Trump has signed more executive orders this year than in his entire first term
The US president’s 221st order designated fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction, joining others on AI and fighting ‘woke’ culture
With a stroke of his favourite black pen, Donald Trump has signed what should become his 221st executive order – a figure that exceeds the number in his entire first term, as he forges ahead with one of the biggest displays of US presidential power in modern history.
Issued in a number unprecedented since World War II, the orders cover everything from new customs barriers to promoting artificial intelligence, fighting “woke” culture and the architectural style of federal buildings, according to an Agence France-Presse analysis.
Since Trump returned to the White House on January 20, 220 orders – which are legally binding and do not need Congressional approval – have been published in the Federal Register according to its update on Tuesday.
A 221st text signed on Monday by him designating fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction is expected to follow.
Trump’s three predecessors, Joe Biden, Barack Obama and George W. Bush, signed an average of 30 to 40 a year.
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Only Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt – who over four terms signed nearly 4,000 executive orders between 1933 and 1945 – produced at Trump’s rate, although that occurred in the context of the Great Depression and World War II.