Washington—President Donald Trump warned ominously at the start of the week that the United States would reclaim the Panama Canal or “something very powerful is going to happen.” By week’s end. He had reversed a government order mandating paper straws, calling them a “disgusting” alternative that dissolves in the mouth. Democrats Struggle To Keep Up With Trump’s Rapid Pace.
In between, Trump issued an executive order banning transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports, backed Elon Musk as his engineers moved into federal agencies to slash staff and programs. And installed himself as head of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts with authority over programming decisions.
Democrats Struggle To Keep Up With Trump’s Rapid Pace
Tracking Trump’s actions is increasingly difficult as his decisions and reversals come at a dizzying pace. On Tuesday, he said he would send American troops into Gaza to stabilize the war-torn region. Two days later, he retracted the statement on social media.
On February 1, he imposed a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico, only to suspend it two days later for a month. A Musk employee who was dismissed on Thursday for making racist remarks online was rehired the next day.
Disoriented and struggling to respond, Democrats are overwhelmed by the avalanche of executive orders, which span multiple governmental and cultural fronts. Senate Democrats had planned a press conference last month to address Trump’s sweeping pardons for those involved in the January 6 Capitol riot. They scrapped that plan to focus on a more immediate concern—Trump’s decision to block trillions in government spending.
“We are figuring it out,” said Jane Kleeb, vice chair of the Democratic National Committee and chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party. “We still have to develop our ideal strategy.”
Trump’s Rapid Pace: The New “Shock and Awe”
At the start of Trump’s first term, former White House strategist Steve Bannon famously declared his approach as “flood the zone with s—,” aiming to keep the media and opposition off balance. But this time, Trump’s allies have adopted a new term: “Shock and awe.”
An NBC News analysis found that Trump has signed more executive orders in ten days than any of his predecessors did in their first one hundred.
“He is delivering on every single campaign promise at a record pace,” said Peter Navarro, senior counselor for trade and manufacturing in the administration. “Meanwhile, Democrats keep dying on hills that the American people don’t support—like pushing USAID funding to export a progressive social agenda that Main Street America rejects.”
Legal and Political Resistance
Two major obstacles to Trump’s agenda are legal challenges and Democratic officials fighting for public support. The legal efforts have seen early success.
On Friday, a federal judge blocked a Trump administration directive to cut USAID’s workforce from 5,000 employees to a few hundred. That same day, 19 Democratic attorneys general sued to prevent Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing personal data. Including Social Security numbers and banking information—stored at the Treasury Department.
A federal judge issued a temporary order on Saturday to prevent DOGE from gaining access to the data. Citing the risk of confidential information being exposed and the increased vulnerability to hacking.
“There’s a lot of speculation that President Trump is flooding the zone,” said New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin, whose state is part of the lawsuit. “That just sounds like a polite way to describe conducting a lot of simultaneous criminal activities.”
Democrats Caught Off Guard
Democratic officials say they were prepared for Trump’s return to office, having studied his past speeches and policy blueprints. Including “Project 2025,” a governance playbook drafted by his allies. Yet, despite this preparation, they have been unable to mount an effective counteroffensive.
“A lot of administrations measure success in the first 100 days,” said Tim Murtaugh, a former Trump campaign spokesman. “This administration put points on the board in the first hundred minutes. The Democrats are still playing catch-up.”
On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, 74, led a protest against Musk’s Treasury Department access. Flanked by 86-year-old Rep. Maxine Waters and 77-year-old Rep. Al Green—who swung his cane in frustration—Schumer shouted, “We will win!” But critics argue that Democrats need a more effective strategy.
“We need to focus on winning back the voters we lost by speaking in clear. Simple terms about what we stand for, not just what we oppose,” said Democratic strategist Chris Kofinis. “Until we stop repeating the mistakes that got us into this mess, we won’t escape the political wilderness.“
The Perils of Overreach
A common mistake of newly elected presidents is assuming they have a sweeping public mandate. After winning re-election in 2004, George W. Bush attempted to overhaul Social Security, proclaiming, “I earned political capital, and now I intend to spend it.” His plan collapsed under bipartisan opposition.
Trump, despite winning the 2024 election by just 1.5 percentage points over Kamala Harris. (compared to Biden’s 4.5-point victory over Trump in 2020), has claimed a “massive” mandate. Democrats believe voters will turn against him once they feel the effects of spending cuts enacted by Musk’s efficiency team.
“There’s been an overreach in trying to cut payments that ordinary Americans rely on,” said Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA). “People are being reminded of what they actually like about government—Social Security, Medicaid, and funding for schools in working-class communities.”
Democrats’ Last Line of Defense
Congressional Democrats hope to use budget negotiations to slow Trump’s momentum. With Republicans holding only a narrow majority in the House. They will need Democratic votes to prevent a government shutdown next month. Negotiations have stalled.
“Not one Democrat will vote unless there’s an ironclad agreement that our allocations for helping people will be protected,” Khanna warned.
For now, the battle lines are drawn. Trump’s whirlwind policy blitz has left Democrats struggling to respond. Whether they can mount an effective counterstrategy before the next wave of executive orders remains uncertain.
