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Even before the inauguration of Donald Trump occurred, it was evident that the zeitgeist of the Western world had shifted. But I don’t think anyone had predicted that change would occur so decisively and quickly. Indeed, what is truly refreshing is seeing a politician actually implementing the policies he promised from the very first week.

We’re exhorted in Scripture to pray for those in authority over us (1 Timothy 2:1-3) and to also show them honour and obedience as God’s servants (Romans 13:1-5; 1 Peter 2:17). At the same time, we shouldn’t put our trust in political figures, but the LORD Who is over all. In this regard, the words of Psalm 146:3-5 are especially pertinent.

“Do not put your trust in princes, 
in human beings, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God.”

Whether you love him or hate him, though, Donald Trump’s presidency is facilitating far-reaching change. Indeed, his net approval rating for his second term in office, compared to his net approval rating for his entire first term, is the highest for any President in US history ever, as even Kate Bolduan from CNN was forced to acknowledge. The facts just don’t lie.

Why is this the case? Well, while it’s still obviously early days, what follows are ten of the biggest ‘wins’ Trump has achieved in just the first ten days since he has taken office:

1. Border Security and the Deportation of Criminals.

One of Trump’s first actions was to secure the American border and empower I.C.E (Immigration Customs Enforcement) to deport anyone who has entered into the United States illegally. Over a thousand people per day have been deported, in particular, those who are also guilty of having committed serious crimes such as theft, rape and murder. This is despite the fact that Blue City mayors are trying to prevent deportations from occurring and it was a policy platform which Obama himself ran on.

One particular aspect that is not given the weight it deserves is the evidence of child trafficking. As Tom Homan, Donald Trump’s border czar, explained to Tucker Carlson, there are 300,000 children who have been trafficked into the United States under Biden and remain unaccounted for. Tragically, many of these will be trafficked into the sex industry.

Trump also signed an executive order against birthright citizenship. While this has been ruled to be unconstitutional, the Trump administration is legally challenging the decision. Trump has also signed into law — with the support of Democrats and Republicans — the Laken Riley Act. This requires the detention of unauthorised immigrants accused of theft or violent crime, as well as giving individual states some power to set immigration policy. As Trump himself explained:

‘In addition, for the first time, this act gives state governments the ability to sure the federal government for immediate injunctive relief if any future administration ever again refuses to enforce the immigration laws of the Unites States like what happened for four long years…’

Following on from this, in response to the growing tide of antisemitism, Trump has recently ordered the deportation of non-citizens in America who attend pro-Palestinian rallies.

2. The War on Woke.

Trump has also declared an ideological war on all things ‘woke’. What this has meant practically is the removal of Pride and LGBTIQ flags from outside government buildings, cutting the $180 million funding of DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) training programs for state officials and the introduction of a merit-based approach to hiring. Trump also blocked $45 million dollars for diversity scholarships in places like Burma.

3. Presidential Pardons for J6 Protestors.

Many on the left obviously are upset about this, but this was something which Trump promised he would do during the election. That said, not everyone was ‘pardoned’; some who were guilty of violent offences instead had their sentences ‘commuted’ — although they had already served a longer prison time than many people guilty of more severe crimes in other states.

The biggest reason for pardoning them though, was Trump said they had not been treated fairly under law. As Vice President, J.D. Vance explained in an interview with Margaret Brennan on Face The Nation:

BRENNAN:        Two weeks ago, you were on Fox News, and you said, “If you protested peacefully on January 6 and had Merrick Garland’s Department of Justice treat you like a gang member, you should be pardoned. If you committed violence on that day, obviously, you shouldn’t be pardoned.” Did you counsel the president against these blanket pardons for 1,500 people… including those who committed violence?

VANCE:             Margaret, I noticed that you cut off the thing that I said immediately after that. The full quote is that, of course, there are grey areas. And here’s the nature of the grey area. Merrick Garland’s Department of Justice denied constitutional protections in the prosecutions. There were double standards in how sentences were applied to the J6 protesters versus other groups. What the president said consistently on the campaign is that he was going to look at a case by case basis.

BRENNAN:        [But] This is blanket.

VANCE:             We looked at 1,600 cases [on a case-by-case basis], and the thing that came out of it, Margaret, is that there was a massive denial of due process of liberty, and a lot of people were denied their constitutional rights. The president believes that. I believe that, and I think he made the right decision.

Not content with his explanation, Brennan tried to trap the Vice President by raising some specific examples of people who had committed violence. However, she presents their cases as though they had been pardoned when their sentences had actually been commuted. What’s more, there was a notable double standard as to how the J6 protestors were prosecuted and those guilty of murder during the protracted BLM riots were not.

BRENNAN:        Is violence like that against a police officer ever justified?

VANCE:             Violence against a police officer is not justified. But that doesn’t mean that you should have Merrick Garland’s weaponized Department of Justice expose you to an incredibly unfair process, to denial of constitutional rights, and frankly, to a double standard that was not applied to many people, including, of course, the Black Lives Matter rioters who killed over two dozen people and never had the weight of a weaponised Department of Justice come against them.

The pardon power is not just for people who are angels or people who are perfect. And, of course, we love our law enforcement and want people to be peaceful, with everybody, but especially with our good cops. That’s a separate issue from what Merrick Garland’s Department of Justice did. We rectified a wrong, and I stand by it.

Any criticism Trump’s opponents might have to this is negated by Biden’s own blanket and pre-emptive pardons for nearly his entire family — including their spouses — as well as political allies mere minutes before Trump was formerly sworn in as President. Pardons which are not just for specific offences but even crimes they ‘may’ have done over a ten-year period.

Biden’s pardons are all the more egregious though, when one remembers how he repeatedly and unambiguously promised that he never would. Indeed, this was a key platform to his election campaign which was championed by many in the mainstream media, i.e. that unlike Trump, the Democrats could be trusted for upholding the rule of law when, as we can see now, the opposite was actually the case.

4. Declaration of Two Genders.

We live in such a surreal time in history, that one of the most controversial acts Trump made was signing an executive order that the US government would only recognise two genders. Rather than enter into the sophistry of distinguishing between ‘gender’ and ‘sex’, according to the BBC, the executive order states:

“These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality,” the order says.

It adds: “‘Sex’ is not a synonym for and does not include the concept of ‘gender identity’.”

5. DOGE Cost-Cutting.

The Trump administration has only been in power for a bit over a week and a half, and already they are cutting government spending by one billion dollars every day. Amongst some of the more ridiculous programs to be cut is a $50 million dollars condom budget for Hamas in Gaza. You really can’t make this stuff up! Buckle up though, because the cost-cutting exercise has only just begun.

6. Defending the Unborn.

Even though Trump’s personal convictions are not as conservative as Republicans would like, his administration has had some of the most pro-life executive orders ever. According to LifeNews.com, this has involved:

• Scrapping Biden’s pro-abortion website
• Signing an order to say that human life begins at conception
• Pardoning twenty-three pro-life protestors
• Defunding International Planned Parenthood
• Enforcing the Hyde Amendment, which stops Federal taxpayer dollars from being used to fund abortion
• A personal video to address the March for Life
• Stopping lawfare against pro-life Americans
• Endorsed the Born Alive Bill to protect children who survive abortion attempts
• Signed the Geneva Declaration saying no right to abortion

7. Withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord and the WHO.

This is one of Trump’s gutsiest decisions and will obviously have massive implications around the world. As Trump said:

“I’m immediately withdrawing from the unfair one-sided Paris Climate Accord rip-off; the United States will not sabotage our own industries while China pollutes with impunity.”

Trump has also signed an executive order withdrawing from WHO, which will immediately save the United States more than $40 million dollars. Trump has provocatively labelled the WHO as a “corrupt, globalist scam, paid for by the United States, but owned and controlled by China. When the China virus reached our shores three years ago, the WHO disgracefully covered the tracks of the Chinese Communist Party every step of the way.”

8. Banning Transgenders from the Military.

This is another controversial, but in reality, common-sense measure, and will involve over 800 people. Many people are excluded from serving in the military due to an ongoing medical condition which requires treatment, and this affects their physical and psychological readiness to be deployed.

9. Reinstating Unvaccinated Military with Full Pay.

Another very popular and morally right decision Trump has made is to reinstate all military personnel (about 8,000 people) with full pay who lost their jobs during COVID-19 for refusing to take the vaccine.

Another important aspect to Trump’s defence strategy which is worth noting is his announcement to create an Iron Dome Defence Program like they do in Israel. This has surely got to be a good thing in protecting America’s safety, and it’s surprising that nothing has been developed before.

10. Defence of Religious Freedom.

Finally, Trump has directed federal agencies to prioritise religious liberty. As Joe Carter explains in The Gospel Coalition:

Trump issued a memorandum to the secretary of state, the secretary of defence, the secretary of health and human services, and the administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), directing those federal agencies to prioritize policies that protect religious freedom domestically and abroad.

The memo instructs the State Department to advocate for international religious freedom, particularly for persecuted Christians, and mandates that USAID programs don’t fund organizations that violate religious liberty. Additionally, it ensures military chaplains and healthcare providers aren’t compelled to act against their religious beliefs.

The memo strengthens protections for religious freedom, ensuring federal policies respect the conscience rights of individuals and organizations. It also positions the United States as a global advocate for persecuted believers.

The Trump presidency has definitely started off with a bang, and there is obviously more on the way. And I haven’t even covered what happened at DAVOS, intervening in California’s water crisis, Trump’s threat to sack federal workers who do not return to work by 6 February. But strap yourself in, everyone, because no matter how you look at it, we’re living in exciting times.

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Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.