January 26, 2017
Trump Had His Busiest Day Yet
Anyone who glanced at social media yesterday probably saw more political posts than usual – and we know you see a lot. The uptick in political ranting probably had something to do with President Trump’s busy afternoon and the frantic responses from protesters that followed. Here’s a quick recap of all of Trump’s updates, or, shall we say, #Trumpdates:
- Trump kicked off his morning with a light breakfast and an investigation into voter fraud, accusing everyone from his top aide to his own daughter of being in on the alleged scam.
- After his second cup of coffee, Trump felt energized enough to sign an executive order to begin building a wall along the US-Mexico border. Trump still insists that Mexico will eventually pay for the wall, but for the time being, Congress will have to approve the funding. We would love to be a fly on the wall (pardon the pun) when Trump meets with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto next week. Former Mexican President Vicente Fox already made it clear that “Mexico is not going to pay for that fucking wall.”
- Trump also signed an executive order that could slash funding for so-called “sanctuary cities” and reinstate the “secure communities” program, which encourages broader cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration agencies. Former President Obama abandoned the program due to criticisms that many undocumented migrants who had committed no crimes were being swept up in the program.
- Trump was so busy today he realized he barely has time for international organizations. That’s why he is preparing a draft order titled “Auditing and Reducing US Funding of International Organizations,” which calls for a 40% overall decrease in US funding of international organizations. If these provisions are carried out, the cuts could severely curtail the work of United Nations agencies, which rely on billions of dollars in annual United States contributions.
- In between calls and checking his personal email, President Trump signaled a retreat from America’s international commitments in a draft executive order titled “Moratorium on New Multilateral Treaties.” According to the New York Times, the order calls for a review of all current and pending treaties to reconsider each and potentially leave a few behind. Fortunately, he doesn’t have the power to undo the Magna Carta.
- While taking his afternoon nap, the press learned that the Trump administration plans to let the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program expire. DACA provides protections on undocumented immigrants who arrive as children.
- And it wouldn’t have been considered a successful Hump Day if Trump didn’t hint at a “War on Muslims.” There is a draft executive order underway to limit the entry of Muslim immigrants and refugees. Some of the highlights from this order include a blanket ban on all Syrian refugees trying to enter the United States and a 30-day suspension of visas for anyone hailing from a list of unspecified countries with majority-Muslim populations. The plan catalyzed an emergency rally in New York City for Muslim and immigrant rights, where over 2,000 people descended on Washington Square Park to insist that Trump rethink this anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant strategy.