A recent investigation by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel found that in the business of reconditioning steel barrels, workers and the environment are often exposed to harmful chemicals. One of the journalists behind the story discusses the health hazards involved and the scope of the problem. Plus, a WPR host talks about his book “Dead Presidents: An American Adventure into the Strange Deaths and Surprising Afterlives of Our Nation’s Leaders”. We also hear about how Madison’s police recruits are learning about officer-involved shootings. And a political scientist looks back at the first month of Donald Trump’s presidency on this President’s Day.
Featured in this Show
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Political Scientist: President Trump Had A 'Rocky' First Month In Office
This Presidents Day marked one month in the White House for President Donald Trump. In a press conference last Thursday, the president touted his first month in office, saying his administration was running “like a fine-tuned machine.”
Marquette University political science professor Paul Nolette said Trump has tried to take plenty of action in his early days in office, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the American public is pleased with it.
“Overall, the American public does see Trump as quite active and willing to take a stand on a bunch of different stuff. But overall he and his actions haven’t been terribly popular,” he said.
In Trump’s early days as president, he has been appointing officials to various cabinet positions, and signed a series of executive orders on sanctuary cities, the border wall he promised, restrictions on lobbying for former executive branch officials, reducing regulation and more.
His most controversial executive order, Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States, led to protests at airports across the country and immediate backlash. The order, which bans Syrian refugees indefinitely and immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days, has been blocked by U.S. courts and continues to face legal challenges.
“Most of the important stuff he’s done so far have been executive actions, but even there, his most prominent one dealing with immigration is now tied up in the court. So I’d say it’s been a pretty rocky start for the first month,” Nolette said.
According to a Gallup poll released last Friday, Trump’s approval rating is at about 40 percent, which is lower than average approval rating for a president that has been in office for one month, about 61 percent. But after several efforts to make good on campaign promises, Nolette said the president has earned a reputation for taking action.
“I think the perception is that Trump is willing to take action,” he said, adding that polls reflect a view of Trump as a decisive actor. “But if they ask if you approve of how he’s doing in office, those numbers are quite a bit lower.”
As a political outsider, who has held leadership roles in the business world but not the political one, Trump is in a unique position compared to other presidents. By some measures, Trump is behind the curve as some key cabinet positions remain vacant. Nolette said Trump will have some barriers to fully carrying out his agenda as he is forced to wait for his appointees to be confirmed by the senate.
“It’s not terribly surprising that you have someone coming in who has never held a governmental position before, but wants to take very quick and very decisive action,” Nolette said. “It’s almost inevitable that there’s going to be some rocky patches as Trump navigates a new type of institution that he really hasn’t run before.”
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President Donald Trump's First Month In Office
On this President’s Day, we look back at President Donald Trump’s first month in office, which he says has been extremely productive. A political scientist analyzes the president’s most recent press conference and looks back at what Trump has done so far.
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Political Scientist: President Trump Had A 'Rocky' First Month In Office
This Presidents Day marked one month in the White House for President Donald Trump. In a press conference last Thursday, the president touted his first month in office, saying his administration was running “like a fine-tuned machine.”
Marquette University political science professor Paul Nolette said Trump has tried to take plenty of action in his early days in office, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the American public is pleased with it.
“Overall, the American public does see Trump as quite active and willing to take a stand on a bunch of different stuff. But overall he and his actions haven’t been terribly popular,” he said.
In Trump’s early days as president, he has been appointing officials to various cabinet positions, and signed a series of executive orders on sanctuary cities, the border wall he promised, restrictions on lobbying for former executive branch officials, reducing regulation and more.
His most controversial executive order, Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States, led to protests at airports across the country and immediate backlash. The order, which bans Syrian refugees indefinitely and immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days, has been blocked by U.S. courts and continues to face legal challenges.
“Most of the important stuff he’s done so far have been executive actions, but even there, his most prominent one dealing with immigration is now tied up in the court. So I’d say it’s been a pretty rocky start for the first month,” Nolette said.
According to a Gallup poll released last Friday, Trump’s approval rating is at about 40 percent, which is lower than average approval rating for a president that has been in office for one month, about 61 percent. But after several efforts to make good on campaign promises, Nolette said the president has earned a reputation for taking action.
“I think the perception is that Trump is willing to take action,” he said, adding that polls reflect a view of Trump as a decisive actor. “But if they ask if you approve of how he’s doing in office, those numbers are quite a bit lower.”
As a political outsider, who has held leadership roles in the business world but not the political one, Trump is in a unique position compared to other presidents. By some measures, Trump is behind the curve as some key cabinet positions remain vacant. Nolette said Trump will have some barriers to fully carrying out his agenda as he is forced to wait for his appointees to be confirmed by the senate.
“It’s not terribly surprising that you have someone coming in who has never held a governmental position before, but wants to take very quick and very decisive action,” Nolette said. “It’s almost inevitable that there’s going to be some rocky patches as Trump navigates a new type of institution that he really hasn’t run before.”
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New Journal Sentinel Investigation Looks At The Hazard Of Chemical Barrels
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Reporter Raquel Rutledge joins us to talk about the paper’s new investigative series “Burned”. It chronicles the industry that refurbishes chemical drums and the impact this work has on the environment and community.
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A Look At US Presidents After Their Deaths
For Presidents’ Day, we take a look at how different US presidents have been remembered, and how for some, their legacy outshines their actual accomplishments.
Episode Credits
- Rob Ferrett Host
- Veronica Rueckert Host
- Amanda Magnus Producer
- J. Carlisle Larsen Producer
- Judith Siers-Poisson Producer
- Paul Nolette Guest
- Raquel Rutledge Guest
- Brady Carlson Guest
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