Fresh out of Barnard College with a degree in political science, Riley is learning the ropes as a writer and reporter for GZERO. When she isn’t writing about global politics, you can find her making GZERO’s crossword puzzles, conducting research on American politics, or persisting in her lifelong quest to learn French. Riley spends her time outside of work grilling, dancing, and wearing many hats (both literally and figuratively).
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.
