CNN’s Kaitlan Collins highlighted a revealing detail about President Donald Trump’s priorities Thursday as Republicans struggled to regroup from their devastating midterm election losses.
“It’s so notable that this is the first executive order the president has signed since the midterm elections,” Collins told CNN’s Jake Tapper, pointing out that Trump’s focus was on protecting his White House renovations.
The observation came as the president signed a proclamation aimed at preserving the Oval Office and Cabinet Room, including the extensive changes he has made to their interiors.
Collins noted that Trump’s announcement marked his third event this week centered on his construction and renovation projects.
“Yesterday, his first appearance after the midterm elections, after those huge losses that have left his party grappling for what the next steps for them are going to look like here in Washington, was at the site of the ballroom construction,” she said.
“And so it just kind of shows you where the president's mindset is in all of this,” Collins added.
The CNN correspondent contrasted Trump’s priorities with the frustration brewing among Republicans, who are looking to the president for direction following Tuesday’s historic midterm defeats.
“A lot of them are voicing anger about how he's handled the economy and the future of the Iran war, which right now has no end in sight,” Collins said Thursday.
Tapper questioned whether Trump was trying to prevent his successor from removing the gold decorations he installed in the Oval Office.
Collins said the president appeared determined to protect his changes, although she questioned whether his proclamation would withstand legal scrutiny or could simply be reversed by a future president.
“Yeah, that's exactly what will happen,” Tapper replied.
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