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(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump put pen to paper Monday, signing a slew of executive orders relating to ending diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the federal government, strictly limiting definitions of gender identity, enforcing heightened border security and many other issues.
The president was expected to make good on several campaign promises on his first day in office. Still, many of his executive orders will likely come up against legal opposition in the coming days.
An executive order is a signed statement about how the president wants the federal government managed. They can come as instructions to federal agencies or requests for reports.
“Today, I will sign a series of executive orders. With these actions, we will begin the complete restoration of America and the revolution of common sense,” Trump said during his inauguration speech Monday.
Trump signed these executive orders Monday afternoon:
- Border
- Diversity and inclusion
- Federal reform
- Economy
- Energy
- Renaming Gulf of Mexico, Denali
- Department of Government Efficiency
- TikTok ban
- Flying the US flag at full height on Inauguration Day
- Appoints officials
- Pardoning Jan. 6 rioters
- Withdrawal from World Health Organization
Border-related executive orders
Trump declares a national emergency at the southern border
This order will help the secretary of defense quickly and seamlessly deploy members of armed forces to the border and free up more federal resources.
Trump ends ‘catch-and-release’ of migrants
Trump signed an order ending the federal “catch and release” program, which allows immigrants who entered the country illegally to remain in the country as long as they are in the process for asylum.
Trump reinstates the ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy
Trump reinstated the “Remain in Mexico” policy, which requires asylum-seekers to stay in Mexico until their claims are processed.
Trump resumes border wall construction
Trump began construction of the southern border wall during his first administration in an effort to prevent illegal crossings. Under the order, work would resume right away.
Trump designated cartels as global terrorists
Trump designated Mexico’s drug cartels as “global terrorists.”
Trump suspends refugee resettlement for 4 months
Trump will “suspend refugee resettlement” for four months as part of a broader effort to “immediately end the migrant invasion of America.”
Trump changes definition of birthright citizenship
The president issued an order changing the definition of birthright citizenship — the right of children born in the U.S. to parents who lack legal status to claim citizenship. The 14th Amendment guarantees American citizenship to anyone born in the U.S.
Trump signs order to deploy military to border
Trump signed an executive order that authorized the deployment of troops to the southern border. The order directs U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM), one of 11 combat command centers, to deploy troops to the border to repel “forms of invasion, including unlawful mass migration, narcotics trafficking, human smuggling and trafficking, and other criminal activities.”
Trump orders enhanced border vetting and screening
Under this order, the president tightened the vetting and screening of migrants entering the country.
Federal reform
Government censorship
The president signed an order “to immediately stop all government censorship and bring back free speech to America.”
Federal government regulation and hiring freeze
Trump implemented a regulation freeze and hiring freeze for the federal government by executive order. “Most of those bureaucrats are getting fired, they’re gone,” Trump said. He said the temporary hiring freeze will ensure the federal government is only hiring “competent people who are faithful to the American public.”
He added there would be a hiring freeze for IRS workers specifically, and he issued an order to ensure federal workers are returning to their offices.
End the ‘weaponization’ of federal government
Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to maintain all records concerning what he has branded as “political persecutions” to expose instances of “abuse of power.” He said he would move forward with these probes even though former President Joe Biden issued pardons for “many of these people.”
Revoke 78 of Biden’s executive orders
Trump rescinded 78 executive orders and presidential memorandums signed by Biden.
Revoke security clearance for former officials
Trump signed an executive order revoking the security clearance for numerous former officials who signed a letter asserting that the story about Hunter Biden’s laptop was false.
Trump restores death penalty
Trump signed a sweeping order on the death penalty that compels the attorney general to help ensure states have lethal injection drugs.
Accountability to policy-influencing federal positions
This order reinstates and amends a prior policy that reclassified certain federal positions with policy-making authority to ensure accountability to the president. The policy facilitates the dismissal of underperforming or insubordinate employees in these roles. Another order applies to accountability of career senior executives.
Grants interim security clearances
Trump signed an order addressing the backlog of security clearances for White House employees in his administration by ordering they be given temporary interim security clearances at the top-secret level.
Reorganizing the National Security Council
This order details the organizing and reporting structure of the National Security Council and subcommittees.
Promoting beautiful federal architecture
The order requires federal buildings to be identifiable as civic buildings and to respect traditional and classical architectural traditions.
Economy
Cabinet order to reduce ‘cost-of-living crisis‘
Trump signed a directive to every department and “every agency to address the cost-of-living crisis that has affected Americans so dearly.”
‘America First foreign policy’
Trump also signed an executive order implementing an “America First foreign policy” at the State Department. The text of the EO calls for the secretary of state to issue guidance “bringing the Department of State’s policies, programs, personnel, and operations in line with an America First foreign policy, which puts America and its interests first.”
Trump suspends US foreign assistance for 90 days, pending reviews
Trump has signed an executive order temporarily suspending all U.S. foreign assistance programs for 90 days, pending reviews to determine whether they are aligned with his policy goals.
Global Tax Deal
This order rejects the commitments made under the prior administration to the OECD Global Tax Deal. It declares that these commitments have no legal effect in the U.S. unless Congress adopts the provisions. The administration aims to safeguard American companies from extraterritorial taxation and discriminatory foreign tax practices. Additionally, treasury and trade representatives are directed to investigate unfair tax measures by foreign countries and propose protective measures.
Energy
Trump declares national ‘energy emergency‘
Trump declared an “energy emergency,” ending leasing to wind farms, among other measures. The order will eliminate what he calls former President Joe Biden’s electric vehicle mandate. He said he will make America “a manufacturing nation once again” by easing regulatory burdens on oil and natural gas production, which he said would be exported all over the world.
Withdraw from the Paris climate agreement
Trump has signed an order to withdraw a second time from the Paris climate agreement. The multiyear process, when complete, will make the U.S. one of only a handful of countries that are not party to the agreement, along with Iran, Libya and Yemen. The nonbinding agreement includes a commitment among members to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the primary cause of climate change, to avert warming beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial average.
Releasing Alaska’s natural resource potential
Trump signed an order opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil drilling and easing the regulatory burdens on oil and natural gas production.
Trump signs order halting offshore wind expansion
Trump has signed an executive order halting offshore wind lease sales and pausing the issuance of approvals, permits and loans for both onshore and offshore wind projects.
Eliminating clean energy mandates
Trump signed an order eliminating the electric vehicle mandate put in place by the Biden administration and “preserving the freedom to choose” when it comes to light bulbs, glass stoves and other appliances that have been subject to energy-saving regulations.
End protections for fish in California
This order directs federal agencies to end conservation programs and direct water from areas of the state where they were taking place to other regions including southern California.
Department of Government Efficiency
Trump established DOGE
Trump signed an executive order establishing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which he says will eliminate government overspending. The new agency will be led by tech billionaire Elon Musk.
TikTok ban
Trump delayed the ban on TikTok
Trump has signed an executive order to keep TikTok operating for 75 days, a relief to many of the social media platform’s users even as national security questions persist.
Flying the US flag on Inauguration Day
Flying the US flag at full height on Inauguration Day
Trump signed an executive order directing that flags be flown at full height for this Inauguration Day and all those in the future.
The issue came up in the aftermath of the Dec. 29 death of former President Jimmy Carter. Biden ordered flags to be flown at half-staff for 30 days, in accordance with custom to honor former presidents after their passing.
However, multiple states ordered flags to be flown at full height Monday in honor of Inauguration Day. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., also ordered flags at the U.S. Capitol to be flown at full height and to be returned to half-staff for the remainder of the 30 days to honor Carter.
Appointing officials
Appoints officials in signing ceremony
Trump formally nominated and appointed a wide variety of officials for his administration in a signing ceremony.
The orders are for 22 Cabinet and Cabinet-level appointments, 47 sub-Cabinet appointments, 31 acting designations and appointments and 15 appointments of chairmen and acting chairmen. They officially allow Trump to take charge of the government.
Pardoning Jan. 6 rioters
Pardoning Jan. 6 rioters
Trump signed a full pardon for 1,500 Jan. 6 rioters. During a speech, he said he wanted “the Jan. 6 hostages … out.” He said he is also commuting the sentences of multiple people whom he vowed to “take a look at.” He said these individuals may eventually be pardoned, or their sentences may be commuted.
Diversity and inclusion
Trump to limit definitions of gender identity
Trump said the order will direct federal agencies to use sex, not gender, in federal policies and documents. The order will also limit the choice of gender identification to sexes assigned at birth.
Trump ends federal DEI programs
This order will end funding for DEI programs in the government and will direct the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management to end “illegal mandates and preferences.”
Trump signs orders on merit
Trump signed an order in the Oval Office to ensure “merit is the lone star of hiring in the federal government.” “Our country is going to be based on merit again,” he said.
Withdraw from World Health Organization
Trump signed an order withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organization.
Renaming the Gulf of Mexico, Denali
Order will rename the Gulf of Mexico
Trump issued an order to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.”
Trump to rename Denali
Trump said he is reinstating the name “Mount McKinley” to an Alaskan peak during his inauguration speech.
In 2015, the Department of the Interior changed the mountain’s name to “Denali” from Mount McKinley. Denali is the name traditionally used by the Koyukon people and is based on the Koyukan word for “tall.”
Trump concluded the signing ceremony by handing out pens to Vice President JD Vance and congressional leaders.
NewsNation partner The Hill and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
