President Donald Trump began his second stint in the White House by signing executive orders that called for a federal hiring freeze and the return of government workers to the office.
He did it during the indoor inaugural parade inside Capital One Arena in D.C. The parade moved inside due to frigid temperatures.
“I’m revoking nearly 80 disruptive, radical executive actions of the previous administration, they’ll all be null and void within about, what, five minutes?” Trump said, followed by the signing of the first round of executive orders before a jubilant crowd of his supporters Monday night.
He issued a temporary hiring freeze “to ensure that we’re only hiring competent people who are faithful to the American public,” and he’s pausing the hiring of any new IRS agents and is requiring the return of federal workers to the office.
Here is a list of other orders Trump signed.
Before Trump took the podium, headline speakers such as Elon Musk, Kash Patel and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin touted the imminent return of America’s glory days, when they claimed housing was affordable, cities were safe and the country was at the forefront of innovation.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we stand here on the dawn of a new age, where life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are available to every American,” Youngkin said.
Musk, who’s poised to play a unique role alongside the Trump administration as head of the new Department of Government Efficiency, said he’s ready to start the work of slashing the federal government’s budget through potential job and program cuts.
“I’m going to work my ass off for you guys, I really will. I’m super fired up for the future, it’s going to be very exciting. As the president said, we’re going to have a golden age,” Musk said, before leaving the stage and raising his hand in a gesture that drew outrage from critics on social media.
WAIT! Hold up! What did we just see Mr. Musk during his Capital One speech? pic.twitter.com/gVJ5wctxlY
— JJ Green (@NATSEC09) January 20, 2025
Musk has been active on X since his speech, posting and reposting clips of his remarks, but hasn’t addressed the gesture, which critics said resembled a Nazi salute, as of 5 p.m. Monday.
WTOP’s Scott Gelman spoke with several attendees who left the rally early because they had inaugural balls to get to Monday night. The attendees told WTOP it was a great atmosphere, and that they were just excited to be part of a historic day.
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Eager attendees brave freezing temps ahead of indoor parade
Excitement had been building outside the arena Monday morning, when WTOP’s Luke Lukert reported lines to enter snaked five to seven blocks. He said some people eager to see Trump began lining up at the venue at 11 p.m. Sunday.
Elizabeth, of West Virginia, said she got in line at 3 a.m. on Monday.
“It’s kind of a bucket list thing to see him take the oath, and we’re going to come and celebrate him,” she told WTOP. “That’s the least we can do — standing out in cold weather is nothing compared to what he’s given up.”
There was a bit of a hang-up for many entrants at security checkpoints, as officials indicated bags were prohibited from the modified inaugural parade.
Screenings, which started at 7 a.m., prompted attendants to leave a trove of bags along the checkpoint perimeter.
WTOP’s Scott Gelman reported that as the rally was happening inside the arena, workers with D.C.’s Department of Public Works were working to clear the area around it, “dumping purses and chairs and all sorts of stuff that was lying just in the middle of the street, that was not allowed to be brought in through the security checkpoint — basically your traditional garbage pickup truck.”
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