Donald Trump better have the pen ready when he reassumes the White House next year. We know some of what the president-elect intends to do. Early in the presidency, much of that will include executive action—which he can use to address a wide range of issues. Here’s what that can and should look like on issues like border security, transgenderism, and abortion.
Remember when Trump built over 400 miles of border wall? He did it using an emergency declaration that redirected $8 billion in military funding to our southern border. He should do it again. The Biden administration mostly halted construction of the Trump border wall before finishing the job. The barriers are merely a tool that buys time for U.S. Border Patrol agents—a net good, even if the wall itself won’t end illegal immigration and fentanyl trafficking.
The bigger problem is the border patrol agent shortage. Nearly every station lacks staff, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection needs about 5000 more personnel, U.S. Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA) claimed earlier this year. Trump wants to send thousands of active-duty troops to the Southern border to assist with the rush of illegal immigrants and drugs crossing the border. Active-duty troops have limited authority (unlike National Guard troops), but they can offer help with support tasks that don’t involve enforcing laws. That’s something, but Trump and his administration must also figure out ways to attract agents. Is that bigger signing bonuses, gutting unnecessary degree requirements, an apprenticeship program, or something else?
Similarly, Trump should reinstate his public charge rule in a second term. This prevented people from immigrating to the United States if the country viewed them as likely to become a net drain on the American taxpayer. Immigration has many benefits, but America can’t become a welfare state for the entire world.
On transgender issues, Trump’s campaign website says he’ll sign an executive order telling every federal agency to end all programs that promote "the concept of sex and gender transition at any age.” That’s an easy win, though Trump should ensure the executive order has federal agencies reject transgenderism entirely. Doing so could eliminate the “birthing people” rhetoric from government agencies, end the issuance of Gender X passports, and prohibit government employees from listing their preferred pronouns in their email signatures.
Trump also said he wants to use executive action to ban males from competing in women’s sports. I love the concept, but doubt it’ll happen. Trump could at least sign an executive order barring males from competing in women’s sports at the service academies, plus the 161 pre-K through 12 schools managed by the Department of Defense Education Activity. Trump has broad authority over the military (and the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Transportation), enabling him to implement such a policy.
Executive orders will also let Trump protect unborn children. He could sign an executive order directing all federal agencies against promoting abortion. Either take down reproductiverights.gov or change it into a site that promotes abstinence, birth control, and adoption—not ending the lives of unborn children.
During his first presidency, Trump put the Mexico City Policy in place, banning foreign aid from going to abortion and promoting abortion. His administration also developed the Protect Life Rule, which barred abortion providers from receiving Title X family planning funding; Planned Parenthood stopped receiving Title X funding under the Trump administration after it made this move. Those are two easy wins for the pro-life movement Trump can deliver by repeating the actions of his first term. The administration should drop any pending abortion lawsuits against states from the Biden administration like the lawsuits it filed against Texas and Idaho over their abortion bans.
Trump should pardon the peaceful pro-life protestors currently in prison for violating the FACE Act; this includes nine people who blockaded a late-term abortion clinic in Washington, D.C., in 2022. People who want to stop late-term abortions deserve praise, not prison time—and Trump can free them because the FACE Act is a federal law. He can also direct the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to nix a Biden administration provision of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act that says businesses with at least 15 employees must provide women with time off to get an abortion. The policy betrayed the intent of the law. Outgoing Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) pitched the bipartisan bill as something that would provide pregnant women with more bathroom breaks and stools so they could sit on the job—not an abortion expansion bill.
The Biden administration started reimbursing military women in pro-life states for travel costs associated with obtaining abortions in other states in 2022. Trump should end that immediately to stop federal tax dollars from supporting elective abortions. I also support enforcing the Comstock Act, an archaic federal law that bans mailing abortifacients, though Trump said that’s not something he supports. I doubt he’ll change his mind. Trump can take all of these actions on January 20, 2025. If he does, it will begin another productive conservative presidency.