Introduction
President Donald Trump commenced his second term by signing a flurry of executive orders, initially causing confusion and astonishment. On his first day, he issued 26 executive orders, with a total of 139 by the previous week. Nearly a hundred of these orders have faced legal challenges in courts.
Key Executive Order Themes
Among the numerous topics covered by these executive orders, the most prominent are tariffs, immigration, and reduction of federal government employees.
Tariffs
The most contentious order, due to its global reach, has been the closure of the U.S. economy through the approval of tariffs on imports from around the world. The stock market plummeted, Treasury bond yields rose, and the dollar fell against major currencies. Deepening this negative reaction, President Trump demanded interest rate cuts, warning he might fire the central bank president. This led to a subsequent day’s retreat, with a 90-day pause declared on the implementation of “reciprocal tariffs,” except those applied against China, while President Trump stated he “wasn’t trying” to fire the central bank president.
Immigration
Regarding immigration, the most significant achievement has been a drastic reduction in asylum-seekers crossing the southern border. However, the deportation of foreign nationals with criminal records and the rejection of asylum petitions have sparked controversy and numerous legal challenges.
Federal Employees Reduction
Under the guidance of Tesla owner Elon Musk, it is estimated that 75,000 government employees have opted for retirement with severance packages, while many more have been terminated, and some reinstated temporarily. Only recently did Mr. Musk announce that he would dedicate more time to managing Tesla in May.
Impact on Approval Ratings
The uncertainty generated by this initial style of decision-making, erratic and unpredictable, has caused a decline in President Trump’s approval ratings, falling to the lowest level of any elected president since the end of World War II.
Key Questions and Answers
- Q: What are the main themes of President Trump’s executive orders?
A: The primary themes are tariffs, immigration, and reducing federal government employees.
- Q: What was the most contentious executive order?
A: The most contentious was the global tariff approval, causing a stock market drop, rising bond yields, and a falling dollar.
- Q: How have immigration policies been affected by these orders?
A: Asylum-seekers crossing the southern border have decreased, but deportations of foreign nationals with criminal records and asylum rejections have sparked controversy and legal challenges.
- Q: What changes have occurred in federal employment due to these orders?
A: Approximately 75,000 federal employees have retired with severance packages, while others have been terminated or temporarily reinstated. Elon Musk has committed to dedicating more time to Tesla in May.
- Q: How have President Trump’s approval ratings been impacted?
A: The erratic and unpredictable decision-making style has led to the lowest approval ratings of any elected president since World War II.
Author’s Background
The author is an international analyst and consultant, former director of the CEPAL office in Washington. He has commented on economics and finance for CNN en Español TV and radio, UNIVISION, TELEMUNDO, and other media outlets.
