Farnsworth Comments on the Presidential Transition

Stephen Farnsworth, professor of Political Science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, has discussed the Trump inauguration and his first week as president in a variety of media outlets. Recent media mentions for Farnsworth include:

Federal DEI workers placed on administrative leave following Trump executive order (WJLA)

“This is going to be a pretty significant impact for a lot of individuals, particularly in the Washington region, where the headquarters are and often where DEI initiatives are concentrated,” explained Steve Farnsworth, PhD, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. Farnsworth expects unions for federal employees to file lawsuits.

https://wjla.com/news/local/diversity-equity-inclusion-accessibility-officers-administrative-leave-president-donald-trump-executive-order-jd-vance-administration-washington-dc-united-states

President Trump’s Second Inauguration (RTVI Television)
“It is clear the president has followed the plan he brought out during the campaign,” said Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington. “Throughout his time as a candidate and as a former president, he often talked about tightening up the border. It’s clear that is one of the key priorities he is working through  with the first round of executive orders.”https://www.youtube.com/live/8O3RVfcGcFk?t=510s

The Biden Legacy (El Observador, Portugal)
Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington, recalls the three major initiatives that Joe Biden successfully launched at the beginning of his term: “Dealing with the Covid-19 crisis, increasing infrastructure spending and reducing health care costs.”https://observador.pt/especiais/um-parentesis-entre-as-administracoes-trump-ou-um-presidente-com-obra-feita-o-legado-de-joe-biden/

Trump’s first 100 days in office put spotlight on campaign promises, post-election rhetoric (MSN)
The first 100 days matter, especially for a new president,” Stephen Farnsworth, political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia, told UPI. “Even for someone like Donald Trump who’s been president before, it’s an important gauge to see how successful he is at converting campaign promises into policy developments. That 100 days will give us a sense of what those priorities are. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-s-first-100-days-in-office-put-spotlight-on-campaign-promises-post-election-rhetoric/ar-AA1xzWIF

Trump Sworn in as the 47th Potus (WJLA TV DC)
“Well, I think it was very clear that Donald Trump wanted to turn the page and he wanted to turn the page back to the key issues he ran on in 2024, 2020, and 2016,” said Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpWtrVV4x3I

Trump’s first 100 days in office put spotlight on campaign promises, post-election rhetoric (UPI; The Kansas City Star)
“The first 100 days matter, especially for a new president,” Stephen Farnsworth, political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia, told UPI. “Even for someone like Donald Trump who’s been president before, it’s an important gauge to see how successful he is at converting campaign promises into policy developments. That 100 days will give us a sense of what those priorities are.” https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2025/01/21/trump-first-100-days-greenland-canada-panama/8041737045260/
https://www.kansascity.com/news/nation-world/national/article298887215.html

What to expect from Trump’s first 100 days in Power (La Tercera, Chile)
University of Mary Washington political science professor Stephen Farnsworth points out: “The Future situation in Ukraine is very uncertain. The reports suggest that Zelensky has been effective in warning Trump of that reducing support for Ukraine would be bad for business Americans, who supply many of the weapons used in Ukraine and resupply NATO allies, who send their own weapons to Ukraine. Zelensky too has said that Trump does not want Ukraine’s problems damage its popularity in the same way as the withdrawal of Afghanistan hurt Biden’s approval ratings.” See attached: trump 100 dias

Trump reveals when tariffs will be imposed on Mexico and Canada as he floats even harsher trade action (Daily Mail)
‘Canada is not going to become part of the United States, but Trump’s comments are more about leveraging what he says to get concessions from Canada by putting Canada off balance, particularly given the precarious current political environment in Canada,’ Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, said at the time.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14306593/Trump-reveals-tariffs-imposed-Mexico-Canada-floats-harsher-trade-action.html

Reviewing Biden’s Farewell Speech (CBC News Canada)
It’s important to recognize that America is a 50/50 country and the real challenge any politician has, Democrat or Republican, is convincing people who are not already on your side of much of anything, said Stephen Farnsworth. https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6614546

Spanberger and Earle-Sears neck-and-neck in fundraising battle (Virginia Mercury) “Virginia elections are often close, and the look ahead to next year suggests more of the same in the campaign for governor,” said Stephen J. Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington and director of UMW’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies. “The big challenge for these potential candidates is becoming better known across the commonwealth.” 
https://virginiamercury.com/2025/01/16/spanberger-and-earle-sears-neck-and-neck-in-fundraising-battle/