In his first week of a second term, President Donald Trump delivered significant setbacks to public health.
On his first day in office, he signed a series of executive orders, including one that withdraws the U.S. from the World Health Organization (WHO). Experts warn that this decision could jeopardize safety against infectious diseases and other global health threats."
Another executive order signed that day seeks to 'restore freedom of speech and end federal censorship' of U.S. citizens. The order claims that 'under the guise of combating misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation,' the federal government has infringed upon the constitutionally protected speech rights of Americans, promoting a narrative favorable to the government on significant public issues.
Many of the federal actions criticized by President Trump were implemented to combat the spread of false information regarding COVID-19, vaccine safety, and other public health initiatives.
A Supreme Court ruling last year confirmed that the U.S. government is permitted to engage with social media companies about concerns regarding misinformation on their platforms. Trump's order effectively disregards this ruling, potentially allowing false claims and misleading statements to proliferate online without federal oversight.
On Tuesday, January 21, the Trump administration also suspended external communications from staff at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
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