By Linda Poon
Donald Trump kicked off his first days in the White House with a deluge of executive actions to implement his campaign pledges, including declaring a national emergency at the US-Mexico border and returning federal workers to the office. In addition to these highest-profile actions, the president is reversing a slate of Joe Biden’s executive orders, many of which will have major implications for cities. A few notable examples:
- Trump revived his order to cut federal funding for any state or local jurisdictions deemed to be permitting “anarchy, violence and destruction,” which he first sought to do in 2020 in the wake of anti-racism protests. His Department of Justice at the time designated three cities with the label — New York City, Seattle and Portland, Oregon. During Biden’s term, the order had been revoked.
- Trump rescinded several Biden-era directives that stand to have implications for future elections, including an order that called on federal agencies to expand voter registration. Republicans had accused Biden’s office of overstepping and claimed without evidence that it was part of an effort to elect more Democrats.
