What Trump might do on his first day in the White House

Donald Trump promised he would “turn heads” on his first day back in office on Monday.

Reports suggest he could announce up to 200 executive orders within hours of being sworn in as the 47th president of the United States.

He offered a preview of some of those yet-to-be-signed directives, saying they would target issues such as illegal immigration, climate rules, diversity policies, classified documents and more.

It is customary for presidents to sign a set of executive orders when they take office. Such orders have the force of law but can be overturned by subsequent presidents or the courts.

But the scale of what Trump plans could be unprecedented, with legal challenges expected.

Here’s what you need to know.

Deportations

Trump vowed to “launch the largest deportation program in American history” starting on day one.

He is expected to declare a state of emergency along the national border and order the military to help secure the southern border, according to Fox News.

Trump also said he would end a longstanding policy that prevented federal immigration authorities from raiding churches and schools.

Any mass deportation program is expected to face logistical difficulties, billions in costs and a flurry of legal challenges.

Stay in Mexico

Trump could move quickly to reimpose his “Remain in Mexico” policy, which during his first term sent some 70,000 non-Mexican asylum seekers back across the border into Mexico to await hearings.

End of birthright citizenship

Trump called the 150-year-old constitutional right that anyone born on American soil is an American citizen “ridiculous” and vowed to repeal it on day one.

But this is much more difficult than simply issuing an executive order, since birthright citizenship is expressly guaranteed by the US Constitution.

Border closure for health reasons

A 1944 measure called Title 42 allows the US government to restrict migration to protect public health. It was last used during the pandemic, but US media have reported that the new administration is looking for a disease to help justify its plans to close the US southern border with Mexico.

Drug cartels

Trump is expected to classify drug cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations,” listing them alongside groups such as al-Qaeda, the so-called Islamic State and Hamas.

Build the wall

When Trump was first elected in 2016, he signed an executive order to build a border wall. Although parts of the wall have been built, there is still much unfinished and he can try to finish what he started.

Tariffs

Trump has vowed to impose large tariffs on imported goods as part of his pledge to prioritize American manufacturing.

Trump imposed tariffs during his first term, including some on China that Joe Biden kept.

But this time he’s promising 10% tariffs on all imports, 25% on Canadian and Mexican goods and 60% on things coming from China. He said he would begin signing executive orders to enforce them on day one.

Tariffs are likely to make consumer goods more expensive and could fuel inflation, experts say. Some countries are considering retaliatory tariffs.

Crypto stack

Trump has championed the cryptocurrency, and when he was elected, the value of Bitcoin increased by 30%.

Some believe Trump will move quickly to create a federal “Bitcoin Reserve” — a strategic reserve similar to US gold and oil reserves — that he says will serve as a “permanent national asset for the benefit of all Americans.”

Repeal Joe Biden’s climate policies

The outgoing president sees the series of directives, laws and funding programs he championed to promote green jobs, regulate pollution and finance infrastructure as among his greatest achievements.

Trump has made it clear he wants to undo much of it. He is expected to use executive orders to lift restrictions on drilling offshore and on federal land – fulfilling his promise to “drill, baby drill” and increase US energy production and independence.

He also promised to ban new wind projects and repeal electric vehicle mandates.

Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement (again)

Within six months of taking office in 2017, Trump pulled out of the Paris climate accord, a landmark international deal designed to curb rising global temperatures.

Biden decided to rejoin the accord on his first day in office in 2021, but Trump is expected to withdraw from it again.

Release “hostages” on January 6

Hundreds of people convicted after the 2021 US Capitol riots face potential pardons on Monday when Trump returns to office.

“I tend to forgive a lot of them,” he told CNN over the summer. “I can’t say for every single one because a few of them are probably out of control.”

More than 1,500 people were arrested in connection with the event. At least 600 were charged with assaulting or obstructing federal officials.

At his pre-inauguration victory rally on Sunday, Trump said he would release classified documents related to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the subject of countless conspiracy theories.

He said he would do the same for files related to the 1968 murders. of Senator Robert Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

Ukraine war

Trump said during the campaign that he would end the conflict on the first day of his presidency. He has since said he may need six months. It is not clear what it can do in its early days.

Cuba and Venezuela

Trump may use executive orders to reverse Biden’s recent decision to remove Cuba from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism. He could also reinstate sanctions against Venezuela. Both countries were frequent targets of his ire during his first administration.

ON

In recent years, US schools and businesses have adopted policies designed to support women and racial minorities.

These practices, often classified as “diversity, equity and inclusion” (DEI), have angered many conservatives and faced legal challenges. Trump has promised to dissolve them, and major corporations including Meta, Walmart and Amazon have already begun canceling related initiatives.

Trump could use an executive order to ban federal funding for schools or other institutions that have DEI programs. It can also ban funding for schools that teach “critical race theory” (CRT).

abortion

Like most Republican presidents before him, Trump is expected to restore the “Mexico City Policy,” which bars federal aid to international groups that provide abortion counseling.

He is also expected to restore an abortion rule that prohibits federal health care providers from Title X, a low-income family planning program, from mentioning abortion to patients. The change effectively stripped tens of millions of dollars from organizations that offer abortions or provide referrals.

Transgender women in sport

Trump has repeatedly criticized what he calls “transgender insanity” in schools and health care, and has specifically vowed to ban transgender women from competing in women’s sports.

On Sunday morning, Trump promised to issue an executive order that would delay implementation of a law banning Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok.

His order, he said, would give them time to find a US partner to buy a 50% stake in the company.

Trump previously supported a ban on TikTok, but recently reversed his stance, citing the billions of views he says his videos on the platform drew during last year’s presidential campaign.