Throughout his campaign, 47th President Donald J. Trump promised to enact significant changes early into his presidency, especially on day one. On Jan. 20, 2025, Trump signed 26 executive orders, tackling a portion of the topics he built his platform on: immigration, national security and social policies. In the weeks since, he has enacted many more. Here’s a summary of some of the biggest changes Trump has made so far.
On the night of Jan. 18, TikTok users were met with a pop-up message that read, “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. … We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok …” signaling that the app was unavailable for users in the U.S. Just 14 hours later, the app was restored (though unavailable to download on the app store), displaying the message, “... As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!”
Users noted small changes to the app once they returned: International posts on the “for you page” (FYP) became less common, as did posts about social justice causes. TikTok denied these claims, stating, “Our policies and algorithms did not change over the weekend.” It remains unclear how Trump was able to restore TikTok before he officially took office, and critics emphasize that he is responsible for the ban in the first place. In 2020, the U.S. government, under the Trump administration, considered banning TikTok if the app was not sold to an American company. Now, five years later, the same ultimatum is being presented as Congress lends ByteDance (TikTok’s parent company) 90 days to decide, Trump saying he will decide on TikTok’s fate “probably over the next 30 days.” This move aims to prioritize national security and protect the American economy by safeguarding American users’ data from potential foreign surveillance.
The Trump administration’s “America first” ideology extends beyond digital policies to physical foreign affairs. In parallel with stricter policies on foreign companies, the administration has intensified its immigration policies. During his inauguration speech, Trump made several references to his plans for immigration, a main pillar of his campaign platform, including cracking down on the U.S.-Mexico border and mass deportations. That day, he declared a state of emergency at the southern U.S. border, allowing the use of military forces to secure it and deploying 1,500 troops shortly after.
In addition, Trump called for a series of ICE raids, starting in major cities, stating that any city that refuses these raids will stop receiving government funding. These raids are being done broadly, not directly targeting ‘violent criminals’ as previously claimed. On Jan. 27, ICE arrested nearly 1,200 people, out of those, only about 52% were considered “criminal arrests.” The rest were non-violent offenders or people whose only crime is a lack of documentation, which is considered a civil offense, not a criminal offense. In the weeks since, the Trump administration has enlisted the U.S. military to help with deportations using military cargo jets to fly migrants back to their home countries. Reports state that 7,300 people were deported within the first week of Trump’s presidency.
Alongside intensified immigration actions, Trump has made significant changes to federal diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) programs. DEI programs work to promote fair treatment of historically under-represented and marginalized groups. The order points out that DEI programs include race-based and sex-based aspects but fails to mention that veteran status, disability, religion and age are all factors that are categorized under DEI programs.
On the first day of his term, Trump signed an executive order terminating federal DEI programs placing all federal employees working within these programs on paid leave with the intention of firing them. The order also led to the cancellation of DEI-related grants and contracts, affecting organizations relying on federal funding for their diversity and inclusion efforts. As a result, many private companies have begun terminating their own DEI initiatives. This has displaced many American workers, especially federal employees leading DEI initiatives who were let go without warning. It’s worth noting the language in the order that is used to describe the programs, calling them “radical,” “wasteful” and “discriminatory,” arguing that DEI programs undermine “merit-based” hiring practices.
Beyond changes to social policies, the Trump administration has been active on the environmental front. Trump has signed a number of bills relevant to environmental protection efforts, including pulling the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement, doubling down on domestic oil and gas production, and eliminating former President Joe Biden’s electric vehicle goals. Experts warn that these decisions could exacerbate our ongoing climate disaster. The Paris Agreement is an international treaty holding 196 parties accountable for reversing climate change. Pulling out means the U.S. government will no longer try to meet emissions reduction goals. This, combined with President Trump's “drill, baby, drill” domestic oil production order, could contribute to environmental decline as scientists warn that increased drilling leads to more greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, to double U.S. oil drilling, Trump declared an energy emergency via executive order, allowing the U.S. to use private land for drilling. This raises concerns about potential damage to ecosystems and water resources.
Overall, Trump was busy during his first weeks in office, making significant changes that will have a lasting impact on the American people. His actions on immigration, social policies and the environment set a clear tone for his administration’s goals. While supporters may be grateful for these actions, many remain critical of the long-term effects on free speech, social equity, civil rights and the environment. As the American people grapple with these changes, the political landscape continues to change under the leadership of a new president.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.