Donald Trump was sworn into the presidential office on Jan. 20, 2025, for his second term as the President of the United States of America (USA). He wasted no time, and on his first day as president, he signed 26 executive orders and rescinded 78 executive orders approved by former President Joe Biden. Some of these orders have stirred up more controversy than others.

Gender Order

Trump signed an executive order stating that there are only two genders, male and female. The order attempts to end “radical and wasteful” diversity, equity and inclusion programs inside federal agencies. The order states that the federal government has to use the term “sex” instead of “gender” and that passports must “accurately reflect the holder’s sex.” This order has already taken effect in prisons, migrant shelters and rape shelters where people are usually divided by gender identity but now will be switched to biological sex.

Name Changes

One of the more controversial orders signed by Trump on his first day changed the name of the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America.” Similarly, he changed the name of the Alaskan mountain, Mount Denali, back to Mount McKinley, which was originally changed in 2015. Many people take these seemingly unnecessary name changes as a lack of respect for the native cultures that lived on USA ground prior to European colonization.

Immigration Policies

Multiple orders were signed regarding Mexican immigration policies. Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border and deployed members of armed forces at the border. Trump also ended the “catch and release” of Mexican immigrants, meaning that people wanting to immigrate to America must remain in Mexico until their visas are processed. This also means that Mexican immigrants who are in America illegally are being deported, which has led to the USA Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids all over the country and in schools. Another order changed the definition of birthright citizenship, making it so that children are not automatically granted citizenship if their parents don’t meet specific guidelines regarding their citizenship, which violates the 14th Amendment.

Technology

An order that has received a positive response from the public is Trump’s 75-day extension on the TikTok ban. After a 12-hour ban on the app on Jan. 18, the app became accessible to users again, thanking Trump for working to keep the app available in the USA.

Climate and Health

Trump has pulled the USA out of the Paris Climate Agreement, an agreement to cut down greenhouse emissions worldwide and fight climate change. Trump withdrew from this agreement during his first term, but Biden rejoined the pact on his first day of presidency in 2020. Trump also pulled the USA from the World Health Organization (WHO) and rescinded one of Biden’s 2022 orders that lowered the cost of prescription drugs.

Pardons

In one of Trump’s first executive actions, he pardoned around 1,500 of his supporters involved in the attacks and riots in the capital of the USA on Jan. 6, 2021. This order is facing backlash from the public, US senators and politicians.