Trump’s Major Presidential Actions & What Experts Say

List of Executive Orders

Executive Order: The Iron Dome for America (January 27, 2025)

This Executive Order mandates the deployment and maintenance of next-generation missile defense systems. It requires a comprehensive report on system design and planning within 60 days and emphasizes strengthening missile defense cooperation with allied countries.
Details are here.

Comment
Since the end of the Cold War, the U.S. has developed missile defense systems to protect its forward-deployed forces and allies from short- and medium-range missile threats, as well as a homeland defense system against nuclear threats from rogue states such as North Korea. However, it has refrained from developing missile defense systems specifically targeting the strategic nuclear arsenals of China and Russia due to technological and financial challenges, as well as concerns over destabilizing mutual nuclear deterrence.
The missile defense measures mandated by this executive order suggest a renewed focus on systems designed to counter the strategic nuclear arsenals of China and Russia. This shift comes against the backdrop of China’s expanding and modernizing nuclear arsenal, Russia’s growing unpredictability—now classified as a “rogue state”—which has undermined previous arms control frameworks built on mutual understanding, and North Korea’s advancements in strategic nuclear capabilities. (Hirohito Ogi)

Executive Order: Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence (January 23, 2025)

This Executive Order rescinds existing artificial intelligence (AI) policy restrictions and directs the development of a national action plan within 180 days to maintain and enhance America’s global leadership in AI.
Details are here.

Comment
The Biden administration sought to balance fostering innovation and AI adoption—particularly in generative AI models—with addressing associated risks. Executive Order 14110, Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence, issued in October 2023, aimed to ensure AI safety and trustworthiness by imposing minimal regulations on AI developers while allowing the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to establish non-binding guidelines.
In contrast, the Trump administration’s new order prioritizes strengthening U.S. dominance in AI. It suspends, modifies, or withdraws policies under EO 14110 that are deemed inconsistent with its objectives. At the same time, it makes no provisions for addressing AI-related risks. With the government stepping back from AI risk management, key questions remain: How will the U.S. address potential dangers? How will the industry respond? And what impact will this have on international rulemaking for AI development and use? (Kota Umeda)

Executive Order: Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness (January 20, 2025)

The Executive Order restores the former name of Denali, the highest mountain peak in North America, to McKinley and renames the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. It directs the Secretary of the Interior to implement these changes within 30 days.
Details are here.

Comment
Renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America is a move that really characterizes the ”Florida administration,” which the Trump administration is also known as. Elon Musk, a close friend of Trump, is also based in Texas, where his Starship launch site is in Boca Chica, facing the newly renamed “Gulf of America.” All the states bordering this gulf are Republican strongholds, making this renaming a symbolic gesture that appeals to American pride without introducing any substantive policy changes.
Reverting Denali’s name to Mount McKinley aligns with Trump’s broader ideological stance. McKinley’s era was defined by protectionism, imperial expansion, and high tariffs—elements that resonate with Trump’s own economic policies.This move is also seen as a denial of “DEI” (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), as the name was honoring the culture of Alaska’s indigenous people. (Kazuto Suzuki)

Executive Order: Establishing and Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (January 20, 2025)

This executive order mandates the restructuring of government agencies and the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). A temporary organization will operate for approximately 18 months, until July 4, 2026, tasked with streamlining government operations.
Details are here.

Comment
Trump’s stance has never aligned with the libertarian ideal of “small government,” a position that initially made him unpopular at libertarian gatherings. However, during his campaign, he forged a close alliance with Elon Musk, whose businesses stood to benefit from a Trump presidency. This encouraged many tech companies to express their support for Trump. They found regulation under the Biden administration too strict and disadvantageous to big corporations– curbing federal oversight is pursued under the Trump administration.
The concept of DOGE predates the birth of the second Trump administration. Having originally been introduced outside the government, it joined the government by renaming the U.S. Digital Service—incorporated under the Obama administration—to the U.S. DOGE Service. While Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy (a former Republican primary candidate) were initially considered to lead this initiative, Ramaswamy’s controversial reputation led Trump to remove him from the project—reportedly by encouraging him to run for governor of Illinois instead. (Kazuto Suzuki)

Executive Order: Reevaluating and Realizing United States Foreign Aid (January 20, 2025)

This Executive Order mandates a 90-day suspension of U.S. foreign development assistance, during which all aid programs will be reviewed to ensure alignment with U.S. interests.
Details are here.

Comment
The suspension of foreign aid has taken effect immediately. All the programs except for foreign military financing to Israel and Egypt and emergency food assistance will be suspended for 90 to180 days. After the reviewings, many of the programs have the possibility of either being restructured or abolished.
In a press release by the Department of State on January 26, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that all foreign assistance programs, fundings, and policies must be evaluated based on whether they make America “safer, stronger, and more prosperous.” If the suspension extends beyond 90 days, it could significantly disrupt aid programs on the ground. Sectors such as healthcare, where U.S. funding plays a critical role in life-saving initiatives, may have dire humanitarian consequences. (Kenichi Doi)

Executive Order: Withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization (January 20, 2025)

The decision was made to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization (WHO) during the first Trump administration in 2020, yet was reversed by the succeeding Biden administration. This latest Executive Order reaffirms the withdrawal and outlines plans to establish a domestic framework for strengthening public health and biosecurity.
Details are here.

Comment
Some media reports have suggested that the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO is being used as leverage in a potential deal to negotiate lower financial contributions. While the U.S. does contribute more than China, the gap is not as vast as it may sound: the U.S. funds 22% of WHO’s budget, compared to China’s 15% and Japan’s 8%. Moreover, a large portion of U.S. funding consists of voluntary contributions—it is rather misguided to demand that the WHO reduce its financial dependence on the U.S.
If the U.S. follows through on its withdrawal, it could create a power vacuum in global health governance, potentially allowing China to expand its influence. A similar situation unfolded when the U.S. withdrew from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) during Trump’s first term, only to rejoin under Biden after China’s role in the organization had grown drastically. At the time, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs sarcastically remarked that “the U.S. should not treat international organizations like a park, leaving when it pleases and returning when convenient.”
Whether this withdrawal is a serious long-term policy or merely a negotiating tactic, it underscores Trump’s broader disinterest in leading international organizations—even amid strategic competition with China in many fields. (Kenichi Doi)

List of proclamations, memoranda, and official announcements

Memorandum: The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Global Tax Deal (January 20, 2025)

This memorandum declares that the OECD’s Global Tax Deal does not apply to the United States, arguing that they undermine U.S. sovereignty and economic competitiveness. It also directs the OECD to consider protective measures against foreign countries that have introduced or may introduce tax policies unfavorable to U.S. companies.
Details are here.

Comment
Under the Biden administration, efforts were made to curb a legally permissible but ethically questionable “race to the bottom” in corporate taxation. As a result, it was decided that all the OECD countries introduce a 15% minimum corporate tax rate to prevent tax havens and ensure fair taxation across countries. Trump, however, aims to lower the U.S. corporate tax rate below this international minimum to attract investment, effectively reinitiating the “race to the bottom,” with the U.S. leading the charge. (Kazuto Suzuki)

Memorandum: America First Trade Policy (January 20, 2025)

This memorandum instructs the Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of Homeland Security, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and the U.S. Trade Representative to address unfair and unbalanced trade.
Details are here.

Comment
The Trump administration operates under the belief that trade deficits contribute to poverty among ordinary Americans. Consequently, it sees reducing imports through tariffs as a means to fix the trade imbalance and boost national wealth.
They also believe that tariffs generate tax revenue for the U.S., leading to the proposal of an “External Revenue Service” in this memorandum. However, while this aligns with Trump’s signature economic policies, its actual implementation will depend on an upcoming report due on April 1, which will assess the effects of existing tariffs.
Additionally, Trump suggested in a press conference that a 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada, along with an additional 10% tariff on China, could take effect as early as February 1. These tariffs are intended as negotiation leverage, particularly regarding fentanyl trafficking and illegal immigration. (Kazuto Suzuki)