New White House Website Reflects Shifting Priorities

By Paul Rohrbach  |  January 20, 2017 | 2:45pm
Image via WhiteHouse.gov, Drew Angerer/Getty
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New White House Website Reflects Shifting Priorities
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With inauguration festivities still taking place, President Donald Trump has already taken over the White House’s Twitter feed (though his original, unfiltered Twitter is still up) and website. Trump’s website, though sharing the Obama site’s format, already reflects contrasts between Trump’s and Obama’s priorities. Where Obama’s page listed Civil Rights, Climate Change, Economy, Education, Foreign Policy, Healthcare, Iran Deal and Immigration Action as his central priorities, Trump’s priorities all seem to point towards putting “America first.” The below image shows Obama’s “issues” tab on the left, and Trump’s on the right.

Along with Trump’s radical shift in language from Obama’s language comes a correspondingly different set of policy priorities. The shift from a “Climate Action Plan” to an “Energy Plan” is mirrored by Trump’s promise, on the page, to focus on oil independence. The page’s energy policy priorities include energy deregulation, increased drilling and coal mining in the U.S. The page also promises to “refocus the EPA on its essential mission of protecting our air and water,” though it doesn’t specify how it has lost focus of that mission.

Another key difference between the two pages is in their approach towards the police force. Where Obama’s “Civil Rights” section devoted a hefty page to criminal justice abuse, President Trump’s “Standing Up For Our Law Enforcement Community” page focuses more on cultivating respect for the police force. Trump’s page echoes the popular “tough on crime” rhetoric, saying:

Our job is not to make life more comfortable for the rioter, the looter, or the violent disrupter. Our job is to make life more comfortable for parents who want their kids to be able to walk the streets safely.

Trump’s law enforcement page, though not listed as an immigration page, has a choice quote about illegal immigration, as well:

President Trump is committed to building a border wall to stop illegal immigration, to stop the gangs and the violence, and to stop the drugs from pouring into our communities. He is dedicated to enforcing our border laws, ending sanctuary cities, and stemming the tide of lawlessness associated with illegal immigration.
Supporting law enforcement also means deporting illegal aliens with violent criminal records who have remained within our borders.

Though Trump’s page covers most of his policy stances, it omits any mention of social issues, such as LGBT rights or abortion. President Trump’s page can be found here, and if you get nostalgic, you can find Obama’s here and George W. Bush’s here.

 
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