Understanding the Trump chaos: It’s about wielding executive power

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Is blowing things up the first step toward remaking Washington?

That’s one interpretation of actions taken by President Donald Trump, who has put a stamp on government in ways not seen during his first term – or, for that matter, by other newly inaugurated American presidents.

Just 10 days into his second term, President Trump has issued dozens of major executive actions, including a freeze on billions of dollars in aid to many domestic federal programs, a halt to foreign aid, buyout offers to 2 million federal workers, and an end to governmental diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

Why We Wrote This

President Donald Trump’s second term started with constant action, but stumbles have raised questions about what he and his team learned from the first term. Courts, and public opinion, are weighing in.

In an extraordinary move, the Office of Management and Budget on Wednesday rescinded its memo suspending payments to domestic federal programs, amid public confusion and upset. The original memo wasn’t supposed to affect Medicaid, which helps low-income and disabled people, but some states reported an inability Tuesday to access Medicaid funds.

A federal judge had already temporarily blocked the spending freeze, which the administration had implemented to weed out progressive initiatives, until Feb. 3.

Still, the administration’s message is clear: There’s a new sheriff in town, and he means business. The fact that Mr. Trump was president before has likely contributed to the abruptness of the changes. This time, allies have said, he and his team know how to make the changes Mr. Trump wants to see. But the rescission of the spending-freeze memo, which followed a White House effort to respond to confusion about the initial memo, raises questions about how much they learned from the experience of 2017.

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