Transgender athletes banned from women’s sports. Targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs. End to gender-affirming care for minors. Threats to birthright citizenship. If you feel overwhelmed by the stream of executive orders and “concepts of plans” that President Donald Trump has vocalized in his first month of office, congratulations, you have given him exactly what he wants.
Trump’s radically conservative agenda and plans to “Make America Great Again” have never been a secret. But, his second term in the oval office has come with an intensified amount of fear-mongering and purposely overwhelming Americans in order to push the boundaries of how much of his extremist agenda he can actually achieve; and we are all falling for it.
Almost immediately following his election, Trump began spewing his ideas to expand America’s influence across the globe, with plans to take over Greenland, annex Canada and, most recently, turn the Gaza Strip into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” After a recent press conference where Trump proposed his idea for the United States to take control of Gaza, it was revealed that no prior discussions with the Pentagon or the State Department had been held to discuss the possibility of this seizure.
Furthermore, Trump’s claims that Palestinians will be eager to leave their homes are completely based on his own assumptions and according to The New York Times, his plan could violate international law if Palestinians are forcibly removed from Gaza. Fawaz Gerges, a professor at the London School of Economics, told NBC News that Trump’s plan is “beyond any kind of rational thinking, any kind of policy feasibility.”
Similarly, Trump’s plan to make Canada the 51st state is irrational and overly ambitious. Former United States Ambassador to Canada David Cohen told Politico that the United States does not have the authority to annex Canada if Canada is uninterested without the use of military intervention.
Clearly, Trump’s ploy to accumulate more land for the United States is based on nothing more than a need to fulfill his own imperialistic tendencies, and cannot actually be achieved without violating international policy. However, by exploiting his power and constantly throwing out baseless plans to shape America to fit the mold that he wants, Trump is taking advantage of the lack of political knowledge most Americans have.
Additionally, the president has signed countless executive orders during his first month in office, many of which are unnecessary distractions that add to his attempt to overwhelm Americans and paint himself as a proactive and efficient leader. For example, according to ABC News, Trump signed a mandate to remove pronouns from email signatures for federal government staff.
There is no clear sign that the President’s actions are going to slow down anytime soon. By signing orders that have no effect on the actual well-being and security of our country and spewing ideas for expanding American territory with no legal basis, Trump is capitalizing on the fact that most Americans will not fact check what he is truly able to accomplish.
It is imperative now, more than ever, that we educate ourselves on the legislative process of our country and learn the limits of President Trump’s executive powers. Take the time to read about where Trump’s power actually extends, rather than falling victim to every word that comes out of his mouth. Don’t let him continue to control the narrative because, after all, that is exactly what he wants.