Trump Inaugurated as 47th U.S. President
Signs Executive Orders in Front of Supporters After Ceremony
Mass Reversal of Previous Administration’s Policies
"You Are Witnessing America’s Golden Age"
Flood of Executive Orders on Borders, Energy, and More on First Day
Donald Trump, the President of the United States, made a spectacular return to the White House after four years and launched a massive 'Biden (former President Joe Biden) erasure' campaign from his first day in office, declaring the revival of the 'MAGA (Make America Great Again)' era. Starting with the cancellation of a slew of executive orders issued by former President Biden, he issued a series of executive orders including the declaration of a national emergency at the southern border, re-withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, and mass pardons of those involved in the January 6 Capitol riot. Notably, he effectively recognized North Korea as a 'nuclear-armed state' and mentioned his personal relationship with Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, signaling the possibility of direct nuclear negotiations between North Korea and the U.S. as in his first term.
With "America First" as his inaugural message, President Trump is expected to push a stronger America First policy in his second term, fueled by a landslide election victory and control of both houses of Congress, acting like a 'turbo engine.'
Trump’s First Executive Order: Reversing Biden’s Policies
On the 20th (local time), after completing his inauguration ceremony at the Rotunda Hall of the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C., President Trump visited the Capital One Arena stadium, where about 20,000 supporters gathered, and signed a series of executive orders on stage to their applause.
Starting with the 'Executive Order No. 1,' which scrapped 78 executive orders signed by former President Biden on a large scale, the orders included withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and directives for all departments to fully address inflation.
President Trump showcased a signing performance for his supporters, emphasizing, "You are now witnessing America’s golden age," and vowed, "We will restore the country as quickly as possible."
He continued signing major executive orders after returning to the White House. As previously announced, he declared a national emergency at the southern border to address illegal immigration, a national energy emergency, and pardoned 1,500 individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol riot. Contrary to expectations, new measures related to tariffs were temporarily put on hold. However, he mentioned that a 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada is under consideration for February 1.
"Opening America’s Golden Age"... America First Policies on Borders, Tariffs, and Energy Announced
On this day, President Trump foreshadowed the revival of MAGA both in his executive order signings and his inaugural speech. He began his address by saying, "America’s golden age starts now," and "I will very simply put America first." Throughout his 29-minute inaugural speech, the determination to erase the Biden administration’s traces, "fully restore America," and start a "revolution of common sense" was evident alongside America First rhetoric. The word "America" appeared 41 times, and the word "great" appeared 17 times.
Before signing the executive order declaring a national emergency at the southern border, President Trump stated in his speech, "We will immediately stop all illegal entries and begin the process of sending millions of foreign criminals back to where they came from," adding, "We will send the military to the southern border to repel this disastrous invasion of our country." He announced the reinstatement of the "Remain in Mexico" policy, which detains illegal entrants and bans their entry into the U.S. until they obtain legal status.
He also reaffirmed the principle of imposing tariffs. President Trump said, "We will immediately review the trade system to protect American workers and families," and "Instead of taxing Americans to enrich other countries, we will impose tariffs and taxes on foreign countries to enrich Americans." He announced the establishment of a "Foreign Revenue Agency" to collect tariffs from foreign companies.
President Trump also vowed to regain control of the Panama Canal. He said, "We did not hand over the Panama Canal to China, but now China is operating it," and "We will take it back." He also signed an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the "America Gulf." After the inauguration, in an interview with the press, he reiterated the need for Greenland (a Danish territory) for U.S. international security, revealing territorial ambitions once again.
President Trump officially announced the repeal of former President Biden’s "Green New Deal," which he has criticized as the "Green New Scam." The core electric vehicle mandate policy of the Green New Deal is also targeted for repeal. Instead, he declared a national energy emergency to expand fossil fuel drilling and production, including oil. He said, "The inflation crisis was caused by excessive energy consumption and soaring prices," and revived the slogan "Drill, baby, drill," which signifies increased fossil fuel production.
Additionally, he declared, "From today, the official U.S. government policy recognizes only two genders, male and female," signaling a crackdown on 'woke' culture (a term mocking progressivism).
President Trump referenced narrowly surviving an assassination attempt during a Pennsylvania rally last July, emphasizing that his actions are "to make America great again."
Inaugural Speech Publicly Targets Biden... Biden Reacts with Awkward Smile and Stern Expression
In his first inaugural speech in eight years, President Trump devoted significant attention to outlining the policy priorities of his second-term administration and the executive orders to implement them. However, critics argue that his speech fostered division and conflict by expressing hostility toward the Biden administration throughout.
In his speech, he labeled the Biden administration as a "radical and corrupt regime." He added, "My election was to reverse terrible betrayals and hold accountable those responsible for countless betrayals," and "The decline of America will end." Former President Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris, who listened to Trump’s speech, could only respond with awkward smiles or stern expressions in the face of the relentless criticism directed at them.
The American daily The Washington Post (WP) commented, "President Trump launched broad and sharp attacks against the Biden administration, the Democratic Party, and other leaders," and "The gloomy Trump, a hero of revenge, once again painted a dark self-portrait."
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