What do the Peace Corps, desegregation of the military, and the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II have in common?
They were all established by presidential executive orders, also known as EOs.
Executive orders are all the rage as President Trump churns them out in his second term.
Paris Climate Agreement? Trump’s EO pulled the U.S. out.
Birthright citizenship? His EO said children of undocumented immigrants born here no longer automatically become citizens. The lower courts have blocked it — for now.
Cashless bail? His EO threatened to cut federal funding from states that eliminated it, much to the chagrin of Democratic governors.
And flag burning? His EO sought to prosecute it, even though the Supreme Court already protected it as free speech.
If you think Trump is the granddaddy of EO overuse, guess again — he’s not anywhere close to the president who is.
For the early presidents, EOs were rare. Washington issued just eight total; Adams signed one, and Jefferson four. Lincoln issued 48.
The pace picked up in the early 1900s — Theodore Roosevelt signed 1,081, and Woodrow Wilson signed 1,803.
But it was Franklin Delano Roosevelt who issued a whopping 3,721!
In 1933, FDR used an EO to confiscate most privately held gold, allowing holders only $100 worth.
In 1935, he created the Works Progress Administration, the most extensive make-work program in American history.
In 1942, he ordered the worst EO ever, forcing the relocation of 120,000 Japanese Americans into barbaric internment camps.
That brings us back to Trump.
In the first 100 days of his second term, he signed 143 executive orders — the highest total ever for that span.
As of September 2025, his second-term total stands at 202, bringing his combined total across both terms to 422.
By comparison: Ronald Reagan: 381; Bill Clinton: 364; George W. Bush: 291; Barack Obama: 276; George H.W. Bush: 166; Joe Biden: 162.
Though Biden probably isn’t aware of most of his EOs, as he signed them with an auto pen.
And the courts weren’t very impressed.
Biden’s vaccine mandates were blocked, his overtime rule struck down, his minimum wage order vacated, and his student loan forgiveness trick tossed by the Supreme Court.
That begs the question: Are executive orders good or bad?
On the downside, they’re only as wise or reckless as the president — or person behind the auto pen — signing them.
On the upside, they give a president the ability to act quickly when Congress drags its feet.
That’s why Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. With Congress deeply divided over slavery, he invoked his authority as commander in chief. He argued that his EO was a military necessity that would weaken the Confederacy and strengthen the Union.
He knew an EO alone could not abolish slavery forever — that required the 13th Amendment in 1865 — but Lincoln’s action changed the course of the war and remains one of the boldest executive orders in history.
In any event, if you think Trump is the biggest abuser of executive orders, think again — there’s a long history of EO use and abuse that predates him.
Find Tom Purcell’s syndicated column, humor books, and funny videos of his dog, Thurber, at TomPurcell.com. Email him at Tom@TomPurcell.com.
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