Graphic Truth: Is Donald Trump signing more executive orders than normal?

February 19, 2025

Paige Fusco

All presidents issue executive orders, but in the first month of his second presidency, Donald Trump has been signing them like they're going out of style.

He has issued 66 executive orders so far, more than double the number of executive orders Joe Biden signed in the first month of his presidency, and more than five times the number Trump signed during the first 30 days of his last term in 2016.

While executive orders are effective for hitting the ground running and fulfilling those infamous “first 100 days” campaign promises, critics point out that they are easily overturned, as seen on Trump’s first day in office, when he issued 26 executive orders, but also overturned 78 of Biden’s.

Some also argue that they are a sign of weakness – a cop-out used instead of passing lasting legislation through a perpetually gridlocked Congress. The deluge of legal challenges in response to Trump’s executive orders also shows how they can be stalled, or smacked down, by judges.

Where does Trump’s immigration crackdown stand, nearly 100 days in?

Salvadoran police officers escort an alleged member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua recently deported by the U.S. government to be imprisoned in the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) prison, as part of an agreement with the Salvadoran government, in Tecoluca, El Salvador, in this handout image obtained March 16, 2025.

Secretaria de Prensa de la Presidencia/Handout via REUTERS

President Donald Trump’s actions against migrants have generated among the most controversy of any of his policies during the first few months of his presidency.

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U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent delivers remarks at the Institute of International Finance (IIF) Global Outlook Forum on sidelines of the IMF and World Bank’s 2025 annual Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C.,U.S., April 23, 2025.

REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz

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International Space Station (ISS) crew member Terry Virts of the U.S. speaks by satellite phone shortly after landing near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, on June 11, 2015.

REUTERS/Ivan Sekretarev/Pool

In the latest sign that Democrats are turning a new leaf after their dismal 2024 defeat, astronaut and political neophyte Terry Virts is planning to launch a run for the US Senate in Texas, GZERO Media has learned following recent conversations with those familiar with the race. He plans to challenge incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican.

Another setback for Russia-Ukraine peace talks

Delegations from France, Germany, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the USA meet at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris on April 17, 2025.

Eric Tschaen/Pool/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Is the age of energy transition over?

Enbridge

The concept of energy transition - the idea that one is conscious about the quantity of CO2 in the atmosphere and looking for ways to replace conventional sources of energy with lower emissions renewables - picked up steam after COVID-19. While concerns about emissions haven't gone away, priorities appear to be shifting, says Arjun Murti, partner at Veriten and founder of the energy transition newsletter Super-Spiked, on the latest episode of the podcast series "Energized: The Future of Energy" from GZERO Media's Blue Circle Studios and Enbridge. “I see no evidence that people don't always care about having reliable energy. All anyone cares about is: when I turn on my light, does it come on? If I want to go somewhere, can the car move forward?” explains Murti to host JJ Ramberg and Enbridge CEO Greg Ebel as they discuss the age of energy transition. Listen to this episode at gzeromedia.com/energized, or on Apple, Spotify, Goodpods, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Graphic Truth: Is Donald Trump signing more executive orders than normal?

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Graphic Truth: Is Donald Trump signing more executive orders than normal?

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More from GZERO Media

On Monday, I received a text message that I assumed was spam. Today, I realized it was a very real survey from the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission asking me if I was Jewish – and that it was sent to everyone on Barnard College’s payroll.

President Donald Trump’s actions against migrants have generated among the most controversy of any of his policies during the first few months of his presidency.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent addressed international financiers at the Willard Hotel in Washington, DC, on Wednesday morning, saying that “America First does not mean America alone” but “fairness in the international economic system.”

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Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

The vote promises to be the most contested since independence, as the ruling People’s Action Party sweats a strong challenge amid weak economic forecasts.

Advocates of the BRICS have long made the case that the group could step in to lead the international system of security and investment – and the return of Donald Trump as US president with the rollout of his trade war on US friends and foes alike has given them new momentum. But are they right?

Is America turning into a kleptocracy or a dictatorship under President Trump, or just stuck somewhere in between? On Quick Take, Ian Bremmer breaks down why US politics is more pay-to-play than ever, but why there’s still plenty standing in the way of any would-be strongman.