History was made last week as the 45th president of the United States was sworn in.
Hundreds of thousands gathered on the West Front of the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. for the event.
Ever since then, Donald Trump has been off to a rousing start – well depending on who you ask. He gave a speech at the CIA headquarters the following day which has been described as a self-absorbed spiel. Trump needs to realize he has been elected as president and is no longer on the campaign trail or a television celebrity.
During that same speech, one of the first things Trump did was blast one news network for supposedly incorrectly reporting how many people showed up to his inauguration. Trump claims that 1.5 million people were present for his inauguration, while the news network reports 250,000 people showed up. In the grand scheme of things does this number really matter?
The following day, Trump changed his tune and appeared more reserved and focused on the task at hand. Some speculate White House staff directed Trump to stay the course.
Getting down to business, Trump signed an order to advance the Keystone XL pipeline yesterday.
The Keystone XL pipeline, which is the fourth phase of the Keystone Pipeline System, is expected to carry crude from Canada to the United States. Former President Barack Obama and his administration stopped the Keystone approval in 2015.
The first phase of the Keystone Pipeline delivers oil from Hardisty 3,456 kms to Nebraska and onto Illinois. The second leg runs 468 kms from Nebraska to storage and distribution areas in Oklahoma. The Gulf Coast Extension of the project runs 784 kms from Oklahoma to Texas.
The Keystone XL pipeline will essentially duplicate the first phase of the pipeline between Hardisty and Nebraska, with a shorter route and a larger in diameter pipe.
This will mean more jobs for Canadians and in a time where jobs in that particular industry are hard to come by, that is welcomed by many. However, on the other side, this pipeline approval is a very contentious environmental issue with many against the project.
Meanwhile, what does Trump’s election mean for Canada? Well, the answer depends on who you are talking to. Some say the Trump administration is better for Canadians then if Hillary Clinton was elected. Others say Trump’s loose cannon ways could be a detriment as no one really knows what Trump’s next move will be.
Whether you are pro-Trump or not, he is here to stay for four years and how that will affect Canadians directly will remain to be seen. One thing is for sure, he will keep the whole world talking and it will most certainly be an interesting time in politics.
