As President Donald Trump approaches the first-month mark in his second time period, he has moved with dizzying pace and blunt pressure to reorder American social and political norms and the economic system whereas redefining the U.S. function on the earth.
On the identical time, he has empowered Elon Musk, an unelected, South African-born billionaire, to assist engineer the firing of 1000’s of federal staff and probably shutter complete companies created by Congress.
These efforts have largely overshadowed Trump’s crackdowns on immigration and the U.S.-Mexico border, and his efforts to remake social coverage by wiping out range, fairness and inclusion applications and rolling again transgender rights.
The president has additionally imposed scores of recent tariffs in opposition to U.S. commerce companions and threatened extra, at the same time as economists warn that may go prices on to U.S. customers and feed inflation.
This is a have a look at the primary 4 weeks:
What number of government orders has Trump issued up to now in 2025?
Govt Actions: 108 TOTAL
Govt Orders: 73
Proclamations: 23
Memorandums: 12
President Trump signed extra government orders in his first 10 days, and in his first month in workplace, than any current president has of their first 100 days.
In a speech on Wednesday, President Trump stated his administration was placing each college receiving federal funding on discover that in the event that they “let men take over women’s sports teams” they might “be investigated for violations of Title IX.”
Mass federal firings start
The Trump administration fired 1000’s of staff who have been nonetheless in probationary durations frequent amongst new hires. Some had lower than an hour to go away their places of work.
These probably shedding jobs embody medical scientists, power infrastructure specialists, international service staff, FBI brokers, prosecutors, academic and farming information consultants, abroad help staff and even human sources personnel who would in any other case should handle the dismissals.
On the Client Monetary Safety Bureau, which was created to guard the general public after the 2008 monetary disaster, staff say the administration not solely needs to chop practically the whole workforce but in addition erase all its information from the previous 12 years. The administration agreed to pause any additional dismantling of the company till March 3, below a decide’s order.
Whereas Trump promised to show Washington the other way up, his strikes might have far-reaching implications for 1000’s of federal staff across the nation and drive up the unemployment price if massive numbers of layoffs occur directly.
Authorized challenges mount
Court docket challenges to Trump’s insurance policies began on Inauguration Day and have continued at a livid tempo since Jan. 20. The administration is going through some 70 lawsuits nationwide difficult his government orders and strikes to downsize the federal authorities.
The Republican-controlled Congress is placing up little resistance, so the court docket system is floor zero for pushback. Judges have issued greater than a dozen orders a minimum of briefly blocking points of Trump’s agenda, starting from an government order to finish U.S. citizenship prolonged routinely to folks born on this nation to giving Musk’s group entry to delicate federal information.
Whereas lots of these judges have been nominated by Democratic presidents, Trump has gotten unfavorable rulings from judges picked by Republican presidents, too. Trump instructed he might goal the judiciary, saying, “Maybe we have to look at the judges.” The administration has said in the meantime that it will appeal, while White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt railed against the orders slowing the president’s agenda, calling each “an abuse of the rule of law.”
The administration has notched a number of wins, too, most importantly when a decide allowed it to maneuver ahead with a deferred resignation program spearheaded by Musk.
The financial outlook worsens
Amid the coverage upheaval, the newest financial information might immediate some White Home worries.
Inflation rose at a month-to-month price of 0.5% in January, based on the Labor Division. Over the previous three months, the buyer worth index has elevated at an annual price of 4.5% — an indication that inflation is heating up once more after having cooled for a lot of 2024.
Trump advised voters he might decrease inflation, and achieve this virtually instantly after taking workplace. However Leavitt, whereas blaming Trump’s predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden, acknowledged the newest inflation indicators have been “worse than anticipated.”
Extra hassle indicators got here when the Commerce Division reported that retail gross sales slumped 0.9% on a month-to-month foundation in January. A drop that enormous might sign a weakening in shopper confidence and financial progress.
The Federal Reserve’s report on industrial manufacturing additionally discovered that manufacturing unit output slipped 0.1% in January, largely resulting from a 5.2% drop within the making of motor automobiles and elements.
These might all be blips, which implies the month-to-month information in February will actually matter.
President Donald Trump revoked an government order that banned discrimination by federal contractors and subcontractors, a part of his effort to crack down on federal range applications.
The ‘fair trade’ Trump needs is not essentially truthful
After beforehand imposing tariffs on China and readying import taxes on Canada and Mexico, Trump rolled out what he known as the “big one.” He stated his administration would put collectively new tariffs within the coming weeks and months to match what different nations cost.
Different nations hardly discover Trump’s method truthful.
From their vantage level, he’s together with objects apart from tariffs akin to worth added taxes, that are akin to gross sales taxes. Which means the charges could possibly be a lot increased than a typical tariff in Europe.
On high of that, Trump plans separate extra tariffs on autos, pc chips and prescription drugs, along with the 25% tariffs on metal and aluminum that he introduced on Monday.
It’s not clear whether or not these commerce penalties are primarily negotiating instruments or methods for Trump to boost revenues. To date, he has instructed that they’re each.
Congress watches its authority erode. However there are indicators of pushback
Congress finds itself confounded by the onslaught as its institutional energy — because the Structure’s first department of presidency with its unmatched authority over federal spending — is being eroded in actual time.
Home Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., stated he finds the work of Musk’s group “very exciting.” Johnson stated Trump is “taking professional government motion.”
However even amongst congressional Republicans there have been small indicators of protest rising — letters being written and telephone calls being made — to guard their home-state pursuits and constituents as funding for applications, providers and authorities contracts is being dismantled.
Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., urged the Homeland Safety Division to not concern blanket deportations for Venezuelan migrants who fled their nation and now name the Miami-area house. “I’m not powerless. I’m a member of Congress,” he stated.
Democratic lawmakers have joined protesters outdoors shuttered federal places of work, arguing Trump and Musk had gone too far. Democrats instructed laws to guard varied applications, and even filed articles of impeachment in opposition to the president over his plans to bulldoze and redevelop Gaza.
Trump needs a brand new world order
Along with his telephone name to Russian President Vladimir Putin this previous week, Trump is hoping he initiated the start of the top of the Kremlin’s conflict on Ukraine.
The leaders agreed to have their groups “start negotiations immediately.” After getting off the telephone with Putin, Trump known as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to debate getting either side to the negotiating desk.
The Putin name is a monumental growth in a conflict that has left a whole bunch of 1000’s useless or severely wounded.
However the way in which forward stays difficult.
Zelenskyy stated he won’t meet with Putin till a plan for peace is hammered out by Trump. Trump has gotten blowback when European leaders sharply criticized him and Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth for suggesting that NATO membership was not within the playing cards for Ukraine.
The White Home faces an extra quandary with Zelenskyy wanting the U.S. and different nations to offer safety ensures for Ukraine, and Zelenskyy insisting that he and Trump iron out an settlement on the contours of any peace deal.
