Trump's Century: What will be the first executive orders of the 47th President of the United States?
It is anticipated that in his initial days as President of the United States, Donald Trump will issue no fewer than a hundred executive orders. Most likely, the first actions of the 47th President of the United States will focus on immigration, strengthening the border with Mexico, combating inflation, and other issues.
What is known about Trump’s potential first executive orders upon his return to the White House is detailed in the article by RBK-Ukraine.
During his first hundred days in office, outgoing President Joe Biden signed 42 executive orders, half of which reversed decisions made by the previous administration, specifically that of the 45th President, Donald Trump.
Biden justified the cancellation of these orders, most of which pertained to immigration, by stating they were the result of "bad policies" from Trump. It is likely that Trump will "thank" his predecessor in a similar manner.
The elected President of the United States has already promised to "make heads spin" with the speed of his decision-making right after the inauguration. His team has announced at least a hundred executive orders that will be issued in the early days of his presidency, and these orders are already being developed.
Immigrants and Southern Border Protection
According to Reuters, many of Trump’s initial executive orders will aim to enhance immigration control and fulfill his promise of large-scale deportation of illegal migrants from the U.S.
It is expected that Trump will grant federal agencies more authority to arrest undocumented individuals without criminal backgrounds, increase the number of military personnel at the border with Mexico, and resume construction of the wall. To secure funding for this, Trump may declare a state of emergency due to illegal immigration.
Additionally, Trump planned to cancel Biden's temporary programs that allowed hundreds of thousands of migrants from certain countries to legally enter on humanitarian grounds and obtain work permits in the U.S.
Photo: Trump's first executive orders may concern illegal migrants (Getty Images)
Another decision from the 47th President regarding immigration policy could involve the cancellation of automatic citizenship for those born in the U.S. to undocumented parents.
However, this initiative may encounter legal challenges, as it contradicts the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which grants citizenship to all born or naturalized in the U.S. This principle has been in effect for over 150 years.
In addition to an executive order, Trump will require states to agree to a national convention or two-thirds support in Congress to back the proposal, which must then be approved by three-quarters of state legislatures, of which the Republican Party controls just over half. In simpler terms, this is theoretically possible but practically challenging.
Pardons for Capitol Riot Participants
American presidents have broad powers to pardon individuals convicted of federal crimes and to commute their sentences. Although Trump did not promise pardons for those involved in the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, he did not rule out such a possibility in several interviews.
Pardons can be granted to both those already convicted and those still under investigation. However, it remains unclear who will ultimately receive pardons from Trump. The elected president himself stated that he is "inclined to pardon many of them," but cannot specify each case individually.
Photo: Trump may pardon participants of the Capitol riot (Getty Images)
Future White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt noted that Trump will make decisions on "each specific case" after returning to the White House. As of now, over 1,500 people have been arrested in the U.S. due to the events at the Capitol, with more than 750 convicted of various crimes ranging from trespassing to assaulting police officers and inciting conspiracy.
Trump himself is a subject in the Capitol riot investigation. He is accused of having incited violence on Capitol Hill in Washington. Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that Trump may also pardon himself, which is within his powers, though it would be the first instance of this kind in U.S. history.
Withdrawal from WHO and the Paris Climate Agreement
Back in December of last year, the Financial Times reported on Trump’s team intentions to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization once again. The first U.S. exit from the organization occurred under Trump in May 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. rejoined the WHO under Biden's presidency.
A second withdrawal would leave the WHO without its largest source of funding (the U.S. accounted for about 16% of the organization's total funding in 2022-23) and affect its ability to respond to global crises.
Trump's team wants him to initiate the withdrawal process from the WHO on the very day of his inauguration.
Photo: Trump may begin the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO on inauguration day (Getty Images)
Trump also aims to exit the Paris Climate Accord. As with the WHO, he had already done this during his first presidential term, but Biden brought the U.S. back into this international agreement.
As reported by The New York Times, Trump's team has already prepared the relevant executive orders, as well as orders to reduce the areas designated as national monuments to allow for more mineral extraction and drilling.
Energy
Exiting the Paris Climate Agreement would allow the new U.S. administration not to adhere to carbon emissions limits and prioritize oil and gas extraction in the country.
It is expected that Trump will also cancel Biden's programs supporting electric vehicles and charging stations, and further tighten measures to block the import of cars, components, and battery materials from China.
Additionally, Biden’s climate programs regarding power plants, the pause on liquefied natural gas exports, and exemptions that could lead to stricter environmental regulations in California and other states may also be subject to cancellation.
Tariffs and Duties
One step that Trump may take after his inauguration or in the early days of his second presidential term is to follow through on his threats to raise tariffs on imported goods from the United States' largest trading partners. He believes this will help accelerate America's economic growth.
"I truly believe in tariffs. I think tariffs are the most beautiful word. I think they are beautiful. They will make us rich," Trump stated in one of his interviews.
Photo: Trump may impose tariffs against Canada (Getty Images)
It is still unclear what these future tariffs will look like, but Trump has mentioned plans for at least a 10% overall tariff on imported goods and a 60% tax on imports from China. Additionally, Trump has promised to impose 25% tariffs on Mexico (for migrants and drugs that come through it into the U.S.) and Canada (for failing to resolve trade and immigration issues).
Threats toward Canada even escalated into a public conflict between Trump, his team, and Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau. Trump has repeatedly joked that Canada should become the 51st American state to solve its problems, while his close billionaire associate Elon Musk referred to the Canadian Prime Minister as a "girl."
To collect revenue from tariffs, Trump wants to establish a new External Revenue Service. He has already announced such intentions on his social network, Truth Social. However, the structure of this new agency remains unclear, with insiders suggesting that Trump may simply rename an existing division within the Treasury Department.
Abortion
Trump has already promised that upon his return to the White House, he will reverse Biden's decisions regarding the Title X national family planning program.
During his first term, Trump prohibited Title X healthcare providers from mentioning, offering, or even responding to patient inquiries about abortions. This led several American states to withdraw from the program. This policy was overturned in the early months of Biden's presidency.
This material was prepared using publications from BBC News, Reuters, CNN, The Washington Post, Financial Times, and The New York Times.
Recall that earlier, RBK-Ukraine discussed key figures in the future administration of the 47th President of the United States.
For more information on Trump's upcoming inauguration, read the separate article by RBK-Ukraine.