Donald Trump, who made a spectacular return to the White House after four years, declared the revival of the "MAGA (Make America Great Again)" era by launching a sweeping "Biden (referring to former President Joe Biden) erasure" campaign from his very first day in office. He issued a flurry of executive orders, including the mass repeal of Biden-era directives, declaring a national emergency at the southern border, re-withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement, and granting mass pardons to those involved in the January 6 Capitol riot. Notably, he effectively recognized North Korea as a "nuclear-armed state" and mentioned his rapport with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, signaling the possibility of direct nuclear negotiations between the US and North Korea, as in his first term.

With "America First" as his inaugural pledge, President Trump is expected to push even stronger America-first policies in his second term, powered by his landslide election victory and Republican control of both chambers of Congress?a "turbo engine" for his administration.

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On the 20th (local time), after completing his inauguration ceremony at the Rotunda Hall of the Capitol in Washington, D.C., President Trump visited the Capital One Arena, where over 20,000 supporters had gathered. There, he was greeted with applause as he signed a series of executive orders on stage.

He began with his "Executive Order No. 1," which involved the large-scale repeal of 78 executive orders signed by former President Biden, including re-withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement and directing all departments to launch an all-out response to inflation.

President Trump showcased his executive order signing performance for supporters, emphasizing, "You are witnessing the golden age of America," and promised, "I will restore the country as quickly as possible."

He continued signing major executive orders upon returning to the White House. As previously announced, he declared a national emergency at the southern border to address illegal immigration, proclaimed a national energy emergency, and pardoned 1,500 people involved in the January 6 Capitol riot. Contrary to expectations, he temporarily put new tariff measures on hold, but stated he was considering imposing a 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada starting February 1.

That day, President Trump signaled the return of MAGA both in his executive order signings and in his inaugural address. Throughout his 29-minute speech, he made clear his determination to erase the legacy of the Biden administration, "fully restore America," and launch a "revolution of common sense," alongside his America-first agenda.

Before signing the executive order declaring a national emergency at the southern border, President Trump stated in his inaugural address, "We will immediately halt all illegal entries and begin the process of returning millions of foreign criminals to where they came from," adding, "We will send the military to the southern border to repel this disastrous invasion of our country." He also announced the reinstatement of the "Remain in Mexico" policy, which detains illegal entrants and bans immigrants from entering the US until they obtain legal status.

He reaffirmed his stance on tariffs. President Trump said, "To protect American workers and families, I will immediately review our trade system," and added, "Instead of taxing Americans to enrich other countries, we will tax and tariff foreign nations to make Americans prosperous." He also announced the establishment of a "Foreign Revenue Service" to collect tariffs from foreign companies.

Donald Trump, President of the United States, is delivering a speech at the inauguration ceremony held at the Rotunda of the United States Capitol in Washington DC on January 20, 2025. Photo by AFP

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President Trump also vowed to regain control of the Panama Canal. He said, "We did not hand over the Panama Canal to China, but now China is operating it," and declared, "We will take it back." He also announced he would sign an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the "American Gulf." After the inauguration, he reiterated to the press that "Greenland (a territory of Denmark) is necessary for America's international security," once again revealing his territorial ambitions.

President Trump officially announced the repeal of former President Biden's "Green New Deal," which he has criticized as the "Green New Scam." The core policy of mandatory electric vehicles is also set to be abolished. Instead, he declared a national energy emergency to expand the drilling and production of fossil fuels, including oil. President Trump said, "The inflation crisis was caused by excessive energy consumption and soaring prices," and once again chanted the slogan "drill, baby, drill," signaling increased fossil fuel production.

He also declared, "From today, the official policy of the US government is that there are only two genders, male and female," signaling a crackdown on "woke" culture.

President Trump referenced surviving an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania last July, stating it was "for making America great again" and reaffirmed, "I will always put America's interests first."

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In his first inaugural address in eight years, President Trump devoted considerable attention to outlining the policy priorities of his second administration and the executive orders to implement them. However, his speech was also marked by open hostility toward the Biden administration, fueling criticism that he was fostering division and conflict.

In his address, he called the Biden administration a "radical and corrupt regime." He continued, "I was elected to undo a terrible betrayal and hold those responsible for countless betrayals accountable," and declared, "America's decline will end." Former President Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris, listening to Trump's speech, could not hide their awkward smiles or grim expressions in response to the relentless criticism delivered to their faces.

The Washington Post noted, "Trump launched broad and sharp attacks on the Biden administration, the Democratic Party, and other leaders," adding, "A somber Trump, the hero of revenge, once again painted a dark self-portrait."