President Donald Trump’s campaign slogan has always been “Make America Great Again”, but just as his first term demonstrated, Trump as president leads to things America has never seen before. He began and ended his inauguration speech with the same sentiment, “The golden age of America begins right now.” The “golden age” that President Trump is selling America includes tariffs on foreign goods, expanding drilling, limiting DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) practices, and exporting undocumented immigrants. So, as President Donald Trump’s second term begins citizens are all left wondering what is in store for the next four years and what he believes is best for America. As of January 28, with Trump’s first week in office complete he has done a lot in a short amount of time.
DEI, Transgender Rights, and Civil Rights
President Trump firmly stated his opinion of the state of our country in his inaugural address. He implied that our nation is currently divided and losing our national pride, “National unity is now returning to America, and confidence and pride is soaring like never before.” So, he is bringing back this unity by eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts as well as altering LGBTQ rights. He did this by:
- Ordered executive branch departments and agencies to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion jobs and must cancel all DEI efforts in 60 days
- Published an executive order and OMB memo put all DEI officers on immediate leave
- Repealed many Biden acts regarding racial equity and LGBTQ rights, and has stated that the US will only recognize two genders
Immigration and U.S. Borders
In his inaugural address, Trump shared his view on the current state of our border, “…provides sanctuary and protection for dangerous criminals, many from prisons and mental institutions, that have illegally entered our country from all over the world.” So, in this past week he has started taking advancements to combat the issues he sees with immigration:
- Allowed U.S. military service members to act as immigration and border enforcement officers as part of Trump’s promised mass deportation program.
- Stopped refugee arrivals and has suspended the U.S. Refugee Admission Program.
- Directed the attorney general and others to deny federal money to “sanctuary” cities.
International Trade and the Economy
Trump affirmed that “we will be a rich nation again” in his inaugural address. In his path to making America a “rich nation,” he has been heavily emphasizing the use of tariffs. Some economic changes he has made so far include:
- Began the establishment of an “External Revenue Service” to collect tariffs, duties and other foreign trade-related income
- Began review of U.S. trade dealings with China to consider new or increased tariffs
- Suspended U.S. participation in the Global Tax Deal, an international agreement intended to set a minimum corporate tax globally
Climate and the Environment
President Trump has previously said he views climate change as a “hoax” and he heavily supports fossil fuel expansion. During his campaign he made many promises about cutting climate change efforts. He has fulfilled these promises by:
- Withdrew from the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement, which committed nations to pursue policies limiting carbon emissions that cause climate change
- Repealed multiple Biden orders and legislation regarding climate change
- Purged climate change information from government websites
However, this is only the tip of the iceberg. A president is typically in office for 1,461 days, and Trump has only been in office for a handful and he has already passed these items and many more. Americans are all left wondering what is truly in store for the next four years.