President Donald Trump, yesterday, declared that he was saved by God from assassination attempts while campaigning for a second term in office to make America great again as he was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States of America.
He pledged to make some immediate and sweeping changes in the next few days, promising to deport millions of undocumented and ‘criminal aliens’, use military force at the southern border to reduce the number of migrants entering the country drastically, declare national energy emergency to expand drilling and tackle inflation.
He also promised to usher in a golden age and bring an end to what he described as America’s decline, while adding that US policy will recognise only two genders.
“My recent election is a mandate to completely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal and all of these many betrayals that have taken place, and to give the people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy and indeed their freedom.
“The golden age of America begins right now. From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world. From this moment on, American decline is over,” Trump said.
On deportation he said: “First, I will declare a national emergency at our southern border with Mexico.
“All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions of criminal aliens to the places from which they came. I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country.”
On gender identity, he said: “I will also end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life. As of today, it will, henceforth, be the official policy of the United States Government that there are only two genders — male and female.’’
Trump, who said he would impose tariff on other countries, rather than on US citizens, said: “I will immediately begin the overhaul of our trade system to protect American workers and families.
“Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will increase tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens.”
“I will declare a national energy emergency to significantly expand drilling in the world’s top oil and gas producer,” he said, adding: “The inflation crisis was caused by massive overspending and escalating energy prices, and that is why today, I will also declare a national energy emergency. We will ‘Drill, baby, drill.”
Trump noted that the US will withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, take back the Panama Canal and change the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America.
He said: “Above all, China is operating the Panama Canal, and we didn’t give it to China, we gave it to Panama. And we’re taking it back.”
Trump, who campaigned on a platform of clamping down on migration and whose policies are popular with people who fret over changing demographics, also intends to put an end to the centuries-old practice of granting citizenship automatically to anyone born in the United States. We’re going to end asylum.”
White House Deputy Press Secretary, Anna Kelly, told reporters that the Trump administration will create “an immediate removal process without possibility of asylum. We are then going to end birthright citizenship.”
The notion of birthright citizenship is enshrined in the US Constitution, which grants anyone born on US soil the right to an American passport.
Kelly said the actions Trump takes would “clarify” the 14th Amendment — the clause that addresses birthright citizenship.
“The Federal Government will not recognize automatic birthright citizenship for children of illegal aliens born in the United States,” she said.
World leaders React:
German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz said yesterday he hoped for a “good transatlantic relationship” with Germany’s “closest ally,” the United States during Donald Trump’s second term as president.
“Today, President Donald Trump takes office. Congratulations”, Scholz posted on X adding that “The US is our closest ally and the aim of our policy is always a good transatlantic relationship. The EU, with 27 members and more than 400 million people, is a strong union.”
Canada, US strongest when we work together — Trudeau
Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, also congratulated Trump on his inauguration, saying the two nations are “strongest” working together.
“We are strongest when we work together, and I look forward to working with President Trump,” Trudeau said in a statement, adding — after Trump threatened to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports — that “Canada and the United States have the world’s most successful economic partnership.”
Netanyahu tells Trump ‘best days’ of alliance yet to come
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, congratulated US President on his inauguration yesterday, telling him in a video message the “best days of our alliance are yet to come.”
Praising Trump’s pro-Israel policies during his first term, Netanyahu said: “I believe that working together again we will raise the US-Israel alliance to even greater heights.
“I’m confident that we will complete the defeat of Iran’s terror axis and usher in a new era of peace and prosperity for our region,” Netanyahu added, in reference to Tehran’s allied militant groups including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
He also thanked Trump for helping secure a hostage release deal as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement that came into force on Sunday.
Indian PM Modi congratulates ‘dear friend’ Trump
Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, also congratulated his “dear friend” US President Donald Trump on his inauguration, saying he wanted New Delhi and Washington to work closely together.
“I look forward to working closely together once again, to benefit both our countries, and to shape a better future for the world”, Modi wrote on social media platform X.
EU hopes to ‘tackle global challenges’ with Trump — Von der Leyen
EU chief, Ursula von der Leyen, invoked the “enduring strength” of transatlantic ties Monday as she congratulated Donald Trump on his inauguration for a second term as US president.
“The EU looks forward to working closely with you to tackle global challenges,” the European Commission president wrote on X. “Together, our societies can achieve greater prosperity and strengthen their common security.”
Putin says open to Ukraine talks with Trump, hopes for lasting peace
Russian President, Vladimir Putin, said he was open to talks on the Ukraine conflict.
“We are also open to dialogue with the new US administration on the Ukrainian conflict,” Putin said in televised remarks, congratulating the Republican on his inauguration.
“As for the settlement of the situation itself, I want to emphasise that its goal should not be a brief truce but a lasting peace based on respect for the legitimate interests of all people,” he added.
“We will, of course, fight for the interests of Russia, for the interests of the Russian people.”
Trump said last year that the Ukraine-Russia conflict was “dying to be settled” and that he would speak to both Moscow and Kyiv to avoid “World War III”.
Putin said he “welcomed” Trump’s desire to prevent a third world war.
“We certainly welcome this attitude and congratulate the president-elect of the United States on taking office,” he said.