WASHINGTON — Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president on January 20th. Since then, he has made several changes during his first week in office. During his presidential campaign, the Trump administration released Project 2025 — a plan Trump dedicated to follow once he got into office. His executive orders have covered numerous topics such as immigration, the economy, civil rights, and others. Here is a highlight of some of the changes Trump made during his first week.
January 20th
Just on his first day, Trump signed around 40 executive orders — but, here are highlights from a few of them.
WITHDRAWING THE UNITED STATES FROM THE WORLD
HEALTH ORGANIZATION
Trump signed an executive order to remove the U.S. from the World Health Organization (WHO). Due to “the organization’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic… and other global health crises”. Also, mentioned in this order, the WHO “demanded unfairly onerous payments” from the U.S. The WHO is an agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health.
GRANTING PARDONS
On the same day, he signed an order to shorten the sentences of those who were charged and participated in the Jan. 6, Capitol riot. He also granted a “complete and unconditional pardon to all other individuals convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021”
Immigration Operations
A topic that was heavily mentioned in Trump’s Project 2025 was immigration. He mentioned several times during his presidential campaign that he wanted to “secure our borders” and deport illegal immigrants from the U.S. Now in office, Trump has signed the “Securing Our Boards” and “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship” executive orders. He stated that his “administration will marshal all available resources and authorities to stop this unprecedented flood of illegal aliens into the United States”. He plans to establish a physical wall on our borders, obtain complete and operational control of the borders, and arrest illegal immigrants.
Highlighted in his second order, he says that birthright citizenship is not automatic for certain people — including those born in the U.S., but whose parents were not permanent residents at the time. The policy will affect individuals born 30 days after this order was signed.
DEI INITIATIVES
During Biden’s presidential term, he signed an executive order aiming for federal agencies to submit an Equity Action Plan — which would include the actions agencies are taking to implement Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). However, Trump believes that these programs are “wasteful” and “discriminatory”. He has signed the “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Perfencing”, which will terminate DEI initiatives.
Highlighted in his order, he plans to “terminate, to the maximum extent allowed by law, all DEI, DEIA, and “environmental justice” offices and positions”. This includes Chief Diversity Officer positions and other equity-related grants and contracts. Within 60 days, agencies are required to identify and eliminate all DEI positions, programs and activities.
Sex and Gender Proposal
Another executive order Trump signed that has become controversial, is the “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government”. In this policy, Trump establishes a strict distinction between biological sex and gender identity.
Under his definition, someone’s sex is an “individual’s immutable biological classification as either male or female.” And gender identity “reflects a fully internal and subjective sense of self, disconnected from biological reality” and is not recognized as “a replacement of sex”. His order argues against gender ideology, which states that there is a spectrum of genders and that a person’s biological sex and gender identity are not connected.
According to the policy, Trump plans to strictly enforce sex-based laws and require federal documents (i.e., passports, employee records and ID) to accurately reflect the individual’s biological sex and not gender identity. Also, remove gender-related policies and limit individuals’ ability to access women-only private spaces — including shelters, prisons, sports and bathrooms.
What does this mean for us?
- Federal government and public health officials are now required to stop working with the WHO. This will impact the organization’s ability to respond to national emergencies. Also, if the progress the public health experts in America have made to fight infectious diseases like HIV or malaria is reversed, receiving aid from the WHO won’t be an option.
- The order has caused a lot of controversy for those who received pardons or shortened sentences. Because of their involvement in this serious incident, this may call into question the implications this may have on future government officials’ reactions to other riots and protests.
- If an individual’s mother or father were undocumented residents or obtained a temporary visa to enter the U.S., that child is not considered to have American citizenship. This means that under Trump’s interpretation, children born in the U.S. but have undocumented parents, their American citizenship is not recognized. His policy is restricting birthright citizenship and arguing against certain points of the 14th Amendment.
- All DEI programs, positions, and those who advocate for its implementation will be impacted. Instead of agencies focusing on promoting inclusion, under Trump’s policy, they will now have to report on the individual’s performance, initiative, and skills. This will impact how promotions and job evaluations are conducted. If an individual is working in areas related to DEI, they may have their position removed or reconstructed to fit under Trump’s interpretation. His policy will slow down efforts being made to improve opportunities for marginalized communities in areas like education and healthcare.
- This executive order establishes the idea that the basis for federal policies and protections should be based on the individual’s biological sex, not gender identity. Those who identify as transgender will now have limited access to single-sex spaces like shelters, restrooms and sports activities (women only, male only). Their ability to enter these spaces is now based on biological sex and not their gender identity. Some LGBTQ+ advocates argue that this is a step back for transgender rights. This will impact how gender is mentioned in federal policies.
January 21st
Following his first day, Trump signed the “Keeping Americans Safe in Aviation” executive order, which relates to his previous initiatives to remove DEI in federal agencies. In his order, he highlights that during Biden’s administration, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) prioritized employing individuals based on their “race, sex and disability” rather than “overall job excellence, competency, and qualification”. He argues that, because the FAA hires employees on those terms, it will harm “all Americans, who deserve to fly with confidence.” He will require the FAA to return to “merit-based” hiring, as required by law.
Trump has been vocal about his disagreement towards DEI initiatives and views them as “discriminatory”, now he plans on removing it completely. The “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” order, calls for the termination of all “discriminatory and illegal preferences, mandates, policies, programs, activities, guidance, regulations, enforcement actions, consent orders, and requirements.” His policy will revoke several executive orders and initiatives made during previous administrations – including the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, Promoting Diversity and Inclusion in the National Security Workforce and simply promoting diversity. Within 90 days, all agencies must implement his new policy.
What does this mean for us?
- Under Trump’s interpretation, the FAA will now hire employees based on their qualifications and ability to perform their role — which he believes will increase the safety and efficiency of the air transportation system. This will limit the agency’s focus on adopting diversity and inclusion in their workspace.
- Trump’s new order will reshape federal hiring and the agency’s workspace. If upheld, it will reduce DEI programs and require companies to use a merit-based system when hiring. This means companies are no longer focused on promoting diversity, but rather on hiring employees based on qualifications, performance and competence.
January 22nd
Trump signed an executive order called, the Designation of Ansar Allah as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Ansar Allah, also known as Houthis, is an Islamist political and military organization that emerged from Yemen in the 1990s. According to his order, Trump believes “Houthis’ activities threaten the security of American civilians and personnel in the Middle East, the safety of our closest regional partners, and the stability of global maritime trade.” Under the policy, the group will now be considered a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
Within 30 days, the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, will “submit a report to the President, through the National Security Council, concerning the designation of Ansar Allah as a foreign terrorist organization.”
What does this mean for us?
- Increased security measures will be implemented in Yemen and surrounding areas. Any organization receiving U.S. funding and found to have links to the Houthis could lose funding. This order could also impact shipping companies in the Red Sea.
January 23rd
Trump called for the declassification of records on information about the assassination of former President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. He believes that “their families and the American people deserve transparency and truth.” Within 60 days, Trump will require his administration to provide him with “full and complete records” related to their assassinations.
Artificial Intelligence has been a useful tool many agencies and government officials use. According to his executive order, Trump plans to “develop AI systems that are free from ideological bias or engineered social agendas.” In other words, he wants to develop AI systems that output objective and neutral responses, and are not shaped by any particular set of beliefs or values. Within 180 days, Trump will require various senior officials to create an action plan that aligns with his policy.
What does this mean for us?
- The government will release previously hidden information that could reveal certain circumstances, and people involved, in the public figures’ assassinations. This may impact how people view the government’s transparency and honesty.
- AI may be developed faster and run more efficiently. But, some may question how transparent the government will be regarding its plans to develop AI in several sectors — such as surveillance and law enforcement.
January 24th
Since January 7th, several regions of California have faced vicious wildfires, which have destroyed many homes, businesses, and killed around 28 people. Trump has signed a new executive order which will require his administration to “take all measures, consistent with all applicable authorities” and ensure adequate water resources are provided in Southern California.
He also plans to house displaced families, expedite waste removal, and effectively use grants to assist with fire preparedness. Federal agencies will be required to take immediate action to maximize water delivery in Southern California.
The Hyde Amendment enacted in 1976, prevents the federal government from using taxpayer dollars to fund elective abortions — an abortion that is performed for reasons other than medical necessity. The amendment has exceptions for rape, incest, or when the mother’s life is at risk.
Trump plans to reinforce the amendment in his new order and remove the use of federal funding for elective abortions. Highlighted in his policy, he will revoke the executive orders Protecting Access to Reproductive Healthcare Services and Securing Access to Reproductive and Other Healthcare Services. His administration will provide the agency guidance on ways they must follow his new policy, and remove the use of federal funding for elective abortions.
What does this mean for us?
- According to his order, Trump plans on improving natural disaster response across states and reducing local control over disaster management. This could result in changes to state regulations related to water usage, especially in areas of fire management and water deliveries.
- While his new order does not officially ban abortions, it will restrict federal funding which will impact low-income families or federal employees who rely on federal programs for healthcare. Now, many will no longer have access to abortion services funded by the government.
President Donald Trump’s first week in office has been marked by sweeping changes that reflect his commitment to policies outlined in Project 2025. The full impact of these orders will unfold over time — especially for vulnerable communities, federal agencies and international relations. This is only a glimpse at some of the changes Trump has made during his first week as the 47th president. Learn more about the executive orders and other initiatives Trump has created so far.