President Donald J. Trump kicked off his first day back in the White House with a bang, signing lots of orders and making impactful announcements. Here are some key decisions he made on the first day.
Climate agreement and WHO, No More
President Trump signed an executive order to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, marking a significant shift in U.S. environmental policy.
Similarly, an order was issued to withdraw from the World Health Organization. Trump pointed out and criticized WHO’s decisions several times. Once he said, ‘The WHO really blew it. For some reason, funded largely by the United States, yet very China-centric. We will be giving that a good look. Fortunately, I rejected their advice on keeping our borders open to China early on. Why did they give us such a faulty recommendation?
Reversal of Previous Policies
Trump rescinded 78 executive actions and orders from the Biden administration, undoing policies on various fronts including climate, health, and immigration.
Immigration and Security
President Donald Trump has announced a national emergency at the U.S. southern border. This means he wants to tackle what he calls a major crisis involving drugs, crime, and illegal entry from Mexico. By declaring this emergency, Trump can use special powers to speed up building a wall along the border, even though Congress didn’t give him all the money he wanted for it before.
He officially designated several international crime cartels, notably the Venezuelan “Tren de Aragua,” as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). This designation adds the groups to a list that includes notorious entities like al-Qaeda and ISIS, subjecting them to severe sanctions and enabling a more aggressive approach from U.S. law enforcement agencies.
Churchill Returns to the White House
Trump reinstated a bust of Winston Churchill in the Oval Office, which had been removed under Biden’s administration. This symbol of steadfast leadership seemed to set the tone for the day’s more substantive changes.
Geopolitical Statements
Trump expressed hope for Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords in 2025 but remained skeptical about the ongoing ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
He announced plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” and Alaska’s Denali back to Mount McKinley. Additionally, he expressed intentions to take back control of the Panama Canal.
Gender Policy
Trump issued an executive order titled “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.” This order mandates that all federal agencies recognize only two genders—male and female—based on biological sex. The move has sparked significant controversy, with critics decrying it as a rollback of transgender and non-binary rights, while supporters applaud it as a return to traditional gender norms.
DEI
An executive order was signed to terminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) positions and initiatives across government agencies, aiming to reduce what Trump described as “woke” bureaucracy.
On his first day back in the White House, Donald Trump was remarkably active, signing 42 Executive Orders, Memoranda, and Proclamations, alongside 115 personnel decisions, contributing to over 200 executive actions. The day included a 60-minute press engagement and three speeches. It seems like Trump’s second term is going to be even more active and controversial than his first one.
