Sadie Roraback-Meagher: Heya there Evan!
Evan Wang: Hey Sadie!
Sadie: I hope your week has been good so far. I don’t know about you, but for me, looking at the news this past week has been … what’s the word? Panic inducing? Nauseating? Just flat-out horrifying? But hey, at least that means there’s a lot for us to discuss for our first column.
Evan: I can't help but agree with you. As per tradition, a president’s first hundred days are always the most action-packed, and the Donald is letting us down.
Sadie: I’m not sure where to even begin with all that has happened, so let’s start by talking about that musky odor: Elon Musk. I recently saw a headline that the most recent issue of Time magazine features Musk sitting behind the Resolute Desk. Certainly, this seems like the type of thing that will get under the president’s skin. I’m curious to know your thoughts about Musk’s significant role in the Trump administration so far, and whether you think this relationship will last.
Evan: Personally, I don’t think that Musk’s influence will grow any larger. Most of his actions are now under litigation and frozen while the legality of his position is being questioned. President Donald Trump likely won’t even get to butt heads with Musk before he is entangled in so much litigation that he is forced to quit. What I’m more worried about is all of Trump’s cabinet picks. After looking at all of Trump’s picks, which one do you think will play the biggest role in his second administration?
Sadie: Geez, Evan, that’s a tough one. I guess if I had to pick, it probably would be Pete Hegseth. For years, Hegseth lauded Trump on “Fox & Friends,” proving himself to have unwavering loyalty toward the president. He has also advanced Trump’s rhetoric, by saying that women shouldn’t fight on the front lines and implementing a ban on trans troops. But perhaps the most telling of all is Hegseth’s response to the U.S. dropping the atomic bomb on Japan: “They won. Who cares.” This definitely isn’t what you want to hear from a man in charge of military personnel with their hands on deadly weapons.
Evan: Honestly, I think I’m more worried about Trump’s attorney general: Pam Bondi. If Bondi is like Trump’s previous AG then she might be interested in the unitary executive theory. It essentially holds the president as the sole power of the executive branch, allowing him unlimited power over federal agencies and any other parts of the executive. Kind of concerning for such an irrational president.
Sadie: On a different note, it seems like Trump has been doubling down on his talk of taking over Gaza despite the fact it would undoubtedly violate international law. And his pitch for Canada to be the 51st state apparently has some weight to it. How are you feeling about Trump’s manifest destiny approach to foreign policy?
Evan: That is a good question, Sadie. You know, while I can’t quite imagine Trump actually sending troops north of the border, his brazen language has already damaged America’s reputation abroad. The more he acts like a crazy person, the harder it is going to be to get America’s foreign policy goals accomplished. Take Greenland. Denmark, which has control over the island, is part of NATO, and America already has a major military base on the island. What is the point of force-buying the island when America is already established on it?
Sadie: Couldn’t agree more Evan. I guess this is what happens when you have a real estate agent for a president.
