Honestly, keeping up with the sheer volume of paperwork coming out of the Oval Office lately feels like a full-time job. If you’ve looked at Trump’s executive order list recently, you know it’s not just a few tweaks to trade deals or ceremonial proclamations. We are talking about a fundamental rewiring of how the federal government operates.
By early 2026, the count for this second term is already staggering. We’re sitting at over 220 executive orders signed since January 2025. For context, that’s a pace we haven't seen since the FDR era. It’s fast. It's aggressive. And it's hitting everything from how your local school handles discipline to whether a defense contractor can buy back its own stock.
The Big Ones: Federal Workforce and "Schedule G"
The thing that’s really rattling DC right now isn’t a single policy, but the people who carry them out. You might remember the "Schedule F" talk from years ago. Well, it's back, but it's evolved.
The administration has been pushing hard on Executive Order 14170 and subsequent updates like the one from October 2025, "Ensuring Continued Accountability in Federal Hiring." Basically, they’ve frozen most civilian hiring. If a desk goes empty at the Department of the Interior, it stays empty unless a specific "strategic hiring committee" says otherwise.
But the real kicker is the move toward "Schedule G" or "Schedule Career/Policy." This essentially reclassifies thousands of career civil servants as at-will employees. The Supreme Court actually cleared the way for mass reductions in the workforce in mid-2025, and as we head into 2026, agencies are prepping for what they call "Reductions in Force" (RIFs).
Money, Tech, and the "Genesis Mission"
If you’re into tech, you’ve probably seen the "Genesis Mission" pop up on the list. Signed in late 2024 but really hitting its stride now, this order (EO 14360-ish range) is all about AI dominance. It’s not just about "research." It’s about creating a unified "American Science and Security Platform."
The goal? Use federal datasets to automate scientific discovery before anyone else does.
What about the tariffs?
Tariffs are still the favorite tool in the box. But they’re getting surgical.
- Brazil: Certain agricultural products (like coffee and beef) got a surprise exemption recently.
- China: The "Kuala Lumpur Joint Arrangement" extended some tariff suspensions through late 2026, provided China keeps buying American soybeans and logs.
- Trucks: There’s a massive 25% tariff on imported medium and heavy-duty trucks that kicked in late last year to force production back to US soil.
Defense Contractors are Feeling the Heat
One of the most surprising moves on the recent Trump’s executive order list is the crackdown on defense companies. On January 7, 2026, the "Prioritizing the Warfighter in Defense Contracting" order dropped.
✨ Don't miss: Why The Shock Doctrine PDF is Still the Most Downloaded Warning for Modern Times
It basically tells major defense firms: "If you're behind on delivering missiles or jets, you can't pay out dividends or do stock buybacks."
The Secretary of War (a title used in the order to reflect a more aggressive posture) has been directed to identify underperforming contractors within 30 days. If a company is lagging, they have to submit a board-approved remediation plan. It’s a massive shift from the usual "cost-plus" cozy relationship the Pentagon has had with the big players.
The Culture Shift in Paperwork
A lot of these orders are focused on "de-wokeing" the government—their words, not mine.
For instance, there's an order specifically targeting the Department of Education (EO 14242). It instructs the Secretary to start the process of actually closing the department while ensuring no federal funds go toward "diversity, equity, and inclusion" programs or anything involving "gender ideology."
Then there’s the "Make Federal Architecture Beautiful Again" order. It sounds aesthetic, but it’s a legal mandate. It requires new federal buildings to follow classical architectural styles. No more "brutalist" concrete boxes.
Marijuana and Fentanyl: The Drug Policy Split
The administration is taking a "carrot and stick" approach to drugs.
- The Carrot: In December 2025, an order was signed to speed up the rescheduling of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. This is huge for research and potentially for the industry, though it's still caught in a lot of red tape.
- The Stick: Around the same time, Fentanyl was officially designated as a "Weapon of Mass Destruction" via executive order. This triggers a whole different level of law enforcement and intelligence agency involvement.
What This Means for You
It’s easy to get lost in the jargon, but these orders change the "vibe" of the country quickly. If you’re a federal employee, your job security looks different today than it did two years ago. If you’re an investor, the "COINS Act" and related orders mean your money can’t easily flow into Chinese tech anymore.
Next Steps to Stay Informed:
- Monitor the Federal Register: This is the official "daily newspaper" of the government. Every EO has to be published here to be legal.
- Watch for "Memoranda": Trump often uses Presidential Memoranda. They don't always get the same headlines as EOs, but they carry almost the same weight for agency heads.
- Check Agency Staffing Plans: If you work in or with the government, these plans (due every quarter in 2026) will tell you exactly which departments are being gutted and which are being grown.
The list is still growing. With a "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) initiative also in full swing, expect the pace of these orders to accelerate as the 2026 midterms approach.