Donald Trump has enacted a slew of executive orders and decisions, chiefly among them sweeping budget cuts through his Department of Government Efficiency(DOGE). He has also made massive cuts to the federal workforce; about 30,000 civil servants have been laid off. Destroying the civil service that keeps this country working and replacing them with party loyalists is a dangerous precedent to set and a massive step backwards in the operations of our government. One major department that was affected was the National Park Service, who maintain the national parks of the United States, with over 1000 workers being fired in one day, many of whom were Park Rangers, sworn law enforcement officers. This practically took away the ability for NPS to protect our national parks from illegal poachers or wildfires.
Another major action the Trump administration did was cut out diversity, equity, and inclusivity or DEI. The complete banning of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion represents a shift away from the progress the government and nation as a whole have made towards equal rights for all. Though the Trump administration claims they wish to move to a merit-based system, which is a good thing, it’s abundantly obvious that with his other rhetoric, this is not simply about DEI hiring initiatives, but to allow employers the excuse to cut minorities out of jobs and educational institutions.
Another thing Trump has done is destroy America’s bonds with our closest allies and friends. Trump has repeatedly touted the idea of making Canada a “51st State.” While these may be jokes or unserious, no president of the United States in living memory has threatened to annex a close ally. His tariffs on one of our largest partners, Canada, is terrible for American industries and will simply hurt both economies and lead to higher inflation. The American consumer will feel the pressure from these tariffs. He also turned his back on Ukraine, which has been embroiled in a bitter struggle with Russia after the invasion in 2021. This is a marked change from the Biden administration policy of supporting the burgeoning democracy.
During a meeting with President Volodomyr Zelensky of Ukraine, negotiations broke down, leading to him being kicked out of the White House. Trump has also proposed a plan that would ensure Ukraine hands over rare earth metals (used in most electronics) to the U.S. or Russia. All of these events show Trump’s plan to turn his back on western democracies and work with the despots and dictators of the world.
Many people say that a president’s first 100 days sets the overall agenda for a president’s term, and Trump’s shows a departure from traditional alliances that held strong through the Cold War, cutting out DEI, and slashing federal jobs. All of these things erode the trust abroad for American diplomacy and erode the public’s trust in the institutions that have served them for decades.
