Tracking every rollback, reversal, and overreach — and the path back to the America we know.
President Trump signed Proclamation 2018-21819 on September 28, 2018, designating a day to honor mothers, fathers, and families of military personnel killed in action. The proclamation establishes an annual observance but creates no new federal programs, benefits, or policy changes. It directs no specific government action beyond recognition of Gold Star families.
Executive Order 13831 was signed on May 3, 2018, establishing a White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative to coordinate federal engagement with faith-based and community organizations. The order created an interagency task force to identify federal regulations and policies that may burden the exercise of religion by such organizations, and directed federal agencies to review and potentially modify rules affecting faith-based hiring and operations. The confirmed effect includes changes to federal funding rules and regulatory guidance affecting faith-based organizations' ability to receive federal grants and contracts while maintaining religious employment and operational standards.
President Trump signed Proclamation 2018-09733 on April 30, 2018, designating May 2018 as Older Americans Month. The proclamation directs federal recognition of and attention to the contributions and challenges of Americans aged 65 and older. This is an annual ceremonial proclamation with no direct statutory impact on policy or benefits.
President Trump signed Proclamation 2018-07775 on April 6, 2018, designating a day of recognition for former prisoners of war. The proclamation directs federal observance of this day to honor Americans who were held as prisoners of war. The proclamation establishes an annual recognition observance but carries no direct operational impact on federal policy, benefits, or services.
President Trump signed Proclamation 2018-07253 on April 3, 2018, commemorating the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination on April 4, 1968. The proclamation is a ceremonial document that acknowledges the historical event and calls for reflection. Proclamations have no direct operational impact on Americans but serve as official government recognition of significant dates or causes.
President Trump signed Proclamation 10729 on March 30, 2018, designating April 2018 as Second Chance Month. The proclamation encouraged Americans to recognize the importance of rehabilitation and reintegration of individuals with criminal records. It had no direct operational effect on criminal justice policy, sentencing, or clemency powers—it was a symbolic designation calling attention to second chance opportunities.
On March 23, 2018, President Trump signed a memorandum directing the Secretary of Defense to develop a policy prohibiting transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. military. The directive reversed the Obama administration's 2016 policy that permitted transgender service members to serve openly. The memorandum required the military to return to a policy denying service to transgender individuals, effective implementation began in April 2019.
On February 20, 2018, the Trump administration issued a memorandum directing the Department of Justice to apply the statutory definition of "machinegun" to bump fire stocks and similar devices that increase a semi-automatic weapon's rate of fire. The action effectively banned the sale and possession of these devices by classifying them as illegal automatic weapons under existing law. Americans who owned bump fire stocks were required to destroy them or surrender them to authorities, with a compliance deadline set for March 26, 2019.
President Trump signed Proclamation 10551 on January 19, 2018, designating January 22, 2018 as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. The proclamation is an annual observance that calls attention to the value of human life. As a proclamation, it has no direct legal effect on policy or Americans' legal rights, but serves as an official statement of the administration's position on the issue.
President Trump signed Proclamation 2018-01234 on January 16, 2018, designating January 16, 2018, as Religious Freedom Day. The proclamation reaffirmed the administration's commitment to protecting religious liberty and called for Americans to reflect on religious freedom. The proclamation itself is ceremonial and does not establish new legal restrictions or protections; it serves as a statement of presidential position on religious freedom.