On 20 January 2025, Donald Trump officially had his first day back in the White House. The new president wasted no time in signing a barrage of executive orders, some of which instantly ignited controversy and sparked heated debates across the nation. Estimated to sit around the 100 mark, these orders represent a bold attempt to reshape American policies—from gender identity to border control, climate change, and more.

So, following one of the most controversial inauguration days in history, let’s break down some of the most shocking measures Trump has just rolled out.

Donald Trump’s first executive action was a massive rollback of Joe Biden-era policies. The president vowed to revoke nearly 80 executive actions, signalling an immediate shift from the prior administration’s priorities. This included everything from COVID relief measures to environmental initiatives, such as Biden’s clean energy agenda. It was a clear signal that Trump plans to reset the federal government’s course, undoing what he calls “destructive and radical” policies.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said at a rally in downtown Washington that he would repeal every executive order announced by U.S. President-elect Joe Biden.

US elites have no capacity to create a plan for the next decades, for the next generations, for the next century.
A… pic.twitter.com/3tuFnVF2KH

— Angelo Giuliano 🇨🇭🇮🇹🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻 安德龙 (@angeloinchina) January 20, 2025

Perhaps the most dramatic move of all was Donald Trump’s mass pardon of 1,500 individuals involved in the 6 January Capitol riot. Unsurprisingly, Trump declared the rioters “hostages” and followed through with his campaign promise to grant clemency to those convicted in the attack. The sweeping pardon covers almost everyone arrested in connection with the insurrection and also directs the Attorney General to drop all pending cases. This has naturally sparked strong reactions, particularly from those who view the insurrection as an assault on democracy.

Good Morning X-Land.

President Trump drops a Truth Bomb with regard to J6:

“I don’t call them prisoners. They’re hostages." pic.twitter.com/Cx4vEUh1Hi

— SweetPeaBelle (@SweetPeaBell326) December 17, 2023

Donald Trump today called these rioters “warriors” and “hostages.” He also promised to pardon them if he got back to the Oval Office

This should be a much bigger story.

pic.twitter.com/NFV5UMWbNv

— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) June 10, 2024

Donald Trump is once again declaring a national emergency at the US-Mexico border. His order includes controversial measures like designating criminal cartels as terrorist organisations, suspending refugee resettlement, and challenging automatic citizenship for children born on US soil.

One of the most extreme parts of the order is the deployment of US troops to support border agents, echoing his first-term rhetoric on immigration. Trump’s blunt language—stating that the US “cannot absorb large numbers of migrants”—reminds us that border control will be one of his administration’s top priorities.

CBP One was a LEGAL pathway to enter the United States. The migrants who scheduled appointments on it followed the rules and did everything right. Donald Trump isn't waging a war on illegal immigration, he's waging a war on legal immigration. https://t.co/qa6OgdzOJB

— You Should've Said Nicer Things About Joe Biden (@What46HasDone) January 20, 2025

Hundreds of people filled the streets of Chicago to protest against Donald Trump’s inauguration and his immigration policy – including mass deportations that could begin here soon pic.twitter.com/EUu21peJXL

— Carl Nasman (@CarlNasman) January 20, 2025

Donald Trump’s executive orders on gender and diversity are among the most polarising of his first-day actions. In a bold proclamation, he declared that the US government would officially recognise only two genders: male and female.

Trump really just said, "Free expression will no longer be limited", and "there are now only two genders male and female" in the same breath.

— Lucifer (@LucifersTweetz) January 20, 2025

Trump’s executive orders explicitly define sex as an “immutable biological classification,” banning federal documents from listing gender beyond this binary. This policy would impact passports, visas, and other federal paperwork, all of which would now only allow male or female options. Additionally, Trump banned federal funds from being used to promote “gender ideology” and dismantled Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs across the government. For many, these moves are seen as a direct assault on LGBTQIA+ rights and progress toward gender inclusivity.

Trump says he will end the Biden admin's policy of "trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect" of society:

"As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the US government that there are only two genders: male and female." pic.twitter.com/5HvNY03ijv

— Western Standard (@WSOnlineNews) January 20, 2025

Donald Trump’s return to the White House also means a return to his signature “drill, baby, drill” stance on energy. Declaring a “national energy emergency,” he quickly signed an executive order to maximise fossil fuel production. It’s essentially a love letter to the oil and gas industries, reversing Biden’s climate-focused policies. One of the most controversial steps was Trump’s immediate withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, a move that he had previously attempted in his first term.

Trump just withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement.

The US now joins Iran, Libya, and Yemen as the only countries in the world not in the agreement. pic.twitter.com/z2dtnxGkGy

— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) January 21, 2025

I bet these people applauding Trump don´t even know what the Paris Climate Agreement is.

— Gayle Alstrom (@GayleAlstrom) January 21, 2025

“We will drill, baby, drill,” he declared, reiterating his belief that the US should not sacrifice its energy interests while accusing China of polluting with impunity.

President Trump says he is declaring "a national energy emergency" on his first day in office, citing energy prices as a cause of inflation.

"We will drill, baby, drill," he says.

"We will be a rich nation again, and it is that liquid gold under our feet that will help to do… pic.twitter.com/KTd9qBNNrQ

— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 20, 2025

In a move that surprised many, Trump signed an executive order pausing the TikTok ban. The 90-day reprieve drew attention, especially considering Trump’s previous crusade to ban the Chinese-owned app. The fact that he allowed TikTok to remain operational for now raises questions about the motives behind his previous push to limit the application’s use in the US. Alongside this, Trump signed another order aimed at curbing what he describes as “political bias” in social media. This executive order instructs the federal government to investigate and potentially regulate the content moderation practices of major tech platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Critics argue that this could lead to government overreach and restrict free speech under the guise of protecting it.

NEWS: Meta Platforms and its subsidiaries spent a record high $7.6 million on lobbying the federal government in the first quarter of the year as the U.S. Congress advanced legislation that could ban Instagram’s chief competitor, TikTok.

(Sludge)

— World of Statistics (@stats_feed) January 19, 2025

The senators pushing for the ban, and voting for the ban, a number of them bought stock in meta… so I wouldn’t be surprised if zuck buys it. Also, trumps initial ban was satiated by the app being transferred mostly to Oracle, which is a USA based company, Biden is the one who… pic.twitter.com/arT6ehU0AG

— InvisibleLady (@bkbart80) January 20, 2025

In perhaps one of the more absurd moves, Trump signed an executive order to rename two geographic landmarks: the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska’s Mount Denali. He wants the Gulf of Mexico to be officially rebranded as the “Gulf of America” and Mount Denali reverted to its former name, “Mount McKinley.”

Hillary laughing at Trump announcing he’s renaming the Gulf Of Mexico to the Gulf of America 😂 pic.twitter.com/UWypR7d8vb

— Adam (@AdamJSmithGA) January 20, 2025

In a scene that could be straight out of a Tyler Perry movie, Reverend Lorenzo Sewell launched his own cryptocurrency token, $Lorenzo, urging his followers to invest in Jesus. In a video on X, Sewell passionately called on supporters to buy the token to fund his ministry’s projects, including transportation, housing, education, and medical services. “We need to make politics manifest,” Sewell proclaimed, framing the crypto push as part of a divine mission to fulfil God’s vision. Sure… His fiery plea, which mixed prayer and investment, sparked mixed reactions online, with some calling it their “favourite prayer over America.”

Reverend Lorenzo Sewell delivered a POWERFUL prayer at President Donald Trump’s inauguration. pic.twitter.com/zTziEWq79O

— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) January 20, 2025

Elon Musk’s recent Nazi salute at a public event shocked many, especially Gen Z, who quickly took to social media to condemn the gesture as dangerous and irresponsible. Young people, particularly on platforms like Twitter and TikTok, expressed outrage, accusing Musk of normalising extremist symbols and ideologies. But I suppose there is nothing new about that.

Elon Musk got his Nazi passed down from his grandfather who was in a fascist cult in the 30s that wanted to replace global government with “technocracy” & let the peasants toil in silence.

“Technocracy Inc” didn’t work out so he moved to whites-only S. Africa in 1950 & had Maye. https://t.co/2RKadbtoip pic.twitter.com/x0gYDKa56u

— Jim Stewartson, Antifascist 🇺🇸🇺🇦🏴‍☠️ (@jimstewartson) December 26, 2024

Elon Musk did a Nazi/far right White nationalist salute today to make it clear Trump a man of German heritage is the next Hitler, Italy Benito Mussolini and Spain Francisco Franco combined. Black/Indigenous Americans it is time to get focus screw sports and entertainment.

— antjams (@antjams) January 21, 2025

Some online users have pointed out old footage linking Musk’s grandfather, Joshua Haldeman, to a troubling past. In 1940, Haldeman was arrested for leading Technocracy, Inc., a fascist group that aimed to replace governments with a system controlled by engineers and scientists. Sound familiar?

Musk’s current ambitions—pushing for a few elites to colonise Mars while promoting widespread microchipping of humanity—seem to echo this technocratic, authoritarian vision. And just to put a cherry on the cake, further investigation into Haldeman’s background also suggests his alignment with apartheid-era politics in South Africa.

Elon Musk just did the Nazi salut live on TV — Do not let them erase this—Do not let them tell you he meant "my heart goes out for you" — he's a fucking Nazi. pic.twitter.com/mWFWkkgN97

— Ema🇵🇸. (@Ema97n) January 21, 2025

For Gen Z, Musk’s salute and Trump’s policies are more than just isolated incidents—they represent a broader cultural battle. With climate change, gender rights, and social justice at the forefront of their concerns, many young people feel that these actions reflect a dangerous regression. Their voices, amplified through social media, are challenging both figures and demanding accountability, showing that this generation is ready to fight back against what they see as harmful ideologies and policies that threaten their future.

@emmwee

♬ original sound - EMMY

Are we really witnessing the dawn of a new societal order, or is this the unravelling of everything we’ve worked for? The clock’s ticking, and the consequences of ignoring this may be far more devastating than we can imagine.