Watching Washington: Trump’s Second Week In Office
Washington politics have continued on the fast track as President Donald Trump’s second week in office dug into reshaping the military and a staunch refusal to back down from his deportation and anti-DEI efforts.
Despite his initial refusal, President of Columbia Gustavo Petro appears to have changed his mind on Trump’s orders, and will now accept deported Columbians back into their home country. Petro originally stated Columbia would not accept the migrants until America established a procedure for “decent treatment” first, according to Fox News. This was met with a threat by Trump to establish travel bans and visa revocations for Columbian officials and allies, in addition to raising tariffs to 25%, and subsequently, 50% if the demands were not met within the first week, according to Fox News. Since then, Petro has agreed to accept the migrants and offered the use of his presidential plane so they can receive a “dignified return.”
While some of his attention was directed overseas over the last two weeks, Trump also issued several executive orders pertaining to military matters. These orders included the reinstation of all military members who were previously removed from service for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, and a ban on DEI practices in the military. This ban also removed transgender service members from their positions.
“No more of this petri dish mentality,” Staff Sgt. David Bellavi said during a Fox News interview. “We are a warrior class, and we have to be that to keep America safe.”
Trump also issued an order Jan. 27 for the creation of an “Iron Dome” around America. Modeled after Israel’s missile defense force bearing the same name, Trump announced the plans while praising new Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, according to Fox News.
“We’re going next to ensure that we have the most lethal fighting force in the world,” Trump said. He also stated that all materials for the project will be made entirely in the United States, according to Fox News.
Regarding DEI practices in federal offices, government agencies are now requiring employees to eliminate pronouns from email signatures, according to CNN. This change was set to occur no later than Jan. 31 at 5 p.m. and is part of Trump’s executive order, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth,”which aims to recognize only two sexes: male and female. This order has taken effect in other departments as well; the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have since updated their websites to remove all LGBTQ+ pages and in some cases, terminated contracts bearing inclusive language.
DEI practices are expected to be expelled from the private sector as well. Trump’s executive order, “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,” seeks to remove federal funding for educational institutes that refuse to remove DEI programs. In a report by Inside Higher Ed., experts are divided on what Trump’s order will mean for existing practices on campuses across America. Some have claimed it will remove equal access to education while others — such as Adam Kissel, a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation — are of the opposite opinion.
“Colleges and universities, as well as other institutions, are on notice that the DEI party is over,” Kissel said in an interview with Inside Higher Ed.
Trump has also promised to prioritize the fight for patriotism in education, according to the Associated Press. This would include a new organization to “certify teachers ‘who embrace patriotic values.’” As this is a developing act, it is unknown if these changes will be set in place nationally or be left up to individual states.
McKinnon is the off-campus news editor for the Liberty Champion.