US President Donald Trump signed several orders and documents at the White House, including declaring a state of emergency on the border with Mexico, canceling the land law, suspending the enforcement of the TikTok law and pardoning people convicted of attacking the Capitol in 2021.
During a nearly hour-long ceremony at the White House, which was interrupted by an extraordinary press conference, Donald Trump signed more than 20 documents.
These include declaring a state of emergency on the southern border, authorizing the deployment of additional troops there, restoring the policy of returning asylum seekers to Mexico, and designating drug cartels as terrorist organizations.
READ ALSO: Trump signs eight executive orders and directives
When asked if he would consider sending US special forces to Mexico to fight the cartels, Trump said it “could happen.” “Strange things have happened,” he added.
The law of the land has been repealed, the enforcement of the TikTok law has been suspended
With the order, Trump also changed the application of the law of the land, namely the acquisition of citizenship at birth in the US. According to the published document, this law does not apply to children of illegal immigrants and people who stay in the US for a short period of time, including, for example, as part of a visa-free visit.
Trump himself admitted when he signed the document that he expected the legality of the document to be challenged in the courts, but added that “we will see what happens.”
As previously announced, Trump also declared a state of emergency in the energy sector and signed a series of regulations that repeal oil production regulations.
US President Donald Trump JIM LO SCALZO/PAP/EPA
The new president also decided to suspend the implementation of the law that prohibits the operation of TikTok under the control of China. Trump admitted that he changed his mind after using the Chinese app and how it helped him attract young voters.
He also reiterated his earlier position that he wanted to force TikTok into a joint venture with the United States that could introduce some data controls, but he downplayed the issue.
– Remember that TikTok is mainly about children, young children. “If China is going to get information about young children, frankly, we have bigger problems,” Trump said. He also did not deny that he will visit China this year.
He forgave those who stormed the Capitol
Among the most controversial of Trump’s decisions are pardons or commuted sentences for nearly 1,500 of those involved in the attack on the Capitol, including nearly all those charged in the case. Among them, Enrique Tarrio, head of the right-wing militia Proud Boys, received the longest sentence, 22 years in prison.
Trump claimed the convicts had “been in prison too long” and treated them unfairly, calling them “hostages” and claiming they had been incited to violence by “outside influencers”, including the FBI.
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, whose office was destroyed during the riots, angrily commented on Trump’s actions.
“The President’s actions are a cruel affront to our justice system and to the heroes who have suffered physical and emotional harm while defending the Capitol, Congress and the Constitution. It is shameful that the President has chosen to abandon this as one of his priorities. To the police officers who lost their lives endangering, betraying, to prevent attempts to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power,” the politician wrote on social media.
USA withdraws from WHO, war in Ukraine, Greenland
The president also took a number of foreign policy actions, including withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO), reversing President Biden’s decision to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, and sanctions against radical Jewish immigrants in the West Bank.
During this ceremony, Trump answered various questions on various topics, including the war in Ukraine. He confirmed that he plans to talk with Vladimir Putin soon and end the war in Ukraine as soon as possible. He added that Putin “can’t be surprised” by the continuation of the war and estimated Russia’s war losses at one million.
– I think that by not accepting the agreement (…) it will destroy Russia. Russia is in big trouble, he said. He said that although the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky wants to reach an agreement, he is not sure whether Putin wants to do it or not.
Trump reiterated that the US needs control over Greenland due to “international security needs” and did not rule out imposing 25 percent tariffs on Mexico and Canada.
When asked about tariffs on Chinese goods, which he also threatened, Trump said that China already has tariffs. However, he said that further Chinese tariffs would include, among others: the fate of the Panama Canal, which, according to Trump, is controlled by the Chinese. He also admitted that although he is considering imposing tariffs on all foreign goods as per his election promise, his administration is not yet ready.
When asked about his attitude toward NATO countries that spend a small percentage of their GDP on defense, such as Spain, Trump falsely suggested that Spain belonged to the BRICS bloc and threatened that it could spend 100 percent of its GDP. to pay customs duties.
He also expressed surprise that Brazil has its own proposal – together with China – to end the war in Ukraine. – How did Brazil get involved? This is something new, Trump said of the proposal, which was presented in May 2024.
The regulation was signed during the presidential parade
Earlier, even before entering the White House, in front of tens of thousands of spectators who came to the presidential parade, which was moved to the gym because of the cold, the first regulations were signed in an unusual atmosphere. The parade featured marching bands from schools across the country, including schools attended by Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
Earlier, at Capital One Arena, President Donald Trump signed eight executive orders and directives, including rescinding 78 of his predecessor’s immigration actions and withdrawing the US from the Paris Climate Agreement.
Donald Trump sworn in as the 47th President of the United States ALLISON DINNER/PAP/EPA
According to the published text of the first provision, Biden’s actions withdrawn by Trump include not only immigration provisions, but also pandemic regulations, as well as provisions on the environment, employee protections and inclusion.
The orders signed by Trump at Capital One Arena range from suspending the issuance of new regulations by government agencies, suspending employment to “taking full control of the government” and ordering all federal officials to return to office work from remote work. .
Trump also decided to sign an executive order banning “government censorship” and “stopping the weapons of justice.”
Main photo: JIM LO SCALZO/PAP/EPA
