The First Blizzard of 2025
Dear Leading Ladies,
For those of us who like metaphors, there was nothing like the raging snow storm followed by bone-chilling cold that accompanied Monday’s inauguration. As we dug out from many inches of the white stuff, and negotiated carefully to avoid the black ice, we felt vulnerable, a bit unprotected, and worried about neighbors and families who might be stranded without heat or food.
But enough of that. What we really want to talk about is what the President-elect promised he would do on day one, and what he actually did. With the help of Forbes, Mother Jones, and Al Jazeera, we created a list that is not inclusive but hits the high points for a before look at the president-elect’s promises. Items 2–6 were promised at the 11th hour by Trump during his inaugural address. As Republican Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming predicted, there was a “blizzard” of executive orders by Monday night, designed to “shock and awe.”
Here’s what we were promised and what we got.
Please note: The text in italics reflects remarks made by Trump and his surrogates on day one and/or expansion of original “promises.”
Declare a national emergency at our border.
“Launch the largest deportation program in American history” which will include restoring a travel ban on people from certain predominantly Muslim countries. Including Marxists and Communists. Removed app where asylum seekers could make appointments to follow legal steps towards residency and citizenship.
End birthright citizenship and begin mass deportation of undocumented immigrants he defines as criminals. Also, suspend the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.
Invoke the Alien Sedition Act of 1798 to remove foreign gangs.
End “catch and release.” Also, continue building the wall and reinstate a policy that requires asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their claim is processed.
Designate cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.
Impose steep tariffs on imported goods from other countries (25% on goods from Canada and Mexico; 10% on goods from China).
Create an “External Revenue Service” to start collecting those revenue tariffs from foreign countries. The order, in fact, directed the Secretaries of Commerce and Treasury and the US Trade Representative to investigate the causes of US trade deficits and determine how to build an ERS.
Pull the U.S. out of the Paris [Climate] Agreement. He also withdrew from WHO.
Get rid of new pollution standards that incentivize auto manufacturers to increase production of electric and lower-emission vehicles (though he has said that may take two days).
Rescind Biden-era regulations curbing oil drilling. Promised to end the Green New Deal and to “Drill, Baby, Drill” in order to use our natural resources to export oil and drive down inflation.
Change the name of Mount Denali back to Mount McKinley, in honor of a president he admires for his business acumen. He also ordered the Gulf of Mexico henceforth to be called the Gulf of America.
Stop federal funding for schools that teach “critical race theory, transgender insanity, and other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content,” as well as schools with vaccine or mask mandates including ending all DEI programs.
Order “every federal agency to cease the promotion of sex or gender transition at any age.” That will mean kicking openly trans people out of military service and attempting to block gender-affirming medical treatments under Medicaid, Medicare, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Declare only two genders — male and female — which could mean, for example, that prisoners who are transgender could be put in facilities with their gender at birth.
Pardon the vast majority of MAGA rioters – he calls them “unbelievable patriots” – who stormed the Capitol four years ago.
Reissue an executive order from his first term that makes it easier to fire career civil servants. Trump signed a "freeze on all federal hiring, excepting the military and a number of other excluded categories," to "ensure that we're only hiring competent people who are faithful to the American public."
Revoke Biden’s executive order that called for federal agencies to promote voter registration.
Revoke Biden’s executive order meant to reduce the risks that artificial intelligence poses to consumers, workers and national security.
Ban federal money from being spent on any efforts related to combating misinformation or disinformation. The new order forbids any federal officer, employee or agent to “unconstitutionally” abridge the free speech of any American citizen, whether it is true or not.
Ease commercial fishing regulations, going against environmental concerns and protections currently in place.
Sign an executive order to pause a ban on TikTok.
“...undo almost everything Biden did … through executive order. And on day one, much of that will be undone.”
Be a “dictator”– but just for day one.
nytimes.com
There were more than a hundred orders signed on Monday, many of them about immigration, climate, energy, and how gender is defined and treated. Whatever President Trump did on day one, it is important to keep in mind that his acts may not hold. Some will be challenged in court; some will need affirmation by Congress. “Even if major moves are implemented on day one or soon thereafter, it remains to be seen how many will stay in effect,” according to Alison Durkee of Forbes. “But even seemingly unlawful orders could still become the law of the land, at least temporarily.” It’s tricky. “A lot but not all of what Trump says he wants to do on day one is going to be illegal or impractical,” Steve Vladeck, a constitutional law expert at Georgetown University Law Center, told The Washington Post. “But even the illegal stuff might go into effect for some time, and he might actually succeed in pushing the law in his direction.”
This is only from the first day.
This latest snow storm may be past, but there are more to come. Keep your shovels ready and your backs strong.
Therese (she/her/hers)
Judy (she/her/hers)
Didi (she/her/hers)
Leading Ladies Executive Team