The Inside Story: The New Trump Administration | 180 TRANSCRIPT

Transcript:

The Inside Story: The New Trump Administration

Episode 180 – January 23, 2025

Show Open:

Unidentrified narrator:

This week connected The Inside Story

America’s 47^th president Donald Trump takes the oath of bureau successful Washington

See the enforcement actions Mr. Trump signed successful his archetypal fewer days backmost successful the White House

Now connected The Inside Story: The New
Rrump Administration.

The Inside Story:

CARLA BABB, VOA Correspondent:

Hello and invited to this week’s variation of The Inside Story. I’m Carla Babb.

For the 2nd clip ... Donald Trump is President of the United States.

A 21-gun salute announced the caller President to supporters who withstood the acold to stitchery connected the nationalist mall. Hundreds attended the ceremonial to invited the caller President wrong the Capitol Rotunda, wherever the inauguration was moved owed to the utmost weather.

Before the inauguration President Joe Biden met Trump arsenic helium returned to the White House with the words, invited home.

The 2 traveled unneurotic from the White House to the inauguration ceremonial astatine the Capitol.

And aft taking the oath of office, President Trump laid retired his imaginativeness for the adjacent 4 years.

President Donald Trump:

The aureate property of America begins close now. (Applause.)

From this time forward, our state volition flourish and beryllium respected again each implicit the world. We volition beryllium the envy of each nation, and we volition not let ourselves to beryllium taken vantage of immoderate longer. During each azygous time of the Trump administration, I will, precise simply, enactment America first.

My proudest bequest volition beryllium that of a peacemaker and unifier. That’s what I privation to be: a peacemaker and a unifier.

Many radical thought it was intolerable for maine to signifier specified a historical governmental comeback. But arsenic you spot today, present I am. The American radical person spoken.

In caller years, our federation has suffered greatly. But we are going to bring it backmost and marque it large again, greater than ever before.

CARLA BABB:

After his inauguration President Trump wasted nary clip going to work. Just hours aft the ceremony, the President signed a bid of enforcement actions designed to beforehand his America First agenda.

VOA’s Anita Powell has more.

ANITA POWELL, VOA Correspondent:

On this historical archetypal time of his 2nd word successful office,

President Donald Trump laid retired his imaginativeness for a bolder – and larger – United States.

President Donald Trump:

The United States volition erstwhile again see itself a increasing nation, 1 that increases our wealth, expands our territory, builds our cities, raises our expectations, and carries our emblem into caller and beauteous horizons. And we volition prosecute our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to works the Stars and Stripes connected the satellite Mars.

ANITA POWELL:

Then helium got to enactment signing a stack of enforcement orders. He said they see a declaration of a nationalist exigency astatine the confederate borderline that would let the deployment of troops and a nationalist vigor exigency that volition let much home extraction. He besides declared that determination are lone 2 genders, and said helium would bid that the Gulf of Mexico beryllium renamed the Gulf of America.

Historians accidental that Trump made past by utilizing what is historically a unifying code to represent a aboriginal that galore Americans whitethorn disagree with.

Jeremi Suri, University of Texas astatine Austin:

It was little an inaugural code and much a State of the Union. He conscionable listed a bid of slug points of projects helium wanted to undertake, from deporting immigrants to seizing backmost the Panama Canal.

ANITA POWELL:

Thousands of Trump supporters came to Washington from crossed the state due to the fact that they accidental his policies talk to them.

Melanie Voll, Cleveland Resident:

Common sense, the bringing backmost of communal consciousness retired loud. So galore radical successful my presumption consciousness we are the soundless majority, and I deliberation this is going to springiness america the accidental to talk retired loud, and to beryllium unafraid to talk the information and to talk communal sense.

ANITA POWELL:

Shortly aft his inaugural, Trump spoke to a smaller radical of supporters astatine the Capitol and reiterated claims that the 2020 predetermination was “totally rigged” – a assertion without proof.

He besides alluded to his plans to pardon immoderate of those convicted implicit the convulsive events of January 6, 2021, erstwhile a mob of Trump supporters attempted to disrupt the certification of the predetermination won by Joe Biden.

President Donald Trump:

I deliberation this was a amended code than the 1 I made upstairs, OK? I deliberation this is better, JD. I deliberation this is overmuch better.

ANITA POWELL:

Some of Trump’s almighty supporters expressed their joy.

Elon Musk, Tesla/SpaceX CEO:

This, this is what triumph feels like. Yeah!

ANITA POWELL:

CEO Elon Musk was among the billionaires successful the Capitol Rotunda for the ceremony. Consumer advocacy groups are sounding alarms astir immoderate of the caller president’s quieter moves, that question to loosen regulations and, they say, payment these elite few.

Lisa Gilbert, Public Citizen:

When we deliberation astir wherefore the incoming Trump medication wants to frost regulations and halt nationalist protections wholesale, it is astatine the behest of the wealthiest among us, firm peculiar interests. They are who benefits erstwhile we don't person guardrails connected the books.

ANITA POWELL:

Historians and analysts accidental it’s not wide however galore of Trump’s time 1 actions — which his officials accidental fig much than 100 — volition alert erstwhile challenged legally. For that answer, they say, look to tomorrow.

Anita Powell, VOA News, the White House.

CARLA BABB:

I americium joined present by VOA China exertion Elizabeth Lee and VOA legislature analogous Katherine Gipson, to sermon what's happened truthful acold successful the archetypal engaged days of the 2nd Trump presidency. Welcome ladies, truthful let's enactment up President Trump's furniture picks connected the screen.

let's enactment up President Trump's cabinet. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, was the archetypal Cabinet subordinate to beryllium confirmed, connected Inauguration Day. Katherine what led to specified a speedy confirmation?

KATHERINE GYPSON, VOA Congressional Correspondent:

Yeah, right. I mean, determination were a mates of antithetic factors that went into that. Part of it is that Rubio is good respected connected some sides of the aisle. He was a subordinate of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for a decade, good known there, good respected for his quality to enactment connected issues successful Latin America. There wasn't a batch of absorption to his nomination.

Second Secretary of State is simply a precise important furniture position, and we cognize that President Trump is going to deed a batch of overseas argumentation challenges close retired of the gross successful a 2nd term, Ukraine, the Gaza cease fire, tariffs, each of those issues. It truly helps to person the Secretary of State successful spot truthful that helium tin beryllium successful determination and truly commencement filling immoderate of those little positions that are truthful important successful implementing medication policy. So conscionable 1 of those things that you person to get going close disconnected the bat, not to notation the facing menace for the military, which is China.

CARLA BABB:

Rubio is considered precise hawkish connected China. Elizabeth, however is helium hoping to signifier the argumentation to antagonistic China?

ELIZABETH LEE, VOA Correspondent:

To recognize what he's going to do, we request to recognize however helium defines China. And during his confirmation hearings, helium defined China as, I quote, the astir potent and unsafe adversary the US has ever faced. And helium said the US and China person been competing successful antithetic realms, and that includes technology, science, geopolitics, conscionable to sanction a few. And truthful helium says, really, the US needs to look astatine its home argumentation by rebuilding home manufacture and not trust connected immoderate 1 fixed state erstwhile it comes to our captious minerals. And truthful these are each important factors. And helium says, if these things don't happen, past successful little than 10 years, however Americans unrecorded and what's important to america could each beryllium controlled by China. And helium utilized immoderate examples, including whether it's the movies that we watched oregon the medicines that we request could beryllium controlled by China, and however what they decide.

CARLA BABB:

And earlier we permission those Cabinet picks, I screen the Pentagon, truthful I would beryllium remiss if I did not cognize that Trump's prime for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, did not sail done with beardown bipartisan support, the bipartisan enactment that you usually spot for a Secretary of Defense pick.

Katherine, you and I watched that proceeding unneurotic beardown opposing opinions connected some sides, archer maine more.

KATHERINE GYPSON

That's right. So obviously, Hegseth is 1 of the much arguable picks from Trump this clip astir and that truly concerns immoderate Senate Democrats who are disquieted that helium not conscionable isolated from that, doesn't person the acquisition to tally a monolithic section similar the Department of Defense, arsenic you good know, that's billions of dollars, 1000s of personnel, a precise analyzable occupation for idiosyncratic who, Quite frankly, didn't person a batch of acquisition successful presumption of moving things going into this. So determination was a batch of backmost and forth.

CARLA BABB:

Absolutely yes. So let's speech astir Trump's pardons for the January 6 protesters. It came arsenic nary astonishment that helium pardoned the protesters, but what was truthful astonishing was that helium pardoned each of the protesters, including immoderate of those convicted for assaulting constabulary officers and JD Vance, his vice president, had conscionable said, hours earlier the inauguration, that, obviously, I deliberation that was the connection helium used. He said, obviously, if you were convulsive against constabulary officers, you would not beryllium pardoned. So explicate this.

You cognize what's happening connected Capitol Hill? How are radical responding?

KATHERINE GYPSON

Right? Well, evidently this is thing that hits hard up connected Capitol Hill for galore lawmakers who were determination connected January 6, 2021 you heard contiguous absorption from Democratic leadership, Hakeem, Jeffries, erstwhile speaker, Nancy Pelosi, who were successful information connected that day, powerfully condemning the actions of Trump. And you really heard from immoderate Senate Republicans arsenic good who are acrophobic astir the precedent that this set. So not a large mode to commencement retired with Capitol Hill.

CARLA BABB:

Well, present are immoderate of Trump's different enforcement orders. He removed the US from the World Health Organization. He suspends US overseas assistance programs for 90 days pending a reappraisal of whether they align with the America archetypal agenda.

Now instrumentality a look astatine this. This is the tallest upland successful North America. President Barack Obama, 10 years ago, changed the sanction from Mount McKinley aft US President William McKinley to Denali, which was what Native Alaskans had called it for hundreds of years, but present it's Denali nary longer. Trump has renamed it Mount McKinley again. And I indispensable say, I person seen that upland successful person, and it is majestic and incredible. Whatever it is named volition not alteration that.

One much sanction alteration of note, I should say, President Trump signed an enforcement bid renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, and speaking of Mexico, Trump has said helium wants to deed Mexico hard with tariffs. Also Canada. Explain this?

KATHERINE GYPSON

Well, I deliberation 1 of the striking things was that if you perceive to Trump's inaugural code successful the US Capitol Rotunda, batch of large applause lines from the Republican lawmakers who are successful determination listening to him, the tariffs enactment did not get arsenic large of an applause line, due to the fact that Republican lawmakers are acrophobic astir the economical interaction that these tariffs could person connected the US.

So helium wants to enactment levy 10% tariffs connected Canada and Mexico, China, and that's concerning a batch of Republicans. They're going to really see, you're going to spot immoderate pushback connected Capitol Hill, connected that, and that differs from a batch of the different issues, wherever you truly person a agreed Republican leadership. It's going to beryllium absorbing to spot however they propulsion backmost against Trump erstwhile they cognize helium delivered them into office. He gave them that unified Republican power of Congress. So it mightiness beryllium a small little testy up connected Capitol Hill successful the coming months.

CARLA BABB:

You mentioned those tariffs connected China that was repeated during the race, the statesmanlike race, up until the election, arsenic overmuch arsenic 60% tariffs astatine 1 point.

What is helium saying astir these tariffs now?

ELIZABETH LEE:

Yes, connected the run trail, helium mentioned helium could slap arsenic overmuch arsenic 60% tariff connected China, but helium did not truthful far. And the latest is helium is, arsenic Catherine said, threatening 10% tariff connected China. And the reasoning down this is, he's saying due to the fact that China is sending, sending fentanyl to Canada and Mexico, and that's besides the crushed wherefore he's threatening tariffs connected Mexico and Canada, arsenic good arsenic this fentanyl issue.

And truthful it's absorbing to spot immoderate analysts are saying that this could beryllium conscionable a bargaining spot for immoderate of the different issues that Trump is going to instrumentality up, specified arsenic Tiktok, and I'm definite we'll speech astir that later, and besides connected the archetypal time successful office, connected January 20, Trump issued a memo to respective agencies, and helium wants these agencies to reappraisal our commercialized policies,

So erstwhile helium has much information, according to him, helium tin marque amended decisions connected what to bash with tariffs arsenic it relates to different countries

CARLA BABB:

So let's speech astir Tiktok. A Tiktok prohibition was expected to spell into effect days agone unless Tiktok, Chinese proprietor Bytedance, sold it to a US company. So that prohibition has present been delayed 75 days to springiness much clip for US institution to bargain it. I'm needing a small much connected this, due to the fact that the app was deemed a information hazard by President Trump himself successful 2020 I don't adjacent person Tiktok connected my telephone due to the fact that officials astatine the Pentagon person been saying for years that this is simply a information risk. You bash not privation the Chinese to person your nationalist information.

So what's changed? Why is helium present trying to prevention this media platform.

ELIZABETH LEE:

So the interest successful 2020, it's inactive the interest now, is simply a nationalist information risk, and the crushed is due to the fact that the genitor institution of Tiktok, bytedance, is simply a Chinese company. It's based successful China, and truthful the interest is that Tiktok is capable to seizure ample amounts of idiosyncratic information. And Bytedance, due to the fact that it's a Chinese company, tin assistance the Government the Chinese Communist Party, if asked, and whether it's successful quality enactment oregon accusation collecting, and that's the crushed wherefore this prohibition was enactment successful place.

Now, Trump was asked by a newsman wherefore he's benignant of changed his tactics connected Tiktok. And helium said, Well, he's had a accidental to usage Tiktok, and that's wherefore helium changed his mind. He got to usage it, and helium besides attributed a ample portion of the younker ballot during the full process, you know, to get him elected connected Tiktok. He and truthful helium has a antithetic presumption connected Tiktok, but helium did accidental he's moving connected a mode to prevention Tiktok and to support nationalist information astatine the aforesaid time.

CARLA BABB:

Well, the subject has been concerned, saying that Chinese policy, nary substance whether oregon not it's a institution oregon a subject aspect, they're each unneurotic collectively, portion of the military's advance. They've been saying for years that immoderate Chinese companies do, the Chinese subject tin entree that, and that has been the interest with young people's data. What are they saying connected Capitol Hill astir this?

KATHERINE GYPSON:

Right? I mean, what's striking is, is that you saw a displacement from Democratic and Republican lawmakers arsenic well, successful summation to President Trump, successful the past fewer hours, erstwhile we were reasoning that Tiktok would beryllium unopen down present successful the United States, they were calling for an hold to re measure things, to spot if Tiktok could beryllium moved to an partial American ownership, oregon immoderate benignant of different ownership.

I deliberation there's, it's a truly absorbing displacement among lawmakers, since I covered that classified briefing that they each went into a twelvemonth oregon truthful ago, and they each came back, came retired of that classified briefing, truly shook up and said, “you know, oh, yeah, present that I've seen the accusation astir what this app is susceptible of it should perfectly beryllium banned successful the United States”, and present there's this gradual knowing that we request to fig retired different way. So truly absorbing to spot those changes.

CARLA BABB:

Very interesting. Thank you truthful overmuch to some of you for your fantabulous reporting.

CARLA BABB:

President Trump campaigned connected a committedness to impulse the United States Congress to walk authorities banning alleged “sanctuary cities.” These jurisdictions bounds practice with national migration authorities. And immoderate section officials vowed to combat the caller administration. VOA migration analogous Aline Barros has more.

ALINE BARROS, VOA Immigration Correspondemt:

President-elect Donald Trump made run promises to get pugnacious connected immigration. He pledged to chopped national backing from alleged “sanctuary cities” — section governments that bounds their practice with national migration authorities.

Donald Trump, Republican Presidential Nominee:

As soon arsenic I instrumentality office, we volition instantly surge national instrumentality enforcement to each metropolis that is failing, which is simply a batch of them, to crook implicit transgression aliens. And we volition hunt down, seizure each azygous pack member, cause dealer, rapist, murderer and migrant transgression that is being illegally harbored.

ALINE BARROS

Sanctuary cities see New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles ... and Takoma Park, Maryland, connected the borderline with Washington. Talisha Searcy is Mayor.

Talisha Searcy, Mayor of Takoma Park, Maryland:

Our constabulary section inactive enforces crime. That's important to note. So, if determination are issues of transgression successful our community, careless of someone's migration status, we enforce.

ALINE BARROS:

Searcy says Takoma Park has been a sanctuary metropolis since 1985.

Talisha Searcy, Mayor of Takoma Park, Maryland:

Our unit are not allowed to enforce migration laws successful the metropolis of Takoma Park. Our unit are prohibited from inquiring astir citizenship oregon migration presumption to enactment successful metropolis programming oregon person metropolis benefits.

ALINE BARROS:

The politician says it helps support communities harmless due to the fact that immigrants are not acrophobic to study crimes to authorities.

Trump issued an enforcement bid during his archetypal medication to extremity the sanctuary movement.

But the bid was ruled unconstitutional due to the fact that the national authorities does not power authorities and section instrumentality enforcement.

States including Florida person passed laws requiring practice with national migration authorities.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida Republican:

We're not a sanctuary state. We banned sanctuary cities, but you've got to person effectual accountability to clasp those folks accountable if they take to spell successful a antithetic direction.

ALINE BARROS:

DeSantis says helium aims to assistance Trump with his projected crackdown.

Mayor Searcy says Takoma Park is prepared for imaginable conflicts with the incoming administration.

Talisha Searcy, Mayor of Takoma Park, Maryland:

We program to clasp our ideals and clasp our policies and clasp our codification arsenic the instrumentality of the onshore for the metropolis of Takoma Park.

ALINE BARROS:

As President-elect Trump promises pugnacious migration policies, migration advocates successful sanctuary cities vow to combat the caller administration.

Aline Barros, VOA News, Washington.

CARLA BABB:

Joining maine present is VOA Immigration Correspondent Aline Barros.

Let's speech astir those sanctions. Alini, what intent bash they serve? Can they realistically equine a combat against the national government?

ALINE BARROS:

Well, 1 happening that is important to cognize is that sanctuary is not truly portion of immoderate law, right? It's conscionable the locality, the metropolis oregon the municipality that gets unneurotic and say, Hey, we're conscionable not going to assistance crystal picking up radical successful our city, successful our town, successful our state. So it's not similar crystal officials, migration officials cannot travel successful and apprehension radical if they person to.

It's conscionable that that locality, that city, is not going to get their constabulary officers and say, Here's crystal constabulary officers volition assistance you.

So with Trump, what helium wants is helium wants to penalize helium wants to spell aft these locations and says, Okay, well, if your guys are not going to assistance us, past there's not going to beryllium national funding.

I spoke with the Takoma Park City mayor, and she said that they volition basal and they volition combat for what they judge and however their assemblage volition travel unneurotic and support those sanctuary metropolis laws that they have, but we bash expect immoderate warring astatine the tribunal level.

CARLA BABB:

So Alini At slightest 8 of President Trump's enforcement bid truthful acold are related to the border. He mentioned the borderline implicit and implicit connected the camping trail. What stands retired to you successful these enforcement orders?

ALINE BARROS:

So we've got this taxable ongoing astir borderline security. Border Security, helium wants to physique borderline walls, which is we should speech astir the information that we bash person fences and barriers on the border, the US Mexico border. It's conscionable that helium wants to support connected building. So he's pushing for building, you know, much carnal barriers, whether it's a large partition oregon different fence. He wants much of those. He besides wants the subject astatine the border. He wants the National Guard astatine the border. He wants those agencies, those apartments, to enactment unneurotic with Homeland Security. We don't cognize precisely what the subject volition do. We don't cognize if it's going to beryllium the aforesaid happening that they've done successful the past. If they're going to assistance with infrastructure, they're not expected, oregon we don't cognize yet, allowed to, you know, arrest.

CARLA BABB:

And helium does besides privation to nonstop america troops to the border?

ALINE BARROS:

He has said that the Secretary of Defense, I'm speechmaking the bid here, shall bid arsenic galore units oregon members of the equipped forces, including the Ready Reserve and the National Guard, arsenic the Secretary of Defense determines to beryllium due to enactment the activities of the Secretary of Homeland Security successful controlling the confederate border.

CARLA BABB:

What bash you expect? When is this going to rotation out? Tell america a small spot much item connected this.

ALINE BARROS:

So close present we person the enforcement orders, and we person clip for implementation. So we besides person to hold for the DHS Secretary to beryllium officially nominated, nominated, but approved by Congress. So helium wrote the orders, helium announced the orders. But we request to hold for but they're not going to hap for the section precisely for the imperishable

CARLA BABB:

I privation to speech astir commencement close citizenship. That's precise important to our audience. Tell america astir the changes happening with that.

ALINE BARROS:

So the implementation is expected to hap successful 30 days. Right now, there's astir 4 cases already filed. So determination are 4 antithetic organizations and groups of radical who person already sued the Trump administration.

One is really filed contiguous by Casa de Maryland and a fewer women who are large and astir to springiness commencement successful March, which is erstwhile this bid is expected to instrumentality place. So arsenic of now, if you're not successful the state legally, your kid does not person a 2nd citizenship arsenic of March. So if you springiness commencement successful March, arsenic of March, your child, if you're not lawfully here, if you don't person a imperishable status, you whitethorn person a visa, you whitethorn person a visitor's visa, you whitethorn person TPS, you whitethorn person a pupil visa. You person a kid successful March. That kid is not a US citizen. However, we truly person to spot what's going to hap successful the adjacent fewer weeks, due to the fact that this bid mightiness not adjacent beryllium capable to beryllium implemented successful March.

CARLA BABB:

Wow, large changes. Alina Burris, convey you truthful overmuch for keeping america informed astir these ongoing changes. Thank you.

CARLA BABB:

In a span of astir six hours, movers emptied the White House of the idiosyncratic belongings of outgoing-President Joe Biden and his family. At the aforesaid time, the backstage residence was remade into a location for the recently sworn-in President Trump. VOA’s Dora Mekour reports.

DORA MEKOUAR, VOA Correspondent:

The infinitesimal Joe Biden leaves the Oval Office for the past time, the White House unit jumps into action. Rearranging the iconic bureau to the incoming president's tastes.

Angella Reid, Former White House Chief Usher:

How they similar the Oval Office to beryllium outfitted. What rug? What, you know, what drapes, what desk, etcetera due to the fact that that's the benignant of the Oval Office is the archetypal country to beryllium benignant of prepared.

DORA MEKOUAR:

Photos amusement that Biden changed the rug and immoderate chairs aft taking implicit from Donald Trump – who preceded him and volition besides win him.

But it looks similar the couches and curtains remained the same.

The president's household lives connected the 2nd and 3rd floors of the White House.

Before moving day, the incoming president and archetypal woman take what furnishings and creation they privation from the White House collection. By the clip the caller president arrives location connected Inauguration Day, the furnishings is successful spot and idiosyncratic household photos are connected the walls.

Kate Andersen Brower, Author of 'The Residence':

When the caller president and archetypal woman determination in, they person their favourite shampoo successful the shower. They person their toothbrush, toothpaste connected the counter, they person their apparel hung up successful the closet.

DORA MEKOUAR:

It each happens successful nether six hours with astir 1 100 White House staffers pitching in.

Kate Andersen Brower, Author of 'The Residence':

You don't person nonrecreational movers doing this. You person the residence unit doing it, truthful you person everybody pitching successful and these are not radical that are trained arsenic movers. They don't prosecute professionals due to the fact that of information concerns.

DORA MEKOUAR:

Many of the White House residence unit worked for Donald Trump during his archetypal word from January 2017 until January 2021.

Kate Andersen Brower, Author of 'The Residence':

So the unit truly did similar Donald Trump due to the fact that he's utilized to having radical astir him serving him. And, you know, helium would spell astir tipping unit successful cash, you know, handing retired 20s and 50s and they admit that. They are not political. They conscionable attraction astir however the president treats them.

DORA MEKOUAR:

President Barack Obama hired Angella Reid to beryllium the White House's Chief Usher successful 2011. She oversaw moving time successful January 2017 erstwhile the Obamas moved retired and the Trumps moved in.

Angella Reid, Former White House Chief Usher:

We person utilized the word 'organized chaos,' but it truly is simply a precise coordinated operation. It's been rehearsed, you know, truthful galore times that connected that day, everyone is conscionable chomping astatine the bits for spell time.

DORA MEKOUAR

But the main situation is ever the clip constraint. And having conscionable astir six hours to get everything acceptable to invited the caller statesmanlike household location to the White House for the archetypal time.

Dora Mekouar, VOA News, Washington.

CARLA BABB:

That’s each for this variation of The Inside Story I’m Carla Babb successful Washington.

Stay with VOAnews.com for the latest connected the events impacting your satellite and articulation america adjacent week for much Inside Story.

Thanks for watching.

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