by Audrey Farris ‘25

Trump, since his inauguration, has pushed for massive changes to the Federal Government.

When Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States earlier this year after his victory over Kamala Harris in a contentious election last year, he quickly set in motion a whirlwind of executive actions and policy shifts that reflect the themes of his campaign: economic revival, immigration reform, and a tougher stance on international relations. These, among other issues, have been grouped and coined as “America First” policies. Running parallel to his efforts to make good on his campaign promises is the implementation of the Project 2025 agenda that Trump distanced himself from while running for president last summer.

One of the Trump administration’s priorities upon taking office was to reshape the federal workforce. Trump issued an executive order aimed at curbing the size of the federal bureaucracy, pushing for greater efficiency and cost reduction. At the same time, Trump is filling positions both through nominations and appointments, with those who share his views but just as importantly are viewed as loyal to him. Trump has sought to expand the use of “Schedule F,” a classification that allows for the easier removal of federal employees based on political loyalty, which he argues is necessary to ensure that federal agencies align with his agenda. Recently, tens of thousands of probationary employees who started working in the federal government in the past 1-2 years have received notice of their termination.

His administration has also pushed forward with reducing union influences in the workplace, arguing that unions impede governmental efficiency while promoting policies that limit the scope of collective bargaining. Notably, one of Trump’s executive orders ended DEI, or Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs, in all aspects of the federal government, resulted in mass firings across government agencies.In response, many of those employees with DEI positions or attended DEI trainings, are suing Trump and his administration for wrongful termination.

Trump has consistently prioritized tightening immigration policies, most notably with his “Build the wall” messaging from his 2016 campaign and his transition in 2024 to have the “largest mass deportation program in history.” Before taking office, he planned on enforcing stricter vetting for immigrants and limiting illegal immigration and had also emphasized eliminating the number of refugees and asylum seekers allowed into the United States.

Upon taking office, Trump wasted no time revisiting these core promises. He signed an executive order calling for the immediate continuation and completion of the U.S.-Mexico border wall, which had been stalled during his first term. Another he signed in an attempt to end birthright citizenship, which is a right guaranteed by the Constitution, but was stopped by two separate federal judges within days of being signed. Trump’s administration has also reinstated and expanded the “Remain in Mexico” policy for asylum seekers, requiring them to wait in Mexico while their claims are processed. Additionally, his administration has called for sweeping changes to the asylum system, proposing limitations on political asylum eligibility and increased detention time for individuals apprehended at the border.

In addition to tightening border security measures, Trump has emphasized the importance of cracking down on sanctuary cities and illegal immigration within the United States, directing federal agencies to withhold funding from cities that do not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. Within days of Trump taking office, the number of ICE raids across the country dramatically increased, and some immigrants being apprehended by ICE are being held in the infamous Guantanamo Bay detention camp, which was initially established under the Bush administration to hold illegal enemy combatants and terrorism suspects. Reportedly, some migrant detainees are being guarded by U.S. military personnel. Trump has advocated for expanding U.S. energy production. He has promised to roll back environmental regulations that he views as restrictive to energy development, aiming to make the United States less reliant on foreign energy sources, further promoting “America First” policies. After being sworn in, one of Trump’s first actions was to approve of the Keystone XL pipeline, whose construction had been stalled under the Biden administration. In addition, Trump’s administration has worked to eliminate regulations on fossil fuel industries, including easing restrictions on coal mining and drilling on federal lands. The Energy Department has been directed to increase domestic production of oil, gas, and coal to make the U.S. less reliant on foreign energy resources.

On the environmental front, Trump has largely continued the deregulation approach of his first term, repealing numerous Obama-era and Biden-era climate policies. He has reversed vehicle emissions standards and challenged renewable energy mandates, as well as implemented executive orders that directly combat these mandates. These executive orders have reversed a tax credit for those who purchase electric vehicles that was originally implemented under the Biden administration, as well as banning federal use of paper straws claiming they “don’t work,” and instead requiring the government to exclusively use plastic.

Trump’s approach to international affairs is more diplomatically isolationist, militarily non-interventionist, and economically protectionist. He has pledged the expansion of the military, as well as claiming that he will acquire Greenland, re-acquire the Panama Canal, and take over Canada, all evidence of his growing imperialistic impulses. Trump also set his sights on the idea of the United States taking over the Gaza Strip and that Palestinians should relocate to such countries as Egypt and Jordan.

Last week, he talked with Russian President Vladimir Putin and they indicated that they will complete a “peace deal” in the Russia-Ukraine War that presumably will allow Russia to retain the land in Ukraine that Russia occupies.

Since his inauguration, Trump has withdrawn the U.S. from several international agreements, including revisiting his decision to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organization. Most recently, Trump has dismantled USAID, one of the largest official aid organizations in the world, which served as the main provider of foreign aid in the country. While both Trump and Musk haven’t provided clear explanations with accurate evidence, they have both made broad claims that USAID has abused taxpayer money, citing a list of USAID projects including a grant of $1.5 million to an LGBTQ group in Serbia and $2.5 million for electric vehicles in Vietnam among others.

Critics have claimed that these projects have not been framed truthfully, though, and a Trump-appointed judge blocked a plan to put more than 2,000 USAID employees on leave, calling Trump’s attempt to dismantle USAID without Congressional approval “unconstitutional and illegal.” Another federal judge ordered the Trump administration to reinstate funding for foreign aid contracts and other awards while litigation moves forward.

Trump has continued his hardline economic stance, imposing new tariffs on Chinese and Canadian goods, imposing new, extreme tariffs, and ramping up sanctions with Chinese tech companies. He has also advocated for decoupling the U.S. economy from China by reducing dependency on Chinese imports. Trump has also been vocal of his skepticism of NATO and other international alliances, advocating for a transactional approach to U.S. involvement in global organizations.

Trump’s array of actions over the past month have led to a lot of uncertainty among Americans, and many are asking questions about what the next four years will look like. Currently, it is uncertain where the executive orders and other actions will go, due to the number of judicial disputes and blocks across various actions Trump has taken.