President Donald Trump began his second term as the 47th president of the United States with an aggressive flurry of executive orders and policy actions, fulfilling many of the campaign promises that defined his path back to the White House. From immigration reforms to energy policies, Trump moved swiftly to begin implementing his administration’s agenda during his first hours in office.
In his inauguration address at the U.S. Capitol, Trump set the tone for his administration, pledging a return to “commonsense” governance. “Today I will sign a series of historic executive orders. With these actions, we will begin the complete restoration of America and the revolution of commonsense,” Trump told the crowd. Hours later, he held a highly unusual executive order signing event at Capitol One Arena in front of thousands of supporters before continuing the signings in the traditional Oval Office setting.
There has never been anything like it – signing Executive Orders in front of the people who voted him into office. Unbelievable. And then Trump threw the pens into the crowd. When Trump said he was putting government back into the hands of the people, he appears to have meant it. pic.twitter.com/tlWkL6Pqfm
— Lara Logan (@laralogan) January 20, 2025
Key among Trump’s immediate actions were measures to address immigration. Declaring a national emergency at the southern border, Trump ordered the deployment of U.S. troops to support immigration enforcement and announced the resumption of his “Remain in Mexico” policy, which requires asylum seekers to await their hearings across the border. Additionally, he directed the resumption of border wall construction and signed an order ending birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants—a measure that is expected to face significant legal challenges.
The president also announced the designation of drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to direct law enforcement efforts against foreign criminal networks. “We will use the full and immense power of federal and state law enforcement to eliminate the presence of all foreign gangs and criminal networks,” Trump said.
Energy policy was another major focus of Trump’s first day back in office. Declaring a national energy emergency, the president signed orders to expand domestic oil and gas drilling and reverse policies from the Biden administration aimed at transitioning to renewable energy. “We will drill, baby, drill,” Trump said, tying the energy actions to efforts to combat inflation and reduce costs for American families. He also announced plans to ramp up domestic manufacturing, calling energy independence a cornerstone of his economic strategy.
The administration also took swift action on social policy. Trump signed orders to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs within the federal government, directing agencies to dismantle initiatives implemented under the Biden administration. Additionally, Trump announced a federal policy defining gender as binary, stating, “It will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female.”
As part of his campaign pledge, Trump issued a wave of pardons for individuals convicted of crimes related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. The president pardoned approximately 1,500 individuals, including some convicted of assaulting law enforcement officers. Speaking to supporters, Trump characterized the convictions as unjust, calling the treatment of those involved in the riot “outrageous.”
Promises Made, Promises Kept…
And we are only just starting 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸President Trump has just signed an executive order granting full pardons to about 1,500 J6 prisoners! pic.twitter.com/W5iJh3jjXx
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) January 21, 2025
In a move that was not part of his campaign promises, Trump announced plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” and restore the name “Mount McKinley” to North America’s tallest peak, which had been renamed Denali during the Obama administration.
While Trump enacted numerous policy changes on his first day, some promises remain unfulfilled. Chief among them is his widely publicized pledge to end the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office Monday night, Trump said only that his administration would “try and get it done as quickly as possible.” Retired Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, later suggested a longer timeline, estimating the conflict could be resolved within 100 days.
AMERICA IS BACK. 🇺🇸
Every single day I will be fighting for you with every breath in my body. I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe and prosperous America that our children deserve and that you deserve. This will truly be the golden age of America. pic.twitter.com/cCuSV8Q44Z
— President Donald J. Trump (@POTUS) January 20, 2025
Trump’s rapid implementation of his agenda has drawn both praise and criticism, with Republican strategist Alex Castellanos telling Fox News that Trump is demonstrating a “massive transformation of government.” Whether the administration’s sweeping actions will face legal challenges or resistance remains to be seen as the new term begins.
