Donald Trump has been a fan of signing executive orders since he came back as the American President for the second time. Since his entrance into the office, he has been signing one executive order after the other, a number of which have been hugely criticized for their discriminatory nature.
On Thursday, while attending the ‘Salute to America’ event in Iowa, Trump mentioned signing another executive order that would raise the entrance fees for foreign tourists at American National Parks. Trump said, “To fund improvements and enhance experiences across the park system for this anniversary, I’ve just signed an executive order to raise entrance fees for foreign tourists while keeping prices low for Americans, so we’re going to do that, the national parks.”
He further added, “We will be about America first. We’re going to take it, America first for the national parks, and these are just a few of the many programs, initiatives, celebrations that will renew for our national pride.”
However, the announcement did not go down exactly well as many netizens responded with shock. One person posted on X, saying, “What? You have to show your papers at national parks?” Another user added, “So, now you need a passport to get into a National Park? This guy is totally gone.”
Another person chimed in, saying, “I don’t know how Trump plans on executing any new policies with regards to our national parks sense he has GUTTED their budgets, which will cut park ranger services by at least half. America first will now mean National Parks bathrooms not usable, litter & Trash not collected.”
TRUMP: I just signed an executive or order, to raise entrance fees for foreign tourists while keeping prices low for Americans, we will do that. pic.twitter.com/THukzP2Eil
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 4, 2025
According to a statement by The White House, the increased fees for foreign nationals will help to maintain the parks better as the fund would go towards the betterment of these national assets.
As reported by Irish Star, “At present, U.S. citizens effectively pay more than overseas tourists to access the country’s picturesque natural sites and historic landmarks. This is because their admission fees, along with a portion of their U.S. taxes, contribute to the upkeep of national parks.”
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It should be noted here that though Trump talked about the order, nothing about its implementation or how much hike will be charged has been mentioned. Moreover, besides talking about this, Trump also used an anti- semitic slur at the same event when he referred to bad bankers as Shylock, the Jewish moneylender from Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, who has been established as a negative stereotype for Jews that shows them as greedy and selfish people.
With Trump’s speech getting scrutinized and called out on multiple aspects during the event, it now remains to be seen if the President has anything else to say about his decisions or the opinions that people are putting forward about the same.
