Yuval Levin

There's a lot of action. There's more than there was the first time. But there's also a kind of inclination to chaos that I think is actually intentional. That's part of what they're trying to do. And it didn't really work all that well the first time, and I'm not sure it's working all that well this time. So I have a mixed impression. I think it's just too early to say.

There's a lot of action. There's more than there was the first time. But there's also a kind of inclination to chaos that I think is actually intentional. That's part of what they're trying to do. And it didn't really work all that well the first time, and I'm not sure it's working all that well this time. So I have a mixed impression. I think it's just too early to say.

Yeah, they certainly want to convey that. I think there was a sense that things the first time really started out rough. They actually had had a transition effort, you know, run by Chris Christie that produced some concrete plans and all of it was literally thrown away in a huff at Chris Christie, basically. And they started out on day one with just not all that much prepared.

Yeah, they certainly want to convey that. I think there was a sense that things the first time really started out rough. They actually had had a transition effort, you know, run by Chris Christie that produced some concrete plans and all of it was literally thrown away in a huff at Chris Christie, basically. And they started out on day one with just not all that much prepared.

That is different this time. This time they've come in with a lot prepared. You know, EOs that have been worked out for a while and that have been thought through and lawyered and all of that, that is a little different than last time. And they do have experience.

That is different this time. This time they've come in with a lot prepared. You know, EOs that have been worked out for a while and that have been thought through and lawyered and all of that, that is a little different than last time. And they do have experience.

Some of the people they've brought in, you know, were in the administration last time, and therefore they know where the meeting's happening. They know where the bathroom is. That's different. It makes a difference. But I think that we are also seeing the same kind of inclination to chaos and maladministration that we saw last time in some very important ways.

Some of the people they've brought in, you know, were in the administration last time, and therefore they know where the meeting's happening. They know where the bathroom is. That's different. It makes a difference. But I think that we are also seeing the same kind of inclination to chaos and maladministration that we saw last time in some very important ways.

They've had a really hard time talking about the government in the first person, seeing themselves as the people governing. They're still approaching government differently. as something they act on rather than act through. And so I think a good example of that is the freeze on federal grants that we've just seen come and go pretty quickly. That felt a lot like the travel ban from the first time.

They've had a really hard time talking about the government in the first person, seeing themselves as the people governing. They're still approaching government differently. as something they act on rather than act through. And so I think a good example of that is the freeze on federal grants that we've just seen come and go pretty quickly. That felt a lot like the travel ban from the first time.

And in fact, as soon as it happened, I went online and said, when was the travel ban? And so the travel ban was a week after the inauguration. It was January 27th of 2017. The freeze on federal funding was also a week after the inauguration. It was January 27th, exactly eight years later. And they had a lot in common.

And in fact, as soon as it happened, I went online and said, when was the travel ban? And so the travel ban was a week after the inauguration. It was January 27th of 2017. The freeze on federal funding was also a week after the inauguration. It was January 27th, exactly eight years later. And they had a lot in common.

They were both bold kind of steps that tried to do something big all at once, and they were not thought through in practical administrative terms. What's this going to look like on the ground? And it's because they're thinking about... presidential power as a concrete reality and the people affected as an abstraction when it's actually the other way around.

They were both bold kind of steps that tried to do something big all at once, and they were not thought through in practical administrative terms. What's this going to look like on the ground? And it's because they're thinking about... presidential power as a concrete reality and the people affected as an abstraction when it's actually the other way around.

Here's how this would have happened in the Bush years. And I don't suggest that George W. Bush was the model of governance in every way, but I worked there and this is how it would have happened. You would have had a meeting at OMB where you bring in the chiefs of staff or senior political appointees from the various cabinet departments and

Here's how this would have happened in the Bush years. And I don't suggest that George W. Bush was the model of governance in every way, but I worked there and this is how it would have happened. You would have had a meeting at OMB where you bring in the chiefs of staff or senior political appointees from the various cabinet departments and

lay out for them what's in this memo, what is it going to mean for you, and then take hard questions and some stupid questions so you can work through what is this really going to produce that we're not thinking about. And somebody in the back of that room would have raised his hand and said, well, so are we shutting down the Medicaid payment portal? And

lay out for them what's in this memo, what is it going to mean for you, and then take hard questions and some stupid questions so you can work through what is this really going to produce that we're not thinking about. And somebody in the back of that room would have raised his hand and said, well, so are we shutting down the Medicaid payment portal? And

Somebody at OMB would have said, well, no, we're saying this doesn't affect payments to individuals. And the guy would have said, well, those payments actually go to hospitals. Am I supposed to shut them down? And there would have been a conversation. They would have said, no, we're not touching Medicaid. Instead, what happened was they just did this.

Somebody at OMB would have said, well, no, we're saying this doesn't affect payments to individuals. And the guy would have said, well, those payments actually go to hospitals. Am I supposed to shut them down? And there would have been a conversation. They would have said, no, we're not touching Medicaid. Instead, what happened was they just did this.