Trump signs dozens of executive orders in flurry of Day 1 activity moments after swearing-in
President Trump wasted no time asserting his second-term agenda Monday – signing dozens of executive orders in a flurry of activity that began just moments after taking the oath of office.
The new president’s edicts focused on countering illegal immigration, expanding domestic energy production, slashing government waste and the “deep state,” promoting an “America First” foreign policy and trade goals, and rolling back several of his predecessor’s pet projects.
Trump, 78, kicked off his avalanche of Day 1 actions at the US Capitol, where he sent official nominations to the Senate for 22 Cabinet and Cabinet-level appointments, and more than 90 lower-level roles to take the reins from the Biden administration.
“Let’s do that,” Trump said after being told that with his signature in place, he would “effectively take control of the government.”
The action then moved to Capitol One Arena in Washington, DC’s Chinatown neighborhood, where Trump inked eight executive actions, including measures revoking 78 of former President Joe Biden’s orders, withdrawing the US from the Paris Climate Accord, forestalling government censorship, safeguarding free speech, forcing government workers return to their offices in person full-time and implementing a federal hiring freeze with exceptions for posts related to national security and public safety and the military.
The packed arena erupted in cheers as the president put ink to paper and then tossed the pens into the crowd, allowing a few of his lucky supporters to go home with historic souvenirs.
But Trump wasn’t done yet.
At the conclusion of the Inauguration Day parade, held inside the arena over weather concerns, the president ventured to the White House where for nearly an hour he signed dozens more orders and, in a stark departure from Biden, simultaneously answered questions from the press.
“That’s a big one,” Trump quipped inside the Oval Office, as he signed an order withdrawing the US from the World Health Organization, fulfilling a key conservative wishlist item years after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“World Health ripped us off,” he later said.
Trump, seated at the resolute desk, also signed orders designating the violent, fentanyl-peddling Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, declaring a national emergency at the southern border and directing the Justice Department not to enforce the TikTok “divest-or-ban” law for 75 days.
The president argued that in response to him saving TikTok, the US should get at least a 50% ownership stake.
“I do the deal for the United States … I think we should get half,” Trump said.
His systematic dismantling of Biden-era policies continued in the Oval Office with the signing of an order axing the previous administration’s mandate that 50% of new cars sold in the US be electric vehicles by 2030 – which he argued on the campaign trail only benefits China and Mexico while kneecapping Detroit.
The president also made good on his campaign pledge to pardon approximately 1,500 individuals convicted in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot – and he commuted the sentences of 14 others, including Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes.
Trump’s expected to sign even more executive orders in the coming days to quickly make good on his many campaign promises.