‘Trump will deliver a strong message:’ KIRO, KTTH hosts offer Inauguration Day thoughts

It is Inauguration Day and Donald Trump, who overcame impeachments, criminal indictments and a pair of assassination attempts to win another term in the White House, will be sworn in Monday as the 47th U.S. president taking charge as Republicans claim unified control of Washington and set out to reshape the country’s institutions.

Trump’s swearing-in ceremony, moved indoors due to intense cold, will begin at 9 a.m. But festivities will start earlier when the incoming president arrives for service at St. John’s Episcopal Church.

As The Associated Press noted in its coverage Monday, Trump is going to issue a series of orders aimed at remaking America’s immigration policies, ending asylum access, sending troops to the southern border and ending birthright citizenship, an incoming White House official said. Going further, The Washington Post and ABC News reported Sunday that Trump is preparing to take more than 200 executive actions during his first day back in office.

But it’s unclear how Trump would carry out some of his executive orders, including ending automatic citizenship for everyone born in the country, while others were expected to be immediately challenged in the courts.

Live inauguration coverage: Trump returning to power after unprecedented comeback

The KIRO Newsradio and KTTH hosts who offered comments about Trump’s inauguration to MyNorthwest provided varying opinions, but they all offered their views on what Inauguration Day would be like and what we can expect to see from Trump after he takes the oath of office.

KIRO Newsradio’s Charlie Harger: People shouldn’t be surprised about what they see

Charlie Harger, who hosts KIRO Newsradio’s “Seattle’s Morning News,” said he doesn’t expect the swearing-in to be that unusual even though it will be inside for the first time in decades.

“I suspect the transfer of power will be rather typical,” Charlie wrote. “With the news that the swearing-in will take place inside the Capitol building because of very cold weather, it may look unusual for those of us who watch the ceremony every four years.”

Charlie also openly wondered about what Trump’s first speech as president will be like, particularly given the dark tone and tenor he took in 2017 when he was in this spot.

“I’m curious about how he will approach the inaugural address,” Charlie said. “Eight years ago, when President Trump first took office, the “American Carnage” speech was very much red meat for his base, and they loved it. There’s a strong chance he does something similar this time around. But I wouldn’t rule out a more conciliatory speech, something that attempts to cast him as ‘president of the whole country, not just his most ardent supporters.'”

In addition, Charlie also pointed to the likelihood of Trump signing a series of executive orders after taking the oath of office. He thinks folks shouldn’t be surprised by what they see when Trump signs those orders

“President Trump has promised several executive actions on his first day,” Charlie continued. “They include an order to crack down on illegal immigration; closing the borders; tariffs on goods imported from Canada, Mexico, and China; and clemency for many who took part in the Jan. 6 riots. I take him at his word when he says he’ll do this, and folks shouldn’t be surprised if he follows through with those campaign promises. People may feel a range of other emotions about it (depending on their political persuasion), but ‘surprise’ should not be one of them.”

More on Trump: TikTok restores service for US users based on Trump’s promised executive order

KTTH’s Jason Rantz is looking forward to the Inauguration Day

Jason Rantz, host of “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH, made it clear he is looking forward to Trump’s inauguration as he believes outgoing President Joe Biden leaves a damaging legacy.

“Like most voters, I’m looking forward to Inauguration Day,” Rantz said. “Joe Biden’s legacy is one of historic inflation, crime, and illegal border crossings, along with the weaponization of the justice system. With Donald Trump, we’ll have a president who actually will put America and her people first.”

Jason anticipates a different inauguration than what was seen eight years ago when  Trump was in the position.

“I expect we’ll have a positive, future-focused inauguration from a president who is a legitimate cheerleader for America,” Rantz said. “Donald Trump will deliver a strong message to the country that we will come first again, and to the world that we have a strong leader at the helm again.”

Rantz also expects Trump to use his new executive powers quickly to put the U.S. on a different course.

“We already know the Trump will use his executive powers to rapidly undo the damage from the Biden administration, but it will take some time to truly reverse course,” Rantz added. “Biden’s petty staff are leaving the White House having made it more difficult for Trump to set us on the right course again. Who knows what damage they’ve done that we’re unaware of. But he’ll be going into office having successfully pressured Hamas into a ceasefire, which is a major victory – and he wasn’t even president yet when he did it.

“The border will be truly addressed and criminal illegal immigrants are on notice. Most importantly, he’ll signal that America is back; that we’ll no longer let the Radical Left fundamentally rebuild this country,” Rantz continued. “We’ll move away from the identity-obsessed culture that treats people differently on the basis of race, religion, gender, or gender identity. We’ll actually acknowledge there are only two genders and stop the Left’s assault on women’s rights. You can feel the positivity in the air, even in deeply blue Seattle where even they know they’ve gone too far.”

KIRO Newsradio’s Ursula Reutin: Expect Trump to be busy and a braggart

Ursula Reutin, one of the hosts of KIRO Newsradio’s “The Gee and Ursula Show,” maintained some hope about Trump providing a tone that would bring people together instead of driving them apart.

“My hope is that President Trump will stick to his word and make this inaugural speech a unifying one,” Ursula said. “The first one was dark and depressing. We don’t need to hear about ‘American carnage’ or any name-calling of political opponents.”

More on Trump: Biden pardons Fauci, Milley, others in effort to guard against potential Trump retribution

Ursula also made several predictions about what Trump will say and do during his first day.

“My prediction is that he will take credit — again — for the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas,” Ursula stated. “He will also brag about saving TikTok, even though he was among those pushing for a ban in 2020. Trump has already made it clear that he will be signing many executive orders on his first day. I wouldn’t be surprised if he went for a record, so he could add that to his brag list.”

KIRO Newsradio’s John Curley: Biden hiding!

Host of KIRO Newsradio’s “The John Curley Show” John Curley, who went to Washington, D.C., to see Trump’s second inauguration, delivered a message about outgoing President Joe Biden after his farewell speech last week in his comments.

“His legacy will be the truth Americans were not permitted to see,” John said. “His White House hid his mental and physical decline as early as 2021 — from the American people. His White House hid opposing points of view by pressuring social media companies to censor free speech. His greatest accomplishment is the unintended destruction of mainstream media.”

Contributing: The Associated Press