Trump has said he could sign about 100 executive orders, and the White House on Monday pledged “an unprecedented slate” of actions rescinding Biden’s orders.
“With these actions, we will begin the complete restoration of America, and the revolution of common sense,” Trump said.
It’s expected that many of Trump’s orders will be challenged in court. Notably, on his first day back in office, there were scant signs that he would take immediate action to impose tariffs on China, a key component of his economic policies.
Here’s a brief rundown of what his administration plans to initiate, taken from his speech, briefings by incoming officials and public statements:
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Trade and Economy
Tariffs
Trump will call for federal agencies to study tariff policies and the US’s trade relationship with China, Canada and Mexico, according to incoming officials.
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“I will immediately begin the overhaul of our trade system to protect American workers and families,” he said.
‘External Revenue Service’
Trump said he will establish an External Revenue Service to collect tariffs, adding “it will be massive amounts of money pouring into our Treasury coming from foreign sources.”
“Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens,” he said.
Inflation Emergency
Trump said he’s directing his cabinet members “to marshal the vast powers at their disposal to defeat what was record inflation and rapidly bring down costs and prices.”
The White House also said in a statement that “all agencies will take emergency measures to reduce the cost of living.”
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Immigration
Trump plans to sign 10 border-related executive orders that signal a dramatic change to immigration policy and will usher in new limits to both legal and illegal immigration.
Border Emergency
Trump said Monday he will declare a national emergency at the southern border. The White House said in a statement that he will deploy armed forces, including the National Guard, to “engage in border security.”
“I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country,” Trump said.
Trump will also order the completion of a wall on the US-Mexico border, an effort begun in his first term.
Deportations
Trump in his speech said the government “will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came.”
He’s expected to offer new authorities to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection officers to carry out deportations.
Birthright Citizenship
The new president will seek to end automatic birthright citizenship for children of people not in the country legally.
Asylum, Refugees
Trump plans to suspend refugee resettlement for six months and will end “catch and release,” the policy by which migrants are released while awaiting hearings on their asylum status.
The president is also preparing a proclamation to end the asylum process, which officials say would allow the immediate removal of those in the country already awaiting court hearings.
The administration will also look to reinstate the “Remain in Mexico” policy, which requires those seeking asylum to stay in Mexico before their US immigration court date.
Death Penalty
The White House said the Department of Justice will seek the death penalty for “illegal immigrants who maim and murder Americans.”
Cartels
Trump will also move to designate the gangs MS-13 and Tren de Aragua as foreign terrorist organizations, as well as Mexican cartels responsible for smuggling drugs across the border. He’ll use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport members.
Energy and Climate
Similar to his actions on immigration, Trump will invoke emergency powers in a bid to boost domestic energy production and undo Biden-era policies designed to fight climate change.
A White House summary of plans said that Trump “will unleash American energy by ending Biden’s policies of climate extremism, streamlining permitting” and reviewing for possible reversal “all regulations that impose undue burdens on energy production and use, including mining and processing of non-fuel minerals.”
Offshore Drilling, SPR
Trump plans to open up more areas to oil and gas exploration, including offshore and in Alaska. “We will drill, baby, drill,” he said in his speech.
Trump also said he plans to refill the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve “right to the top” and “export American energy, all over the world.”
Efficiency Efforts
Trump plans to unwind several rules intended to boost efficiency, including those governing shower heads, toilets, washing machines, light bulbs and dishwashers.
Wind Farms
The administration will end leasing areas for “massive” wind farms that the White House said “degrade our natural landscapes and fail to serve American energy consumers.”
Trump said in his speech that he will revoke the electric vehicle mandate — a reference to government regulations that compel the sale of EVs — “saving our auto industry, and keeping my sacred pledge to our great American autoworkers.”
Paris Agreement
As he did in his first term, Trump will again withdraw the US from the 2015 Paris Agreement. It isn’t expected to be immediate, however: Signatories must provide formal notice to the United Nations to initiate a withdrawal, then wait a year for it to take effect.
Gender & Culture
Only Two Sexes
Trump said it will become “the official policy” of the US that there are only two genders, male and female, which would require agencies to give force to the definitions and terms in the order when applying statutes and regulations. The White House called the move “biological reality” and will “protect women from radical gender ideology.”
The order will seek to mandate that agencies will use the term sex, not gender, and would have the secretaries of State, Homeland Security and other agencies ensure that official documents, including passports and visas, reflect sex accurately.
DEI in Federal Government and Military
As promised on the campaign trail, Trump plans to stop diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the federal government instituted under Biden.
“I will also end the government policy of trying to socially engineer, race and gender into every aspect of public and private life,” he said.
As for the military, Trump said he intends to issue an order “to stop our warriors from being subjected to radical political theories and social experiments while on duty.”
National Security
Reinstating Vaccine Objectors
As he has pledged before, Trump said he will reinstate, with full back pay, any service members who were expelled from the military for refusing to take the Covid-19 vaccination.
Panama Canal
In his most pointed comments yet on the key trade waterway ceded back to Panama last century, Trump declared in his address that “we’re taking it back.”
Federal Workforce
Return to Office
The administration plans to order the federal workforce back into the office, saying only 6% of government employees “work in person.”
Hiring Freeze
The administration said it will freeze hiring “except in essential areas to end the onslaught of useless and overpaid DEI activists buried into the federal workforce.”
Pardons
Trump hasn’t yet made clear his plans for those convicted for storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, seeking to halt the certification of Biden’s election victory — who he has referred to as “J6 hostages.”
But he signaled Monday things are in the works.
“It’s action, not words, that count,” Trump told supporters Monday, “and you’re going to see a lot of action on the J6 hostages.”
