{"id":125637,"date":"2025-02-07T16:49:49","date_gmt":"2025-02-07T16:49:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/trump-latest-your-questions-answered-can-he-do-anything-he-wants-is-he-a-bigger-threat-than-putin-will-he-and-musk-fall-out-sky-news\/"},"modified":"2025-02-07T16:49:49","modified_gmt":"2025-02-07T16:49:49","slug":"trump-latest-your-questions-answered-can-he-do-anything-he-wants-is-he-a-bigger-threat-than-putin-will-he-and-musk-fall-out-sky-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/trump-latest-your-questions-answered-can-he-do-anything-he-wants-is-he-a-bigger-threat-than-putin-will-he-and-musk-fall-out-sky-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump latest: Your questions answered – Can he do anything he wants? Is he a bigger threat than Putin? Will he and Musk fall out? – Sky News"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our US correspondents James Matthews and Mark Stone have answered your questions on all things Trump in a live edition of the Trump 100 podcast – catch up below, and follow all the latest developments from Washington.
Friday 7 February 2025 16:32, UK
Our live edition of the Trump 100 podcast has just finished. 
You can scroll back through our correspondents’ answers in this live page, or watch the full Q&A back here<\/a>.
What do the American people make of Donald Trump’s first few days in office?
Mark Stone<\/a> says Trump is doing everything he said he would do.
“That is what American people voted for – but the angst and concern comes with misinformation,” he says. 
Both Stone and James Matthews<\/a> note that there is a lot of polarisation across the US media and on social media.
As a result, people are “not truly informed about the consequences about the decisions and on the executive actions that Trump is putting is place”, Stone says. 
We now turn to the Middle East, where Donald Trump has caused an international stir after suggesting the US should “take over” Gaza and turn it into the “Middle East Riviera”.
Steve asks whether Trump’s plan is actually a ploy to shock the Middle East and international community into action to resolve the issue properly.
Mark Stone<\/a> says it’s “possibly very likely”.
“As with so many other negotiations that he’s tying to do, he’s come up with something so crazy, so outlandish, so undeliverable,” he adds.
“But, because it’s Trump, people think he could do this. 
“From that outlandish announcement could come some slightly more realistic ones.
“It’s certainly the case that America, under Joe Biden also, has wanted the Middle East to do more on the Palestinian issue.
“Maybe the prospect of America owning a part of the Middle East will focus minds there.”
We’re now looking at American values and how the US is viewed across the globe.
To that end, Anderson asks whether Donald Trump is now a bigger threat to Western values than Russian President Vladimir Putin or Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Mark Stone<\/a> says USAID, the “soft power arm of America”, has been gutted from 10,000 staff to 200 or so. 
As James Matthews<\/a> explains, it “buys America influence in countries abroad, in dark corners of the world, and allows it to keep an eye on its enemies”. 
“Short of wading in and invading a country and seizing influence, it’s a gentle power grab of sorts,” he says. 
Stone adds that if the US is not filling the space in terms of helping developing countries, there is a “vacuum” left. 
He says it’s unlikely Russia will take advantage of this but China could do so. 
Matthews says Trump is likely a “threat” in some way to Western values, saying he does not follow the post-Second World War consensus about peace and what prolongs it. 
“He is upsetting the world order,” Matthews says. “He is a man who I think is an ally of the West because he’s a US president but he’s done plenty to suggest that that may be under review.” 
For example, Trump has spoken about grabbing land from Greenland. 
Of course he was going to come up…
We now move on to the controversial figure of Elon Musk, who is heading up the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, in the Trump administration.
He’s already ruffled more than a few feathers in his bid to slash US government spending, leading efforts to seize access to the federal payment system, dismantling USAID. He’s also told millions of civil servants they must quit or face being fired.
Graham asks the Trump 100 team whether an unelected person has ever wielded so much power in US politics.
Mark Stone<\/a> says simply: “No.”
“He didn’t go through any process of nomination like all the other cabinet members, where they were rigorously interviewed by elected officials before they were confirmed,” he adds.
“That hasn’t happened with Musk, but he’s wielding extreme power.”
“He certainly has power,” adds James Matthews<\/a>. “They call him the ‘First Buddy’, you name it – he’s got loads of power.
“The question is, where does the power lie in that duo? Elon Musk has been given a free rein of sorts to slash federal government.
“Trump insists that Musk reports to him, but never mind the politics, the personal dynamic in that duo is critical to how long it lasts and how long Musk can stay close to Trump and close to power.”
The next question is whether what’s unfolding in the US right now is a sign that Project 2025 has started.
A reminder – that’s a 900-page “wish list” to impose an ultra-conservative social vision on the US.
James Matthews<\/a> says: “I think we’re already seeing Project 2025 and its tentacles in the government.” 
He points out that Russell Vought has been confirmed as Trump’s budget chief and now holds a “senior influential position”. 
Vought is a “controversial” white Christian nationalist who Democrats have called “the most dangerous nominee”, Matthews says. 
Meanwhile, one of the architects of Project 2025 has called for a total ban on abortion.
“These are the kind of voices of influence that have the ear of the president,” he says.
Our first questions of the afternoon are about Donald Trump’s power and whether he can simply “do what he likes” as president.
Mark Stone<\/a> says there are checks and balances in place – and we’ve seen evidence of the courts “getting in his way” already. 
A number of judges have blocked his attempt to end the right to birthright citizenship. 
“There have been roadblocks that have been put in Trump’s way,” Stone says, but Trump is nonetheless “pushing every boundary”.
“Remember, he has control of both houses of Congress,” he adds – referring to the Senate and the House of Representatives. 
James Matthews<\/a> says the courts have so far been “testy”. 
“That is where the checks and balances are going to lie,” he says.
Matthews also adds there have been several protests in DC and beyond, offering another avenue that could disrupt Trump’s efforts to push through legislation. 
“If we are seeing growing protests – where does the authority lie?” 
However, the only route to removing Trump is via impeachment – something that seems unlikely given that it would have to be approved by the Congress that the president controls. 
At 4pm our US correspondents Mark Stone<\/a> <\/b>and James Matthews<\/a> <\/b>will be answering your questions on all things Trump in a live edition of the Trump 100 podcast.
Watch along by pressing play at the top of the page – and we’ll be bringing you text updates too.
You can also watch live on YouTube…
We’ve just heard from Benjamin Netanyahu and House Speaker Mike Johnson, who were delivering remarks following their closed-door meeting.
Mike Johnson says he and Benjamin Netanyahu have discussed the “special partnership” that Israel and the US share today.
He thanks the Israeli prime minister for his “unrelenting commitment to making the region and the world a safer place”.
“What Israel has done in the past seven months really is a testament to what can be accomplished when we do not let the enemy set the rules,” he adds.
Netanyahu starts his remarks by saying he’s developed a “close personal bond” with Johnson.
He says the Speaker represents the American people that “overwhelmingly support the state of Israel”.
The Israeli leader says when his limousine passes down Washington streets, people on the pavements “all support” him and wave.
Netnayhu then invited Johnson to Israel later this year, before the pair left without answering questions. 
You can watch their remarks back in the stream at the YouTube link below. 
Donald Trump says he’s planning on signing an executive order next week targeting paper straws.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump said he wanted to end “the ridiculous Biden push for paper straws, which don’t work”.
The Biden administration announced two commitments to phase out single-use plastic across the federal government last year.
Be the first to get Breaking News<\/span>
Install the Sky News app for free<\/p>\n

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