What Trump’s Executive Actions Really Mean — And Why It Matters for Our Future — And What Artists Can Do

When Donald Trump returned to the White House, he wasted no time issuing a sweeping set of executive actions. While these moves may appear administrative on the surface, they represent seismic shifts in U.S. federal policy. To understand their real impact, especially for women, people of color, and the LGBTQIA+ community, we need to look not only at these actions but also at how they align with Project 2025, a strategic plan crafted by conservative think tanks to radically reshape the American government.

1. Civil Rights Rolled Back: DEI Programs Eliminated

One of the first executive orders eliminated all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in federal agencies. These programs were designed to address structural inequalities and ensure fair access to government services and jobs, particularly for historically marginalized groups.

What This Means:

• DEI officers and positions have been defunded and dissolved.

• Training that addressed racial bias and discrimination is no longer required or allowed.

• Language access for non-English speakers has been rolled back.

Impact: People of color, immigrants, and non-native English speakers will face more institutional barriers. This reverses decades of civil rights progress and signals a government retreat from racial and gender justice.

2. Environmental Protections Reversed:

U.S. Leaves Climate Agreements

The administration withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement and other international efforts to combat climate change. These actions halt progress on reducing emissions and promoting renewable energy.

What This Means:

• Federal agencies are no longer required to consider environmental impact in decision-making.

• Climate-related research and green energy incentives are being defunded.

• Polluters face fewer restrictions.

Impact: Communities of color—especially those living near industrial zones—are disproportionately affected by environmental pollution. Climate inaction further endangers vulnerable populations worldwide.

3. Reproductive Rights Gutted: Federal Abortion Funding Banned

By enforcing a stricter version of the Hyde Amendment, the administration has cut off nearly all federal funding for abortion services, including through Medicaid.

What This Means:

• People who rely on public healthcare programs cannot access abortion services.

• Clinics in low-income and rural areas are closing or severely underfunded.

• Reproductive autonomy is now income-based.

Impact:

Women, especially low-income women and women of color, will have limited or no access to safe reproductive care. This increases health risks and economic instability for already vulnerable communities.

4. Agency Independence Undermined: Centralized Executive Control

New executive orders require all independent federal agencies (such as the EPA, FDA, and others) to submit major regulations to the White House for approval.

What This Means:

• Agencies can no longer act independently of the President's political goals.

• Expertise-based decisions (like those on science, health, and the environment) may be overridden by partisan interests.

Impact: This politicization threatens democratic checks and balances and turns neutral government functions into tools for ideological enforcement.

5. Dangerous Precedents: Pardons and Emergencies

• The administration pardoned most individuals involved in the January 6 insurrection.

• Declared a national emergency at the southern border, deploying military resources.

• Signaled openness to federal prosecution based on political or ideological grounds.

Impact:

These actions normalize political violence and authoritarian tactics. They chip away at rule of law and democratic norms, threatening civil liberties for all—especially dissenting groups.

How This Connects to Project 2025

Project 2025 is a strategic, far-right blueprint developed by the Heritage Foundation and other conservative groups. Its goal is to overhaul the federal government by:

• Dismantling regulatory agencies

• Purging civil servants and replacing them with ideological loyalists

• Curtailing LGBTQIA+ rights

• Replacing public education and science-based policy with religious conservatism

As of May 2025, the Trump administration has reportedly implemented 41% of the Project 2025 checklist.

Key Elements Already in Motion:

• Elimination of DEI programs (✓)

• Political loyalty tests for federal employees (✓)

• Aggressive rollback of abortion access (✓)

• Expanded executive power over independent agencies (✓)

• Targeting of transgender healthcare and education protections (✓)

What This Means for Our Future

For Women:

Expect even more aggressive attacks on reproductive freedom, workplace equality, and access to healthcare. The rollback of protections around maternity leave, childcare support, and equal pay could follow.

For People of Color:

Structural inequality will worsen. Fewer federal protections mean more exposure to discrimination in housing, education, policing, and employment—with fewer avenues for redress.

For LGBTQIA+ Communities:

Project 2025 proposes sweeping reversals of LGBTQIA+ rights, including bans on gender-affirming care, rollback of anti-discrimination protections, and restriction of LGBTQIA+ content in schools and media.

Art as Resistance: The Role of Creativity in Defending Democracy

In times of political upheaval, art becomes not just expression, but resistance. Street art, public murals, sticker campaigns, zines, and installations have historically played powerful roles in calling attention to injustice and uniting communities. From protest posters during the civil rights movement to wheat-pasted images in today’s urban landscapes, art has always been a tool of revolution.

Why It Matters:

• Street art is public truth-telling. It bypasses corporate media and reaches everyday people directly in their environment.

• Sticker art and zines amplify marginalized voices. They empower individuals to speak out in DIY, accessible formats.

• Public installations build visibility. From LGBTQIA+ pride crosswalks to murals of reproductive justice, visual activism creates space for identity and solidarity.

Art reminds us of our humanity. It documents truth, mourns loss, celebrates joy, and most importantly, refuses silence.

When institutions fail to protect us, community and culture can carry the message forward. Art sparks dialogue. It keeps movements alive. It reminds the oppressed that they are seen, heard, and valued. Every sticker on a stop sign or painting on a boarded-up wall is a refusal to accept erasure.

Now more than ever, community art is essential. It brings people together across boundaries and speaks where voices are silenced. In the face of authoritarianism, creativity is an act of courage.

Conclusion: The Stakes Are Higher Than Ever

These aren’t just policy shifts. They represent a coordinated effort to reshape the role of government itself, from a democratic institution to a centralized tool of ideological control. If fully enacted, Project 2025 and these executive actions could erase decades of progress on civil rights, gender equality, environmental justice, and LGBTQIA+ inclusion.

The future is being written right now—not in theory, but in law. And unless we act, the most vulnerable among us will bear the heaviest cost.

But we are not powerless. We have our voices. We have each other. We have art.

Share this post, stay informed, and get involved. Paint a wall. Print a zine. Speak up. We are the change we need.