"Within hours of taking office, I will sign dozens of executive orders—close to 100, to be exact. With a stroke of my pen I will revoke dozens of destructive and radical executive orders and actions of the Biden administration," President-elect Trump recently declared.
Trump is expected to focus on the US-Mexico border and immigration policies. One executive order will declare an emergency at the border, allowing resources to be redirected from the Department of Defense to border security efforts. Additionally, the "Remain in Mexico" policy will be reinstated, requiring asylum seekers to stay in northern Mexico while their cases are adjudicated in US courts.
Trump also plans to designate international drug cartels, many of which operate in and out of Mexico, as "international terrorist organizations."
Another set of executive orders will address cultural issues in the US. The new administration will recognize only two biological sexes, male and female. This policy will effectively strip transgenders of certain rights in the US military and public schools, prohibit public funding for gender-transition surgeries, and mandate that biological sex be recorded in official documents. Additionally, the administration will overturn Biden-era orders aimed at promoting affirmative action policies (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – DEI).
According to senior officials in Trump's transition team, these measures are part of an agenda to "restore sanity." One official described the order recognizing only two sexes as a means of "protecting women from the extremism of gender ideology" and "bringing biological truth back to the federal government." The executive order mandates the exclusive use of the term "sex" instead of "gender" in all official documents.
Other orders will revoke restrictions on drilling within and beyond US borders. They will also reinstate protections for certain federal employees and suspend the federal ban on TikTok, granting the Chinese-owned app additional time to secure a US-based buyer.
Among Trump's plans is the renaming of federal landmarks. The Gulf of Mexico will reportedly be renamed "America's Gulf" in federal documents. Additionally, the name of Alaska's Mount Denali - North America's tallest peak - will revert to "Mount McKinley," honoring former President William McKinley. President Barack Obama had changed the name to Denali in 2015, aligning with its historical name used by Indigenous peoples in the area.
These measures, Trump believes, will mark a significant step toward reversing what he views as detrimental changes implemented by the previous administration.
