Tracking every rollback, reversal, and overreach — and the path back to the America we know.
On April 14, 2020, President Trump signed Executive Order 13915, which established the order of succession for positions within the Department of the Interior. The order designates which officials assume leadership if the Secretary of the Interior becomes unable to perform duties. This affects the chain of command for managing federal lands, natural resources, and Native American affairs.
On April 2, 2020, the Trump administration issued a memorandum establishing an order of succession for the director position at the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), a federal agency that insures private-sector pension plans. The memorandum designated specific officials to assume the director role in the event of a vacancy or incapacity. This affects the governance structure of the PBGC, which manages pension benefits for approximately 35 million American workers and retirees covered by private pension plans.
President Trump signed Executive Order 13787 on March 31, 2017, establishing the order of succession for the Department of Justice. The order designates the line of succession for the Attorney General position and other DOJ leadership roles in the event of a vacancy or incapacity. This order directly affects the federal chain of command at DOJ and determines who assumes leadership authority in specified circumstances.
Executive Order 13775 was signed on February 9, 2017, establishing the order of succession for leadership positions within the Department of Justice. The order specifies which officials assume the role of Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General, and other DOJ leadership positions in the event of vacancy or incapacity. This order determines who exercises executive authority over the department's operations, including enforcement of federal law, in the absence of a Senate-confirmed Attorney General.