Kayla Kouahou ’28
On January 20, President Donald Trump was sworn in for his second term with plans to build on his first administration and implement a series of policies aimed at addressing key national issues. After outlining his priorities in his inauguration speech, Trump has already implemented nearly 40 executive orders within the first two weeks of his presidency, bringing significant change to the U.S. government and eliciting a wide range of opinions.
Photo courtesy of usatoday.com
Trump’s inauguration speech ultimately set the tone for his second term, which signaled a continuation of his previous policies while introducing new proposals to reinforce the nation’s stability and ensure future economic prosperity. In his speech, Trump described his plans to strengthen the nation’s economy, address ongoing “energy” and “inflation crises,” improve government efficiency, and restore what he called “American greatness.” Among his priorities, Trump reaffirmed his commitment to tackling immigration, securing the border, and confronting threats to national security.
One of the first points President Trump brought up was the immigration crisis at our southern border, referring to it as a “national emergency.” He pledged to deploy U.S. Armed Forces to the region and vowed to stop all illegal entry into the United States by reinstating the “Remain in Mexico” policy, which his administration originally implemented in January 2019. The “Remain in Mexico” policy—formally known as the “Migrant Protection Protocols”—is a policy allowing the government to release migrants with asylum claims to Mexico while awaiting their asylum hearings in the United States. Former president Joe Biden’s administration halted this policy after a Supreme Court ruling on June 30, 2022, granting the administration the power to dismantle the policy entirely. Many human rights organizations criticize the “Remain in Mexico” policy, claiming it exposes migrants to attacks while awaiting processing. On the other hand, many supporters argue it deters illegal immigration and helps retain border security. Young Republicans Faculty Leader and Upper School History Teacher Michael Whalen ’08 expressed his concerns over the policy, saying, “If [Trump] is hoping his deportation policy [will be] effective, he should do it in a manner where it’s less combated and doesn’t foster tension and animosity with the media…if he focuses more on deportation when it comes to illegal immigrants that have committed crimes or are gang members, that would be more successful when he does a blog based deportation policy.”
During his inauguration speech, President Trump also addressed the topic of invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which gives the U.S. president the wartime authority to deport nationals of an enemy country. Historically, this law has been used during periods of war, such as the War of 1812 and both World Wars, to protect national security by addressing perceived threats from foreign nationals. While this measure is typically applied during wartime, Trump suggested applying its principles—along with military power—to deport “millions and millions of criminal aliens.” This stance highlights a broader pattern in his immigration policy, where concerns over national security and border enforcement intersect. Although invoking the Alien Enemies Act for this purpose would be unprecedented in modern times, it could also be seen as a more severe commitment to enforcing immigration laws.
In addition to addressing immigration, President Trump focused on economic growth, price reductions, and tax cuts in his second-term agenda. He aims to combat inflation by reducing costs driven by overspending and rising energy prices, starting with a declaration of a national energy emergency. Trump has criticized the previous Biden administration, arguing that it worsened energy shortages and high prices, which disproportionately affect low and fixed-income individuals. In addition, Trump also plans to renew provisions from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), reinstate the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction, lower the corporate tax rate for domestic production, exempt certain income brackets from taxation, eliminate green energy tax credits, and implement significant new tariffs. These tariffs, which target imports from foreign competitors, are intended to protect American industries from unfair trade practices, boost domestic manufacturing, and reduce the trade deficit. However, they can also result in higher costs for consumers, disrupt global supply chains, and provoke retaliatory measures from trading partners. Trump also reiterated his plan to end the Green New Deal (GND) proposals—proposals that address climate change while promoting job creation and economic equality. In its place, he intends to focus on utilizing the United States’ oil reserves, aiming to lower costs and boost the economy by exporting energy globally. Michael Dimonte ‘25 comments on his tariff plans saying, “In 50/50 on the tariffs that he’s proposed, I think that some of them make sense and are improvements since the Biden admin but I also think a lot of his tariffs are unnecessary or poorly thought out and could have serious effects. So, I am hoping he listens to professions when it comes to economics and doesn’t just sign orders using his ego, but instead really thinks about everything he’s putting into the facts.”
Among the various declarations and actions made during Trump’s first few days in office, some of the most resonant for many American citizens are his thoughts on gender, health, and foreign affairs. In his address, President Trump brought up how he plans to reshape the binary gender definition and instruct federal agencies to remove the “non-binary” or “other” option on all federal documents, claiming, “It will officially be the policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female.” In addition, he signed an executive order with plans to pull the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO) on January 20. This action weakens global health efforts, reduces funding from global health programs, undermines international cooperation on pandemics and health crises, and raises the costs of prescription medication for many. Tracy Motley, Faculty Leader of Young Democrats and Upper School Math Teacher, expresses her concerns: “These are not things to unify people in this country…My concern is that he is not going to come through with the promises he made to make the economy better, especially if he continues to just operate in this mindset where he has to undo everything that’s been done by previous administrations just to show that he has the power to do so.”
Echoing this perspective, Upper School History Teacher David Mercante shares his hopes for the future: “I think some of these [actions] are going to have major impacts, but I’m also hopeful that he will get this out of his system if you will. Exert power and then move forward to run the country in the way that he says he was going to, which is to bring people together, and lower the cost of everyday items so people can have a more financially accessible and stable lifestyle.”
Ultimately, how these decisions unfold will shape the future of American politics and governance. As Trump’s administration moves forward, the consequences of these early actions will undoubtedly provoke significant debate and reflection regarding the path ahead.