In his first 39 days in office, President Trump has made numerous headlines with many misconceptions and unconventional rumors. Rangeview High School students experienced confusion and uncertainty due to conflicting media coverage of his policies and actions. This created a sense of unease, as students questioned their place in not only the school but their place here in America. Trump’s true intentions are being shown and there is a big disconnect between his wants and the reality of these situations.
Gulf of America:
The renaming of the Gulf of Mexico is a huge political move by President Trump, and is a move towards how he wants to be seen for the next four years in office. This executive order was signed on January 20th, 2025, and officially changed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. According to Trump, he said in late January that the Gulf “plays a pivotal role in the security and economic prosperity of the United States.” In early February he named February 9th as “national “Gulf of America Day” as a way to “Restore American Pride”.
Historically and internationally, there have been dissimilarities surrounding the names of bodies of water. The Gulf of Mexico is associated with many countries and identities. including Mexico, the U.S., Cuba, and more. The new name might imply that it focuses only on the U.S. which can cause tension between such countries.
The renaming has caused controversy around if a country has the authority to rename an international body of water. It can also cause confusion in industry related branding, marketing tourism, business related to that area. Despite the controversy, companies such as Google Maps, have agreed to comply with the executive order and have updated the name to the Gulf of America, however, it isn’t necessary.
Names hold meaning and many question whether this move by Trump was legitimate or a move to fuel his narcissistic behavior and to establish himself as “the one in power”. The renaming of the gulf could lead to overall challenges and unnecessary economic disruption.
“King” Controversy:
On February 19, 2025, President Trump announced an approval for New York City’s congestion pricing plan which is a program designed to reduce traffic by charging drivers a $9 fee to enter Manhattan below 60th Street. In the middle of celebration of this move he said, “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!“
People saw his comment calling himself “king” as another sign of his ego and many pointed out that the United States is a democracy, not a monarchy. New York Governor Kathy Hochul strongly criticized this decision, stating that the state’s focus is on reducing traffic and pollution. In response, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) filed a lawsuit against the federal government as well, hoping to protect the toll system that funds public transportation upgrades. This situation has sparked a larger conversation about the balance of power between federal and state authorities, and whether public officials should be making such crazy statements.
Renaming of Greenland:
Georgia Representative Buddy Carter recently introduced a bill proposing that the U.S. buy Greenland and rename it “Red, White, and Blueland.” This isn’t the first time Trump has pushed for the purchase of Greenland as he even sent his son, Donald Trump Jr., to the island to draw attention to the idea. However, this proposal remains one of Trump’s more unrealistic ambitions that he keeps on saying, as buying Greenland isn’t something the U.S. has any real opportunity of doing. The bill wants to give President Trump the power to negotiate Danish territory even though many Greenlanders are still skeptical.
People, both supporters and non supporters, aren’t fans of purchasing and renaming Greenland arguing that it is both unrealistic and dismissive of Greenland. Denmark has consistently said that it is not for sale, and many view this proposal as an overreach of American ambition.This development has sparked discussions about the ethics and feasibility of such territorial acquisitions in the modern era, highlighting the complexities of international relations and respect for national sovereignty.
Insensitive Remark on Plane Crash:
After a tragic plane crash near Washington, D.C. that killed 67 people, Trump faced heavy criticism for not having a response but also for his lack of compassion. Instead of offering condolences or even visiting the crash site, he blamed the accident on the FAA’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. He suggested that hiring based on diversity played a role in the disaster. When in the beginning of his term he started firing people left and right and shortly after, he fired nearly all FAA staff, claiming their ethnicity and DEI hiring practices made flying unsafe. Many saw this as a tactic to get rid of any ethnic people rather than addressing the real issues, like staffing shortages in air traffic control. Rangeview students even commented saying that his “dismissive attitude only made things worse”. When asked if he’d visit the crash site, he joked, “What’s the site? The water? You want me to go swimming?” People argue his focus on DEI distracts from any real safety concerns while the families of so many victims are left without answers or even basic acknowledgement from the president himself.
“Gold Card”/Birthright Citizenship:
As of a couple days ago, President Trump has been pushing for a new “gold card” visa program, which would replace the existing EB-5 investor visa. According to Axios, the plan would allow wealthy foreign investors to get U.S. residency by investing $5 million into the country. Trump argues that this could help reduce national debt, but even experts remain skeptical, because similar programs in other countries haven’t attracted as much investment as expected.
“It’s a classic case of prioritizing wealth over the people. Hardworking immigrants contribute in ways that money alone can’t buy” says Rangeview senior Christiania Brown.
At the same time, Trump is also revisiting his long-standing effort to end birthright citizenship. He recently issued an executive order that would prevent children born in the U.S. to undocumented parents from automatically gaining citizenship. However, this move has already faced legal challenges, with courts blocking it due to constitutional concerns and reflecting a larger debate about U.S. immigration priorities. While Trump is proposing a system where wealthy people can buy their way into residency he’s also trying to limit citizenship for those that are born in the country but without legal status. Many arguments have been made that this approach only prioritizes money over fairness but some supporters believe it’s a way to strengthen the economy and control immigration. Regardless of what Trump claims, immigrants make up a significant amount of America.
Education:
Prior to Trump being reelected as president, he had planned numerous claims and actions he would carry out during his presidency . One of his claims is to dismantle the national education system. Dismantling the national education system can lead to disparities in the quality and access to education. The U.S. is one of many countries with free public education for K-12 grades, and public schools rely heavily on the national education system for curriculum standards, funding, and overall support and resources to keep education in America consistent. One of the most significant impacts is the potential increase in inequality. Without there being a centralized system for education, many students in affluent areas might not have access to education. School for many children serves as a place of community, a place for students to find their interests and what they want to pursue in life. Lack of education can lead children in affluent areas to resort to crime which affects the community as a whole.
Public schools make up the majority of schools in America, and without them, there can be a huge impact on the economy. Many companies rely on skilled and educated workers to help run many of the resources that we use in our day to day lives. With less students that have access to education, the less innovation and productivity happening within our country.
Public schools and educators are very underfunded and more pressure would be added onto state and local governments to manage the education system within their states. Rangeview educators have stated, while the defunding of the national education system can bring many negative impacts, some of the money being redirected to the national education system can go back into our district.
