Trump: Two Weeks

Since his January 20 inauguration, President Donald J. Trump has issued a dizzying array of statements, executive orders, and memorandums, several of which have bearing on international affairs, foreign policy, and the soft power agenda of the United States government.

President Trump’s obsession with the size of his inaugural crowds versus those of his predecessors, the ongoing attacks on the media, and debate about “alternative facts” should not distract from the sweeping series of executive orders (EOs) issued from the Oval Office, coupled with reorganizations of the National Security Council (NSC) and State Department. Slate writer Fred Kaplan characterizes the state of the foreign affairs agency as “mass confusion,” making it impossible for the State Department to take significant diplomatic actions. A dense fog of social media and White House statements often serves to obscure from view the vital events unfolding. And from outside the government, speculation and paranoia have often reigned, both in the United States and overseas. But I will try to sort fact and fiction.