Trump Pardons J6 Defendants, Pulls US From Climate Accord

President Donald Trump on Monday night fulfilled a spate of campaign promises by signing a number of executive orders, including the pardon of roughly 1,500 defendants in cases related to the events of Jan. 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol.

Among the other executive orders he signed were ones declaring drug cartels terrorist organizations, as well as withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Climate accord and the World Health Organization, and revising dozens of Biden administration policies.

Trump first conducted the signings, which aired live on Newsmax, following an inauguration parade and his speech at the Capitol One Center in Washington, D.C. He sat at a desk on the arena stage and was handed a number of executive orders to sign. He then moved to the Oval Office, where he signed more, including the pardon of the Jan. 6 defendants, which he had said were "hostages" of the Biden administration.

The first order he signed rescinded 78 executive actions, executive orders, and presidential memorandum issued during the Biden administration, including those addressing the immigration crises, gender identity and diversity issues, equity and inclusion policies, and those relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here are is a list of the executive orders and presidential actions signed on his first day in office. A full list can be found here:

• Granting pardons and commutation of sentences for certain offenses relating to the events at or near the U.S. capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
• Declaring a national emergency at the U.S. southern border.
• Designating cartels and other organizations as foreign terrorist organizations and specially designated global terrorists.
• Protecting the U.S. from foreign terrorists and other national security and public safety threats.
• Protecting Americans against invasion.
• Ending radical and wasteful government DEI programs and preferencing.
• Defending women from gender ideology extremism and restoring biological truth to the federal government.
• Putting America first in international environmental agreements.
• Withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organization.
• Reevaluating and realigning U.S. foreign aid.
• Temporary withdrawal of all areas on the outer continental shelf from offshore wind leasing and review of the federal government's leasing and permitting practices for wind projects.
• Declaring a national energy emergency.
• Unleashing Alaska's extraordinary resource potential.
• Delivering emergency price relief for American families and defeating the cost-of-living crisis.
• Freeze on federal hiring.
• Regulatory freeze, pending review.
• Return to in-person work.
• Ending the weaponization of the federal government.
• Restoring freedom of speech and ending federal censorship.
• Initial rescissions of harmful executive orders and actions.
• Flying the U.S. flag at full staff on Inauguration Day.
• Reforming the federal hiring process and restoring merit to government service.
• Establishing and implementing the president's "Department of Government Efficiency."
• America First policy directive to the secretary of state.
• Ending the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Global Tax Deal.
• Outlining how the National Security Council and its subcommittees operate.
• Protecting the meaning and value of American citizenship.
• Realigning the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.
• Unleashing American Energy.
• Clarifying the military's role in protecting the territorial integrity of the U.S.
• America First trade policy.
• Memorandum to resolve the backlog of security clearances for executive office of the president personnel.
• Holding former government officials accountable for election interference and improper disclosure of sensitive governmental information.
• Restoring accountability to policy-influencing positions within the federal workforce.
• Restoring accountability for career senior executives.
• Promoting beautiful federal civic architecture.
• Restoring the death penalty and protecting public safety.
• Putting people over fish: Stopping radical environmentalism to provide water to Southern California.

Michael Katz ✉

Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.

© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.