President Donald Trump continues to add to his already high tally of executive orders, ceremonially signing another batch on Thursday afternoon.
The president signed at least six executive orders since March 1 and over 80 so far during his second term, according to the Federal Register and White House communications following the event. The register can lag signings by several days.
Executive orders postponing enforcement of the two-day-old 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico made the biggest splash. Trump has temporarily lifted the tariffs – until April 2 – for America’s neighbors to the north and south.
The president also signed an executive order targeting a law firm, Perkins Coie, that represented Hillary Clinton and has worked with others, like George Soros, to what he says was interference with fair and free elections in the U.S., according to the order. Trump also accused the law firm of discrimination, saying it used racial and other quotas in its employment practices.
“My Administration is committed to ending discrimination under ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ policies and ensuring that Federal benefits support the laws and policies of the United States, including those laws and policies promoting our national security and respecting the democratic process,” the president wrote.
The executive order is meant to ensure any of the firm’s security clearances are suspended and that any federal contracts it holds are terminated.
Finally, in a memorandum to department and agency heads, the president directed them to request “under Rule65(c) that Federal district courts require plaintiffs to post security equal to the Federal Government’s potential costs and damages from a wrongly issued injunction.” The president issued the memo to discourage what he sees as “frivolous” lawsuits by “activist organizations” “used for fundraising and political grandstanding.
The president also mentioned a coming executive order on the Department of Education after news broke Wednesday night of a draft order calling for its dismantling. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had earlier in the day quashed any rumors of it happening Thursday, but Trump told reporters that he still wants to “bring the schools to the states.”
Trump could essentially gut the department via executive order, but the department can only be eliminated with buy-in from Congress.
