5 Alarming Takeaways from Trump's Inaugural Speech That Fuel Racism

Didn't want to watch the brain rot? Don't worry, I got you!

Before we start this article, we need to highlight Elon Musk bringing back the seig heil solute; I didn’t think I’d ever see that again!

Now that we got that out, let’s talk about the main takeaways of Trump’s inauguration speech…

1. Trump’s vision for a “colorblind and merit-based” society

"This week, I [Trump] will also end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life. We will forge a society that is colorblind and merit based."

Trump declared that his administration will focus on a "colorblind" society that completely ignores the systemic racism that affects marginalized communities.

The promotion of a “merit-based” system also reminds us of the revoking of affirmative action and other programs designed to address historical racial inequalities.

2. Trump’s language on Immigration and "Criminal Aliens"

"First, I [Trump] will declare a national emergency at our southern border. All illegal entry will immediately be halted. And we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came. [...] I [Trump] will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country."

Trump effectively framed immigration in terms of a “disastrous invasion” and focused on undocumented people, referring to them as “criminal aliens,” which is incredibly dehumanizing.

As he linked immigrants, particularly those who are undocumented, with crime and danger, he fueled racial stereotypes about Latinx and other immigrant communities.

3. MORE oil and fracking fueling the climate crisis

“America will be a manufacturing nation once again, and we have something that no other manufacturing nation will ever have: the largest amount of oil and gas of any country on Earth. And we are going to use it. We will bring prices down, fill our strategic reserves up again, right to the top, and export American energy all over the world.”

Trump's economic agenda includes drilling for more oil, reducing energy costs, and restoring American manufacturing.

While his policies claim to promise economic growth, his emphasis on fossil fuels and deregulation tends to favor industries that disproportionately impact Indigenous communities and communities of color, both environmentally and economically.

The way to go is clean energy, not fracking.

4. Use of "Inner Cities" in Criminal Justice framing

"We will restore fair, equal and impartial justice under the Constitution and the rule of law. And we are going to bring law and order back to our cities.

I will direct our government to use the full and immense power of federal and state law enforcement to eliminate the presence of all foreign gangs and criminal networks bringing devastating crime to U.S. soil, including our cities and inner cities."

Trump mentioned the “need” to restore law and order in American cities, using the phrase "inner cities," which has historically been used to link crime with race, especially in predominantly Black majority communities.

This language has been critiqued for reinforcing stereotypes about minority communities being disproportionately associated with crime.

This framing is used to justify increased policing and punitive measures in these areas.

5. Completely rejecting gender identity outside of “female and male”

"This week I [Trump] will also end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life. […] As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female."

This reflects Trump’s stance on gender identity, where he characterizes the government’s recognition of diverse gender identities as "social engineering."

By declaring that the U.S. government will officially recognize only two genders—male and female—he dismisses broader, more inclusive understandings of gender that are increasingly accepted in society.

This rhetoric invalidates the experiences and identities of transgender and non-binary individuals. Whether you like it or not, trans and non-binary people have existed for thousands of years across the world. They’ve always been here and will continue to be here.

Wrapping it up….

Trump's second inaugural speech offers a clear vision of his administration's policies, many deeply rooted exclusionary rhetoric. His push for a “colorblind” and “merit-based” society dismisses the historical realities of systemic racism and undermines efforts aimed at addressing inequality.

His framing of immigration as a "disastrous invasion" and his use of the term “criminal aliens” further invites harmful stereotypes about immigrant communities, particularly Latinx individuals.

His focus on increasing oil production while claiming economic growth disregards the environmental and social costs associated with fossil fuels, disproportionately affecting communities of color.

His rhetoric on “law and order” in “inner cities” echoes a long-standing pattern of racialized discourse, further stigmatizing predominantly Black communities.

His stance on gender identity is narrow, rejecting the lived realities of transgender and non-binary people and denying their existence and contributions to society.

Ultimately, as I love to say, we are cooked chat.