Donald Trump, rolling in like a fireball and stirring up trouble, continued to fan the flames of unrest in the early days of his presidency. His insistence on defending Pete Hegseth, whose record of alcohol, assault and harassment problems is extensive and his appointment as secretary of defense has caused many Americans to feel ashamed and outraged. Hegseth himself has admitted to paying $50,000 to silence "Jane Doe," who accused him of rape. Republican Ann Coulter called him a “sleazy serial adulterer,” and some other Republicans have also lashed out at Hegseth. But Trump, defeated in the Matt Gaetz issue in November, probably did not want to suffer another defeat before he even began his presidency and appeared to be choosing his team too ineptly. He had five unsuccessful attempts at Cabinet nominations in his last term, including one for Andrew Puzder in 2016, more than any other president. But his stubbornness could cause him more trouble in the future.
Not content with that, he quickly pardoned the Jan. 6 rioters. The situation was commented on by Ilhan Omar with the words, “betrayal to our country, to our democracy, to our Capitol Police.” It is clear that he has been taking a polarizing stance on this issue in America for a long time and has caused many reactions.
He immediately fired inspector generals of at least 12 major federal agencies as a “Friday night coup.” This paved the way for loyalists to play a critical role in detecting fraud, waste and abuse. Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote, “Trump is dismantling checks on his power and paving the way for widespread corruption.” Trump's side sees this move as part of a purification struggle against the establishment in Washington.
He ordered a pause on all grants and loans disbursed by the federal government, which created significant confusion across Washington, according to opponent media outlets. Representative Brittany Pettersen dubbed it “illegal” and “reckless.” His shutdown of government funding hurts a nonprofit’s ability to buy and prepare food for more than 100 veterans, as Warren claimed. “Rent is due in 5 days. The loss of funds could mean some veterans face eviction ... Pausing federal funds that rip school lunch away from preschoolers and end Meals on Wheels for seniors is not efficiency; it’s cruelty,” she added.
The immigration issue, one of the issues he talked about most during his election campaign, was also the subject of his most controversial and reactionary actions in his early days. He issued an executive order against birthright citizenship, which was struck down by a federal court. Many pregnant women have fears now. He also eliminated policies that prevented Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from raiding churches, schools and hospitals.
In addition, he announced his decision to build a 30,000-person immigration facility at Guantanamo. This decision, which suggests that he will use this place, which is a stain on American history, as a prison camp, means making the stain bigger rather than erasing it.
Trump pulled the country out of the Paris climate agreement and initiated plans to open larger areas in Alaska to oil drilling. His predecessor, Joe Biden, had decided otherwise, saying, "Drilling off these coasts could cause irreversible damage to places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meet our nation's energy needs." Trump has long viewed this idea as foolish and promised to take action against it.
Another action he took that aligns with his pre-election rhetoric is related to LGBTQ issues. On his first day, Trump signed executive orders proclaiming only two biological sexes. He also halted diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and cut off access to reproductiverights.gov. All these actions are quite consistent with his pre-election rhetoric.
Trump ensured that a 25% levy on Canadian and Mexican imports and an additional 10% tax on Chinese goods would come into force. Some predict this will negatively impact inflation. In October 2024, Elon Musk said Trump would bring "temporary hardship" for Americans. There are also concerns that he will protect giant corporations, an issue for which he has always been criticized.
His most striking statement so far has been about Canada and Greenland. He openly reflects on his desire to conquer these places. We have a Trump who has been portraying himself as one of the greatest presidents in history for years, his movement as the greatest movement in the country's history, and almost everything he presents as an achievement is presented as the best in history. Although these comments are exaggerated, they clearly show his desire to be remembered as one of the greatest figures in history. In his sense, the greatest rulers have always expanded their territory and he is probably trying to close this gap. The strategic justifications discussed do not change the fact that the U.S. can determine a policy to protect its interests without conquering those places. Therefore, it is helpful to read the desire for conquest through Trump's personality.
He started to fulfill his promises regarding ideology and culture as soon as he came to power in 2017. At that time, he had serious anti-Muslim rhetoric. When he came, he immediately put into effect the decision known as the "Muslim Ban." Likewise, as part of his criticism of the economy, he cut the suspended Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgage insurance rate an hour after he took office, just as he cut funds now. Back in 2017, he was criticized that he had made it harder for tens of thousands of families to afford a home. This criticism somehow seems to have been proven right when viewed today. Data in 2024 shows that rent was less affordable under Trump. Back to the present, Trump pledged to bring down food prices on Day 1. Instead, eggs are getting more expensive, according to CNN. So, while he keeps ideological promises that are relatively easy to maintain, the situation may change for economic promises that are harder to keep.
Many people often describe Trump as “unpredictable.” I have personally disagreed, arguing that while there is a certain degree of unpredictability in any politician, Trump is among the most obvious ones. Slowly and eventually, others come around to this point. Michael Shear of The New York Times wrote that Trump’s message in his first week was “take me at my word.” However, he gave this message in his first term.
But this message has exceptions. He said in April 2016 he believed in raising taxes on the wealthy. He talked a big game about Wall Street during his campaign. Then he signed an executive order to review the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial regulations, which some people on Wall Street say are overly restrictive, on Feb. 3, 2017. He put Goldman Sachs execs in charge. He brought Steve Mnuchin and now Scott Bessent as the head of the Treasury. The list goes on and he has deceived many people about this matter. Some of the promises he made that he could not keep will probably be related to this issue.
