After not placing his hand on the Bible as he took the oath of workplace, Donald Trump gave an especially darkish and lie-filled inaugural tackle on Monday by which he rattled off an inventory of his priorities—none of which is able to decrease costs for Individuals, as he promised to do.
In his speech, Trump bragged about his slim victory, whined that he’s been “challenged more than any president in our 250 year history,” and in the end declared that God himself saved Trump so he might “make America great again”—a completely humble factor to say.
He then went on to checklist his priorities, most of which have been both immigration associated or meaningless gestures meant to harm weak populations or make him really feel macho.
The truth is, after the official speech was over, Trump spoke to an overflow crowd of his supporters—who have been stored out of the Capitol Rotunda the place the speech befell in order that the cadre of billionaire tech bros Trump buddies round with might get front-row seats—telling them that his advisers actually needed him to speak extra about inflation, however he refused.
“How many times can you say an apple has doubled in cost?” Trump mentioned in a rambling speech by which he went on to complain about his 2024 victory once more and mentioned he would have received California if it weren’t for fraud—an entire lie.
In any occasion, listed below are the guarantees Trump made in his inaugural tackle that will not assist your pocket e-book and will really make your funds worse:
1. He’s sending troops to the border.
“I’ll ship troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our nation,” Trump mentioned, invoking the Nazi-esque language about immigrants searching for asylum on the southern border.
Deploying troops to cope with immigrants on the border will value taxpayers cash, and sure received’t make a distinction as it’s authorized to hunt asylum within the U.S.
2. “Drill, baby, drill.”
“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 declared. “We will bring prices down, fill our strategic reserves up again, right to the top and export American energy all over the world. We will be a rich nation again and it is that liquid gold under our feet that will help to do it.”
Opposite to what Trump mentioned, America is already producing a file quantity of crude oil, and is at present the lead oil producer on the planet for the sixth consecutive yr.
What’s extra, specialists say his “drill baby drill” coverage received’t really decrease costs.
“This will likely have little to no impact on #gasprices or fuel prices in the short-term, as a President can de-regulate, but there is no direct action that can be issued requiring oil companies to raise production,” Patrick De Haan, a fuel costs skilled, wrote in a put up on X.
3. He claims he’s creating a brand new company to gather tariffs.
“I will immediately begin the overhaul of our trade system to protect American workers and families. Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens,” Trump mentioned. “For this purpose, we are establishing the External Revenue Service to collect all tariffs, duties, and revenues that will be massive amounts of money pouring into our treasury coming from foreign sources.”
After all, overseas nations don’t pay tariffs. Corporations in the US that import items pay the tariffs, after which they move these added prices all the way down to customers, elevating costs and inflicting inflation to soar.
His new tariff coverage might be harmful to the financial system, and your pocket e-book.
4. Trump says he’ll “bring back free speech to America.”
“After years and years of illegal and unconstitutional federal efforts to restrict free expression, I will also sign an executive order to immediately stop all government censorship and bring back free speech to America,” Trump mentioned.
There’s already a factor referred to as the First Modification that protects speech, so it’s unlikely a toothless government order will do something greater than give Trump a chunk of paper to signal at his massive boy desk.
5. Trump declares there are solely two genders.
“As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female,” Trump mentioned.
This declaration will actually do nothing to make your each day life higher, and as a substitute will solely damage transgender Individuals, who’re already susceptible to being targets of violence and discrimination.
6. Trump says he’ll change the title of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
Trump desires to look macho by declaring he’ll unilaterally change the title of a significant physique of water. How will this enable you to, you ask? It received’t. It’s actually a meaningless gesture.
It was such a dumb promise that Hillary Clinton was seen laughing out loud within the viewers.
7. Trump says he’ll rename Denali to Mt. McKinley.
“We will restore the name of a great president, William McKinley to Mt. McKinley, where it should be and where it belongs,” Trump mentioned. “President McKinley made our country very rich through tariffs and through talent.”
Alaskans, the place Denali is situated, don’t even need this, however that’s not stopping Trump from utilizing his sharpie to signal an government order to make him really feel like he’s carrying out one thing.
8. Trump declares he’ll take again the Panama Canal.
“We have been treated very badly from this foolish gift that should have never been made and Panama’s promise to us has been broken,” Trump mentioned. “The purpose of our deal and the spirit of our treaty has been totally violated. 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.”
There’s so much to unpack right here.
First, American ships are being charged the identical as different ships within the canal.
And second, China will not be working the canal.
Trump has been telling this lie for weeks, main Panamanian President Jose Mulino to declare publicly, “There are no Chinese soldiers in the canal, for the love of God. The world is free to visit the canal.”
Trump even threatened to make use of army power to take again the canal, which might violate Trump’s different inaugural speech promise of not beginning any wars.
MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow identified that conflicting message after Trump’s inaugural tackle.
“He pledged to be a president of peace and not start any new wars but also pledged to forcibly take another country’s territory,” Maddow mentioned.
9. Trump says he’ll put astronauts on Mars.
“And we will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars launching American astronauts to plant the stars and stripes on the planet Mars,” Trump mentioned, a line that basically acquired co-President Elon Musk going.
If this speech is any indication, the following 4 years are going to be so extremely silly. Simply 1,461 days to go.
