Donald Trump’s return to power as the 47th President has been nothing short of a political whirlwind.
Within his first month in office, he has signed a barrage of executive orders that have fundamentally reshaped the federal landscape.
So extensive is his agenda that it sometimes seems easier to list what hasn’t been done rather than keep up with his relentless pace.
His bold policy shifts have ranged from redefining gender strictly as male or female and dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion programs across federal agencies, to maintaining a hardline stance on undocumented migrants and even renaming the Gulf of Mexico.
Yet, not every order has smoothly translated into immediate change. A number of these sweeping directives have faced temporary roadblocks, thanks to a little-known law that permits certain executive actions to be legally challenged.
In one notable case, a federal judge recently denied a request aimed at barring Elon Musk—whom Trump appointed to head the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)
—from accessing sensitive government data, underscoring the fierce legal battles accompanying these policy shifts.
Perhaps the most controversial move came on February 18
, when Trump signed an executive order transferring control of several independent agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), directly under the auspices of the White House.
This decision has stirred intense debate over the concentration of presidential power and its implications for the balance of governmental authority, with some critics suggesting that it positions Trump as one of the most influential presidents in American history.
Amidst this rapid-fire series of changes, lawmakers were asked to distill Trump’s first month in office into a single word—
a task that revealed starkly contrasting perspectives. North Dakota’s junior senator, Kevin Cramer, chose “Active” to describe the period, reflecting a neutral tone.
Missouri’s Senator Josh Hawley labeled it “Bold,” and Utah’s Senator John Curtis opted for “Aggressive.”
In a more dramatic metaphor, Iowa’s Chuck Grassley, the oldest sitting senator, described the month as a “Hurricane,” evoking the image of a force of nature reshaping Washington.
On the critical side, Vermont’s junior senator Peter Welch went so far as to call the period an “illegal rampage,”
while Delaware’s Senator Chris Coons simply deemed it “Terrible.”
This divisive and rapid-fire start to his term has left the nation sharply split.
For some, Trump’s aggressive approach is seen as a necessary realignment of government policies, a course correction for a system in need of overhaul. For others, it represents an alarming overextension of executive power.
As his administration continues to implement these dramatic changes, the ultimate question lingers: How will history remember this storm of executive orders?
