Donald Trump began issuing executive actions after officially taking the oath of office as the 47th President of the United States.
On Monday (January 20), Donald Trump became the first person since Grover Cleveland to serve non-consecutive terms as President of the United States.
The newly-elected leader wasted no time making waves as he signed nearly 50 executive orders within hours of returning to the White House.
Executive orders are directives from the president to federal agencies, outlining how the government should be managed. While they’re legally binding, they aren’t legislation and don’t require Congressional approval.
However, Congress can still create obstacles, such as withholding funding or passing measures to block the orders.
Presidents frequently use executive orders to roll back the actions of their predecessors or set the tone for their administrations. During Trump’s first term, he signed 220 orders, while Joe Biden signed 160 during his time in office as of December 2024.
Despite their power, executive orders can face significant pushback. Congress or the courts can block or overturn orders they deem overreaching.
In 1992, Congress revoked George H.W. Bush’s order to establish a fetal tissue research bank and the Supreme Court ruling against Harry Truman’s attempt to seize steel mills during the Korean War.
Even with these hurdles, the 78-year-old leader has used executive orders to rapidly enact policy changes.
On his first day back, Trump tackled everything from climate policies to border security. Here’s a breakdown of some of the major orders:
‘America First’
The order states: “From this day forward, the foreign policy of the United States shall champion core American interests and always put America and American citizens first.
“As soon as practicable, the Secretary of State shall issue guidance bringing the Department of State’s policies, programs, personnel, and operations in line with an America First foreign policy, which puts America and its interests first.”
Declaring a National Border Emergency
The president reaffirmed his commitment to securing the U.S.-Mexico border, expanding resources for border enforcement, and targeting illegal immigration.
The White House states: “Over the last four years, the United States has endured a large-scale invasion at an unprecedented level.
“Millions of illegal aliens from nations and regions all around the world successfully entered the United States where they are now residing, including potential terrorists, foreign spies, members of cartels, gangs, and violent transnational criminal organizations, and other hostile actors with malicious intent.”
“To protect the security and safety of United States citizens, to protect each of the states against invasion, and to uphold my duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, it is my responsibility as president to ensure that the illegal entry of aliens into the United States via the southern border be immediately and entirely stopped,” the order read, per ABC.
Additionally, the order states plans to “seal the borders and maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the United States by repelling forms of invasion including unlawful mass migration, narcotics trafficking, human smuggling and trafficking, and other criminal activities”.
Blocking Refugees
The order states that it will suspend the US Refugee Admissions Program “until such time as the further entry into the United States of refugees aligns with the interests of the United States”.
It adds: “The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security may jointly determine to admit aliens to the United States as refugees on a case-by-case basis, in their discretion, but only so long as they determine that the entry of such aliens as refugees is in the national interest and does not pose a threat to the security or welfare of the United States.”
Ending Birthright Citizenship
Additionally, Trump has determined that if a “person’s mother was unlawfully present in the US and the father was not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of said person’s birth” or “when that person’s mother’s presence in the United States at the time of said person’s birth was lawful but temporary […] and the father was not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of said person’s birth” then the person is not “automatically” given the “priceless and profound gift” of “the United States citizenship“.
‘Protecting the US from Foreign Terrorists’
The Trump Administration will now seek to reinforce the “visa-issuance process” to “ensure that those aliens approved for admission into the US do not intend to harm Americans” or the “interests” of the nation.
The order adds: “More importantly, the United States must identify them before their admission or entry into the United States.”
Cartels Named as “Foreign Terrorist Organizations”
Trump’s order states: “It is the policy of the United States to ensure the total elimination of these organizations’ presence in the United States and their ability to threaten the territory, safety, and security of the United States through their extraterritorial command-and-control structures, thereby protecting the American people and the territorial integrity of the United States.”
‘Only’ Two Genders Policy
This controversial order enforces the recognition of only male and female genders in federal policies and programs.
The order’s title reads: “Defending women from gender ideology extremism and restoring biological truth to the federal government.”
“Each agency and all Federal employees shall enforce laws governing sex-based rights, protections, opportunities, and accommodations to protect men and women as biologically distinct sexes,” the order continues. “Agencies shall remove all statements, policies, regulations, forms, communications, or other internal and external messages that promote or otherwise inculcate gender ideology, and shall cease issuing such statements, policies, regulations, forms, communications or other messages.
“Agency forms that require an individual’s sex shall list male or female, and shall not request gender identity. Agencies shall take all necessary steps, as permitted by law, to end the Federal funding of gender ideology.”
Trump directed agencies to administer government documents showing people’s sex at conception, stop using gender identity or chosen pronouns, and maintain women-only spaces in prisons and shelters.
Ending Automatic CitizenshipTrump signed an order ending birthright citizenship for children of non-citizens, sparking heated debate about its legality and implications.
Pardoning January 6 ConvictionsThe president issued blanket pardons for those convicted of “offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021,” per Washington Post.
He also instructed the attorney general “to pursue dismissal with prejudice to the government of all pending indictments against individuals for their conduct” on January 6.
‘Restoring’ the Death Penalty
Trump’s order states: “The Government’s most solemn responsibility is to protect its citizens from abhorrent acts, and my Administration will not tolerate efforts to stymie and eviscerate the laws that authorize capital punishment against those who commit horrible acts of violence against American citizens.”
The order also accuses Biden’s government and judges who oppose capital punishment of “efforts to subvert and undermine capital punishment defy the laws of [the] nation, make a mockery of justice, and insult the victims of these horrible crimes”.
It comes after Biden commuted the sentences of 37 of 40 death row inmates back in December.
The policy adds: “It is the policy of the United States to ensure that the laws that authorize capital punishment are respected and faithfully implemented, and to counteract the politicians and judges who subvert the law by obstructing and preventing the execution of capital sentences.”
The ‘Restoration of Free Speech’ Order
This order aims to “protect free expression” by reducing perceived censorship online and at universities, though critics question its practicality.
“[The administration] trampled free speech rights by censoring Americans’ speech on online platforms, often by exerting substantial coercive pressure on third parties, such as social media companies, to moderate, deplatform, or otherwise suppress speech that the federal government did not approve,” the order read.
TikTok Stays OnlineIn a surprising turn, Trump signed an order ensuring TikTok’s continued operation in the U.S., positioning it as a key cultural platform.
The official White House website states: “To fulfil those responsibilities, I intend to consult with my advisors, including the heads of relevant departments and agencies on the national security concerns posed by TikTok, and to pursue a resolution that protects national security while saving a platform used by 170 million Americans.
“My Administration must also review sensitive intelligence related to those concerns and evaluate the sufficiency of mitigation measures TikTok has taken to date.”
The app’s Chinese parent company now has 75 days to broker a deal with a potential American buyer.
Renaming the Gulf of Mexico
Trump announced the Gulf would now officially be called “The Gulf of America,” a move that left many scratching their heads.
The Gulf, an ocean basin bordered by the United States, Cuba, and Mexico, plays a crucial role in economic activity, including maritime transport and oil and gas production.
Under the new directive, the name would be updated on U.S. maps and federal references, though other nations would not be required to adopt the change.
The order states: “It is in the national interest to promote the extraordinary heritage of our Nation and ensure future generations of American citizens celebrate the legacy of our American heroes.
“The naming of our national treasures, including breathtaking natural wonders and historic works of art, should honor the contributions of visionary and patriotic Americans in our Nation’s rich past.”
This would also involve renaming Mount McKinley.
Ending Work-from-Home Policies
The president has signed an order that forces federal workers to come back to their offices.
The action directs agency heads to “take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements and require employees to return to work in-person at their respective duty stations on a full-time basis, provided that the department and agency heads shall make exemptions they deem necessary”.
Punishing ‘Election Interference’
Trump’s order has accused 51 “former intelligence officials” of liaising with “The Biden Campaign” in order to “issue a letter discrediting the reporting that President Joseph R. Biden’s son had abandoned his laptop at a computer repair business”.
Listing a number of individuals, they will now have “any current or active clearances” revoked.
The order stresses that any individual who holds “government-issued security clearances” should never “use their clearance status to influen
