 "A woman gestures as people wait for US President Donald Trump, as he attends an event about the economy at the Circa Resort and Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada, on January 25. Reuters")
We are living in Donald Trump’s America… the “golden age” in his own words. The Republican took oath on Monday (January 20), marking a historic comeback to the White House.
In his first few days in office, the US president has signed a flurry of executive orders, putting millions in his country at unease. As promised during his campaign, he is cracking down on immigration, going after DEI programmes and has vowed to end birthright citizenship .
Turning his attention to the world, Trump has promised tariffs – so far on Mexico and Canada. He has pulled the US out of WHO and the Paris Climate Agreement , has changed his tone on Vladimir Putin, seems to have spared China (for now), and has threatened to cut spending to Nato.
There have also been some rumblings within the Trump administration. India-American Republican leader and billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy has pulled out of Doge (department of government efficiency) and “First Buddy” Elon Musk has lashed out at Trump for backing the world’s largest AI project, Stargate . The X and SpaceX owner has also waded into a controversy over a “Nazi” salute.
The Trump family has been in the spotlight – Melania Trump upping her fashion game (the “inauguration hat” deserves a special mention) and Barron Trump overshadowing the rest – literally.
We discuss all this and more in our weekly roundup of explainers on Trump’s inauguration and the days after.
1. Let’s start with Inauguration Day. It was freezing in Washington DC. The Arctic Blast forced the ceremony indoors, the first in 40 years. Trump and his vice president JD Vance took oath inside the Capitol Rotunda in the presence of family, former US president, Big Tech CEOs and more.
There was, of course, a lot to talk about. The incoming president had two Bibles at his swearing-in but didn’t place his hand on it. Then there was the kiss that wasn’t. He bent to peck Melania but the now-famous hat came in the way… awkward much. There was Zuckerberg’s “creepy” stare and other moments that will give us memes for days to come. Here’s a flashback from the inauguration.
2. The US president hit the ground running. Hours after taking oath, he signed a flurry of executive orders . While some were expected, the others came as a shock. Trump pardoned almost all January 6 rioters – even those who assaulted policemen and rampaged Congressional offices. He announced that the US has only two genders – male and female – leaving millions of transpeople at risk.
As part of the “Maga” campaign, he promised to tighten the US-Mexico border and end birthright citizenship. Here’s a look at the big decisions Potus took on Day 1 of his presidency.
3. Among the most controversial orders by Trump is the one to end birthright citizenship . It has become a subject of debate and concern.
According to the US Constitution, all persons born or naturalised in the United States are citizens. But Trump wants to change that and offer citizenship only to those with at least one parent as a US citizen or a green card holder or with one parent in the US military.
The Indian community , which is the largest diaspora in the US, is worried. If Trump has his way (which is no cakewalk), how could it affect them? Could this also hurt, Usha Vance, the newly minted Second Lady, who is of Indian origin? We explain .
4. There is no place for diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) in today’s America. The new administration has moved to end affirmative action in federal contracting and directed that all federal diversity, equity and inclusion staff be put on paid leave and eventually be laid off.
When did the US start DEI programmes and why is Trump going after it? Here’s all you need to know.
5. There are already cracks appearing in Team Trump. Vivek Ramaswamy has quit Doge (department of government efficiency), the cost-cutting initiative he co-led with Elon Musk. But was it over H1-B visas? Was Musk the reason for his exit? This story looks at the possibilities.
6. Musk is one of the most divisive people in the world today. The world’s richest man triggered a row because of a hand gesture at Trump’s inaugural parade. Many experts have compared it to the Nazi salute. But what’s the history of this salute associated with fascists? And did Musk imitate it?
7. The story of Trump’s inauguration is complete without the mention of Melania’s boater hat. As a fashion writer wrote in the BBC it had “main character energy”. We couldn’t agree more. The headgear somewhat hid the First Lady’s eyes and even came in the way of the Inauguration Day kiss. Internet sleuths had a field day spewing conspiracy theories around it. We bring you some . It’s great for laughs.
Happy Sunday and happy reading. If you like the way we explain the news, you can come back here for more.