Like the one-month anniversary of any toxic relationship, the first 31 days of President Donald Trump’s second term have dragged on—and felt more like five months.
All of us at Daily Kos want to congratulate you for making it through in one piece, one way or another. It’s been a whirlwind, so let’s recap some of the most heinous things the orange overlord has done now that some of the dust has settled.
1. Trump’s loyal insurrectionists ran free
Trump pardoned more than 1,500 of his supporters who stormed the Capitol. Some of these people were booked on violent offenses, including assaulting or impeding federal officers. However, some of them have already been rebooked on past charges.
2. He fought the 14th Amendment
The convicted felon himself signed an executive order that sought to end birthright citizenship. While Democrats quickly filed lawsuits standing behind the 14th Amendment, some Republicans argued in favor of Trump’s suggestion. Thankfully, four federal judges have blocked Trump’s order as it works through the judicial process.
3. He went after Muslims—again
Trump relaunched his Muslim ban, this time rephrasing his executive order in a way that likely won’t hit roadblocks in courts. This time, the executive order includes language that might target visitors who are already in the country legally—solely based on who they worship.
4. Trump pardoned more violent protesters
Rioters loyal to President Donald Trump rally at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Jan. 6, 2021.
Trump pardoned 23 anti-abortion criminals who attacked staff members and used weapons to forcefully enter clinics. The president gave himself a pat on the back during a pre-recorded speech at the March for Life rally in Washington, D.C., telling protesters that he pardoned one woman who was imprisoned for “praying outside of a clinic.” However, the woman, Paula Harlow, was convicted for forcibly entering a clinic using chains, ropes, and furniture.
5. He attacked federal aid
The commander in chief attempted to freeze all federal aid. The Office of Management and Budget released a memo at the time directing federal agencies to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal." The vague language sent the country into a frenzy, as it appeared to target funding and health care for thousands of families. Minutes before it was supposed to take effect, the order was blocked.
6. Trump launched a personal vendetta against diversity
He launched an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, firing scores of federal officials who oversaw DEI initiatives. He also ordered federal agencies to wipe their websites of various DEI guidance, including anything that referenced gender ideology—forcing many research articles and government pages to go dark.
7. He offered blame in a time of tragedy
He blamed DEI for a deadly plane collision before the bodies of all 67 victims had even been recovered from the freezing Potomac River. “The FAA is actively recruiting workers who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems,” Trump claimed at the time. Meanwhile, Trump had gutted an aviation safety committee just days before the crash.
8. Trump and Elon Musk fired, fired, fired their way to regret
Elon Musk and Trump
Trump teamed up with his billionaire bestie Elon Musk and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency to fire thousands of critical federal workers. The duo got flack for firing 400 Federal Aviation Administration employees with direct roles in supporting safety inspectors and airport operations, according to their union and former employees. This, of course, follows an unprecedented number of airline crashes since Trump took office. They also fired employees overseeing nuclear weapons stockpiles and axed bird flu experts in the middle of a worldwide bird flu outbreak. But who’s counting?
9. He made some enemies at the expense of Americans
He entered into trade wars with Canada, Mexico, and China. Trump initially slapped a 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico that resulted in the neighboring countries retaliating with tariffs of their own. The three later reached a deal halting the trade war. Discussions on trade are still unresolved with China.
10. Trump took his anger out on the LGBTQ+ community
Unsurprisingly, Trump issued a slew of anti-trans executive orders. One order effectively bans current and future transgender people from the military, while another bans transgender people under the age of 19 from accessing gender-affirming medical care. He also signed an executive order banning transgender women from participating in women’s sports in schools.
11. He confirmed he doesn’t know how the water supply works
The president visited Los Angeles following the devastating wildfires and then lied about turning on a mysterious water spigot that brought water to Southern California. Of course, this comes after he offered federal aid to the fire-ravaged region—but only with strings attached.
12. He opened the doors of Guantanamo Bay
Trump started shipping off undocumented immigrants to Guantanamo Bay. While original reports said the individuals were a part of the violent Tren de Aragua gang, later reports confirmed that this wasn’t the case.
13. The president turned on his own citizens (again)
Meanwhile, he also entertained the idea of sending U.S. citizens convicted of crimes to a prison in El Salvador, telling reporters that he would do it in a “heartbeat.” Remember, Donald: You’re a convicted felon, too.
14. He pushed the U.S. closer to Christian nationalism
Trump decided to establish a White House Faith Office in an attempt to “eradicate anti-Christian bias.” Naturally, he tapped right-wing televangelist and Trump spiritual adviser Paula White to lead it.
15. He made (more) unhinged calls to seize other territories
He casually pitched a plan to seize the Gaza Strip and displace the 2 million Palestinians living there. The president initially suggested he would use military intervention if necessary, but that statement was later walked back. Baffling Americans and seemingly the world, Trump suggested turning the Gaza strip into the “Riviera of the Middle East,” which is on brand with his many bankrupt real estate ventures. Trump’s statement with Gaza complements his idea to seize Canada and Greenland as well.
16. Trump dubbed himself royalty
Trump tried to kill a popular program that curbs New York City traffic while declaring himself “KING.” While bragging about cutting the very funding the Big Apple planned to use for subway repair, the White House Instagram posted a photo of Trump wearing a crown atop his head. Taking to his own Truth Social, Trump wrote, “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!”
17. He kissed Putin’s ring—again
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In another unhinged Truth Social post, Trump decided to side with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin as he crafts a so-called “peace” deal. In doing so, Trump called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator,” scolding Zelenskyy for not holding elections in the middle of an invasion. However, given Russia destroyed large swaths of Ukraine since invading it in 2022, even Republicans argue that the idea of an election in Ukraine just isn’t feasible.
While Trump did quite a lot of awful things in the span of a month, he did not manage to keep his promise to lower the cost of eggs—or anything, for that matter.
)
English (US) ·