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 Legality of Migrant Detention on Military Bases
The president does not have an unfettered ability to use the military to detain migrants on military bases. -
Foreign Assistance Is Not an Article II Power
Congress, not the president, has the authority to determine U.S. foreign assistance policy. -
Lawfare Live: Trials of the Trump Administration, March 7
Join the Lawfare team at 4 pm ET for a discussion of the litigation targeting actions from President Trump. -
Lawfare Daily: The Trials of the Trump Administration, Feb. 28
Listen to the Feb. 28 livestream now. -
‘One Voice’ and the Trump Administration’s Conduct of Foreign Affairs
A new executive order deploys a contested theory of presidential authority—and uses it to target the public servants responsible for conducting America’s foreign relations. -
Lawfare Live: Trials of the Trump Administration, Feb. 28
Join the Lawfare team at 4 pm ET for a discussion of the litigation targeting actions from President Trump.
Documents
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Trump Signs Order Initiating U.S. Withdrawal from WHO
The order directs the State Department and other government actors to begin the process of withdrawal from the World Health Organization. -
Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Order Faces Immediate Challenges
Four suits filed in federal court this week mark an initial effort by states and advocacy groups to block the order. -
Trump Signs Executive Order on Speech and Censorship
The order directs the attorney general to investigate federal government activities of the last four years that may have violated principles of free speech. -
Trump Order Purports to End Constitutionally-Protected Birthright Citizenship
The order states that citizenship does not extend to babies born on U.S. soil, something long understood to be guaranteed under the Fourteenth Amendment. -
Trump Releases Memo on Organization of the National Security Council
The NSC functions to advise the president on “the integration of domestic, foreign, and military policies relating to national security.” -
Federal Employees Union Challenges Trump Schedule F Order
The union argues that the order, which strips certain federal employees of employment protections, violates multiple laws and regulations.
This page was created by Anna Hickey.