War on straws, Canada as the 51st state and other Donald Trump moves you missed

US President Donald Trump says he's going to reverse a ban on plastic straws, but it's not the only announcement of his in the past week that may have been missed.

A graphic featuring a man's head, plastic straws and the Canadian flag.

From reversing a ban on plastic straws to saying he's serious about annexing Canada, Donald Trump's made a number of other pronouncements this past week some may have missed. Credit: AAP/SBS News

Donald Trump may have shocked many around the world with his announcement that the United States would take over Gaza, but the US president made other major statements in the past week that have largely flown under the radar.

He's already signed orders sanctioning the International Criminal Court, told Ukraine to supply the US with rare earths in return for financially supporting its war effort, taken aim at the world's largest aid donor, threatened to cut off funding to South Africa over a land reform act, and many more.

Here are some of his other announcements.

Canada as a US state

Trump has previously suggested Canada would be better off if it became the 51st state, but on Monday, he doubled down and said he was serious about the move.
"Yeah, it is," Trump told Fox News when asked if his plan to annex Canada was real.

"I think Canada would be much better off being the 51st state because we lose $200 billion a year with Canada. And I'm not going to let that happen," he said.

"Why are we paying $200 billion a year, essentially a subsidy to Canada?"

The US is not subsidising Canada. It's believed Trump may be referring to the trade deficit with Canada, as the US imports more Canadian goods than goods it exports.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was recently caught on a hot mic telling business leaders that Trump was serious about the annexation idea.

Trudeau said: "They’re very aware of our resources of what we have, and they very much want to be able to benefit from those."

No more paper straws

Trump vowed to take on paper straws, saying he would issue an executive order this week ending the "ridiculous" push by the Biden administration to eliminate single-use plastic utensils like plastic straws by 2035 across government bodies.

"BACK TO PLASTIC!" he said on his social media platform.

Trump has previously complained about the efficacy of paper straws — in 2020, complaining: "It disintegrates as you drink it, and if you have a nice tie like this tie, you've got no choice."

Taskforce to eradicate anti-Christian bias

A new task force led by attorney-general Pam Bondi will aim to root out anti-Christian bias in federal departments.
"We will protect Christians in our schools, in our military, in our government, in our workplaces, hospitals and in our public squares," Trump said, announcing the move.

"My administration will ensure that any unlawful and improper conduct, policies, or practices that target Christians are identified, terminated, and rectified."

Helped end a major golf dispute

The avid golfer was credited with helping to end a rift in the professional golf world.

The PGA Tour announced that after a meeting with Trump, it was closer to finalising a deal with the Saudi backers of LIV Golf. They said they asked him to intervene in talks with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which funds LIV.
"We are grateful that his leadership has brought us closer to a final deal, paving the way for reunification of men's professional golf," the PGA Tour said in a statement.

Climate change mentions scrubbed from sites

References to climate change on government websites have been removed or downgraded, reportedly under an order by the Trump administration.

The US Department of Agriculture, which previously featured climate change science and effects and information about its greenhouse gas assessment program, has removed pages related to climate change.

Other removals include a section on "climate and sustainability" from the Department of Transportation's website, a climate portal from the Department of Defense's site, and a climate change page from the White House's website, according to The Guardian.

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4 min read

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By Rashida Yosufzai
Source: SBS News


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