00:00As the election was over, my wife was like, oh, now you can finally get some sleep.
00:03I was like, you do not understand this process.
00:05Not at all.
00:07A colleague of mine took three well-deserved days off after the election week.
00:15But all the news was happening right afterwards because President Trump is really going to hit the ground running.
00:21He knows what he wants to do.
00:23And the return of Donald Trump to the political forefront has immediately accelerated the pace of American politics.
00:29In ways that few anticipated.
00:32The transition period has already shown signs of dramatic changes to come, with implications reaching far beyond Washington.
00:39This rapid transformation signals a fundamental shift in political operations, replacing the measured approach of recent years with a more dynamic environment.
00:49This is the podcast, Ben, called Perino on Politics.
00:51And I just call up my smart friends and say, what is happening?
00:57And I thought I would start off by saying I was reminded the other day as Trump has won and he's coming back on the scene and the news cycle immediately speeds up.
01:09In 2017, I think it was, I was at my apartment on a Saturday.
01:14I thought, I'm just going to close my eyes for a minute.
01:17And I doze for about 20 minutes.
01:20And when I woke up, three news stories had broken.
01:23The intensity of the news cycle under Trump reflects a broader transformation in American politics that goes beyond mere headlines.
01:32His approach this time around has shown a surprising level of strategic moderation that's reshaping the political landscape in unexpected ways.
01:42The rapid pace of developments under Trump's leadership demonstrates a stark contrast to the previous administration's methodical approach, forcing both allies and opponents to adapt to this new reality.
01:54I'm not sure even that's going to be enough, specifically because President Trump ran, shockingly, a moderate campaign.
02:00Right. This is the thing I was saying throughout the election cycle.
02:02Donald Trump actually positionally occupied the center of the political spectrum on pretty much every issue.
02:07On abortion, he said, this is not a federal issue.
02:09This is a state's issue. That's a moderate position.
02:11This strategic positioning has revealed a sophisticated evolution in Trump's political approach that many observers failed to anticipate.
02:20The decision to occupy the center ground on key issues has not only broadened his appeal, but also complicated the opposition's ability to frame him as an extremist.
02:30His nuanced stance on historically divisive issues like abortion demonstrates a political maturity that stands in stark contrast to his first campaign.
02:40These calculated moves have left Democrats struggling to find effective counterarguments as their traditional attack lines grow increasingly ineffective against this more measured version of Trump.
02:51I think that, you know, I was talking with a liberal friend of mine recently and and this liberal friend, this is the other night, said, you know, I want I'm in a dinner party with a bunch of my friends and I want to do something fun.
03:03I'm going to put you on speakerphone with a bunch of very high ranking Hollywood liberals.
03:09And and he said, like, why did we lose?
03:11And I said, well, the reason you lost is because you're completely culturally disconnected from the country.
03:15I mean, obviously, Joe Biden ran a terrible administration, obviously inflation, obviously bad foreign policy.
03:20And yes, all of that's true.
03:22The impact of this disconnect between Democratic leadership and everyday Americans has grown into a chasm that threatens the party's traditional coalition.
03:32While economic issues like inflation have played a significant role, the deeper cultural divide has proven even more damaging to Democratic prospects.
03:42This separation between coastal elite priorities and heartland concerns has created opportunities for Trump to position himself as the voice of common sense and traditional values.
03:53The resulting realignment has forced both parties to reassess their fundamental approach to connecting with voters.
04:00You can give the same speech in both places and they respond exactly the same way.
04:03They just want a normal life.
04:05That's all they want. They're tired of the lack of normality.
04:07And, you know, I debated Sam Harris on this and he kept saying, you know, Donald Trump isn't normal.
04:12The yearning for normalcy has emerged as a powerful unifying force across diverse demographic groups and geographic regions.
04:21Trump's ability to tap into this desire, despite his own unconventional style, demonstrates a deep understanding of the American electorate's current priorities.
04:32The paradox of an unconventional figure promising a return to normalcy has proven remarkably effective in building coalitions across traditional political divides.
04:43This dynamic has reshaped traditional political alignments and created new opportunities for expanding the Republican base.
04:50So this is the thing I think Democrats have not yet faced down.
04:53Their terrible governance is driving people to states that are not voting for them.
04:57And again, this is what happens when there's a population separation.
05:00California is getting bluer, but that means Florida is getting a lot redder.
05:03When I brought my family and I brought my family, I brought my in-laws, I brought my parents.
05:09This ongoing demographic realignment represents one of the most significant long-term consequences of current political dynamics.
05:18The movement of families and businesses from blue states to red states is creating lasting changes in electoral math that extend far beyond any single election cycle.
05:28The impact of these population shifts is amplified by the tendency of migrants to bring their extended families with them,
05:35creating multiplier effects that accelerate political change.
05:40These demographic shifts are fundamentally altering the political landscape in ways that could persist for generations.
05:47By 2030, you're looking at a minimum of 12 to 13 electoral votes shifting from states like New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, California, Illinois, down to states like Texas and Florida.
06:00And that is a disaster area for the Democrats because now you're talking about a real systemic uphill battle.
06:06The electoral implications of these population movements extend far beyond current political calculations, reshaping the fundamental math of presidential elections.
06:16Traditional Democratic strongholds are seeing their influence wane as their populations decline, while Republican-led states gain both people and political power.
06:27This shift in electoral votes represents a seismic change that could lock in Republican advantages for decades to come.
06:34And then there are only now, and only three states left, there are only three states that have a divided senatorial caucus, right?
06:40One of them is Pennsylvania. One of them is Wisconsin.
06:42The transformation of the Senate landscape reflects a broader pattern of political polarization at the state level.
06:49These changes in state-level politics have profound implications for national governance and the ability to build bipartisan coalitions.
06:58The disappearance of split Senate delegations signals a deepening alignment between state and national political identities that could make future compromise more difficult.
07:08This trend suggests a fundamental reshaping of American federalism and the relationship between state and national politics.
07:16All I can tell you is that the amount of overwhelming relief and joy at President Trump's election was astonishing.
07:22I mean, I was being sent videos from the front lines in Lebanon of soldiers literally praying for Trump's election before the election, like on the front lines.
07:31Like the polls of Israeli citizens, it's like 80-20 in favor of President Trump over Kamala Harris.
07:38And that's because they understand that Trump wants to let them win the war and Biden wants to slow walk them into stalemate and or loss.
07:45The international response to Trump's return highlights the global implications of America's political transformation.
07:53Foreign allies and adversaries alike are recalibrating their positions based on expectations of a more assertive American foreign policy under Trump.
08:04The stark contrast between Trump's approach and the Biden administration's cautious diplomacy has created both opportunities and challenges in key regions.
08:14This shift in foreign policy perspective is already influencing international dynamics even before Trump takes office.
08:22Watch the results of the policy.
08:24Don't watch all of the sort of frivolous talk about, oh, my God, is RFK going to ban diet soda or something like.
08:31The emphasis on concrete policy outcomes over political theater represents a maturing of Trump's political approach.
08:38His team's focus on substantive changes rather than rhetorical flourishes suggests a more strategic approach to governance than in his first term.
08:49This shift in emphasis from style to substance could have significant implications for both domestic and international policy implementation.
08:58The success of this approach will largely depend on the ability to translate campaign promises into actionable policies.
09:06The approach to foreign challenges under Trump promises to be more nuanced than many observers expect.
09:12His emphasis on projecting strength while avoiding unnecessary conflicts suggests a sophisticated understanding of international dynamics.
09:21This balanced approach to foreign policy challenges reflects a broader maturation in Trump's political strategy.
09:28The focus on maintaining American credibility while avoiding costly entanglements could reshape global power dynamics.
09:36When Barack Obama is on the ballot, they tried it in 2016 and Hillary lost.
09:39In 2020, it was an outlier election because of the COVID pandemic and BLM and the mail-in ballots.
09:44And in 2024, they got shellacked again in the same exact way.
09:47And so they're going to have to remake their coalition because what Trump showed is that that is a bad way to approach the American people.
09:53The return of Donald Trump to the political stage marks not just a change in leadership, but a fundamental transformation of American politics.
10:03From his evolved, more moderate stance to the demographic shifts reshaping the electoral map, these changes are creating lasting impacts across American political life.
10:13Looking ahead, Trump's governing style and international dynamics will likely shape politics for years to come.
10:21What aspects of Trump's return do you think will have the most lasting impact?
10:25Share your thoughts below.
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