From pardoning himself in most of criminal cases to reversing climate policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Donald Trump’s bucket list of dos and donts on day one of assuming the Oval office is all set to raise the ‘temperature’ of the United States of America quite literally.
His agenda includes initiating mass deportations of migrants, reversing key Biden administration education policies, overhauling the federal government by dismissing thousands of federal employees he believes are undermining him, and granting pardons to individuals arrested for their involvement in the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
“I want to close the border, and I want to drill, drill, drill,” he said of his day 1 plans, as quoted by the Associated Press.
Pardon himself, rioters
Within “two seconds” of assuming office, President-elect Trump said that he would fire Jack Smith, the special counsel overseeing two federal cases against him. Smith is already considering how to conclude the cases, citing a longstanding Justice Department policy that prevents the prosecution of sitting presidents.
Since the Capitol attack nearly four years ago, more than 1,500 people have been charged in connection with the violent siege by Trump supporters. “I am inclined to pardon many of them,” Trump had said in March, adding, “I can’t say for every single one, because a couple of them, probably they got out of control.”
Trump cannot pardon himself for his state conviction in New York related to the hush money case. However, as president-elect, he could attempt to use his position to have his felony conviction overturned or expunged, potentially avoiding a prison sentence. Meanwhile, his case in Georgia, where he faces charges of election interference, is likely to be the only remaining criminal case. It would probably be delayed until at least 2029, after his presidential term ends, especially with the Georgia prosecutor having just won reelection.
‘Settle Russia-Ukraine war in 24 hours’
Trump has repeatedly claimed that he could resolve the war between Russia and Ukraine in just one day. However, Russia’s UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, dismissed the idea, stating that “the Ukrainian crisis cannot be solved in one day.”
“They’re dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying. And I’ll have that done — I’ll have that done in 24 hours,” Trump had told CNN in May.
Roll back protections for transgender students
During his campaign, Trump promised to roll back Biden administration policies aimed at protecting transgender students from discrimination in schools, vowing to take action on his first day in office. Opposition to transgender rights became a central theme of his campaign’s final push, with a campaign ad targeting Vice President Kamala Harris. The ad featured a narrator saying, “Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you.”
“Don’t forget, that was done as an order from the president. That came down as an executive order. And we’re going to change it — on Day 1 it’s going to be changed,” Trump had said in May.
In April, the Biden administration introduced new Title IX protections, making it clear that treating transgender students differently from their peers constitutes discrimination. In response, Trump pledged to reverse these changes, asserting that he would take action immediately upon taking office, emphasizing his ability to act unilaterally without needing congressional approval.
‘Totally obliterate deep state’ of govt workers
Trump aims to overhaul the federal workforce by stripping tens of thousands of career employees of their civil service protections, making it easier to fire them. His goal is twofold: significantly reduce the size of the federal government, which he has long criticized as an unnecessary drain, and “totally obliterate the deep state” — the network of career officials he believes are undermining his administration.
While politically appointed officials change with each administration, career employees are typically seen as nonpartisan experts who help maintain stability and continuity in government. Trump wants to convert some of these career positions into political roles, allowing him to replace them with loyalists. To do this, he plans to revive a 2020 executive order, “Schedule F,” which would strip job protections from roughly 50,000 of the 2.2 million civilian federal employees and create a new class of political appointees.
‘Drill, drill, drill’
Trump aims to reverse key climate policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. On his first day in office, he plans to use an executive order to roll back environmental protections, halt wind energy projects, dismantle Biden’s electric car transition goals, and eliminate corporate sustainability standards.
He has also pledged to boost US fossil fuel production, promising to “drill, drill, drill” on Day 1. Additionally, he seeks to open the Arctic wilderness to oil drilling, arguing that it would help lower energy costs.