In a sweeping move that underscores the dramatic pivot in leadership, President Donald Trump signed multiple executive orders on Monday night inside the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., marking his return to the presidency. This unconventional venue, chosen due to the harsh winter weather, also served as a symbolic gesture, tying back to the patriotic spirit of his inaugural parade earlier in the day.
The first of these executive orders served as a powerful statement: a wholesale rescinding of 78 executive orders from the Biden administration, effectively clearing the slate. Many of these orders had drawn criticism for their expansive regulatory reach, signaling a sharp break from the policies of Trump’s predecessor, former President Joe Biden. But Trump didn’t stop there.
We’re out of the Paris Climate Accord now. And that’s not even the most awful of his executive orders.
I will never ever forgive the people who voted for this.
— Khashoggi’s Ghost (@urocklive1.bsky.social) January 20, 2025 at 6:42 PM
In a decision sure to spark international debate, he officially withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Accords, a hallmark of the Obama administration. Trump framed this move as a necessary step toward financial prudence, projecting that it would save the U.S. over a trillion dollars in the long run.
Among other notable actions, Trump announced a regulatory and hiring freeze across the federal government, ensuring that his administration could assess and recalibrate its operations without additional layers of bureaucracy. He also signed an executive order aimed at preventing government censorship of free speech, a topic that has garnered growing attention in recent years as debates around social media and public discourse have intensified.
Furthermore, addressing one of the nation’s most pressing challenges, Trump ordered all government departments to focus their efforts on combatting inflation—a lingering crisis many attribute to the nearly $2 trillion American Rescue Plan signed into law by Biden in early 2021.
these executive orders….i deeply hate every single person that allowed this to happen
— robby (@notrobbyy.bsky.social) January 20, 2025 at 9:22 PM
In typical Trump fashion, he punctuated the signing with a jab at his predecessor, quipping, “Could you imagine Biden doing this? I don’t think so.” The remark elicited laughter and applause from attendees, a moment that captured the fervent energy of his return.
The night wasn’t over, however. After concluding the ceremony, Trump returned to the White House, where he is expected to continue his ambitious agenda, with plans to sign over 200 additional executive orders aimed at dismantling Biden’s legacy.
