On the first night of his second presidency, Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders, rescinding 78 Biden-era executive actions, including environmental regulations and racial and gender diversity initiatives.
The President also pardoned about 1,500 of his supporters who attacked the U.S. Capitol four years ago. Trump also commuted the sentences of nearly all 1,270 people convicted in the January 6 attack, including those associated with the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.
However, Trump did not take immediate action to raise tariffs, which he promised he would do on day 1. But he said he could apply new 25 per cent duties tariffs on Canada and Mexico on February 1.
Trump also rescinded an interagency task force set up by former President Joe Biden to reunite migrant families separated by the Trump-era zero-tolerance policy. He also issued an order declaring illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border a national emergency, designating criminal cartels as terrorist organisations and initiating steps to block
citizenship for children of immigrants in the U.S. illegally. Soon after this, the U.S. border authorities said they had shut down outgoing President Joe Biden's CBP One entry program, which had allowed hundreds of thousands of migrants to enter the U.S. legally by scheduling an appointment on an app.
He also revoked Biden-era executive actions that withdrew Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terror and signed an executive order to keep TikTok operating for 75 days.
Another major order signed by Trump is regarding the withdrawal of the US from the Paris Climate Agreement. Trump also signed a letter to the United Nations, explaining the withdrawal. He also signed a regulatory freeze, that will prevent bureaucrats from issuing any more regulations until the Trump officials take full control of the government. There will be a freeze on federal hiring, except for the military and several other categories, until Trump officials are in full control.
Trump also announced he is withdrawing the US from the World Health Organization. "World Health ripped us off, everybody rips off the United
States. It's not going to happen anymore," Trump said at the
signing. The President alleged that WHO succumbed to the "inappropriate political influence of WHO member states" and took "unfairly onerous payments" from the US, which was disproportionate to the sums levied from countries like China.
He also revoked the security clearance of 51 former intelligence officials who signed a 2020 letter arguing that emails from a laptop belonging to Hunter Biden. Trump also signed an order that lets the Energy Department restart reviews of applications for approvals of liquefied natural gas export projects.