US President Donald Trump signed several executive orders on Monday, his first day in office.
“The first item President Trump is signing is the repeal of 78 Biden-era executive actions, executive orders, presidential memoranda and more,” the Trump administration said during the signing at the Capital One Arena in Washington.
Trump was sworn in for a second term last night, heralding a major change in the US administration that is expected to send shockwaves through American society and the world.
Addressing supporters, he said he would revoke nearly 80 “destructive and radical” executive actions of the previous administration.
After his speech, Trump signed executive orders, including withdrawing the US from the Paris climate agreement, restoring free speech protections, freezing regulations and hiring for government agencies, returning to self-employment and issuing a directive on emergency living expenses.
Returning to the White House after his address, Trump continued to sign several executive orders while taking questions from reporters.
Trump signed an executive order pardoning nearly 1,500 people accused of attacking the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
– Declaring a National Emergency on the U.S. Southern Border –
He also signed an executive order declaring a national emergency on the southern U.S. border, paving the way for the deployment of U.S. troops.
During his remarks after the inauguration ceremony, Trump said he would declare a national emergency on the southern border.
“All illegal entry will be stopped immediately, and we will begin the process of sending millions and millions of criminal aliens back to where they came from,” Trump said.
Among the executive orders Trump signed was the repeal of birthright citizenship.
According to the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, every person born on U.S. soil is a U.S. citizen.
Trump also signed an executive order in the Oval Office designating cartels and other criminal organizations as foreign terrorist organizations.
“Mexico probably doesn’t want that. We have to do what’s right. They’re killing our people. They’re killing 250,000 to 300,000 Americans a year,” he said.
He also said he wanted to work with South American countries to coordinate immigration in general.
“I’m all for legal immigration. I like it. We need people, and I’m fine with that,” Trump said.
– Withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement and WHO –
Trump has signed an executive order withdrawing the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement.
He also signed a letter to be sent to the United Nations (UN) explaining the withdrawal from the agreement.
Trump also ordered the United States to leave the World Health Organization (WHO).
“The World Health Organization has robbed us. Everyone is robbing the United States, and that’s it. “That won’t happen again,” Trump said.
Trump said the US contributes $500 million to the WHO budget, while China contributes just $39 million.
– US foreign aid suspended pending review –
Trump has suspended all US foreign aid programs for 90 days pending a review of their compliance with his policies.
“All heads of departments and agencies responsible for United States foreign development assistance programs will immediately pause new commitments and disbursements of development assistance funds to foreign countries,” the executive order Trump signed in the Oval Office said.
However, it was not explicitly stated how much aid the move would initially affect.
– Cuba reinstated on state sponsor of terrorism list –
Trump has re-designated Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, reversing an executive order issued just days earlier by outgoing President Joe Biden.
Biden had previously acted on a plan agreed upon with the Vatican to secure the release of political prisoners in Cuba. In response, Cuban authorities began releasing detainees, including 24-year-old Reyna Yacnar Barreto Batista, who was serving a four-year sentence on charges of disturbing public order.
The Trump administration’s move complicates Cuba’s promise to release more than 500 prisoners under the agreement. It remains unclear how many additional detainees will be released following Trump’s decision.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel condemned the reversal, describing it on social media as “an act of mockery and abuse.” Cuba rejects accusations that it supports terrorism.
– TikTok ban delayed –
Trump signed an executive order in an attempt to delay a ban on the popular short-video app TikTok for 75 days.
Under the order, Trump is pursuing a resolution that protects national security while also saving the platform used by 170 million Americans.
“I think the United States should have the right to get half of TikTok,” he told reporters as he signed the executive orders in the Oval Office.
On Friday, the US Supreme Court upheld a law banning TikTok unless its Chinese parent company ByteDance divested itself of ownership. After going offline earlier on Sunday, TikTok announced it was in the process of restoring service to its US users following Trump’s promises, AA writes.
