President Donald Trump was sworn into office on Jan. 20, for his second term as President of the United States. The previously planned outdoor inauguration was moved indoors due to temperatures in the 20’s. Compared to previous inaugurations, Trump’s was scaled back with more limited attendance given the lack of space at the indoor event, something that was done for the first time in four decades. 

After the traditional inaugural ceremony, Trump promised to sign hundreds of executive orders in front of a crowd as his first action as president. On Monday evening after a speech in which he referred to the insurrectionists of the January 6th incident at the capital as “J6 hostages,” he sat in a sports arena surrounded by thousands of fans, signing executive orders that ranged from extending the timeline of the TikTok ban, to eliminating birthright citizenship.  An aide read out to him the subject of each order, which he then signed to put into action.

Trump’s inaugural speech was almost twice as long as his first inaugural address back in 2017, when he spoke for approximately 30 minutes in the Capitol Rotunda. Of the many topics he covered in his Second Inaugural Address, were his stances on gender identity, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, immigration and climate change. The overarching theme of his address was that the “golden age of America begins right now.” 

As people around the country tuned in to watch the inauguration, many took the time to reflect on his proposed policies for the future. A significant number of them reflected on how Trump’s proposed policies represented a reversal of the political agenda championed by the Biden administration. Others focused on the coincidence that the inauguration was on the same day as Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a day of remembrance for civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. 

To celebrate the accomplishments of the late Reverend Dr. King, the Travis County Democratic Party hosted an “I have a dream” press conference on Monday morning, in which several elected officials like U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, state Sen. Sara Eckhardt, D-Austin, and state representatives spoke to their constituents. Topics at the conference ranged from acknowledging King’s legacy, to future improvements to Texas infrastructure and finally to comments about the inauguration. 

Doggett expressed sharp criticism of Trump’s agenda and leadership style and predicted what the presidency of Trump will bring to the United States.

“As a self-styled dictator on Day One, Trump will reportedly issue about 100 executive orders tomorrow, the largest number of such first-day orders in American history,” Doggett said. “His decrees ought to be evaluated not only in terms of what they do but also what they fail to address.”

Trump might have exceeded Doggett’s predictions by issuing more than 200 executive actions, orders and memoranda. On his first day as president alone, Trump issued sweeping pardons to nearly all of the 1,600 rioters charged with storming the capital. He also removed the United States from the Paris Climate Accord on Day 1, an exit that will take place one year after his order. 

Travis County Commissioner Brigid Shea, strongly objects to the U.S. withdrawal from the accord, noting that the lack of national policy on climate control puts the burden of fighting climate change on local communities. 

“At the national level, the president is being sworn in today, calling climate change a hoax,” Shea said, “and [he] says he will absolutely withdraw from the national agreement to address climate change, so again the responsibility and the work falls to us in the local community and, we have all the tools and the technology, what we lack, generally speaking, is the political will to do it.”

Doggett highlighted a range of concerns, including Trump’s environmental policies, tariffs and immigration reforms.

“Ignoring the hottest year in recorded history, Trump remains tied to fossil fuels and fossilized thinking,” he said. “By rejecting vital environmental protections, he endangers our families and our planet.”

He also criticized Trump’s immigration policies, citing the planned mass deportations and the separation of families at the border during his first term. 

“Today, after a campaign of villainizing immigrants, he proposes actions that will tear families apart again,” Doggett said.

Sophomore Maureen Horwedel shared mixed feelings about the inauguration.

 “I think that we both have reason to be afraid but also reason to hope,” Horwedel said. “We are a country of the people and always will be. So no matter what happens, I believe we can and will get through it.”

Horwedel noted their struggles to engage with the inauguration itself

“I began to watch the inauguration, including the president’s speech,” Horwedel said, “but I couldn’t get through the whole thing as I found it tiring and difficult to watch.”

Horwedel also voiced skepticism about Trump’s rumored plans, including renaming the Gulf of Mexico, taking back the Panama Canal and purchasing Greenland.

“I feel really sickened by the fact that our president would rather waste time on such futile efforts instead of addressing issues like hunger, poverty and economic struggles,” Horwedel said.

Trump ended his speech with optimism about his new term and confidence in his capacity to deliver results in the next four years. 

“I return to the presidency confident and optimistic that we are at the start of a thrilling new era of national success,” he said.

Doggett promised to fight Trump policies to which he objected.

“Even where we fail to win a vote in the House, we send a message to our colleagues in the Senate to hold firm if we cannot find common ground,” he said.

Reactions to Trump’s second inauguration reflected the country’s diverse perspectives.