In a series of puzzling events following Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th President of the United States on Monday, two federal websites have undergone major changes, raising alarms among advocates and citizens alike.
First, the US Constitution page disappeared from the White House website. The page, which traditionally housed the full text of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, was replaced with a 404 error message, leading many to speculate about the new administration’s stance on the nation’s foundational documents.
Just a day after the Constitution went missing, ReproductiveRights.gov, a website launched by the Biden administration in 2022 in response to the US Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, went offline. The website served as a key resource for individuals seeking information on reproductive rights and healthcare access, including abortion rights, preventative care like breast and cervical cancer screenings, prenatal care, and HIV testing.
As of this week, the website has been inaccessible, leaving visitors facing a blank page. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which managed the site, has yet to comment on its disappearance. The timing of the outage has raised concerns among health advocates, who fear that changes to federal websites under the new administration could result in reduced access to important public health resources. This anxiety extends beyond reproductive rights, with many wondering whether the Trump administration might curtail online access to information on issues like climate change and environmental protection.
Changes on the White House website
In the moments following President Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president of the United States on Monday, the White House website debuted a striking new look, accompanied by a bold headline declaring: “America is back.”
The redesign emphasised Trump’s vision for his second term, with a banner featuring a personal message from the president.
“Every single day I will be fighting for you with every breath in my body. I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe and prosperous America that our children deserve and that you deserve. This will truly be the golden age of America,” reads the message, signed by Trump, 78. This statement, displayed prominently on the site, sets the tone for the administration’s new direction.
The website also has brief biographies for Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and Vice President JD Vance, alongside a concise outline of the administration’s priorities. Among the highlighted accomplishments from Trump’s first term were record-setting tax relief for the middle class, tax cuts for families, and a focus on economic revival. The site emphasized Trump’s commitment to creating jobs and lowering taxes for American workers in his second term.
“President Trump will champion No Tax on Tips, No Tax on Overtime, and will work tirelessly to make permanent the historic tax cuts he was able to deliver to the American people in his first term,” the website reads. It also notes Trump's dedication to securing the US border, maintaining national sovereignty, and reducing the influence of foreign drug cartels.
The site further asserts that Trump will modernise the US military, defend the nation from threats, and ensure energy independence. “During President Trump’s first term, our nation became the number one producer of oil and natural gas on earth and achieved American energy independence,” it states, emphasising a priority to lower energy costs by encouraging domestic production.
While the new look and message were clear, significant portions of the White House website’s content appeared to be missing. Notably absent were key informational pages that have traditionally been accessible, including the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and biographies of past presidents. Visitors attempting to access pages detailing the history of former presidents such as Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan, and Barack Obama were met with error messages.
Moreover, the Spanish-language version of the website displayed a 404 error, with many users unable to access vital translated content. These missing pages prompted confusion, as the previous administration's website included a wealth of historical information, public resources, and important national content.
White House officials, however, have assured the public that the missing content is merely the result of ongoing updates to the White House website. Principal Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields addressed the issue, stating, “It's day two. We are in the process of developing, editing, and tweaking the White House website. As part of this ongoing work, some of the archived content on the website went dormant. We are committed to reloading that content soon.”
Fields also emphasised that the administration is working to restore the Spanish-language section, asking for patience as the website continues to be updated.
