On January 20, 2025, President Donald J. Trump was sworn into office, becoming the 47th president of the United States, and commencing his second term as president. The inauguration coincidentally fell on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Many Americans tuned in from home to witness the inauguration, and the many things Trump promised to do within his second term.
To start off his speech, Trump made the grand announcement that “the golden age of America” had begun. He stated that “from [that] day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world.” He promised that during every day of his administration, America will be put first. Trump made mention of the assassination attempt that occurred in July of 2024, claiming that he believed he was “saved by God to make America great again.”
The President gave thanks to the Black and Hispanic communities, and the “love and trust” they showed him with their votes. He also made mention of Martin Luther King Jr., and stated that together America would strive to honor his dream.
Throughout the entirety of the speech, the President made many promises about what was to come during his administration. He had a full list of executive orders that would be signed that day. Firstly, Trump declared a national emergency at the Southern border. All illegal entry would be immediately stopped, and the process of returning “millions and millions of criminal aliens” would begin. He also announced that his “Remain in Mexico” policy, from his first presidential term, would be reinstated. For those unfamiliar with the policy, it states that migrants who are seeking asylum (fleeing their homes and coming to the U.S.) must stay in Mexico until the day of their U.S. immigration court case arrives.
Next, Trump promised to battle the high inflation and costs that took America by storm in the past four years. He claims it was caused by “massive overspending and escalating energy prices.” To combat this, Trump wants to utilize the large amounts of oil and gas in America. He states that “we will drill, baby, drill.” He also ended the Green New Deal, revoked the electric car mandate, and declared a national energy emergency. “In other words,” he stated, “you’ll be able to buy the car of your choice.”
President Trump also stated that instead of taxing citizens so as to enrich other countries, he would instead utilize tariffs and foreign taxes in order to enrich the citizens of America. He has established the External Revenue Service.
He has promised that he will sign an executive order to “immediately stop all government censorship and bring back free speech to America.” Trump also claimed that he will reinstate service members who were expelled from the military for refusing to receive the COVID vaccination.
Finally, the President stated that, henceforth, it will be the official policy of the U.S. government that “there are only two genders, male and female.” He promises to forge a society that is “colorblind and merit-based,” stopping the practice of implementing race and gender into “every aspect of public and private life.”
To end his speech, the 47th President left the audience with a sense of hope and confidence for the future: “The future’s ours. And our golden age has just begun. Thank you, God bless America, thank you all.”
Overall, Trump’s inauguration speech has certainly left America with both questions and answers. He clarified what exactly his second term will focus on, while also giving Americans insight into his future policies and ideas. The country can only wonder how the next four years will play out under the administration of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance.
