Less than a year into his second term, President Donald Trump has issued more executive orders than he did in his entire first term.
As of Dec. 15, 2025, Trump has issued 221 executive orders since returning to the White House. That’s one more than he did during his first four years in office, according to the American Presidency Project, an online database of presidential documents.
So far, Trump’s second-term executive orders have often focused on topics including government operations, foreign relations and defense, energy, and immigration. Many orders have been challenged in the courts, raising questions about the legal bounds of presidential power. For example, the Supreme Court is weighing the legality of Trump’s use of executive orders to impose sweeping global tariffs.
Since George Washington’s time, presidents have used executive orders to set out policy goals and direct the activities of administration officials. These orders have the force of law as long as they align with the presidential powers spelled out in the Constitution or delegated by Congress. But executive orders can be modified or revoked at any time by a current or future president. In some cases, they can be altered or reversed by congressional action.