With a Republican-controlled Senate and House, Trump wields executive power to implement policy from his first day in office. However, experts say some actions could be subject to legal and constitutional challenges as they can’t override laws passed by Congress and require compliance with judicial rulings.
This year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day coinciding with Trump’s January 20 swearing-in is a rare occurrence that’s only happened twice in history. The last time this occurred was former President Barack Obama’s second term. The second inauguration of the nation’s first Black president was viewed by many as symbolic of the progress made towards civil rights.
Dr Bernice King, CEO of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, told Reuters the day will serve as a dual moment to honour her father’s legacy of non-violence and unity while calling on Americans to keep up the fight.
“We [have] an opportunity to take seriously what my father has been saying to us as a nation — to hold strong to those ideals that he taught us,” King said. “Don’t forget that they showed us that it is possible to keep moving forward and fighting for freedom, justice, and democracy — cultivating it, protecting it, and advancing it”.
National Action Network founder Rev. Al Sharpton underscored the importance for policymakers and grassroots leaders to reevaluate their approach and unify. “We don’t fight without changing legislation. It takes time, but it happens,” said Sharpton.
