Inauguration Day: Trump will define ‘Make America Great Again’

The country may be divided but on Friday I bet we’ll all be watching the same show. Although my sense is some will be a little more nervous than others.

Ross: If Trump really wants to prove himself, he should save the circus

Presidents seem to write their inaugural addresses as if they were auditioning for a history textbook, but I sense that Trump wants to be a crowd-pleaser. If he has one guiding principle it is this: don’t be boring. Remember how Sasha nodded off during her Dad’s speech four years ago? That cannot be allowed at a Trump speech.

So what will he talk about? CBS’s Major Garrett did some checking and he found that Trump’s speech will be about defining what Trump’s slogan means.

And CBS’s Charlie Rose was able to verify that in his interview with Vice President-elect Mike Pence.

“I can tell you that the president-elect and our whole team are ready to go to work and really just advance the kind of policies that, to borrow his phrase, will make America great again.”

Sounds to me like the speech is going to be about making America great again. It’s a phrase which still raises some unanswered questions, such as when did America last achieve greatness, and what defines greatness today?

And according to Major, he will address those questions.

“Two big, broad goals for the country … more economic growth defined not just by more jobs, but better-paying jobs, especially in the manufacturing sector. And on security, reducing if possible the fear about terrorism with a concentrated effort to defeat ISIS. Broad goals defined in action words and not a lot of soaring rhetoric, and, as much as possible, nonpartisan and populist.”

Which sounds reassuring. So is anybody still nervous? Don’t be nervous. President Obama isn’t nervous.

“I believe in this country,” he told the press on Wednesday. “I think we’re going to be OK.”

After which he then said: “Thank you very much press corps. Good Luck.”

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