President Donald Trump was sworn in for his second term on Jan. 20 inside the Capitol Rotunda,
making him the second person in American history to serve two nonconsecutive terms as chief executive.
Following a contentious and unprecedented election season, Trump narrowly won the national popular vote—the first Republican presidential candidate to do so since former Pres. George W. Bush in 2004—and carried all seven key battleground states. By decreasing margin of victory, they were Arizona, North Carolina, Nevada, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
“The golden age of America begins right now,” Trump said in his inaugural address. “From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world. We will be the envy of every nation, and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer.”
Attended by the four other living presidents, all nine members of the Supreme Court, nominees for the Trump cabinet, and other state and national officials, the inauguration ceremony was the first to be held indoors since former Pres. Ronald Reagan’s in 1985. Trump emphasized campaign trail talking points, reaffirming his views on border security, education, and the economy. He also announced plans to issue a series of executive orders on his first day in office to “begin the complete restoration of America and the revolution of common sense.”
Soon after his inauguration, Trump pardoned over 1,500 rioters who took part in the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol attack, attempted to restrict birthright citizenship, and placed a hold on the ban of the social media app TikTok—a prohibition that had come into effect on Jan. 19 as part of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. Trump has also signed executive orders targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in the federal government, drawing condemnation from organizations like the ACLU and the NAACP.
Throughout his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump threatened to increase taxes on university endowments, and since taking office, he has targeted DEI programming in higher education. He has also indicated that his administration will seek to reduce federal funding for colleges and universities, potentially making it more difficult for students to acquire student loans.
This past fall, a series of Harvard Crimson editorial pieces highlighted a growing conservative movement among undergraduates and the rising visibility and outspokenness of this contingent. The 2021 revival of the Salient, a right-wing campus publication, as well as the rising conspicuity of the John Adams Society, a secretive, conservative-leaning debate organization, have marked this modest rightward shift since the 2020 election.
Michael Oved ’25, president emeritus of the Harvard Republican Club, described the second Trump administration as a boon for the economy in contrast to the past four years.
“There is no doubt that President Trump’s inauguration—and the actions he has taken in his first day in office—marks a positive shift from the failed administration of President Biden,” Oved said. “I look forward to the upcoming four years, which I am certain will be marked by a more prosperous, safe, and free America than we have seen in the past, grounded in de-regulation and spending cuts, as well as lower taxes and incentives for corporations to innovate and succeed in our ever-growing economy.”
Evan Doerr ’28, recently selected co-chair of the Institute of Politics’ Conservative Coalition, declined to comment on the inauguration. The Independent also attempted to contact Leo Koerner ’26, chair of the John Adams Society and author of The Crimson op-ed “To the Editor: Harvard Conservatives Owe You Nothing,” but he did not respond to the request.
In contrast to Oved, newly elected Harvard College Democrats Co-Presidents Jack Tueting ’27 and Mandy Zhang ’27 voiced strong concern about the executive actions President Trump signed into effect during his first week in office.
“The attempt to end birthright citizenship undermines the Constitution, raising questions about his commitment to the rule of law. Pardoning individuals involved in the January 6 insurrection further erodes democratic norms,” they said in a statement to the Independent. “Moreover, his rollback of executive orders aimed at lowering prescription drug costs shows a disregard for the needs of everyday Americans, prioritizing the interests of the wealthy and well-connected.”
“We anticipate widespread outrage and protest from the student body, given Harvard’s historically active political environment and its diverse community of students directly affected by Trump’s policies,” they added.
According to Tueting and Zhang, Harvard College Democrats plans to organize resistance against policies promulgated by the Trump administration that the group views as harmful.
“Our Annual Lobby Day at the Massachusetts State House in 2025 will likely focus on legislation that counters the federal government’s most harmful policies,” they clarified. “We also aim to support Democratic candidates in local and state elections, including key races in Virginia and New Jersey, to build broader resistance. Additionally, our service efforts will focus on aiding communities that Trump’s policies are likely to neglect, ensuring we use our resources to make a tangible impact.”
Virginia and New Jersey notably hold gubernatorial and some legislative elections in years succeeding the general election, and pundits often look to the results of these votes to predict trends for the midterm elections. For example, some viewed Republican Glenn Youngkin’s upset victory over Democratic former Gov. Terry McAuliffe in the 2021 Virginia gubernatorial election as an indication that the 2022 midterms would favor the G.O.P.
Regardless of political affiliation, Harvard undergraduates and the world at large can agree that Trump’s second term will have a drastic impact on nearly every sector of society, particularly education. Given Trump’s long history of conflict with the University, the likelihood that the federal government again goes toe-to-toe with Harvard seems high.
Dominick Lombard ’27 and Lily O’Donoghue-McDonald ’26, co-chairs of the non-partisan Harvard Votes Challenge, declined to give a statement on the Trump inauguration.
Jules Sanders ’28 (julessanders@college.harvard.edu) is the Associate News Editor of the Independent.