President Donald Trump signed a wave of Day One executive actions before a crowded Capital One Arena on Monday, following through on various campaign pledges before a sea of supporters celebrating his Inauguration Day.
The orders followed through with various campaign promises aimed at curbing the alleged “weaponization” of government by the outgoing Biden administration and ending climate policies, including removing the United States from the Paris Climate Treaty again. He also teased pardons for people convicted in relation to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot but did not sign any pardons for the so-called hostages before the crowd.
READ THE FULL TEXT OF DONALD TRUMP’S INAUGURATION SPEECH
“We’re not finished yet. We got a long way to go, but we’re doing this in the very first day in office, and in just a few moments, I’m not only signing the release of the J6 hostages, I’m signing other things that you’re going to love,” Trump said to the crowd. “Oh, you’re going to be happy reading newspapers tomorrow and the next day and the next day and the next day.”
Before signing the executive orders in front of his supporters, Trump brought up the families of the Israeli hostages taken by Hamas and was introduced by his special envoy to the Middle East, Steven Witkoff. The remarks began by celebrating the release of several Israeli hostages in recent days and Trump introducing his family to the crowd. Barron Trump, the president’s youngest son, got a notably loud ovation from the crowd.
The unconventional signing ceremony was fitting for Trump, a former reality TV star and ultimate showman who tossed out signing pens to the crowd who roared in approval. The indoor party was also fitting for the weather. Trump ordered all inaugural events, including his swearing-in at the Capitol and parade, to take place inside due to the latest wave of severe winter weather.
That meant the roughly 250,000 Trump supporters expected to attend the previously scheduled viewing on the National Mall had to fight for just over 20,000 seats inside Capital One Arena and many of his supporters were left outside.
Fresh off his inauguration ceremony at the Capitol, Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance joined their families to view the 2025 Inaugural Parade at the downtown Washington arena.
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Trump staffers told the Washington Examiner that seats were awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Supporters lined up for access in the wee hours of the morning, and law enforcement officials estimated that, at its peak, the line stretched for more than two miles.
The arena was essentially packed to capacity by the time Trump’s swearing-in began on Capitol Hill, with thousands of hopefuls still waiting in line outside.
Kris, an Oklahoma man who declined to give his last name, suggested while waiting in line that security, not the weather, was behind the shift in inaugural plans.
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As for the lengthy wait, he simply told the Washington Examiner, “I’m happy to be here.”
The Trump team was broadcasting the event on the arena’s Jumbotron, to which attendees raucously reacted.
Trump and first lady Melania Trump received a standing ovation, with accompanying chants of “USA,” when they arrived at the White House Monday morning for a closed-door tea service with former Biden and former first lady Jill Biden.
And as expected, Donald Trump’s perceived enemies received very different treatment. Former Vice President Mike Pence, former President Bill Clinton, former first lady Hillary Clinton, Biden, and former Vice President Kamala Harris all were met with jeers and boos from the arena crowd.
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Following his swearing in-ceremony, Trump escorted the Bidens, Harris, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff for their departures from the Capitol before delivering an unscripted speech to a smaller group of supporters on the Hill ahead of signing his first slate of executive orders.
Prior to Trump’s appearance at the arena, several Trumpworld figures entertained the crowd, including Peter Navarro, Kellyanne Conway, Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX), Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-AR), Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), Charlie Kirk, commerce secretary nominee Howard Lutnick, Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA), Elon Musk, FBI director nominee Kash Patel, and Dan Scavino.
“I wanted to come here today to tell you that I don’t believe what they say about books and movies, that the sequel is often not as good as the original,” Conway told the crowd during the warmup speech. “I think this sequel is going to be kick-ass better than the original.”
Jackson called the inauguration two of the “most satisfying” hours of his life, noting how he loved Trump bashing Biden, Harris, and the Clintons to their faces.
“They had to sit there and listen to it,” he declared. “And I loved it.”
READ THE FULL TEXT OF DONALD TRUMP’S INAUGURATION SPEECH
Trump’s slate of executive orders focused on reversing much of the Biden administration’s actions, including:
- An order revoking 78 executive orders from the Biden administration.
- An order freezing new regulations from being made by bureaucrats until the Trump administration has ‘control’ of the government
- An order freezing government hiring, except military and select excluded categories, until the Trump administration has “control” of the government
- An order requiring federal workers to return to full-time, in-person work.
- An order combating inflation and the “cost of living crisis.”
- An order withdrawing from the Paris Climate Treaty, along with a letter to the United Nations informing them that the U.S. would be withdrawing from the Paris Climate Treaty.
- A directive restoring free speech and ending government censorship
- A directive to end the “political weaponization” of government against enemies of the Biden administration.
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More actions are expected in the coming days. Trump is expected to sign more actions at the White House before attending three inaugural balls Monday night, capping off the first day of his comeback term.
Samantha-Jo Roth contributed to this report.
