A look ahead: Trump's agenda vs. Congress
Washington is bracing for the return of President-elect Donald Trump, who seems ready to rumble, telling a conservative audience last Sunday that "Woke is bulls**t!"
But change isn't easy, as Carl Hulse knows. We met the esteemed New York Times reporter at Eastern Market on Capitol Hill, where the butchers have an easier time than the legislators down the street.
I asked, "How hard is it to make the sausage in Washington these days?"
"It's tough," Hulse replied. "The country is polarized; so, Congress is polarized. How do you get anything done? People are dug in."
That was made clear this month as Congress narrowly averted a shutdown.
"Could it be governing by crisis in 2025?" I asked.
Yeah, it's just totally the way it's gonna be," Hulse said.
- Trump shakes up spending talks with call on Congress to eliminate debt ceiling
- How Trump and Elon Musk derailed bipartisan plans for a funding bill, bringing on risk of shutdown
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- Government shutdown averted at last minute
- How a U.S. government shutdown could have impacted your benefits and services
At the top of Trump's agenda: tax cuts and immigration. Trump promised to begin "the largest deportation operation in American history."
- What is Project 2025? What to know about the conservative blueprint for a second Trump administration
- Trump reiterates plan to conduct mass deportations of undocumented migrants
- How mass deportations could devastate the U.S. economy
But he will be tested early, with likely contentious confirmation hearings for some of his nominees, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health and Human Service Secretary, Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence, and Kash Patel for FBI Director.
- Trump administration tracker shows his latest top staff picks for his 2025 term
- Trump's decision to tap Kash Patel for FBI director sends shockwaves through Washington
- Lawmakers warn against Trump's Kash Patel pick for FBI director
- How RFK Jr. could impact vaccines as Trump's HHS secretary
- Nikki Haley criticizes Trump Cabinet picks Tulsi Gabbard, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
- Mitch McConnell warns RFK Jr. against effort to undermine polio vaccines
How will Democrats handle Trump's return to power? "I think they're still trying to figure that out," said Hulse. "I think the House is kind of what to watch because, by our cyclical politics, the House is the institution most likely to flip in two years."
Congress won't be the only player; billionaire Elon Musk is at Trump's side, attempting to slash federal spending.
- Musk and Ramaswamy say DOGE will target $500 billion in spending. Here's where they say they'll cut
- Musk, Ramaswamy take aim at Planned Parenthood
Still, Hulse says, Washington has a way of pushing back against presidents … and new faces.
I asked, "When you were talking to Republican senators and Republican House members privately, what do they really say about Elon Musk?"
"I had one tell me the other day that Trump created a monster," Hulse replied.
- Musk and Ramaswamy are sparking a debate over the H-1B visa
- Trump supporters and his tech allies argue over H-1B visas
As for Trump, he's reassured his supporters that he – and he alone – is the one in charge, not Elon Musk. "He's not gonna be President, that I can tell ya'," Trump said. "And I'm safe, you wanna know why? He can't be; he wasn't born in this country. Ha, ha, ha!"
- Trump denies Elon Musk is "taking the presidency"
- Rep. Tony Gonzales says "it feels as if Elon Musk is our prime minister" after funding chaos
WEB EXTRA: Watch an extended interview with The New York Times' Carl Hulse:
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Story produced by Jay Kernis and Ed Forgotson. Editor: Libby Fabricatore.
