Here’s what Trump needs to do to start off on right foot

A president of the United States has at most a few short months to make his mark on the success of his first four years. Because, before you know it, the midterm elections are here and then after that, we are in the beginning of the 2020 presidential campaign season.

So the president must hit the ground running so that by the time he takes the Oath of Office, he already has his agenda and priorities set.

In December 2000, I was asked by President-elect George W. Bush to be his deputy assistant for appointments and scheduling, vetting and research, surrogate scheduling and correspondence. We had been denied 37 days of the transition due to the recount, which meant we needed to work overtime to make sure we were ready to govern on Jan. 20, 2001.

I met with our chief of staff, Andy Card, and he wanted me to go back and get a historical perspective of other president’s first 100 days: What did they do, and more importantly, what did they accomplish?

I started to see a pattern develop. Presidents used this time to establish their style, rhythm, rhetoric and legislation. I came up with the idea that I would schedule the president for 21 days before he took the oath. We held several senior staff meetings to fill in those days and make our mark so we could hit the ground running.

We then looked more broadly at the first 100 days: What did the president want to accomplish and how do we do it? We looked at the legislative calendar as well as the domestic and international calendars that would have impact or influence. We looked at things presidents must do — like the Joint Address to Congress within weeks of the Inauguration, spring congressional calendar and agenda, or the Easter Egg Roll.

{mosads}We also discussed the president’s first domestic and international travel and where would it be and why.

An incoming president must put his best foot forward because he only has a short honeymoon period and goodwill capital to spend with the American people the Congress and the press. His calendar is key. After all, there are only a certain amount of hours in a day and every hour is important for a president. In 2001, we had to separate “needs” from “wants.”

That is to say, if you wanted to see the president you never would, but if you needed to see him, you always would.

Presidents need early wins in legislation and the keeping of campaign promises in order to build off them to continue a winning streak of policy implementation. That means it is smart to do what you know is possible first before taking on too much risk.

Under-promising and over-delivering is the foundation for political successes.

So here is my advice for the schedule of the incoming president and his staff:

1. Have the president fully scheduled in advance for 21 days, starting Jan. 20. This allows the president and his staff to have direction, discipline and peace of mind.

2. This should be the Jan. 20 schedule of the president:

Noon: The president–elect takes the Oath of Office
12:03 p.m.: The president delivers his Inaugural Address (20 minutes)
12:23 p.m.: The president concludes his remarks and proceeds to the President’s Room of the U.S. Capitol and strikes the executive orders of President Obama. (1 hour, 15 minutes) The President makes good on an important campaign promise within minutes of taking office.
1:38 p.m.: The president participates in the congressional Inaugural Luncheon.
2:15 p.m.: The president delivers remarks wherein he announces that he has struck down all of Obama’s executive orders and pledges to work with Congress in a bipartisan fashion to “Make America Great Again.” He will challenge Congress to pass legislation so that he can sign it.
4 p.m.: The president reviews a shortened Inaugural Parade of one hour.

3. The president should schedule a standing weekly meeting with House and Senate leadership from both parties. And the vice president should establish a real working office in the Capitol and spend two-to-three days a week working out of it when Congress is in session.

4. The president should make a domestic visit to a state that complements his Inaugural Address — prior to his address to Congress.

5. The president should address a joint meeting of Congress to set forth his legislative hopes and goals for the year.

6. The president should embark on his first policy-driven travel after his address to Congress and it should last at least three days.

7. In addition, at some point the president should travel to Canada and Mexico on the same day. A lunch in Canada and a dinner in Mexico would send a strong message of how important both countries are to us and our shared hemisphere.

These are just some of the things the new president can do to make his mark in a positive, practical and effective way.

How you start is how you finish.

Bradley A. Blakeman is professor of public policy, politics and international affairs at Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies, a member of President George W. Bush’s senior White House staff from 2001 to 2004, and an informal unpaid adviser to the Trump transition team. He is also a frequent contributor to Fox News and Fox Business Channel. Follow him on Twitter @BlakemanB.

The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the views of The Hill.