COEUR d’ALENE — U.S. Rep. Russ Fulcher said President Donald Trump’s second term marks a “reset” for the country, amid talk of tariffs, economic uncertainty and efforts to root out inefficiencies in government.

“From a Republican standpoint, it’s night and day,” he told The Press in a sit-down interview Wednesday, referring to the atmosphere in Washington, D.C. “It is generally very, very optimistic.” 

Fulcher expressed support for billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, which the Trump administration said is targeting waste in the federal government. 

“Those agencies are being forced to be held accountable and they don’t like it,” Fulcher said. “But I’m telling you I think it’s a godsend, because there is a lot of inefficiency and there is a lot of fraud. If nothing else, the systems are archaic.” 

Though constituents have expressed concern about possible cuts to Social Security and Medicaid benefits, Fulcher said he doesn’t think those fears are well-founded. 

“I would expect changes to Medicaid in the sense of work requirements and eligibility,” he said. “Frankly, if we’re not doing that, we’re not being wise stewards of taxpayer money. I don’t expect benefits to be cut. It’s the same with Social Security.” 

Others have cited worries about DOGE employees accessing Social Security systems that contain personal data on millions of Americans. Fulcher said he believes the bigger issue is that the DOGE team’s ability to access sensitive data revealed cybersecurity weaknesses. 

“The president authorized it, good, bad or indifferent,” he said. “But in the process, we learned just how bad the firewalls were. At this point, we’re obligated to not only get access to (the data) but to fund the systems that can prevent anyone from getting access to it.” 

The Trump administration’s tariffs are among the most challenging matters for lawmakers to address, Fulcher said. 

“I don’t know if there really is a solid plan,” he said. “That’s not a criticism. But it is creating some uncertainty. I have talked to the president, and I think I know what he’s looking at. It’s a valid vantage point, somewhere in the neighborhood of $7 trillion in foreign investment committed to the U.S.” 

From the Trump administration’s perspective, it’s a “huge win,” Fulcher said. But tariffs are putting pressure on Idaho businesses. 

Fulcher said it’s likely that trade deals will be hammered out with most countries, save one. 

“I am not optimistic about a deal with China,” he said. “There are too many factors where they’re adversarial — currency, military, culture. They want to be the big dog on the planet.” 

Under the Trump administration, Fulcher said access to constituent services has improved. He also praised Trump’s stance on border security and immigration enforcement. 

Fulcher acknowledged the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man with protected legal status who the Trump administration mistakenly deported in February to an El Salvador prison. 

The U.S. Supreme Court has ordered the Trump administration to facilitate Abrego Garcia's return to the U.S., where he had lived for about 14 years. In 2019, police accused him of being an MS-13 gang member, though he denied the allegation and was never charged with a crime, according to his attorneys.

In a court filing, the Trump administration said ICE “was aware of his protection from removal to El Salvador” but still deported Abrego Garcia “because of an administrative error.” 

“Constitutionally, you have access to due process if you’re here, and that’s how it should work,” Fulcher said. “But that’s up until a potential deportation hearing. That’s how it’s supposed to work. I can’t tell you that’s exactly how it’s working.”