Donald Trump becomes 45th U.S. president

JEFFREY ENGEL
jaengel@mail.smu.edu

On what a president’s typical first day holds in store, and how Trump’s might be different…

• “A president's first day in office is typically filled with welcomes from around the world and from his own administration. He might field congratulatory calls from global leaders, friends and potential foes alike, each eager to start a new relationship with the new commander in chief out on the best footing possible.

On how the national situation Trump inherits compares to that of past presidents…

• “Historians will likely note that a man elected president in 2016 on the basis of lamenting America's fate inherited one of the strongest positions of any American leader in history.

Engel is director of the SMU Center for Presidential History

CHRIS SALINAS:
cdsalinas@mail.smu.edu

On what an unsuccessful inauguration speech looks like…

• “One thing he wants to avoid is looking unprepared or, particularly for Trump, who started his campaign by dividing people, he doesn’t want to say anything divisive.

Salinas is SMU’s director of public discourse in the Division of Communication Studies.

MATTHEW WILSON:
jmwilson@smu.edu

On what evangelicals who supported Trump are expecting in return…

• “First of all, they’re looking for a friendly Supreme Court appointment. That’s probably the single most important thing, a justice who will be supportive to pro-life and religious issues. Second, they will be looking for Trump to undo what they see as some religiously unfriendly mandates of federal agencies.

On the most intriguing looming struggle of Trump’s first 100 days…

• “I think the confirmation hearings for Trump’s cabinet picks will be very interesting, some more than others.
• “The GOP, if it wants, can confirm these nominations pretty quick, because Democrats got rid of the filibuster.

Wilson is an SMU associate professor of Political Science

BEN VOTH:
bvoth@smu.edu

On what can Trump learn from George W. Bush’s speech…

• “Trump doesn’t really need to, and he shouldn’t, be super specific about policy. Instead, he should appeal to the history of the nation and the future of politics.

On the greatest challenge of healing a country after winning without the popular vote…

• It’s now a very complex media world. The internet allows us to view politics through shattered glass. It doesn’t matter what Trump says so much because it will be mediated by countless interpreters and each of us can view it through whichever shard of glass we choose.

Voth is SMU’s director of debate and an associate professor of corporate communications and public affairs

JAKE BATSELL
jbatsell@mail.smu.edu

On Trump’s reliance on Twitter as opposed to traditional press conferences…

• “It’s certainly more interesting that Trump has Twitter, but there’s been a lot of concern these past few weeks about how Trump can use Twitter as a one-way megaphone to define the day’s news agenda and distract from other things he’d rather the press not pay attention to.

On Trump’s continued antagonism of traditional media…

• “It’s not clear that he has shifted from campaign mode to governing mode.

Batsell is an SMU associate professor of Journalism and a social media specialist.