‘What a great feeling!’ said Donald Trump as he assumed the charge of US President once again before he went on a spree to sign a slew of executive orders. But the world was left feeling a little dizzy, as he had promised, with the tariffs imposed on nations, ban of birthright citizenship, declaration of existence of only two genders and many more.
“Your head will spin when you see what’s going to happen,” he had said of day 1.
In his effort to reverse America’s “decline,” Trump signed a barrage of executive orders aimed to dismantle key domestic policies of former President Joe Biden, focusing on climate and immigration. Simultaneously, he reinstated his last presidency priorities, including expanding drilling and mining on natural resources and reshaping the US role as a global sanctuary for refugees and immigrants.
Here’s the impact of his first day orders:
‘There are gay, lesbian, transgender children’
Donald Trump was compelled to listen to a sermon from a bishop urging him to show “mercy” towards gays and poor immigrants as the Republican celebrated the beginning of his second term as US president. This came after Trump declared that only two sexes—male and female—would be officially recognized.
“I ask you to have mercy, Mr President,” said Washington National Cathedral’s Mariann Edgar Budde.
“There are gay and lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families,” she added.
Trump faces legal pushback as 22 states sue over birthright citizenship order
Attorneys general from 22 states filed a lawsuit on Tuesday to block Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship, a century-old practice granting citizenship to US-born children regardless of their parents’ status.
“The president cannot, with a stroke of a pen, write the 14th Amendment out of existence, period,” New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin said.
Responding to this, the White House said, “Radical Leftists can either choose to swim against the tide and reject the overwhelming will of the people, or they can get on board and work with President Trump.”
‘Canada will respond robustly’: Trudeau on Trump’s 25% tariff threat
Outgoing Canadian PM Justin Trudeau vowed a “robust” response if Trump decided to proceed with imposing tariffs on Canada.
Trump announced plans to impose a 25% tax on goods from Canada and Mexico, potentially starting as early as February 1—a move likely to increase prices for American consumers.
“If there are unfair tariffs, we will respond robustly and we will be there to support Canadians and protect our interests,” Trudeau said.
“While less than 1% of fentanyl and illegal immigrants that enter the United States come from Canada, our government has already acted to address the concerns raised by the president about border security with an over $1 billion comprehensive border plan,” he added.
China, EU warn against trade friction
At the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday, EU, German, and Chinese leaders defended global cooperation amid the looming threat of new trade wars following Trump’s return to the White House.
In their speeches, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz presented visions of global cooperation that starkly contrasted with Trump’s tariff-driven approach.
“Protectionism leads nowhere and there are no winners in a trade war,” Ding said.
Trump threatened to impose tariffs if Beijing rejected his proposal to allow the Chinese-owned app TikTok to remain online, provided that half of it is sold off.
“We’re talking about a tariff of 10 per cent on China based on the fact that they’re sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada,” he said.
‘For entire world it’s Gulf of Mexico’
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum responded to Trump’s proposal to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the ‘Gulf of America,’ saying that he is free to call it whatever he wants on the US side.
“He says that he will call it the Gulf of America on its continental shelf,” Sheinbaum said. “For us it is still the Gulf of Mexico, and for the entire world it is still the Gulf of Mexico.”
“A short time from now, we are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America,” Trump had said.
‘Will defend free trade’: Germany retorts to Trump
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged to “defend free trade as the basis of our prosperity”, following a threat from Trump to impose tariffs and taxes on trade partners.
“Isolation comes at the expense of prosperity,” he said. “Europe is committed to free, fair world trade.”
The leader of Europe’s largest economy, stressed upon the importance of maintaining strong EU-US ties. However, he also noted that “cool heads” would be necessary, as Trump was expected to “keep the world on edge.”
Reacting to Elon Musk’s alleged Nazi salute at the inauguration speech, Scholz said, “Everyone can say what he wants, even if he is a billionaire. What we do not accept is if this is supporting extreme right positions.”
Stocks climb on Trump’s actions, but oil takes a hit
Global stock markets rose on Tuesday as Donald Trump quickly launched his second term with a series of announcements impacting the global economy.
Wall Street saw gains as investors reacted positively to Trump’s early executive orders and comments suggesting that new tariffs may not be as severe as anticipated.
However, oil prices fell amid concerns over increased drilling in the United State.
With the combative tone of his orders and inaugural address, the world was left feeling if he really meant it when he once said that he would be a “dictator on day one”?
