Here are 11 Things Trump Has Promised to Carry Out on Day 1 of His Presidency
President-elect Donald Trump spent the past two years on the campaign trail making more than a dozen promises about what he would enact on his first day in office.
Trump’s day-one plans are wide-reaching, calling for the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, sweeping tariffs that economists have warned could have drastic and harmful effects on the U.S. economy, and pardons of defendants charged in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
On the first day of his previous term, Trump signed just one executive order, which targeted Obamacare. Here are some of Trump’s most notable day-one promises this time around.
Immigration
Begin a Mass Deportation Program
Trump made immigration the centerpiece of his 2024 pitch, repeatedly vowing to deport undocumented migrants. On Oct. 27, just days before the election, Trump reiterated during a rally in New York City, “On day one, I will launch the largest deportation program in American history to get the criminals out.”
In 2022, the number of undocumented migrants living in the U.S. stood at nearly 11 million according to a federal estimate, though the exact number is unknown. Fewer than 500,000 undocumented immigrants were known to have criminal backgrounds as of September, Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a letter to Congress.
End Birthright Citizenship
Anyone who is born in the U.S. is automatically granted citizenship, a right laid out in the 14th Amendment. Trump wants to change it, which is a logistically difficult operation that would almost certainly lead to legal battles. In a December interview on NBC News’s “Meet the Press,” moderator Kristen Welker asked Trump whether it was still his plan to end birthright citizenship on day one. Trump said, “Absolutely.”
End Biden-era Border Policies
Trump has issued a broad pushback to President Joe Biden’s immigration policies, vowing to use his first day in office to “terminate every open-borders policy of the Biden administration.” Trump also said during a New Hampshire campaign event in October that he would “use Title 42,” a public health law that was implemented toward the start of the COVID-19 crisis and allowed the White House to deport migrants faster.
Democracy
Pardon Jan. 6 Defendants
Trump has repeatedly said he would quickly pardon people convicted for their role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. When NBC News’ Welker asked Trump in December about his timeline for pardons, he said, “I’m looking the first day.” He went further in an interview with Time magazine, saying, “I’ll be looking at J6 early on, maybe the first nine minutes.”
More than 1,580 defendants have been charged and more than 1,270 convicted in the Jan. 6 investigation, on charges ranging from unlawful parading to seditious conspiracy.
Foreign Policy
Ending the War in Ukraine
Trump has promised he could end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office or even before. “That is a war that’s dying to be settled. I will get it settled before I even become president,” Trump said during a September debate with Vice President Kamala Harris in Philadelphia.
Economy
Implement Tariffs
Trump promised to sign an executive order implementing a 25% tariff on products imported from Mexico and Canada. Economists have warned that consumers could bear the brunt of sweeping tariffs, which may lead to higher prices.
Cancel the Electric Vehicle ‘Mandate’
Trump has promised to cancel what he calls “electric vehicle mandates,” referring to Biden’s 2021 order setting a nationwide goal for 50% of new cars and trucks sold by 2030 to be zero-emission.
Increase Oil Drilling
Trump has repeatedly promised to “drill, drill, drill” on his first day in office, claiming this would drastically reduce energy costs. His incoming press secretary stated they would “expedite permits for drilling and fracking all over this country.”
‘Made in America’ Auto Industry
Trump promised during a September rally that “a vote for President Trump means the future of the automobile will be made in America,” forecasting an auto industry “fueled by American energy” and “sourced by American suppliers.”
Transgender Rights
Limit Participation in Women’s Sports
Trump has vowed to ensure transgender women cannot compete in women’s sports, stating in October, “I will keep men out of women’s sports, 100%, immediately, first day.”
End Gender-affirming Care Practices
Trump promised to revoke Biden’s administration policies on gender-affirming care on his first day in office, as stated in a campaign video from February 2023.
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Here are 11 Things Trump Has Promised to Carry Out on Day 1 of His Presidency