Here we go again.
While I try to do my best to avoid writing about politics for my column these days, I feel obligated to acknowledge what has happened south of the border this week. Donald John Trump the 45th president of the United States of America has been sworn in as the 47th president of the US. It's a historic moment for a variety of reasons.
Firstly, Trump is the first president in over 100 years to win non-consecutive terms in office, a feat not achieved since Grover Cleveland became the 22nd and 24th president of the US back in the late 1800s. Secondly, no matter what you may think of his conviction, it's the first time a convicted felon has been elected president. Truly, the American Dream is alive and well.
I make no secret about my personal feelings about Trump. I think the man is a bully, has regressive ideas and is bad for both his country and the world. These next four years will be chaotic and cruel with fewer guard rails than ever to contain Trump. He has spent the last four years purging the Republican Party of opponents and has made plans to replace or fire large numbers of government workers. This time around his team seems intent on bringing about his vision of America and the world to fruition.
Now some of you think I'm being hyperbolic and admittedly I am. I have many concerns about the next four years I sincerely hope will not manifest. I would rather look back on this column in four years and shake my head at how much I overreacted.
However, if his inauguration on Monday, Jan. 20 is anything to go by, I'm right to think Trump will not fix the issues with America and will probably make them worse. He pledged to return America to that mythical 'Golden Age' and signed a flurry of executive orders, some in front of a stadium crowd no less.
Now the main issues impacting the average Americans are much the same as us up here in Canada. Inflation, the rising cost of living, lack of affordable housing and general economic uncertainty. The stagnation of wages in some sectors of the economy while companies record high profits and the world's billionaires added $2 trillion to their collective net worth in 2024.
In Canada, our minimum wage has at least somewhat kept up with inflation sitting between $15 an hour in Alberta to $19 in Nunavut. In America, however, the federal minimum wage remains at $7.25 an hour, or $10.38 Canadian. Now while this does vary from state to state and some mandate higher minimum wages, it's clear that amount of money is not going to support a household in 2025.
So did Trump sign an executive order raising the minimum wage? Did he sign an executive order to penalize companies that are price-gouging citizens?
No, he focused on far more important issues like renaming the Gulf of Mexico, rolling back government DEI initiatives, announcing tariffs on foreign goods and a host of other culture war issues that, in my opinion, will not benefit the common man one way or the other. He did sign one order titled "Delivering Emergency Price Relief for American Families and Defeating the Cost-of-Living Crisis" which directs all executive departments and agencies to work to bring down prices of housing and products by eliminating regulations.
Personally, I don't think excessive regulation is what's causing these issues alone but at the very least it's an order that, in theory, could benefit the average people. Whether or not he'll follow this up with legislation that will tackle inflation and the minimum wage in the future remains to be seen, but based on who attended his inauguration I'm not holding my breath.
Watching Trump take the oath of office were some of the world's richest men who own the biggest tech companies in America. The world's richest man, Elon Musk, will soon have a place in Trump's administration as head of his 'Department of Government Efficiency', and I'm sure he'll run it with the same sober and even-handed approach he's shown since buying X.
Regardless of my own politics, I think we should all be concerned a man who has regularly railed against 'elites' is now openly courting elites and accepting money from them. I find it hard to believe millionaires and billionaires have the best interests of regular people in their hearts.
Then of course there is what this all means for Canada. If Trump does indeed hit us with a wide range of tariffs come Feb. 1, trade with the US will suffer. Our economy will take a beating and so too will the livelihoods of average Canadians. Meanwhile, the Trumpification of politics may spread here as politicians seek to demonize immigrants and minorities so they can avoid addressing the actual underlying economic issues.
With that in mind, I encourage everyone who reads this column to support one another for the next four years. The bonds of community are what make us strong, as is our compassion for our fellow humans. It, more than anything, is what makes us great.
