January 20th, 2025, was the day Donald Trump retook office for his second term as president of the largest economy in the world. Since then, Trump has approved several decisions that have changed the USA’s relationship with the world and impacted national politics and population satisfaction.
DAY 1
As soon as he was sworn into office, the new former president signed 50 executive orders related to immigration, geopolitics, diversity, and taxes. Some highlights were the end of White House DEI (diversity, equality, and inclusion) programs, the inversion of US$500 billion in IA development, the prohibition of trans women in women’s prisons, the suspension of passports with the gender ‘X’, the closure of USAID (US Agency for International Development), and so on.
“We will forge a society that is colorblind and merit based. As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government: that there are only two genders: male and female”, said the 45th and 47th United States former president, Donald Trump.
Suspension of passports with the gender ‘X’ and DEI (diversity, equality, and inclusion) programs
One of the most impactful decisions Trump took and that reverberated all over the world was the suspension of passports with the gender ‘X, ’ which represents people who don’t identify themselves with the female gender, nor the male one.
Hunter Schafer, a trans woman who interpreted the character Jules in the Netflix series Euphoria, was one of the North American citizens who came out publicly to talk about it after receiving her passport, which listed her as a male.
However, the impact goes beyond US territory. According to Ligia de Souza Cerqueira, assistant researcher at the Center for Applied Research in Law and Racial Justice at Fundação Getúlio Vargas, in São Paulo, this is an “institutional violence” to the American citizens, who can’t express themselves, even though, Donald Trump affirms he defeats a country with a solid “freedom of speech”.
Moreover, Ligia adds that this freedom is not for the country as a whole but for the middle class, which is facing a crisis nowadays.
“Donald Trump is governing exactly according to what he truly believes: the USA is a country made only for white, far-right Americans, without any commitment to social issues, looking to preserve just the property of these social groups”, she says.
Finishing up with DEI programs is also a point of discussion since January 20th. Because of that, trans women were prohibited from staying in women’s prisons, as well as from taking part in the Army. One of the consequences this change will cause is the ravishment of minority populations in the US. “Trans people will be victim of a constant and systematic rapes in jails, for example”, Cerqueira concludes.
In addition, as the main economic potency in the world, much of what happens in the north part of America impacts all continents. Due to the presence of US multinationals in almost all countries, everything the government decides will reach them. So, the end of DEI programs is not a new reality only in the USA but in the four corners of the world.
Investment of US$ 500 billion in IA development
The project, called Stargate, announced by Donald Trump, will invest US$ 500 billion in IA development over the next few years. By that, the US aims to improve technological development and run this race with or better than China.
With that, the discussion about regulatory challenges comes to light, since the agility of technology needs to have special follow-ups, especially when it comes to ethical behaviour.
Shutdown of USAID
The shutdown of USAID shows itself as a significant decision worldwide.
Created by John F. Kennedy in 1961, the organization is the humanitarian arm of the US government. Responsible for distributing billions of dollars annually around the world to alleviate poverty, treat disease, and respond to famine and natural disasters, it also promotes the construction and development of democracy, supporting non-governmental organizations, independent media, and social initiatives.
“USAID is run by a bunch of radical lunatics. And we’re getting everyone out of there” Trump told reporters on February 2nd.
With more than 10,000 employees, USAID is also the largest single donor in the world.
In fiscal year 2023, the US allocated through the agency a total of US$72 billion (around R$420.7 billion) in humanitarian aid for several areas, including women’s health in conflict zones, access to drinking water, treatments for HIV/AIDS, energy security, and combating corruption.
FIRST MONTH: WHAT ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS AND ITS MAIN CONSEQUENCES?
US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and WHO
“We will end the Green New Deal, and we will revoke the electric vehicle mandate, saving our auto industry and keeping my sacred pledge to our Great American Auto Workers.”
Conversely, with the shutdown of USAID, there is the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, reaffirming what Ligia Cerqueira said previously: that Trump is governing according to what he believes as a citizen. One proof of it is exactly the “attempt of acquiring Groenlandia to explore gas, oil and ores found in the soil after defrosting”, she explains.
Furthermore, exiting WHO, the US will no longer be responsible for financing treatments and vaccines to vulnerable regions, such as Africa and equatorial countries, and invest the 14% of support destined to this cause to build a yellow-brick road to “Make America Great Again”.
Interruption of irregular immigrant entries and end of nationality by birth
His declaration of a national emergency at the southern border, coupled with aggressive rhetoric about halting all illegal entries, led to intensified border security measures. In line with his promises, the administration sought to implement stricter controls.
This resulted in a significant shift in U.S. immigration policy to curb illegal immigration and focus on deportations. For example, Brazil’s situation, including the controversial notion of ending birthright citizenship, a long-standing principle enshrined in the 14th Amendment.
Retake the Panama Canal
Trump says he considers the concession of the Panama Canal to Panama a “foolish gift” that will be taken back by his government, as 38,000 lives were lost in its building and, after that, “USA was treated very badly by Panama”.
However, after declaring he wouldn’t use military force even in the Middle East conflicts, it could decrease popularity as to take back Panama Canal, Army conflicts would be needed. Also, retaking this area would have an immeasurable economic impact on the globe, as 6% of all global products pass by there.
HOW COULD TRUMP REACH POWER AND THIS LEVEL OF PUBLIC TRUST?
“By building a narrative of identification”, Ligia affirms.
The United States is going through a crisis of the middle class, and Trump is taking advantage of it. “We can even draw a parallel with 1933, when the speech was responsible for the direction of politics at the time”.
“The inflation crisis was caused by massive overspending and escalating energy prices, and that is why, today, I will also declare a national energy emergency. We will drill, baby, drill. America will be a manufacturing nation once again, and we have something that no other manufacturing nation will ever have: the largest amount of oil and gas than any country on Earth. And we are going to use it“, said Trump on his first day in charge.
The middle class is feeling this inflation, even with the highest level of employability since George W Bush – Bush 2. Biden made a great campaign on these terms, but the researcher advises taking a look at the conditions of these jobs. Many of them are micro-entrepreneurs. They are independent workers, who work a lot, but take a lot to become a billionaire, for example, even though they are the “new riches”.
In this way, Donald Trump uses the tool of identification and puts it together with giving “easy and fast answers to complex problems”. With MAGA, he is trying to “remake the empire USA was once”, Cerqueira concludes.
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The article above was edited by Beatriz Gatz.
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