Trump lays out his lame-duck agenda, and it sounds familiar

Welcome to Thursday’s edition of Washington Secrets. Today we run the rule over Donald Trump’s early morning Truth Social posts, which feature some of his greatest hits. Plus, we keep an eye on what could be a nice little Republican feud brewing. And we have more of your thoughts on whether JD Vance should run for the top job.Starting at 5:50 a.m. with a Truth Social attack on Democrats as they prepare to launch a slew of investigations into his administration, the president went on to tackle Iran, fraud, border security, and his tax returns. He ordered his vice president to take on blue-state corruption, threatened Mexico with sanctions if they fail to stop migrants crossing into the United States, and lamented the ability of Senate Republicans to pass his SAVE America Act.In other words, it amounted to a selection of his greatest hits, reprising old themes and shifting blame for last week’s electoral disaster.“With the perceived loss by the Republicans in the Midterms – I WAS NOT ON THE BALLOT- the INVASION of our Country is taking place again,” he said in one post. “Huge CARAVANS are forming and beginning their illegal march through Mexico.”He said he would double tariffs on Mexico if it failed to prevent the caravan reaching American soil.The group is estimated to be 1,500 strong. It set off from ​the southern city of Tapachula on Tuesday, and members told reporters they hoped the Democrats’ victories might open the door to a new life in the U.S.Could Trump’s own words also have signaled a softening of position? In a 60 Minutes interview broadcast on Sunday, he signaled what conservative allies worried might be an immigration “amnesty.”“Get the killers out. Get the rapists out. Get all the rough ones out. Get the drug dealers out,” Trump said when pushed by interviewer Ross Douthat to explain whether his deportation policies may have gone too far. “But let the people that are here, and in some cases here for 10 and 15 years, work a deal for them, OK?”That approach didn’t last long. Soon after the interview was recorded on Friday, Trump announced that he was installing immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as White House chief of staff.Either way, his Truth Social screed marks a return to the rhetoric that helped him win a sensational election victory in 2024, and which became obsolete with the success of his border security policies.In another post, Trump underlined his administration’s war on fraud, pulling JD Vance away from Iran talks.“I have asked Vice President Vance to focus his complete and total attention on the Massive Corruption and Crime taking place in Democrat run Cities and States throughout the U.S.,” the president wrote.That removes an odd wrinkle from Trump’s foreign policy. He said the war was “effectively over” after meeting with Qatar’s prime minister this week, at the same time that Vance was exploring ways to negotiate an end to the conflict with hard-liners in Tehran.But perhaps his first order of business is to shore up defenses against an expected Democratic onslaught of investigations.“Now, in order to deflect from MASSIVE BLUE STATE CORRUPTION & CRIME, they are at it again, illegally threatening Republicans with knowingly false accusations and charges,” he posted. “Other than cheating, this is how they won the Midterms – But we won’t let our Country go to hell!”Whether any of it becomes policy will now depend on a Congress he no longer fully controls, and on investigators who have not yet started.His agenda is a series of posts. The test is what happens after he stops typing.You are reading Washington Secrets, a guide to power and politics in D.C. and beyond. It is written by Rob Crilly. You can reach him at secrets@washingtonexaminer.com with your comments, story tips, and suggestions.A Schlapp down Matt Schlapp, the conservative power player who runs the CPAC gatherings, took a rather pointed shot at Mick Mulvaney on X yesterday.Mulvaney was installed as acting White House chief of staff in 2019, and held the post for about a year. He then became special envoy for Northern Ireland but resigned after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.Schlapp’s dig that he was only ever an “acting” chief of staff is perhaps a reminder that we are seeing Republican battle lines harden between an old guard and Trump loyalists as officials deal with the midterm wipeout. What should Vance do? Earlier this week we ran a straw poll of Trumpworld insiders and MAGA types on whether they believed Vance will run in 2028 and, perhaps more importantly, whether he should run. (Broadly, respondents said they think he will run but were much more mixed on whether it was a wise idea).Responses are still coming in, and here are a couple more that show some of the doubts about whether he is the right man and whether this is the right time for any Republican to take a tilt at the top job.Respondent (Yes – will run/No-shouldn’t run): “I think his response on Iran made him look weak. He acknowledged where the voters are at, but he failed to act to push the admin to not make a major policy decision. His team hasn’t made the case for where JDV really stood so currently he doesn’t look like he’s as strong as he should be.““[Secretary of State Marco] Rubio meanwhile lingered back at the perfect time. In a time when the GOP base is fractured and frustrated as hell, we need someone who can pull younger voters back and the Hispanic coalition. Rubio has time and time again shown he’s eloquent, diplomatic but also means business.”Respondent (Y/Y): “In 250 years, just 45 individuals have served as president. Of course, he should take his shot, as he may never get another chance. But only four sitting vice presidents have won the presidency, and just one in the last 190 years.”Whether or not Rubio wades into the race might be the key question hanging over what is increasingly likely to be a crowded Republican primary.Lunchtime reading Kraft Heinz has a comeback plan – Cheesy ramen and high-protein Jell-O: But what would RFK Jr. make of Crystal Light with extra fiber and protein, or sandwich bacon? These are supposed to be health-oriented, yet they seem uber-processed.The Left’s election denial: As ever, it is the extremes that attract the headlines and attention. Yet the hard Left actually won the smallest swings in the midterm elections.