President Donald Trump officially assumed office as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, 2025. Embarking on his second and final term, President Trump has demonstrated heightened ambition, signing over 80 executive orders on his first day. He envisions this as the dawn of a prosperous era for America, referring to the day as “Liberation Day” and expressing a determination to rebuild the nation’s foundations.
The Trump administration’s focus areas include immigration, inflation, citizenship, and reassessing international agreements. Notably, President Trump announced intentions to rename the ‘Gulf of Mexico’ to the ‘Gulf of America’ and to reclaim control over the Panama Canal, citing concerns over Chinese usage.
The administration’s agenda includes the following policies:
Rescinding the Paris Agreement
The new administration will be withdrawing from the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Paris Agreement is a landmark international accord that was adopted by nearly every nation in 2015 to address climate change and its negative impacts. The agreement aims to substantially reduce global greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to limit the global temperature increase in this century to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels while pursuing the means to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees. In 2015, then-President Barack Obama committed the US to the Paris Agreement.
Trump first talked about withdrawing it in 2017. This decision was reversed by former President Joe Biden. Now that Donald Trump is back in power, he has withdrawn the agreement. The reason:
‘In recent years, the United States has purported to join international agreements and initiatives that do not reflect our country’s values or our contributions to the pursuit of economic and environmental objectives. Moreover, these agreements steer American taxpayer dollars to countries that do not require, or merit, financial assistance in the interests of the American people.’
Trump has also announced the exit of the US from the WHO ( World Health Organisation).
End of Birthright Citizenship
Birthright Citizenship is based on the legal principle of jus soli or “right of the soil.” According to this, anyone born on American soil would be given citizenship of the country. This provision has been revoked by the US government. If not unchallenged, the babies born in America after the 20th of February 2025 will not have American citizenship until and unless one of the parents is a US citizen.
The Fourteenth Amendment of the US Constitution states, “ All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” The new administration argues that the phrase “and subject to the jurisdiction thereof” does not apply to children of those who are undocumented or who are on temporary visas.
Harvard Law professor Gerald Neuman calls it doubly unlawful as it is a violation of citizenship statutes and the constitution. He says that the president has no authority to change the citizenship rule at all. Congress can change the rule, but only to the extent of making it broader. Neither Congress nor the president can reduce it below the constitutional minimum. While it does provide a safeguard against birth tourism, which means coming to the US specifically to give birth so that their children get US citizenship and then leave, it is unfair to those undocumented workers who come to the US to work and contribute to their economy.
The repercussions of this order are catastrophic. Indian parents in America are opting for pre-term C-sections, which is undoubtedly dangerous to both the child and the mother. Trump claimed that the US is the only country to provide such a citizenship.
Aggressive actions are being taken against immigrants in America. On the 22nd of January, final approval was given to the bill that requires the detainment of unauthorised immigrants accused of theft and violent crimes.
National Emergency
The US President has declared a national emergency on the Southern border, that is, the US- Mexico border. In order to control immigration, the US has stationed its military troops on its Mexico border. Trump has also talked about the National Energy Emergency, which aims to drill oil and make full use of America’s vast reserve of golden fluid. This will reduce the cost for domestic consumers.
Pardon to US Capitol 2021
RiotersTrump granted pardon to more than 1500 rioters of the 6 January US Capitol. Presidential Pardon means to forgive for offences against the US except in case of impeachment. Only some offences could be pardoned. It took almost 3 years to track all 1500 rioters, including those who assaulted the police officers and are now being pardoned by the US President.
Revoked orders allowing transgenders in the military
The President has expressed his intentions in his speech to repeal orders allowing transgender troops to work in the US military. The policy allowing transgenders to work in military services was passed by former president Joe Biden. Trump has not introduced a new ban but has simply revoked the policy, which will have the same effect as a ban. He also talked about keeping transgenders out of women’s sports. two LGBTQ rights groups, on behalf of six active service members and two people seeking enlistment, challenged Trump’s directive to deem transgender troops as physically or mentally incapable of service as a violation of the Constitution’s equal protection clause.
The executive orders, though signed by the President, will not be easy to implement. Lawsuits have already started being filed. Americans are challenging the executive orders on legal and social grounds. Protests against anti-immigration measures are making headlines. The withdrawal from the Paris Agreement highlights the commitment and seriousness of the country towards environmental issues. Such radical orders do solve some of the problems the US has been facing in recent years, however, the chaos is yet to surface. Not surprisingly, these orders are being challenged. Court hearings may delay the execution of these orders, or the next term president may revoke these, but undoubtedly, a new path for America will be paved that will decide the future of the World’s superpower. Trump’s ambition to make the US a manufacturing country and the probable tariff hike, not to mention the US-China trade war setting the background, will affect the trade between the countries. The foreign minister of India, Dr. S. Jaishankar, after his recent visit to the US, said, “ It is very clear that the Trump administration is prioritising the bilateral relationship with India”. The mutual relationship between the two countries is believed to be maintained.