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United States President Donald Trump has signed a record 26 executive orders on his Inauguration Day. However, some are expected to face hurdles as experts warn they clash with the US Constitution.
Here is more about the orders signed on Monday and whether they can be implemented:
How do executive orders work?
An executive order is a directive issued by the US president related to the running of the federal government. The orders do not require congressional approval.
How often are they used, and can they be overturned?
Every US president – except William Henry Harrison, whose presidential term started in March 1841 and lasted a month until his death in April 1841 – has issued at least one executive order. Joe Biden, whom Trump has replaced as president, issued 162 orders during his four-year term, 17 of which were signed on Inauguration Day. During Trump’s first term from 2016 to 2020, he signed 220 orders, 14 of which were signed on his Inauguration Day. Trump’s second term marks a record number of executive orders signed on Inauguration Day.
While executive orders do not need approval from Congress, they can be blocked by Congress and the courts. “Congress may pass legislation that might make it difficult, or even impossible, to carry out the order, such as removing funding,” according to the American Bar Association’s website. In 1992, Congress passed a measure nullifying then-President George HW Bush’s executive order that sought to establish a human fetal tissue bank for research.
Executive orders can also face court challenges for being unconstitutional. In 1952, the Supreme Court ruled that then-President Harry Truman could not seize steel mills to ensure production during the Korean War.
Sitting presidents can also reverse executive orders by issuing new ones.
What executive orders did Trump sign on Inauguration Day?
1. Renames Mount Denali and Gulf of Mexico
What the order means: The order calls for the name of the highest peak in North America, Alaska’s Mount Denali, to revert back to Mount McKinley after former Republican President William McKinley, who never visited Alaska. The name of the peak was changed the first time in 2015 by President Barack Obama from Mount McKinley to Mount Denali, which is the name preferred by Indigenous people and locals in Alaska. Trump’s order also calls for the Gulf of Mexico, a body of water bound by Cuba, Mexico and the US, to be renamed the Gulf of America. Trump wants this change within 30 days of the order.
The complications it might face: The order has drawn rebuke from politicians in Alaska and Mexico. “Our nation’s tallest mountain, which has been called Denali for thousands of years, must continue to be known by the rightful name bestowed by Alaska’s Koyukon Athabascans, who have stewarded the land since time immemorial,” Lisa Murkowski, a Republican US senator from Alaska, posted on X.
Can it be delivered?: Renaming Denali is procedurally straightforward because it is within US borders. Trump can rename the Gulf of Mexico as well, but the rest of the world does not have to follow suit. There are no international laws that decide what a common maritime space or a disputed territory is called universally.
2. Establishes Department of Government Efficiency to modernise federal technology
What the order means: The order establishes the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an organisation within the president’s executive office overseen by Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. The goal of DOGE is to “dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures and restructure federal agencies”, Trump said in a statement in November.
The complications it might face: Moments after it was signed, legal action was taken against the DOGE order. There are currently four lawsuits against DOGE. The first one – filed in federal court in Washington, DC, by Public Citizen, the State Democracy Defenders Fund and the American Federation of Government Employees – argues that DOGE violates the 1972 Federal Advisory Committee Act and disobeys federal transparency rules on disclosure. Other lawsuits have been filed by the National Security Counselors and Democracy Forward, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and the Center for Biological Diversity.
Can it be delivered?: It depends on how the legal cases pan out, but it seems Trump was prepared to face litigation over DOGE when he appointed election lawyer William McGinley as general counsel for the project.
3. Reforms federal hiring to prioritise merit, skills and constitutional dedication
What the order means: Within 120 days of the order, leaders of federal agencies will develop a federal hiring plan, amending how federal employees are hired or fired, emphasising merit-based decisions over political considerations.
The complications it might face: none that we know of so far
Can it be delivered?: yes
4. Ends “diversity, equity and inclusion” initiatives and related programmes in the federal government
What the order means: The federal government’s diversity and inclusion programmes established by the Joe Biden administration will be dismantled. All diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) office staffers will be placed on paid leave from Wednesday and DEI websites will be taken down.
The complications it might face: none that we know of so far
Can it be delivered?: Yes, in fact, many private companies from Walmart to Facebook have also been scaling back on their diversity practices after facing backlash and litigation from conservative groups.
5. Recognises only biological sex in federal policy
What the order means: Federal agencies will only recognise two biological sexes: male and female. “These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality,” the order says.
The complications it might face: Previously, when states have tried to ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth, they have faced litigation with claims that they are infringing on the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, which guarantees equal protections to every person. In 2023, a federal judge blocked a law in Tennessee forbidding healthcare workers from administering hormones to minors. The order also rescinds an October 2021 government document supporting intersex students.
Can it be delivered?: Yes, but it is likely to face legal challenges.
6. Designates cartels as ‘foreign terrorist organisations’
What the order means: International drug cartels are to be designated as “terrorist organisations”. “In certain portions of Mexico, they function as quasi-governmental entities,” the order says.
The complications it might face: Mexico opposes this order because it creates the threat of US military action against Mexico. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said at a news conference on Tuesday that her government will cooperate with the US to fight drug trafficking but opposes US intervention on Mexico’s territory. “What we insist on is the defence of our sovereignty and our independence,” she said.
Can it be delivered?: yes.
7. Prioritises US interests in all foreign policy decisions
What the order means: The US will take priority in foreign policy decisions.
The complications it might face: none that we know of so far
Can it be delivered?: yes
8. Strengthens vetting processes to prevent “foreign terrorists” and threats from entering the US
What the order means: The visa screening process for immigrants will become stricter.
The complications it might face: none that we know of so far
Can it be delivered?: yes
9. Encourages development of Alaska’s resources like oil, gas, and minerals
What the order means: The order aims to promote the commercial production of Alaska’s natural resources, such as liquefied natural gas, minerals, timber and seafood.
The complications it might face: Environmental groups have criticised this order.
Can it be delivered?: yes
10. Strengthens immigration enforcement
What the order means: Immigration laws will be strictly enforced.
The complications it might face: None that we know of so far
Can it be delivered?: yes
11. Pauses US foreign aid for 90 days to review and ensure alignment with US interests
What the order means: All international aid programmes will be suspended and reassessed.
The complications it might face: none that we know of so far
Can it be delivered?: yes
12. Declares a national energy emergency to improve US energy supplies
What the order means: The order allows to facilitate the speedy identification, leasing, siting, production, transportation, refining, and generation of US energy resources, including on federal lands.
The complications it might face: Trump faces criticism from environmental groups over this order.
Can it be delivered?: yes
13. Restores the death penalty for severe federal crimes
What the order means: The Biden administration halted the federal death penalty. In his final days in office, Biden also commuted the death penalty for most people on death row, reducing their sentences to life in prison. With this order, Trump has brought back the federal death penalty, and intends to help states stock up on drugs needed to carry out executions.
The complications it might face: Drugs for lethal injections are difficult to get, and the death penalty faces growing opposition in the US.
Can it be delivered?: The drug shortages pose a challenge.
14. Secures US borders by building more walls and enforcing strict immigration laws
What the order means: It aims to tighten border security by building a physical wall and other barriers “monitored and supported by adequate personnel and technology” and detaining, removing and prosecuting immigrants suspected of violating federal or state laws.
The complications it might face: Trump could face criticism from immigrant rights groups over this order.
Can it be delivered?: yes
15. Blocks birthright citizenship
What the order means: It seeks to end automatic US citizenship for anyone born in the US. Birthright citizens include children of undocumented immigrants and tourists, workers and students in the US on valid visas.
The complications it might face: Birthright citizenship is enshrined in the US Constitution’s 14th Amendment: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” Eighteen Democratic-governed states have filed a lawsuit in a Massachusetts federal court against this order.
Can it be delivered?: It is extremely difficult for Trump to implement this policy with just an executive order because it contradicts the constitution, according to many experts. Bruce Fein, an American lawyer specialising in constitutional and international law, told Al Jazeera in December that to end birthright citizenship, “an amendment [to the constitution] would be required, which would be DOA [dead on arrival].”
16. Stops accepting new refugees temporarily to ensure the asylum programme aligns with US interests
What the order means: The admission of refugees into the US will be suspended.
The complications it might face: Trump’s order is drawing criticism for jeopardising the safety of thousands of Afghan refugees. The order “risks abandoning thousands of Afghan wartime allies who stood alongside US service members during two decades of conflict,” Shawn VanDiver, the president of the Afghan resettlement coalition AfghanEvac, told The New York Times.
Can it be delivered?: yes
17. Removes regulations to boost US energy production and eliminates the “electric vehicle (EV) mandate”
What the order means: In essence, the order ends a series of a line with other executive orders calling for expanding the energy sector, this order eliminates the electric vehicle “mandate” to “promote true consumer choice”.
The complications it might face: Trump could face criticism from environmental groups over this order.
Can it be delivered?: yes
18. Directs the military to focus on securing US borders, stopping illegal immigration and drug trafficking
What the order means: The order asks the defence secretary within 10 days to deliver a plan “which assigns United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) the mission to seal the borders and maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the United States”.
The complications it might face: Nnone that we know of so far
Can it be delivered?: yes
19. Revokes security clearances of former officials involved in “election interference”
What the order means: The order removes the security clearances of 51 former intelligence officials who signed a letter in 2020 saying news reports of Biden’s son Hunter Biden leaving his laptop at a repair shop was part of a Russian misinformation campaign.
The complications it might face: none that we know of so far
Can it be delivered?: yes
20. Makes it easier to remove federal workers in policy roles if they perform poorly or act against policies
What the order means: This order claims it is about greater accountability and transparency for the federal officials who shape policy decisions. But it would also take away job protections and in theory, allow the administration to fire employees who don’t agree with its policies.
The complications it might face: Lawsuits have been filed against the order.
Can it be delivered?: It depends on what the courts decide.
21. Withdraws US from World Health Organization
What the order means: The US, one of the largest donors to the WHO, is to withdraw from the United Nations health agency due to its “mishandling” of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The complications it might face: “Trump made a unilateral decision to pull out of WHO. But we joined WHO in 1948 by an Act of Congress. Trump needs Congress’ approval to withdraw,” Professor Lawrence Gostin, director of the O’Neill Institute and chairman of global health law at Georgetown University in Washington DC, posted on X. Gostin added: “I am considering a lawsuit.”
Can it be delivered?: Legal troubles could get in the way.
22. Pauses enforcement of a ban on TikTok for 75 days to review security concerns
What the order means: Popular social media app TikTok, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, was banned in the US on Sunday through a federal law upheld by the Supreme Court. This order suspends this law for 75 days.
The complications it might face: None that we know of so far
Can it be delivered?: yes
23. Revokes previous executive orders and actions considered harmful
What the order means: It overturns 78 executive orders made during the Biden administration.
The complications it might face: None that we know of so far
Can it be delivered?: yes
24. Stops federal censorship of speech online
What the order means: The order says it seeks to ensure that federal officials do not infringe on the right to free speech. The right is guaranteed by the First Amendment of the US Constitution.
The complications it might face: It is unclear how this would impact US agencies that monitor and regulate false information, including the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Can it be delivered?: yes
25. Stops using federal agencies to target political opponents
What the order means: Essentially, the order empowers the attorney general to scrutinise all government departments to identify instances when agencies were used to target Trump and his allies over the past four years.
The complications it might face: None that we know of so far
Can it be delivered?: yes
26. Withdraws the US from the Paris Agreement and other international climate commitments
What the order means: The US will withdraw from international climate treaties, including the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement calls for a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The main goal of the agreement is to prevent long-term global temperatures from warming 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times and, if not that, then well below 2C (3.6F)
The complications it might face: Trump could face criticism from environmental groups over this order.
Can it be delivered?: Yes, the agreement is a voluntary programme.
English (US)