Donald Trump has spent his first week back in the White House introducing so many policy changes that it has been hard to keep up with what has happened.
In less than a week, the new administration has abandoned the world’s main health agency, ditched a global treaty on the climate crisis, and told refugees already approved to fly to the US that they were not welcome and could no longer come.
Here are the things done by the Trump administration during the Republicans’ first week back in power:
1. Issued pardons for people involved in the January 6 attack
What happened:
Trump issued presidential pardons for about 1,500 people who were involved in the January 6 attack on Congress, shocking even some of his allies.
Those pardoned include more than 250 people who were convicted of assault charges, some having attacked police with makeshift weapons.
What it means:
Far-right, racist factions will be emboldened: their online chat groups have been full of celebratory chatter in recent days.
After his release, one of the most serious offenders tied to the plot, Enrique Tarrio of the Proud Boys, indicated that he had rejoined the all-male group and sought “retribution”.
“I’m happy that the president’s focusing not on retribution and focusing on success, but I will tell you that I’m not going to play by those rules,” he said.
2. Left the World Health Organization and suspended foreign aid
What happened:
The US announced it would exit the World Health Organization (WHO) and suspended all foreign aid for three months.
What it means:
The move leaves critical humanitarian work in jeopardy and threatens the global fight against infectious diseases. Washington is the single biggest financial backer of the UN global public health agency.
Lawrence Gostin, a professor of public health law at Georgetown University, said Trump “could be sowing the seeds for the next pandemic”.
3. Backed ‘biblical’ Israeli claims to Palestinian land
What happened:
Trump’s nominee for US ambassador to the United Nations endorsed Israeli claims of “biblical rights” to the entire occupied West Bank.
When the New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik was asked on Tuesday if she backed far-right Israeli “biblical” claims to Palestinian territory it occupies, she responded: “Yes.”
What it means:
The view is a wholesale acceptance of claims based on religious interpretations, which would leave millions of Palestinians stateless and landless. Israel is fighting accusations of genocide against Palestinians in an international court.
Trump has also rescinded US sanctions on far-right Jewish settler groups and individuals accused of involvement in violence against Palestinians. His nominee for ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, previously laid a ceremonial brick in an Israeli settlement and said he might one day buy a “holiday home” there.
4. Withdrew from the Paris climate agreement
What happened:
On his first day back as president, Trump signed an executive order in front of supporters at an arena in Washington DC to quit the Paris climate agreement for a second time. It will take about a year for the withdrawal to be formalised.
The administration separately plans to fast-track permits for new fossil fuel projects.
What it means:
The US is the world’s second-biggest emitter of planet-heating pollution. The Paris deal is an agreement to avoid the world hitting temperatures that will result in disastrous heatwaves, floods, storms and fires – such as those ravaging Los Angeles.
5. Launched a war on migrants – and their children
What happened:
Trump declared a “national emergency” related to migration, paving the way to send US troops to the southern border with Mexico.
The president also targeted people already in the country by seeking to cancel automatic citizenship for US-born children, known as birthright.
What it means:
A legal fight is now ongoing as birthright citizenship is protected by the 14th amendment.
The order has already become the subject of several lawsuits by civil rights groups, and a federal judge in Seattle blocked the administration on Thursday from implementing the executive order, calling it “blatantly unconstitutional”.
Separately, the California attorney general, Rob Bonta, said Trump “overreached by a mile”.
6. Cancelled travel for refugees, including those approved to resettle in US
What happened:
One of Trump’s first actions as president was to suspend a refugee admissions program for people who have fled war and persecution.
What it means:
Thousands of refugees who have fled war and persecution and gone through a sometimes years-long vetting process to start new lives in the US are now stranded at various locations worldwide. Some already had flights booked.
The paused program included the resettlement of more than 1,600 Afghans who had assisted the US’s war effort, as well as relatives of active-duty US military personnel.
7. Recommitted to the death penalty
What happened:
Trump has committed to pursue federal death sentences and pledged to ensure that states have sufficient supplies of lethal injection drugs for executions.
What it means:
The order promises that Trump’s attorney general will seek capital punishment for “all crimes of a severity demanding its use”.
Experts say the order is filled with vague rhetoric and that it could be unconstitutional, infringe on defendants’ rights and intrude on state laws.
8. Ignited fear when Elon Musk appeared to make a fascist salute (twice)
What happened:
Elon Musk, Trump’s closest billionaire backer, ignited controversy when he gave back-to-back fascist-style salutes during inauguration celebrations.
Musk later responded to criticisms of his behaviour on X, tweeting: “Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is soo tired.”
What it means:
The salutes caused domestic and international alarm, especially in places such as Germany, where Musk had backed the far-right Alternative für Deutschland party.
9. Warned Joe Biden he should have pardoned himself
What happened:
In an interview with Fox News, Trump said Joe Biden should have pardoned himself – a lightly veiled threat that he would go after the former president.
“Joe Biden has very bad advisers. Somebody advised Joe Biden to give pardons to everybody but him … Joe Biden had very bad advice,” Trump said.
What it means:
Biden used the last day of his presidency to issue pre-emptive pardons to politicians, public servants and even his family members, to guard against what he said were “threats” by the incoming administration.
The outgoing president said there was a threat of “revenge” through criminal prosecution. But he left himself off the list.
10. Put anti-discrimination government staff on leave
What happened:
US federal employees working to halt discrimination were put on paid leave this week.
Under the order, the White House said it would scrap all Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility offices, positions, plans, actions, initiatives or programs within 60 days.
The Trump administration also fired the US Coast Guard commandant Adm Linda Lee Fagan, the first female uniformed leader of an armed forces branch.
What it means:
Over the last few years, the “DEI” issue has become a culture war flashpoint. During his presidential campaign, Trump echoed conservative attacks against DEI, saying there was “a definite anti-white feeling in this country”.
The move will halt progress in tackling racist and sexist discrimination.
11. Denied transgender rights (and banned flags)
What happened:
Government agencies issuing passports, visas and other official documents have been ordered to only allow male and female as options.
“As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female,” the president said during his inaugural address.
What it means:
Rights advocates warn DEI and transgender rights rollbacks will stall hard-fought equitable policies and undermine progress made to address systemic failures that have deprived equal opportunities for marginalised groups for decades.
In a related move, the US Department of State has also banned consular posts from flying any flags other than that of the US. A cable seen by the Guardian titled “One flag policy” appears to target several instances when gay pride and Black Lives Matter flags were flown at embassies abroad.
12. Changed a couple of names
What happened:
In his inaugural speech, Trump repeated his intention to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.
He also said he would revert the name of Alaska’s 20,000ft mountain Denali, the highest peak in North America, to Mount McKinley – its name before Barack Obama changed it in 2015.
What it means:
In theory, Trump’s action would be sufficient to change the names in official documents within the US, but other countries would not be obliged to follow suit.
At the very least, it will frustrate US cartographers.