While this may not be the first Trump presidency we have seen, and if he has it his way, it will not be the last, 2017 has paled in comparison to 2025. Trump has nothing to lose; he can be as radical as he wants because the last few years have proven so. He was impeached twice, found guilty of 34 felony counts, and told us all exactly what his plan was. However, it wasn’t enough to convince US voters to not reelect him. Just two months later, however, Trump voters expressed regret following the president’s actions.
The official White House website states the following: “President Trump is committed to lowering costs for all Americans, securing our borders, unleashing American energy dominance, restoring peace through strength, and making all Americans safe and secure once again.”
So let’s take a look at some of Trump’s actions during his first few months as president to see if he is actually keeping his word or if it was all a marketing strategy. Before we begin, we need to note the difference between an executive order and a proclamation. An executive order is a legally binding mandate from the president to federal agencies under the executive branch, advising them on how to interpret and enforce federal law, while a proclamation is kind of ceremonious and doesn’t carry power, legally speaking.
Originally, I wanted to write about Trump’s first month, but then I realized it was best to highlight how citizens were already being affected since the president’s first day in office.
January 20th, 2025: the first day of what is sure to be a long four years. Trump signed 50 documents on his first day: 49 proclamations and one executive order. One of the proclamations was shortening sentences for 14 of the individuals connected to the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and granting pardon to the rest arrested at the event or near it. This action alone could be considered alarming by those who oppose this administration, since forgiving those who tried to interrupt a democratic process would be an attack on democracy itself. Granting freedom to individuals who, if they were minorities, would most likely be considered domestic terrorists is going directly against one of his commitments to “make all Americans safe and secure.” Personally I, as a legal, reluctant, not able to vote for the American president, do not feel safe knowing these people are free.
Now, onto another proclamation that didn’t make Americans feel any safer: the removal of the United States of America from the World Health Organization (WHO). This is not the first time the Trump administration has tried to remove the US from the WHO; he tried towards the end of his first presidency, but during his first days, former President Biden halted this action. Trump’s official reasoning for this move is cited to be the WHO’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, which felt contradictory since he refused to wear masks, completely ignored the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci’s recommendations, and took hydroxychloroquine to prevent getting infected. So, allegedly, it had to do more with the costs within the organization. As the proclamation states: “In addition, the WHO continues to demand unfairly onerous payments from the United States, far out of proportion with other countries’ assessed payments. China, with a population of 1.4 billion, has 300 percent of the population of the United States, yet contributes nearly 90 percent less to the WHO.” In conclusion, a move that will endanger many lives, both in the US and abroad, is described by professionals as a “Withdrawal is a grievous wound to world health, but a still deeper wound to the US.”
A proclamation that made people realize what they voted for (2 and a half months later) was the infamous tariffs. For those who may be confused, a tariff is a government-imposed tax on imported goods and services. The US imported 14% in 2024, and while it may seem like a small percentage, tariffs on the US biggest importers, Mexico, Canada, and China, will not be covered by the federal government, manufacturers, or companies. It will come out of the average American’s pocket in everyday activities like groceries, clothing, electronics, and gasoline. This obviously goes against the first purpose stated on the White House website, which was to lower costs, not even to mention the fact that economists have stated that this could cause a crash similar to that of the 1930s Great Depression.
Now let’s talk about the “privilege” of United States citizenship, which this next proclamation describes as a “priceless and profound gift.” First of all, it’s not priceless, and it is extremely expensive to obtain citizenship in the United States. But alas, this proclamation doesn’t pertain to foreign nationals obtaining citizenship. Instead, it is an attack on the Constitution’s 14th amendment. Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment states: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” Now, the part this administration is focusing on is “within its jurisdiction,” when referring to birthright citizenship. Stating that the amendment was never meant to give citizenship to every person born in the US, which at the time of its inception may have been true, only referring to formerly enslaved people. The amendment then goes on to state that if the mother and/or father were not in the US legally or were there temporarily, while the other biological parent was not a US citizen or permanent resident, then the child born of these parents would not obtain citizenship, even though they were born on US soil.
As all of these are proclamations, not legal orders, they are indeed ceremonious. Even though they don’t carry legal threats, I feel very much in danger of having a President who believes this crap. That being said, this is all about political marketing and provocation, while still holding extreme importance, as a warning sign to the whole world of how this administration will move forward. Those who aren’t blind to propaganda saw this coming, however, and because of 49.8% of America’s population, 8 billion people will suffer the consequences.
Finally, for Day One, let’s talk about the only executive order signed on January 20, which, from where I’m standing, has been completely swept under the rug. I will be completely honest: I read the executive order three times and tried my hardest to understand, but by God, I did not have a clue, so I had to Google. I have found that Trump’s “Unleashing American Energy” order aims to shift federal policy to prioritize energy production. While some directives have been implemented, their full impact remains uncertain. However, the targeted regulations have contributed to higher energy costs, suggesting Trump’s actions could help reduce these costs over time. So, like, good, get it, I guess; there has obviously been criticism, but apart from the negative impact this could have, my question is, why is this not being nearly as covered as his proclamations? I believe it has to do with the fact that he bombarded the country with 50 proclamations on his first day, only signing one as an executive order. This leads me to question the validity of his proclamations in the first place. What was their purpose? To enrage, to taunt, to intimidate? My answer: all of the above.
I think these actions were a masterclass in calculated chaos. They seem designed to provoke strong reactions while laying the groundwork for a specific agenda. The pardons and the birthright citizenship proclamation scream provocation, almost daring critics to respond. Meanwhile, the WHO withdrawal and tariffs feel more strategic, aligning with long-term goals but still stirring controversy. The energy executive order, though, seems like a quieter move, perhaps intentionally overshadowed by the noise of the proclamations. It’s like a political chess game, but with a lot of pawns sacrificed along the way.