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Inauguration of Donald Trump -

On January 20, President Donald Trump was inaugurated into office, marking the beginning of his second term. In addition to the usual crowd of attendees (former presidents and Supreme Court justices), a slew of tech CEOs and right-wing foreign leaders made their way to Washington as well.

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Attendees -

Controversial leaders such as Argentina's President Javier Milei and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attended the event, marking the first time since 1874 that foreign leaders attend a transfer-of-power ceremony.

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Tech CEOs -

In addition, a never-before-seen gathering of tech CEOs, including Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Tesla's Elon Musk, among others, attended the inauguration, representing some of the richest people in America.

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Executive orders -

The first day of the second term of Trump's presidency made headlines not just due to the irregular composition of attendees, but also because of the extensive amount of executive orders the president issued on his first day in office.

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What is an executive order? -

Executive orders are official statements issued by the president on how the federal government should be managed. According to AP News, these orders can consist of "instructions to federal agencies or requests for reports."

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Congress -

Executive orders are also a strategy that a president may use to bypass Congress. But members of Congress may still act to impede the implementation of an executive order by creating funding roadblocks or other impediments.

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Pardoning of January 6 participants -

One of Trump's first executive orders was the pardoning of approximately 1,500 individuals involved in the January 6 riots on the US Capitol, which left five people dead and over 170 injured.

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Commuted sentences -

The rioters faced criminal charges and convictions regarding the actions of the rioters on that day. Depending on the individual case, Trump commuted their prison sentences or dismissed their case entirely.

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End to federal cases -

In another executive order, the newly inaugurated president put an end to federal cases against “political opponents of the Biden administration," referring specifically to his supporters.

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Investigation -

This order directs the Attorney General to investigate federal government activities that occurred throughout the Biden administration, including those conducted through the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Federal Trade Commission.

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Memorandum -

The American president also signed a memorandum, described as largely symbolic, that directs federal agencies to combat consumer inflation, although it's unclear how.

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Oil and natural gas -

In addition to repealing Biden's actions regarding attempts to slow down climate change, Trump also issued an executive order to diminish regulatory burdens on the production of oil and natural gas, placing specific emphasis on Alaska.

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Repealing oil drilling limitations -

Accordingly, Trump repealed Biden's 2023 memo that barred oil drilling in protected zones along the Arctic. Declaring "a national energy emergency," Trump noted the repeal will work toward filling oil reserves and engaging in resource exportation.

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Withdrawal from Paris Climate Agreement -

In what many are calling a worrisome action among growing concerns for climate driven disasters, Trump made the decision to withdraw the US from the Paris Climate Agreement.

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Marking the second withdrawal -

Trump's 2025 withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement marks the second time the president has taken such action. During his first term, he also withdrew the US from the Agreement (pictured is a protestor from the first time he withdrew). Biden reversed this decision during his presidency.

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Electric vehicles -

In a move that seemed at odds with Tesla CEO, close ally, and now member of Trump's administration, Elon Musk, Trump revoked a 2021 order issued by former President Biden that established that 50% of all new vehicles sold  through 2030 would be electric.

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TikTok -

After a brief, controversial ban of TikTok, Trump signed an order to pause Congress’ ban for 75 days. During this period, Trump says he will find a US buyer for the platform.

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US buyer to preserve interests -

The president noted that identifying a US buyer that is able to protect national security interests is key in order for the social media platform to remain accessible to American users.

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Immigration -

Another executive order declared irregular immigration stemming from the US-Mexico border a national emergency. Trump has expressed that he plans to send US troops to the border to supplement the work of immigration agents to restrict asylum attempts, a move which is illegal under international law.

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CBP app -

Accordingly, on his first day in office, Trump also shut down the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) app, an application used by those awaiting decisions pertaining to their political asylum cases, in which they could follow their appointment, case, and decision. All appointments were simultaneously canceled, devastating migrants.

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Children of undocumented immigrants -

Continuing with efforts from his first administration, President Trump has once again taken steps to block citizenship acquisition for the children of immigrants who are in the US undocumented.

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Two issues -

The issues pertaining to citizenship granted to children of undocumented migrants is complex. There are two specific debates that are occurring pertaining to this. The first is that which pertains to birthright citizenship. Trump will have a difficult time outlawing this, as it is a right outlined in the US Constitution. The second is regarding children that arrived to the US with undocumented parents and remain undocumented. There are some protections provided during the Obama administration under the DACA program, which Trump seeks to challenge at-large.

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Repealing Biden's immigration orders -

The president also reversed a number of immigration orders from Biden's administration, including one that reduced deportation to those three particular groups: those who commit serious crimes, are considered national security threats, or were stopped at the border. Trump has also designated criminal cartels as terrorist organizations.

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Suspension of foreign assistance -

The president has also suspended all US foreign assistance programs for 90 days. Each program will be reviewed individually in accordance with Trump's new policy goals, leaving dependent nations vulnerable.

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Cuba -

After a short-lived, historical decision by the Biden administration, which removed Cuba from the list of state-sponsored terrorism, Trump repealed the decision and reinstated the designation for the country.

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Sanctions for West Bank settlers -

West Bank Israeli settlers were also the target of one of the many executive orders Trump issued on his first day in office. The president lifted sanctions against violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

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Death penalty -

In another concerning order, President Trump directed the Attorney General to take all action necessary to ensure states are provided with sufficient lethal injection drugs to adequately carry out executions. Trump accuses efforts to lessen death penalty measures as a subversion of the country's legislation.

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Ending "wasteful" programs -

Trump also ordered an end to all government programs that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. He deems these programs "wasteful." This order, he noted, is an attempt to protect women from "gender ideology extremism," adding that the federal government would only recognize two sexes.

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Bribery of foreign officials - On February 10, Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the US Justice Department to halt prosecuting Americans accused of bribing foreign government officials to win business. The White House said the law puts US companies at a disadvantage compared to foreign competitors, as they can't use practices that are common internationally, creating an uneven playing field.

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Supporters happy, opponents concerned -

The over 100 executive orders signed by President Trump on his first day in office the second time round also include issues pertaining to free speech, cost of living, government and federal workers, the US' membership in international organizations, among other serious measures. While his supporters are pleased, opponents see growing concerns. 

Sources: (Sky News) (AP News) (CBS News)

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