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On his first day back in office, U.S. President Donald Trump took swift action, signing a series of executive orders to reverse at least 78 of Joe Biden’s policies. His actions included stricter immigration measures, a U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and WHO, and the announcement of steps to implement his pledges on economic, energy, and military.

In addition to these policy shifts, Trump pardoned approximately 1,500 individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack. He also signed an executive order delaying the enforcement of the TikTok ban for 75 days, giving himself discretion over its future.

“We will immediately restore the integrity, competency and loyalty of America’s government,” Trump said in his inaugural address on January 20. 2025. “With these actions, we will begin the complete restoration of America, and the revolution of common sense.”

Donald Trump was inaugurated as president on Monday for the second time in eight years. Tech billionaires including SpaceX’s Elon Musk, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Apple CEO Tim Cook were given prime positions at Trump’s inauguration, demonstrating their power and influence on U.S. politics.

Key Takeaways from Trump’s inaugural speech

Below are some takeaways from Trump’s inaugural speech.

Donald Trump vows new ‘golden age’ for US

In his inauguration speech, Trump pledged to “put America first” and said that “the golden age of America begins right now,” adding that “From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world.”

AMERICA IS BACK. 🇺🇸

Every single day I will be fighting for you with every breath in my body. I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe and prosperous America that our children deserve and that you deserve. This will truly be the golden age of America. pic.twitter.com/cCuSV8Q44Z

— President Donald J. Trump (@POTUS) January 20, 2025

Trump decried the “radical and corrupt establishment” and used his inaugural address to sweeping moves to undo Joe Biden’s policies and reverse a “crisis of trust” he said had engulfed the government. “From this moment on, America’s decline is over”, he vowed.

Trump pardons 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants

Hours after his second inauguration, President Trump pardoned around 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the January 6 insurrection and commuted the sentences of 14 others, including leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers convicted of seditious conspiracy. Trump said his pardons would cover “approximately 1,500 for a pardon – full pardon.”

Trump supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol four years ago in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent Congress from certifying his loss to Joe Biden, will begin to leave prison on Tuesday.

Trump orders US withdrawal from WHO and Paris climate agreement

Paris Climate Accord: Hours after he was sworn in, President Trump signed an executive order to officially withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement. This move distances the U.S. from its closest allies and undermines global efforts to combat climate change.

The Paris accord, which aims to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, saw its 1.5°C threshold breached in 2024, with global temperatures surpassing that critical limit for the first time. Experts reminded that the recent unprecedented wildfires in Los Angeles and other parts of the U.S. serve as a stark reminder of the escalating impacts of climate change.

Trump defended his decision, saying the Paris accord doesn’t reflect U.S. values or contributions to environmental objectives and “steer American taxpayer dollars to countries that do not require, or merit, financial assistance in the interests of the American people.” He further argued that “the United States’ successful track record of advancing both economic and environmental objectives should be a model for other countries”. Trump’s decision underscores his skepticism of international climate cooperation and preference for unilateral action.

World Health Organization: In another swift action on his first day, President Trump signed an executive order to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO). Trump criticized the agency’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, citing WHO’s “failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states,” as reasons for the U.S. withdrawal. He also pointed to what he called the WHO’s “unfairly onerous payments” from the United States“ and complained that China pays less.

Founded in 1948 with U.S. support, the WHO’s mission is to address the world’s most pressing health challenges and improve global well-being. Public health experts warn that leaving the WHO could weaken the U.S.’s ability to respond to future pandemics and damage its global health standing.

Trump declares ambitious illegal immigration crackdown

President Trump reversed several key immigration policies from the Biden administration. Trump’s new policy returns to his first-term approach, where all individuals in the U.S. illegally are considered a priority for deportation.

After his inauguration, President Trump launched a sweeping immigration crackdown, deploying the military to the border, designating cartels and gangs as terrorist organizations, suspending asylum and refugee admissions, and seeking to end birthright citizenship.

Trump declared a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border. “I will declare a national emergency at our southern border. All illegal entry will immediately be halted. And we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came,” Trump said.

Trump threatens 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada starting February

Trump did not immediately impose the promised tariffs but indicated he was considering 25% duties on imports from Canada and Mexico, effective February 1. “We’re thinking in terms of 25% (levies) on Mexico and Canada, because they’re allowing a vast number of people” over the border, Trump said. The president called Canada “a very bad abuser” and said a target date for the tariffs would be “I think Feb. 1”

The potential tariffs were linked to concerns over illegal immigration and the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. While he refrained from swift tariff action as he took office, Trump instructed federal agencies to investigate ongoing U.S. trade deficits, unfair trade practices, and alleged currency manipulation by other countries.

Mexico and Canada are two of the U.S.’s top three trade partners, with the U.S. importing $475 billion in goods from Mexico and $418 billion from Canada last year, together accounting for 30% of the total value of U.S. exports, according to federal trade data.

Gulf of Mexico, Mt McKinley and the Panama Canal

President Trump confirmed plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.” He also announced that Denali, the highest peak in North America, would be renamed Mount McKinley. The U.S. officially recognized the mountain as Mount McKinley in 1917, honoring President William McKinley. However, in 2015, the Obama administration restored the mountain’s original Native Alaskan name, Denali.

Additionally, Trump reiterated his administration’s intention to reassert control over the Panama Canal, saying, “We’re taking it back.” The U.S. relinquished control of the canal in 1999, and it is currently run by the Panama Canal Authority.

In his inaugural address, Trump emphasized that despite the U.S. having built the canal at great cost, including the loss of 38,000 workers over a century ago, American shipping companies are being “overcharged” by Panama. “The purpose of our deal and the spirit of our treaty has been totally violated,” he said. “American ships are being severely overcharged and not treated fairly in any way, shape, or form, and that includes the United States Navy. And 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 declares national energy emergency

On the first day of his administration, President Trump vowed to fulfill his promise to “drill, baby, drill” to boost U.S. oil and gas production as he signed a declaration of a national energy emergency to accelerate permitting of oil, gas and power projects.

“America will be a manufacturing nation once again, and we have something that no other manufacturing nation will ever have, the largest amount of oil and gas of any country on Earth, and we are going to use it,” Trump said in his speech at the U.S. Capitol.

US flag on Mars

Laying out his vision for the next four years, Trump announced his administration’s goal to send U.S. astronauts to Mars. “We will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars,” he stated. The declaration was met with approval from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who was seated behind the president, giving a thumbs-up. Musk, along with Jeff Bezos, whose company Blue Origin also launches rockets, has been a key figure in the private space exploration industry.

“Americans are explorers, builders, innovators, entrepreneurs and pioneers. The spirit of the frontier is written into our hearts. The call of the next great adventure resounds from within our souls,” Trump said.