Trump to set administration agenda in inaugural address

EXPERT Q&A

Donald Trump will give his second inaugural address Jan. 20 after being sworn into office for another presidential term.

In a speech that comes as he enters into office with a felony conviction and a divided country, Trump is likely to talk about his governing philosophy, immigration reform, tax cuts and returning power to people by minimizing government involvement, said University of Michigan expert Aaron Kall.

Kall is the Lee H. Hess Director of Debate and editor and co-author of "I Do Solemnly Swear: Presidential Inaugural Addresses of the Last Five Decades."

How will this speech be different from the one Trump gave eight years ago?

Donald Trump won the presidency back in 2016. It was an unexpected victory, and the process of preparing for office transition was chaotic. He's in a much better position this time, won the popular vote and had a very resounding electoral victory. He's been in this position before. The first speech, "American carnage," was very dark, portraying negative aspects like crime and immigration throughout the country. I think this address will be much more optimistic, similar to those of Reagan and Kennedy, to try to provide momentum for his first 100-day agenda that will deal with tax cuts and immigration policy. It's going to be much more confident this time, as he's already served as president and wants to lay the groundwork for governing. He's certainly going to hit the ground running from the first days.

Trump does benefit this time from just the date of the address. It occurs on a Monday, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, which could get a bigger audience. Ronald Reagan in 1981 had over 40 million people tuning in to the address. With people home from work, both in person and throughout the country watching, Trump could get really big ratings, which is very important.

How do inaugural addresses typically reflect the historical context in which they are delivered?

Inaugural addresses typically reflect the historical context in which they're delivered. They have been around since George Washington. After the president gets sworn in, this directly occurs in front of an audience of thousands, even millions, going back to Barack Obama in 2009. It's about a 15-20 minute address.

The first thing is to thank people in the audience, pay homage to former presidents in attendance and talk about the president who is just leaving office. It'll be very interesting to see the words he gives about Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, who's going to be in attendance this time, to try to increase bipartisanship. The number one goal of the inauguration is the peaceful transition of power.

After that, he will talk about governing philosophy. A lot of times in these addresses, presidents refer to past addresses, can get religious and talk about the Bible or their favorite poet. It's more of a general theme and governing philosophy as opposed to exact policy issues, which will be reserved for the address to a joint session of Congress later in the spring. He'll likely talk about his governing philosophy, immigration reform, tax cuts and returning power to people by minimizing government involvement. That's something Reagan was strong on in 1981. It was a theme of the 2017 address, and I think it will continue with a more forward and optimistic view, given the recent victory.

In what ways can an inaugural address influence public opinion or national sentiment?

Inaugural addresses can influence public opinion or national sentiment. These last few months have been very important. They form opinions of the incoming administration. This is something Trump struggled with in 2017. He was underwater, didn't win the popular vote and that makes governing difficult, even though Republicans had total control of Congress. It's a very slim margin in the House of Representatives. He's going to need every vote for his tax and immigration policy. He's pretty popular right now, with his highest approval rating ever.

A speech like this, just 15-20 minutes, can set the tone and the agenda and put his 100-day legislative agenda on strong footing. This is an opportunity, with tens of millions watching, to start his second term and administration very strong. He'll be the second president ever to serve in two nonconsecutive terms, a unique aspect of this inaugural address.

During the address, what will you be looking for or listening to?

I'll be looking forward to the start of the address. What is he going to say to Joe Biden? They've already met in the White House, both thanking him for his presidency and help in the transition process. Does he mention Kamala Harris, his opponent in the last election? That question came up last time with Hillary Clinton. Jimmy Carter just passed away. Normally all past presidents are in attendance. Will he say something nice about him?

And then, Dr. Martin Luther King-this is one of the times when the inauguration falls on this holiday. The scenery and connection to King's famous address, just a short distance from where he's speaking at the West Front of the Capitol, are things that could increase bipartisanship and set the tone for that 15-20 minute speech before delving into the policy details. It could start the speech on the right note and extend an olive branch to voters who didn't support him, but whom he hopes to govern when he becomes president.