On Jan. 20, 2025 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day – President Donald Trump ascended to his second term with promises of an American “Golden Age” that will bring “A tide of change” over the country while “sunlight is pouring over the entire world.” From immigration to space exploration, Trump addressed a vast array of issues. For those who were unable to tune in on inauguration day, here is a rundown of President Trump’s inaugural address.
Immigration
Echoing his 2016 sentiments, Trump plans to rebalance the “Scales of Justice” through mass deportation. While stereotyping migrants as “dangerous criminals, many from prisons and mental institutions,” during his speech, Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border. Met with a standing ovation, Trump continued, “We will begin the process of returning millions and millions of ‘criminal aliens’ back to the places from which they came.”
Trump also reinstated the Remain in Mexico Policy. Initially passed in 2019, the policy forces asylum seekers at the southern border to remain in Mexico until their court hearings, leaving them vulnerable to violence in the country.
During the address, Trump announced the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico and Denali Mountain to the Gulf of America and Mount McKinley, respectively.
The Panama Canal was also a point of contention. “China is operating the Panama Canal, and we didn’t give it to China. We gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back.”
Hours after the inauguration, Trump ordered that Immigration and Customs Enforcement can now enter “sensitive locations” to make arrests. This includes childcare facilities, places of worship and medical treatment centers.
Climate Change
Beyond immigration policies, Trump also addressed the ongoing wildfires in California and the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which devastated North Carolina in September of last year. In his remarks, he criticized the previous administration’s lack of support in North Carolina and took the opportunity to highlight the misfortune that befell millionaires in Los Angeles. Specifically, Trump stated that it was “affecting some of the wealthiest and most powerful individuals in our country, some of whom are sitting here right now. They don’t have a home any longer, that’s interesting.”
Oil and gas drilling is one of the largest sources of air pollution in the United States. Further, research shows that climate change increases the risk of wildfires and other natural disasters. Despite the effects of climate change happening in real-time, Trump plans to end the Green New Deal, revoke the electrical vehicle mandate and “drill baby drill.”
Everyday Society
In his mission to restore “common sense” in the United States, Trump issued an Executive Order during his address to stop government censorship and bring back freedom of speech in America. “Never again will the power of the state be weaponized to persecute political opponents. Something I know something about.”
Trump stated that race and gender will no longer be socially engineered into public and private life and that “we will forge a colorblind and merit-based society.” This included the establishment of an “official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female.”
Trump promised to restore nationalism in the American education system and “launch American astronauts to plant the stars and stripes on planet Mars.”
Other highlights from the inaugural address included announcing the establishment of the Department of Government Efficiency which will be headed by Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who was perceived to have made two Sieg Heil salutes during Trump’s Inauguration. When criticized for his actions, Musk responded on X with puns on the names of prominent German Nazis: “Don’t say Hess to Nazi accusations! Some people will Goebbels anything down!.”
Trump’s presidency is shaping up to be a significant shift in the political landscape. As the United States enters this new ‘Golden Age,’ the impact of Trump’s policies is expected to expand far beyond national borders, ultimately reshaping global, political and economic order.
