Day One Promises Made by President-elect Trump
President-elect Donald Trump’s first day in office is bound to have a packed agenda. Trump plans to sign more than 50 executive orders on the first day of his second presidency, according to a person in his transition operation.
On the first day of his previous term, Trump signed only one executive order, which targeted the Affordable Care Act. The first wave of Trump’s executive orders, some of which may be rolled out later in the week, are expected to include a mix of campaign trail promises, reversals of outgoing President Joe Biden’s policies and a restructuring of the federal workforce.
Questions remain, though, about how many goals from Trump’s list he’ll be able to accomplish on his first day.
Additionally, some of the policies will require Congressional approval. Here are some policy areas where the president-elect has made promises for his first day in office:
Immigration
Immigration, an area Trump focused on heavily during his rallies, will likely be a large focus on Day One. He has promised his supporters that he will launch a mass deportation effort and close the Southern border.
"On Day One, I will launch the largest deportation program in American history to get the criminals out. I will rescue every city and town that has been invaded and conquered, and we will put these vicious and bloodthirsty criminals in jail, then kick them the hell out of our country as fast as possible," Trump said during a rally at Madison Square Garden in October.
Trump has shrugged off concerns about the cost of the large-scale deportation plans. His incoming border czar, Tom Homan, said Chicago will be "ground zero" for the plans on Day One.
Economy
More of Trump’s Day One promises are related to the other cornerstone issue of his campaign, the economy.
"On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders," the president-elect wrote in a post on his social media platform Truth Social in November.
Trump has vowed to impose a 25 percent tariff on everything imported from Mexico and Canada and add a 10 percent tariff to duties already imposed on goods from China.
Energy
The president-elect has made a number of references to reversing climate policies and increasing oil and gas production. He vowed to cancel what he calls the Biden administration’s "electric vehicle mandate" and increase car manufacturing in the U.S. on Jan. 20.
"I will end the electric vehicle mandate on Day One. Thereby saving the U.S. auto industry from complete obliteration, which is happening right now and saving U.S. customers thousands and thousands of dollars per car," Trump said during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in July.
More of his Day One plans relate to approving more drilling and pipelines. "Drill, baby, drill" was a constant refrain from Trump on the campaign trail.
Military
Trump promised to end reimbursement for members of the military who get abortions. The president-elect also has said he will restrict gender-affirming health care for members of the military who are transgender.
"On Day One, I will revoke Joe Biden’s cruel policies on so-called ‘gender affirming care’ — ridiculous — a process that includes giving kids puberty blockers, mutating their physical appearance, and ultimately performing surgery on minor children. Can you believe this? I will sign a new executive order instructing every federal agency to cease all programs that promote the concept of sex and gender transition at any age. I will then ask Congress to permanently stop federal taxpayer dollars from being used to promote or pay for these procedures, and pass a law prohibiting child sexual mutilation in all 50 states," Trump said in a video published to his campaign website in February 2023.
Education
Another priority on the day Trump takes office is to roll back protections for students who are transgender. An action from the Biden administration had protected students who are transgender from discrimination in schools.
Trump said he will sign an executive order to cut federal funding to schools with vaccine mandates and schools that are pushing critical race theory and other "inappropriate racial, sexual or political content." That is an example of a campaign promise that would likely need Congressional approval.
Russia-Ukraine War
"They’re dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying. And I’ll have that done — I’ll have that done in 24 hours," Trump said in New Hampshire in May 2023.
Trump said he can end the war in a day, although Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pushed back on that timeline.
The president-elect has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and has criticized Biden for giving money to Ukraine.
Conclusion
President-elect Trump’s Day One promises are a mix of campaign trail promises, reversals of outgoing President Joe Biden’s policies, and a restructuring of the federal workforce. Some of these promises will require Congressional approval, and it remains to be seen how many goals from Trump’s list he’ll be able to accomplish on his first day.
FAQs
- What is the timeline for Trump’s Day One promises?
- Trump plans to sign more than 50 executive orders on the first day of his second presidency.
- What are some of the policy areas where Trump has made promises for his first day in office?
- Immigration, economy, energy, military, education, and Russia-Ukraine War are some of the policy areas where Trump has made promises.
- Will all of Trump’s Day One promises require Congressional approval?
- No, some of the promises will require Congressional approval, while others will not.
