On the finish of Friday’s Washington Week with The Atlantic on PBS, moderator Jeffrey Goldberg introduced up “one thing very unusual occurred on the White Home this week, we had somewhat little bit of a president on the roof state of affairs.” However one thing else very unusual occurred. Liberal reporters mentioned Trump’s second time period is “far more efficient” than the primary.
The speak went from Trump on the roof to the brand new plans for an enormous White Home ballroom. ABC’s Jonathan Karl truly claimed Trump’s first time period wasn’t consequential, which is bizarre coming from individuals who panicked over it in actual time:
KARL: He is received massive plans. And to me, it says one thing in regards to the distinction between the primary presidency and the second Trump presidency. The primary Trump presidency sort of got here and went. It was fairly ephemeral in its results on the nation regardless of what all of us noticed on the time. This one, he is making extra radical modifications to the nation and to the White Home that’ll dwell properly past his presidency.
TYLER PAGER, New York Instances: And I feel a part of it’s as a result of he now is aware of how authorities works. I feel one of many issues that basically is the important thing distinction between the primary time period and the second time period is that he had an entire host of characters within the authorities that had been attempting to stymie his efforts to seriously change the nation. He is now surrounded by individuals which might be absolutely supportive of his agenda and serving to him do it.
If Trump’s first time period wasn’t efficient, it sounds just like the media congratulating themselves for utilizing Trump sources in opposition to him, together with the fixed pounding about Russian collusion. However that ignores that earlier than the pandemic, the financial system was booming, amongst different not-so-ephemeral results. That is how the present wrapped up:
THIS occurred on PBS: liberal reporters admitted Trump is “far more efficient” within the second time period after being out of workplace for a time period. pic.twitter.com/LyjriGQbRt
— Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) August 11, 2025
JEFFREY GOLDBERG, moderator: Proper. I imply, one last query to you, Tyler, because the creator of a ebook in regards to the [2024] race. It appears very efficient factor to do, to be president after which be off of 4 years and plan the subsequent 4 years. It seems looking back.
PAGER: Sure, he’s far more efficient at engaging in his agenda with having that point out of workplace as a result of these — a variety of his aides, Russ Vought, these types of officers, spent their outing of presidency planning for this time period. And so what they’ve executed is an onslaught of govt orders within the first six months that achieved a variety of their targets in a short time as a result of he knew what they needed to do.
That is as shut as PBS will get to a hat tip, particularly Goldberg, who has tried so many instances to break Trump with sleazy anonymously-sourced hit items in The Atlantic.
