How Trump's first 100 days changed Louisiana
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Gov. Jeff Landry, right, visited the White House in March to celebrate the announcement of a new steel plant for Hyundai to be built in Louisiana. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
President Trump celebrates the 100th day of his second term this week, a period of boundary pushing and breaking that has already reshaped politics in the nation's highest office.
Why it matters: Trump is reshaping politics locally, too, and Gov. Jeff Landry has made his own policy changes evidently inspired by his presidential friend.
The big picture: The beginning of Trump's second term has been marked by a flurry of activity, executive orders and structural shifts in the federal government.
- The strategy, as Axios' Zachary Basu has reported, is a tactic to "flood the zone" with so much news it's hard for anyone to keep track of what is and isn't happening.
- But there are key elements that, at the state level, Trump's allies have been able to adopt just as swiftly.
Louisiana DOGE: Landry mimicked the federal Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) last December when he signed an executive order creating what he called a new "fiscal responsibility program."
- DOGE has been led nationally by Trump adviser Elon Musk, who is now stepping back from the role.
- In Louisiana, Landry said last week, LA-DOGE has "focused on eliminating wasteful spending and ensuring expenditures serve meaningful, prudent, and legislatively mandated purposes."
Zoom in: Among changes sparked by the program, Landry says, is a data-sharing partnership between the Louisiana Department of Health and the Office of Motor Vehicles, which he says will aid in verifying Medicaid participants' identities.
- It also resulted in the end to automatic lease renewals for state offices, much like DOGE's moves at the national level.
Gulf of America: One of the earliest moves of Trump's second term was to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, a step Landry endorsed by requiring state maps and policy reflect the controversial change.
Remote work ends: State workers will have to return to working in their offices by June 30 after Landry signed an executive order last week mandating the shift.
- Trump issued a similar mandate in January.
State of play: Beyond the governor's desk, Louisiana also remains a lynchpin in Trump's immigration policy thanks to its large number of ICE detention facilities and their proximity to what's considered a friendly federal court of appeals.
- Most recently, ICE officials deported three children from New Orleans who are U.S. citizens. Go deeper.
What we're watching: Landry's friendship with Trump remains tight, as evidenced by the governor's March visit to the White House to announce a recent deal with Hyundai.
- It's anyone's guess how that'll continue to play out over the next 100 days, let alone the remainder of Trump's term.