Wall Street Journal columnist and best-selling author Peggy Noonan spoke at the spring Presidential Speakers Series dinner on Wednesday.
Around 700 people attended the speech, including alums, donors and OU students as Noonan shared her thoughts on the division of American politics and President Donald Trump’s administration.
Noonan spoke about the divisiveness of politics present in the latest election.
“The biggest thing everyone in politics should remember right now — both triumphant Republicans and depressed Democrats — the biggest thing for them to remember is the number 1.5,” Noonan said. “1.5 percentage points, and that is how much Donald Trump won by in the popular vote.”
The 2024 election results showed Trump won with 49.9% of the popular vote, while former Vice President Kamala Harris received 48.4%.
In Oklahoma, all 77 counties voted for the Republican Party, which provided Trump seven electoral votes.
According to Noonan, Republicans are overjoyed to have won both the popular vote and the Senate for the first time since 2004. She remarked that everyone should “hold their horses” and know the difference between boldness and wildness.
“(Trump’s) got to get this sense of the difference between wild and bold clear in his head,” Noonan said. “Bold is going after waste, fraud and abuse. Bold is picking Elon (Musk). Wild is Elon dancing with the chainsaw.”
Trump was sworn in on Jan. 20. After only six weeks in office, as of Feb. 20, Trump has signed more than 70 executive orders, the most in a president’s first 100 days in 40 years.
“There are some decades when what happens within them is a week full of news,” Noonan said. “And there are some weeks in which what happens within them is a decade, that's what's happening now, densely packed and action-packed.”
Noonan talked about when Musk, billionaire and senior adviser to the president, posted on the social platform X Sunday that federal workers had 48 hours to explain what they accomplished the previous week. Noonan said, while this type of governance may seem severe, it catalyzes change.
“It seems to be working,” Noonan said. “Maybe you have to be a bunch of wild and crazy guys to get something done.”
Noonan said the U.S. has always been full of visionaries, which may be part of the country’s DNA. She discussed the future of Democrats and why they have been unable to respond to Trump and believes that Democrats should change their policies.
“Your problem is not words, your problem is not finding the right words,” Noonan said. “Your problem is not that you don't sound like normal people when you talk, though that's true, but it's not your problem. Your problem is that your policies, policy positions, the stands you take as a party are unpopular.”
Noonan spoke about Democratic strategist James Carville’s prediction that the Trump administration would collapse within 30 days. Noonan disagreed with this sentiment, saying new presidential administrations always have times of adjustment.
“(Trump) has plenty of energy in him. He is a brand new president,” Noonan rebuttals. “A brand new administration is its flight takeoff area, which has many more miles.”
Noonan advised Democrats to look mature and act, ensure and show that they can run something to demonstrate competence and leadership. Noonan said she believes that is how the Democratic Party can make a comeback.
Reflecting on Trump's assassination attempt in summer 2024, Noonan acknowledged that Trump showed people need to fight back.
“Donald Trump is a breakthrough artist in America,” Noonan said. “When someone tried to assassinate him and walk in Pennsylvania, he said, ‘Fight, fight, fight’ because he loves to fight.”
Noonan said she dislikes seeing enmity between her friends. She believes it’s important not to lose peace because of politics and reassured the event’s attendants of the importance of staying calm during political discourse.
This story was edited by Ana Barboza and Anusha Fathepure.
