Trump cancels Biden’s orders and signs new directives on Day 1

On his first day in office, newly sworn-in President Donald Trump wasted no time in revoking 78 executive actions taken by former President Joe Biden and signing a series of his own directives. The events unfolded after Trump’s inauguration, which was followed by a celebratory gathering at the Capital One Arena, where a large crowd of his supporters attended, and various law enforcement agencies saluted the newly inaugurated president.

Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, also addressed the crowd and introduced the families of Israeli hostages. The ceremony, filled with high energy and political undertones, saw President Trump take swift action on a range of critical issues.

Here are the key points from Trump’s first day in office:

• Revocation of Biden’s executive orders: Trump cancelled 78 executive actions signed by Joe Biden, marking a dramatic shift in policy from the previous administration.
• Pardons for capitol attack participants: Trump signed an order to pardon 1,500 individuals involved in the Capitol riot on January 6th.
• Federal employment freeze: Trump ordered a freeze on federal hiring, halting all new recruitment for government positions.
• Ending remote work for federal employees: The new president also ended the option for federal employees to work from home, a policy introduced under Biden.
• U.S. withdrawal from Paris climate agreement: Trump took action to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, further distancing his administration from global environmental efforts.
• Revocation of Biden’s artificial intelligence policy: He cancelled Biden’s executive order concerning artificial intelligence policies.
• Reversal of electric car sales target: Trump annulled Biden’s order aiming for 50% of vehicle sales to be electric by 2030.
• Tougher immigration and border security: Trump signed new executive orders tightening border control, including declaring cartels as terrorist organisations and reaffirming a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border.
• Focus on U.S. primacy in environmental agreements: He prioritised American interests in international environmental agreements and signed orders to ensure the U.S. would take precedence in global discussions.
• Emergency relief for U.S. families: The new president signed an executive order to provide emergency relief to American families dealing with rising costs.
• Curbing federal government’s armed political actions: Trump overturned the policy allowing the federal government to arm itself against political opponents.
• Cabinet and executive appointments: The president announced the appointments of new members for his cabinet, with some members serving in an acting capacity until formal confirmation.
• Freedom of expression and censorship: Trump signed an executive order to protect freedom of expression and combat censorship, focusing on online platforms.
• Action on TikTok: Trump took steps to limit TikTok’s operations in the U.S. with an executive order that allows the government to force a purchase or shutdown of the app if the Chinese government does not approve a deal.
• Cancellation of WHO membership: Trump also signed an order withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organisation, continuing his administration’s stance against international organisations.
• New measures on offshore drilling: Trump pledged to lift restrictions on offshore drilling that were imposed during the Biden administration.
• Addressing inflation: He instructed his cabinet to take all necessary steps to fight inflation and stabilise the economy.
• Reversal of political appointments: Trump highlighted that he would reverse at least 80 of Biden’s “destructive” executive orders, including those related to government regulation and spending.
• Meeting with putin: Trump mentioned the possibility of meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, although he did not specify when.
• Energy Policy adjustments: The new president announced that the U.S. would stop purchasing oil from Venezuela and criticised Biden for offering pardons to his family members.