Washington DC:
Donald Trump has signed a record number of executive orders publicly, as a huge crowd cheered, less than six hours since he took oath as the 47th President of the United States. He signed many more orders after reaching the White House later in the day.
Immediately after his inauguration, Donald Trump delivered his inaugural speech in which he announced the sweeping executive orders for day-one of his second term. He followed that up with a second speech after witnessing the presidential parade, where he signed as many as 80 executive orders to reverse actions taken by the Biden administration. “We will sign executive orders first to revoke nearly 80 destructive and radical executive actions of the previous administration,” he said, minutes before signing them.
Outlining the orders, President Trump said his topmost priority is to declare a national emergency along the US’ southern border with Mexico. “All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came,” he said, adding that he would order the deployment of troops along the border immediately.
The president also said his day-one orders include those curbing immigration, boost fossil fuel production, and roll back environmental regulations, namely the 2021 Paris Climate accord.
The first executive order he signed was for ending work from home for federal employees.”Heads of all departments and agencies in the executive branch of Government shall, as soon as practicable, take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements,” the White House said immediately after the president signed the order. The order requires employees “to return to work in-person at their respective duty stations on a full-time basis, provided that the department and agency heads shall make exemptions they deem necessary.”
Speaking about fossil fuel production, he said his first day actions will ensure declaration of a “national energy emergency” thereby lifting all restrictions on mining, allowing for to “drill baby drill” for the black gold – as oil is often called. Mr Trump also said, “America will be a manufacturing nation once again, and we have something that no other manufacturing nation will ever have: the largest amount of oil and gas of any country on Earth – And we are going to use it.”
Another significant order that he signed was to “restore freedom of speech and ending federal censorship.” This comes after Trump and his allies have accused Joe Biden and his administration of suppressing free speech on online platforms.
“Over the last 4 years, the previous administration trampled free speech rights by censoring Americans’ speech on online platforms, often by exerting substantial coercive pressure on third parties, such as social media companies, to moderate, de-platform, or otherwise suppress speech that the Federal Government did not approve,” the White House said.
Donald Trump also said his day-one orders will begin the process of renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. It will also outline a new US policy under which the United States will recognise and be home only to two genders – male and female.
America, he said, will also end the new Green Policy of EVs (electric vehicles) with the signing of the orders.
Among other orders, President Trump used his special powers to pardon hundreds of people, including those involved in the 2021 US Capitol riots after Trump lost the last election to Joe Biden.
During his speech after the presidential parade, Mr Trump announced that one of the executive orders includes a special decree allowing his administration officials to use all their powers to cut down on inflation and make commodities cheaper.
Donald Trump took the oath of office to “preserve, protect and defend” the US Constitution at 10:30 pm IST (5 pm GMT). He was administered oath by Chief Justice John Roberts. His vice president, JD Vance, was sworn in just before him.
