A busy first day in office for Trump.
Hours after being sworn in for his second term, US President Donald Trump immediately got to work, signing hundreds of executive orders and repealing many policies of the previous administration.
At 12:01 AM Eastern Time on January 20th (0:01 AM on January 21st in Vietnam), Donald Trump officially took the oath of office, becoming the 47th President of the United States. The ceremony took place in the Rotunda on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., presided over by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, in the presence of former Presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, along with 600 guests and other prominent figures.
At the time of his inauguration, Trump became the oldest president in US history (78 years, 7 months, and 6 days old), surpassing the record of former President Biden. His return to the White House also marked the second time in 132 years that Trump has been elected president for two non-consecutive terms.
According to CBS News, on his first day in office, Trump signed approximately 200 documents, including a series of executive orders, memoranda, and presidential pronouncements to a crowd of supporters at the Capital One Arena and later in the Oval Office of the White House.
New White House Press Secretary Will Scharf revealed that Trump began by signing executive orders repealing 78 policies of his predecessor, including 17 orders that Biden signed this month, just before leaving office.
Among President Trump's newly issued executive orders, notable ones include pardoning approximately 1,500 people facing prosecution for their involvement in the January 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol on Capitol Hill aimed at reversing the 2020 presidential election results; holding former government officials accountable for election interference; and ordering the federal government to restore free speech while preventing government censorship of free speech.
Trump also signed executive orders withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement and the Global Minimum Corporate Tax Agreement, as well as initiating the process of withdrawing the country from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The White House also declared a national emergency at the southern U.S. border with Mexico, imposing strict new restrictions on immigration and asylum, and announced it would deploy more troops to guard the border.
Trump sparked controversy when he signed an executive order suspending citizenship for individuals born in the U.S. and who are children of undocumented immigrants. According to CNN, this order violates the U.S. Constitution's birthright citizenship provision and could be blocked by the courts.
A newly issued presidential order requires federal employees to return to work five days a week, reversing the trend of increased remote work since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, another order states that the US government under Trump will only recognize two biological sexes, male and female, in official documents and prohibits transgender people from enlisting in the military.
President Trump also signed into law a national energy emergency aimed at accelerating the licensing and significant expansion of oil and gas exploration, and rolling back environmental protections.
Furthermore, Trump also drew attention with a special executive order concerning two iconic American landmarks. He decided to rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America and restore the name Mount McKinley to Denali, the highest mountain in North America. This decision aimed to demonstrate nationalism, honor history, and promote American traditional values, but it also sparked controversy, particularly among international public opinion and groups advocating for the preservation of indigenous cultures.
On the evening of January 20th, local time, Mr. Trump and his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, attended the Commander-in-Chief's Ball, one of three inaugural balls for the new White House leader. Following tradition, Mr. and Mrs. Trump, along with Vice President JD Vance and his wife, performed the first dance together to the tune of "Battle Hymn of the Republic."