In a whirlwind first day that sent shockwaves through Washington, President Donald Trump unleashed a barrage of executive orders aimed at swiftly dismantling the legacy of his predecessor and reshaping America according to his “Make America Great Again” vision. The over 50 orders he signed in a single day, covering everything from immigration to climate change to social issues, represented an unprecedented flexing of executive muscle – especially compared to the 220 orders he issued during his entire first term.
Undoing the Biden years
Trump wasted no time in targeting what he sees as the most egregious overreaches of the Biden administration. With a few strokes of his pen, he withdrew the US from the Paris climate accord, just as he had done in 2017 before Biden rejoined, signaling a hard pivot away from global cooperation on emissions reduction. He also rescinded a whopping 78 different Biden executive actions in one fell swoop, with a special focus on rolling back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that he believes have “corrupted” American institutions.
Aiding the January 6 defendants
In one of his most controversial moves, Trump issued a raft of pardons and commutations to individuals charged in connection with the January 6 Capitol attack. The approximately 1,500 pardons and six commutations represent a fulfillment of his campaign trail promise to liberate the “January 6 hostages” – a rallying cry that featured the national anthem sung by prisoners in a DC jail at many of his events. With these orders, the Justice Department will dismiss ongoing cases against the defendants.
We’ll be signing pardons for a lot of people, a lot of people.
President Donald Trump
Exiting the Paris Agreement – again
Reversing course on climate change efforts, Trump announced an immediate withdrawal from the “unfair, one-sided” Paris climate accord, making good on an oft-repeated campaign pledge. He criticized what he called “the green new scam” pushed by Biden and vowed to unleash American energy dominance.
More to come
While the sheer volume and velocity of Trump’s day one orders came as a shock to many observers, the White House framed it as the beginning of a broader push to deliver on his promises of a wholesale conservative realignment of the country.
- A complete restoration of America is how Trump characterizes his vision
- More orders are expected in rapid succession on border security, trade, and other issues
With Republicans in control of Congress and a Supreme Court that leans originalist, President Trump is poised to aggressively pursue his “America First” agenda, largely unencumbered by the normal checks and balances. If day one was any indication, he plans to wield the power of the presidency to the absolute fullest in his quest to, in his words, “make America great again.”
