Trump’s Need for Speed

donald trump car
Even as he returns to office with full Republican control of government, unrivaled attentional powers, and Oval Office experience under his belt, Trump simply doesn’t have the time to push all his campaign promises through Congress before his presidency starts to give off the stench of lame duck. Photo: Matthew Busch/Getty Images
Peter Hamby
January 7, 2025

Republicans have been talking a lot lately about speed. On Monday, Republican Congressman Mike Lawler told CNN’s Jake Tapper that he and other G.O.P. members will be flying down to Mar-a-Lago this weekend—even before Donald Trump is sworn in—to strategize on a new tax bill. Incoming White House chief of staff Susie Wiles told Axios that her plan for Trump 2.0 includes “getting off to a quick start and staying on that pace.” And there was Trump, himself, calling into the Hugh Hewitt show this morning to discuss whether Republicans should pursue a single massive budget reconciliation bill with all the G.O.P. menu items bundled together—“one big, beautiful bill”—or deal with the border and taxes in separate bills. Trump said he’d be open to either, “as long as we get something passed as quickly as possible.”