Trump could act quickly on the border, energy, electric vehicles, the Jan. 6 amnesty, DEI, “wokeness” in education, Ukraine, China, the economy, and more.
WASHINGTON—President-elect Donald Trump will issue a series of executive orders immediately after taking office on January 20th.
President Trump’s immigration adviser Stephen Miller reportedly outlined some of the president’s upcoming actions during a meeting with Senate Republicans earlier this month. President Trump could issue more than 100 executive orders on his first day in office, with a particular focus on border issues.
In addition to executive orders, President Trump’s early moves are likely to include memoranda, proclamations, pardons, and even diplomacy aimed at stabilizing the chaotic world order.
Observers can expect pushback from Democrats, as well as judicial challenges and other issues.
Here’s what to expect on day one and beyond.
immigration and borders
The situation at the U.S. border was a key issue for Trump during his campaign.
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Once in the White House, Trump would be able to quickly repeat many of the immigration and border-related executive orders of his first term. Immediately after taking office in 2021, President Joe Biden reversed his predecessor’s immigration policies.
President Trump is expected to reinstate a requirement for asylum seekers to remain south of the border before their immigration court dates, a policy known as “remain in Mexico.”
It could also end “catch and release.”
It also could reinstate Title 42, a pandemic-era restriction that Biden repealed. He also could move quickly to complete construction of a wall along the southern border and fund new detention facilities, necessary given the scope of his planned deportations.
The mass deportation process could begin slowly, initially focusing on undocumented immigrants with criminal records and active deportation orders.
On July 22, 2022, Kinney County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested a woman on suspicion of illegal immigrant smuggling in Brackettville, Texas. Charlotte Cuthbertson/Epoch Times
Additionally, President Trump is likely to push for immigration enforcement in “sanctuary city” jurisdictions, which would limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Incoming Border Czar Tom Homan said his administration’s efforts will begin in Chicago, one of the nation’s largest sanctuary cities.
energy and electric cars
While running for president, Trump vowed to “drill, baby, drill” to give America an energy advantage.
Additionally, President Trump is likely to seek to lift Biden administration-era drilling restrictions on federal lands and territorial waters. He could also end Biden’s moratorium on liquefied natural gas exports.
President Trump may also try to reverse the Biden administration’s electric vehicle plan.
More specifically, it is expected to target recent car regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency, which he has positioned as a mandate for electric vehicles.
Under the Clean Air Act, California is free to develop its own emissions standards, and many other states will follow suit. The Environmental Protection Agency recently gave the green light to the state’s latest request to ban gasoline-powered cars within 10 years. Trump could challenge the Golden State’s independence in regulating emissions.
January 6th Amnesty
President Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance discussed pardoning nonviolent participants in the January 6, 2021 protests and breach of the U.S. Capitol.
To date, more than 1,500 people have been arrested in connection with the January 6 incident.
“If they were nonviolent, I think they would have been punished greatly,” President Trump said in a December 2024 interview with Time magazine.
“They have suffered tremendously, but in many cases they shouldn’t have suffered.”
Meanwhile, Vance said in an interview on Fox News Sunday earlier this month that violent criminals “obviously” should not receive a pardon.
Trump supporters protest at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Samuel Corum/Getty Images
In July 2024, speaking at the Chicago convention of the National Association of Black Journalists, then-candidate Trump said he would extend pardons to people convicted of assaulting law enforcement officers “if they are innocent.” suggested that it was a possibility.
“They were put through a very tough system,” Trump said, before asking why protesters and rioters in the summer of 2020 didn’t face a web of law enforcement like they did after Jan. 6. He was found guilty.”
DEI
President Trump is likely to work to repeal the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies promoted by the Biden administration.
President Trump’s Agenda 47 states, “On day one, President Trump will rescind Biden’s Marxist DEI Executive Order and reinstate Trump’s 2020 Executive Order banning racial and gender-based stereotyping in the federal government.” are.
It also states that the president will “immediately terminate all staff hired to implement Biden’s policies and eliminate all related offices and initiatives.”
Education and “awakening”
In addition to addressing DEI in the education system, President Trump will likely move quickly to rein in other elements of what he calls “wokeness” in schools.
President Trump has said he will target college accreditation as part of Agenda 47. It is overseen by the National Advisory Council on Quality and Integrity of Educational Institutions, which reports directly to the Secretary of the Department of Education.
At America Fest in December 2024, President Trump announced that his first day executive order would cover transgender surgeries for children.
foreign policy
On the campaign trail, President Trump said he could end the Russia-Ukraine war “within 24 hours.”
A billboard displaying a message supporting then-U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump in Tel Aviv, Israel, on November 5, 2024. Jack Ghez/AFP via Getty Images
But in recent days, some of President Trump’s advisers have reportedly suggested that the process of negotiating a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine could take months.
economy
In addition to targeting the Chinese regime with tariffs, President Trump could also impose 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, depending on whether they address their border concerns with the United States. . He vowed to impose a 10% tariff on all imports from all countries.
President Trump’s future moves on energy are also aimed at supporting the U.S. economy.
He could also issue a memorandum halting ongoing rulemaking by federal agencies. President Trump has promised to cut regulations across the government with the goal of improving government efficiency and spurring economic growth.
Similarly, President Trump and Republican-controlled Congressional leaders hope to renew the 2017 tax cuts during his first 100 days in office. He could also impose a federal hiring freeze, as he did at the beginning of his first term.
