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Top 5 at 5: Inside Trump's Inauguration

Samuel Garrett, Research Associate, United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney

21-Jan-25 17:00

Top 5 at 5: Inside Trump's Inauguration

Donald Trump’s inauguration speech declared a “golden age” for America, while also criticizing a “broken” government. Samuel Garrett from the United States Studies Centre gets into some of the key points that Trump brought up, including the array of executive orders he promised to sign. Trump said that everyone is behind him, but is this true? Will he manage the challenges of a divided Congress, or will his agenda face resistance?

Other stories we covered:

· US exits Paris Climate Agreement, again: Donald Trump has pulled the US out of the Paris Climate Agreement for a second time, isolating the country from global efforts to fight climate change. Meenakshi Raman, President of Sahabat Alam Malaysia, discusses the global ramifications and trust issues this creates for international climate negotiations.

· RM600 million for affordable housing in Kelantan: The Federal Ministry of Housing has allocated RM642 million to build over 3,500 low-cost homes in Kelantan, addressing the state's housing challenges. Badrul Hisham Ismail, co-founder of IMAN Research shares insights into the broader issues surrounding affordable housing in Malaysia.

· Survey reveals rising support for violent solutions: The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer reveals a concerning trend: more people globally feel that violence is justified to create societal change. We discuss the survey's findings and discuss how declining public trust in institutions is fueling this violent sentiment.

· The many interpretations of Kunlun: A book by Universiti Sains Malaysia sparked a debate over the historical and cultural significance of Kunlun in the Malay narrative. Eddin Khoo, founder of PUSAKA, helps us unpack the controversy and how history is shaped by nationalistic interpretations.

Image Credit: shutterstock.com

Produced by: Alia Zefri, Juliet Jacobs, Christine May Yong, Sudais Ferhard

Presented by: Lee Chwi Lynn, Sharaad Kuttan


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Categories:  politicsgovernmentinternationalLaw/Activismcorruptioncontroversieseducation

Tags:  kelantan housingkunlundonald trumppresidential inaugurationsparis climate agreementus politicsaffordable housingedelman trust barometerviolenceusm





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