Donald Trump has officially become the 47^th President of the United States. He is the second U.S. President to serve two non-consecutive terms, and he has already displayed that Trump 47 will be very different from Trump 45. In 2016 Trump signed one executive order on inauguration day, this time, it was 26. The new President is wasting no time in pushing forward his agenda and we may see more rapid changes than what one might expect from an incoming President.

Before we get into how Trump’s agenda and actions so far will affect the U.S., we should examine why he theoretically has more power to take action than eight years ago. The biggest change will be the landmark Supreme Court ruling that provides a President with immunity. We have no idea how this will play out for a president, since Trump will be the first to have it for his entire term. Even though the margins are thin, Republicans control both the House and Senate. The Supreme Court also leans heavily conservative now. We must also consider Trump’s cabinet; they were the source of much discord eight years ago. This time it appears that he has chosen closer allies to fill those positions. What this could all mean is a greater government alignment with Trump’s presidency, meaning his agenda could avoid the pushback presidents usually face.

Trump’s list of executive orders filled a wide gamut. Some were rather unusual, such as renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Others, like his multiple orders relating to immigration, had immediate effects. His order to end birthright citizenship has likely drawn the most criticism so far. Trump also ordered expedited drilling, and he began the process of pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement. Trump’s other executive orders focused on restarting natural gas projects that Biden paused and repealing Biden’s order to have 50% of U.S. vehicle sales be electric by 2030. His executive orders targeted Diversity Equity and Inclusion initiatives, and he revoked the Equal Employment Opportunity Order of 1965.

Trump obviously had a lot to do in his first day and he is not done. The flurry of executive orders is made even more complex as some of them took effect immediately, others are delayed, and a few have already been challenged legally. It will take time for businesses and government agencies to adjust to these changes and it is likely that more executive orders are coming soon. We haven’t seen Trump begin his work on tariffs, yet at this rate it is only a matter of time. So far, Trump has kept to his early promises meaning we should believe that the tariffs are coming, possibly at the beginning of February, and if they are as steep as he proclaimed during his campaign, consumer prices and inflation will noticeably increase. We typically measure Presidents in their first one hundred days, and it seems that there will be a lot to react to during Trump’s early tenure.

For now, we will continue to monitor the White House’s policy changes and their effects on businesses and the economy. With many retail & restaurant chains bracing for a substantial impact, and possible recession, businesses are stockpiling goods and supplies before tariffs are put into action. If you are a manufacturer or suppler in this space, check out our latest guide to Surviving the Economic Storm: A Manufacturer’s Guidebook to Navigating Uncertainty.