

“Organized criminals do what? They move drugs across borders. They move people across borders. They enslave people in the sex trade. It's absolutely awful, and we need to be doing something to regulate this industry and not propagating it.”

Burger said he believes Trump is “returning the government to the way I want to see it.” He emphasized accountability, smaller government and less spending abroad.

“America first,” Burger said. “... All in all, I think that he was elected by the popular vote, won every swing state and people like his agenda. He said exactly what he was going to deliver if he was elected. I'm surprised that people are surprised at what he's delivering because he said point-blank what he was going to deliver. Promises kept.”

Trump began his term as president by granting clemency to approximately 1,500 people convicted in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Burger said he supported the president’s decision to pardon those imprisoned for breaching the building while Congress worked to confirm the results of the 2020 election, citing “a lot of discrepancies.”

“You hear that people were invited into the building and that they weren't invited into the building,” Burger said. “I don't agree with anyone getting hurt whatsoever, but I think people were there and I think there were plants there to (incite) the people and get them going that direction. So, I didn't have an issue with him pardoning those people.”

Among those pardoned, however, included some who had a history of violent crimes, including Matthew Huttle who was shot and killed by police during a traffic stop in Indiana less than a week after being released from prison.

“In doing so, he also released approximately 100 people who had criminal backgrounds, which caused them, in part, to get longer sentences,” Leighton said. “One of them is dead now because of an altercation with police.”

Illegal immigration was a massive point of contention during former President Joe Biden’s term, with Republicans calling for the closure of the southern border. During his campaign, Trump vowed to enact the “largest deportation operation in American history.” On Inauguration Day, Trump signed several executive orders blocking asylum seekers from entering the country, declaring a national emergency at the border and attempting to end birthright citizenship.

“One of the things I thought helped the country quickly was closing the border down,” Hovis said. “I think that was important for us to make sure that we're vetting the people that are coming to our country. Obviously, I support legal immigration, but it was causing a lot of issues.

“I traveled to the border this past summer and was talking to law enforcement and city officials down there. The strain on their resources was huge. … People want to come to America because it’s the land of the free, and a lot of people want to live here. I think that's good if they come the right way.”

Congress recently passed a budget bill that would cut $4.5 trillion in taxes and $2 trillion in spending, as well as raise the debt ceiling by $4 trillion.

However, concerns have arisen about where some of the spending cuts would come from, including potential cuts to Medicaid and Social Security. Despite concerns, Burger said he doesn’t believe those cuts will come to fruition.

“I think (cutting Medicaid and Social Security) is something they'll look at, but once DOGE gets through with all these savings, I don't think that happens,” Burger said. “Now, I may be completely wrong, but I don't think there's gonna be Social Security cuts and I don't think there will be Medicaid cuts.”

Trump’s DOGE initiative has sparked quite the controversy with Musk firing hundreds of federal employees, and gaining access to sensitive government information such as Social Security numbers and the Treasury’s payment systems. Many praise Musk’s efforts and claim billions of dollars have been saved, while others remain concerned about the entity having access to their personal information.

“At PayPal, he was privy to your sensitive data. At that point in time, nobody was too worried about it,” Burger said. “I'm not worried about Elon Musk going to Dollar General in Benton, Missouri, and creating a false account in my name at all. I don't think it happens. I think he's been a benefit.”

Leighton argued that most people can agree on the government using its power to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse, but that “the wholesale firing and defunding of those programs is not the answer.”

“It is especially not the answer to fire the inspector general, whose job it is to root out waste, fraud and abuse,” Leighton said. “Someone that fires the inspector general as one of their first acts is setting themselves up to commit fraud, if you ask me.”

Throughout his month as president, Trump has consistently brought up several plans in regard to foreign relations, including the possible purchase of Greenland and annexation of Canada and the Panama Canal, as well as the implementation of tariffs on Canada and Mexico. Hovis said he believes the implementation of tariffs could cause “short-term price hikes”, but, overall, it would be a positive.

“I think if countries realize that they're going to have to play ball, maybe take into account some things and quit overcharging us on some things that maybe they are now,” Hovis said, “I think it’ll be a net gain positive in the long run, from my perspective.”

While Republicans argue that the tariffs will benefit the U.S., Democrats aren’t as optimistic. Leighton said that a tariff is “simply a tax paid by American consumers”. Leighton was critical of Trump’s recent comments regarding who made the initial trade deals with Canada and Mexico when he negotiated the deal himself after “throwing out” the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

“I thought it was dripping with irony that President Trump would ask out loud who cut these deals with Canada and Mexico. They're ‘terrible deals’, and it was him,” Leighton said. “On Nov. 30, 2018, he threw out NAFTA and renegotiated the whole thing. It was ‘perfect’. It was a ‘beautiful thing’. Yet, we're here, just over six years later, and it was the worst deal of all time.”

In addition to tariffs and possible annexation, the U.S. has been financially involved with the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Prior to the start of Trump’s term, a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, including a hostage-and-prisoner exchange, was negotiated. Since then, Trump has floated the idea of the U.S. relocating Palestinians and taking control of the Gaza Strip.

“At one time, the Lebanese coast … was one of the most coveted places to go on vacation. Look what it’s turned into now,” Burger said. “If the Palestinians can be located to a country that’s more aligned with their people, I think it’s a benefit for everybody.”

Last week, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy was involved in a tense discussion with Trump and Vice President JD Vance in front of media representatives in the Oval Office regarding a minerals deal. Zelenskyy had met with Trump and company to urge the president to continue providing aid to his country. This week, Trump announced the U.S. would halt aid to Ukraine.

“President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, in my mind, is currently the bravest man in the world, and we should be proud to stand by him and call him our friend,” Leighton said. “Secondly, I would like to point out, which relates to both of the war situations, both countries were brutally attacked. About 200 people were kidnapped and became hostages in Gaza, and as far as I can tell, the United States has made it its No. 1 priority to get those hostages back. Fair enough, those people should not have been taken. By contrast, the Russians have taken 20,000 children and assimilated them into Russia, and it's not even a negotiating point.”