24 Hours in the White House
By: Kayla Hill ‘26
Following his inauguration parade on Monday, January 21, President Donald Trump began signing several executive orders and presidential actions. His policy actions span topics of immigration law, civil rights, and the climate crisis. These sweeping actions reflect many of the promises he made during his campaign, and have already received major reactions from the rest of the country.
One of President Trump’s first, and most controversial actions, was issuing over 1,500 pardons and commuting 14 sentences in connection to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. This included individuals who assaulted law enforcement officials with deadly or dangerous weapons. Immediately after the attack, President Trump sought to distance himself from the event, claiming the law should hold them accountable. However, it is obvious that in the past few years his perspective has shifted, with Trump openly signaling his support for the rioters. The event led to the largest FBI investigation, with criminal convictions against more than 1,100 defendants and hundreds of those defendants receiving significant prison sentences. With Trump’s presidential pardons, only a small fraction of the 600 previously behind bars are still incarcerated.
Another one of Trump’s actions was signing an executive order to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement–the global accord that implements the objectives of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Many view this as dealing a massive blow to the world’s efforts to mitigate global warming, potentially distancing the U.S. from some of its closest allies. Before his inauguration, Trump announced that the United States would be abandoning the Paris Accord. The pact is aimed at limiting long-term global warming to 2.7-3.6 degrees Fahrenheit above pre-industrial levels. Just last month, the outgoing Biden administration had created a plan to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60%.
Additionally, it is apparent that President Trump is making good on his promise of mass deportations. While Immigration and Customs Enforcement deports undocumented immigrants regularly, the operation launched under Trump’s administration is likely to target “sanctuary” cities that limit cooperation with federal immigration officials. President Trump is aiming to arrest 1,200 to 1,500 people per day for immigration violations, and vows to conduct the “largest deportation operation in U.S. history.”
Within 24 hours of his presidency, Trump has signed the most Day 1 executive orders since 1937, the year the Federal Register began keeping records. These orders were centered around an “America First” agenda, with Trump having a clear determination to concentrate executive power in the West Wing and move the country in the conservative direction.