Washington DC [US]: US President Donald Trump has announced plans to sign an Executive Order next week to reverse the Biden administration’s policy promoting paper straws, vowing a return to plastic straws.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 7, 2025
Calling the initiative “ridiculous,” Trump argued that paper straws “don’t work.” In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he stated, “I will be signing an Executive Order next week ending the ridiculous Biden push for Paper Straws, which don’t work. Back to plastic!”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 7, 2025
Withdrawal from Paris Climate Agreement
Trump’s statement follows his recent decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Treaty, echoing a move from his first term.
The Paris Agreement is a global pact to combat climate change, with nearly 200 countries committing to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius, ideally 1.5 degrees. While countries set their own climate goals, the agreement is not legally binding.
Criticism of USAID and Allegations of Mismanagement
In another sharp move, Trump criticized the US Agency for International Development (USAID), alleging that its handling of funds is “fraudulent and unexplainable.”
“USAID is driving the radical left crazy, and there is nothing they can do about it because the way in which the money has been spent, so much of it fraudulently, is totally unexplainable. The corruption is at levels rarely seen before. Close it down,” Trump wrote on X.
His remarks came after he appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the acting administrator of USAID, effectively placing the agency under the State Department’s control.
White House Press Secretary’s Criticism of USAID Spending
White House Press Secretary Karoline Levitt, on February 3, called out USAID’s spending priorities, labeling them as wasteful taxpayer expenditures.
She cited examples such as:
- $1.5 million for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in Serbia,
- $70,000 for a DEI musical in Ireland,
- $47,000 for a transgender opera in Colombia,
- $32,000 for a transgender comic book in Peru.
“I don’t know about you, but as an American taxpayer, I don’t want my dollars going towards this crap, and I know the American people don’t want to either. And that’s exactly what Elon Musk has been tasked by President Trump to do,” Levitt added.
As Trump’s administration takes a more aggressive stance on both climate policy and federal spending, these actions are expected to spark significant political debate in Washington.