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CWA # 1575, 26 January 2025
Global Politics Commentary
Trump's Inaugural Address: Five major takeaways

  C Shraddha

On 20 January 2025, Donald J Trump was sworn in as the 47th American President. During his inaugural address, he vowed to begin the complete restoration of America and "common sense". He stated that the US government faces a "crisis of trust" as "radical and corrupt establishments" extract power and wealth from American society. The establishment of the Department of Government Efficiency, aimed at reducing federal spending, and the Department of External Revenue Services, focused on acquiring revenue from the imposition of tariffs on foreign actors, remain at the top of his agenda. 

Following are the five major takeaways from his inaugural address: 
1. Biden has failed the US within and outside
Trump criticized the previous government for failing to address domestic crises while making "catastrophic" decisions abroad. He accused them of providing "sanctuary for criminals" while neglecting the fundamental needs of the American citizens. Furthermore, the President highlighted the disparity in the resources spent on funding the defence of foreign borders. At the same time, necessities remained unavailable during emergencies like Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and the Los Angeles wildfire.  

2. Migrant influx and national emergency at the US border 
President Trump declared the reinstatement of the Remain in Mexico Policy, officially known as the Migrant Protection Protocol, to curb the influx of immigrants from the Mexico- US border. Additionally, he stated his intention to designate cartels as "foreign terrorist organizations" and begin measures to end illegal immigration while deporting millions of "criminal aliens" back to their home country. 
The President vowed to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1978 and employ complete federal enforcement to eliminate the presence of gangs that destabilize the country.
The detrimental effects of this 'national emergency' became evident when the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) ONE app stopped working with a notice on the CBP website stating the cancellation of existing appointments.  In a press conference in the Oval Office, he also announced his government's attempt to end birthright citizenship, a right enshrined in the US Constitution.

3. Need to restore economic and energy stability 
Trump ascribed extensive overspending and soaring energy prices as the primary determinant for high inflation experienced in the United States. He declared a National Energy Emergency to combat rising energy prices while revoking the Green New Deal (GND) and Electric Vehicles Mandate. Trump's primary objective remains to transform the US into an energy and gas manufacturing nation designed to fill the country's strategic reserves, reduce domestic prices and boost energy exports globally.

'Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential', an executive order, was immediately signed by the President after the inauguration. This order prioritizes the development of Alaska's liquified natural gas (LPG) potential while instructing the federal government to maximize its production. On 20 January, Trump officially withdrew from the Paris Climate Accords, claiming it would save America "a trillion dollars. 

4. Recognition of two genders
"As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders- male and female", stated the President. He stated the intention of his government to forge a society that is "colourblind and merit-based" while eradicating the intrusion of race and gender in all spheres of public and private life. 
His order would require the government-issued identification documents to be based on "an individual's immutable biological classification as either male or female" while replacing the term "gender" with "sex". After assuming office, Trump revoked 78 executive orders signed by former- President Joe Biden, many of which included measures to promote racial equality and address discrimination against transgender and gay individuals. 

5. The US claims over the Panama Canal and the Gulf of Mexico 
Trump condemned Panama for breaking their promise to the US by violating and overcharging American ships. During the address, he accused China of operating in the Panama Canal. "Above all, China is operating the Panama Canal, and we didn't give it to China. We gave it to Panama. And we're taking it back", declared Trump. As part of his executive orders, he called for renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America and changing the name of Denali to Mount McKinley, an ode to the 25th President of the United States. 

Responding to Trump's claim over the Panama Canal, Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino rejected Trump's canal acquisition plan while repudiating any allegations of Chinese presence in the region. "The canal was not a concession from anyone. It was the result of generational struggles that culminated in 1999," responded Mulino to Trump's address in a social media post.

About the author
C Shraddha is a Postgraduate Student at OP Jindal Global University, Haryana.

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