Monday, January 20th, marked the date that Donald J. Trump, the 47th president of the United States, took office for a second term. While that date may seem just a few short weeks ago, Trump had no hesitation in starting and making a historic comeback with many executive orders signed immediately after he took office. According to the Federal Register, he signed 45 executive orders in just 14 days. With so many changes being made, it’s difficult to remember what’s happening, especially at such a fast pace. However, there’s no need to fret, here’s Trump’s most impactful executive orders broken down:
What has been titled as Trump’s “mass deportation” is a very popular subject at the moment, and is arguably the most prominent of the executive orders put into action. To carry out the promise made during his campaign, Trump has launched one of the largest deportations in history, with the intent to hold up his promise- to bring down crime rates. The order focuses centrally on illegally residing criminals but is not limited to this. If any citizens found along the way are in the United States illegally, they, too, are subject to deportation. According to NBC News, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has already made thousands of arrests, and numbers are increasing daily.
Signed into order on January 20th, 2025, this executive order has one central goal- to restore free speech without government interference. Free speech is protected under the First Amendment, yet many believe that the Biden administration has violated that right. According to the House Judiciary Committee Republicans, it was noted that large companies, including Facebook, Google, and Amazon, were responsive to the Biden administration and the regulations that it brought upon their users’ online voice. The executive order that Trump issued intends to get these large companies back to a point of neutrality and reclaim the First Amendment right within online platforms with no government interference.
While this is one of the most controversial executive orders, many believe it holds great importance. Across the United States, medical professionals are agreeing to operate on a child to alter their sexual identity through chemical and surgical procedures. This order makes it illegal to change a child’s sex if under the age of 19. According to Trump, children are easily “impressionable” and “soon regret that they have been mutilated.” The executive order signed to halt this intends to prevent life-altering decisions from being put in children’s hands and its consequences.
In 2021, a mandate was ordered that required all members of service to the United States to have the COVID-19 vaccination. Controversy clouded this mandate, and naturally, United States members of service decided that losing their jobs and becoming discharged was a better alternative. Trump claimed this to be “unfair, overbroad, and completely unnecessary.” With the implementation of this executive order, members of service will be reinstated, given back their full pay, and, if they choose, re-admitted into service with no differing status or pay than was achieved before discharge.
So, while it can seem as if some of these orders don’t have an immediate effect on you or your community, it’s important to remember that many changes are happening to the government, and some may have more of an impact than you believe. Make sure to stay updated, and most importantly, do your research.
