Photo Courtesy of Tribune News Service | President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe depart the White House on Feb. 10, 2017 in Washington, D.C.

By Michael Taszarek ’18
THE ROUNDUP

Members of the Brophy community reacted strongly to President Donald Trump’s early wave of executive actions.

Through just over three weeks in office the president already signed 11 executive orders.  These orders ranged from travel restrictions to reviewing Wall Street regulations.

Some Brophy students and faculty had strong opinions, with some excited about the president’s recent executive actions and others disappointed.

“I find it ironic that the right was complaining about Obama’s use of executive orders and they are now using them,” said Mr. Pat O’Neill, head swim coach a math teacher.

Mr. O’Neill also said Trump’s travel ban, which has been recently held up in the courts, was problematic.

“The travel ban order was not well thought out and was not implemented in a professional manner,” Mr. O’Neill said.

Some students, including juniors Jack Dimond ’18 and Connor Newton ’18, said they were disappointed with the president’s early executive actions, but Newton said he has hope that everything will still work out for the best.

“I was outraged,” said Connor Newton ’18.  “But, they are executive actions, and I have faith in the separation of powers, so I think it will work out.”

Dimond said he was surprised by the new president’s executive actions, but said he wasn’t happy.

“I was not particularly surprised,” said Dimond. “But, I was dissatisfied with his impetuous behavior.”

Reese Galvin ’18, a Trump supporter, was quite satisfied with the executive actions.

“I see them as a fulfillment of his campaign promises,” Galvin said.  “While I am disappointed with his stances on the environment, I am thrilled with his decision to pull out of the TPP, and I support the executive ban on the seven ‘high-risk’ countries.  I personally am happy to already be seeing changes in American foreign policy.”