Day One Decisions: Trump’s Executive Orders Set Administrations Tone
After President Trump was sworn into office Monday afternoon, he headed to Capitol One Arena to sign a series of executive orders, covering a wide range of actions—from repealing numerous Biden administration rules and orders to issuing pardons and launching his aggressive border strategy. On his first day back in the Oval Office, the president signed 42 executive orders, memoranda, and proclamations; enacted 115 personnel actions; and took over 200 executive actions. He also issued 1,600 pardons as part of his rapid efforts to reshape the federal government and test the boundaries of his authority.
Constitution Partners is pleased to launch a comprehensive database of executive orders issued during the Trump Administration. The real-time tracker is categorized by industry, and searchable by keyword, for ease of navigation.
Read below for more about some of the most notable actions taken on the Trump administration's first day back in office.
Pardons
President Trump issued pardons for 1,600 individuals, almost all of whom were January 6 rioters still serving their sentences. This also included commuting the sentences of 14 members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers militia, many of whom had been convicted of seditious conspiracy. The pardon order directed the Justice Department to dismiss any pending indictments against individuals facing charges related to the riot. Throughout the day, including in his evening speeches, the president frequently expressed his disapproval of former President Joe Biden for pardoning his family in the final moments of his presidency.
WHO and Paris Climate Agreement Withdrawal
Trump also made the decision to withdraw from the World Health Organization, a move that had been anticipated due to his repeated criticism of the agency’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. This decision has already faced strong opposition from global public health experts, who have raised concerns about how it will affect the U.S.'s standing as a global leader in health.
Additionally, the president decided to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, making the U.S. one of only five countries not to participate in the agreement, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Immigration and Citizenship
A series of executive orders signed by Trump initiated a policy offensive focused on tightening the nation’s borders and increasing enforcement against immigrants within the country. These orders included declaring a national emergency to deploy military forces to the border and attempting to end birthright citizenship for children born to noncitizens. Several of these actions challenge the limits of his legal authority, with birthright citizenship specifically protected by the Constitution.
He also took aim at birthright citizenship for children born to individuals in the U.S. without authorization or those holding temporary visas for work, study, or tourism. Legal experts have said this sweeping effort contradicts more than a century of legal precedent and is unlikely to withstand constitutional scrutiny.
The ACLU has filed suit against the executive order that aims to strip citizenship from certain individuals born in the U.S. The executive director of the ACLU states, “The Trump administration’s overreach is so egregious that we are confident that we will ultimately prevail.” The order goes against the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, which grants citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. and the state that they reside in.
Another order, "Guaranteeing the States' Protection Against Invasion," has suspended entry by “aliens engaged in the invasion across the southern border” to the U.S. until Trump has declared that the invasion has ceased.
DEI Policies
Trump directed his administration to dismantle federal programs that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, while also working to reverse Biden administration policies that protect the rights of transgender Americans.
"Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government": The order sets to recognize two sexes: male and female, and terminate any federal funding that promotes gender ideology.
Tariffs
President Trump announced plans to impose a 25 percent tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico starting February 1, citing the countries' facilitation of "large numbers of people and fentanyl" entering the U.S. He also mentioned the possibility of imposing a universal tariff on all imports, claiming that "almost all countries take advantage of the U.S."
Energy
President Trump signed several executive orders aimed at maximizing American energy. In his inaugural address, the president said, “We will be a rich nation again, and it is that liquid gold under our feet that will help to do it.”
The “Unleashing American Energy” order mandates an immediate review of agency actions that may impede the development of domestic energy resources, particularly "natural gas, coal, hydropower, biofuels, critical minerals, and nuclear energy." Agencies are required to present action plans within one month to reverse regulations that hinder energy development. The order also revokes 12 regulatory measures from the Biden administration related to clean energy initiatives and instructs federal agencies to "immediately halt" the disbursement of funds from the Inflation Reduction Act, a law that provided billions in subsidies for clean energy programs.
Trump declared "A National Energy Emergency," citing the need to lower energy costs and boost oil and natural gas production nationwide. He suspended and called for a review of leasing and permitting practices for wind energy projects in a memorandum. A presidential declaration of national emergency allows for additional executive powers. This order allows heads of executive departments to “identify and exercise any lawful emergency authorities available to them — to facilitate the identification, leasing, siting, production, transportation, refining, and generation of domestic energy resources.”
“Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential” is an order aimed at maximizing the use of Alaska’s natural resources to benefit the rest of the country. These natural resources include energy, minerals, timber, and seafood. The Trump administration believes that by lifting the LNG ban and prioritizing the sale and transportation of LNG to other parts of the U.S. and other allied nations, the country will become more prosperous. This order will reverse the pause that the previous administration put on LNG exports while they determined its effect on the environment.
“Temporary Withdrawal of all Areas of the OCS from Offshore Wind Leasing and Review of the Federal Government’s Leasing and Permitting” is a memorandum applying only to wind energy projects, not including oil, gas, minerals, and environmental conservation. This memorandum halts any new or renewed permits for onshore and offshore wind until the Secretary of the Interior has conducted an assessment. The assessment will determine the “ecological, economic, and environmental necessity of terminating or amending any existing wind energy leases.” Although the order is not calling for wind projects that have already begun to be halted, it does pave the way for the possibility of “terminating or amending” any previous permits. This could cause issues for the U.S. wind industry, which is a major source of energy in certain areas.
Federal Workforce
Hiring Freeze: Aside from military personnel or positions related to immigration enforcement, national security, or public safety, the president has issued a freeze on the hiring of federal civilian employees.
Return to In-Person Work: This memorandum requires heads of all departments and agencies to take steps to terminate remote work and return to in-person work full-time.
Memorandum to Resolve the Backlog of Security Clearances for Executive Office of the President Personnel:This memorandum has granted individuals immediate top-secret clearances and access to facilities and technology to perform their duties. The president states that the Biden administration caused a backlog in granting qualified and trusted personnel access to the Executive Office due to the lengthy security clearances process.
AI Intelligence
Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence: This executive order rescinds the existing AI policies that limit American AI innovation. The administration believes that AI systems should be free from ideological bias or social agendas.
The president is expected to continue signing executive orders throughout the week, and Constitution Partners will continue to provide updates on actions impacting our clients. If you would like more information on specific executive orders, please reach out to a member of our team.