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I joke sometimes that it’s challenging to write about politics today because the Trump juggernaut is so overwhelming that it’s like drinking from a firehose. Instead of struggling to find things to write about, I struggle to winnow down my choices. I thought, therefore, that it might be a fun exercise to note down, in brief, Trump’s significant executive orders, along with my thoughts (again, in brief) about their merits.

Herewith the list, to which I’ll add preliminarily that Congress needs to get off its collective tuchis and turn many of these into law, so that a subsequent Democrat cannot undo them with the stroke of a pen. After all, we’ve all learned that, while Republican presidents cannot undo the executive orders their Democrat predecessors (including Autopens) signed, Democrat presidents can always strike anything a Republican president has done.

Image by AI.

Encouraging America’s energy independence. Not only is this important for our national security, but it’s also the antidote for price bumps caused by Trump’s necessarily brute-force tariff negotiations. Even as import prices go up, domestic prices will decrease.

Closing the Department of Education. The DOE was Jimmy Carter’s gift to the teachers’ unions. The teachers’ unions, rather than simply ensuring living wages and decent working conditions for America’s teachers, have turned into a leftist behemoth, suck up money and indoctrinating children, rather than educating them.

Increasing America’s mineral production (and see here and here). Trump understands that, in a digital age, national security requires control over minerals. However, thanks to the environmentalist lobby, which long ago went from preventing pollution and despoilation of America’s natural resources to becoming a Gaia-worshipping dictatorship, we’ve become dangerously dependent on China and other foreign countries.

Implementing a whole-of-government approach to information sharing. This is sound business management that’s intended to decrease duplication, inefficiency, and fraud.

Challenging allegedly corrupt law firms (here, here, here, and here). The Democrats, of course, are very upset, but the reality is that, during and after Trump’s presidency, certain law firms engaged in conduct that may have crossed the line ethically and they did so in a way that effectively sought to overthrow the presidency and, after Trump left office, to prevent his candidacy. That conduct, if proven, goes beyond the bounds of legitimate legal advocacy, and into the realms of sedition and related activities.

Imposing tariffs on countries importing oil from Venezuela. This is, in essence, a blockade against a country that has openly sent its foot soldiers (Tren de Aragua members) to destabilize American from within, a murderous, raping, drug-dealing, pedophile Trojan Horse.

Updating the federal government’s payment systems. It’s time to drag the dinosaur into the third decades of the 21st century, although it’s to be hoped that, via a related executive order about fraud, waste, and abuse it’s done with enough protections locked in that people inside and outside of the government cannot use electronics to drain America’s payment systems. (I’m a little worried about this one.)

Protecting American elections. Speaking of using electronics illegally, we’ve seen that America’s elections are anything but secure, and voting systems are exceptionally vulnerable to fraud. Democrats’ objections to this are telling, because it’s almost an admission against interest that fraud is their vehicle for victory.

Wrestling American history from leftist hands. As we’ve seen in Europe, if citizens are taught to hate their heritage, they will willingly hand their country over to the barbarians. Teaching children that theirs is a country that, although not without flaws, is still the greatest on earth, is an essential step to achieving national security.

Cleaning up D.C. Yes, it’s shameful that the city housing the government of the most powerful (still) nation on earth is a crime-ridden hellhole. Trump is right to clean it up and make it safe.

Streamlining America’s regulatory processes regarding investments. Trump is correct that businesses cannot thrive in America if, like Gulliver, they are tied down by hundreds of federal, state, and local regulations, many of which are duplicative or contradictory.

Trump’s tariffs. I happen to believe in them. Trump doesn’t have the luxury of time to get all the world’s countries on board in respectful, slo-mo negotiations because 2026 is looming. If Republicans don’t continue to control D.C., then it’s all over. I also believe that lower energy prices, higher employment, and a diminution in inflation offset the rising costs the tariffs will bring.

Steps to block China’s importing opioids into America. Flooding America with opiates is an act of war. (China understands this more than most.) Trump is right to attack it however he can.

Strengthening the electrical grid and keeping states from interfering with America’s overriding energy needs. Strengthening the grid should be one of America’s highest priorities, and it’s an ongoing disgrace that it hasn’t been. Currently, we’re vulnerable to a major EMP attack that will revert us to a pre-modern era. It’s no exaggeration to say that America will collapse in a very zombie-apocalypse kind of way if the attack is big enough. Moreover, as the collapse of the grid in Spain and Portugal revealed, green energy is a threat, too. Having leftist states trying to block this national security issue needs to end.

Reinvigorating the coal industry. This is another essential step to lower inflation and, through energy independence, increase national security.

Improving speed and accountability for foreign weapons sales. This is about enabling us to work more closely with allies to sell them weapons. More manufacturing for us; more defense for them. (Israel is happy—and we’re happy, too, because Israel always improves our weapons systems.)

Sunsetting energy production regulations. Trump’s concern with unleashing America’s energy has nothing to do with cronies in the industry or trying to kill Gaia. He understands that energy is the foundation on which all civilizations rest, whether energy from slaves, domesticated animals, wood-burning, coal-burning, oil-burning, or nuclear energy. A nation that does not have energy is doomed—and probably doomed at the hands of an opponent that is building more coal plants than ever.

Ending anti-competitive regulatory barriers. Or not allowing the government to play favorites and help maintain monopolies.  

Restoring America’s maritime dominance. Anther sensible “eat or be eaten” policy in a world in which our major geopolitical enemy is building both commercial and military ships at warp speed. (See this, too, about seafood competitiveness, something that strikes back at China overfishing the South China Sea region.)

Bringing into the 21st century defense acquisitions and innovation. Another sign that Trump isn’t just hoping that our geopolitical enemies play nice with us. He believes that the best defense is...a good defense!

Lowering prescription drug prices. A good idea that goes without saying, if it can be done without the government interfering with the marketplace. Part of the problem, in fact, is that Medicare and Medicaid so pervert prices that it’s impossible to know the real value of the drugs.

Getting the government out of D.C. This’ll connect the bureaucrats to the people they’re supposed to serve, and it will dilute their power by diffusing it geographically.

Having agencies shop for supplies more efficiently. Yup. Businesses do it, and so can our government.

Forcing colleges and universities to reveal foreign funding. Yay. More yay. And still more yay. There’s a reason academia teaches students to hate America and Israel, and to love China and Hamas.

Promoting trades, instead of liberal arts. We don’t need more English majors. We do need more plumbers, mechanics, and all the other skilled labor that underlies American functionality.

Allowing schools to discipline students based on conduct not skin color. Under Obama, race-based discipline became a thing, meaning that disruptive or dangerous minorities got a pass. This is illegal and destructive of education. So, again, yay.

Doing away with disparate impact rules. This is a huge one. “Disparate impact” says that, if facially neutral policies that clearly had no racial intent nevertheless negatively affect minorities, those policies must go. This created a lowest common denominator of competency, and opened businesses and local government agencies up to government-imposed affirmative action that, again, lowered standards, sometimes to dangerous levels.

Making Mexican truckers speak English. This is so obvious I bet you’re as shocked as I am to know it wasn’t a rule before.

Ending the free pass given to so-called “sanctuary jurisdictions.” Finally, the free ride is often for states and cities that harbor dangerous illegal aliens.

Helping to support local law enforcement. This is the mirror image of defunding the police, and I’m betting that the non-woke residents of crime-ridden communities will be grateful.

Stopping taxpayer funding of NPR and PBS. Those outlets gave up any pretense of non-partisanship decades ago. It’s disgraceful that they get a penny of federal money.