Bye-bye Biden: Trump's inaugural executive orders mark major rollback of Biden-era policies, ends WFH

US President Donald Trump, in his first move as the POTUS, on Monday (Jan 20) signed an executive order mandating federal employees to return to the office full-time, effectively ending remote work arrangements.

The White House confirmed the executive order, stating: "Heads of all departments and agencies in the executive branch of Government shall, as soon as practicable, take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements and require employees to return to work in-person at their respective duty stations on a full-time basis."

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The return-to-office mandate is part of a broader suite of executive orders Donald Trump signed just after his inauguration ceremony, aimed at reversing policies from the Biden administration.

Bye bye Biden, hello Trump

In what was a highly choreographed event, Trump sat onstage at a desk to sign a pile of executive orders, showcasing each signed document to an applauding audience while an aide narrated the actions.

As per reports, foremost among the notable measures was "rescission of 78 Biden-era executive actions, executive orders, presidential memoranda and others," signed by Trump's predecessor Joe Biden.

Trump also imposed a regulatory freeze, barring bureaucrats from issuing new regulations until "full control of this the government and this administration" is achieved.

The newly inaugurated US president also put in place a federal hiring freeze. However, the military and "a number of other excluded categories," till full control is in place.

Marking a major pivot from former President Joe Biden's climate policies, Trump also signed an order withdrawing the US from the Paris Climate Agreement, along with a letter formally notifying the United Nations of the withdrawal.

Federal government agencies were tasked with addressing the "cost of living crisis that has cost Americans so dearly."

Trump issued a directive to the federal government ordering "the restoration of freedom of speech and preventing government censorship of free speech, going forward."

Trump ordered federal departments to cease actions that he claimed targeted "political adversaries of the previous administration".

"Could you imagine Biden doing this? I don’t think so," Trump declared while signing the orders.

(With inputs from agencies)