Chaos, control, culture war Trump is turning the USA upside down in just one month - only now is the full extent becoming apparent

Donald Trump has been in office for a month: so much has happened in these four weeks that it's hard to keep track. Here is a classification in five points so that you can still see clearly.

You have to give Donald Trump credit for one thing after his first month in office: He is shaking up politics. With a large number of decrees, he is having an impact both internally and externally. We have divided the measures into five categories to help you keep track.

There are two fundamental aspects: firstly, Trump is relying on the Madman strategy, which makes him appear unpredictable and potentially dangerous. Secondly, his administration is relying on the public finding it difficult to keep up with the pace of his many decisions: There is a system to the sensory overload.

Migration was a key issue in Trump's election campaign. This is probably not the only reason why Trump has repeatedly spoken of an "invasion" - he is also likely to use the term because it gives him more leeway with regard to the security agencies: If there is a threat of invasion, virtually all means are permitted.

Surprisingly high costsThis is how many billions Trump's planned deportations will cost

What is the situation now in terms of deportations? Under Biden, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency responsible detained an average of 310 people per day in 2024. Under Trump, this figure rose to an average of 810 arrests between January 23 and February 4. The problem: the deportation prisons are now reaching their capacity limits.

Trump's foreign policy initiatives have probably caused the biggest stir, with Uncle Sam targeting his allies rather than his opponents. This can be seen in Trump's favorite tool on the international stage: tariffs.

While Washington is threatening its neighbors Canada and Mexico, as well as Europe, with tariffs of 25 percent, China is getting off relatively lightly with 10 percent. However, a planned reduction in the duty-free rate for parcels from China had to be put on hold. It is therefore still at a value of 800 dollars.

First, Trump rows back: no sooner has he moved into the White House than he rescinds 78 of his predecessor's decrees. After Joe Biden rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement, the 78-year-old withdraws from the treaty, as he did in his first term of office. Trump also repealed the suspension of the death penalty, which his predecessor had decided on.

This also applies to the state protection of individuals such as former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo or his former advisor John Bolton: because they have criticized Trump, they now have to take care of their own security. Iran has threatened them with retaliation for the US assassination attempt on commander Qasem Soleimani in 2020.

Trump not only pardons those who were distributed after the storming of the Capitol, but is now also launching investigations into those who investigated the events of January 6, 2021. The fight against "woke" plays a central role in his domestic policy: he has declared war on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) agenda.

USA under Donald TrumpTrump wants to sell rich migrants "gold cards" for the USA +++ Musk will attend Trump's cabinet meeting

The USA is weighed down by a mountain of debt that currently weighs around 36.5 trillion dollars: Servicing the interest is a heavy burden on the budget. Trump therefore wants to make the state leaner and is relying on Elon Musk's DOGE efficiency department to clean up the bureaucracy.

Public servants are offered a severance package in exchange for their departure - or they are fired directly by Musk's team. Sometimes, however, the team does not even know what it is doing when it dismisses those responsible for the security of the nuclear arsenal, for example. Hasty attempts are then made to rehire the experts.

It is also questionable whether it is really just about efficiency - or whether a restructuring is taking place, as envisaged by Project 2025. The conservative initiative wants to give the president more power and also fill expert positions, such as at the weather service, with people who are loyal to the party line. Many of the authors of the plan now hold high offices and posts.

Anyone who wanted to get in good with Trump during his first term of office could - for example - rent an entire floor in one of his hotels for a month to make themselves popular. In his second term, the New Yorker is active in many more sectors, which makes him corruptible.

For example, a financially powerful state or actor could buy into his Trump Media & Technology Group and threaten to sell off the shares of the truth-social company in order to lower the share price if Trump doesn't parry. This also applies to Trump's crypto investments, with which he has made a lot of money.

It is also problematic that Elon Musk is taking action against authorities investigating his companies. And the planned closure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is linked to Musk's plan to convert his Platform X into a payment service. What's more, he is gaining access to all kinds of data while at the same time running billions in contracts with the state.

One thing you have to give Trump's administration credit for: it has not been lazy since January 20. A lot has happened, but the last thing to mention is what hasn't happened: inflation was higher than expected in January and, at three percent, higher than it has been for six months. Eggs in particular are becoming increasingly expensive due to bird flu. During the election campaign, Trump had promised to reduce the cost of living immediately.

And what happens next? Find out what the future holds in the video above.

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