President Donald Trump was the 45th president and is now the 47th president of the United States. He first ran for the Reform Party in 2000, then he ran as a Republican in 2016, 2020 and 2024, winning in both 2016 and 2024. In his first few months in office this time around, Trump has aimed to impact change in a wide range of areas, including:
- Illegal immigration
- Taxes and tariffs
- Size of the federal workforce
- Energy and the environment
- Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)
- LGBTQ+ rights
- Abortion rights
- Military
Immigration was a significant part of both of Trump’s campaigns. Dating back to 2016, one of his slogans pertaining to immigration has been, “Build that wall.” Although one continuous wall spanning the entire southern United States border has yet to be completed, Trump has overseen several portions that have been built. In his second term in office, a wall was built dividing California and Baja California, Arizona and Sonora, New Mexico and Chihuahua, then some of Texas and Nuevo Leon.
The wall was built with the intention to reduce illegal immigration, and the new border bill of 2025 requires Homeland Security to continue with the production of the wall.
Trump also signed an executive order to end birthright citizenship for children with immigrant parents.
Mr. Dustin Havens, a University Academy Upper School history teacher, said he thinks cutting back on immigration will help the United States in areas “including the employment rate, housing market and healthcare system, just to name a few.”
Tariffs have also become big news. A tariff is a tax imposed by the government of a country or nation. Tariffs are a form of revenue for the government. Since taking office, Trump has threatened to increase or impose taxes on countries including Canada, Mexico and China. Tariffs for China were the only tariffs increased on March 4. There has been $430 billion worth of imports affected by the increase of this tariff.
Erik Woods, a senior at University Academy, said, “I am aware that [tariffs] will only end up raising prices for tax paying Americans.”
He said he is not afraid of the outcomes of increasing tariffs just yet.
Another way the Trump administration has made waves was by telling the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to lay off more than 1,200 federal employees. On March 8, Trump cut off about 20% of the federal workforce. He has laid off more than 7,000 employees who work for the Internal Revenue Service, which is in charge of taxes.
Mr. Havens said decreasing the federal workforce has been an issue that needed attention for a while.
“Our federal government has become so bloated, inefficient and corrupt that it threatens to destroy the country. We spend far too much money and get far too little in return from our federal government,” he said.
When it comes to the environment, after taking office, Trump implemented his “America First” energy plan. The plan aims to turn the United States into a major producer of gas and oil by exports by declaring a national energy emergency and expediting approval for oil and gas projects. He also reversed several energy-related actions from former president Joe Biden’s administration, including lifting the ban the Biden Administration placed on gas and oil production in Alaska.
Trump has also made it his mission to eliminate DEI programs. Trump signed an executive order that restored receiving merit based promotions and ended DEI programs that were deemed wasteful.
Woods said, “Regarding DEI, I believe this legislation only affects businesses that have things like DEI hiring practices.”
President Trump also plans to remove anti-discrimination policies that currently help protect the LGBTQ+ community, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. He intends to clarify that federal civil right statutes do not cover anti-LGBTQ discrimination. According to the same source, Trump believes that America should not operate with preference to race and sex. This could potentially impact the employment, housing, education and healthcare opportunities for people in the LGTQ+ community.
Woods said, “I don’t think Trump should be meddling in the affairs of random [LGBTQ+] teens. He should be trying to deliver the economic promises that he said he would.”
Abortion has been a huge topic for Trump’s campaign, as well. Roe v. Wade, which determined women had rights to their own bodies and the right to an abortion, was overturned on June 24, 2022, which put abortion rights into the national spotlight. After taking office in January, Trump cut federal funding that would help fund or promote elective abortions. People advocating for women’s abortions rights are contacting the Food and Drug Administration in hopes of being able to allow these emergency abortion pills.
On the military side of things, Trump campaigned on a promise of improving the United States’ defense against other nations. After taking office, he signed an executive order that would deploy a next generation missile defense shield as part of his “America First” plan. The ban of DEI programs has impacted the military, as well.
Trump’s 100th day in his fourth term in office is coming up on April 30. Keep an eye out for what else Trump has in store for the United States.
