Trump likely to sign 100 executive orders on day one

Washington: When Donald Trump walks into the White House Monday afternoon soon after his swearing-in, 100 plus executive orders would be waiting for him on his Oval Office Desk, which his team has prepared for him to kickoff his second term without wasting any minute.

These executive orders are mainly aimed at fulfilling his poll promises. In an interview to NBC news, Trump said he is planning to sign a “record-setting” number of executive actions on day one. “Well, at least in that category,” Trump said when asked if these executive orders would be more than 100.

An executive order is an order issued unilaterally by the president who carries the force of law. Unlike legislation, executive orders do not require Congressional approval. Though Congress cannot overturn them, they can be challenged in the court of law.

“We have a record-setting number of documents that I’ll be signing right after this (inauguration) speech,” Trump said. He would be sworn-in as the 47th President of the United States on January 20.

One of his close associates Stephen Miller told a news channel that these would mainly be around five topics: sealing the Southern border, mass deportation, preventing transgender people from women’s sports, removing restrictions on energy exploration and improving government efficiency.

Among his executive orders is expected to be pardoning his supporters who were arrested by law enforcement agencies for their role in the attack on the US Capitol on January 6 four years ago.

Trump, 78, is also expected to roll back some of the executive orders and actions of the outgoing President Joe Biden. Prominent among them include the Paris Climate agreement, lifting restrictions on fossil fuel production and expanding domestic oil drilling. “This flex of power will quickly implement much of his agenda as Congress takes up his legislative priorities,” Sara Carter said.

“I’ve been told it’s going to be shock and awe as far as executive orders and all the lists of things that are going to happen on January 20th. And that they’re going to throw a lot into the first day,” Fox News anchor Bret Baier said. Many call it an ambitious agenda.

“I don’t think it’s hyperbole. Is it ambitious? Yes. But it’s absolutely doable,” said EJ Antoni, public finance economist at The Heritage Foundation, who has analyzed past executive orders told The Washington Times. “When you think about the amount of time his team has had to prepare those executive orders, it’s perfectly reasonable to think those orders will be on the Resolute Desk on the day of the inauguration,” he said.

Republican Senator Ted Cruz Congressman Jodey Arrington have introduced legislation to repeal an Executive Order issued by President Biden on January 6, that banned American energy exploration on over 625 million acres of offshore territory. Trump is expected to reverse this through his own executive order.

In an interview to NBC News in December, Trump said he would fulfill a campaign promise to levy tariffs on imports from America’s biggest trading partners. He is likely to sign executive orders previously announced tariffs on countries like China, Mexico and Canada.

Biden on his first day had issued nine executive order. Six of these were overturning the decisions of his predecessor Trump. In the first week, he had signed 22 executive orders.

During his campaign trail, Trump had given an indication of his first day executive orders. “On day one, I will launch the largest deportation program of criminals in the history of America,” Trump repeatedly said on the campaign trail. “I want to close the border, and I want to drill, drill, drill," he said at another rally.

Politico said Trump’s emphasis as he enters the Oval Office on Monday is sending a loud signal that the border is closed to illegal crossings and that anyone who is living in the US unauthorised, especially those who have committed crimes, is not safe from deportation.

“He’ll do so through a slew of executive orders and actions, launching the process of resurrecting policies from his first term, shredding Biden administration immigration policy and taking what Trump officials have labeled the “handcuffs” off of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials,” the media outlet reported.

Axios reported that Trump is setting the stage for an explosive first day in office: pardons for Jan. 6 rioters, a vacuum sealing of the southern border and a massive regulatory rollback affecting vast swathes of the American economy.

“The tone of the next four years will be set on Day One. Trump and his transition — armed with a cannon of executive orders — are preparing an early shock-and-awe campaign to lay the foundation for his ambitious second term,” it said.