What You Need To Know About Trump’s Executive Orders
Current Events
Since day one of retaking office, President Trump issued a slew of executive orders. Some directly violate the U.S. Constitution, while others violate federal law. Here is a brief overview so you stay informed.
Stopping Foreign Aid Payments Authorized By Congress
A Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) representative asked the Treasury Department to stop foreign aid payments that Elon Musk thought violated the President’s executive orders. The executive branch of government does not have the authority to stop payments authorized by federal agencies approved by Congress. Article 1 of the Constitution gives Congress spending power. “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law,” it says.
“This is a question that has a very clear answer: Congress and Congress alone has the authority to enact appropriations measures," Michael Gerhardt, a University of North Carolina law professor, told Politifact. “The president does not have unilateral authority to shut down an expenditure, or instrumentalities funded by Congress, without the authorization of Congress.”
Dismantling a Federal Agency
Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered a pause on January 24 of all new foreign assistance funding pending an 85-day review. Rubio also ordered all contracting and grant officers to issue stop-work orders for all existing foreign assistance awards. All USAID programs stopped as a result. He also ordered that all USAID staff be placed on paid leave on February 8 with limited exceptions. A judge temporarily stopped the Trump administration from putting 2,200 USAID workers on paid leave. The order remains in place until February 14.
The President does not have the power to dismantle a federal agency. Congress established USAID, and only through congressional authorization can the executive branch “abolish, move, or consolidate USAID,” according to the Congressional Research Service.
Shutting Down Federal Payments
on January 27, Trump issued an executive order to temporarily halt “all Federal financial assistance…that may be implicated by the executive orders.” Non-profit organizations filed a lawsuit to stop the payment pause. A judge temporarily halted the payment pause. On February 10, a federal judge found that the Trump administration did not comply with the ruling and ordered to unfreeze payments on grants and loans.
As mentioned previously, Congress has the power to approve federal spending in the Appropriations Cause, which states, “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.” The Take Care Clause in Article II, Section 3 requires the President to “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.”
Gutting the Federal Workforce
The Trump administration sent emails offering deferred resignation to millions of federal employees, including every Department of Defense employee on a certain military base, a source told me. The DOD handles security on military bases. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) does not have the authority to guarantee a payment to an employee. Only the agency where an employee works can, and the executive branch can’t spend what Congress hasn’t approved.
Seven federal employees who received the email filed a lawsuit. The lawsuit questions whether OPM can fire federal employees with a “legally sufficient Privacy Impact Assessment (“PIA”).”
Elon Musk’s Conflict of Interest
Elon Musk, the world’s biggest billionaire, heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Trump established the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with an executive order on January 20. DOGE is a temporary organization that terminates on July 4, 2026. Its stated purpose is “advancing the President’s 18-month DOGE agenda.” The DOGE’s webpage is blank except for one sentence: “The people voted for major reform.”
Musk is a special government employee (SGE). By law, an SGE can’t participate in any matter that affects their financial interests. Musk’s companies have been awarded at least $18 billion in federal contracts over the past 10 years. SpaceX won over $17 million in contracts since 2015. From 2020 to 2021, SpaceX's federal contracts doubled and reached $3.7 billion in 2024. SpaceX is NASA’s second biggest contractor. SpaceX also has $1.8 billion worth of defense contracts.
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