Donald Trump has issued a flurry of executive orders on everything from immigration, climate and diversity after being sworn in as the 47th president of the US.
The Republican quickly set about using his new powers to sign off on executive actions, presidential memorandums and executive orders on a host of policy priorities.
Executive orders carry the weight of law but can be overturned by subsequent presidents or the courts. Many could face legal challenges.
It is common for presidents to sign a range of executive actions when they enter office, but US media reports that Trump intends to sign as many as 200 on his first day – which would eclipse the amount most past presidents have issued in a single term.
Here are the policy changes that Trump intends to make within hours of taking office.
Immigration and the border
National emergency at the border
In the Oval Office at the White House, Trump signed a directive to declare a national emergency at the southern border. “That’s a big one,” Trump said as he signed it.
He also designated criminal cartels as terrorist organisations, and targeted automatic citizenship for US-born children of immigrants in the country illegally.
Trump also signed an order that is set to suspend the US refugee resettlement programme for four months, though the text of the orders was not immediately available.
Closing the border
Another executive order signed by Trump orders the military to “seal the borders” and cites the flow of illicit drugs, human smuggling and crime relating to border crossings.
TikTok
The looming ban
In the Oval Office at the White House, Trump signed a directive postponing the implementation of a law banning Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok for 75 days.
TikTok welcomed Trump’s promises on this and restored US services after briefly switching them off before his inauguration.
Trump had said his order would give TikTok’s parent company more time to find a US partner to buy a majority stake, but details on the directive he signed aren’t clear.
Asked what the action does after he signed it, Trump says it gives him the right to “sell it or close it”.
The new president had once backed a ban, but he indicated he had reversed his stance after his campaign videos attracted billions of views.
Government reform
Doge and Elon Musk
Trump has signed a directive creating the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) – a new advisory body aimed at cutting government costs. It is expected to be led by Elon Musk.
A reporter asked Trump if Musk, the head of Tesla and SpaceX, will have an office in the White House
Trump says Musk will get an office for about 20 employees for the new agency.
Freeze on federal hiring
Trump signed an action halting any new federal hiring – except within the US military and several other categories – until the Trump administration has full control over the government.
Federal employees returning to the office
Trump signed a document mandating that federal workers must work in the office and are not allowed to work from home.
Censorship
Trump signed a directive “ordering the restoration of freedom of speech and preventing government censorship”. No details were immediately available on what this directive specifically does.
The order directs the attorney general to investigate the activities of officials at such agencies as the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Federal Trade Commission during the prior administration.
Political prosecutions
The new US president signed a document that sought to end the “weaponization of government against political adversaries”. No details were immediately available on this directive.
World Health Organization
Trump signed an executive order to begin the process of withdrawing the US from the World Health Organization (WHO).
“Oooh, that’s a big one,” he said as he signed the document. This marks the second time Trump has ordered the US be pulled out of the WHO.
Trump was critical of how the international body handled Covid-19 and began the process of pulling out from the Geneva-based institution during the pandemic. President Joe Biden later reversed that decision.
Reversing Biden policies
Biden-era regulations
One of the first directives Trump signed as part of his second term was a document rescinding nearly 80 Biden-era regulations. Trump did not elaborate on what these regulations included.
Regulatory freeze
Trump signed a directive that froze any federal agency from issuing any new regulations until the Trump administration has full control of the government.
Economy
Tackling inflation
He signed a directive asking every US federal department and agency to address the cost of living for Americans.
The details of this document and how each department is tasked with examining this issue are unclear.
Climate and energy
Pull out of the Paris agreement (again)
As part of the first batch of directives, Trump signed off on withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement – the landmark international deal designed to limit rising global temperatures.
It was among the first nine documents Trump signed after his inauguration.
Trump declared a national energy emergency, promising to fill up strategic oil reserves. He also said the US would end leasing to wind farms and revoke what he has called an electric vehicle “mandate”.
Trump first withdrew from the Paris accord in 2017, before Biden re-entered it in 2021.
Along with signing off on exiting the deal, Trump also signed a letter that will be sent to the United Nations explaining the withdrawal.
National energy emergency
Trump signed an executive order declaring a national energy emergency. Officials earlier had said this would be designed to allow the US to produce more natural resources and jobs.
Trump signed an executive order titled “unleashing Alaska’s extraordinary resource potential”, which deals with oil and gas and other natural resources.
The new president has vowed to “drill, baby, drill” for more American fossil fuels.
Capitol riot
Pardoning 1,500 people who stormed US Capitol
In the Oval Office, Trump announced he was issuing pardons for some 1,500 of his supporters who were arrested in the riot at the US Capitol in 2021.
Trump has repeatedly referred to those arrested in the riot as “hostages” and has said he is “inclined to pardon many of them”.
More than 1,500 individuals were arrested in relation to the riot. At least 600 were charged with assaulting or impeding federal officers.
Committing sentences of Oath Keepers, Proud Boys
Trump also commuted sentences for members of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys, far-right groups, who were convicted of seditious conspiracy in relation to the Capitol riot.
A lawyer for former Proud Boys leader Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, who was jailed for 22 years for seditious conspiracy over the riot, said his client also expected to be released.
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, 2025-01-21 02:43:00
