Donald Trump barrelled into his second term as US President like a wrecking ball, signing a torrent of executive orders that could dramatically alter the future of America.
Sitting in the Oval Office in front of a crowd of journalists, Trump signed a swathe of directives, upending years of legislative progress in a matter of minutes.
His sweeping executive actions, presidential memorandums and executive orders targeted immigration, climate agreements and America’s place in global institutions— reversing Joe Biden’s policies, and stamping his mark on his presidency.
He greenlit drilling and mining on federal land, pardoned rioters who attacked the US Capitol on 6 January 2021, and resurrected some of his greatest hits from his first term — rebuilding the border wall and pulling the US out of the World Health Organisation, sidelining global co-operation in favour of his “America First” doctrine.
President Donald Trump signs the freedom of speech executive order during the inaugural parade inside Capital One Arena (Photo: Carlos Barria/ Reuters)In typical Trump fashion, he also flexed his territorial muscles, renaming Alaska’s Denali – the highest peak in North America – to Mount McKinley, and “rebranding” the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America”.
While executive orders carry the weight of law, they can be overturned by future presidents or challenged in court, a reality that may hinder some of Trump’s ambitions. Congress could also throw up roadblocks by cutting off funding or passing countermeasures.
But with the courts filled with Trump loyalists, and Congress narrowly gaining a Republican majority at the last election, his actions send a clear message: he’s taking the reins with brute force, and he’s not wasting any time.
Here are 10 of Trump’s most noteworthy directives.
Trump signed off on a series of directives targeting immigration, with his declaration of a national emergency at the southern border, and declaring the resumption of efforts to rebuild a wall between the US and Mexico.
He ordered the military to “seal the borders” citing this to be a necessary action against crime, while he designated drug cartels and gangs terrorist organisations.
He also targeted automatic citizenship for US-born children of immigrants who were in the country illegally and suspended the US refugee resettlement programme, overhauling years of legislation that will face opposition from human rights groups.
2. Reinstating the Death Penalty
Trump’s executive order reinstates the death penalty for undocumented immigrants who commit capital crimes, as well as for those who murder law enforcement officers.
During his election campaign, Trump advocated for a mandatory death sentence for individuals who kill police officers, citing the high-profile case of New York Police Department Detective Jonathan Diller’s murder. As part of this directive, Trump instructed the Attorney General to pursue federal jurisdiction in cases involving the killing of a police officer or capital offenses committed by individuals illegally present in the US, emphasising that the death penalty should be sought “regardless of other factors”.
US President Donald Trump takes part in a signing ceremony in the President’s Room (Photo: Melina Mara/Pool/AFP)“That’s a biggie,” said Donald Trump as he signed an executive order to withdraw the US from the WHO, before claiming it was a “bad deal” for the US.
Biden re-joined the World Health Organisation (WHO) after Trump withdrew the US during his first term during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. After publicly blaming the WHO for mishandling the crisis, he later falsely claimed that coronavirus might be treated by injecting disinfectant into the body.
4. Climate and Energy Policies
Trump’s double whammy of withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement – the landmark deal that aims to limit global temperature rises – and declaring a national energy emergency made it clear that he prioritises the economy over the planet.
His “drill, baby, drill” mantra aims to extract more American fossil fuels, pushing forward with oil and gas exploration in Alaska, and shows that America will not be bound by carbon emissions targets.
Trump also wants to reverse the environmental protections recently decreed by Biden that restrict 625 million acres of coastline from offshore drilling. Critics of Trump also claim that drilling is at the heart of his desire to colonise Greenland.
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Read MoreTrump signed an order abolishing government-funded diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programmes. These initiatives, designed to address systemic racial and gender inequality, became central to his presidential campaign against Kamala Harris. He said she was a “DEI hire”, suggesting she rose through the ranks due to affirmative action.
5. Pardons for Capitol Riot Offenders
Trump issued “full, complete and unconditional” pardons to nearly 1,600 individuals involved in the 6 January Capitol riot, framing them as “hostages” rather than insurrectionists.
More than 1,200 people were charged with criminal offences during the riot and more than 460 were jailed.
“These people have been destroyed,” he added. “What they’ve done to these people is outrageous. There’s rarely been anything like it in the history of our country.”
Critics say the pardoning of convicted criminals, some of whom committed violence, from extremist groups such as the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers undermines the gravity of the attack on American democracy.
Trump signed an executive order giving TikTok a 75-day extension to comply with a law mandating either the sale or ban of the platform. During this period, the US government will not enforce the law passed by Congress last year and signed by former President Biden.
The Biden administration had raised concerns that the Chinese-owned social media platform could be exploited by Beijing for espionage and political influence. Critics of the proposed ban have sharply criticised Biden, viewing the move as an infringement on freedom of speech.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk in the US Capitol Rotunda in Washington, DC (Photo: Saul Loeb/ Reuters)7. Doge
Trump has signed a directive creating a new Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) – aiming to cut bureaucracy and increase efficiency – and which will be headed by Elon Musk, leading a tiny team of 20 employees.
However, government employee unions, watchdog groups, and public interest organisations sued within minutes of the announcement.
Trump also signed an action that halts any new hiring in the federal government, temporarily excluding within a few categories including the military.
As expected, after months of Trump saying he would always put “America First”, he signed an executive order pausing foreign aid programmes for 90 days pending reviews to assess whether they are aligned with US foreign policy.
It was not immediately clear how much assistance would initially be affected because a lot of funding has already been appropriated by Congress and is obligated to be spent, if not already spent.
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said the order was part of Trump’s new “American-First” foreign policy.
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On his first day back in office, Trump signed an executive order that effectively erased the recognition of any gender identity beyond male and female.
The US will recognise only “two sexes, male and female. These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality,” the order declared.
Critics say the move is part of Trump’s broader cultural war, and an overt attack on LGBTQ+ rights.
10. Free speech
Trump has signed an executive order an order aiming to end the “weaponisation of government against the political adversaries of the previous administration”.
Under the order, a review of the work of law enforcement and intelligence agencies under the Biden administration will be undertaken to “identify any instances” of weaponisation, and recommend “appropriate remedial actions”.
A second order will restore freedom of speech and bar government censorship, he added.
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