Donald Trump's Executive Orders: A Day of Controversial Decisions on His Second Inauguration
As anticipated, immediately following his inauguration as President of the United States, Donald Trump signed a flurry of executive orders, enacting significant policy changes with immediate effect. These orders touched on a range of contentious subjects, including immigration, social media regulation, climate change, and criminal justice, all reflecting Trump's distinctive approach to governance.
On his first day, Trump signed approximately 50 executive orders—far more than any previous president on their inaugural day—prompted by his earlier announcement of a nearly hundred anticipated actions. Notably, he revoked around 80 executive orders issued by his predecessor, Joe Biden, signaling a swift and decisive break from the policies of the previous administration. Furthermore, many more executive orders are expected to follow in the coming days.
Immigration was a central theme in these executive orders. Trump declared a state of emergency at the southern border with Mexico, which has been a longstanding issue in his political agenda, and announced the suspension of the asylum application process for migrants arriving at the border—a move that is sure to reignite debates over immigration policies.
In a significant turn of events, Trump issued a directive to delay the much-discussed TikTok ban, which mandated that the Chinese company ByteDance sell its American operations to a non-Chinese entity. This order came after a brief period in which the app was inaccessible in the United States, only to be reinstated once Trump assured that the ban would be postponed.
Another controversial executive order declared a binary view of gender, stating that there are only two genders—male and female. This action is part of a broader narrative pushed by far-right groups in the West, positioning the administration against what they refer to as 'gender ideology'.
In a continuation of his first term's policy, Trump announced the withdrawal of the United States from the Paris climate accords—a decision that aligns with his previous stance back in 2017 before Biden's reinstatement of the agreement in early 2021. Additionally, he ordered withdrawal from the World Health Organization, a move he had initiated during his first term, reversing Biden's approach towards international cooperation in health issues.
In a surprising twist, Trump ordered a name change for popular geographic landmarks, including renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and Mount Denali in Alaska back to its previous name, Mount McKinley.
Perhaps the most contentious of Trump's first-day actions was the mass pardoning of around 1500 individuals involved in the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. This unprecedented move, which pardoned nearly all of those charged in the violent upheaval except for 14 individuals who received sentence reductions, underscores the continuing divides surrounding the events of that day and highlights Trump's enduring influence among his supporters.
In summary, Trump's initial executive actions underscore a swift and unapologetic return to the policies he championed during his first term, setting the stage for what is likely to be a highly contentious administration marked by intense political divisions.
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