President Donald Trump has literally just returned to the White House, and he’s wasting no time implementing major policy changes through executive orders. Some estimated 100 orders to be signed on his first day, but it is not yet clear exactly how many he has signed.
My head is already spinning. So, let’s break down the key actions from his first day back in office.
What is an executive order?
Think of an executive order like a presidential memo with actual teeth. It’s basically the president’s way of telling federal agencies, “Here’s how we’re doing things now.” They’re legally binding, but because they’re not technically laws, they don’t require Congressional approval.
Trump is no stranger to these orders. During his first term, he signed a whopping 220 of them. For comparison, Joe Biden had signed 162 by the end of his term, per WDSU News. These orders aren’t bulletproof; Congress can still throw a wrench in the works by cutting funding or creating other obstacles, and the courts can step in if they think the president’s overstepping.
So let’s get into it, shall we?
Every executive Trump has signed since his inauguration:
Revoking Biden-era policies
Trump immediately targeted Biden’s previous actions and declared, “I’ll revoke nearly 80 destructive and radical executive actions of the previous administration,” per 9News. He ended up revoking 78 Biden-era policies as his first executive action.
This rollback covered policies from COVID relief to clean energy initiatives, signaling a complete reset of recent federal policies.
January 6 pardons
As expected, Trump carried out his campaign promise and pardoned 1,500 people involved in the January 6 Capitol riot. “These are the hostages,” Trump announced in the Oval Office. “We hope they come out tonight, frankly. We’re expecting it,” he added, per Yahoo News.
This sweeping pardon covers nearly everyone charged since the attack, with the exception of 14 prisoners whose sentences have been reduced to time already served. Trump has also directed the Attorney General to drop all pending cases related to the riot.
Immigration & border control
Trump’s back on his border bullshit, declaring a national emergency at the US-Mexico border. Here is what his order included:
- Designating criminal cartels as terrorist organisations
- Suspending refugee resettlement
- Targeting automatic citizenship for US-born children of immigrants
- Sending US troops to support border agents
His order bluntly states: “The United States lacks the ability to absorb large numbers of migrants.” Subtle, he is not.
Diversity and gender policies
Trump’s executive orders on diversity and gender are a full-blown assault on what he calls “gender ideology”. In a bold declaration during his inauguration, Trump stated, “As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female.”
The executive order goes far beyond a simple policy change. It’s a comprehensive attempt to redefine how the federal government approaches gender and identity:
- Biological Sex Definition: The order explicitly defines sex as an “immutable biological classification” that is either male or female.
- Document Restrictions: Federal documents like passports and visas will now only allow male or female options
- Funding Restrictions: Federal funds cannot be used to promote what the administration calls “gender ideology”
He also terminated all federal Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs and ended environmental justice programs and equity-related grants.
TikTok ban pause
Trump signed an order keeping TikTok operational for 90 days. “I guess I have a warm spot for TikTok,” he quipped.
Interesting stance coming from the man who led the effort to ban the app in the first place, but sure.
Trump declares a ‘national energy emergency’ & withdraws from Paris Climate Agreement (again)
The moment he stepped into the Oval Office, he dropped a “national energy emergency” declaration that’s basically a love letter to fossil fuels. “We will drill, baby, drill,” he proclaimed at his inauguration speech, sounding like an oil executive’s wet dream come true.
In a move that feels like déjà vu, Trump has once again signed an executive order withdrawing the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement. “I’m immediately withdrawing from the unfair, one-sided Paris climate accord rip-off,” he declared, arguing that the United States would “not sabotage our own industries while China pollutes with impunity”.
This marks the second time Trump has attempted to exit the global climate accord, effectively joining Iran, Libya, and Yemen as the only countries not participating in this international climate initiative. The withdrawal process will take approximately one year.
Trump withraws from WHO
Speaking of leaving things, Trump is pulling out America from the World Health Organisation. “World Health ripped us off, everybody rips off the United States. It’s not going to happen anymore,” Trump declared during the signing, per Reuters.
This isn’t Trump’s first rodeo with WHO withdrawal. He first tried this back in 2020, claiming the organisation was “owned and controlled by China” and mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic.
Renaming things
Trump signed executive orders to change two geographical names: the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska’s mountain Denali. He aims to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America”, and change Alaska’s Mount Denali back to Mount McKinley.
Peep Hilary Clinton having a giggle at the announcement:
Trump’s plan to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” is more symbolic than legally binding. While he can change federal references and maps, international bodies like the International Hydrographic Organization aren’t required to adopt this name.
Mexico, which shares the gulf, also has no obligation to use the new terminology. It’s essentially a domestic rebranding that won’t automatically translate to international usage. However, it seems like US states are already jumping on board with the Floridian government already using “Gulf of America” in an official press release.
No more working-from-home
Trump is making federal employees return to full-time, in-person work. “Heads of all departments and agencies in the executive branch of Government shall, as soon as practicable, take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements,” the order reads.
This move targets roughly 1.1 million telework-eligible employees, effectively ending any flexible work arrangements that have become standard since the pandemic.
The order doesn’t just stop at return-to-office policies. Trump’s also taking aim at federal worker protections, reinstating the controversial Schedule F classification that could make it easier to dismiss employees. He’s also thrown in a federal hiring freeze. What could go wrong?
Inflation
When it comes to inflation, Trump’s not messing around. He’s directing every member of his cabinet to use “every power at their disposal” to bring down living costs. “We’re going to marshal every resource to defeat inflation,” Trump said. Maybe, step one should be learning what inflation is.
Restoring free speech
Trump signed an executive order targeting social media companies’ content moderation practices, declaring, “We’re going to regulate big tech to stop their political bias.”
Essentially, it tells federal agencies to investigate online speech restrictions and gives tech companies a clear warning: change your moderation practices or face consequences. The tech giants showing up at Trump’s inauguration is starting to make a lot of sense now.
“We’re shutting down the cancel culture,” Trump said during the signing. The White House argues the order will protect free speech by holding tech platforms accountable, instructing the attorney general to investigate past content removal practices. With TikTok supposedly being saved by Trump, it’s hard not to wonder if this isn’t just another politically motivated attempt to control digital communication.
Unfortunately, this is just his first lot of executive orders, we have a long four years of this ahead of us so buckle up!
Lead image: Getty Images
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