Our New President, Donald J. Trump
Hello everyone and welcome back to another week of Politics Explained. Earlier this week was Martin Luther King Jr. day, so we wish a happy MLK Day to all of you. If you're new to Politics Explained, we post short blogs every week about what is happening in Politics. This week was a very busy week with Donald Trump taking command of the White House and all of his Executive Orders being issued. Without further ado, let’s dive right in.
Earlier this week, while we celebrated MLK Day, President Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States. Trump, 78, was on the ballot for the Republicans and this will be his second term as President, previously being the President from 2017-2021. The Inauguration took place in the Capitol, as the temperatures in Washington D.C. plummeted to sub-freezing temperatures. President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance were sworn in inside of the Capitol Rotunda with many powerful people in attendance. While the freezing temperatures kept everyone inside, there was a very packed Capital One Arena full of people watching the President be inaugurated.
Later that day, the President dived straight into his work, signing many documents that included his appointments and some other Executive Orders. After Trump left Capital One Arena, he headed back to the White House, where he signed his first Executive Order which pardoned all 1,500 people who participated in the January 6th Capitol assault. Trump then proceeded to sign an Executive Order that pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organization (WHO). Trump also signed orders that stated that there are only two genders in the U.S. Trump also issued a statement for all people within the Executive Branch who were involved in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI)* programs to be put on leave. Trump signed 26 Executive Orders on Day 1 of his Presidency, which is the most by any President ever.
The day after President Trump was inaugurated, Florida Senator Marco Rubio was sworn in as the United States’s Secretary of State. Pete Hegseth, who was nominated for Defense Secretary, has passed the first vote in the Senate to be able to be voted on if he will become the Defence Secretary or not. He won the votes 51-49 with two Republican Senators joining the Democrats. Hegseth is in a good position because even if he loses one more vote he still wins as a tie gets broken by Vice President J.D. Vance. There are two more Republicans who are on the fence about Hegseth, so we will keep you updated on what happens. Also, John Ratcliffe has been confirmed to be CIA Director. Many more votes will be happening in the upcoming weeks so stay tuned!
*Definition of the Week (DEI): Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are organizational frameworks that seek to promote the fair treatment and full participation of all people, particularly groups who have historically been underrepresented or subject to discrimination on the basis of identity or disability.
