Short term in office, far-reaching consequences The 9 most controversial decisions in two weeks of Trump
Adventurous move in the Middle East conflict: US President Donald Trump declares the Gaza Strip an American high-profile construction project. It's not the first shockwave in two weeks in office: an overview.
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- Donald Trump wants to turn the Gaza Strip into the "Riviera of the Middle East": however, his spectacular Middle East plan has been met with much criticism worldwide.
- Other decisions by the US president have also caused consternation, both internationally and in the USA.
- A list of his most important decisions shows that Trump does not seem to have any regard for losses.
Since taking office just over two weeks ago, US President Donald Trump has been testing the limits of his power. He is radically breaking with the status quo - both in the USA itself and worldwide.
Since the start of his second term in office on January 20, Trump has made a whole series of decisions that have caused a stir both nationally and internationally. Here are the most significant decisions to date.
Trump wants to take over the Gaza Strip
"The USA will take over the Gaza Strip. We will own it": On February 5, Trump announced during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US wants to take control of the Gaza Strip.
He wants the approximately two million Palestinians for whom the Gaza Strip is their home to be resettled in other Arab states in the region, such as Egypt and Jordan, in future.
The Republican then wants to redevelop the Gaza Strip. The aim is to rehabilitate the area and develop it economically in order to turn it into the "Riviera of the Middle East".
This plan was sharply criticized internationally and condemned as ethnic cleansing. Numerous states announced "massive resistance" to the plans. However, international experts consider it unrealistic that Trump will be able to implement this plan anyway.
Trump imposes punitive tariffs and (partially) withdraws them again
Trump announced extensive tariffs on imports from China, Mexico and Canada. Import duties of 10 percent are to be imposed on Chinese goods and 25 percent on imports from Mexico and Canada. Energy imports from Canada are to be subject to a 10 percent tariff.
However, the threats did not last long. In the case of Mexico, Trump relented after a meeting with President Claudia Sheinbaum and suspended the tariffs for the month of February. In return, Mexico is to send 10,000 soldiers to the common border to curb illegal border crossings and drug smuggling, among other things.
Customs duties were also suspended in the case of Canada. In return, Canada agreed to make concessions on border security. "Canada is implementing our 1.3 billion dollar border plan - reinforcing the border with new helicopters, technology and personnel, improving coordination with our American partners and increasing resources to stop the flow of fentanyl," said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Unlike with Mexico and Canada, there was no last-minute agreement with Beijing. China is responding to new US tariffs with counter-tariffs of up to 15 percent on coal, liquid gas, oil and machinery as well as an antitrust investigation into Google.
Tougher measures against migrants
On the first day of his second term in office, Trump began to implement one of his key election promises with ten planned measures to tighten migration policy. Among other things, he announced that he would declare a national emergency on the border with Mexico.
A few days later, Trump signed the "Laken Riley Act", the first law of his new term of office. It seals the tightened measures against certain migrant groups. "This law is a milestone," said the Republican during the ceremony at the White House. "It will save the lives of countless innocent Americans."
Congress had previously passed the law. It requires federal authorities to detain migrants without valid residency status - as well as those with temporary protected status - in special detention centers if they are accused of certain offenses. These include burglary and attacks on police officers as well as minor offenses such as shoplifting.
Mere suspicion is sufficient - a conviction is not required. Those affected are not entitled to a hearing, release on bail or an examination of whether they actually pose a security risk.
If possible, deportation should take place swiftly and directly from detention. The law could therefore lead to asylum seekers being deported before their application has been decided.
There have already been numerous deportation flights to South American countries in recent days. According to the US government, the first detained migrants are also being taken to the US military base at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba. In future, 30,000 of the "worst criminal illegal immigrants" could be detained there. Trump argued that it was "a place that's hard to get away from".
Withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement again
Shortly after taking office, Trump signed a decree withdrawing the USA from the Paris Climate Agreement. He justified this step with the view that the agreement was damaging the US economy and favored other countries.
This decision was met with international criticism and raises questions about the future role of the USA in global climate protection. The agreement provides for a notice period of one year. Trump had already withdrawn the USA from the agreement during his first term in office because he saw it as a "rip-off" and a competitive disadvantage.
However, the withdrawal only lasted a few months because his successor Joe Biden reaffirmed his commitment to the agreement. Almost all countries in the world are part of the agreement. Only Yemen, Iran and Libya have not signed the treaty.
Attempted withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council
At the beginning of the week, US President Donald Trump signed a decree that calls into question the USA's participation in several United Nations organizations.
Among other things, it provides for the United States to withdraw from the UN Human Rights Council. However, it is not currently a member, as its most recent three-year term on the Council ended at the beginning of the new year.
A formal withdrawal is therefore not possible. At most, Washington can decide to no longer participate in the Council's activities as an observer and no longer apply for membership.
Trump also announced that the USA would withdraw from the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinians (UNRWA). US funding for the aid organization was already suspended during his first term in office.
Trump also wants to have the US involvement in the UN cultural organization Unesco reviewed. The USA had already left the organization under his aegis, but Biden had reversed this. Trump accused Unesco of "anti-American bias".
Withdrawal from the WHO again
With one of his numerous decrees shortly after his inauguration, US President Donald Trump has initiated the withdrawal of the United States from the World Health Organization - for the second time in just under five years.
Scientists fear that the decision could undo decades of success in the fight against diseases such as Aids, malaria and tuberculosis. Experts also warn that the world could be less prepared for pandemics.
Far-reaching restrictions on transgender rights
Donald Trump has already signed several decrees that restrict the rights of trans people. For example, one decree could effectively lead to the exclusion of transgender people from the armed forces.
In addition, it has been determined that the policy of the United States will in future be based on the assumption that there are only two genders - "male and female". Official documents such as passports and visas should therefore once again indicate the "correct biological sex".
In a further decree, Trump recently restricted federal funding for gender reassignment treatments for minors. Such procedures are no longer to be financially supported as they are described as "chemical and surgical mutilation".
State insurance companies and institutions that receive federal funding must exclude these treatments for people under the age of 19. Opponents of the decree have already announced legal action.
Stop of foreign aid
US President Trump has frozen almost all of Washington's aid to foreign countries. The US State Department confirmed the temporary halt to foreign development aid at the end of January.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has initiated a review of all foreign aid programs to ensure that they are effective and consistent with US foreign policy under the America First agenda, the department said in a statement in Washington.
Following the temporary halt to most foreign aid payments, hundreds of agency employees were laid off or furloughed and dozens of executives were let go with immediate effect, several US media outlets reported.
Trump and his efficiency commissioner Elon Musk are therefore considering completely dissolving the previously independent agency, which plays an important role in global development cooperation. The agency's website was suddenly no longer accessible, as was USAID's X account.
The new government also wants to withdraw USAID employees worldwide - with the exception of those who are classified as indispensable. In a notice published online on Tuesday, employees were given 30 days to return home.
Spending freeze on federal aid in the USA itself
The planned decision to suspend the payment of federal aid and grants for the time being caused a particularly big stir in the USA. This is to ensure that all spending is in line with Trump's agenda, explained his spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt. Among other things, she named programs for more diversity and inclusion, the funding of which the president has cut by decree.
However, the order also threatened to halt spending on police stations, shelters to protect against domestic violence, disaster relief measures and the distribution of food to the needy. The Trump administration stressed that Medicaid - a healthcare program for people with low incomes or disabilities - would continue to be subsidized.
Critics see Trump's move as an attempt to undermine the separation of powers that has characterized American governance for more than 200 years. Experts point out that US presidents are expressly prohibited from cutting spending on programs that Congress has approved.
Meanwhile, federal courts have already blocked the planned spending freeze on federal aid. For the time being at least.
