President Donald Trump’s inauguration week shock-and-awe assault had its intended effect. He dominated the national and international stages with three speeches on Monday, a tidal wave of executive orders and a 46-minute news conference on Tuesday. Hidden beneath the bombast and chaos, some of his most important and productive actions have been largely overlooked.
His inaugural address was vintage Trump. The president attacked a “radical and corrupt establishment” that “extracted power and wealth from our citizens, while the pillars of our society lay broken and seemingly in complete disrepair.”
He accused Joe Biden—seated a few feet away—of refusing “to defend American borders,” failing to “deliver basic services in times of emergency” in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene, and committing “a horrible betrayal” of our nation.
At moments, his address sounded like an election-night victory speech. He bragged about “dramatic increases in support” at the ballot box from “virtually every element of our society,” providing “a powerful win in all seven swing states.” He then gave a second speech in the Capitol Visitors Center to those who had watched his swearing-in on giant screens, before going to the Capital One Arena for another speech, where he watched a parade and signed executive orders.
Among many other things, he ordered the border closed to illegal aliens, pledged to deport “criminal aliens,” ended diversity, equity and inclusion in the federal government, and officially noted that there are only two sexes, a prelude to ending boys’ participation in girls’ sports. He pardoned more than 1,500 criminal defendants charged with offenses related to Jan. 6, including those convicted of attacking police. The mob left 140 officers injured. Mr. Trump may yet regret that decision.
But his most positive actions so far have been quieter: a slate of decisions that will likely advance the financial well-being of American families and businesses. These include efforts to reduce the massive regulatory burden the Biden administration put on the economy.
By the time Mr. Biden left office, his administration had issued 1,213 new regulations, according to the American Action Forum. The Washington think tank tracks federal regulations, their cost and added paperwork hours on its Regulation Rodeo website. Mr. Biden’s red tape will result in $1.9 trillion in compliance costs over the first 10 years each new rule is in effect, according to AAF.
By comparison, in Mr. Trump’s first term, his administration issued slightly more regulations—roughly 1,340—but many reduced costs to businesses and consumers. In total, they cost only $64.7 billion, less than 4% of Mr. Biden’s total.
Mr. Biden’s regulatory regime was far more expensive than even Barack Obama’s. Over two terms, the Obama administration issued 2,997 regulations, at a price tag of $870.5 billion. That’s less than 46% of the regulatory cost Mr. Biden racked up in four years.
One of Mr. Trump’s first deregulatory actions this week targeted Mr. Biden’s effort to force Americans to abandon gasoline-powered cars for electric ones. The Environmental Protection Agency’s tailpipe emissions rule sought to make 50% of all new vehicles electric by 2030. AAF estimates the rule would cost an estimated $870 billion over 10 years. Unless repealed, the tailpipe emissions rule would disrupt the auto industry, reduce consumer choice and place SUVs and trucks beyond the financial reach of many Americans.
In addition, Mr. Trump is revoking the waiver that allows California to ban gasoline-powered cars by 2035, onto which which 11 states and the District of Columbia have piggybacked by passing laws binding them to Sacramento’s regulatory regime.
