(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump wasted no time in carrying out his White House agenda with a series of executive orders ranging from securing the U.S.-Mexico border and the ban on TikTok to pushing economic policies designed to prioritize American interests.
By signing 26 executive orders during his first day in office alone, Trump put himself on pace to rank among the fastest-acting presidents during his first 100 days in office.
In addition to curbing the flow of migrants entering the U.S. illegally, Trump has vowed to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the government and to establish the Department of Government Efficiency.
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.
Here’s a look at the executive orders that Trump has signed thus far:
- Border
- Economy
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Energy
- Department of Government Efficiency
- Technology
- Assassination files declassified
- Name changes
- Flag
- Federal reform
- Abortion
- Military
Security of the US-Mexico border
Trump declares a national emergency at the southern border
This order helps 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 executive order ending the federal program that allowed immigrants who entered the country illegally to remain in the country as long as they were in the process of asylum.
‘Remain in Mexico‘
As part of his executive order related to securing the nation’s borders, 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
Under the order, work on the southern border wall that began under Trump’s watch during his first administration resumed immediately to curb encounters between migrants and border agents and officers.
Trump designated cartels as global terrorists
Under this order, certain international cartels and other criminal organizations will be designated foreign terrorist organizations or 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
Trump’s executive order changed the definition of birthright citizenship and declared that no government department or agency will issue citizenship documents to children whose parents do not meet specific guidelines regarding their own citizenship.
Trump signs order to deploy military to border
The president’s executive order authorized military troops to be sent to the U.S.-Mexico border to repel “forms of invasion, including unlawful mass migration, drug trafficking and human smuggling and trafficking,” along with other criminal activities.
Trump orders enhanced border vetting and screening
Under this order, Trump tightened the vetting and screening of migrants entering the country.
Using Guantanamo Bay to house migrants with criminal histories
The president directed his administration to expand the capacity of Naval Station Guantanamo to house migrants who are targeted for deportation.
Addressing the flow of illicit drugs at the northern border
Trump’s executive order expands the president’s declaration of a national emergency at the southern border to include the U.S.-Canada border to address the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs coming in from Canada.
Addressing the synthetic opoid supply chain in China
Trump’s executive order expands the national emergency involving immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally and the flow of illegal drugs to include the detection and interception of chemical precursor suppliers, money launderers as it relates to synthetic opioids in China.
Ending taxpayer subsidization of open borders
The president’s executive order prohibits the use of taxpayer dollars to go to benefits that are provided to immigrants who entered the United States illegally. The order also mandates the identification of federally funded programs that currently permits migrants to obtain cash or non-cash benefits and works to align those agencies with the mandate of the order.
The economy
‘America first’ foreign policy
Trump signed an executive order calling for the secretary of state to issue guidance bringing the department’s policies, programs and personnel in line with a policy that puts “America first.”
Trump suspends US foreign assistance for 90 days, pending reviews
Trump signed an executive order temporarily suspending U.S. foreign assistance programs for 90 days, pending reviews to determine whether they are aligned with his policy goals.
Promoting American leadership in digital, financial technology
Trump’s executive order creates a cryptocurrency working group that is expected to advise on digital asset policy, work with Congress on crypto legislation and establish a bitcoin reserve.
Trump calls for establishment of the United States Sovereign Wealth Fund
Trump’s executive order calls on the Secretary of the Treasury and Secretary of Commerce to work together to establish a sovereign wealth fund designed to promote fiscal sustainability, lessen the burden on American taxpayers and small businesses, establish economic security for future generations, and promote United States economic and strategic leadership internationally.
Trump enacts 25% steel and aluminum tariffs
Trump signed an executive order memorializing his plan to impose 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports, including from Canada and Mexico.
“This is beginning of making America rich again,” Trump told reporters as he signed the document.
Trump safeguards ‘American innovation’
Trump also signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM) focused on promoting foreign investment while protecting U.S. national security interests.
Defending American companies from extortion
President Trump signed a memorandum aimed at defending American companies and innovators from overseas extortion, specifically China.
Diversity and inclusion
Trump signed an executive order ending funding for DEI programs in the government and directed the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management to end “illegal mandates and preferences.”
Trump limits definitions of gender identity
The order directs 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.
Protecting children from chemical and surgical mutilation
Trump’s executive order prohibits funding, sponsorship, promotion, assistance or support of the “transition” of a child from one sex to another. It sets to enforce all laws prohibiting these “destructive and life-altering procedures.”
Keeping men out of women’s sports
Trump’s executive order bans transgendered athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports and gives federal agencies wide latitude to ensure that agencies that receive funding abide by Title IX in alignment with the Trump administration that interprets “sex” as the gender a person was assigned at birth.
Combating antisemitism
The measure calls for additional steps to prevent harassment and violence against America’s Jewish community.
Under the expansion of Executive Order 13899, Trump said he would issue clear orders to his attorney general to “aggressively prosecute terroristic threats, arson, vandalism and violence against American Jews.”
Aviation Safety
Trump’s memorandum ordered an immediate assessment of aviation safety that followed what Trump referred to as “likely illegal” decisions during the Biden and Obama administrations that minimized merit and incompetence within the Federal Aviation Administration.
The order also called for a formal commission to appoint a new deputy administration to the federal aviation agency.
Education
Trump’s executive order announced support of parents in choosing schools for their children and directed the Department of Education to issue guidanceon how states can use federal formula funds for K-12 educational choice initiatives.
Trump’s executive order ordered the ending of educational “indoctrination” that included “radical, anti-American ideologies.” The order also called for federal funding to be eliminated for schools that did not end “indoctrination” including based on gender identity and discriminatory equity ideology.
The order also re-established Trump’s 1776 Commision and Promoting Patrotic Education, which was terminated by President Joe Biden in 2021.
Trump’s executive order ends all mandates of COVID-19 vaccines in schools as well as colleges and universities.
Military
Trump’s executive order reinstates military service members who were dismissed for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine and issues them full back pay and benefits and reinstates military members to their former rank.
The president signed an executive order that bans transgendered service members and that orders that all Department of Defense medical standards be updated to “ensure they prioritize readiness and lethality”. The order also ends the use of “invented and identity-based pronouns” within the Department of Defense.
Trump’s executive order eliminates the military’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs, which comes after the president previously ordered all DEI programs across the government to be done away with. The order eliminates race and sex-based discrimination within the armed forces and bans sex-based preferences within the military, Department of Defense or Department of Homeland Security.
Trump’s executive order called for the construction of a missile defense shield that could protect the United States against long-range attacks. The order states that the “next-generation” defense shield would protect the nation against ballistic, hypersonic advanced cruise missiles and other advanced aerial attacks. The order calls for the Iron Dome For America to be built, referring to Israel’s system of protecting itself from attacks.
Energy
Trump’s executive order declared an “energy emergency” that ends leases to wind farms and what Trump referred to as former President Joe Biden’s electric car mandate.
Trump ordered the U.S. to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement for the second time as part of an initiative to put America first in international environmental agreements.
Trump’s executive order opened up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil drilling and eased the regulatory burdens on oil and natural gas production.
Trump’s executive order establishes a council that focuses on the nation’s abundance of natural resources and energy technology and that seeks to expand all forms of reliable and affordable energy to drive down inflation and grown the economy.
Department of Government Efficiency
Trump’s executive order establishes the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which will be overseen by tech billionaire Elon Musk.
Trump’s executive order implemented the DOGE workforce optimization initiative, which the president signed “to restore accountability to the American public” and commences a “critical transformation of the federal bureaucracy.”
Health
Trump’s executive order expands access to In vitro fertilization and more affordable treatment options, Doing so, the order states, provides more support, awareness and access to affordable fertility treatments that can help families “navigate the path to parenthood with hope and confidence.”
Trump’s executive order mandates that Americans be provided with accurate and transparent costs for health care as a means to improving existing price transparency requirements. The order also mandates that patients have access to “meaningful” price information possibly through expanded price transparency requirements.
Technology
TikTok ban
Trump’s executive order keeps TikTok operating for 75 days, a relief to many of the social media platform’s users, even as national security questions persist.
Artificial intelligence
Trump’s executive order sets out to sustain and enhance America’s global AI dominance “in order to promote human flourishing, economic competitiveness and national security.”
Declassified assassination files around JFK, RFK and MLK
Trump signed an executive order mandating the declassification of files related to the assassinations of former President John F. Kennedy, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
Name changes
Trump’s executive order renames the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America” and changes Alaskan peak Denali back to Mount McKinley, after the name was changed in 2015.
Flying the US flag on Inauguration Day
Trump signed an executive order directing flags be flown at full height for this Inauguration Day and all those in the future. Biden had ordered flags to be flown at half-staff following the death of former President Jimmy Carter.
Federal reform
Trump signed an executive order immediately halting government censorship and enduring free speech.
Trump’s executive order implemented a government regulation and hiring freeze.
The president signed an order directing federal agencies to maintain records branded as political persecutions to expose instances of abuse of power.
Trump’s executive order revoked the security clearance of former officials who asserted accusations about Hunter Biden’s laptop were false.
Trump signed an executive order reinstating the death penalty for those who commit the “most heinous crimes.”
An executive order reinstates and amends a prior policy that reclassifies certain federal positions with policy-making authority.
Trump signed an executive order establishing the Federal Emergency Management Agency Review Council, which will advise the president on the ability of FEMA to capably and impartially address disasters happening within the U.S.
President Trump’s executive order on agency rules requires departments promulgating a new rule to identify 10 other rules, regulations or guidance documents that can be repealed. The initiative is meant to cut down on government bureaucracy.
Trump reinstates the “Mexico City Policy”
This order puts into effect the “Mexico City Policy,” referred to as the “global gag rule” by opponents. It bars foreign nongovernmental organizations from receiving U.S. funding if they perform, counsel or provide information on abortions.
First introduced in the second Reagan administration, the policy has been rescinded by every Democratic president and reinstated by every Republican president since, The Hill reports.
Trump reviews Washington’s membership with UN bodies
Trump’s executive order orders a review of Washington’s membership from groups such as the United Nations’ Human Rights Council and the United Nations relief agency for Palestinians. The order also states that Trump will review involvement in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The review will include an evaluation of how and if UNESCO supports United States interests. In particular, the review will include an analysis of any anti-Semitism or anti-Israel sentiment within the organization.
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
Trump signed an executive order related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which makes it “unlawful for a U.S. person or company to offer, pay, or promise to pay money or anything of value to any foreign official” for business purposes.
Trump told media his order is “going to mean a lot more business for America.”
Government Accountability
Trump’s executive order provides the president with supervisory authority and control of the entire executive branch and requires all agencies to submit all significant regulatory actions of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for review.
Abortion
Trump enforces Hyde Amendment
The president’s order would ban the use of any federal dollars on abortions. The executive order also rescinds two of the Biden administration’s actions aimed at increasing access to abortions following the fall of Roe v. Wade.
Liberation of Auschwitz Anniversary
Trump signed an executive action declaring January 27, 2025, as a National Day of Remembrance in conjunction with the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz. Trump called on Americans to observe the day with ceremonies, programs and prayers commemorating the victims of the Holocaust and honoring their sacrifices.
‘Gulf of America’ Day
Trump signed an executive order making Feb. 9 “Gulf of America Day.”
America’s 250th anniversary
The president authorized planning efforts “to provide a grand celebration worthy of the momentous occasion of the 250th anniversary of American Independence on July 4, 2026.”
Paper straw ban
President signed an order to bring back plastic straws, saying that paper straws “don’t work.”
“I’ve had them many times, and on occasion, they break, they explode,” he explained.
NewsNation’s Safia Samee Ali, Damita Menezes, Anna Kutz, Michael Ramsey and Steph Whiteside contributed to this story