The Trump administration has had a full and telling first few days in office. From "Alternative facts" to initial moves in repealing the Affordable Care Act, here is a brief (and incomplete) list of what has happened since the inauguration.
1) An issued order to repeal the Affordable Care Act:
The Affordable Care Act, colloquially known as "Obamacare," has been hotly contest by many Republicans since its introduction. Now that Trump is in office, they have been swift in taking steps to remove, but not replace, it. This, more than anything, is the problem. As of now there is no planned replacement or supplement for the ACA, which has provided insurance for 11.3 million people in the US. According to this study, repealing Obamacare would mean the deaths of more than 43,000 Americans annually.
2) CIA director nominee considers bringing back waterboarding:
Mike Pompeo, who Trump has nominated as the head of the CIA, released a statement to congress concerning his views on torture as a means of interrogation-- saying that he would be open to legalizing waterboarding and other methods.
3) A severe global set-back for women's health:
On January 23rd Trump brought back a global gag-rule which will restrict women's access to information and healthcare worldwide. The rule, which was first signed in by Reagan, prohibits American foreign-aid abortion counseling by removing all funding. When the same ban was instated by George W. Bush, before being removed by Obama, it actually increased the number of abortions while also making them dramatically less safe.
4) Sean Spicer's "alternative facts:"
The new White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, was caught lying during his first briefing when he stated "This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period." Given that his position is one which is greatly concerned with the truth, many are concerned. Kellyanne Conway, an advisor to Trump, called the statements "alternative facts."
