9 Strong Reforms Trump Implemented On His First Day In Office

President Donald Trump initiated his second term with a flurry of executive actions aimed at swiftly enacting his agenda and fulfilling campaign promises. These actions are intended to reshape the federal government, signaling a return to policies from his previous administration and setting the stage for significant changes.
On his first day, following his inauguration, Trump signed several executive actions, including withdrawing the US from the Paris climate agreement, implementing a federal hiring freeze, and mandating the return of federal employees to their offices. Later in the Oval Office, he signed additional measures that included pardons for those convicted of crimes related to the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, a delay on the TikTok ban, and a push to overhaul the American immigration system.
During his inaugural address, Trump proclaimed, “With these actions, we will begin the complete restoration of America and the revolution of common sense,” adding, “The Golden Age of America begins right now.” These actions follow through on numerous pledges made during his successful 2024 campaign and reflect initiatives that were considered during his first term. While some of these actions have clear paths to implementation, others may face legal challenges.

Read Also: Trump Sending Personal Invitations To Global Leaders For Inauguration
1. January 6 pardons
One of Trump’s most notable actions was the granting of pardons and commutations for individuals charged in connection to the January 6 attack. In the Oval Office, he stated his pardons would cover “approximately 1,500” people. This effectively ends the January 6 cases, as prosecutors charged over 1,580 people and secured roughly 1,270 convictions, with nearly all those charged receiving a full pardon. Additionally, he commuted the sentences of 14 high-profile figures, including leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, to time served.
Trump’s action fulfilled a campaign pledge, and while he had previously hinted at pardons, the extent of the pardons came as a surprise. Speaking at a rally, Trump referred to those charged in the January 6th attack as “J6 hostages,” indicating his intent to act on his promise immediately after the event. Notably, this remark was made before a group of relatives of Israelis who were taken hostage by Hamas in the October 7, 2023, attack.
2. Delaying the TikTok Ban By 75 Days
President Trump, fulfilling a campaign pledge, signed an executive action on Monday to delay the enforcement of a ban on TikTok in the United States. This action instructs the Justice Department not to enforce the Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, a bipartisan measure passed in Congress that would have banned TikTok unless its parent company, ByteDance, sold the app to an American company or one from an allied nation by January 19. Just before that deadline, TikTok went briefly offline, but returned after Trump pledged to restore it. However, TikTok’s future in the US remains uncertain, as it is unclear whether ByteDance would agree to a sale. Trump’s executive action extends the deadline by 75 days.
3. Reversing Biden-Era Orders
Trump also moved swiftly to undo many of his predecessor’s policies, rescinding 78 executive actions put in place during Joe Biden’s administration. These reversals include significant social and political changes. Among the policies revoked were: an order that extended sex discrimination protections to include sexual orientation and gender identity; an order that required an ethics pledge from executive branch appointees; an order allowing transgender people to serve in the military; and an order that banned private prison contracts.
Furthermore, Trump rescinded Biden’s actions to remove Cuba from the state sponsor of terror list, sanction Jewish settlers in the West Bank, and regulate artificial intelligence risks. In addition to these specific policy reversals, Trump sought to reverse Biden-era efforts to broaden gender identity designations, specifically for documents like passports. He also signed an order requiring agencies to recognize only “male” and “female” sexes on forms, effectively halting efforts to promote “gender ideology.”
4. Immigration Control Measures
Immigration policy took center stage in Trump’s first day agenda. During his inaugural address, he declared a national emergency on the southern border, leading to the activation of Pentagon resources and personnel to build the border wall. In the opening hours of his administration, he ended the use of an app that allowed migrants to schedule asylum appointments with border authorities. He also took action to redefine birthright citizenship, prohibiting federal agencies from issuing certain documents normally provided to US citizens to children born under specific circumstances.
This order, applying to children born after 30 days of the measure, impacts those born to parents unlawfully present in the US, or to mothers temporarily in the US (e.g., on a visa) with non-citizen fathers.
The order is centered around the phrase “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” found in the 14th Amendment. Some immigration hardliners contend that the children of undocumented immigrants do not fall under this jurisdiction and therefore should not be recognized as citizens according to the Constitution.
Legal experts have expressed skepticism about the viability of this argument in court, suggesting that the language in question was intended to apply to children of foreign diplomats who are subject to U.S. laws, as well as to scenarios involving foreign invasions and occupations.
Allies and officials of Trump are acutely aware that this action will likely encounter legal challenges and ultimately reach the Supreme Court.
Additionally, Trump signed an order designating two major drug cartels as terrorist organizations, a move that could pave the way for potential American military intervention on Mexican territory.
Trump’s initial actions regarding immigration come at a time when border crossings have been steadily declining, with a significant drop occurring last year following Biden’s executive measures to limit asylum claims.
5. US Withdrawal from the World Health Organization
President Trump initiated his second term by formally withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO), severing ties with the UN’s public health agency. This move follows Trump’s long-standing criticism of the WHO, which had begun during his first term and was temporarily halted by President Biden. Trump’s executive order cites the WHO’s “mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic,” its failure to adopt reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from undue political influence from member states as reasons for the withdrawal. Trump also emphasized that the U.S. was paying what he deemed too much money to the WHO, and that the organization was demanding “unfairly onerous payments”.
6. Reorganization of the Federal Workforce
Trump also focused on restructuring the federal workforce through a series of executive actions. He implemented an immediate hiring freeze for federal government employees, exempting only positions related to the military, immigration enforcement, national security, or public safety. This freeze prevents the filling of vacant positions and the creation of new ones. The Office of Management and Budget, in collaboration with Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency, has been directed to develop a plan within 90 days to reduce the size of the federal government’s workforce through efficiency improvements and attrition. Trump also mandated the termination of remote work arrangements, requiring all federal employees to return to their respective duty stations full-time, though agency heads can grant exemptions.
To further consolidate control over the workforce, Trump revived an executive order from his first term to create a new category for federal employees involved in policy called “Schedule F,” making those workers easier to fire. This move reverses protections for career federal workers that were put in place by the Biden administration. Trump’s directive is expected to face legal challenges as it bypasses the usual regulatory process. He also formally established the Department of Government Efficiency, demonstrating his intent to focus on reorganizing the federal government.
The order temporarily rebrands the United States Digital Service as the United States DOGE Service for a period of 18 months and mandates the organization to revamp the software utilized by federal agencies as part of a “Software Modernization Initiative” aimed at “maximizing governmental efficiency and productivity.” However, the executive order does not mention cutting the federal budget, workforce, or regulations, which Trump highlighted as DOGE’s primary goals when he announced the initiative in November. Future executive orders may still address these objectives.
7. Trump Launches Investigations Into Biden Administration, Revokes Security Clearances
One of Trump’s executive actions include broad internal investigations into the Biden administration, the revocation of security clearances, and the renaming of US landmarks.
Hours after taking office, Trump directed the Department of Justice and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to open investigations into the Biden administration, alleging “censorship of free speech” and the “weaponization” of law enforcement and intelligence agencies. These orders reflect Trump’s campaign promises to pursue what he views as improper actions taken by the previous administration. At the same time, Trump’s own rhetoric suggests a desire to seek retribution against his political opponents. One of the executive orders stated that the American people had witnessed a campaign against political opponents, with the legal force of numerous federal agencies weaponized in the form of investigations, prosecutions, and civil actions.
Additionally, Trump revoked the security clearances of 51 former intelligence officials who signed a 2020 letter suggesting that emails from a laptop belonging to Hunter Biden bore signs of a Russian disinformation operation. While many of these officials are retired and the revocation may have a limited practical impact, it signals Trump’s intent to penalize national security and intelligence professionals whom he deems his adversaries. These former officials had become a target for Republican lawmakers and Trump’s allies. The order also targeted John Bolton, who drew Trump’s ire for his critical memoir.
8. Rebranding of US Landmarks
In a move that reflects his focus on American identity, Trump also took executive action to rename several US landmarks. These actions, aimed at “honor[ing] American greatness,” included renaming Alaska’s Denali, which had been renamed by President Obama in 2015 from Mount McKinley as a nod to the region’s native population, back to Mount McKinley. Trump’s order framed Obama’s renaming decision as “an affront to President McKinley’s life,” highlighting McKinley’s support for tariffs and his assassination as an attack on national values. The order also calls for working with Alaskan native entities to honor their history and culture in renaming landmarks in the region. Trump also directed that the Gulf of Mexico be officially renamed the Gulf of America, with all government maps and documents reflecting this change, emphasizing its contribution to the U.S. economy. Furthermore, Trump targeted the US Board on Geographic Names, ordering a review of its members, signaling his intent to reshape government bodies.
9. Trump Reverses Climate Policies, Declares “National Energy Emergency”
President Trump, on his first day back in office, signed an executive action withdrawing the United States from the Paris climate accord once again. This move reverses the United States’ commitment to the emission-lowering agreement, which was established before Trump’s first term and saw nearly 200 nations pledge to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, aiming for 1.5 degrees. Trump, who initially withdrew from the agreement during his first term, and had the US re-join under President Biden, called the accord “one-sided” as he reiterated his decision to leave it.
In his inaugural speech, Trump also declared a “national energy emergency” and pledged to streamline environmental permitting and review processes, which his administration believes are imposing excessive burdens on energy production and use. This declaration comes despite the United States currently being the world’s top oil producer, exceeding all historical production levels.
Source: cnn