Trump’s executive orders: Limited impact and vulnerable to court reversal

By Sharece Thrower, Vanderbilt University U.S. President-elect Donald Trump arrives for inauguration ceremonies in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, January 20, 2025. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Before his inauguration, Donald Trump promised to issue a total of 100 or so executive orders once he regained the presidency. These orders are expected to reset government policy on everything from immigration enforcement to diversity initiatives to environmental regulation. They also aim to undo much of Joe Biden’s presidential legacy. Trump is not the first U.S. president to issue an executive order, and he certainly won’t be the last. My own research shows executive orders have been a mainstay in American politics – with limitations. What is an executive order? Though the Constitution plainly articulates familiar presidential tools like vetoes and appointments, the real executive power comes from reading between the lines. Presidents have long interpreted the Constitution’s Article 2 clauses – like “the executive power shall be vested in a President” and “he shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed” – to give them total authority to enforce the law through the executive branch, by any means necessary. One leading way they do that is through executive orders, which are...