Whether or not the citizens of the United States realize it, the re-election of Donald J. Trump as president is highly detrimental to the majority of people across the country. This election has been one of high anticipation and anxiety for many U.S. citizens. Important issues such as reproductive rights, climate justice, public education, and citizen safety are put at risk with Trump’s plans for new social policies. The harsh reality of this presidential election is that many groups are at risk of having their basic rights taken away. Here is a brief look at what Trump has proposed for his time in office.
One of Trump’s highly prioritized goals for his next term as president is to privatize public schools, something that is destructive to students across the country. His campaign proposes to eliminate the Department of Education, which allows for funding for high-poverty schools in need of support, as well as Pell Grants for undergraduate students in need of financial aid. By getting rid of public education, the government will control the curriculum students are taught. Throughout their careers, both Trump and JD Vance, vice president, have criticized the teaching of U.S. history and race, specifically attacking lessons such as Critical Race Theory and the 1619 Project. The claim they make is that these teachings are enforcing an “anti-white bias” among students. However, preventing students from learning about the uncomfortable history of their country can also create misleading biases.
Not only do Trump’s plans for education greatly limit the right to a free and unbiased education, but they put student safety and success at risk as well. During his first term as president in 2017, Trump reversed protections that allow transgender students to use the bathroom they choose based on their gender identity. In addition to this, his campaign website clearly states that he plans to undo any gender-affirming care policies implemented by former President Joe Biden, which protects and expands healthcare access to LGBTQ+ students. He also plans to roll back many of the Title IX policies that prohibit sex-based discrimination in schools. Many of these rules would then be determined on a state or school level, rather than country-wide. On another level, his 2024 campaign website states that he would support training teachers to carry concealed weapons on the school campus as a means of “protection,” and hiring armed guards for school security. In light of the increasing amount of school shootings across the country, this would be a concern for many students and their families.
Widespread damage was also caused in terms of reproductive rights and access to medical resources during Trump’s first term, and new threats are now introduced during his re-election. In 2022, Trump’s appointed Supreme Court justices voted with the majority to overturn Roe v. Wade, a court case that protected the constitutional right to abortion in the United States. Since then, 17 states have either banned abortion or strictly limited access to it, bringing death and harm to millions of women and infants across the country. With another four years, Trump’s anti-rights administration has the power to introduce policies that strip citizens of their access to healthcare and reproductive rights, appoint federal officials with anti-abortion beliefs, and much more. Project 2025, an anti-rights agenda in which many of the contributors work on Trump’s campaign, outlines even more ways that the Trump administration plans to limit access to reproductive services. Some examples of this are ending access to abortion medication, establishing an abortion surveillance system, and prosecuting citizens who transport or ship abortion supplies.
With much more to talk about, these are only a few examples of the social policies that will have negative effects on citizens across the United States. By taking away reproductive rights, threatening policies that protect and support students in general, getting rid of public education, controlling the school curriculum, and much more, Donald Trump’s presidency will bring an abundance of harm to people across the country. For these next four years, activism and action will be the key to fight these policies and keep ourselves hopeful among adversity.
