Donald Trump signs a slew of executive orders on the first day in office after being sworn in as the 47th president of the United States.
Donald Trump, who overcame impeachments, criminal indictments and a pair of assassination attempts to win another term in the White House was sworn in as the 47th US president on Monday.
The day had an unorthodox start, with the traditional outdoors swearing-in ceremony moved indoors due to intense cold and wind in Washington.
Former US President Joe Biden and President Trump left the White House together, headed to the US Capitol to begin the inaugural activities. Both men shared the same vehicle, in keeps with political traditions.
After arrival at the Capitol, Trump, and his vice president, JD Vance took the oath of office. Trump then delivered his inaugural speech, which lasted more than 30 minutes.
Foreign dignitaries, including world leaders attended the event. Italy’s Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, Argentina’s President Javier Milei and Chinese Vice President Han Zheng were in attendance.
A host of billionaires, business executives and influencers were also invited to attend the ceremony. Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, UFC boss Dana White and LVMH’s Bernard Arnault were among the attendees.
The president then attended the inaugural parade and waved at supporters – who flooded the streets of the US capital to witness the event – before heading to the White House for what he promised would be a very busy first day on the job.
Trump wasted no time upon his arrival at the Oval Office and quickly got to work on kickstarting what he said would be the “golden age of America”.
Here’s a look at all of the changes he’s made on day one.
Pardons in the 6 January Capitol Hill Riots
As promised repeatedly in his 2024 presidential campaign trail, Trump issued pardons on day one to rioters who stormed the US Capitol building on 6 January 2021, rejecting his defeat in the 2020 US election to Joe Biden.
Late on Monday, the US president issued full pardons to approximately 1,500 people convicted or criminally charged in the attacks on Congress, as lawmakers convened that day to certify Biden’s victory.
The commutations also covered the sentences for 14 members of the far-right ‘Proud Boys’ and ‘Oath Keepers’ groups, who were convicted or charged with seditious conspiracy.
The Economy and TikTok
Trump signed a largely symbolic memorandum that he described as directing every federal agency to combat consumer inflation by repealing Biden actions and adding his own orders.
Trump is easing regulatory burdens on oil and natural gas production, something he promises will bring down costs of consumer goods.
On trade, the US president said he will impose 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico starting 1 February, but did not announce his plans for taxing Chinese imports.
Trump also signed an order intended to pause the Congress’ TikTok ban for 75-days. Trump says this period will serve as a window to locate a US buyer for the platform in a deal that would protect national security interests, while allowing the popular social media platform to remain open to Americans.
America First
Repeating what he did back in his first term, Trump signed an order pulling the United States out of the World Health Organization (WHO). He also ordered a comprehensive review of US foreign aid spending.
Both moves fit into his isolationist ‘America First’ approach to foreign affairs.
In more symbolic moves, Trump also planned to sign an order that renames the Gulf of Mexico to the ‘Gulf of America’. The highest mountain in North America, currently known as Denali – renamed by former President Barack Obama – will revert back to its old name of Mount McKinley.
The new US president also signed an order that flags must be at full height at every future Inauguration Day, while another Trump order called for promoting “Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture”
Immigration and National Security
Trump reversed several immigration orders from his predecessor’s presidency, including one that narrowed the scope of deportation. Biden had order deportation priorities to people who commit serious crimes or are deemed as threats to national security.
Trump rolling back Biden’s order is part of his plan, promised during campaigning, of carrying out the “largest deportation programme in American history”. It also restores the immigration policy back to how Trump had it as he left office in January 2021.
The president also declared a national emergency at the US-Mexico border, and plans to send troops to help support immigration officers and restrict asylum and refugees.
He’s also trying to end birthright citizenship. It’s not yet clear whether his order will survive inevitable legal challenges, given that birthright citizenship is enshrined in US Constitution.
Trump also temporarily suspended the ‘US Refugee Admission Program’, pending a review to assess the programme’s public safety and national security implications.
He’s also pledged to restart a policy that forced asylum seekers to wait over the border in Mexico, but it’s also unclear whether Mexico would accept migrants again now that their relationship with Washington is strained.
The 47th US president also ended the CBP One app, a Biden-era border app that gave legal entry to nearly one million migrants.
On the national security front, the president revoked all active security clearances from a long list of his perceived enemies. The list includes former director of national intelligence James Clapper, former director of the CIA and Defence Secretary Leon Panetta, as well as his own former national security adviser, John Bolton.
Climate and Energy
Trump signed documents he said will formally withdraw the US from the Paris climate agreements. He made the same move during his first term, which Biden reversed upon taking office.
Trump declared an energy emergency as he looks to make good on his campaign promise to “drill, baby, drill”, and said he’ll eliminate what he calls “Biden’s electric vehicle mandate”.
Reforms to federal government and bureaucracy
Trump has put an end to federal government hiring, except the military and other parts of government that he did not name. He instated a freeze on new federal regulations as he lays the foundation to build his second administration.
He also formally empowered the new government department named “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), which is being led by the world’s richest man, Elon Musk.
DOGE is a so-called effort to streamline the government and its operation. It is not an official agency, but Trump appears set to grant the Tesla, SpaceX and X owner, Musk, a wide-range of power to recommend cuts in government programmes and spending.
Transgender and DEI Rights
Trump is rolling back protections for transgender people and terminating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes within the federal government.
Both are major shifts in federal policy that are in line with his campaign trail promises.
An order declared that the federal government would only recognise only two unchangeable sexes, male and female. They’re to be defined based on whether people are born with eggs or sperm, rather than on their chromosomes.
The order would segregate federal prisons, shelters for rape victims and migrants by sex as defined by the order. Federal taxpayer money will also no longer be used to fund “transition services”.
A separate order halted DEI programmes. Trump directed the White House to identify and end them within the government promptly.
