Cameron Miranda
As of 2025, Donald Trump is no longer the President of the United States, and therefore cannot pass laws. However, during his time in office, Trump signed numerous executive orders, some of which were controversial and faced legal challenges. These orders carried the weight of law but could be more easily overturned. Trump's administration was accused of civil and human rights rollbacks, and he was also criticized for his handling of foreign policy, immigration, and federal worker rights.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Trump's ability to pass laws | Trump's ability to pass laws is limited by the fact that Republicans only have control of both chambers of Congress, yielding Trump limited congressional oversight for at least 2 years. |
| Trump's use of executive orders | Trump has signed numerous executive orders since taking office, including those targeting transgender medical care for minors, cracking down on illegal immigration, and reshaping the federal government. |
| Trump's impact on civil and human rights | Trump's administration has been accused of working aggressively to turn back progress on civil and human rights, including signing an executive order restricting travel from certain countries and cutting refugee admissions. |
| Trump's impact on immigration | Trump's administration has issued guidance that expands the number of people subject to detention and deportation, threatening same-day deportation for those who cannot prove continuous residence in the US for two years. |
| Trump's impact on social programs | The Trump administration has proposed cutting millions of people from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and has taken steps to end the Temporary Protected Status program, which allows migrants from nations with instability to live and work in the US. |
| Trump's impact on federal workers | Trump has offered a buyout program for federal workers, which has sparked legal and political scrutiny and raised questions about potential violations of the Anti-Deficiency Act and the Administrative Leave Act. |
| Trump's impact on the economy | Trump has declared blanket tariffs on China, Canada, and Mexico, and has threatened tariffs on Colombia over deportations. He has also withdrawn from the Paris climate agreement and pledged to increase fossil fuel development. |
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What You'll Learn
Trump's use of executive orders
In 2025, Trump signed 124 executive orders, covering a wide range of topics and impacting dozens of industries. For example, on February 9, Trump signed three executive orders to "fight crime, gangs, and drugs; restore law and order; and support law enforcement". These orders were viewed with suspicion by civil rights organizations due to their vague nature.
Trump has also used executive orders to restrict travel to the United States by citizens of certain countries, drastically cut refugee admissions, and enforce immigration laws. On March 6, 2025, he signed a revised executive order restricting travel from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, and cutting back refugee admissions. On April 2, 2025, he signed EO 14256, which may be related to immigration enforcement as it directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to issue new policy guidance on the detention of undocumented immigrants.
Trump's executive orders have also targeted civil and human rights. On February 27, the Department of Justice dropped its longstanding position that a Texas voter ID law was intentionally racially discriminatory. Trump's administration also withdrew its motion for a preliminary injunction against North Carolina's anti-transgender HB 2 law. These actions have been criticized by civil rights organizations, who argue that they threaten the rights and protections of marginalized communities.
In addition to the use of executive orders, Trump has also been accused of breaking federal laws through his administration's actions. For example, the offer to let Elon Musk access the Treasury payment system and the attempt to shut down USAID have been deemed illegal by some experts and Democrats. The buyout of federal workers may violate the Anti-Deficiency Act and the Administrative Leave Act, and the deferred resignation program may violate the Administrative Leave Act of 2016.
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Trump's civil and human rights rollbacks
Since taking office in January 2017, the Trump administration has been accused of working aggressively to turn back the clock on civil and human rights progress in the United States.
On February 27, the Department of Justice dropped its longstanding argument that a Texas voter ID law was intentionally racially discriminatory. On March 6, 2017, the Department of Justice also withdrew its motion for a preliminary injunction against North Carolina's anti-transgender HB 2 law. On the same day, Trump signed a revised executive order restricting travel to the US for citizens of several Muslim-majority countries, drastically cutting back refugee admissions, and indefinitely banning all Syrian refugees. This move was seen as discriminating based on race, religion, or country of origin.
The Trump administration has also taken steps to increase deportations, with a Department of Homeland Security memo in February 2024 massively expanding the number of people subject to deportation and threatening same-day deportation for anyone unable to immediately prove continuous residence in the US for two years. In April 2025, a federal judge blocked Trump administration actions that would have ended Temporary Protected Status for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan immigrants, finding that the decision would cause irreparable harm to families and communities.
In other instances of Trump's civil and human rights rollbacks, the administration has proposed cutting millions of people from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), resumed federal executions, and attempted to roll back anti-discrimination protections in housing. Trump has also vetoed a resolution passed by Congress to terminate his declaration of a national emergency at the US-Mexico border, proposed a budget that would cut non-defense programs to increase military spending and fund a border wall, and ended an Obama-era requirement for transparency around civilian casualties in drone strikes.
Additionally, the Trump administration has been criticised for granting Elon Musk access to Treasury's payment system, which may violate federal law, and for attempting to shut down USAID, which was established by an act of Congress.
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Trump's tax and spending bill
President Trump has called for the permanent extension of the 2017 tax cuts, which include additional policies such as no taxes on tips, overtime pay, and Social Security benefits for retirees. The 2017 Trump Tax Cuts, also known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), reduced average tax burdens for taxpayers across the income spectrums and simplified the tax filing process through structural reforms. The extension of the 2017 tax cuts is expected to fuel significant economic growth and prosperity, with predictions of 1 million new jobs created by small businesses if the 20% small business deduction is made permanent.
However, there is opposition to Trump's tax and spending bill. Senate Democrats argue that the budgetary trick used by Republicans to make extending the tax cuts appear cost-free is based on "a lie to the American people" and will result in exploding the national debt. They also highlight the potential negative impact on families, with a family of four facing a $1,695 tax increase if the tax cuts expire, and 40 million families seeing their Child Tax Credit cut in half.
To pass the bill, Republicans plan to use a process known as budget reconciliation, which allows them to bypass a filibuster and pass the bill with a simple majority vote. This strategy has faced criticism from Democrats, who argue that it sets a dangerous precedent and undermines fiscal discipline. Despite the opposition, the House has already adopted the Senate's amended version of the budget resolution, which includes $5.3 trillion in deficit-financed tax cuts and an increase in the debt limit of up to $5 trillion.
The intra-party fight among Republicans and the potential impact on the US economy have also been points of contention. The imposition of tariffs on imported goods by Trump has caused chaos in financial markets and raised concerns about a shrinking US economy and falling revenue. Despite these challenges, Trump and his supporters continue to push for the passage of the tax and spending bill, with Trump declaring that the vote sets the stage for "one of the Greatest and Most Important Signings in the History of our Country."
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Trump's reduction of federal regulations
On January 31, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order titled "Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation", marking a continuation of his administration's efforts to reduce federal regulation. This order requires agencies to identify at least 10 existing regulations for repeal for every new regulation proposed, a significant increase from the "2 for 1" goal of his first term. The stated aim of this policy is to reduce the costs and complexities imposed on American citizens and businesses by federal regulations, thereby promoting economic growth, innovation, and global competitiveness.
The order establishes a stringent regulatory budgeting process, requiring agencies to offset new regulatory costs by eliminating existing ones. This is expected to lead to a substantial reduction in federal regulation and pose challenges for agencies in balancing the need for new regulations with the requirement to repeal existing ones. The Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is tasked with providing guidance to agency heads on implementing these requirements, including standardizing the measurement and estimation of regulatory costs.
The Trump administration has argued that this reduction in federal regulation will benefit American families and businesses, with the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) estimating that it will raise real incomes by upwards of $3,100 per household per year. It is also expected to save American consumers and businesses over $220 billion per year and increase real incomes by $53 billion per year over the period of 2021-2029. Additionally, regulatory reforms prior to the global pandemic contributed to a historically strong labor market and economy, lifting more than 2 million Americans out of poverty and 7 million off food stamps.
However, critics argue that Trump's reduction in federal regulations threatens civil liberties and human rights. For example, on February 27, the Department of Justice dropped its longstanding position that a Texas voter ID law was intentionally racially discriminatory. Trump's policies have also threatened same-day deportation for anyone unable to immediately prove continuous residence in the US for two years and proposed a rule that could cut over 3 million people from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
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Trump's international agreements
During his presidency, Donald Trump pursued an "America First" agenda that saw the US withdraw from several international agreements and treaties. This approach was underpinned by a belief that international treaties give too much authority to foreign states and international organisations, thereby diminishing the power of domestic political institutions.
Trump's administration withdrew from the Paris Agreement on climate change, citing the threat it posed to American sovereignty and arguing that it unfairly burdened the US with "draconian financial and economic burdens". In addition, the US also withdrew from the non-binding Global Compact on Migration, with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson stating that the agreement could "undermine the sovereign right of the United States to enforce our immigration laws and secure our borders".
Trump's presidency also saw the US withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal. This agreement, negotiated by the Obama administration, allowed Iran to pursue nuclear technology for non-military purposes under strict foreign supervision, in exchange for relaxed economic sanctions. Trump, along with many Republicans, disapproved of the agreement, believing it made excessive concessions to Iran and risked the security of Israel.
Furthermore, Trump's "America First" policies led to tensions with traditional allies and democratically elected foreign leaders, while he frequently praised foreign autocrats and dictators. Trump also threatened to withdraw the US from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), arguing that providing military defence for Western Europe was too expensive.
Trump's approach to international agreements and treaties has been criticised for undermining America's global position and credibility. His decisions to withdraw from agreements have triggered both domestic and international concerns, and some have even led to violent clashes.
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Frequently asked questions
Trump can pass laws without Congress by issuing executive orders, which carry the weight of law. However, these can be more easily overturned and may face legal challenges.
Trump has passed laws on a variety of issues, including transgender medical care for minors, immigration, and reshaping the federal government. He has also used executive orders to restrict travel to the US from certain countries and to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement.
With a Republican majority in Congress, Trump has limited congressional oversight and can pass laws more easily. However, any legislation must still comply with strict rules and can be challenged in court.
Trump has been accused of violating the Constitution, such as in a lawsuit by Democrats over elections orders. Trump has also been accused of breaking federal laws, such as the Anti-Deficiency Act and the Administrative Leave Act.
