By Armstrong Williams
Inauguration Day for the 45th, and now 47th, of the United States, Donald Trump, featured a host of events in which Trump was in attendance. The inauguration, of course. The inaugural luncheon. The parade at the Capitol One Arena. The Commander-in-Chief's ball and The Liberty Ball. And finally, his first night at the White House. It was a well-orchestrated spectacle that will be remembered for years, as Trump infused his unique brand of entertainment into the festivities.
However, it appeared that Trump was eager to prioritise work over pleasure at the Capital One Arena. In addition to addressing and celebrating with a crowd of 20,000 supporters, he seated himself at a desk and did something unprecedented. In the centre of the arena, he sat down and signed several executive orders to resounding applause from the audience, later tossing the individual pens used for each signature into the crowd, like a t-shirt toss at a Washington Wizards game — very on brand for Trump.
In total, Trump signed twenty-six executive orders, twelve memoranda, and four proclamations.
To start, Trump signed an executive order that revoked 78 executive orders and memoranda signed by former-President Biden, which include numerous issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and climate change.
Trump also signed executive orders mandating that all federal employees resume full-time, in-person work, an executive order to suspend federal hiring, excluding the military and other key categories. He also signed an executive order to end the weaponisation of government and instructed the Attorney General to “identify and take appropriate action to correct . . . politically motivated” actions within the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Trade Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission and other federal agencies. Additionally, he signed an executive order on freedom of speech and mandated the government to terminate collusion with big tech companies regarding speech on their platform—an action the Biden administration was found to have often and controversially engaged in.
Furthermore, he signed an executive order restricting the implementation of new regulations, an objective he has maintained since his first term to mitigate the expanding volume of federal regulations that experts note encumbers thousands of businesses and cause unsuspecting Americans to be imprisoned and heavily fined. He also signed an executive order to withdraw the United States from several climate agreements, including the Paris Agreement—these agreements, Trump has stated, would have ultimately destabilised the US economy and incurred trillions of costs to taxpayers.
Trump also signed an executive order to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO). Many in the international community criticise the WHO for withholding crucial information early in the virus's emergence, which could have aided in preparation and mitigating harm. Critics point out the WHOs cozy relationship with China at the expense of the United States. The United States contributes the most of any country by far to the WHO.
Trump fulfilled his campaign commitment to pardon all 1,500 individuals prosecuted for their involvement in the Capitol riot on January 6th and dismissed all outstanding indictments against other participants. Trump has repeatedly stated that the Capitol rioters were penalised unjustly for their actions, that although they trespassed in the Capitol, the gravity of the charges levied against them was markedly disproportionate to other federal offences typically prosecuted by the DOJ. Many note the lack of arrests or investigations into the frequent riots by left-wing groups on federal property.
Controversially, he diverged from his Republican colleagues and signed an executive order postponing the TikTok ban for an additional 75 days. Despite uncertainties regarding the legality of Trump's actions, the DOJ possesses the authority to impose penalties on TikTok and other providers that offer the applications and websites that ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, owns. Trump has indicated that, for the time being, he would direct the DOJ to refrain from enforcing these penalties.
Trump also signed an executive order revoking the security clearance of 50 former intelligence officials, specifically those who signed on to the notorious 2020 letter asserting that the Hunter Biden laptop, right towards the tail-end of the contentious 2020 election, was part of a Russian disinformation campaign. Trump evidently believes that the collaboration between the Democratic Party and these former intelligence officials strongly suggests collusion, and that they should not have used their credentials to bolster their credibility during a political hit job was unbecoming of people with that privilege.
Through his actions of eliminating governmental corruption, reinstating in-person employment, and withdrawing from international organisations and agreements, Trump is showing that he has evolved into a seasoned veteran. Agree with him or not, he now knows exactly what he can do and he’s ready to take action.
* Armstrong Williams is an American political commentator, entrepreneur, author, and talk show host. Williams writes a nationally syndicated newspaper column, has hosted a daily radio show, and hosts a nationally syndicated television program called The Armstrong Williams Show.
** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.