
The Sunday Subject: January 26, 2025
Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States.
In his first week, Trump signed an avalanche of executive orders in line with the authoritarian agenda of Project 2025. The orders, some of which may not be constitutional, include granting pardons to 1,500 January 6th insurrectionists, withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement and World Health Organization, attempting to end birthright citizenship, imposing a federal hiring freeze, dismantling federal DEI programs and policies that counter discrimination, declaring a national emergency to deploy military personnel to the border, suspending refugee resettlement, pausing nearly all foreign aid programs, issuing a regulatory freeze, and revoking sanctions on Israeli settlers accused of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank (he also unconstitutionally launched a crypto token called $TRUMP). Meanwhile, Trump returns to power with an unprecedented amount of support from loyal sycophants, Silicon Valley titans, and major media and technology companies, many of which have capitulated for personal gain and/or to avoid being targeted by the administration, which has stated its intentions to punish critics. Democrats have largely been complying and appeasing, preferring the appearance of comity over fighting back against the administration’s assault on democracy.
Pete Hegseth was confirmed as defense secretary.
Hegseth faced serious accusations of sexual assault, abusive and aggressive behavior towards women, alcohol abuse, and financial mismanagement of veterans’ charities, in addition to wide-ranging concerns about lack of experience. Additionally, he has deep ties with Christian nationalism. During his confirmation hearing, Hegseth vowed to bring a “warrior culture” to the Pentagon, while he previously called for Christian schools to be transformed into bootcamps to groom children for insurgency against so-called domestic enemies. The former Fox News host was narrowly confirmed by the Senate when Vice President JD Vance cast the 51-50 tie-breaking vote; former GOP Leader Mitch McConnell and GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine joined Democrats in voting against him.
The first phase of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas went into effect.
As per the deal, Hamas released three Israeli hostages and Israel released 90 Palestinians from detention. Meanwhile, Israel announced an “extensive and significant” new military operation in the West Bank, aimed at “eradicating terrorism” in Jenin. Just several days after the start of the ceasefire in Gaza and amidst Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, Israeli troops entered Jenin and besieged its refugee camp, while airstrikes fell on the city. According to the Palestinian health ministry, at least 10 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 40 injured by Israeli forces so far. Netanyahu stated that “We are acting methodically and with determination against the Iranian axis wherever it reaches: in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and [the West Bank] – and we are still active.”
President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea was indicted on charges of leading an insurrection.
Yoon, who was impeached and arrested, has been formally indicted on charges of leading an insurrection after he briefly imposed martial law on December 3rd, accusing the opposition-controlled National Assembly of “paralyzing” his government. Prosecutors said that Yoon sent troops to the Assembly to seize and detain political leaders, while Yoon maintained they were there to keep order. Yoon’s indictment follows those of a former defense minister and several military generals and police chiefs, all of whom were involved in the insurrection. The event marks South Korea’s worst political crisis in decades; Yoon is the first president in South Korean history to face criminal charges while still in office.