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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Lawfare Daily: The Trials of the Trump Administration, May 15
Listen to the May 15 livestream as a podcast. -
Lawfare Live: The Trials of the Trump Administration, May 15
Join the Lawfare team at 4 pm ET for a discussion of the litigation surrounding the Trump administration. -
Law and the Iran War, After the First 60 Days
The War Powers Resolution hasn’t been rendered irrelevant. Its relevance is just beginning. -
Lawfare Daily: An Insider’s Account of the Trump Administration’s Dismantling of USAID
Nicholas Enrich discusses his experience within USAID as DOGE dismantled it from the inside. -
Lawfare Live: The Trials of the Trump Administration, May 1
Join the Lawfare team at 4 pm ET for a discussion of the litigation surrounding the Trump administration. -
What Does the Correspondents Dinner Have to Do With Trump’s Ballroom Project?
The case may test just how far national security deference by the courts to the executive can stretch.
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Documents
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Trump Orders Pause on Federal Financial Assistance
The memorandum directs agencies to pause funding and conduct a review of programs implicated by executive orders. -
Presidential Action on Security Clearance for White House Employees
The action grants the highest level security clearance to certain individuals immediately, without full investigations. -
Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Executive Order Nationwide
The restraining order is to remain in effect for 14 days. -
Justice Dept Memo Calls for Investigations of State and Local Officials
The new policy directs department attorneys to investigate and potentially prosecute those officials who refuse to enforce Trump’s hard-line immigration enforcement policies. -
Trump Releases Memorandum on ‘America First Trade Policy’
The memo calls for a reassessment of trade agreements and recommendations to “defend” U.S. economic and national security. -
Trump Directs State Department to Recommend Cartels for Terrorism Designation
The order also directs the attorney general and secretary of homeland security to “make operational preparations” to implement any decision the president may make “to invoke the Alien Enemies Act.”
This page was created by Anna Hickey.