Viewers recently asked if presidents have a cap for how many orders can be signed.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. โ In his first few weeks back in office, President Donald Trump has signed a flurry of executive orders. Most recently, the president has signed orders toย end federal support for gender transitions for people under age 19, expedite I-40 repairs needed after Helene, and allow immigration agents to make arrests at schools and churches.
This recently prompted WCNC Charlotteย viewers to ask if U.S. presidents have a limit on how many executive orders they can sign while in office.ย
OUR SOURCES
Bitzer told WCNC Charlotte via email that there is no limit on the number of executive orders a president can issue. The Congressional Research Service notes these are official directives issued by the president to guide policy and decision-making.
While the U.S. Constitution does not specifically address executive orders, the authority to issue them is accepted when a president assumes office.
As of publication, the Federal Register reports Pres. Trump has signed 39 orders in his current term. During his previous term, he signed 220.
More recent presidents have also signed several executive orders while in office. Former president Joe Biden signed 162 during his term, while former president Barack Obama signed 276 across his two consecutive terms. Former president George W. Bush signed 291 executive orders during his two terms.
All of these numbers, however, pale in comparison to the number signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt; he signed more than 3,700 orders while in office, the most of any president in the nation’s history.
To sum it all up again: no, there’s no limit to how many executive orders a U.S. president can issue.
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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