President Donald Trump continued his historic speed of action on Sept. 5, signing the 200th executive order since taking office for a second term 228 days ago.
His administration said the pace is a reflection of the president’s commitment to the nation and its citizens.
“President Trump is the most effective and hardest-working President in history,” Anna Kelly, White House deputy press secretary, told The Epoch Times by email. “By signing Executive Orders at the highest rate in decades, he has quickly implemented the American people’s agenda to cool inflation, secure the border, and restore peace through strength.”
The 200th executive order changes the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War.
“This action … makes clear that, under President Trump, our military about not just defense, but also offense,” Kelly said. “He is using all tools at his disposal to strengthen our national security, deter threats abroad, and Make America Strong Again–just like he promised.”
Issued without congressional approval, presidential actions are often rejected by subsequent administrations.
In his first term, Trump signed 220 orders, about one-third of which were overturned by his successor, President Joe Biden.
Biden signed 162 orders during his four-year stint, and Trump has already rescinded approximately half of those directives.
Since reclaiming the White House, Trump has maintained a rapid pace, tackling a host of issues as soon as he got back in the Oval Office.
His first order, titled “Ending the Weaponization of the Federal Government,” was meant to “correct past misconduct” by government officials and agencies, including law enforcement and the intelligence community.
Many of the directives pertain to the border and national security, including those that end cashless bail and restore the death penalty.
An order titled “Protecting American People From Invasion” was signed soon after Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20 and directs all federal law enforcement agencies to enforce the nation’s immigration laws.
Other orders designated cartels and some gangs as foreign terrorist organizations, providing more flexibility for U.S. military intervention.
He also issued a series of directives targeting China with punitive tariffs for allowing the production and export of fentanyl precursor chemicals.
Another common theme of Trump’s actions is energy independence.
He declared a national energy emergency on Jan. 29 with one order and, on the same day, signed another, “Unleashing American Energy.”
Several orders are aimed at promoting an America-first agenda for manufacturing and production opportunities.
Others are meant to realign cultural issues with traditional family values—including orders that keep men out of women’s sports, direct federal agencies to only recognize male and female genders, and eliminate federally funded diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, among others.
Trump has amended some of his actions as negotiations with foreign governments and other stakeholders take place and new developments arise.
Only President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued orders at a quicker pace, signing 200 actions in 153 days during his first year in office in 1933, according to data from the American Presidency Project at the University of California–Santa Barbara.
Roosevelt also holds the record for most executive orders signed by a president, issuing 3,726 during his slightly more than 12 years as commander in chief.
He also served longer than any other leader—for more than 12 years from 1933 until his death in 1945—a record protected by existing law, as the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1951, held that no person may be elected to the office of president more than twice.
Trump bested Roosevelt’s record of 99 orders in 100 days earlier this year by signing one more than FDR.
Historically, the use of executive orders was limited during the nation’s first century—President George Washington issued eight orders, averaging one per year.
Of those who served out their terms, Presidents James Madison and James Monroe share the record for the fewest orders—one each—issued over the course of their respective eight-year presidencies.
The pace accelerated significantly with President Theodore Roosevelt, who signed 1,081 executive orders during his two terms.
Trump’s 420 orders so far during his two stints is the highest number since President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed 484.
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