Announces a “two-gender” policy, pledges to take over Panama Canal and Greenland and rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.

US President Donald Trump declared in his inaugural address and press conference in Washington on Monday that the US under him will be a peace-maker in the world even as it defends its core interests fiercely both at home and abroad.

“We will measure our success not only by the battles we win but also by the wars that we end — and perhaps most importantly, the wars we never get into. I want to be a peacemaker and a unifier. I’m pleased to say that as of yesterday, one day before I assumed office, the hostages in the Middle East are coming back home to their families,” Trump said in his inaugural address.

He declared that his principal aim is to make America greater, stronger, and far more exceptional than ever before. “Our top priority will be to create a nation that is proud, prosperous, and free,” he said.

Advocates Deals

As an advocate of the idea of “deals” to settle issues thought to be intractable, Trump said that he would encourage parties in all conflicts to end them by working out deals. The Ukraine-Russia war as well as the Israel-Hamas war could be settled by entering into deals, Trump said.

He told the media that the Ukrainian leader President Volodymyr Zelensky is ready for a deal with Russia, but added that he does not know if Russia is ready for one. Trump said that Russia should go in for a deal as the war has not been going well for it. Russia thought that the war could be ended in a week but it is three years now, and there is no sign of an end, Trump pointed out. In the meanwhile, Russia has lost one million troops and the Ukrainians have lost 700,000, Trump claimed. The Russian economy is in bad shape with high inflation, he added.

On the conflict in Gaza, Trump said that a deal between the warring parties would be the best and added that the Abraham Accord, entered into by the Middle Eastern countries when he was President last, provides the best framework for a settlement.

NATO/Europe

On NATO and Europe, Trump told the media that Europe should share defence expenses. He drew attention to the fact that the US has so far spent US$200 billion on Europe’s defence following the outbreak of war in Ukraine.

Trump complained that the previous government had given unlimited funding to the defence of foreign borders but refused to defend American borders or, “more importantly, its own people.”

“We have a public health system that does not deliver in times of disaster, yet more money is spent on it than any country anywhere in the world. The US has an education system that teaches children to be ashamed of themselves — in many cases, to hate our country despite the love that we try so desperately to provide to them. All of this will change starting today, and it will change very quickly,” Trump said.

Greenland

On his threat to take over Greenland, the President said that Greenland is necessary for the defence of, not just the US, but the world as a whole, with Russia and China already present in force in the Arctic region.

Asked if Denmark would submit to the US demand for Greenland, Trump said that it would give in because the security of the world is involved. He added that the people of Greenland want to come under the US umbrella, not being too happy with Denmark.

Panama Canal

On his pledge to retrieve the Panama Canal from Panama, Trump said that President Jimmy Carter had given the canal to Panama in 1978, but Panama in turn handed it over to China. Now, China is running the canal! The US cannot afford to have the Chinese controlling this vital waterway linking the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans, Trump said.

China

On relations with China, Trump reiterated his threat to impose heavy tariffs on Chinese goods to protect US industries and increase employment in America. The current situation is extremely injurious to America, which needs to increase industrial production and generate jobs, he said.

Trump told the media that he had spoken to President Xi Jinping and hoped that Xi would enter into a deal with America in its own interest.

“America would be a manufacturing nation once again, using its immense oil and gas resources and exporting American energy all over the world. We will build automobiles in America again at a rate that nobody could have dreamt possible just a few years ago,” the President said.

On the controversial issue of the Chinese social media app TikTok, Trump said that he hoped that TikTok would accept the American proposal for a 50:50 joint ownership so that both the US and China gain financially instead of China taking all the earnings. China should be aware that if the US bans TikTok, the loss will be China’s, not America’s, Trump warned.

Personally, Trump is for TikTok remaining in the US. In the election campaign, he had used TikTok to reach out to the youth and secured a 36% rise in his youth vote, he claimed.

De-dollarisation

On the threat from the BRICS countries to de-link themselves from the US dollar and trade in their own currencies, Trump said that he will impose a 100% tariff on products from these countries even if they only announced an intention to de-link themselves from the dollar.

Trump noted that some of the BRICS countries have given up the idea of switching and pledged to stick to the dollar. On his relations with Brazil, which is one of the leaders of the BRICS group, Trump said that America does not need Brazil though Brazil needs America.

Ethnicity and Race

Trump spoke about his policy on ethnicity and race in his inaugural address. To the Black and Hispanic communities, he said: “I want to thank you for the tremendous outpouring of love and trust that you have shown me with your vote. We set records, and I will not forget it. I’ve heard your voices in the campaign, and I look forward to working with you in the years to come. Today is Martin Luther King Day. In his honour, we will strive together to make his dream a reality. We will make his dream come true.”

Executive Orders

Trump signed a series of historic executive orders after his inauguration. These are aimed at a “complete restoration of America on the basis of common sense.” He declared a national emergency on the southern border with Mexico.

“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. We will reinstate my Remain in Mexico policy. I will end the practice of catch and release. And I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country.”

In his speech, Trump said that he is going to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

Only Against Illegal Immigration

In the media interaction, Trump said that he is not against all immigration, but only against illegal immigration. America needs skilled personnel to come to help keep its factories running, he added.

Social Reforms 

Trump promised that this week he will end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life.

“We will forge a society that is colour-blind and merit-based. As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female,“ he declared.

Withdraws from WHO

Trump signed an executive order beginning the process of withdrawing the US from the World Health Organisation (WHO). The WHO had come under intense criticism from Trump in 2020 for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is the second time in less than five years that Trump has ordered a withdrawal from WHO, despite it being a move many scientists fear could roll back decades of gains made in fighting infectious diseases like AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.

A White House statement said the US would withdraw “due to the organisation’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states.”