JIM SHARPE

AZ Political Podcast: Matt Salmon on the 1st week of the 2nd Trump presidency

Jan 24, 2025, 4:30 AM

PHOENIX — As we approach the completion of the first week of the second Trump presidency, former Republican U.S. Congressman Matt Salmon joins me on the AZ Political Podcast to assess how the 45th/47th president — and the 119th Congress — is doing so far.

Matt has interacted with five different presidents (he’s played 18 holes of golf with two of them), so he’s able to give us a solid take on this version of Trump as well as tell us why he likes some of the things Trump has already done — and why he doesn’t like others.

Then he dishes specifically about a couple of those presidents and what about them was impressive.

The retired Republican representative also tells me what excites him about this new Congress — and why he agrees with what Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly told me and LaDona Harvey on Arizona’s Morning News: that bipartisan-passed border security and immigration legislation is more likely to stand the test of time.

Finally, I ask Salmon two questions: what things that are currently going on in Washington that make him say, “Gosh, I’m glad I’m not there anymore!” And, what things that are currently going on in Washington that make him say, “Gosh, I kinda wish I was still there!”

Trust me, in either case, it’s not the weather.

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AZ Political Podcast: Matt Salmon on the 1st week of the 2nd Trump presidency