Posted
January 20, 2025 at 8:48 PM EST
Upon returning to the White House, President Trump signed numerous executive orders, including pardons for January 6 rioters, as well as various measures addressing immigration at the country’s southern border.
One of the first orders Trump signed pardoned roughly 1,500 people who were at the U.S. Capitol during the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021 – which was aimed at stopping members of Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Trump said he “fully” pardoned 1,500 people and commuted six sentences.
“We hope they come out tonight,” Trump said.
Perhaps the biggest swath of orders was related to immigration, delivering on one of Trump’s promises throughout his campaign.
Trump signed measures addressing an alleged “invasion” at the southern border, “realigning” the country’s refugee program, “protecting the country from foreign terrorist organizations” at the border, which specifically includes drug cartels.
“They are killing our people,” he told reporters during the signing event.
Trump also signed an executive order revoking birthright citizenship, which is expected to face significant legal and constitutional hurdles.
“This is a big one,” Trump said. “We think we have very good [legal] grounds.”
Trump also signed more orders directed at the federal agencies. That includes an order aimed at “reforming the hiring at the federal government,” by prioritizing “merit” in hiring, as well as changes to the “senior executive service” within the federal government.
Trump referred to these workers as a “cancer caused by the Biden administration.”
He also signed an order creating the “Department of Government Efficiency,” or DOGE, which is being created to make cuts to federal spending.
He also signed closely watched orders related to ending a ban on the social media platform TikTok, which he previously supported banning. He says he anticipates there could be a deal reached in which an American company is able to partner with or partially own TikTok.
“I guess I have a warm spot for TikTok that I didn’t have before,” he said. “Every rich person has called me about TikTok.”
Trump said Americans make up a big part of the platform’s success, so the country should have a bigger stake in the business.
“If we create that value, why aren’t we entitled to at least half?” he said.
Trump also signed an order “opening up” the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, also known as ANWR, for oil production — which environmental activists have strongly opposed.
Other orders on a wide range of issues were signed throughout the event at the White House — including ones related to holding government officials accountable for unlawful disclosures of sensitive information, energy production, withdrawing from the World Health Organization and “protecting women from radical gender ideology,” among others.
