Chapter Two of Trump
Chapter Two of Trump
America First, Part Two
Trump takes the oath as President of the United States for the second time and promises to start major changes in the coming hours. The golden age of America begins now. With these words, Donald Trump began his inaugural speech, which officially marks the start of his second term in the White House. From noon and one minute on January 20, according to the official ceremony, Donald Trump becomes the President of the United States for the second time.
The inauguration ceremony, traditionally held outside the Capitol with a view of the National Mall in Washington, is held indoors this time due to freezing temperatures and strong winds sweeping through the U.S. capital.
Trump’s oath is delivered inside the Capitol Hill beneath its dome, which was attacked by his supporters on January 6, 2021.
Then, throughout the day, the transition to the White House takes place for signing the first executive orders. It has been revealed by his entourage that more than 100 executive orders have been prepared, ranging from immigration and energy issues to pardons for those convicted in the attack on Congress.
There is a concerning atmosphere, and everyone is waiting to see what this businessman will do immediately after taking the oath, as he had stated multiple times during the election campaign that he would be a dictator, but only on the first day, and had made promises he intended to fulfill within the first 24 hours of his presidency.
Among these actions is the launch of a program for the mass deportation of illegal immigrants in the United States, imposing tariffs on imports, and repealing regulations related to clean energy and climate change.
In his last speech before the inauguration, Trump also promised to issue an executive order to save the TikTok app and delay its ban, which had been approved by the Supreme Court.
During a speech held yesterday at the Capital One Arena in Washington, Trump promised the crowd that tomorrow at noon, the curtain will fall on four long years of decline, and a new day of power and prosperity, dignity, and American pride will begin.
Inauguration Special Guests
Breaking a protocol that usually does not foresee such a thing, Trump has invited several foreign leaders to today’s ceremony.
The only European prime minister invited and present at the ceremony was Giorgia Meloni, who had recently seen the elected president in Mar-a-Lago and had made her presence official.
Additionally, Argentine President Javier Milei and Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa were present, while Chinese President Xi Jinping, who had previously appreciated the invitation, sent Vice President Han Zheng.
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who intended to attend the ceremony, could not do so due to his passport being seized amid investigations related to the attack on the Planalto.
Nayib Bukele, the President of El Salvador, was supposed to be present at the ceremony, whom Republicans see as a model in fighting crime.
Nayib Bukele, the President of El Salvador, was present at the ceremony, whom Republicans see as a model in fighting crime. For Japan and India, the foreign ministers of both countries attended the event.
But most importantly, in the front row to cheer on the 47th President of the United States were the CEOs of technology giants like Meta, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Uber, and Alphabet, among whom were three of the world’s richest individuals: Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos.
Foreign Policy: Gaza and Ukraine at the Top of the List
Regarding foreign policy, Trump’s main concern on the first day of his second presidential term will likely be implementing the ceasefire agreement reached last week between Israel and Hamas, which took effect on Sunday.
However, among the executive orders, there may be some aimed at imposing new sanctions on Iran and strengthening the enforcement of existing sanctions as part of the maximum pressure strategy intended to be imposed on the Tehran regime.
Trump’s team is also trying to figure out how to manage the transitional government in Syria, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group previously affiliated with al-Qaeda.
Some U.S. allies are asking Washington to remove the terrorist label from this group, but no decision has been made yet. However, the hottest issue remains Ukraine, where Trump has promised to end the wars between Russia and Ukraine on the first day of his presidency.
Recently, Trump has revised his stance, saying he hopes to resolve these wars within the first six months of his presidency.
In the short term, Trump will have the financial resources allocated by Congress last year to continue supplying weapons to Kyiv, but it seems unlikely that a new funding package will be approved once these resources are exhausted.
Europe Under Siege
Although Trump has remained silent about some of his recent shocking statements regarding Greenland, memories of his last four years in the White House are still alive. Europe will closely follow the early hours of Trump’s presidency to guess how his second term will unfold. The threat of imposing general trade tariffs is one of the main concerns for the 27 European countries.
With more than 1,500 billion euros in trade exchange, the United States is Europe’s largest trade and investment partner. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has already raised her white flag and proposed buying more liquefied gas from the United States to prevent further trade wars.
Europe is also reviewing its investigations into U.S. technology companies and is waiting for signals from across the Atlantic.
One major issue is whether, as the European Union tries to strengthen its defense industry, it should increase arms purchases from the United States. The return of the tariff man has also raised concerns in Davos, where the World Economic Forum meeting begins today.
In the Swiss city known as the temple of globalization, which Trump intends to abandon, where he introduced America First to the world in 2018, the President of the United States is set to speak on Thursday, but only virtually. Nevertheless, this will be a speech long awaited for a world caught in a dangerous situation, a world full of tariffs and protective measures, where the old model has disappeared and a new one has yet to emerge.
Trump’s second term begins, and based on assumptions, it may be even more radical and divisive than the first.
Trump’s second victory, also confirmed by the popular vote, seems to have validated the extremism in his discourse and political proposals rather than softened it. This will be practically embodied in the flood of executive orders expected for the first day of his presidency.
These actions, which hold high symbolic importance, especially those related to immigration and the promise to implement a broad program to deport individuals residing in the country without authorization.
These actions will test Trump’s real political power in a country that, unlike eight years ago, seems accustomed to his extremism. However, in relations with other powers, courts, states, and cities governed by Democrats, and with a Congress where Republicans hold a weak majority, efforts will be made to limit and hinder his activities.
