The changes that Donald Trump has been bringing since the very first day of his term as US president resemble a… hurricane. True to his campaign promises, he is moving forward with the implementation of his campaign agenda, issuing executive orders that change DEI policies on gender and diversity, recognizing the existence of two genders, and firing all DEI employees.
Among his other decisions, from investing $500 billion to create Artificial Intelligence infrastructure, declaring a state of emergency on the northern US border for immigration, and granting pardons to protesters who stormed the Capitol and the founder of the Dark Web site Silk Road, the spotlight is falling on another important issue: will he impose new tariffs on China, but also on other countries, starting a new phase of the trade war?
Tariffs from February 1st
He says he is considering imposing a 10% tariff on imports of goods made in China starting February 1. Speaking to reporters at the White House, the US president justified the measure by once again accusing China of sending fentanyl to the US through Mexico and Canada. This is an opioid drug that has taken over drug addicts' markets in the United States in a crisis called the "fentanyl crisis".
As Trump threatens to impose taxes and tariffs of up to 25% on Mexico and Canada (also starting next week), which he accuses of allowing drugs and undocumented immigrants to enter the US, reactions are coming. Outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Canada would respond if necessary, but appeared confident that he would avoid sanctions, as was the case during Trump's previous term, using the argument that Canada is an energy/oil superpower that the US needs (60% of the crude the US imports comes from Canada). Not so with Ontario Governor Doug Ford, however, who told the Associated Press that “Trump has declared a trade war on Canada and we will use every means at our disposal,” warning that as soon as tariffs are announced, he will order all American spirits off the shelves. “We are the largest importer of alcohol on the planet,” he said, stressing that there will be a response that will cost the United States a dollar for every dollar of tariff. “We will target the areas that the Republicans hold. They will feel the pain. Canadians will feel the pain, but Americans will feel the pain as well,” Ford said.
From China, the response is more conciliatory as an official from Beijing said yesterday that his country is looking for a "win-win" solution to trade tensions and is seeking to expand its imports.
Next on Trump's tariff list is the EU. "The European Union is very, very bad with us," the US president said yesterday, noting that "so, it will be in the tariffs. It is the only way to do justice." The European Commission's Commissioner for the Economy, Valdis Dombrovskis, said, responding to Trump's tariff threats, that "if there is a need to defend Europe's economic interests, we are ready to do so."
Genders on passports are changing
One of Trump’s first moves in office was to sign an executive order to end the government’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) programs, which he calls “radical and wasteful.” In a social media post, the Trump administration confirmed that personnel in any of these roles will be placed on paid administrative leave “effective immediately” as the administration takes steps to end all DEIA initiatives, offices, and programs. It also directs agencies to remove related websites and social media accounts and cancel all DEI-related training.
Already, the page that helped people applying for or renewing a U.S. passport answer questions about their gender appears to have been removed from the U.S. State Department website. The page previously stated that applicants could choose “male (M), female (F), or unspecified or other gender identity (X)” as their gender designation on their passport, but now the URL redirects to a page with general information about the passport application process.
President Trump declared during his inaugural address that “there are only two genders, male and female,” and signed an executive order making that government policy shortly thereafter. The executive order also states that gender cannot be changed. “Starting today, it shall be the official policy of the United States Government that there are only two genders, male and female,” Trump declared during his inaugural address on Monday. Trump has made broader promises about what conservatives denounce as “woke” culture, gender, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
The investiture and pardons
Donald Trump announced that OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle are to collaborate on a new $500 billion AI infrastructure “company” called Stargate – a massive private sector investment in AI infrastructure in the United States.
This came after the three tycoons - OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son and Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison - met with President Trump at the White House yesterday. The companies, for the program that the US president described as the "largest AI infrastructure project in history", will invest $100 billion for its launch, with the plan foreseeing up to half a trillion dollars for Stargate in the coming years.
Yesterday, President Trump pardoned six people convicted of the Capitol storming incidents at the end of his term, saying “their lives were destroyed.” He also pardoned Silk Road founder Ross William Ulrich. Ulrich was sentenced to life in prison for being the creator of the dark web trading site, which was shut down in 2013 by the FBI and which the US Department of Justice had described as “the most sophisticated and extensive criminal marketplace on the Internet today.” He had been found guilty in February 2015 of various charges, including money laundering, drug trafficking and computer hacking.
"I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbricht to let her know that in honor of her and the Freedom Movement, which has supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to just sign a full and unconditional pardon for her son, Ross," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Trump called Ulbricht's sentence "ridiculous," saying it was disproportionate to the crime. He then expressed his disappointment with the legal entities involved in Ulbricht's conviction.
Source: protothema.gr
