On the very day that President Donald J. Trump took office, he signed more than 20 executive orders and actions on Inauguration Day, more than any previous U.S. president. In the days that followed, he enacted more executive orders and rescinded 78 orders issued by President Joe Biden, according to a USA Today article from Jan. 24. And within weeks, the Trump administration was threatening China, Mexico and Canada with tariffs that have investors, economists and lawmakers nervous, according to Feb. 3 coverage from the Wall Street Journal. The ensuing flurry of action promises to fundamentally change many aspects of American lives, including immigration, border security, climate change, prescription medications, hiring practices, government staffing, education and more.
The actual day of Trump’s inauguration began quietly; he was sworn in on Jan. 20, beginning his second non-consecutive presidential term. The inaugural ceremony occurred in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol building, and the inaugural parade took place in Capitol Arena. The ceremony consisted of the swearing-in of the president and vice president in their new roles. It also featured performances by country star Carrie Underwood, opera singer Christopher Macchio and other artists, according to a CBS news article from Jan. 21.
But within hours, Trump’s pen launched into action. Some of the major executive orders that Trump issued for his second round as president included pulling out of the World Health Organization; pulling out of the Paris Climate Treaty; extending the TikTok ban deadline for 75 days; and pardoning and commuting the sentences of roughly 1,500 rioters involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Trump has stated numerous times that many of these rioters were treated unfairly and there was weaponization of the justice department. However, Trump did not differ between violent and non-violent rioters, which included former leaders of the right-nationalist groups, the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers.
As of Jan. 24, Trump has issued six immigration-related executive orders, three energy and environment-related executive orders, 14 governmental changes, one economy-related executive order and four crime-related executive orders, according to a USA Today article and chart from Jan. 24. He has also hinted at the removal of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In his order, Trump aimed to fulfill many of the promises he made on the campaign trail.
One major change is the creation of a temporary organization named the Department of Government Efficiency and the appointment of Elon Musk as its leader. This office, which is not a formal federal executive department, was originally pitched by Trump and Musk with the idea of cutting the spending of the United States government, but according to the executive order that established it, its formal purpose is to “modernize federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity”. This has already become extremely controversial. Many government employee unions, watchdog groups and public interest organizations have sued over this executive order being “unbalanced.” Trump attempted to freeze all federal spending with some exceptions and encouraged federal government workers to resign. Though eventually federal funding resumed.
In addition, Elon Musk and his team now have access to the Treasury department and they have gained access to sensitive Treasury data including Social Security and Medicare customer payment systems. This is very significant because now DOGE, which is a department tasked to lower government spending, has crucial information about taxpayer data and other things, according to an Associated Press article from Feb. 1. This has been very controversial since Elon Musk does not have any major government and people have doubted trust in Musk’s beliefs and ideologies.
However, this was not the only concern with Musk. At an event after Trump’s inauguration, Musk twice threw up a controversial hand gesture that critics have argued is similar to the Nazi salute popularized by Adolf Hitler. Many, including some Jewish supporters of Trump, have been quick to denounce Musk online, while others have defended the action by calling it unintentional, with some groups like the Anti-Defamation League referring to the salute as “an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute,” according to the New York Times.
Trump has also made major efforts to deport illegal immigrants in the United States, specifically people who pose a danger to public safety and national security. Illegal immigrants have been boarding military planes to their origin countries.
Major attention is now brought to the conflict between Colombia and the United States. The conflict started when Colombia refused to accept illegal immigrants who were being deported back to the country, according to a Reuters article from Jan. 26. As a result, the United States threatened to impose 25 percent tariffs on Columbia. Colombian President Gustavo Petro threatened to impose 25 percent tariffs back on the U.S. in response. The U.S. and Colombia put a hold on the trade war after Columbia had agreed to accept the military aircraft carrying deported migrants back to Columbia, Reuters reported.
Trump imposed tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China and had stated that he would release the tariffs if Canada and Mexico put more of an effort in stopping illegal immigration and fentanyl crossings through the border. As of Feb. 3, Trump has put a pause on the tariffs on Canada and Mexico after they pledged to boost border enforcement. Though Trump also ordered a 10 percent tariff on China that is set to go into effect, though it appears that as of Feb. 3, Trump and Xi Jinping will speak in the next few days, according to an Associated Press article from Feb. 3.
Trump has also made drastic changes in the U.S. government and without notifying Congress before, he fired at least a dozen inspector generals whose job it is to oversee executive agencies to ensure that there are checks in power, according to a CBS news article from Jan. 27. He also has fired many people in the Department of Justice (DOJ) who were involved in prosecuting Trump, according to an NBC news article from Jan. 27.
Photo credit: “President Donald J. Trump” by Daniel Torok is licensed under CC BY 3.0 US
