On Jan. 20, 2025, Donald Trump became the 47th president of the United States. After taking the oath of office, President Trump began signing executive orders pardoning Jan. 6 defendants, implementing Schedule F to reclassify civil servants as political appointees, declaring a national emergency at the border, and more.
Executive actions related to national security and foreign policy can be found in the searchable table below, along with related documents, Lawfare analysis of the orders, and the legal challenges against them. We will continue to add to this page as events unfold.
Executive Orders
Lawfare Analysis
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The Criminal Probe of E. Jean Carroll’s Lawsuits
Whoever is the primary subject—Reid Hoffman or Carroll—the inquiry appears to constitute archetypal prosecutorial abuse. -
Lawfare Live: The Trials of the Trump Administration, June 5
Join the Lawfare team at 4 pm ET for a discussion of the litigation surrounding the Trump administration. -
The Justice Department Erases History; Lawfare Restores It
Last week, the Justice Department deleted thousands of press releases related to the Jan. 6 insurrection and other matters. Here they are. -
Lawfare Live: The Trials of the Trump Administration, May 29
Join the Lawfare team at 4 pm ET for a discussion of the litigation surrounding the Trump administration. -
Lawfare Live: The Trials of the Trump Administration, May 22
Join the Lawfare team at 4 pm ET for a discussion of the litigation surrounding the Trump administration. -
The President Who Sued Himself
The Trump administration settles Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS with $1.776 billion for his allies and blanket immunity from government suits for the Trumps.
Documents
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Trump Signs Executive Order to Reshape the U.S. Foreign Service
The order directs the secretary of state to reform recruiting, performance, evaluation, retention, and other diplomatic service standards. -
Trump Signs Order on DOGE ‘Workforce Optimization Initiative’
The order directs agencies to prepare for workforce reductions and hire one worker for every four that depart. -
Justice Dept. Releases Slate of Memos from Attorney General Bondi
Bondi signed 14 memos on topics ranging from internal personnel matters to potential investigations into current and former civil servants. -
Federal Employee Unions Sue DOGE and the Department of Labor
A coalition of unions seek to block DOGE from gaining access to the Labor Department. -
Trump Issues Memorandum to Detain Migrants at Guantanamo
The president directs the secretaries of defense and homeland security to expand the migrant operations center to “full capacity.” -
Trump Executive Order Targets Transgender Service Members
The order reverses a 2021 Biden administration directive allowing transgender troops to serve openly—which itself had overturned an earlier ban from the first Trump administration.
This page was created by Anna Hickey.