The Trump Administration: Week One
After eight years of Obama, the United States begins to move in a new direction
By Amanda Westlake
The Progressive Teen Staff Writer
ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 20th, 2017, DONALD J. TRUMP BECAME THE 45TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. The world watched as one of the most powerful positions in the world changed hands and parties for the first time in eight years. Supporters cheered, Democrats prepared for a long four years, and across the country, millions of Americans waited in anticipation. Which campaign promises would be kept? Was the United States going to be ruled by a fascist dictator? Or would Trump turn out to be an American hero, a savior sent to finally represent the working class and make America great again? Nobody knows for sure, and after the first week of the Trump administration, there is still much that is unclear.
Some of the first headlines President Trump made while in office centered not around policy, but controversy. On January 21, press secretary Sean Spicer stated that Friday’s crowd was “largest to witness an inauguration, period, both in person and around the globe,” and it soon became obvious that these claims did not quite add up. Although there is some ambiguity in measuring crowd size, photographs clearly show a much smaller number than the 1.8 million in 2008 at President Obama’s first inauguration. Later, counselor Kellyanne Conway asserted in an interview that Spicer gave “alternative facts,” a phrase seemingly created to downplay what would otherwise be known as “lies.” The fact that a press secretary, who is supposed to speak on behalf of the government, could not get past the first day without lying is severely troubling, and a sign that the fragile relationship between the White House and the people may be in danger. Trump has had bad experiences with the media in the past, and the communication of honest and reliable information and statistics is still as crucial as ever.
Trump’s first few days have also been marked by marches and protests around the country, and even some outside of it. The most notable of these was the Women’s March on Washington, which occurred on Saturday, the day after the inauguration. In addition to the Washington, D.C. event, sister marches were held nationwide, with almost 3 million marchers in every single state. Protesters carried signs with messages such as “No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA” and “Women’s rights are human rights,” and addressed a wide range of issues such as race, climate change, and reproductive rights. Now being planned are more anti-Trump themed events, such as the April 15th Tax Day March, which seeks to emulate the success of the Women’s March and continue the series of protests against the president. Trump has responded to these protests with two different tweets, stating first, “Watched protests yesterday but was under the impression that we just had an election! Why didn’t these people vote?” and then, later that day, “Peaceful protests are the hallmark of our democracy. Even if I don’t always agree, I recognize the rights of people to express their views”.
Months after the election, the president still refuses to let go of his fixation with voter fraud. All throughout last year, it was an issue that was brought up again and again, with Trump even going so far as to accuse the election of being “rigged” and insinuate that he may not accept the results. Although, he obviously ended up winning the electoral college, it appears as though he is still not satisfied. There is almost no evidence that would be cause for an investigation, but President Trump has declared that he intends to open one, focusing on voters registered in two states, illegal voters, and voters who assumed the identity of deceased persons.
This investigation faces strong opposition from Democrats, many of whom believe it is being used to further voter suppression efforts. If results show widespread voter fraud, or if the White House claims it has information that proves widespread voter fraud exists, they could push through legislation that would make it more difficult to vote, including requiring a voter to produce certain forms of identification, an act that would largely affect both minorities and young people.
President Trump has already issued several executive orders on a variety of different topics, including ones limiting the Affordable Care Act, restricting immigration, and tackling the issue of undocumented immigrants. He has also signed a number of presidential memoranda, which are less legally significant, although still important, reinstating the Mexico City Policy, withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, and moving forward with construction on the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines. Executive actions do not have as much power as laws do, and just because they are signed does not mean that the actions ordered will definitely be achieved. For instance, in 2008, Obama issued an order that would close the Guantanamo Bay prison. The number of inmates was reduced significantly, but the facility still remains open today. Executive orders may not be able to function without legislation and money from Congress, but they are still significant in that they have some legal weight, while also representing the direction that the President wishes to take the country.
Two of these executive orders were signed on Wednesday, and outline Trump’s plans for immigration control and enforcement. One would begin plans for a wall to be built on the border between the United States and Mexico using existing government funds, as well as increase border security by hiring more border protection officials. A major topic of Trump’s campaign, the wall has been an extremely controversial subject due to its expensive nature and the differing views on immigration between Democrats and Republicans. Throughout the campaign, Trump has repeatedly expressed that he would make Mexico pay for the wall, although it is extremely unlikely that this will end up being the case, as Mexico has made it clear that this is not a plan they will support. The Mexican president, Enrique Peña Nieto, and President Trump talked on the phone Friday afternoon, and while the conversation appeared to be somewhat productive, there was no sign of an agreement on funding for the wall. This means that the money would have to come from Congress, and it is still unclear whether or not a bill allocating billions of taxpayer dollars for the construction of a border wall would have enough congressional support. Another point of interest is the way Trump interacts with foreign nations. As a president with no foreign policy experience whatsoever, the way he handles situations with Mexico may be indicative of how he plans to work with other countries, which will be crucial to shaping not only the future of our country, but the rest of the world.
A major topic of Trump’s campaign, the wall has been an extremely controversial subject due to its expensive nature and the differing views on immigration between Democrats and Republicans.
The second executive order from the sixth day of the Trump presidency promises to increase deportation efforts and cut funding for sanctuary cities around the country, which seek to protect undocumented immigrants. Trump seems to be declaring a war of sorts on illegal immigrants, and stated Wednesday that the country has been “victimized by open borders”. He even plans to publish a weekly list of crimes committed by immigrants, in what many have criticized as a propaganda attempt to demonize immigrants and grow support for the crackdown on illegal immigration. This could end up having major consequences, as immigrants are increasingly viewed as the country’s enemy.
On Friday, President Trump took steps to limit refugees from entering the country. The executive order he signed would ban all refugees from entering the country for 120 days, from seven primarily Muslim countries for 90 days, and indefinitely prohibit all refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria. It would also give Christians and members of other religions priority over Muslim refugees. While these orders are in place, he plans to focus on strengthening vetting systems; the Trump administration portrays this as an attempt to make the country safer and a continuation of the war on terrorism, but the order has been condemned as unnecessary, un-American, and an attack on religious freedom and human rights. However, a Brooklyn federal judge issued an emergency ruling on January 28th on this order. This temporary stay would allow people who landed in the United States with a valid visa to remain.
The Trump administration portrays the banning of refugees as an attempt to make the country safer and a continuation of the war on terrorism.
After only a week in office, President Trump has certainly been busy. Supporters see this as a good thing: a much-needed departure from the establishment politicians who are all talk and no results. Though many of his executive orders may be more symbolic than anything, the message has been sent that he intends to fashion his administration as one of substance and action. Recently, the media has been full of Donald Trump; so much has happened, is happening, and will happen that it can be difficult to keep up, as well as sorting out fact from fiction and significant events from superfluous. This first week has provided a few answers to the many questions concerning the next four years, but there is still much that remains up in the air. As of right now, one of the only certainties is that with President Donald Trump, nothing is certain.
