Trump Declares National Emergency at the Border and Introduces Tariffs
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Synopsis
On January 20, President Donald Trump announced his intention to declare a national emergency at the border, halt illegal entries, and initiate deportations. He also plans to introduce tariffs to protect American workers and families, emphasizing a shift in trade policy.
Key Takeaways
- Trump aims to halt illegal entries and deport undocumented immigrants.
- Plans to mobilize troops for border security.
- Introduction of new tariffs to protect American jobs.
- Trump's administration will establish an external revenue service for tariff collection.
- Only the second indoor presidential swearing-in ceremony in history.
Washington, Jan 20 (NationPress) President Donald Trump announced on Monday his plan to declare a national emergency at the border, aiming to immediately stop all illegal entries and initiate the process of deporting individuals who entered the United States unlawfully.
Additionally, Trump stated that he would be mobilizing troops to fortify the border.
Trump was sworn in by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, while J D Vance took his oath as vice president from Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
“I will declare a national emergency at our southern border,” Trump proclaimed during his inaugural address regarding executive orders set to be issued by his administration. “All illegal entry will be immediately halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions of criminal aliens to their countries of origin. We will reinstate the ‘remain in Mexico’ policy, terminate the catch and release practice, and send troops to the southern border to combat the ongoing invasion of our nation.”
The President also declared his intention to introduce new tariffs, as previously promised during his campaign. “I will immediately initiate a comprehensive reform of our trade policies to safeguard American workers and their families. Instead of taxing our citizens to benefit foreign nations, we will impose tariffs on those countries to enrich our own citizens. For this purpose, we are establishing an external revenue service to manage all tariffs and duties. Significant funds will flow into our treasury from foreign sources, revitalizing the American dream and restoring competence to our federal government.”
Details regarding the specific tariffs and affected entities were not disclosed by Trump.
He also revealed plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
Outgoing President Joe Biden and Trump traveled together to the U.S. Capitol for the latter’s oath-taking ceremony following a traditional tea ceremony at the White House with their wives, Kamala Harris and her successor J D Vance.
Jill Biden and Melania Trump traveled separately to the Capitol, as did Kamala Harris and her successor.
They convened at the White House for a customary tea ceremony, during which Biden welcomed the incoming President with the phrase, “Welcome home,” as reported by media.
Guests began arriving at the Capitol Rotunda for the swearing-in ceremony, which took place indoors due to frigid weather conditions. This marks only the second instance of an indoor swearing-in; the last occurrence was in 1985 when President Ronald Reagan was sworn in for his second term.
Trump’s return to the White House also marks only the second time in U.S. history that a President has served two non-consecutive terms, following Grover Cleveland at the end of the 19th century.
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Trump’s cabinet nominees, including Marco Rubio for Secretary of State, expected to be confirmed as early as Monday, along with Robert Kennedy Jr, Doug Burgum, Kristi Noem, Pete Hegseth, and others.
Among the high-ranking officials present was Gen. CQ Brown, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who was seated on the platform during Trump’s oath. Current and former leaders of the House and Senate were also in attendance, including former Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and his wife Elaine Chao, who previously served in Trump’s Cabinet. Former House speakers Kevin McCarthy, John Boehner, and Newt Gingrich also took their places.
Reports indicate that supporters filled Emancipation Hall at the Capitol, the overflow viewing area in the Capitol Visitor Center, where Trump is anticipated to speak after the inauguration ceremony. Notable attendees included AI billionaires Sam Altman and Alexandr Wang, YouTube influencers Logan and Jake Paul, indicted New York Mayor Eric Adams, mixed martial artist and boxer Conor McGregor, comedian and podcaster Theo Von, and former race car driver Danica Patrick. Spouses of House and Senate members were also seated in the overflow space.
Trump initiated Monday’s inauguration proceedings with a private service at St John’s Church, accompanied by incoming First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President-elect JD Vance, and his wife Usha Vance, along with other cabinet members.
No television cameras were permitted inside, but the Trump inauguration team released photographs showing attendees, including Trump’s sons Barron Trump, Don Trump Jr, Eric Trump and his wife Lara Trump, as well as Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
Among Trump’s guests were Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Apple’s Tim Cook, Tesla and SpaceX’s Elon Musk, along with Google’s Sundar Pichai. They also attended the swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol Rotunda.
Former Presidents Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, former President George W. Bush and his wife Laura Bush, as well as former President Barack Obama (without his wife Michelle Obama) were present at the ceremony, continuing the tradition, which Trump notably broke by skipping Biden’s inauguration in 2021.
