In collaboration with EmersonTogether, four Marlboro Institute faculty members hosted a post-inauguration panel on Feb. 4 to discuss the implications of President Donald Trump’s second term. The panel aimed to address multiple sectors of concern as public access to critical information on thousands of government websites is denied.

“I was not prepared for the level of censorship that has happened so quickly,” said panelist Nancy Lyons, a senior executive-in-residence for interdisciplinary studies at the institute. “Being able to get accurate information to each other is going to become more and more vital.”

On his first day alone, Trump pulled the U.S. out of the World Health Organization (WHO), froze the admission of refugees into the country, declared an immigration crisis at the southern border, and attempted to remove birthright citizenship. 

Mneesha Gellman, an associate professor of political science in the institute, discussed the impact Trump’s immigration executive orders will have on vulnerable communities.

“These executive actions on immigration are potentially much more damaging on the communities that they are intended to impact,” Gellman said. “The courts will ultimately rule differently than they did during the first administration.” 

There is a six-justice majority of Republican appointees on the Supreme Court, three of which Trump nominated himself in his first term. Gellman said the mandate to deport is not entirely different from past administrations, including Democratic ones.

“The lines are relatively similar,” Gellman said. “It’s not that there is an increase in the kinds of deportations, it’s the rhetoric of dehumanization and the violent approach of removal of what were previously sensitive spaces.”

Alireza Raisi, an affiliated faculty member in political science in the institute, said previous critical junctures in history have left lasting effects on foreign policy, and similar trends are reappearing under the new administration.

“Some analysts are saying we are at one of the critical junctures right now, and the decision that Donald Trump is going to make … is going to affect maybe the future decades of U.S. foreign policies,” Raisi said.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided billions of dollars in humanitarian aid overseas since being established by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 during the Cold War. Since Trump’s inauguration, the agency has been targeted by his administration. On his first day in office, Trump attempted to impose a 90-day freeze on foreign assistance and Elon Musk, the new head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), called USAID a “criminal organization” in a post on X. The agency’s website is currently down.

“Trump is destroying this order that was in place,” said Raisi. 

Lyons said while she was originally supposed to speak about effects on reproductive rights, she expanded the information to include the greater impacts on public health, as well as LGBTQ+ health in lieu of the presentation from panelist P. Carl, a senior distinguished artist-in-residence, who was unable to attend.

“Information about abortion was being scrubbed. LGBTQ resources were being scrubbed. This was bad. I was prepared for that to some extent,” Lyons said. “What I was not prepared for is what has happened to public health.”

A week after the inauguration, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) was ordered to immediately cut collaborations with the WHO. 

“The assault on science is massive,” Lyons said.

Lyons expressed concern over the lack of protection if another pandemic were to happen as at least 68 cases of H5N1 influenza, or avian flu, are reported in the U.S., according to the CDC. Most of these cases, Lyons said, have been traced back to contact with poultry or cattle, but the concern surrounds if human-to-human transmission will occur. 

The CDC webpage on avian flu has a notice at the top stating, “CDC’s website is being modified to comply with President Trump’s Executive Orders.” Lyon said most information being taken down from government websites is related to health information, where words relating to diversity initiatives may be present, leaving concerns about how to stay informed.

“Where am I getting my information? I’m getting it from Instagram,” Lyons said. “This is so embarrassing, but the only way I can seem to get actual information is from doctors who are posting what they know, from people on the inside, on Instagram … This is not normal.”

However, social media as a source of information may also be off the table since Instagram and Facebook have blocked or removed posts from abortion pill providers. Social media has been a hot button topic since tech billionaires Mark Zuckerberg and others were in attendance at Trump’s inauguration. 

Russ Newman, an associate professor at the Institute, analyzed the implications of the Trump administration’s approaches to media, technology, and privacy rights. 

“In the United States right now, there is absolutely no privacy policy regarding what you do and see online,” Newman said. “The internet where you could access whatever you wanted is gone.”

Newman discussed concerns over artificial intelligence advancement after Trump’s executive order revoked former President Joe Biden’s 2023 executive order that required artificial intelligence systems that posed a threat to national security, economy, or public health to report their results first to the government before being released to the public. 

“It doesn’t mean we aren’t going to have rules. It means that the rules are written by those who are absolutely [hungry] for your data,” Newman said.

In terms of what the next step is for humanity, Newman said to continue connecting with people and remain educated on the issues.

“It’s time to think locally by acting globally, by growing networks of concern with others who are concerned on these issues,” he said.

Sadie Swayze, a senior visual media arts major, said he appreciated that the panelists were institute faculty and some he had as instructors before. Knowing the panelists personally, Swayze said, made the information more trustworthy.

“When someone I know tells me a piece of information or when someone has witnessed something first hand … I think that’s a very impactful thing,” said Swayze.

While the panel covered a variety of issues, the information was overwhelming for some. Swayze said he is trying to remain educated, but staying mindful about his mental health.

“I think the main thing I keep trying to tell myself and remind other people is don’t exhaust yourself,” Swayze said. “Don’t let them exhaust you.”