Trump's First Week: More Power for Him, Less Security for You

Trump divided the nation, stoked violence, and threatened the safety & security of every American during his first term. His second starts with more of the same.

Like many, I was upset to watch one of President Trump’s first acts in office: pardoning the January 6th terrorists and criminals. With the stroke of a pen, Trump erased justice and accountability for the assault against our nation. It sent a clear message: political violence, if done in his name, is not only excused but rewarded. It was a stark reminder that his focus has never been on protecting the security of our country—it has always been about securing his own power.

Trump talks a big game about security, but his actions repeatedly prove that he is interested only in his own. Here’s how Trump’s actions in his first week back in office are threatening the safety and security of every American.

Pardoning January 6th Criminals and Encouraging Political Violence

• What he did: Trump granted blanket pardons to over 1,500 individuals involved in the January 6th Capitol attack, including those who violently assaulted law enforcement and led terrorists groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. It was the worst attack on law enforcement in modern history—over 100 cops injured and five dead in the aftermath.

• How it threatens security: These pardons embolden violent extremists and normalize political violence. By rewarding loyalty to him above accountability, Trump has made future attacks on democracy, like January 6th and Charlottesville, far more likely. This isn’t about protecting Americans—it’s about protecting himself.

  • Within days, some of these pardoned criminals have already committed new crimes and one was even shot and killed by police while resisting arrest.

Purging Officials and Weakening National Security

• What he did: Trump removed career civil servants, inspectors general, and other national security professionals, replacing them with loyalists who prioritize fealty to him over competence. His administration introduced loyalty tests, interrogated employees about their political beliefs, and encouraged informants to report colleagues disloyal to Trump and his agenda.

  • Trump fired the head of the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) and the Coast Guard, Admiral Linda Fagan—an unprecedented move to oust the first woman to lead a branch of the U.S. military. He’s dismissed other career national security officials at the Department of Defense, Department of State, and Department of Justice.

  • Trump installed a grossly unqualified Secretary of Defense whose focus on cultural battles will harm DoD’s ability to execute it’s primary mission: protecting the nation. Hegseth will push out capable military professionals who don’t fit his narrow ideological mold, weakening our armed forces.

  • Trump and his allies removed Republican Rep. Mike Turner from chairman of the House Intelligence Committee for focusing on foreign threats and national security instead of attacking the government agencies keeping us safe. Add that to the mass firing of 18 Inspectors General and asking the national security workforce to rat out colleagues that don’t agree with Trump’s policy.

• How it threatens security: These purges and cultural battles erode the independence and strength of the institutions that protect Americans. By removing skilled professionals and distracting civil servants with politically motivated nonsense, Trump undermines our nation’s ability to protect against threats from terrorism, Russia, China, Iran, and global crises. Federal agencies are supposed to protect the American people—not serve as tools for a president’s personal agenda.

Sabotaging Government

• What he did: Instead of faithfully executing the law and ensuring government works to protect Americans, Trump is deliberately grinding it to a halt, using Project 2025 to seize control, freeze funding, and dismantle essential programs. He eliminated a crucial cybersecurity board investigating Chinese hacking of our infrastructure. He withdrew from the World Health Organization just as bird flu threatens an outbreak in humans. He froze federal aid ranging from for programs to pay the guards at prison holding 10,000 dangerous ISIS fighters to supporting America’s most vulnerable with meal assistance for seniors and funds to heat homes of low-income families struggling not to freeze.

• How it threatens security: These reckless decisions don’t just weaken government—they actively put Americans in danger. Undermining cybersecurity oversight leaves our power grids, water systems, and financial networks open to attack from foreign adversaries, increasing the risk of blackouts, economic disruptions, and compromised national defense. Withdrawing from the WHO during a rising global health threat handicaps our ability to detect, contain, and prevent pandemics before they spiral out of control. Freezing critical federal aid doesn’t just create bureaucratic gridlock—it directly threatens American lives and leads to real suffering. Trump is not governing for the American people—he is gutting the very systems designed to keep them safe, all in pursuit of consolidating power.

Exploiting Border Security for Political Gain

Trump has made a lot of bluster about border security but he is exploiting the crisis as a political weapon—stoking chaos over progress. He turned recent law enforcement actions into a spectacle with stunts involving Dr. Phil and a TV crew in an immigration raid—all to fuel outrage, not fix problems. If he truly cared about securing the border, he’d be solving the crisis, not making a mockery of law enforcement and immigrants for political gain.

Trump’s Agenda Is Only About Himself

Trump’s failure to address the primary source of insecurity for many Americans—rising costs—further highlights his disinterest in the issues that matter most. Since he took office, the cost of basic necessities, such as eggs, has soared, placing additional strain on working families. Instead of focusing on policies that lower costs or improve economic security, Trump has prioritized actions that serve his personal and political goals.

From pardoning violent criminals to purging national security professionals and ignoring critical threats, Trump’s actions reveal a leader who cares only about consolidating his own power after lighting the match and watching our nation burn. His decisions will cost lives. They will make America weaker, more divided, and more vulnerable to threats at home and abroad.

Trump’s first week in office isn’t just a preview of more dysfunction—it’s a warning of how much more unsafe he can make us.

Now is not the time to look away. Now is not the time to shirk the responsibilities of protecting our fellow citizens and defending our nation. Americans who value real security, accountability, and justice must speak out and take action. Support institutions that protect democracy. Hold leaders accountable.

Trump’s actions remind us that the fight for a safer, stronger America is ongoing. We can’t afford to let his American insecurity agenda go unchallenged.