Consider This from NPR - Breaking down the executive actions Trump is using to govern

Episode Date: January 21, 2025

President Donald J. Trump began taking decisive steps to implement his agenda hours after being sworn in. In the day since he's once again become President, Trump has signed more than 200 executive actions aimed at delivering on campaign promises such as lower energy prices, mass deportations and an end to birthright citizenship. There's been a deluge of actions, orders and pronouncements during the President's first day. From tariffs to immigration to the January 6th pardons – we breakdown everything down. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.orgEmail us at [e-mail] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The golden age of America begins right now. Donald Trump has not wasted any time getting to work now that he is back in the White House. He started within hours after being sworn in as the 47th president. At Capital One Arena in D.C.'s Chinatown, Trump began making good on many second term promises. Why don't you say what I'm signing? Sure. The first item that President Trump is signing is the rescission of 78 Biden-era executive actions,

executive orders, presidential memoranda, and others. And he didn't stop there. On the evening of Inauguration Day, Trump sat behind the resolute desk in the Oval Office and continued putting pen to paper, signing executive action after executive action. So this is January 6th. These are the hostages.

Approximately 1,500 for a pardon. Full pardon. This next order relates to the definition of birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment of the United States. That's a good one. Birthright. That's a big one. This next one, sir, is a declaration of a national energy emergency.

What is this one? Withdrawing from the World Health Organization, sir. Oh, that's a big one. Protecting women from radical gender ideology, sir. Oh. Sir, this is a proclamation declaring a national emergency at the southern border of the United States. That's a big one.

A lot of big ones, huh? Our country is going to be based on merit again. Can you believe it? Consider this. There has been a deluge of actions, orders, and pronouncements during the president's first day. We break down what they are and how exactly things are changing.

From NPR, I'm Elsa Chang. What's in store for the music, TV, and film industries for 2025? We don't know, but we're making some fun, bold predictions for the new year. Listen now to the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast from NPR. It's Consider This from NPR. Over the next several minutes, we're going to break down what Trump has already done on immigration and tariffs. But before we get there, we're going to start with the actions Trump has taken to help those who were prosecuted for their role in the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The president granted clemency to all of the more than 1,500 people charged in connection with the attack. The action included pardons for nonviolent offenders as well as those who assaulted police officers. Trump also commuted the sentences of 14 members of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys. NPR Justice Correspondent Kerry Johnson and NPR Investigative Correspondent Tom Dreisbach spoke to my co-host Ari Shapiro. Ari Shapiro

Kerry, let's start with you. This was a massive criminal investigation, more than 1,500 cases, which Trump just ended. What happens now? Kerry Johnson Already, we're seeing people being released from prisons and jails, including Enrique Tarrillo. He's the former chairman of the far-right Proud Boys group, and he had been serving a prison term of 22 years. He's

now free, according to his lawyer, Naib Hassan. I can tell you Enrique is looking forward to moving forward with his life and being a productive member of society. Several other members of the Proud Boys also won pardons, and some had their sentences commuted. Explain the difference between these pardons and commutations. The vast majority of people won full and complete pardons, meaning not only are they released from prison, but they get certain rights back, like voting or owning a firearm. Trump commuted or shortened the sentences of 14 other people, including Stuart Rhodes. He's the founder of the far-right Oath Keepers Group. Rhodes was convicted of seditious conspiracy

and sentenced to 18 years in prison. The judge said he was an ongoing threat to this country and the very fabric of our democracy. Stuart Rhodes was released early this morning. He's been spotted outside the DC jail this afternoon, waiting for the release of other defendants. Tom, there had been a sense that Trump might pardon only the nonviolent defendants. Vice President J.D. Vance actually said, obviously, in his words, people who assaulted police should not be pardoned. But Trump pardoned with a broad brush. Remind people about the violence that day. Yeah, rioters brought a lot of weapons, pepper spray, bear spray, metal poles, bats, stolen

police batons, and several actually had loaded handguns, though thankfully they did not shoot anyone. More than 140 police officers were injured, and in one of the most severe assaults that's really stuck with me, a rioter took a stun gun and drove it into the neck of police officer Michael Fanone. He then suffered a heart attack. He was worried he was going to be killed. Multiple officers have described him being crushed, feeling choked by the pepper spray, thinking they are about to die. And some rioters celebrated the violence. Like Ryan Nichols. He wore a bulletproof vest on January 6th. He was armed with a crowbar. He pleaded guilty to spraying police officers in the face with pepper spray. And on the night of January 6th, so after the riot, he recorded himself calling for a second

American Revolution. So if you want to know where Ryan Nichols stands, Ryan Nichols stands for violence. Ryan Nichols is done allowing his country to be stolen and I understand that the first Revolutionary War, folks, it was violent. Well, guess what? The second Revolutionary War, right now, the American Revolutionary War that's going on right now, it started today, it's going to be violent. That was Ryan Nichols on January 6th.

He was sentenced later to five years in prison, and now he is among those violent defendants who received a full and unconditional pardon. Kari, given how much the Justice Department under Merrick Garland had pushed for these prosecutions, how are those prosecutors feeling now? It's the U.S. Attorney's Office here in D.C. that handled most of those cases, and I reached out today to Matt Graves, who led that office under President Biden. Graves says most of these defendants had already pleaded guilty and served their time, so the pardons actually benefit the most violent

criminals, the ones who got the most punishment. Graves rejected the idea that this whole effort, which was really the biggest investigation in Justice Department history, that the effort came to nothing. He says there's a robust public record, more than 250 trials, exhibits, guilty pleas, and he says those can't be wiped away. And as for releasing so many people who committed serious crimes, here's what Graves had to say. So, as a prosecutor, we always have concerns about individuals when they're released going out and committing similar crimes to the crimes they committed in the past. Obviously, those concerns are heightened if there's a perception that their conduct

has been approved by the state. Tom, you've been talking to police officers who were assaulted on January 6th and family members, what have you heard? Well, the words I've been hearing are betrayal, shocked but not surprised was what former Capitol Police Sergeant Akeelino Gunnell told me. He was repeatedly assaulted on January 6th, had to have two surgeries actually,

because of the injuries he sustained. He still has PTSD. And he was set to go to court actually for the sentencing of another rioter who was convicted of assaulting him. But then after the pardons he got the call, that's off. As a crime victim all day he's been getting notifications from the Bureau of Prisons that other people who assaulted him are being released He said he basically does not understand how Trump and his supporters can claim they backed the blue support law enforcement While also issuing these pardons and he's concerned about his and his family's safety Still dealing with threats for speaking out about January 6th. The very same people who claim to support the police are the one making harassment calls

but on social media, all because we did our job. Pete Slauson So, Tom, what is next for some of these riot defendants? Tom Burt Well, keep in mind, most people, like Kerry mentioned, already served their sentences. The median sentence was less than a year. Many people got no jail time at all. So, it's really the people convicted of the most serious crimes, seditious conspiracy, violent felonies, they're getting the most relief here. For people convicted of felonies, a pardon means they get their gun rights back, for one thing. The riot are actually widely described as the QAnon shaman. He stormed the Capitol while wearing the furs

and wearing horns. People might remember him. He actually posted on social media that he was going to go out and buy some guns now that he's been pardoned. Pete And Kerry, in many cases, a pardon represents the end of the story. But I understand that might not be the case here. You have some new information on that? Kerry I talked a short while ago with Larry Krasner, the district attorney in Philadelphia. He's been doing some research about these January 6 defendants, including the former president of the Proud Boys chapter in Philadelphia. Krasner says Trump's pardons and clemencies apply only to federal crimes, not to state charges. And there may have been crimes committed in Philadelphia by some of the most violent

and serious offenders. There are going to be challenges here to bringing state cases, things like double jeopardy and what actually happened in Pennsylvania versus what happened in D.C, like these steps to plan an alleged conspiracy. But the bottom line is some district attorneys and state attorneys general may be looking to make new cases against some of these January 6th defendants, and they may be the front line to policing political violence in the coming years. That was NPR's Ari Shapiro, Kerry Johnson, and Tom Dreisbach. In his first hours in office, Trump set a deadline for when he will impose 25% tariffs

on goods from US neighbors Canada and Mexico. And as NPR White House correspondent Esma Khaled told my co-host, Wana Summers, the move could set off a trade war with the two countries that had entered a trade deal with Trump during his first term. Here's Wana and Asma. Asma, start if you can by telling us more about what Trump is saying he's going to do. Mm-hmm.

Trump, you know, sees tariffs as both a negotiation tactic and as a way to raise revenue. He had been threatening sweeping tariffs on Canada and Mexico, and trade experts thought he might do that on day one, but we didn't see that. Instead, he signed an executive action calling on a bunch of federal agencies to investigate existing trade policy and send him their findings by April. But last night, he also said this. We're thinking in terms of 25% on Mexico and Canada because they're allowing vast numbers of people, Canada's a very bad abuser also, vast numbers of people to come in and fentanyl to come in.

And a reporter followed up and asked when he might enact those tariffs. I think February 1st. Osma, I want to back up a bit if we can. He said he wants to do this because of quote vast numbers of people, but what does he mean by that? He's saying he wants to do this to curb immigration and illegal drugs coming over the border. And one of this is not the first time he's tried this tactic. You might recall back in his first term Trump said he would put a tariff on all imports from Mexico

until Mexico took steps to reduce illegal immigration. Mexico did take some steps, so Trump backed off his threat. And as we all know, immigration was a huge part of Trump's re-election campaign. A bunch of the executive actions that he signed yesterday are aimed at limiting immigration. Right, but as we said, there is a trade deal with these two countries. That's right. It's called the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, also known as USMCA, and it's a trade deal that the Trump administration signed when it was last in office.

But the deal is up for review next year. I spoke to Kathleen Claussen about that. She's a professor at Georgetown who works on international trade law. At this point, the Trump administration may be seeking to extract more from each of them in exchange for keeping the deal alive. So this also may be a negotiating tactic. You know, if history is any guide, this is a review that we're going to hear a lot about in the next couple of years.

Oh, yeah. I mean, there's so much history here. I mean, I remember all of the back and forth with Canada and Mexico over trade in Trump's first term, and there were tariffs slapped on things like steel and lumber. And remember, Canada, they issued retaliatory tariffs on things like beef and bourbon. Mexico put tariffs on US pork. There was a lot of tit for tat. Eventually, these tariffs were lifted and a trade deal was struck.

Canada and Mexico are among the United States largest trading partners. You're talking about hundreds of billions of dollars and so already you're hearing about possible retaliation. Take a listen to Anita Anand, one of Canada's key cabinet ministers on CTV television over the weekend. We have planned multiple rounds of counter tariffs against the United States, which we will not hesitate to use if necessary. Canada hasn't spelled out a plan in public, but the United States relies on a lot of oil

and gas from Canada. Asma, one thing before we let you go, I'm hoping you can just take a step back quickly. Help us understand what it would mean if these tariffs go into effect. Yeah, you know, Trump talks about these tariffs as taxes on other countries, but the tariffs are paid by American companies that import those goods. They often pass along the cost to their customers. Most economists say that tariffs actually end up as taxes on consumers, and some warn that if Trump goes through with this all, it could lead to higher inflation here at

home. And Piers Asmohallad, thank you. Good to speak with you. Trump also turned to another set of campaign promises, ending illegal immigration, shutting down the U.S. southern border, and deporting individuals in the U.S. without legal immigration status. And with a handful of executive actions, President Trump has quickly reshaped the U.S. immigration landscape. Many people who had been hoping to enter the United States

are now in limbo. NPR's Ader Peralta is just across the southern border in Juarez, Mexico. That's where my co-host Ari Shapiro reached him. Ader, tell us more about where you are and what you're seeing. So, Ari, President Trump has declared a national emergency along this border saying that America's sovereignty is under attack.

But here, as you can hear, it's quiet. I'm at the foot of one of the bridges that leads to El Paso. And we drove up and down this fence, the border fence, and there are no migrants. And there's two reasons for that. The main one is that President Trump is inheriting a very quiet border. Over his four years in power, President Biden tightened asylum rules and he pressured Mexico to stop migrants from reaching the border. And just before he left office, apprehensions at the border were lower than they were when

Trump left office the first time. But it's also quiet because migrants have no idea what to do. We've been out today and we've been talking to migrants sitting in parks and on stoops and they're confused, they're sad, they're desolate, and they just don't know what to do because yesterday Trump shut down the only real path toward crossing the US legally.

And that was this thing called the CBP-1 app. It allowed migrants to book appointments across to cross the border and ask U.S. authorities for asylum. But that is no more. And you were at the border yesterday when these first policies made their impact. How did people react to it? It was dramatic. Some migrants had waited nearly a year to get an appointment and a few dozen of them had an appointment just after it was scheduled for just after inauguration they lined up some starting at 5 a.m. hopeful that maybe their appointments would be honored but

shortly after Donald Trump took the oath of office cell phones lit up migrants got a message that their appointments were no longer valid Marjely Stinoco a migrant from, kneeled on the ground and she prayed. Let's listen. Why, God? I'm suffering. And what she's saying there is she's saying, my God, why me? Dear Lord, she said, why so much pain?

And reporters asked her, what would you tell President Trump if you could talk to him? May he have compassion. May he have compassion and let him cross. We have been suffering for six months. And she's saying, I tell him to have compassion, to let us cross. It's been six months of suffering.

I think what's important to note here is that the Noco, like all the migrants in that line, had scored an appointment to cross the border legally. A lot of them had been waiting in Mexico for months, applying every day for a chance to present their case to US authorities. And yesterday, their dreams were crushed. These changes also obviously affect Mexicans who have no intention of coming to the U.S. What is the Mexican government saying? Well, look, there's two big ways in which it affects Mexico.

First, because Trump has essentially shut the border to migrants and it has reinstated a policy known as Remain in Mexico, and that means migrants from all over the world. Trying to reach the U.S. would have to apply for asylum from Mexico. And second, they're worried that Trump has promised mass deportations of undocumented migrants. And that could mean a lot of Mexicans. And here in a big parking lot just down the street, members of the Civil Defense are building a tent city that they say could hold about 5,000 people. So they're getting prepared.

MTR's Ada Peralta reporting from Juarez, Mexico. Thank you very much. Thank you, Ari. This episode was a huge team effort. It was produced by Brianna Scott, Gabriel Sanchez, and Michelle Oslem. It was edited by Courtney Dornig, Robert Little, Nadia Lancy, Justine Kennan, Roberta Rampton, Tara Neal, and John Ketchum. Our executive producer is Sammy Yennegan.

It's Consider This from NPR. I'm Elsa Chang.