Trump Told Us His Plans, Now We Have To Believe Him

Trump was inaugurated just two days ago, and has since made clear that all of his proposed plans are well underway. From mass deportations to major setbacks in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies (specifically those protecting gender-based discrimination) Trump has already signed 26 executive orders. But we can’t act shocked. He has been outlining his plans via physical speech, Project 2025, and social studies media for years- and now that he’s holding the most powerful position in our government, it’s naïve to think he wouldn’t do the very things he’s been preaching nonstop. 

That being said, I’ve compiled a list of a few policy changes that are currently underway and what we can reasonably expect to come out of this Trump term. 

The changes that are currently underway, per the executive orders signed on Inauguration Day, include:

• Withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement, a pact that takes a collective approach to combating climate change and protecting Earth’s resources.
• Recognizing only two sexes, despite nearly 2% of the population being born intersex, meaning they don’t fit into the genetic male or female category.
• Ending birthright citizenship, meaning children born on US soil will not be US citizens if their parents are undocumented (we don’t ever use the word “illegal” to describe a human being around here!). 
• Granting clemency to the Jan. 6 rioters and pardoning those involved in or related to the riot, meaning these criminals will no longer face punishments for their actions. Note: the Jan. 6 United States Capitol Attack was conducted by a group of Trump’s supporters in an effort to prevent the finalization of Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 election…and now they’re being excused by the very man that motivated these horrific actions.
• Withdrawing from the World Health Organization, a United Nations-founded organization that promotes world-wide healthcare.
• Repealing 78 executive actions from the Biden administration, most of which, “were aimed at advancing racial equity, combating gender discrimination, addressing climate change, mobilizing the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic, adding ethics requirements for political appointees, addressing the root causes of migration, lowering prescription drug costs, imposing sanctions on Israeli settlers accused of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank and the withdrawal of offshore drilling from certain areas,” The Washington Post reports in a recent article, which can be found under the “Sources” section at the end of this post.

Those are only 6 of the 26 orders Trump has signed thus far, a record-breaking quantity of executive orders signed on the first day of a presidency. 

Aside from the current policy changes, what can we reasonably expect during this Trump term? A few of my personal predictions include:

• An increase in hate crimes. According to the US Department of Justice’s website, there were approximately 11,700 hate crimes per year for the years 2022 and 2023, both years in which Biden’s strengthened Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies were in effect. With the proposed repeal of said policies, and data trends showing us that the majority of hate crimes are motivated by race, religion, and sexual orientation-based bias, it is sensible to expect an increase.
• A federal abortion ban. Currently 19 states ban or restrict abortion and the government website “reproductiverights.org” went offline the evening of Trump’s inauguration, a clear indicator of where the nation is headed in terms of reproductive freedom. While Trump has previously claimed that he wouldn’t sign a federal ban on abortion, he has become shifty in his stance after facing backlash for his public criticism of Florida’s 6-week abortion ban, in which he said it was “a terrible thing and a terrible mistake.”
• Attacks on queer marriage rights. Similarly to Trump’s overturn of Roe V. Wade during his first term, I expect that The Respect For Marriage Act, a federal law signed by Biden in 2022 that requires all states to recognize same-sex and interracial marriages, will be repealed. The repeal of the RFMA would mean the legality of marriages fall into the hands of the states, which is extremely worrisome for same-sex and interracial couples living in conservative areas.

It is with a heavy heart that I say, I am sorry. I am sorry to those who are suffering under these policy changes, I am sorry to all of the women being deprived of their healthcare rights, I am sorry to all of the queer people and families whose safety is at stake, and I am sorry that this is only the beginning. 

But we must remember: we lost the battle, not the war. Meaning although Harris lost the presidency, the fight for equality is far from over, and it damn sure hasn’t been lost. It is our civic duty to keep advocating, protesting, and voting against the corrupt policies on the horizon. Join a local advocacy group (Facebook and Instagram are great resources!), vote in your local and state elections (small change is better than no change), and remember: any action is better than inaction.

-Lyn Jones

Sources:

• The Washington Post
• United Nations Human Rights
• Wikipedia
• American Civil Liberties Union
• The US Department of Justice 
• The New York Times
• CBS News