President-elect Donald Trump is sounding very different than he did as the Republican presidential candidate.
He is already backing off of his campaign promise to repeal President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act.
James Taylor, a professor of politics at the University of San Francisco, believes Trump is easing up on the tough talk so he can assuage fears.
“It's the one thing he can promise now – to back everyone off, to say he's not nearly as outrageous as we think he is,” Taylor said.
The question now is whether Trump will continue to back pedal on divisive campaign rhetoric. Taylor believes it can go one of two ways.
“He reneges on the Affordable Health Care Act, but in order to shore up support, he goes after immigrants and goes after Muslims,” he predicted.
Or he continues to break more promises.
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“Read my lips: No new taxes,” Taylor said.
Like former President George Bush, Trump then runs the risk of facing a backlash from the GOP.
“The more and more he does this, the more support he loses from his base that trusts him,” Taylor explained. “And in unintentional ways, he might appeal to moderates and liberals.”
Some Bay Area voters aren't surprised trump is changing his tune.
“I think we all knew that he would be telling them what he needed to get the votes,” said Steven Rahman of San Francisco.
But people fear the Trump won’t be able to reverse the effects of his campaign vitriol.
“Unfortunately, even though the net result may be policies I agree with, his campaign has poisoned the way we talk to each other,” Rahman said.
