Maxwell School News and Commentary

"From the far right to the far left, we all hate Mr. Trump," said Professor Rafael Fernández de Castro, who served as an adviser to former Mexican President Felipe Calderon. "I have never seen this consensus in Mexico. Mexicans are rallying around it."

"These are the folks who actually attempt to implement the policy changes that the administration is trying to push down from above," says Grant Reeher, professor of political science and director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute, about the importance of political appointees below the Cabinet level.

 According to Professor of Political Science Grant Reeher, progressives will have to sustain the movement to the midterm elections of 2018 if they want to enact fundamental change. "The question from here on in is how sustainable will this be," Reeher said. "What will this look like a year from now?"

Miriam Elman, associate professor of political science, says President Trump “really values uncertainty as a matter of strategy and policy,” leading to questions about the U.S. Israel alliance.

Regionally based strikes like the one in Oakland "are very, very uncommon in US history," said Andrew Wender Cohen, professor of history, adding that for some time now there have been only 20 to 30 larger strikes per year in the entire country. 

“It is in the government’s interest to do everything possible to avoid any appearance that rights violations are being permitted or encouraged,” says Elizabeth Cohen, professor of political science.

“Trump is not reading judicial decisions and criticizing constitutional arguments. He is denouncing a so-called judge and saying decisions are ridiculous. Those pointed attacks from a sitting president are for sure unusual," says Thomas M. Keck, professor of political science.