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What two Kansas politics experts thought of President Trump's inaugural speech

President Donald Trump speaks during the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (Chip Somodevilla/Pool Photo via AP)
Chip Somodevilla
/
AP
President Donald Trump speaks during the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025.

Kevin Yoder, a former Congressman from Kansas, says that President Trump appears to have a clear mandate for immigration reform and border security — but said that mass deportations could be unpopular.

Kevin Yoder, a former Republican U.S. Representative from Kansas' 3rd Congressional District, is optimistic that the second Trump Administration can improve border security and America's standing in the world.

"I think he is really tapped into deep concerns amongst the American people," Yoder says. "So if Trump has a mandate for anything, it's border security and it's immigration reform and it's enforcing our laws."

However, Yoder worries Trump's deportation efforts may cause backlash from voters.

"I think imagery and things that occur (during mass deportations) the American public may not have the stomach for," Yoder says.

Dr. Robert Rowland, a political rhetoric professor at the University of Kansas, says Trump's speech suggests a far-right approach to his second term.

"He creates fear and that morphs into hatred among his supporters," Rowland says. "All of his themes are present, but they've become more extreme as time has gone on."

  • Kevin Yoder, former U.S. Representative, Kansas 3rd District
  • Dr. Robert Rowland, University of Kansas professor
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