In just 100 days in office, US President Donald Trump has made history for signing a record-breaking 142 executive orders. That’s more than any president has ever signed in this short a time, even beating Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 99 during the Great Depression. But instead of tackling economic crises, Trump’s orders have touched everything from immigration and citizenship to shower heads and plastic straws.
On day one, he set the tone by issuing 26 orders. These included pardons for those involved in the January 6 Capitol riots, pulling the US out of the Paris Climate Agreement again, and labeling drug cartels as terror groups. And he hasn’t slowed down since.
Many of Trump’s orders have raised eyebrows, sparked protests, and ended up in court. One of the most talked-about actions fast-tracked the removal of undocumented migrants who arrived in the past two years. It also targeted anyone who helped them. Then came a major shift in how America defines citizenship — now, according to Trump, a child is only a citizen if both parents are US citizens and in the country legally.
Trump also made changes that upset environmental and civil rights groups. He ditched paper straws and brought back plastic ones, calling them more “American.” He also overturned Obama-era limits on shower water flow, saying Americans deserve “great showers.” Another order shut down the entire USAID agency, which had funded aid programs around the world. With it, 10,000 jobs vanished.
On social issues, Trump declared the US would recognize only two biological sexes, rolling back LGBTQ protections. He ended diversity and inclusion programs across federal agencies, calling them wasteful.
Even truck drivers weren’t spared. One order now requires them to pass English literacy tests. Trump said it’s a safety issue, though critics argue it targets immigrants.
Trump says he’s just cutting red tape and fixing what’s broken. But his approval ratings tell another story — dipping as low as 41%, the lowest for any president at this point in office since Eisenhower.
With lawsuits piling up and backlash growing, Trump’s rapid-fire executive orders are proving to be one of the most controversial starts to a presidency in modern times.
