He’s back with a bang! Just like his running for the Presidency surprised many, his inaugural speech equally left many spellbound. Donald Trump, the 47th President of the United States of America sent a very clear message to the world that he means business. In less than 24 hours, Trump unleashed a wave of executive actions, some that will be implemented immediately, some that will be challenged in court and some whose potential impacts are more vague. Trump wasted no time announcing steps to implement many of his campaign pledges, including on immigration, energy, the military and federal workforce, casting many as reversing the policies of his predecessor, former President Joe Biden.
In his inaugural address, Trump said, “We will immediately restore the integrity, competency and loyalty of America’s government. With these actions, we will begin the complete restoration of America, and the revolution of common sense.” Trump began with rescinding 78 Biden-era orders — including those related to diversity, immigration and climate — and withdrawing the US again from the Paris Agreement.
On a first, Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border by deploying armed forces, including the National Guard, to “engage in border security.” He said, “I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country.” Trump also wants the completion of a wall on the US-Mexico border, an effort begun in his first term.
The new president signed an order seeking to end automatic birth right citizenship for children of people not in the country legally, as well as those in legally but only temporarily, such as tourists, students, and those on work visas. “We’re the only country in the world that does this with birth right, as you know, and it’s just absolutely ridiculous,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “We think we have very good grounds” for the change, he said. 22 states have already sued Trump for the same.
He temporarily halted a ban on TikTok in the US, granting the company and its Chinese parent Byte Dance Ltd. more time to reach a deal for the popular app that would resolve long-standing US national security concerns. The move gives the video-sharing platform a 75-day reprieve. He called on the federal agencies to study tariff policies and the US trade relationship with China, Canada and Mexico, according to incoming officials. “I will immediately begin the overhaul of our trade system to protect American workers and families,” he said. While planning to enact tariffs of as much as 25% on Mexico and Canada by February 1. He will establish an External Revenue Service to collect tariffs, adding “it will be massive amounts of money pouring into our Treasury coming from foreign sources.” Trump said, “Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens.”
Trump directed departments and agencies “to deliver emergency price relief,” including the cost and supply of housing, lowering health care expenses and eliminate climate policies that drive up energy prices.
He signed an order for full pardon of about 1,500 people for their role in the siege of the US Capitol. It also commuted the sentences of 14 people. “We won, but now the work begins, we have to bring them home,” he said.
Trump moved to designate the gangs MS-13 and Tren de Aragua as foreign terrorist organizations, as well as Mexican cartels responsible for smuggling drugs across the border. He’ll use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport members.
Trump plans to open up more areas to oil and gas exploration, including offshore and in Alaska. “We will drill, baby, drill,” he said in his speech. Trump also said he plans to refill the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve “right to the top” and “export American energy, all over the world.” Trump signed an order to eliminate what he’s called the “electric vehicle mandate” in part by terminating subsidies for the vehicles and terminating state emissions waivers “that function to limit sales of gasoline-powered automobiles.”
In yet another harsh order, Trump said it will become “the official policy” of the US that there are only sexes, male and female, requiring agencies to give force to the definitions and terms in the order when applying statutes and regulations. The White House called the move “biological reality” and will “protect women from radical gender ideology.” The order mandates that agencies will use the term sex, not gender, and would have the secretaries of State, Homeland Security and other agencies ensure that official documents, including passports and visas, reflect sex accurately.
As promised on the campaign trail, Trump signed an order to stop diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the federal government instituted under Biden. “I will also end the government policy of trying to socially engineer, race and gender into every aspect of public and private life,” he said.
Trump also ordered all department and agency chiefs in executive department to eliminate work-from-home options and return employees to in-person work “as soon as practicable.” The White House earlier in the day said only 6% of government employees “work in person.” The administration will freeze hiring for federal employees, except for the military or those related to immigration enforcement and national security. The White House said earlier in the day it intended to “end the onslaught of useless and overpaid DEI activists buried into the federal workforce.”
On signing orders spree, Trump seems to not waste time and accomplish tasks left unfulfilled in his previous term. With some of the stringent orders taken in just one day, it is to be seen how well they are executed, for the changes he plans to Make America Great Again will be an uphill task.
