The pen hit the paper before the inaugural parade even finished. Honestly, if you were watching the news on January 20, 2025, it felt like a blizzard of ink. People kept asking, "Wait, what executive orders will Trump sign today?" and before the anchors could finish the sentence, another one was already live on the White House website.
It wasn't just ceremony. It was a total overhaul.
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From the jump, the administration went after what they called the "administrative state." They didn't ease into it. They basically flipped the table on decades of federal hiring practices and energy regulations within the first 24 hours. You've probably heard the term "Schedule F" or "Schedule G" by now—it's that plan to reclassify tens of thousands of civil servants so they can be fired more easily. That was Day One stuff. But it didn't stop there.
The First Wave: Border and Energy
The very first order, "Protecting the American People Against Invasion," was the big one for immigration. It didn't just talk about the wall. It actually authorized the military to help "repel" migrants and effectively paused most refugee admissions. It also targeted "sanctuary cities" by threatening to yank their federal funding. If you live in a city like Chicago or New York, you saw the local headlines about this almost immediately.
Then came the energy blitz.
The "Unleashing American Energy" order was basically a "yes" to everything the previous administration had said "no" to. It killed the electric vehicle (EV) mandates. It opened up federal lands for drilling. It even had a weirdly specific section protecting your right to buy high-pressure showerheads and gas stoves. Basically, if it was a regulation that bothered a suburban homeowner or an oil executive, it was on the chopping block.
Tariffs and the Trade War 2.0
If you've checked the price of a laptop or a new truck lately, you're feeling the "Reciprocal Tariff" orders. In February 2025, Trump used the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to slap a 10% tariff on everything coming from China.
He didn't stop there.
- Canada and Mexico: They initially got hit with 25% tariffs until they "negotiated" better border security deals.
- The "Kuala Lumpur" Deal: By November 2025, China agreed to buy more soybeans and logs in exchange for a tariff reduction to 10%.
- Copper and Steel: These saw massive 50% ad valorem duties under Section 232, which is why construction costs have been so wild this year.
Cleaning House in D.C.
There’s this thing called DOGE—the Department of Government Efficiency. While it sounds like a meme, the executive orders backing it are very real. The "Commencing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy" order started a massive hiring freeze. It also directed the closing of several agencies, like the U.S. Institute of Peace.
You should know that the "Schedule Policy/Career" order (formerly Schedule F) is the real engine here. It allows the President to turn career scientists and lawyers into "at-will" employees. This led to things like the "Bethesda Declaration," where hundreds of NIH scientists protested against what they called the "politicization of science." It's been a mess of lawsuits ever since.
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The AI and Tech Pivot
Surprisingly, the administration has been very active in the AI space. The "Genesis Mission" order was signed to fast-track AI development for national security. Trump also signed an order to "Save TikTok" in September 2025, which completely reversed the earlier ban attempts, provided the company met certain (very strict) security audits.
They also went after "Woke AI." An order in July 2025 mandated that federal AI tools remain "politically neutral" and don't use diversity metrics in their algorithms.
What This Actually Means for You
It’s easy to get lost in the legal jargon of "Proclamations" and "Memorandums." But the reality is that these orders changed the daily life of Americans in a few specific ways:
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- Prices: Tariffs are basically a tax on imports. If you’re buying imported goods, you’re paying for those orders at the checkout counter.
- Jobs: If you work for the federal government, your job security looks a lot different today than it did two years ago. The "probationary period" for new hires was extended to two full years.
- Energy: Your utility bills might be fluctuating as the grid shifts back toward coal and gas, away from the green subsidies of the early 2020s.
The legal battles are far from over. Most of these orders are sitting in front of judges right now. Specifically, the case Learning Resources v. Trump is about to decide if a President can use emergency powers to tax imports whenever they want. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the White House, the "executive order" might become the primary way the U.S. is governed, bypassing Congress almost entirely on trade and immigration.
Next Steps for Staying Informed:
- Monitor the Federal Register: This is the only place where the official, final text of every order is published.
- Watch the Courts: Follow the "Consolidated Tariff Challenges" in the Court of International Trade; the rulings there will determine if your prices stay high or drop in 2026.
- Audit Your Business: If you deal with international shipping or federal contracting, review the "Restoring Common Sense to Federal Procurement" order to ensure your DEI policies don't disqualify you from future bids.