January 20, 2025 6:29 PM 4 min read

Trump Sets Policy Priorities: How Musk, Qualcomm CEO, Hillary Clinton, Betting Markets Reacted

by Piero Cingari Benzinga Staff Writer
Follow
Comments
Zinger Key Points
  • Trump signs sweeping executive orders on border security, energy, and trade, declaring a “golden age of America” in his inaugural speech.
  • Markets react—odds of renaming the Gulf of Mexico hit 98%, while Trump’s push for Panama surges to 42%.
  • Get the Real Story Behind Every Major Earnings Report

Donald Trump's return to the White House came with a sweeping set of executive orders and policy pledges.

What Happened: After Trump’s swearing-in, a grandiose speech outlined an aggressive MAGA agenda on border security, energy, economic policy, and government reform.

“Every single day, I will be fighting for you with every breath in my body,” Trump posted on X in through the official presidential account @POTUS. “This will truly be the golden age of America.”

Here are the main topics Trump addressed:

1) Border Security

Trump vows to:

  • End catch-and-release, reinstate “Remain in Mexico,” and finish the border wall.
  • Conduct mass deportations and suspend refugee resettlement due to what he considers “unsustainable populations”
  • Deploy the National Guard for border security.
  • Declare cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and use the Alien Enemies Act to remove them.
  • Seek the death penalty for crimes like killing law enforcement or “heinous crimes against humanity”.

2) Energy

Trump promises to launch a so-called “America First Trade Policy” by:

  • Ending Biden's climate policies and streamlining permits.
  • Declaring an energy emergency to build “critical infrastructure”.
  • Revoking EV mandates.
  • Withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord and stopping federal support for wind farms.

3) ‘The Swamp’

Trump wants to:

  • Freeze federal hiring, except in essential roles, to eliminate “overpaid DEI activists”.
  • Roll back Biden-era regulations and force federal employees back to in-person work (Some Republicans claim that only 6% do, but that’s been disputed).
  • End what he calls government "weaponization" and ban federal censorship of speech, without citing specifics.

4) Gender Diversity

Trump promised to:

  • Sign executive orders proclaiming that the U.S. government will recognize only two sexes, male and female
  • Denounce diversity, equity and inclusion programs inside federal agencies.

Reactions

The business world took note of Trump's rapid-fire policy changes. Elon Musk posted on X, “AMERICA IS GOING TO MARS”, following Trump's renewed commitment to space travel.

Peter Schiff, a vocal crypto critic, highlighted the fact that Bitcoin BTC/USD wasn’t mentioned during Trump's speech: “One of the best things about @realDonaldTrump’s speech is that he didn't mention Bitcoin.”

CFTC-regulated Kalshi showed the probability of a Trump crypto executive order within the first 24 hours falling to 44%.