A Familiar Figure

WRITTEN BY CAIA FARRELL

As many know, the recent presidential election ensured a secure win for former president Donald Trump, making him the 47th president of the United States. So, how is he returning to office, and when? The presidential inauguration is a process where the elected presidential candidate is officially sworn in. This happens every four years on January 20th, beginning with the president-elect arriving at the White House to meet with the outgoing president. After being taken to the White House, the elected president takes an oath of office administered by the United States chief justice, following with the delivering of the inaugural address.

The presidential oath of office is to be repeated after the president is sworn in, a paragraph which states that the president will, “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies… bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely… and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I [the president] am about to enter”. People have raised concerns about the decision to re-elect Trump made by the American people. Why is this? When he first became president in 2016, his policies included adding $4.6 trillion to budget deficits between 2017 and 2026. However, due to the beginning of the COVID crisis, it is estimated that the president's actions have increased deficits by $3.9 trillion. This number increased to $6.6 trillion once COVID relief funds were included.

This debt was also approved by Congress, and it is estimated that these $3.9 trillion of tax cuts and spending will lead to a 15 percent increase in debt by 2026, making it the highest level of debt in American history. President Donald Trump has also promised to roll back Biden-era regulations promoting electric vehicle adoption. Additionally, he has stated he would ban environmental and social investments, cutting off efforts to regulate and reverse climate change.

Raised concern doesn’t stop at American citizens, those around the world have voiced displeasure with the decision. Many world leaders have also expressed worry on how this election will entail global consequences. President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico assured her citizens to keep calm. According to a statement she made soon after results were confirmed, she stated, “To our brothers and sisters living in the U.S., to their family members living here, to the business people, there is no reason to worry… Mexico will always prevail”.

As humanity knows, nothing is ever simple, and while some politicians feared for the security of their countries, many did not. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau congratulated Trump on his victory through X, (formerly known as “Twitter”) saying, “The friendship between Canada and the U.S. is the envy of the world. I know President Trump and I will work together to create more opportunity, prosperity, and security for both of our nations”. People have called this statement contradictory, considering the fact that Trump's win in 2016 proved to injure the Canadian government, endangering a trading agreement worth $2.7 trillion.

Soon after Trudeau released his statement, The Canadian government was warned through comments from Kelly Craft, a former U.S ambassador under Trump, who claimed, “Canada, they need to buckle up, the whole world needs to buckle up because President Trump will continue his policies from 2016”. Shortly after this statement was released, Trudeau announced his resignation,

So, what’s this to say about the inauguration? Looking back on the riots and the Capital storming of January 2021 after President Biden was elected, one can assume the outcome of the inauguration might be impractical. Between the political tension this country has experienced over the last eight years, now fired up more than ever, it’s easy to be anxious or to anticipate something negative. However, as many people feel a growing pit of uncertainty for the future of this country, despite that, the only way we truly lose, is if we lose or give up hope. So, continue to believe in the goodness and brightness of the future. Never stop wishing for better days.

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