Professor of Political Science and Director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth recently presented a guest online lecture, "The Second Trump Presidency: Policy Implications of His First Weeks Back in Office," to Maria Curie Skłodowska University, in Lublin, Poland. Dr. Farnsworth served as a 2024 Fulbright Distinguished Scholar in Poland.
The post Farnsworth Lectures on the Second Trump Presidency appeared first on EagleEye.
Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, recently presented a keynote lecture, “The U.S. Media and Political Systems," to a group of journalists from India who were participating in the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program in Washington. The journalists were participating in a two-week program that focused on learning about the U.S. political system.
In addition, other recent media mentions for Farnsworth include:
Slashing the federal workforce would have ‘immense’ impact on Virginia governor’s race (Washington Examiner)
“President Trump’s effort to shrink the federal government is going to have an immense impact on the governor’s race in Virginia this year. Not only are we talking about all the people who work for the federal government who wonder whether they’re going to stay employed,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. “You also have all the people who are federal contractors or selling gasoline and food to people working in the federal government.”
Halftime in Richmond: Virginia lawmakers clash over taxes, health care, and gun control (Virginia Mercury)
Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, noted that Virginia, like many states, is heavily reliant on federal funding for its programs. “A lot of state government programs rely, sometimes in large parts, on federal funding. And if Washington turns off the spigot, that’s a very painful environment downstream,” he said.
https://virginiamercury.com/2025/02/03/halftime-in-richmond-virginia-lawmakers-clash-over-taxes-health-care-and-gun-control/
Round-Up of Early Trump 2.0 (BFM 89.9 in Malaysia)
“The Donald Trump message over and over again makes the argument that America was better off in the past. Now, depending on who you are, that may or may not be true,” said Donald Trump. https://www.bfm.my/content/podcast/round-up-of-early-trump
Late-night TV hosts double down on anti-Trump (The Hill)
“One would expect that a wider range of comedic targets would be appealing from a marketing perspective, but there has been an intense focus on Donald Trump since he first went down that escalator in Trump Tower 10 years ago,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington and co-author of “Late Night with Trump: Political Humor and the American Presidency.”
https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/5116986-late-night-tv-trump-kimmel-colbert-me/
Trump’s buyout offer sends mixed message to 145,000 federal workers in Virginia (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Steve Farnsworth, director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington, offered two different explanations for the mixed messages that the Trump administration has been sending to federal employees and the public. “One is they really haven’t thought out the plan and they’re just not prepared to do all these things at the same time,” Farnsworth said. “The other option is they don’t really care about thinking out the plan.” https://richmond.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/trump-buyout-tim-kaine-federal-workers/article_73f3f1b8-de5f-11ef-9508-83087676acd2.html
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.
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/
Stephen Farnsworth, professor of Political Science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, recently presented a guest online lecture, “The Trump Presidential Transition: What is New and What is Not,” for the American Studies Program at the University of Warsaw, Poland. Dr. Farnsworth served as a 2024 Fulbright Distinguished Scholar at the University of Warsaw.
In addition, recent media mentions for Farnsworth include:
Virginia special election could decide control in Richmond (NBC Washington)
“The odds are that we are looking at a status quo set of special elections,” said Stephen Farnsworth.
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/politics/virginia-special-election-could-decide-control-in-richmond/3807999/
2025 Virginia Legislative Preview (Commentary, FXBG Advance)
If you like legislative gridlock, then you have come to the right place, Virginia.
https://www.fxbgadvance.com/p/2025-virginia-legislative-preview?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email&triedRedirect=true
Young generations honor late President Jimmy Carter’s influence and leadership (WJLA)
“He saw a partner in the District. He sent his daughter Amy to public school, something that presidents do not do - other than Jimmy Carter in recent decades. You see, of course, with Jimmy Carter, he worshipped at local churches. He was very much connected to the community at a time that was really, really, important for the District during the rise of home rule,” Farnsworth said.
https://wjla.com/news/local/thousands-come-out-for-second-night-to-pay-tribute-to-president-carter-thousands-turn-out-to-honor-president-jimmy-carter-late-tribute-funeral-procession-us-capitol-security-presidential-mourning-national-day-travelers-washington-dc-capitol-hill-natio
Start of Virginia’s General Assembly session delayed because of Richmond water outage (Virginia Pilot)
“The big uncertainty going into the election today is the weather,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. “Will people get out and turn out in sufficient numbers today to match previous special elections in January? My guess is that won’t be the case.”
https://www.pilotonline.com/2025/01/07/start-of-virginias-general-assembly-session-delayed-because-of-richmond-water-outage/?share=sseowty2allawassegse
Trump doubles down on threats of U.S. control in Greenland as son visits country (Global News Canada)
“There has been a pattern throughout Donald Trump’s career in politics and his business to ask for very extreme things in the hope that something less unreasonable will be part of an eventual compromise,” said Stephen Farnsworth.
https://globalnews.ca/video/10947886/trump-doubles-down-on-threats-of-u-s-control-in-greenland-as-son-visits-country/
Virginia special elections suggest no major political shift since November (Roll Call)
“You’re not looking at races that one would describe as swing districts or representative of larger trends in the commonwealth, much less nationally,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science and international affairs professor at the University of Mary Washington. “At most, you could say that the partisan divisions of November continue to exist in January.” https://rollcall.com/2025/01/08/virginia-special-elections/
VIDEO: Elon Musk and Donald Trump: Will the bromance last? (ABC Australia TV)
“It seems to me that this Donald Trump, Elon Musk romance is not destined to be for a long term commitment on either side,” said Stephen Farnsworth.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01-07/elon-musk-and-donald-trump-will-the-bromance-last/104793578
U.S. House Passes Government Funding Bill (CTV News Canada)
“This was a big defeat for the president-elect,” said Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington. “He engaged in this question to get an extension of the debt ceiling, and he wasn’t able to get it. He wasn’t able to get it in fact because a significant number of Republicans, members of Trump’s own party, said they weren’t going to go along with it.” https://review.bellmedia.ca/view/1373185395
Trump reveals who he wants to replace Justin Trudeau: ‘It would be so much fun to watch’ (Daily Mail, UK)
“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,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14226387/donald-trump-candidate-replace-justin-trudeau-canada-wayne-gretzky.html
Women lead the way in Trump’s second administration (Washington Times)
“One of the challenges that Trump’s press secretaries always have is the conviction that Donald Trump has that he’s the best messenger anyway, and so he tends to manage the public relations aspect of his presidency to a much greater degree than other presidents have,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a politics professor at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/dec/26/women-lead-way-donald-trump-second-administration/
America Pays Tribute to President Carter (CTV News Canada)
If you think about the former president’s life after he left the Oval Office, you saw a commitment that was extraordinary,” said Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington. “Most former presidents, they write books, they become consultants, and they figure out ways to give very profitable speaking tours. Jimmy Carter in contrast was focused on eradicating diseases, to building houses and to promoting human rights from start to finish of his political. It’s extraordinary record, one deserving of a great deal of respect.”
https://www.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=3056951
Trump has two years to cause real chaos and harm and only these people will be able to stop him (The Independent, UK)
Senator Marco Rubio is also someone who would be seen as credible on the international stage, says Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia. “I’d make the same argument about the treasury secretary designate [hedge fund manager Scott Bessent] who is somebody with a long career in Wall Street, somebody who has been very, very successful in business and economics, and somebody who would be seen as very credible in the financial community. So when you’re looking at Trump’s picks, they’re not all monochromatic, blind loyalists.” https://www.the-independent.com/us/usa-trump-hegseth-rfk-musk-b2669070.html
Stephen Farnsworth, professor of Political Science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, recently presented a coauthored research paper, “Ridicule in Late-Night Political Humor in the United States: Contours and Consequences,” at the Annual Meeting of the Northeastern Political Science Association in Boston.
In addition, recent media mentions for Farnsworth include:
The Media, Messaging, & the 2024 Election: A conversation with Dr. Stephen Farnsworth (The Interesting Times)
“I think first of all when we think about the election, we have to recognize that this is kind of a standard retrospective voting election”, said Stephen Farnsworth.
https://theinterestingtimes.substack.com/p/the-media-messaging-and-the-2024?r=j68s1&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&triedRedirect=true
President Biden pardons his son, Hunter Biden (CTV News)
“Well, I think one of the things the president should have done is not saying he wasn’t going to do it, if he intended to do it,” said Stephen Farnsworth.
https://www.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=3040420
Trump Promises 25% Tariff on Canada Once He Takes Office (CTV News)
“Well, there is absolutely no way to sugarcoat the consequences of something like this. This would be an immense challenge for the American economy and for the Canadian economy,” said Stephen Farnsworth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvVmDhLDmnQ
Trump, Fox News and why his TV star Cabinet picks are such a big deal (USA Today)
Enjoying the ease of an echo chamber in a politically volatile environment is “a very comforting experience” and can be what keeps viewers watching, said Stephen Farnsworth, author of “Presidential Communication and Character: White House News Management from Clinton and Cable to Twitter and Trump.”
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2024/11/25/trumps-cabinet-fox-news-second-administration/76479341007/
New leadership on the horizon for House Freedom Caucus (MSN)
“Good may have lost the battle, but he has helped purge Republican moderates from the party,” Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. “The Republican caucus in Washington, and in Richmond for that matter, is more uniformly conservative than it ever was.” But “the same inflexibility that makes the Freedom Caucus appealing to some Republican voters can be its undoing for some individual members, as Good learned in this primary,” Farnsworth said.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/new-leadership-on-the-horizon-for-house-freedom-caucus/ar-AA1opgM5?ocid=BingNewsVerp&apiversion=v2&noservercache=1&domshim=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1&batchservertelemetry=1&noservertelemetry=1
Donald Trump’s recess appointment proposal ‘short-circuits Constitution’ (UPI)
“Normally, not all of the president’s team makes it through,” Stephen Farnsworth, political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia, told UPI. “Senators, even senators of the president’s party, often turn down one nominee or threaten to do so and that nominee withdraws their candidacy.”
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2024/11/25/trump-cabinet-confirmation-recess-appointments/2821732545977/
Youngkin backs Earle-Sears for Virginia Governor (DC News Now)
‘Well, it seems to me that once the Attorney General had decided that he was not going to compete for the Republican nomination for Lieutenant Governor, the chips feel into place very quickly,” said Stephen Farnsworth.
https://www.dcnewsnow.com/news/capitol-review/youngkin-backs-earle-sears-for-virginia-governor/
President-elect Trump unveils controversial cabinet selections (CHCH Radio)
“Well, I think it’s important to recognize that the second Donald Trump term will be much more without guard rails than the first term,” said Stephen Farnsworth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrqaKciu65Y
Miyares seeks reelection as attorney general, paves way for Earle-Sears in governor’s race (Virginia Mercury)
Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, said it was “a smart move” by Miyares to put his gubernatorial ambitions on hold and run for reelection next year.
https://virginiamercury.com/2024/11/18/miyares-to-seek-second-term-as-virginia-attorney-general/
Professor of Political Science and Director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, Stephen Farnsworth, recently presented an online lecture, “The Politics of Not Voting,” at the None of the Above Voter Mobilization Conference in Arlington, VA.
In addition, recent media mentions for Farnsworth include:
Second-wave Population Shifts Carry Vindman in Seventh (FXBG Advance)
Virginia’s sprawling Seventh Congressional District, which includes all or part of ten counties and the City of Fredericksburg, was one of the most sought-after congressional prizes nationally this year.
https://fxbgadvance.substack.com/p/second-wave-population-shifts-carry?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Candidates line up for special elections to replace Virginia senators recently elected to US House (The Washington Post)
“It’s not impossible for the out party to win these districts, but a lot would have to go wrong for the dominant party to lose — a contentious nomination struggle, an extremely low turnout special election or a really energized out party,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. “You would basically need a perfect storm followed by another perfect storm … Most of the time, perfect storms don’t happen.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/11/11/special-election-mcguire-subramanyam-virginia-senate/b7baba6c-a084-11ef-be87-1106a06524c6_story.html
2024 Election Recap: Virginia (DC News Now)
“Well, the polls all showed that this was going to be the state where the Democrats had the advantage,” said Stephen Farnsworth. https://www.dcnewsnow.com/news/capitol-review/2024-election-recap-on-capitol-review/<
Trump Announces Homan as Border Czar (CTV News Canada)
“Well, it’s important to recognize that Donald Trump makes a lot of promises. But, this one, I think above all immigration question is the promise that he intends to keep,” said Stephen Farnsworth. https://www.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=3027544
Commentary: Out of the blue? Virginia was purple all along (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Tuesday’s election results in Virginia, where Democratic nominee Kamala Harris won the commonwealth’s electoral votes and the two major parties each went one-for-one in the two most volatile congressional districts (2 and 7), should demonstrate — once again — that Virginia has not become a blue state. https://richmond.com/opinion/column/election-harris-trump-virginia-competitive-purple/article_d98e6050-9d53-11ef-ba79-57e8be74d911.html#tracking-source=home-top-story
Trump’s agenda would mean profound change, from economy to federal workforce (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
“Donald Trump always pushed the political and legal systems as far as they could go,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington. https://richmond.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/elections/virginia-donald-trump-economy-port-immigration-nato/article_5025e9b4-9d17-11ef-b737-c79a5cd0e1c3.html
