It was a busy day in Washington DC yesterday. President Biden rammed through his last few pardons and Trump started his second term with a bang. 1500 pardons and commutations, 50 security clearance revocations, nearly 100 revoked executive orders, not to mention one new temporary agency (DOGE) and nearly 100 appointments. Here is a quick run-down of each Presidential Action Donald Trump signed on his first day in office. (I refer to all actions as Executive Order for the sake of simplicity.)
Executive Orders
Executive Order #1: Cabinet and Cabinet-Level Appointees
In his first official act as President, Donald Trump formally nominated 22 individuals to cabinet and cabinet-level positions. Many hearings for these nominees started in Senate committees last week, with a number of votes passing in the hours after Trump signed this order.
Executive Order #2: Sub-Cabinet Appointments
Trump nominated a further 48 individuals to sub-cabinet appointments. These were largely replacements for officials who had resigned. For example, SEC Chair Gary Gensler and FBI Director Christopher Wray announced their resignations after Trump’s election in November, aware of his intention to fire them for their unsatisfactory performances.
Executive Order #3: Acting Cabinet and Cabinet-Level Appointees
Trump appointed an additional 41 individuals as acting leaders of cabinet positions. These appointees will ultimately be replaced by the appointees listed in the previous two Executive Orders, pending confirmation. For example, Vice President JD Vance officially swore in Marco Rubio as Secretary of State this morning, replacing Lisa Kenna.
Executive Order #4: Chairmen and Acting Chairmen
These appointees do not require Senate confirmation. Upon Trump’s appointment yesterday, these 15 individuals immediately assumed office.
Executive Order #5: Flying the flag of the United States at full-staff on Inauguration Day
After the uncertainty around flag etiquette in the wake of the death of Jimmy Carter last month, Speaker Mike Johnson ordered all flags to fly at full-mast yesterday. This first non-procedural proclamation confirmed that the flag would always fly at full-mast on Inauguration Day. The proclamation also confirms that the remaining days of mourning for President Carter would be observed after Inauguration Day.
Executive Order #6: Initial rescissions of harmful Executive Orders and Actions
In the first political item on the agenda and the first Executive Order in verite of the term, Trump rescinded 78 Biden era Executive Orders. A common theme of the orders revoked were climate change, DEI policies, and matters relating to Biden’s Covid recovery policies. Additionally, a number of Executive Orders that Biden signed to revoke orders from Trump’s first term featured, thus re-instating Trump’s previous policies. While obviously a necessary step to achieving Trump’s political aims, this action – a revocation of previous revocations – highlights the long-term futility of Executive Orders. Meaningful change in the federal government must be done through the legislature – as the Founding Fathers intended.
Executive Order #7: Restoring Freedom of Speech and ending Federal Censorship
Less than two weeks after Mark Zuckerberg (who was present at the inauguration) announced a reversal of censorship policies at Meta, Trump signed an Executive Order to end government censorship. Given the existence of the first amendment, this Order is as much for show as anything else. Interestingly, it does also direct the Attorney General to fully investigate the previous administration for breaches of the first amendment. In light of the Twitter Files and Zuckerberg’s recent openness about the pressure his company has faced in recent years, it is likely that there will be a thorough exposé of the abuses of free speech within the federal government.
Executive Order #8: Ending the weaponization of the Federal Government
An appropriate move for the first convicted felon to take on his Inauguration Day, Trump signed this order to end politically-motivated prosecutions. The order specifically cites the arrests of those implicated in the January 6 events and those responsible for the BLM riots the previous summer. It is likely that this move, which orders an investigation into the actions of the previous administration, will look at a variety of abuses. Pro-life activists arrested under the FACE Act, the FBI tracking of Catholics at their places of worship, and, of course, the circumstances surrounding the various prosecutions of the President are likely to be targets of these investigations.
Executive Order #9: Return to in-person work
No doubt the influence of remote work-skeptic, Elon Musk, this memorandum directs all department heads to terminate the practice as quickly as possible.
Executive Order #10: Regulatory freeze pending review
This Executive Order puts the federal government into a semi-pause mode pending the confirmation of Trump’s appointees. This shrewd move ensures that legacy employees cannot enact hurdles to Trump’s policy agenda while he waits for his cabinet to take office.
Executive Order #11: Hiring Freeze
Similar to Executive Order #10, this prevents any increase in the presence of the ‘Deep State’ during Trump’s first 90 days. The freeze will be resolved upon an approved hiring plan from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Elon Musk’s DOGE (USDS). The freeze is indefinite for positions within the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Executive Order #12: Delivering emergency price relief for American families and defeating the cost-of-living crisis
This memorandum contains no specific actions to defeat the cost-of-living crisis. Free market think tanks in DC are likely fretting over the implications of this policy, as they already have been with Trump’s proposed tariffs. The biggest clue in the text relates to the elimination of “harmful, coercive ‘climate’ policies”. It may transpire that this order is more successful at eliminating ‘junk fees’ than Biden was. However, until further details are made known, it is difficult to say.
Executive Order #13: Putting America first in international environmental agreements
The title of this Executive Order would seem quite unnecessary in another era, as many of these orders would have been. In effect, this Executive Order withdraws the US from the Paris Climate Accord and any associated agreements. Trump did this during his first term. Biden rejoined during his. It is possible that the next Democrat President will continue this ping pong until or unless Congress steps in to confirm its place inside or outside of the agreement.
Executive Order #14: Granting pardons and commutation of sentences for certain offenses relating to events at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021
In a move that surprised no-one, Donald Trump pardoned or commuted the sentences of 1,500 individuals convicted of or prosecuted for alleged crimes on January 6, 2021.
Executive Order #15: Application of Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act to TikTok
After the antics around TikTok ban over the weekend, Donald Trump extended the period for TikTok to negotiate a divestment deal by 75 days. In his Victory Rally speech on Sunday, he proposed a deal where the United States government would own 50% of TikTok. While nationalizing a communications company sounds terribly…European, it would certainly abrogate any national security concerns if the company were owned by the target country.
Executive Order #16: Withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization
Similar to the Executive Order on the Paris Climate Accord, this order reinstates Trump’s previous term’s policy. Trump pulled the US out of the WHO in 2020 due to the mishandling of the Covid pandemic. The same reason is cited in this order.
Executive Order #17: Restoring accountability to policy-influencing positions within the federal workforce
Despite his campaigning rhetoric in the 2016 election, Trump did not enact an effective policy to ‘drain the swamp’ until weeks before the 2020 election. Biden revoked the policy before it took full effect. This Executive Order attacks the immovable nature of permanent federal employees by re-authorizing the President to dismiss Schedule F employees. Among other tactics, this order renames ‘Schedule F’ as ‘Schedule Policy/Career’ and gives the President the authority to amend types of positions that can be listed in the schedule. This will dramatically reduce the size and influence of the permanent sector within the federal government.
Executive Order #18: Holding former government officials accountable for election interference and improper disclosure of sensitive governmental information
This Executive Order deals with two significant issues. First, the 51 former and current CIA officials who signed a letter that testified that the ‘Hunter Biden Laptop Story’ was Russian disinformation. Second, the publication of a memoir by former Trump advisor, John Bolton. The order acknowledges the breaches of trust caused by CIA officials lying to the public and Bolton sharing sensitive information in his book. Trump directed that the security clearance for the signatories and Bolton be revoked. Additionally, he bans anyone with security clearance from interfering in elections.
Executive Order #19: Declaring a National Emergency at the Southern Border of the United States
Nearly ten years after Donald Trump descended the golden escalator in Trump Tower and announced that he would build a wall (and that Mexico would pay for it), he announced a national emergency at the Southern Border. In addition to revoking Biden’s Executive Order which rolled back on Trump 1.0 immigration policies, this order directs funds and other resources to protecting the southern border and building a wall.
Executive Order #20: Memorandum to resolve the backlog of security clearances for Executive Office of the President personnel
As the name suggests, this Executive Order authorizes the White House Counsel to clear the backlog of security clearances in the Executive Office of the President.
Executive Order #21: America First Trade Policy
This Executive Order is essentially a directive from the President to the incoming heads of the federal departments. This administration will put America first and the order sets out how each department will do so.
Executive Order #22: Clarifying the military’s role in protecting the territorial integrity of the United States
Another Executive Order relating to the border, this directs the incoming Secretary of Defence to ensure that the Armed Forces will protect US territory. This is a shift from the previous administration.
Executive Order #23: Unleashing American energy
DRILL, BABY, DRILL!
Executive Order #24: Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program
This Executive Order suspends mass-admission of refugees into the country. Refugees may still enter if admitted on a case-by-case basis. The President will review the suspension every 90 days.
Executive Order #25: Protecting the meaning and value of American citizenship
Under this Executive Order, birthright citizenship will cease for children born 30 days or more after the order. This only effects children born in the US to parents present in the US either illegally or on a temporary visit. Children of immigrants with valid visas will not be affected.
Executive Order #26: Securing our borders
While stopping short of ordering Mexico to pay for it, this Executive Order directs the federal government to build a wall on the Southern Border. Additionally, it revokes parole programs and ends the use of the CBP One app for illegal immigrants.
Executive Order #27: Putting People Over Fish: Stopping radical environmentalism to provide water to Southern California
In light of the ongoing wildfires in California, this Executive Order overrules the conservation policies in the state which partially caused the outbreak.
Executive Order #28: Restoring the Death Penalty and protecting public safety
This Executive Order ends the Biden era moratorium on capital punishment, restoring it as a deterrent for the most serious crimes. Additionally, it requires an investigation into the imprisonment of the 37 individuals commuted from death row by Joe Biden last month. This investigation will include exploring the possibility of state capital punishments, which would not be affected by a Presidential pardon.
Executive Order #29: Promoting beautiful federal civic architecture
On a much lighter note, this Executive Order will ensure that federal buildings will look nice.
Executive Order #30: Restoring accountability for career senior executives
In another attack on the Deep State, this Executive Order restores accountability within the service, allowing the President to dismiss executives on certain grounds.
Executive Order #31: Declaring a National Energy Emergency
This will, among other things, restore the federal gas reserves.
Executive Order #32: Temporary withdrawal of all areas on the Outer Continental Shelf from offshore wind leasing and review of the Federal Government’s leasing and permitting practices for wind projects
This Executive Order will scale back the focus on wind energy to protect the natural wildlife and fisheries in the areas. It is also another vote of confidence for fracking.
Executive Order #33: Reevaluating and realigning United States Foreign Aid
In effect, this will pause any aid going to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and other suspicious beneficiaries of US aid pending investigation.
Executive Order #34: Organization of the National Security Council and Subcommittees
This memorandum establishes and directs the business of the National Security Council and its subcommittees.
Executive Order #35: The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Global Tax Deal (Global Tax Deal)
The Global Tax Deal was a hobby horse of the previous administration. For reasons not quite understood by many, Biden’s administration sought – and succeeded – to establish a tax cartel. Perhaps even more shockingly, Ireland agreed to raise its corporate tax rate to match this deal, albeit with carve-outs for most businesses. This Executive Order revokes the deal within the United States, thereby freeing the government to set a corporate tax rate that suits the country, not its foreign competitors.
Executive Order #36: Protecting the American People against invasion
This Executive Order authorizes the full implementation of immigration law. This includes deporting illegal immigrants guilty of serious crimes.
Executive Order #37: Unleashing Alaska’s extraordinary resource potential
DRILL, BABY, DRILL! – Alaska edition.
Executive Order #38: Protecting the United States from foreign terrorists and other national security and public safety threats
Another Executive Order to enforce immigration law. This one directs agents to thoroughly ensure that visa recipients – and those currently in the country – are vetted and not harmful to the country or its citizens.
Executive Order #39: America First policy directive to the Secretary of State
Executive Order #21 but specifically for foreign policy.
Executive Order #40: Establishing and implementing the President’s “Department Of Government Efficiency”
Elon Musk’s dream come true. This Executive Order allows Elon Musk to take the federal government ‘to the moon’. (Obviously, not to be confused with Trump’s stated goal in his inaugural speech of planting a US flag on Mars.)
Executive Order #41: Defending women from gender ideology extremism and restoring biological truth to the Federal Government
There are only two sexes: male and female. Critically, this Executive Order directs the President’s Legislative Director to draft a bill for Congress to codify this obvious (but recently ignored) statement of reality into law.
Executive Order #42: Ending radical and wasteful government DEI programs and preferencing
By this Executive Order, President Trump has ended all DEI programs in the federal government.
Executive Order #43: Reforming the federal hiring process and restoring merit to government service
A follow-on from Executive Order #42, this will also introduce changes to the hiring process, including reducing the time-to-hire to fewer than 80 days. The hiring freeze from Executive Order #11 will help in implementing the changes.
Executive Order #44: Designating cartels and other organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists
President Trump has put Tren de Aragua and MS-13 on notice.
Executive Order #45: Restoring names that honor American Greatness
An overlooked element of ‘Make America Great Again’ has been placenames. This Executive Order reinstates the name ‘Mount McKinley’, revoking President Obama’s action in 2014 to rename it ‘Denali’. Additionally, this order renames the ‘Gulf of Mexico’ as the ‘Gulf of America’. Yesterday, Florida’s Ron DeSantis used the new name in a storm warning for the very first time.
Executive Order #46: Guaranteeing the States protection against invasion
The final Executive Order of the day declared the immigration situation at the southern border an “invasion”. It suspended the entry of certain aliens into the US and directed federal agencies to take actions to protect states and national sovereignty.
