Accelerated Business through Executive Orders --- Day One

"Our sovereignty will be reclaimed. Our safety will be restored. The scales of justice will be rebalanced."

"[I have] a mandate to completely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal. [My administration will] give the people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy and indeed their freedom. From this moment on, America's decline s over."

"I was saved by God to make America great again."

"The United States will once again consider itself a growing nation, one that increases our wealth, expands our territory, builds our cities, raises our expectations, and carries our flag into new and beautiful horizons."

"The entire nation is rapidly unifying behind our agenda with dramatic increases in support from virtually every element of our society."

"Many people thought it was impossible for me to stage such a historic political comeback. But as you see, here I am today. The American people have spoken."

U.S. President Donald J. Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump holds up an executive order commuting sentences for people convicted of Jan. 6 offenses in the Oval Office of the White House on Monday, his first day in office for his second term. (Evan Vucci/The Associated Press)

 

Sworn in as 47th president, in his second term of office, Mr. Trump promised to deliver a "revolution of common sense" as he set out to reshape American institutions. Immediately on his resumption of office, dozens of executive orders awaited his signature. Orders to clamp down on illegal border crossings, to increase fossil fuel development, and above all, to end diversity and inclusion programs throughout the federal government. He is on a mission to address a "crisis of trust".

A border app named CBP One allowing almost a million people to legally enter the United States with eligibility for employment has been ended. On the Customs and Border Protection website Monday a notice appeared alerting users that the app used to permit migrants to schedule appointments at eight southwest border ports of entry, is no longer available for use. Appointments that had been scheduled were cancelled. This route to entry was seen as overly generous, a magnet for people to  arrive at the Mexican border with the U.S.

Protections for transgender people and terminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs within government have vanished with the signing of executive orders. No longer will efforts to "socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life" be countenanced. Another order declares that the federal government would henceforth recognize two immutable sexes; male and female. Women are to be protected thereby from "gender extremism". Requirements at government facilities and workplaces making it mandatory that transgender people be referred to with pronouns aligning with their gender would be rescinded, considered violations of the First Amendment's freedom of speech and religion.

Predictably, civil rights groups are on standby preparing to challenge these orders. "Welcome home", departing President Joe Biden said to incoming Trump. Following the inauguration ceremony, President Trump walked Mr. Biden to the Capitol's east side, where a helicopter awaited Biden to begin his post-presidential life. In acknowledgement that the inauguration took place on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President Trump remarked: "We will strive together to make his dreams a reality", thanking Black and Latino voters for their November support.

From, day one of his new presidency, first actions include the declaration of a national emergency at the southern border where deportations are to begin with "millions  and millions of criminal aliens". Monday executive actions include measures to deploy the military and the National Guard to complete barrier construction along the U.S.-Mexico border. Refugee resettlement is to be suspended for at least four months to enable authorities to designate foreign gangs as "global terrorists". Automatic citizenship will no longer be recognized for anyone born in the United States to undocumented immigrants.

Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office Monday. During his first term, Trump signed 220 executive orders. (Evan Vucci/The Associated Press)