Week three of President Donald Trump’s second term is already shaping up to be a doozy. With a looming trade war and uncertainty regarding Black History Month, The Root needs everybody to pay attention to these key issues affecting Americans everywhere.
The president has taken executive action to impose new tariffs on Canadian, Chinese, and Mexican imports just like he promised he would do, according to AP News. But here’s the thing: Trump going after the country’s three biggest trading partners will have consequences for everybody.
Suggested Reading
Canada and Mexico have since responded with their own tariffs on American goods, and tensions continue to rise as Canadian sports fans have been heard booing the National Anthem during Toronto Raptors and Ottawa Senators games.
Trump’s tariffs will affect oil and lumber coming in from Canada; produce, clothing, liquor, and auto parts from Mexico; and plastics, textiles and computer chips imported from China, AP News reports. This means Americans can expect an increase on the price for some of the most needed imports.
“Will there be some pain? Yes, maybe (and maybe not),” Trump said in response. “But we will make America great again, and it will all be worth the price that must be paid.”
With Trump forcing the country into a massive trade war, the stock market has taken a hit. According to ABC News, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped almost 600 points early Monday (Feb. 3), the S&P 500 dropped 1.5 percent, and the Nasdaq fell 2 percent.
This means major companies are getting anxious over Trump’s tariffs. According to NPR, economists from the global bank BNP Paribas said “the announced increase in tariffs were even larger and came faster than we had pencilled in.” The economists continued saying American consumer prices “should rise sharply over the coming months.”
Trump is determined to fulfill another campaign promise to invoke mass deportations nation-wide. In response, countless protests in Washington, D.C., New York City, California, and many more have broken out.
On Sunday (Feb. 2), thousands of people in downtown Los Angeles marched in protest of planned mass deportations. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the disruptions have caused “major gridlock” as protestors took over the 101 Freeway and blocked several major streets.
“The actions coming from the White House are rooted in xenophobic, nativist and racist lies. We must hold the line and push back every single time,” Ill. Rep. Jesús García said according to Fox News. “People are exercising their rights.”
Trump recently announced the suspension of foreign aid, but now, it seems he and Tesla CEO Elon Musk have their eyes on destroying a key development agency.
In an audio clip posted on X, Musk announced he and the president are shutting down the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The agency serves as the government’s main international humanitarian and development arm, according to NBC News.
“It became apparent that it’s not an apple with a worm it in,” Musk said. “What we have is just a ball of worms. You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair.”
The U.S. is the world’s largest donor of humanitarian aid, according to TIME Magazine. So the end of USAID would also mean the end of billions of dollars in humanitarian, development, and security assistance to more than 100 countries around the globe.
With the rolling back DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) at the federal level, all eyes have been on the new administration to see how they’d handle Black History Month (BHM).
The Department of Defense issued a memo on Friday (Jan. 31) saying they will no longer “use official resources” to mark several observances, including BHM, in the workplace.
It seems, however, that Trump is celebrating the month with the rest of us. He wrote he’s “honored to recognize February 2025 as National Black History Month,” according to The Independent.
Straight From 
Sign up for our free daily newsletter.