Tuesday, 21 January 2025

President Trump was inaugurated for his second term on January 20, 2025, and immediately began signing a broad array of executive orders. On his first day in office, Trump signed dozens of orders covering immigration, energy, climate, federal workforce restructuring, and other policy areas, pledging a "complete restoration of America."

Trump issued approximately 1,500 pardons and commutations related to the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack, fulfilling a campaign promise. This included clemency for Enrique Tarrio and Stewart Rhodes, both associated with far-right groups and serving lengthy sentences for their roles in the insurrection.

Trump declared a national border emergency and issued multiple immigration-related executive orders, including reviving the "remain in Mexico" policy that requires asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their cases are processed. The administration also began enlisting military resources for immigration enforcement.

Trump signed an executive order suspending a refugee ban and pausing the U.S. TikTok ban through an executive order that provides a temporary pause to "determine appropriate course forward." Meanwhile, advocates reported that over 1,600 Afghan refugees eligible for resettlement remain stranded waiting to flee Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Trump signed an executive order reclassifying thousands of federal employees as political hires, effectively reinstating "Schedule F," which makes it easier to fire civil servants. A labor union lawsuit was promptly filed challenging the order as a "step backward" in worker protections.

Trump signed executive orders rolling back environmental and climate protections, including withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement again, revoking Biden's 50% electric vehicle target for 2030, declaring an energy emergency to boost fossil fuel drilling, and overturning emissions standards.

Trump signed executive orders rolling back protections related to gender identity and diversity, instructing the federal government to remove "radical gender ideology guidance" and review diversity programs. Legal challenges and concerns about the scope of these orders have already been raised.

Trump announced a $500 billion Stargate AI project involving a joint venture between OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank to construct data centers and infrastructure for AI development. The initiative represents a major public-private partnership for advanced technology infrastructure.

Trump stated in his inaugural address that he intends to take back the Panama Canal, calling it a "foolish gift" that should never have been made. Panama subsequently filed a letter to the United Nations citing articles of the U.N. charter that prohibit member states from using threats and force.

Trump signed an executive order to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization within 12 months. Public health experts have raised concerns that the departure would leave Americans vulnerable and could contribute to future pandemic risks.