On his first day as president, Donald Trump has already signed a number of executive orders that relate to international aid to foreign countries, the right to obtain US citizenship, and others.
Points of attention
- Trump's first executive orders include the suspension of foreign aid programs for 90 days to analyze compliance with his policies.
- Restrictions have been placed on the acquisition of US citizenship by birthright.
- Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization has sparked controversy.
- The reinstatement of the death penalty in the United States is one of the significant actions taken by President Trump.
- Trump's executive orders call for a review of judicial precedents regarding the death penalty, particularly in cases involving law enforcement officers and serious crimes.
What is known about Trump's first executive orders as president?
On his first day as US President, Trump ordered the suspension of all foreign aid programs to foreign countries for 90 days pending a review of their compliance with his policy goals.
As Associated Press journalists note , it is currently unclear what amount of aid will be affected by this decree, as Congress has already allocated funds for a large number of programs, and these funds must be spent.
The foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not in line with American interests and in many cases contradict American values" and "serve to destabilize peace throughout the world by promoting ideas in foreign countries that are directly opposed to harmonious and stable relations within and between countries," the new US president's decree states.
According to Trump, no US aid to foreign countries will anymore be distributed in a way that is inconsistent with the US President's foreign policy.
Trump's executive order authorizes Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his designees to make appropriate decisions in consultation with the Office of Management and Budget.
The publication's journalists note that countries such as Israel ($3.3 billion per year), Egypt ($1.5 billion per year) and Jordan ($1.7 billion per year) are unlikely to face a sharp reduction in aid, as the amounts are included in long-term packages designed for decades ahead.
In addition, Trump has restricted the acquisition of US citizenship by birth.
Government agencies will now not issue citizenship documents to children born in the US to parents without legal status.
As noted by The Washington Post and CNN , the document applies to children born after 30 days from the date of the measures. It will apply in cases where the parents are in the United States illegally, as well as in situations where the mother is in the United States temporarily.
What is known about Trump's other first executive orders?
Trump signed an executive order to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization. He had already made a similar attempt in 2020.
The organization's mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that originated in Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to enact urgently needed reforms, and its failure to demonstrate independence from undue political influence by WHO member states, the decree explains as the reasons for the decision.
In addition, Trump brought back the death penalty to the United States.
The document stipulates that the attorney general must "take all necessary and lawful measures" to ensure that states have sufficient supplies of lethal injection drugs.
According to the order, the Department of Justice must not only seek death sentences in federal cases, but also support states in providing drugs to carry out such sentences.
Trump's executive order mandates the death penalty for killings of law enforcement officers or serious crimes committed by illegal immigrants. It also calls for a review of court precedents that limit the ability of states and the federal government to impose death sentences.
