By LUCAS BRUNO

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Donald J. Trump was inaugurated to his second term on Jan. 20 and he has already made several decisions that have raised eyebrows.

On Inauguration Day, Trump signed many executive orders live in the Capital One Arena and dozens more when he moved back into the Oval Office. Along with these orders, his policy aspirations and the actions of the new administration have also sparked controversy.

SU students have voiced both concern and praise for the early stages of his second term, which have left many unsure about the future of the country and world.

Makayla, an SU Junior majoring in Medical Lab Science, described his early term as “a disaster,” criticizing his advancement of tariffs and large-scale attacks on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs. 

“I think [the government] has gone bad, especially with the majority of both [chambers of congress] being Republican… I don’t think we’ll have any change until we have a Democrat President again.”

Jonathan Irons, an SU Junior majoring in Earth Science, praises Trump’s bold decisions.

“I think [Trump’s] done a pretty good job, he’s definitely stirring the pot a little bit but I think that’s a good thing,” Irons said. “He’s definitely making some people unhappy, especially on the other side of the aisle, but we need some change in this country and I think he’s brought that.”

Regarding Trump’s more eye-catching ambitions, Irons disagrees with the prospect of turning Canada into the 51st state. However, he supports the idea of acquiring Greenland.

“I think it would be a strategic move if Trump could buy Greenland and turn it into a US territory,” he said. “China has already invested billions [of dollars] in a uranium project there, and with its abundance of oil and gas, securing the island would be beneficial to America.”

Wes Moore, an SU Freshman majoring in Communication, thinks it’s too early to make conclusions. Although he doesn’t have strong political opinions, he thinks America “is going in a better direction than it was before.”

“Trump has the enthusiasm to really push to get stuff done, even if people don’t agree with it,” Moore said. 

Brandon Cukrow, an SU sophomore majoring in Earth Science, expressed discontent not only with President Trump as well as Elon Musk and other members of the administration. 

“It seems like it’s just a giant attempt at a money grab for the ultra wealthy,” he said. “There absolutely is [an oligarchy], Elon Musk donated 45 million [dollars] a month in the months leading up to the election. I mean, it [seems] like both parties are bought off, but it seems the Republican Party is more bought off.”

Jacob Hornsby, an SU Junior majoring in Political Science, is the Vice President of the College Republicans club on campus. He believes that many of Trump’s seemingly controversial actions are merely common sense policy solutions. 

“[Deploying] troops to the border is apparently controversial now, even though we’ve done that for many years…people find that highly dangerous towards people trying to get into our country illegally, and the term is illegal because it is, they’re breaking the laws of the United States,” Hornsby said.

“Also… when Trump signed into office the two gender [executive order], I feel like that’s going to ruffle a lot of people’s feathers because a lot of people feel like this is going to crush down on their expression. But, I mean the facts of the matter is there are only two genders.”

Hornsby criticized Biden’s administration for their poor handling of illegal immigration and rising prices, both some of the biggest reasons Americans decided to put Trump back in office. 

“I feel like there’s a lot of different things that people are going to get angry at, but [it’s] a lot of common sense things [that they get angry at],” he said. 

Ben O’Brien, an SU Sophomore majoring in Political Science, has made efforts towards revitalizing the College Democrats on campus. He expressed strong criticism of the Trump administration. 

“The current administration has been doing exactly what they said they would do before being elected,” he said. “Starting unnecessary conflicts with other nations through the use of inflationary tariffs, mass deportations of working individuals, signing mass executive policies that regress, defund, and outright dismantle many of the progressive policies and programs that took years to put into place.”

He argues that Trump’s actions could have been stopped “if our country had a strong and decisive Democratic Party that was willing to take action for the American people rather than choosing inaction and posturing in order to appease their corporate donors.” 

On the future of the nation, O’Brien points out how people are “desperate for something to direct their anger and desperation towards. Trump has successfully directed these emotions at minorities as many fascists have before him.”

“Prices will continue to rise…not because immigrants are using what little social safety nets our country has, or because “wokeness” is infecting the workplace, it’s because corporations are continuing to suck as much profit from the American people as possible while simultaneously paying less in taxes than a school teacher,” he said. 

Students and other Americans alike have mixed feelings. Political division is a problem that has continued to grow, making many unsure of what events will ensue. Some are excited for Trump’s ambitions to bring forward an American Golden Age, while others fear that his administration will bolster the interests of a few at the expense of many groups throughout the country who will suffer as a result of these new policies.

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Featured image courtesy: AP News