He’s Back: Trump’s First 24 Hours in Office and What it Spells for the Country

News Section Editor Chantelle Mackintosh summarises the first day of Donald Trump’s return as President of the United States.

Overview

On 20 January 2025, President Donald Trump was sworn into office for his second term, after a four-year absence. JD Vance was also sworn in as Vice President. On the same day, Trump signed twenty-six executive orders and revoked seventy-eight of Biden’s executive orders, from immigration to TikTok bans. Trump’s administration's actions in just their first twenty-four hours in office is indicative of the future America Trump is planning. From questionable executive orders to fascist symbols, Trump’s second term did not start quietly.

Inauguration Day Executive Orders

Trump signed 26 executive orders on his first day in office. An executive order is a statement that highlights how a President wants the federal government to work. They are not legally binding and are often challenged in Federal court. 

Notable Executive Orders Explained

Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship: The End of Birthright Citizenship

Trump declared that people born in the United States are no longer entitled to U.S. citizenship if the mother was in the country illegally and the father was neither a citizen nor legal full-time resident. Birthright citizenship will also be denied to those on a temporary visa (including students and tourist visas). This order goes against the fourteenth amendment of the American constitution which guarantees citizenship to all those born on American soil. The executive order is not suspected to pass as it is unconstitutional; however, Trump is open to try again later in his presidency.

This order is one of Trump’s attempts to reduce the immigrant population, particularly those from Mexico. This also ties into the larger Republican agenda as citizenship benefits, such as being able to vote, linking to Trump’s claims of a corrupt 2020 election which he claims cost him a consecutive second term. [1]

Declaring A National Emergency at the Southern Border of the United States: Trump’s Ongoing Vendetta Against Mexico

Trump declared a national emergency on the southern border of the U.S. in response to Mexican cartels and gangs that work across the border. Trump claims “America’s sovereignty is under attack,” and cites various crimes (such as human trafficking, murder and illicit drug trades) as reasons for this emergency. [2]

Trump has given numerous directions of the military, including the deployment of personnel and resources (including the Ready Reserve and National Guard) to control the border, the construction of physical barriers along the border and employing unmanned aerial systems within five miles of the border and revising immigration policies.

This order has drawn scrutiny as he used emergency presidential powers in calling a National Emergency, which is only to be done in sudden crises. Additionally, this furthers Trump’s attempted actions from his first term where he also attempted to build a wall on the border, which never succeeded. 

Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government: Erasing Transgender, Intersex, Non-Binary and Genderqueer Americans

Trump has declared that there are only two sexes (male and female) which are assigned based on the reproductive cells produced at conception. He has framed this order as a protection for women, as men who identify as women “wrongfully” gain access to women’s spaces. [3] Trump recognised that the two sexes are not changeable and are grounded in “fundamental and incontrovertible reality.” [3] This order includes various facets against expressions of gender identity, including transgender, intersex and non-binary people. 

This will impact many administration tasks, such as forms which require gender (including passports and job applications) to only have two options, male and female, rather than an open-ended gender identity question.

Additionally, Trump has called for the removal of various government agency documents that cover transgender, intersex and non-binary topics. This includes articles such as: “The White House Toolkit on Transgender Equality,” “U.S. Department of Education Toolkit: Creating Inclusive and Nondiscriminatory School Environments for LGBTQI+ Students,” and “Supporting Intersex Students: A Resource for Students, Families, and Educators.” [3] These are all valuable documents navigating non-conforming gender identity, particularly regarding young people’s education. [3] This order also uses the transgender identity to remove LGBTQI+ resources from government pages as they are often discussed together, and both go against the Republican beliefs. 

This order is a significant regression regarding freedom of gender expression while masquerading as a protection of women. 

Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness: The Re-emergence of White Colonialist Ideals

An executive order which calls to “promote the extraordinary heritage of our Nation” calls for renaming various geographic locations to promote a modern U.S. identity. [4] Trump calls for a government board called the Board on Geographic Names to review names of various locations and change them as necessary.

Trump outlines two locations he wants to change: Denali (America’s highest mountain peak, located in Alaska) and The Gulf of Mexico to Mt. McKinley and The Gulf of America respectively. 

He calls for the renaming of Mt. McKinley to honour President William McKinley, the 25th President of the U.S. He was also a military leader during the Spanish-American war, and Trump stated how the U.S. economy flourished during McKinley’s leadership, noting his use of tariffs (which Trump intends to use during his presidency). During Barack Obama’s presidency, the mountain reverted to its native name, which Trump calls “an affront to President McKinley’s life, his achievements, and his sacrifice.” [4]

Trump also outlines the benefits of The Gulf of Mexico, including trade, fishing, tourism and geographical wonder. Trump states, “The Gulf will continue to play a pivotal role in shaping America’s future and the global economy,” as the reason for the renaming. [4]

Other Important Orders:

• Ordered all Federal Employees to return to face-to-face work.

• Moved to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement.

• Moved to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organisation.

• Pardoned fourteen of the 6th of January defendants.

Notable Moments from the Post-Inauguration Celebration

While there were many memorable moments from the inaugurations (such as Melania’s Trump-repellent hat and Bernie Sanders channelling everyone’s grumpy mood), one stood out more than the others: Elon Musk’s take on the Nazi salute. 

American billionaire businessman, Elon Musk, gave a brief four-minute speech at the Post-Inauguration Celebration where he expressed his joy at Trump’s victory. He also made promises about the future of America, including safe cities, secure borders, sensible spending and American astronauts on Mars. 

Musk’s role within the government is unclear. He is rumoured to have started the idea for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and is believed to hold an advisory role for the organisation. Elon has long been obsessed with going to Mars; now, his wealth and new government connections could make that possible.

However, his extraordinary promises are not what garnered worldwide attention, but rather when, in the middle of his speech, Musk performed what appeared to be a Nazi salute. While there are notable differences between the Nazi salute and Musk’s salute, the universal symbols of the fascist salute (palm down, arm extended straight) were met.

On X (formally Twitter), Musk defended his actions with a series of Nazi puns, in an attempt to make light of the situation. Many online reacted negatively, while many white supremacy groups and individuals applauded Musk’s political bravery. 

Many Musk supporters are claiming that he was simply acting on his statement, “my heart goes out to you,” however, many combat this by saying that gesture would be open palmed. [5]

Conclusion

Trump’s second inauguration day set the tone for his second term to be just as – if not more – controversial than the first, from contentious executive orders to public displays of fascism, immigration orders, civil rights and government overreach. The first twenty-four hours of Trump’s second term is indicative of the trouble to come for many minority groups in America.

References:

[1] “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship.” The White House, The United States Government, 21 Jan. 2025, www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/protecting-the-meaning-and-value-of-american-citizenship/ 

[2] “Declaring a National Emergency at the Southern Border of the United States.” The White House, The United States Government, 21 Jan. 2025, www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/declaring-a-national-emergency-at-the-southern-border-of-the-united-states/ 

[3] “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.” The White House, The United States Government, 21 Jan. 2025, www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/defending-women-from-gender-ideology-extremism-and-restoring-biological-truth-to-the-federal-government/  

[4] “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness.” The White House, The United States Government, 21 Jan. 2025, www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/restoring-names-that-honor-american-greatness/ 

[5] “Elon Musk Speaks at Post-Inauguration Celebration.” #1 Speech to Text Service in the World, 21 Jan. 2025, www.rev.com/transcripts/elon-musk-speaks-at-post-inauguration-celebration