Trump has issued several new executive orders which will likely have a global impact [Getty]
Newly inaugurated US President Donald Trump has issued a sweeping range of new executive orders which are likely to have significant domestic and international impacts.
The orders have garnered widespread attention, and some have been deemed controversial.
Executive orders are typically sensitive as they are legally binding but do not require congressional approval. Â
One of the most controversial executive orders was Trump’s previous travel ban on some Muslim-majority countries, including Sudan and Yemen. However, Joe Biden reversed this during his administration.
In his previous term, Trump signed off 220 executive orders. Orders can cover ordinary business or be significant changes such as completely reversing policies from previous administrations.
The authority to issue orders comes from the US Constitution, which grants the US president executive powers.
During his inauguration, Trump said his executive orders would lead to a “complete restoration of America”
The New Arab looks at some of the executive orders under Trump which are likely to have global impacts.
US to leave the WHO
In what came as a shock to activists, international NGOs and human rights campaigners, Trump signed an order which will see the US exit the World Health Organisation (WHO). He said the organisation “ripped us off”, adding: “Everybody rips off the United States. It’s not going to happen anymore”.
Trump said that the organisation mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other health disasters.
The executive order will see the US exiting the WHO in 12 months, including stopping all financial contributions. The move is seen as a major blow to WHO, as the US is one of the biggest financial backers of it.
The WHO carries out vital work across the world, including health research, emergency aid, elimination of diseases, improving access to essential medicines as well as carrying out monitoring and collecting data.
Gulf of Mexico renamed
Trump ordered the Gulf of Mexico to be renamed the “Gulf of America” and will also rename Alaska’s Mount Delani to Mount McKinley.
The executive order states: “President Trump is bringing common sense to the government and renewing the pillars of American civilisation”.
A preview of the executive orders said the renaming was to honour “American greatness”, US media reported.
The order further says the secretary of the interior, Doug Burgum, to be North Dakota’s governor and change the names in official federal communications and maps.
TikTok ban pausedÂ
After a 14-hour ban was enforced on the Chinese-owned app, Trump signed an executive order delaying the enforcement of a full federal ban on TikTok.
This means TikTok will be available for US users for at least another 75 days.
The decision to ban the app in the US has stirred discussion worldwide in recent weeks, particularly as many young people use it as a search platform, for news consumption and to generate income.
“I guess I have a warm spot for TikTok that I didn’t have originally,” Trump said, adding the delay would allow more time to take “appropriate cause forward” to protect national security.
Trump’s stance has changed on TikTok after gaining many votes from young people and due to his popularity on the app.
Only two genders will be recognised
Only two genders – male and female – will be recognised under the new administration, in a reversal of executive actions under Biden.
Official policy now states that “gender ideology guidance” will be removed from federal government communications, forms and policies.
“Agencies will cease pretending that men can be women and women can be men when enforcing laws that protect against sex discrimination,” the executive order states.
Under this new decision, secretaries of state and homeland security officers have been instructed to ensure that official documents such as passports and visas only have male and female on them as the two sexes.
Prisons will no longer be allowed to use taxpayers’ money for gender transition services, and agencies will not be allowed to promote gender transition.
Some human rights campaigners have already promised to challenge Trump’s decision and protect minorities.
Diversity initiatives dismantled
Trump revoked two orders signed under the Biden administration, one of which was focused on advancing racial equity for underserved communities and the other combating gender and sexual orientation discrimination.
The new executive order will likely see an end to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
This has been widely regarded as a huge setback for diversity measures in the federal government.
The decision, along with the order to end working from home for civil servants has been condemned by activists and campaigners.
End to birthright citizenship
Birthright citizenship – or anyone born on US soil to be guaranteed citizenship – is one of the many immigration-related orders that are being targeted under Trump.
The new executive order states birthright citizenship will be limited if a person’s “mother was unlawfully present in the United States and the father was not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of said person’s birth”.
It adds that it will also be limited “when that person’s mother’s presence in the United States at the time of said person’s birth was lawful but temporary”.
The order, which will come into effect 30 days from today, is believed to have been put in place to directly target children of immigrants in the country and those who are in the country illegally.
Another executive order issued will see Trump restore the death penalty for illegal immigrants who carry out capital crimes or murder police officers.
Cancelling sanctions on Israeli settlers in the West Bank
Rights organisations have lambasted Trump’s decision to overturn Biden’s sanctions on Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
Under Biden, the sanctions included freezing their US assets and barring Americans from dealing with them.
With much of the world’s attention focused on Israel’s war on Gaza, growing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank and land grabs in the occupied territory have raised concern among some of Israel’s Western allies.
According to Israeli media, Israeli officials had directly raised the matter of sanctions with Trump transition officials, highlighting it as a key demand for the incoming administration.
8. Declaring a national emergency
Trump declared a national emergency in response to concerns that the power grid is struggling to handle a surge in demand from data centres.
Signing the order, he said this meant “you can do whatever you have to do to get out of that problem and we do have that kind of emergency”.
The national emergency allows his administration to fast-track permits for new fossil fuel infrastructure.
“We have something that no other manufacturing nation will ever have, the largest amount of oil and gas of any country on Earth, and we are going to use it – let me use it,” he said in his address speech.
Withdrawing from Paris climate agreement
International NGOs have hit out at Trump for pulling out from the 2015 Paris Agreement.
The move comes as Trump has undertaken several decisions which will see the US reverse on efforts regarding climate protection.
“I am immediately withdrawing from the unfair, one-sided Paris Climate Accord rip-off,” he said.
He previously called Biden’s policies to expand the US clean energy sector a “green new scam”.
Trump informed the UN of the decision, despite the US being the world’s second-biggest emitter of pollution which causes global warming.
The withdrawal will take around a year to be formalised and will mean the US will join Iran, Yemen and Libya as the only countries not part of the agreement.
Revoking electric vehicle targets
Under Biden, a non-binding executive order was signed which was geared towards making half of all new electric vehicles sold in 2030 electric.
However, Trump has now reversed this, saying: “The US will not sabotage our own industries while China pollutes with impunity”.
Biden also finalised auto pollution standards in the spring, which has also been reversed by Trump.
