Washington [US], December 17: With his familiar black ink pen strokes, U.S. President Donald Trump has signed his 221st executive order since January, a number far exceeding the total number of orders he has issued in his entire first term.
According to AFP's analysis, from promoting artificial intelligence to seemingly mundane issues like increasing shower water flow, Trump is signing executive orders at the fastest pace since World War II.
The latest document, signed by President Trump on December 15th, officially classifies fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction. Prior to this, according to the updated U.S. Federal Register, 220 executive orders had been issued. These documents have immediate legal effect and do not require congressional approval.
The total number of executive orders not only exceeds that of Trump's first term (2017-2021), but also far surpasses recent US presidents such as Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and George W. Bush, who on average signed only about 30-40 executive orders per year.
In modern history, only President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed nearly 4,000 executive orders during his four terms from 1933 to 1945.
According to political science professor John Woolley at the University of California, this is part of the US President's communication strategy. "These executive orders send a direct signal to key voter groups that he is promoting his ideals," Woolley stated.
Through a series of executive orders, Trump continues to expand his use of presidential power to a level rarely seen in modern American political history, according to AFP. Nearly 60% of the orders focus on domestic issues, while less than 10% relate purely to foreign policy. The remainder spans a wide range of other areas.
Social issues accounted for the largest share (approximately 30%), including culture, civil rights, education, and healthcare. This group surpassed economic, trade, and investment issues (approximately 20%) and government reform (18%). Immigration and security - a central theme in Trump's 2024 campaign - ranked fourth with approximately 10%.
However, the practical effectiveness of executive orders is being questioned as more and more documents are being taken to court. According to the independent legal site Just Security, more than 1% of Trump's executive orders have been legally challenged, with over 20 documents being temporarily or partially blocked by the courts.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
