FROM PLANTING AN American flag on Mars, to denying the existence of trans people to signaling possible military intervention in Panama and Mexico, President Donald Trump on Monday promised swift action to “make America great again” during his second presidency.
Reactions from Bay Area political leaders included vows to seek common ground for the sake of good governance and criticisms of Trump’s “whining” and his “dark” vision for the country.
On the day he was sworn in as the country’s 47th president, Trump’s team sent out a one-page document listing several of his priorities which, when combined with his Inauguration Day speech, included several themes that have been common throughout his successful campaign to regain the White House.
In front of an audience that included three of the richest people in the world — Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk — Trump railed against “a radical and corrupt establishment” that has “extracted power and wealth from our citizens, while the pillars of our society lay broken and seemingly in complete disrepair.”
He said he would sign several executive orders, including a declaration of a state of emergency on the southern border, and will send military units to the region to help “the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came.”
While referring to himself as a “peacemaker,” Trump said he would expand American territory and “take back” the Panama Canal, which he falsely claimed is operated by China.
He also said he would declare Mexican drug cartels foreign terrorist organizations, which could allow him to initiate military action without congressional approval or oversight.
Trump, the first convicted felon to serve as president, repeated his criticism of the U.S. Justice Department and the federal government generally and also said that it is now the government’s official policy that only two genders exist — male and female.
Sending mixed signals
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Castro Valley, pointed out the ironic juxtaposition of Trump’s campaign statements painting himself as an anti-war candidate with his expansionist Inauguration Day rhetoric.
“In the same sentence that Trump says ‘no more wars’ and ‘I’m a peacemaker,’ he promises to ‘expand our territory.’ Tell me more!” Swalwell said on social media Monday.
In the same sentence that Trump says “no more wars” and “I’m a peacemaker” he promises to “expand our territory.” Tell me more! — Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) January 20, 2025
Swalwell also said that instead of proffering a vison of bipartisan governance, Trump was “whining like a man-baby” and should “put your big boy pants on and let’s help people.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom, Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Santa Cruz, and Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Napa, all said they will work to find common ground with the new administration.
“There is progress to be made on housing, environmental stewardship, public safety, immigration reform, national security, and more,” Panetta said. “I will work with anybody and any administration to pursue areas of agreement and aggressively deliver for the people I serve.”
Thompson said, “Rest assured, in the years ahead I plan to work with the president and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on issues where we can find common ground, and to stand against policies and rhetoric that harm the American people and our great country.”
Newsom said that in the wake of the devastating Los Angeles fires and in anticipation of Trump’s visit to Southern California, the country needs a renewed commitment to cooperation, facts and mutual respect.
As our nation observes the peaceful transfer of power, we are reminded of the enduring principles that underpin our democracy: finding common ground and striving toward shared goals.⁰⁰In the face of one of the worst natural disasters in America’s history, this moment… — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 20, 2025
“Where our shared principles are aligned, my administration stands ready to work with the Trump-Vance administration to deliver solutions and serve the nearly 40 million Californians we jointly represent,” Newsom said.
San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu said Trump’s speech was “dark, dangerous, and authoritarian” and said the president is “more hatful and vengeful than ever.”
“It is clear he will make good on his campaign promises of dividing our country, attacking our most vulnerable, clamping down on our freedoms of expression and bodily autonomy, weaponizing law enforcement, and intentionally doing further damage to our ailing planet,” Chiu said, partly in response to Trump’s “drill baby, drill” energy policy.
Thanking President Biden, honoring MLK
Rep. Lateefah Simon, D-Oakland, didn’t address Trump’s speech directly, but thanked outgoing President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for their service Monday.
“We will continue your work of lifting up and fighting for better possibilities for all, not just the few,” Simon said, along with posting messages celebrating Martin Luthor King Jr. Day.
“From voting and civil rights to economic justice and international peace — Dr. King fought tirelessly to bring America closer to the promise of our founding ideals,” she said.
While no Bay Area county voted for Trump in the November election and the reliably liberal bastion is bracing to endure or resist many of his locally unpopular policies, the region seemed largely subdued in the face of his second four-year term.
There were a smattering of protests — notably in San Francisco, San Jose, Palo Alto and Alameda — over the weekend in the run-up to the inauguration and just a few small activities planned for Monday itself, perhaps due to the large number of MLK Day events planned for the day.
One inauguration-related event involved a Berkeley march planned by Revcom Corps for the Emancipation of Humanity, and another in Castro Valley that includes anti-Trump artist Andrew Kong Knight displaying his work at the corner of Castro Valley Boulevard and Redwood Road.