How Many Executive Orders has Trump signed?

Introduction

Since the beginning of his term, Donald J. Trump, the 47th President of the United States has signed 26 executive orders on his first day in office, the highest of any president. These executive orders had a variety of different outcomes – from incorporating new government bodies, to revoking the acts of past presidents, Trump’s executive orders are a sign of what his presidency will entail.

So first, what is an executive order?

An executive order is a specific task (or order) that the president gives to the government (or specific federal bodies) to carry out a specific action to ensure laws are faithfully executed. It was a constitutional right given to the president that allows the president to tell a federal agency what to do. It is mainly used as a tool of internal federal government management, but the executive orders can still be challenged in court if deemed unconstitutional.

Executive Order Deep Dive

Trump has signed many executive orders (almost 100!), so it would be quite difficult to explain them all in great detail. Instead, we decided to focus on 10 we thought gave the best overview of the type of executive orders Trump was signing.

1. Hiring Freeze

One the first day of his presidency, Trump ordered a Hiring Freeze of federal positions, preventing vacant positions from being filled, or any new position from being created.

2. Withdrawing the US from WHO

On his inauguration day, Trump also withdrew the US from the World Health Organization, citing their mishandling of the COVID-19 Pandemic. He now wants to create or find new agencies to take over WHO’s responsibilities.

3. Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenships

With this order, Trump is ending birthright citizenship for children born to parents who are unlawfully in the US at the time of birth, or when the parents were temporarily in the US (such as on a Green Card).

4. Declaring a Nation Energy Emergency

This order seeks to expedite energy projects, and expand the US domestic energy sector by creating jobs and safeguarding US resources. It also aims to expand many different forms of energy, such as crude oil and natural gas, but does not include solar and wind energy.

5. Implementing the Department of Government Efficiency

Establishes the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as an actual federal body, rather than just an advising body, with the goal of improving federal technologies, improve government efficiency.

6. Military Forces at the Southern Border

Trump ordered the deployment of additional military forces to the U.S.-Mexico border to crack down on illegal immigration. Many say it militarizes immigration policy and violates humanitarian rights.

7. Withdrawal from Paris Climate Agreement

Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement again, citing economic concerns and arguing that climate regulations hurt American industries. Many conservationists oppose this, because Trump is enforcing it for economic gain.

8. Imposing Tariffs

President Trump has raised and implemented tariffs on goods transported from Mexico, Canada, and China. This is controversial globally and several world leaders have spoken their objection. Economic analysis expresses concern towards potential negative impacts on the U.S. economy.

9. Expanding Domestic Oil Drilling

Opened new federal lands and offshore areas for oil and gas drilling, reversing previous restrictions. Many are opposed, claiming that it will lead to toxic poisoning in the environment and is unreasonable because of the substantial amount of land reserved for this (12.4 million acres).

10. Restoring the Death Penalty and Protecting Public Safety

This order requires the death penalty for certain crimes, including those against police officers and crimes by undocumented immigrants. It also pushes to overturn Supreme Court limits on executions. People find it controversial because it increases the use of the death penalty, raises legal concerns, and is seen by some as unfair or politically driven.

Trump’s Most Controversial Executive Orders

Two of Trump's most controversial executive orders focused on redefining American identity. One, called "Legalizing Only Two Sexes," required the government to recognize only male and female sexes. This upset many in the LGBTQ+ community, especially transgender and intersex people, because it ignored their identities. Additionally, in all gender-specific official sporting events, transgender women cannot play for the women’s category and are forced to participate in the men’s. Trump claims he is honoring the biological strengths of each sex, to ensure fairness for all gender categories. The other order renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America," in an attempt to show American strength. However, this idea was rejected after a lot of backlash, even from Trump supporters. The Mexican government has expressed its opposition to this decision and Claudia Sheinbaum has spoken about Trump’s tariffs as well as the renaming of the Gulf. Trump has attempted to justify his actions by claiming that the label is honoring American greatness.

Lasting Effects and Conclusion

Based on these executive orders, Trump seems to want a restructuring of the federal government, as highlighted by the creation of a new federal body, hiring freezes, and withdrawing from the WHO. Trump also seems to be focusing on minorities, as evidenced by. A little unexpectedly, Trump also seems to have a focus on energy, as he declared a national energy emergency and encouraged more oil drilling.

It's no doubt that executive orders are an important source of government management for the executive branch, but they're not without their limits either. The Federal Judicial review claims, “Courts may strike down executive orders not only on the grounds that the president lacked authority to issue them but also in cases where the order is found to be unconstitutional in substance.” This blocking ability has been seen throughout the past couple of months, as some judges have blocked some of Trump’s executive orders, such as the demolition of DEI and the blocking birthright citizenship act. These judges serve as a check to ensure that the president isn’t overreaching his power, and provide an extra check to executive power.

While it's clear Trump has an ambitious agenda, his executive orders have already started affecting how we live our lives in the US. It's likely Trump will continue to sign executive orders throughout his time in office, and we will have to wait and see what these orders call for.