President Joe Biden has issued only two executive orders since announcing his decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race, a pace that falls behind his recent predecessors.
According to Fox News, this reduced rate of executive action contrasts sharply with the more prolific output of former Presidents Donald Trump and Barack Obama during comparable periods in their final years in office.
On July 21, Biden made the unprecedented announcement that he would not seek re-election, instead endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris. Since then, he has signed just two executive orders, a marked decrease from his earlier pace and significantly fewer than Trump and Obama at similar points in their presidencies.
One of Biden's recent executive orders, signed during a visit to the battleground state of Michigan, focused on labor issues. The President traveled to Ann Arbor, where he met with union members and signed what the White House referred to as his "Good Jobs" executive order.
Biden explained the order's purpose during his visit:
I signed an executive order to make sure that the most... the largest federal construction projects that are being built in America are built with project labor agreements. It's a big deal.
This order aims to strengthen the role of labor unions in major federal construction projects, a move likely to resonate with Biden's union base.
The contrast in executive order output becomes stark when comparing Biden's recent activity to that of his predecessors. In August 2020, then-President Trump signed seven executive orders covering a range of issues, from COVID-19 relief to national security concerns.
Similarly, former President Obama, under whom Biden served as Vice President, issued five executive orders in August 2016. These orders addressed various administrative matters, including succession plans for federal agencies and amendments to previous executive actions.
The apparent slowdown in Biden's executive actions has not gone unnoticed. Tech billionaire Elon Musk, known for his outspoken comments on political matters, remarked on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter): "I keep forgetting that Biden is still technically in charge of the country."
This comment reflects a growing perception of reduced presidential activity following Biden's decision to exit the 2024 race.
Meanwhile, former President Trump, now the Republican nominee for the 2024 election, is already discussing potential executive orders he would implement if returned to office. During a campaign rally in Wisconsin, Trump outlined his plans:
I will sign an executive order banning any federal employee from colluding to limit speech. And we will fire every federal bureaucrat who is engaged in domestic censorship under the Harris regime.
This statement not only highlights Trump's campaign strategy but also underscores the ongoing debate about the role and extent of executive power in American governance.
In conclusion, President Biden's reduced pace of issuing executive orders since withdrawing from the 2024 race stands in stark contrast to the actions of his predecessors. With only two orders signed since July 21, Biden's output falls significantly behind that of Trump and Obama during similar periods. This slowdown has sparked commentary from public figures and political opponents alike while the 2024 campaign continues to heat up with discussions of future executive actions.
