Contributions by Halimat Olunlade.

"Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead."

In his farewell address Jan. 15, former President Joe Biden included this striking warning about the “tech-industrial complex” and the rise of oligarchic conditions in the United States. Many turned off the news that night, feeling an eerie sense of dread as Trump’s second term loomed ahead. 

His remarks accompany a surge in the hyper-wealthy entering the political sphere under the second Trump administration. Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos, three of the wealthiest CEOs in the U.S., sat in the second row at Trump’s inauguration—further proof of his allegiance to the ultra-affluent.

Toward the end of Trump’s campaign, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and right-wing entrepreneur and politician Vivek Ramaswamy were named the heads of a completely new federal department: the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Since their unofficial appointments, Ramaswamy has left his position, while Musk has made commitments to recruit an assortment of billionaires, entrepreneurs, Republican donors and tech executives to assume informal federal positions within DOGE.

DOGE’s goal? To cut federal government spending. Trump has given DOGE unfettered access to many federal programs and departments, and the consequences are unfolding quickly. Recent reports have even disclosed that a former first-year Northeastern student—previously linked to Musk’s projects—may be working with the team. 

In early February, Trump and Musk issued statements declaring their joint aim to “shut down” the US Agency for International Development (USAID). These comments came after about 60 senior USAID officials were put on leave after allegedly attempting to “circumvent Trump’s executive order to freeze foreign aid for 90 days.” New U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has said that when the freeze lifts, the Department of State will take charge of aid regulation.

While the overwhelmingly rich tech industry creeps into the federal realm, so does a plethora of unqualified and problematic cabinet appointees. Recently, Senate confirmation hearings have dominated the news, including those of alleged rapist Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense; Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence; Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services; Chris Wright, Secretary of Energy; and many others.

With a sweep of executive orders, Trump has attempted to fulfill his “America First” agenda in the first weeks of his presidency. These orders include tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, a move to declare Mexican cartels foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs), pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organization (WHO), ending birthright citizenship, and renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America,” among countless others.

The tariff order, which took effect Feb. 4, imposed 25% tariffs on all Canadian and Mexican goods, with a 10% tariff on Canadian energy and oil. He also imposed a 10% tariff on China, and while he claims that tariffs will curb “the flow of migrants and illegal fentanyl,” his justification is both false and misstated. Many experts understand that this executive move is a method of manipulating foreign and domestic policy to adhere to his agenda by simultaneously increasing global tensions between his allies.

In another executive order, Trump decided to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. This marked the beginning of a long process that halted the (albeit slow) progress of climate policy in the United States. By pulling out of the agreement—which he described as “unfair and one-sided”—the Trump administration aims to undermine the Biden administration’s efforts to phase out fossil fuels and stimulate growth in green energy and research. Trump also recently froze funding for the Biden administration’s flagship Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which positioned the U.S. to move toward a greener economy while still meeting its energy needs and creating more jobs. Trump’s actions threaten the potential of this policy.

The recent confirmation of fracking CEO Chris Wright, who once drank fracking fluid to “prove it was not dangerous,” further exemplifies Trump’s challenge to the Biden administration's climate and energy initiatives. Wright has built much of his wealth through the oil industry with his firm, Liberty Energy, which fracks 20% of the nation’s onshore wells. And while Wright has previously admitted that he believes in the existence of climate change, his continued support for increasing domestic fracking says otherwise. Wright’s belief that “there isn't dirty energy or clean energy” emphasizes Trump’s umbrella plan to center “energy independence and energy dominance,” making him the perfect puppet for the new president.

Like Trump’s first-term pick for Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, the current nominee Linda McMahon lacks a valuable background in public education. Former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) president and CEO McMahon spent one year on the Connecticut Board of Education before resigning due to false claims about having an education degree. Her main qualification appears to be unwavering support for Trump, demonstrated by her role as Chair of the America First Policy Institute, which promoted extreme pro-Trump propaganda following his first presidential term and continues to bolster Trumpian views. Under the America First Plan, McMahon's leadership is expected to prioritize budget cuts that will compromise the quality of education nationwide. 

As the public awaits McMahon's plans for the future of education in the United States, we can look to the Republican party’s platform for a better idea of what she has in store. Though it has little to say about Biden’s student debt-relief plans—the bulk of which are still tied up in court—the platform calls for instituting school programs and requirements that promote patriotism, such as “America’s Founding Principles and Western Civilization.”

Additional Trump administration efforts to remove Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and protections within education have already begun to take hold. These programs, which offer safe spaces and resources for minority communities, were attacked under Trump’s executive order titled “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing.” He called for shutting down DEI initiatives within the federal government, effective immediately. Recently, Northeastern University’s own Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion webpage and office were renamed the Office of Belonging, demonstrating the swift conformation to Trump’s policies from many universities and corporations. 

Another name recently dominating the media is Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Jr., Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services. RFK Jr.’s experience in the field is questionable; however, his extremism is not. He has continuously spouted dangerous and disproven rhetoric about vaccines causing autism and racist conspiracy theories regarding COVID-19 vaccines. In his first confirmation hearing Jan. 29, he attempted to backpedal on his anti-vaccination stances and statements, despite having founded the anti-vaccine group Children’s Health Defense and speaking against vaccines on multiple occasions. 

“Mr. Kennedy, all of these things cannot be true. So are you lying to Congress today when you say you are pro-vaccine?” Sen. Ron Wyden, D-OR asked the hearing. RFK Jr. had no viable response. 

In other interviews and podcasts, RFK Jr. has made claims about harmful ingredients in food and has continued to accentuate these views alongside his commitment to chronic disease research and prevention in an attempt to legitimize himself. However, he lacks substantial policy stances on national healthcare, Medicare, and Medicaid, and he even struggled to answer basic questions on these issues in his confirmation hearing. His failure to properly address the Senate’s questions fuels public skepticism, but he nonetheless managed to edge a Senate confirmation. Consistently characterized by his inflammatory rhetoric, distrust in government and federal institutions, and commitment to gut spending on aid, health and education, RFK Jr. will be a menace to U.S. public health.

Tech executives, frackers and anti-vaxxers are in cabinet positions, DEI is being eliminated, and international partnerships are in jeopardy. As the public watches the United States take on an oligarchic shape, the country descends into non-democracy. The next four years will be a challenge, but the world has awakened to Trump and the general state of the U.S. Several protests have erupted nationwide in recent weeks, decrying the administration’s early actions and calling on all U.S. residents to unite in the name of democracy.

Other protests are also taking place, securing and protecting rights for immigrants, transgender people and other minorities on state and local community levels. Braving frigid temperatures and raging winds, Bostonians gathered this past weekend at Boston Common to condemn Elon Musk, executive overreach, mass deportations and many other issues. If there was ever a sign or a time to get out and get organized, this is it. It is important now more than ever to mobilize, protect fundamental rights on the local level, and resist the Trump agenda in any and every way.