Donald Trump has promised to sign a long list of executive orders on his first day as president.
The 78-year-old Republican will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on January 20 in Washington DC.
Immediately after re-entering the White House, Trump will kick off his ambitious day-one checklist, which is packed with executive orders, policy reversals, and headline-grabbing actions.
From immigration crackdowns to cutting regulations, here’s what the controversial leader has vowed for his first day back in the office.
Immigration
Trump’s hardline immigration stance that was seen throughout his campaigns is set to retake center stage.
The president promises to launch the “largest deportation operation” in US history. He plans to surpass the scale of 1954’s “Operation W**back,” which is when former President Dwight Eisenhower targeted millions of undocumented immigrants.
“We have no choice,” Trump told NBC News in November. “When people have killed and murdered, when drug lords have destroyed countries, and now they’re going to go back to those countries because they’re not staying here. There is no price tag.”
Trump’s plans also include sealing the US-Mexico border, reviving travel bans on certain countries, and reinstating a program that will require migrants to remain in Mexico.
On birthright citizenship, Trump says he’ll sign an executive order to end the automatic granting of US citizenship to children born in the country to undocumented parents.
“My policy will choke off a major incentive for continued illegal immigration, deter more migrants from coming, and encourage many of the aliens Joe Biden has unlawfully let into our country to go back to their home countries,” he declared in 2023, cited by News.com.au.
Among Trump’s most controversial promises is a pledge to pardon January 6 prisoners, including some convicted of assaulting law enforcement during the Capitol riots.
The two-time leader has teased that “maybe the first nine minutes” of his presidency would see mass clemency, however, it remains unclear if violent offenders will be included.
He also promised to remove regulations that he claims drive up Americans’ costs. “On day one, I will sign an executive order directing every federal agency to immediately remove every single burdensome regulation driving up the cost of goods,” Trump said during his rally in October.
In addition to this, Elon Musk will lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and is tasked with cutting federal spending and bureaucracy.
Energy, Trade, and Economy
Tariffs are also a key part of Trump’s agenda. The president revealed that he wants to sweep tariffs on imported goods, including a proposed 25% levy on products from Mexico and Canada unless they stem the flow of drugs and migrants into the U.S.
“This tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!” he wrote on Truth Social, per CBS News.
Energy independence is also another priority as Trump plans to restart fossil fuel projects, reverse bans on offshore drilling, and reinstate the Keystone XL pipeline.
“We will drill, baby, drill and we’re going to be drilling in a lot of other locations and the energy costs are going to come way down,” he promised, while also withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord.
Foreign Policy
One of Trump’s most daring campaign promises was that he would end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office.
“That is a war that’s dying to be settled,” he said during the September debate with Vice President Kamala Harris. “I will get it settled before I even become President.”
“I know [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky very well, and I know [Russian President Vladimir] Putin very well. I have a good relationship and they respect your President, OK, they respect me. They don’t respect Biden,” he added.
Cultural Battles
Trump has railed against “wokeness” and “left-wing indoctrination” in America’s education system, pledging to strip funding from institutions teaching critical race theory or implementing transgender policies.
He also intends to ban transgender women from competing in female sports and reinstate a ban on transgender military service.
“With the stroke of my pen, on day one, we’re going to stop the transgender lunacy,” Trump said at a rally in December.
As ambitious as the new president’s promises are, many face significant legal and logistical hurdles.
From deportation efforts to ending birthright citizenship, Trump’s day-one agenda is bound to spark political battles, legal challenges, and heated public debate.
This is going to be an interesting Day One…