As expected after his inauguration on January 20, 2025, as US President, Donald Trump signed a flurry of orders. Some of the important orders Trump signed were: US withdrawal from the World Health Organisation (WHO), US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, removal of the birthright citizenship act and imposition of emergency on US-Mexico borders.
A few points need to be kept in mind. First, the US can only pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement next year. During Trump’s previous presidency US had pulled out of the agreement, and had faced stiff opposition from several US governors and mayors. The C40 Cities, a global network of mayors of the leading cities of the world, has opposed Trump’s decision. Several US Mayors who are part of the network have come down heavily on Trump’s decision. Kate Gallego, the Mayor of Phoenix (Arizona) and Climate Mayors Chair and C40 Cities Vice-Chair, while commenting on Trump’s decision pointed to “devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, extreme summer temperatures in Phoenix, and hard-hitting hurricanes in North Carolina and Florida” and said that the cost of “inaction” would be too high.
The US rejoined the Agreement when Joe Biden took over. The agreement seeks to reduce global warming temperatures. Trump dubbed the agreement as a “rip off”. The White House also announced a “national energy emergency” which will reverse some of the US policies on climate and focus on enhancing oil production.
The US decision to pull out from the WHO was expected. During the fag end of his presidency, Trump had been critical of the organisation in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. The order issued by Trump regarding withdrawal from WHO said: “mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states”
If one were to look at Trump’s order which seeks to end birthright citizenship it has already been challenged by attorneys of 18 US states — “The President has no authority to rewrite or nullify a constitutional amendment or duly enacted statute. Nor is he empowered by any other source of law to limit who receives United States citizenship at birth.”
Trump has also warned that he would impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico by Feb. 1 and on BRICS+ nations if they go in for de-dollarisation. While addressing the World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos, virtually Trump said that companies should manufacture in the US and they would be provided tax incentives. If they do not then they will face tariffs.
While Trump’s decisions on immigration may face stiff legal opposition and similarly the US cannot pull out from the Paris agreement internationally. By signing orders on the first day itself, Trump has sent out a message to Making America Great Again (MAGA) supporters that he stands for what is dubbed as ‘America first’. Trump’s orders on day 1 along with his address to the WEF underscore the following issues; a rising scepticism vis-à-vis multilateralism, economic insularity, inward looking immigration policies and a clear tilt towards the right on social issues. This trend is clearly visible not just in the Anglosphere but other countries as well.
Whether Trump can ultimately implement his agenda on the ground remains to be seen, but the US President is clearly beginning to set an agenda which will be tough for his political opponents to ignore. Trump’s stance on economic issues resulted in the Democrats revising their stance on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which was conceived by former US President Barack Obama. While the far right and far left in the US may differ on social issues, but on economic issues there is a convergence between MAGA and sections of the Democrats. This includes not just trade issues, but also the H-1B visa issue.
The 47th US President is not predictable, and it is too early to make any forecasts over the next four years regarding his policies. Whether he can actually push through certain orders remains to be seen but he will certainly force political opponents in the US to re-think their approach towards certain economic issues. While there is no doubt that a lot of the anti-globalization rhetoric is over the top on issues like immigration, it is also true that a well thought out course correction — bereft of hype and theatrics — was inevitable. Even the scepticism vis-à-vis international organisations and their ineffectiveness is no longer restricted only to the US.
[Photo by The Trump White House, via Wikimedia Commons]
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.
Tridivesh Singh Maini is a New Delhi based analyst interested in Punjab-Punjab linkages as well as Partition Studies. Maini co-authored ‘Humanity Amidst Insanity: Hope During and After the Indo-Pak Partition’ (New Delhi: UBSPD, 2008) with Tahir Malik and Ali Farooq Malik. He can be reached at [email protected].
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