January 20, 2025

Executive Order 14168: Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government

Sec. 2. Policy and Definitions. It is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female. These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality. Under my direction, the Executive Branch will enforce all sex-protective laws to promote this reality, and the following definitions shall govern all Executive interpretation of and application of Federal law and administration policy:

(a) “Sex” shall refer to an individual’s immutable biological classification as either male or female. “Sex” is not a synonym for and does not include the concept of “gender identity.”

(b) “Women” or “woman” and “girls” or “girl” shall mean adult and juvenile human females, respectively.

(c) “Men” or “man” and “boys” or “boy” shall mean adult and juvenile human males, respectively.

(d) “Female” means a person belonging, at conception, to the sex that produces the large reproductive cell.

(e) “Male” means a person belonging, at conception, to the sex that produces the small reproductive cell.

(g) “Gender identity” reflects a fully internal and subjective sense of self, disconnected from biological reality and sex and existing on an infinite continuum, that does not provide a meaningful basis for identification and cannot be recognized as a replacement for sex.

Sec. 3. Recognizing Women Are Biologically Distinct From Men. (a) (b) Each agency and all Federal employees shall enforce laws governing sex-based rights, protections, opportunities, and accommodations to protect men and women as biologically distinct sexes. Each agency should therefore give the terms “sex”, “male”, “female”, “men”, “women”, “boys” and “girls” the meanings set forth in section 2 of this order when interpreting or applying statutes, regulations, or guidance and in all other official agency business, documents, and communications.

(c) When administering or enforcing sex-based distinctions, every agency and all Federal employees acting in an official capacity on behalf of their agency shall use the term “sex” and not “gender” in all applicable Federal policies and documents.

January 20, 2025

Executive Order 14149: Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship

Section 1. Purpose. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution, an amendment essential to our Republic's success, enshrines the American people's right to speak freely in the public square without Government interference. 

• Amazon contributed $1 million to Donald Trump's inauguration fund. Jeff Bezos is the founder, executive chairman, former president, CEO of Amazon, and owner of the Washington Post.

• Bezos sat on the raised platform at the front of a room or hall, which was the centerpiece of Trump’s inauguration ceremony.

• On February 14th, 2025, Jeff Bezos met with Melania Trump to discuss a documentary about her. This exchange led to a $40 million licensing deal with Amazon, reportedly nearly three times the offer of the next-highest bidder.

• In late March, Post owner Bezos delivered a memo prohibiting any opinion articles in the Post that did not align with his ideology of “personal liberties and free markets. " This forceful intervention led to the resignation of the editorial page editor.

• Trump disclosed that he had dined with Bezos the evening the Post owner issued his prohibition memo.

Baron, Martin. “Where Jeff Bezos Went Wrong with The Washington Post”. The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2025, //www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/03/bezos-appease-trump-administration/681899. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025

March 14, 2025. Executive Order: Eliminating Waste and Reducing Government Overreach

This Executive Order eliminates non-statutory functions and reduces statutory functions of unnecessary governmental entities to what is required by law.

Affected entities include the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, United States Agency for Global Media, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Institute of Museum and Library Services, United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, and Minority Business Development Agency.

Late Friday, Trump issued an executive order directing the Voice of America (VOA) and various federal offices to be eliminated to the maximum extent the law allows. Approximately 1,000 journalists were placed on indefinite leave, and those who attempted to go to work to broadcast their programs were locked out of the building. The Voice of America provides news coverage to countries where a free press is threatened or nonexistent. When it was established, VOA reported on stories about democracy to people in Nazi Germany. VOA and affiliates such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia serve as a form of soft diplomacy, promoting the United States' values of free press in countries with prevalent antidemocratic forces.

Ellison, Sarah, Wingett Sanchez, Yvonnw, and Schaffer, Aaron.

Trump tapped Kari Lake to run VOA. Then he dismantled it.” The Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2025, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/03/16/trump-voa-voice-of-america/. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.

January 20, 2025

Executive Order 14149: Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship

Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the United States to:

(a) secure the right of the American people to engage in constitutionally protected speech;

(b) ensure that no Federal Government officer, employee, or agent engages in or facilitates any conduct that would unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of any American citizen;

(c) ensure that no taxpayer resources are used to engage in or facilitate any conduct that would unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of any American citizen; and

(d) identify and take appropriate action to correct past misconduct by the Federal Government related to censorship of protected speech.

Sec. 3. Ending Censorship of Protected Speech. (a) No Federal department, agency, entity, officer, employee, or agent may act or use any Federal resources in a manner contrary to section 2 of this order.

The detention of Mahmoud Khalil on March 8, 2025, a Columbia graduate who participated in pro-Palestine protests on campus, represents a blatant violation of freedom of speech. Khalil’s detention is one example of the Trump Administration's effort to stifle free speech through oppressive government actions. The case of Mahmoud Khalil exemplifies the Administration’s dismissive attitude toward free expression. In just fifty-two days in office, the President has already threatened protesters, barred certain news outlets from covering White House events, and targeted law firms that he believes have unfairly criticized him in the past. On Tuesday, while standing in front of a Cybertruck with Elon Musk, Trump commented on Khalil and other potential deportees, saying, “I think we ought to get them all out of the country. They’re troublemakers, they’re agitators, they don’t love our country.” This statement is a stark illustration of an all-out assault on free speech.

Kang, Caspian King. “The Detention of Mahmound Khalil is a Flagrant Assault on Free Speech.” The New Yorker, 14 March 2025.https://www.newyorker.com/news/fault-lines/the-detention-of-mahmoud-khalil-is-a-flagrant-assault-on-free-speech. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025

January 20, 2025

Executive Order 14158: Establishing and Implementing the President's "Department of Government Efficiency"

Section 1. Purpose. This Executive Order establishes the Department of Government Efficiency to implement the President's DOGE Agenda, by modernizing Federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity.

February 11, 2025

Executive Order 14210: Implementing The President's "Department of Government Efficiency" Workforce Optimization

Section 1. Purpose. To restore accountability to the American public, this order commences a critical transformation of the Federal bureaucracy. By eliminating waste, bloat, and insularity, my Administration will empower American families, workers, taxpayers, and our system of Government itself.

(c) Reductions in Force. Agency Heads shall promptly undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force (RIFs), consistent with applicable law, and separate from Federal service temporary employees and reemployed annuitants working in areas likely to be subject to the RIFs.

WASHINGTON, March 14 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's administration gave no sign on Friday of diverting from its plan for a second wave of mass firings and budget cuts across the U.S. government after two federal court rulings ordered the reinstatement of thousands of workers. Federal agencies faced a Thursday deadline to submit large-scale reorganization plans as part of Trump's push to radically remake the federal bureaucracy, a task he left mainly to Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. So far, the DOGE effort has produced potential cuts of more than 100,000 jobs across the 2.3 million-member federal civilian workforce, frozen foreign aid, and canceled thousands of programs and contracts. At times, DOGE's approach has been so scattershot that key federal employees, such as those who oversee the country's nuclear stockpile and scientists combating bird flu, have been fired and recalled. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.

Department of Education: The agency announced Tuesday that it would begin laying off half its workers, about 2,000. It also told staff that its Washington, D.C., and regional offices would be closed on Wednesday. The Trump administration has expressed plans to shut down the agency, alleging it is a symbol of bureaucratic bloat (the agency has reportedly laid off dozens of probationary employees).

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: The agency is preparing to lay off more than 1,000 employees in a second round of layoffs that is expected to impact about 10% of its workforce, multiple outlets reported in mid-March, prompting fears it would affect the agency’s weather forecasting work ahead of hurricane season and other potential natural disasters.

Central Intelligence Agency: The agency has started to fire some probationary employees, multiple outlets reported, after firing some diversity staffers in February who had been placed on leave as part of the Trump administration’s push to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across the federal government—it’s unclear what prompted the latest round of firings, but a federal judge ruled in February that CIA Director John Ratcliffe had the authority to fire officers at will.

Department of Veterans Affairs: The VA plans to cut more than 80,000 workers beginning in June to return to 2019 staffing levels, its chief of staff, Christopher Syrek, reportedly said in an internal memo viewed by Reuters. The reported reorganization comes after the agency announced about 2,400 probationary employees were dismissed in mid-February in two waves—U.S. District Judge William Alsup ordered the agency, among five others, on March 13 to reinstate the probationary employees, calling the terminations “unlawful.” However, the directive is not necessarily final, as the litigation still plays out in court.

Internal Revenue Service: The IRS was preparing to reduce its nearly 100,000-person workforce by about 50% through layoffs and buyouts, multiple outlets reported in early March, with a reduction of 20% of staff by May 15, CNN reported March 13—after the Trump administration already laid off about 7,000 IRS workers and reportedly set out to close more than 110 offices in February, at the peak of tax season.

USAID: Thousands of employees were reportedly given 15-minute windows on Feb. 27 and 28 to clear their office spaces as the Trump administration has sought to virtually shut down the agency virtually, firing or placing on leave 5,600 workers, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on March 10 that 83% of USAID programs had been shut down.

Social Security Administration: The agency plans to cut its staff by about 7,000 employees, or 12%, according to multiple reports, while an unnamed source told the Associated Press the staffing cuts could amount to as much as 50% of its workforce, though the agency has rejected the report as “false” and a “rumor.”

Labor Department: The agency plans to reduce staff in an office that handles equal employment opportunity laws by 90%, The Washington Post reported, though it’s unclear how many employees will be affected.

Environmental Protection Agency: Trump told reporters during his first Cabinet meeting that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has expressed a desire to cut 65% of the EPA’s 18,000-some employees, as the Trump administration seeks to roll back Biden-era environmental protections—but the White House later said the comments were instead referring to a 65% cut in spending.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: The agency—which has open safety investigations into Musk’s Tesla company—laid off 4% of its staff, a spokesman said in a statement that said the agency grew by 30% during President Joe Biden’s administration, noting it “retained positions critical to the mission of saving lives, preventing injuries, and reducing economic costs due to road traffic crashes.”

Federal Emergency Management Agency: The Trump administration has directed senior officials in the FEMA resilience office, which helps communities prepare for potential disasters and mitigate risk, to identify employees who work or worked on “climate, environmental justice, equity and DEIA” initiatives for potential firings, CNN reported, citing an email sent to the resilience office officials that said the directive could “impact the majority” of staff, as Trump has suggested previously he wants to eliminate FEMA and DOGE is conducting a review of FEMA operations.

TSA: More than 240 employees were fired in February “due to performance and conduct issues during their probationary period,” TSA spokesperson Robert Langston told Bloomberg—the outlet added it’s not unusual for probationary TSA workers to be terminated due to performance. The Office of Personnel Management notes it’s “less cumbersome” to fire federal staff during the probationary period soon after they’re hired.

Office of Community Planning and Development: The Trump administration aims to cut the office, an arm of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, from 936 staffers to 150, or 84%, the New York Times reported Feb. 20, citing a document it obtained detailing the plans.

Department of Defense: The Pentagon said it began laying off approximately 5,400 probationary workers, or 5% to 8% of its civilian staff, in late February and has implemented a hiring freeze to comply with DOGE’s workforce reduction plan—the fired probationary workers must be reinstated, however, under the March 13 directive from a federal judge.

Health agencies: Some 5,200 probationary employees across the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are being targeted for layoffs, according to multiple outlets, with Bloomberg reporting that employees at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Food and Drug Administration were also laid off.

Department of Energy: As many as 2,000 probationary employees at the agency have been fired, according to Politico, citing anonymous sources—though Bloomberg reports some department staff who work on nuclear security were asked back, and the March 13 order from a federal judge requires the remainder to be reinstated.

U.S. Forest Service: Two people familiar with the firings told Politico that more than 3,400 employees have been fired.

Small Business Administration: Bloomberg reported that some probationary employees at the agency received emails notifying them of their terminations before another email said the initial notices were a mistake, only to be notified in a third email days later confirming their firings.

Office of Personnel Management: A union official with the American Federation of Government Employees told NPR that probationary employees who did not accept the Trump administration's buyout offer were fired in early February.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: The union representing workers at the financial agency said about 73 members had been terminated after the agency—which has drawn ire from Trump’s tech allies—was ordered to stop all work. However, union leaders and the Trump administration reached a deal in mid-February to prevent more agency employees from being terminated while litigation challenging the agency's dismantling is pending.

National Nuclear Safety Administration: An employee at the agency, which oversees nuclear weapons in the U.S., told NPR the agency would fire about 300 of the agency’s 1,800 staff, though the Trump administration is now reportedly trying to rehire some of those employees.

General Services Administration: More than 100 people were affected by layoffs at the agency responsible for the federal government’s real estate portfolio, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Federal Aviation Administration: About 400 FAA employees were terminated in mid-February—just weeks after the fatal collision over the Potomac River that killed 67 people—with the layoffs including some in safety-specific roles, the Associated Press reported. However, the Department of Transportation said roles " critical to safety” were spared, and the layoffs targeted probationary employees.

Dorm, Sara and Bohannon, Molly. “Here’s Where Trump’s Government Layoffs Are Targeted—As Judge Orders Reinstatement Of Thousands Of Fired Workers.” Forbes, 13 Mar 2025. Https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2025/03/13/heres-where-trumps-government-layoffs-are-targeted-as-judge-orders-reinstatement-of-thousands-of-fired-workers/. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.

January 20, 2025

Executive Order 14151—Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing

Section 1. Purpose and Policy. The Biden Administration forced illegal and immoral discrimination programs, going by the name "diversity, equity, and inclusion" (DEI), into virtually all aspects of the Federal Government, in areas ranging from airline safety to the military. This was a concerted effort stemming from President Biden's first day in office, when he issued Executive Order 13985, "Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government."

Pursuant to Executive Order 13985 and follow-on orders, nearly every Federal agency and entity submitted "Equity Action Plans" to detail the ways that they have furthered DEIs infiltration of the Federal Government. The public release of these plans demonstrated immense public waste and shameful discrimination. That ends today. Americans deserve a government committed to serving every person with equal dignity and respect, and to expending precious taxpayer resources only on making America great.

Sec. 2. Implementation. (a) The Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), assisted by the Attorney General and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), shall coordinate the termination of all discriminatory programs, including illegal DEI and "diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility" (DEIA) mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities in the Federal Government, under whatever name they appear. To carry out this directive, the Director of OPM, with the assistance of the Attorney General as requested, shall review and revise, as appropriate, all existing Federal employment practices, union contracts, and training policies or programs to comply with this order. Federal employment practices, including Federal employee performance reviews, shall reward individual initiative, skills, performance, and hard work and shall not under any circumstances consider DEI or DEIA factors, goals, policies, mandates, or requirements.

Trump signed order 14151 on his first day in office, directing federal agencies to terminate all “equity-related” grants or contracts. He signed a follow-up order requiring federal contractors to certify that they don’t promote DEI. The president has mounted what critics call his sweeping attack on freedom of expression. Some of it aims to stamp out diversity, equity, and inclusion and what he terms “radical gender ideology.” Some of it is aimed at media organizations whose language he dislikes. In other cases, the attacks target opponents who have spoken sharply about the administration. Critics — and in some cases, judges — have said Trump’s efforts have gone beyond shaping the federal government's message to threaten the First Amendment rights of private groups and individuals.

Trump’s orders banning DEI efforts threaten organizations receiving federal money if they advocate for diversity and inclusion. That violates the First Amendment, a judge said recently, because it targets “viewpoints the government wishes to punish and, apparently, attempt to extinguish.” The sternest rebuke to his approach so far may have come from U.S. District Judge Adam Abelson, who, on Feb. 21, largely suspended Trump’s orders targeting DEI programs. The judge said that a requirement for anyone receiving federal grants or contracts must certify that they do not promote DEI “on its face”, which violates freedom of speech. Another part of the orders, threatening action against companies that promote DEI, is also “facially unconstitutional,” the judge said. Noting that the administration had not issued similar warnings to those who oppose DEI, he added, “That is textbook viewpoint-based discrimination.”

Bendavi, Naftali. “Trump’s opponents decry a sweeping crackdown on free speech in an effort to stamp out 'woke' racial and a foul of the First Amendment.” The Washington Post, 3 Mar 20125. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/03/02/trump-free-speech-censorship/. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.

March 15, 2025. The court has lifted the block on Trump's order to end federal support for DEI programs. Panel halts block on day-one executive order directing government agencies to end diversity grants and contracts.

January 20, 2025,

Executive Order 14151: Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing

Sec. 2. Implementation. (a) The Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), assisted by the Attorney General and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), shall coordinate the termination of all discriminatory programs, including illegal DEI and “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility” (DEIA) mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities in the Federal Government, under whatever name they appear.

1. terminate, to the maximum extent allowed by law, all DEI, DEIA, and “environmental justice” offices and positions (including but not limited to “Chief Diversity Officer” positions); all “equity action plans,” “equity” actions, initiatives, or programs, “equity-related” grants or contracts; and all DEI or DEIA performance requirements for employees, contractors, or grantees.

On January 24, days into Donald Trump’s presidency, Target announced it was eliminating hiring goals for minority employees, ending an executive committee focused on racial justice, and making other changes to its diversity initiatives. We Are Somebody, a labor advocacy group, launched a boycott of Target on 1 February to coincide with Black History Month in response to Target’s decision to roll back DEI initiatives. Starting on 5 March, the first day of Lent, some Black faith leaders called on Christians to participate in a 40-day boycott of the company.

Pengelly, Martian. “Trump rolls back trans and gender-identity rights and takes aim at DEI”. The Guardian, 20 Jan 2025. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/20/trump-executive-order-gender-sex2025. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025