The Beginning of a Trump Era: A U-Turn of Progress
In the weeks before the inauguration of Donald Trump, there was much public speculation on which campaign promises the now-president would live up to, and which ones he had made to garner support, but would abandon once in office. Some of the more extreme policies and plans, including the construction of a Mexican border wall and the revival of commonly recognized inhumane torture methods, were touted as no more than campaign show; ideas derived solely to gain more support in the election. Now however, just a week after Trump’s swearing in as the 45th president of the United States, it appears that he and his administration are looking to keep these extreme policy promises. In fact, they are even rolling out a new, even more right-wing agenda than thought before. Examining these issues one by one, it becomes evident that the social and environmental progress gained under the Obama administration is under fire, and quickly.
On Torture and Black-Site Prisons
This issue is one on which Trump has flip-flopped his view throughout his campaign. While under pressure at certain points, Trump claimed that he would not bring back torture methods such as waterboarding or black site prisons like Guantanamo Bay, both of which the Obama administration discarded, announcing they were “contrary to our values.” Yet, more often than not Trump has been a strong proponent of what he calls “enhanced interrogation.” This view is contradictory to the consensus amongst psychologists, yet Trump has gone so far as to say “Torture works… but we should go much stronger than waterboarding.”
In recent days, news broke that the Trump administration is preparing an executive order to lift the current ban on CIA black sites. This would eventually lead to policies allowing places like Guantanamo to reopen, which is controversial not only from an ethical perspective, but because Guantanamo and prisons like it violate wartime rules established in the Geneva Conventions. This initial executive order is cause for concern for human rights across the globe, whether we are currently fighting terrorists or not. It demonstrates a lack of appreciation of human life, and a brash response to the complex issue of interrogation.
On Immigration and “The Wall”
The border wall was one of Trump’s signature promises, and its symbolism contributed to his campaign rhetoric. Chants of “Build the Wall!” reverberated at almost every Trump rally. Yet, soon after the election, Trump seemed to step back from his original plan. In one of his first interviews after the election, he told 60 Minutes interviewer Lesley Stahl that he would “accept a fence” for certain areas on the border. Yet, while he momentarily seemed to retract his original position, it now appears he will not settle for a fence after all. Just this past Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order to begin the construction of the border wall in just a few short months. Where the money for said wall will come from, however, is still unclear.
The building of Trump’s wall stands not only as a physical barrier, but as an ideological construction in line with Trump’s “America First” attitude. Extreme nationalism, combined with a fear of any negative qualities immigrants may bring in with them clearly fuel Trump’s immigration policies, yet these ideas appear to blind Trump to the statistical evidence that Mexican immigrants actually help the American economy, and that the illegal crime rates are some of the lowest in the country. Trump has begun to turn a cold shoulder to our neighbors, and in doing so sends the message that America is no longer the friendly, welcoming place it used to be.
On Women’s Rights and Abortion
On the issue of healthcare, Trump has made it very clear where he stands. Just days after he was put into office, he began the process of repealing Obamacare. With this immediate repeal and (not so immediate) replacement of Obamacare, Trump stifled and eliminated access to many contraceptives for women. Under the Affordable Care Act, insurers were mandated to provide coverage for all FDA-approved birth control methods. Now without such legislation, many women will not be able to afford these technologies which provide methods for healthy and safe sex.
On the front of abortion, Trump has made waves both at home and abroad. In the US, there is worry that Trump’s Supreme Court Justice pick will reverse access to abortions for almost all women.The current frontrunner for the position, William Pryor, even called the Roe v. Wade decision an “abomination.”
Abroad, Trump’s new policies could cause even more harm. This week, the new Trump administration reinstated the “Mexico City Policy,” an executive order which freezes federal dollars meant to assist foreign countries in funding HIV research, neonatal care, and abortions for underprivileged women. Thus, the effects of this executive order will be felt around the world, as many sub-saharan African women resort to dangerous abortion methods when no safer options are available. Some of these include coat hangers, drinking, and battery acid. This order, signed by Trump and a cohort of white men in the oval office, epitomizes the administration’s lack of understanding of women’s rights, and ought to be seen as a massive breach of human rights.
On Climate Change and Environmental Protection
On an issue with very little debate within the scientific community, it is still not surprising that Trump has already started rolling back regulations and EPA funding. Throughout his campaign he preached a business first model for his policies, an attitude that often times clashes with environmental protection programs. One of Trump’s first steps in office was to sign an executive order reviving the Dakota Access and Keystone XL Pipelines, both of which have been shown to pose severe risk to large water sources in their surrounding areas.
Additionally, Trump has ordered the EPA to freeze all grant money and contracts. This move essentially halts climate change research, attempts to reduce emissions in certain areas, and transitions to cleaner, renewable energy. Trump, moving in the opposite direction, promised during his campaign to bring back the coal industry and make America completely energy independent.
These policies and orders demonstrate a halt and even a step backwards from the progress made during the Obama years. On these issues and many others, Donald Trump represents much more than a 2-step forward 1-step backward plan for social, political, and environmental progress. Donald Trump’s policies instead epitomize a complete U-turn from the last eight years. As such, they also pose a serious threat to the safety and the rights of not only US citizens, but to everyone around the world.
