Trump vs. Obama: Who Signed More Executive Orders & Memos in the First 100 Days?

President Donald Trump has been signing a lot of executive orders and memos during his first 100 days as President. But is he really signing that many more than usual? Or does it just seem like he’s signing more because of how much attention he’s getting in the media? This article is going to compare just how many executive orders he has signed compared to former President Barack Obama. Although the law only requires that executive orders are published in the Federal Register, not memos, you can use Internet Archive to go back and compare Obama’s memos to Trump’s also.

Trump Signed 51 Executive Actions Compared to Obama’s 49 in the First 100 Days

According to the White House, Trump has signed 30 executive orders in his first 100 days. However, if you also include memos he’s signed, his total number of executive actions actually total 51 in his first 100 days. (See a full list in Heavy’s story here.)

Obama’s 100th day in office took place on April 29, 2009. By then, he had signed 19 executive orders, according to the National Archives. Looking back at the Internet Archive of his presidential memos, you can see that by April 29, he had signed 22 memos also. This means that Obama’s total executive actions were 41, just nine shy of Trump.

A Complete List of Obama’s Executive Orders and Memos in His First 100 Days

Here is a complete list of all the executive orders and memos that Obama signed in his first 100 days. You can read about them in detail on the attached links below.

Obama’s 22 Memos

• Mexico City Policy and Assistance for Voluntary Population Planning
• Review of the Detention of Ali Saleh Kahlah
• Pay Freeze
• Freedom of Information Act
• Transparency and Open Government
• Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies – Subject: Government Contracting
• Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies
• Transfer of Detainee to Control of the Attorney General
• Appliance Efficiency Standards
• Presidential Memorandum — State Childrens Health Insurance Program
• Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies
• Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration Needs Related to Gaza
• The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007
• California Request for Waiver Under the Clean Air Act
• Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of Defense
• Presidential Memorandum Regarding Regulatory Review
• Memorandum: Promoting Democracy and Human Rights in Cuba
• Presidential Memorandum Regarding Deferred Enforced Departure for Liberians
• Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies, 3/20/09
• Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration Needs Related to the Continuing Conflict in Pakistan
• Memorandum on Presidential Signing Statements
• Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies 3-9-09

Obama’s 19 Executive Orders

• Executive Order Establishing The White House Office Of Health Reform
• Executive Order Creating the White House Council on Women and Girls
• Removing Barriers to Responsible Scientific Research Involving Human Stem Cells
• Presidential Records
• Amending Executive Order 13390
• Executive Order: Establishment of the White House Office of Urban Affairs
• Executive Order: Use of Project Labor Agreements for Federal Construction Projects
• Presidential Executive Order Establishing the Presidents Economic Recovery Advisory Board
• Executive Order – Further Amendments To Executive Order 12859,Establishment Of The Domestic Policy Council
• Executive Order: Further Amendments to Executive Order 12835, Establishment of the National Economic Council
• Amendments to Executive Order 13199 and Establishment of the Presidents Advisory Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships
• Revocation Of Certain Executive Orders Concerning Regulatory Planning And Review
• Executive Order — Economy in Government Contracting
• Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers Under Service Contract
• Executive Order — Notificiation of Employee Rights Under Federal Labor Laws
• Ensuring Lawful Interrogations
• Review of Detention Policy Options
• Closure Of Guantanamo Detention Facilities
• Ethics Commitments By Executive Branch Personnel

A Complete List of Trump’s Executive Orders and Memos in His First 100 Days

For comparison, here are Trump’s 51 executive orders and memos in his first 100 days. Read about them in more detail in Heavy’s article here.

Trump’s 30 Executive Orders

• Presidential Executive Order Implementing an America-First Offshore Energy Strategy
• Presidential Executive Order on Improving Accountability and Whistleblower Protection at the Department of Veterans Affairs
• Presidential Executive Order on Enforcing Statutory Prohibitions on Federal Control of Education
• Presidential Executive Order on the Review of Designations Under the Antiquities Act
• Presidential Executive Order on Promoting Agriculture and Rural Prosperity in America
• Presidential Executive Order on Identifying and Reducing Tax Regulatory Burdens
• Presidential Executive Order on Buy American and Hire American
• Presidential Executive Order on Establishing Enhanced Collection and Enforcement of Antidumping and Countervailing Duties and Violations of Trade and Customs Laws
• Presidential Executive Order on Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Justice
• Presidential Executive Order Regarding the Omnibus Report on Significant Trade Deficits
• Presidential Executive Order Establishing the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis
• Presidential Executive Order on Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth
• Presidential Executive Order on the Revocation of Federal Contracting Executive Orders
• Presidential Executive Order on a Comprehensive Plan for Reorganizing the Executive Branch
• Executive Order Protecting The Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into The United States
• Presidential Executive Order on The White House Initiative to Promote Excellence and Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
• Presidential Executive Order on Restoring the Rule of Law, Federalism, and Economic Growth by Reviewing the “Waters of the United States” Rule
• Presidential Executive Order on Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda
• Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Justice
• Presidential Executive Order on Enforcing Federal Law with Respect to Transnational Criminal Organizations and Preventing International Trafficking
• Presidential Executive Order on Preventing Violence Against Federal, State, Tribal, and Local Law Enforcement Officers
• Presidential Executive Order on a Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety
• Presidential Executive Order on Core Principles for Regulating the United States Financial System
• Presidential Executive Order on Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs
• Executive Order: ETHICS COMMITMENTS BY EXECUTIVE BRANCH APPOINTEES
• EXECUTIVE ORDER: PROTECTING THE NATION FROM FOREIGN TERRORIST ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES
• Executive Order: Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements
• Executive Order: Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States
• Executive Order Expediting Environmental Reviews and Approvals For High Priority Infrastructure Projects
• Executive Order Minimizing the Economic Burden of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Pending Repeal

Trump’s 21 Presidential Memos

Note: Because Obama’s Internet Archive of memos only includes official memos and not proclamations or letters to Congress, we only included Trump’s official memos here too.

• Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of Commerce
• Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of the Treasury
• Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of the Treasury
• Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of Commerce
• Memorandum for the Director of the Federal Bureau
• Memorandum for the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service
• Presidential Memorandum on The White House Office of American Innovation
• Presidential Memorandum on the Delegation of Authority Under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017
• Memorandum for the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security
• Presidential Memorandum on Fiduciary Duty Rule
• Presidential Memorandum Organization of the National Security Council and the Homeland Security Council
• Presidential Memorandum Plan to Defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria
• Presidential Memorandum on Rebuilding the U.S. Armed Forces
• Presidential Memorandum Streamlining Permitting and Reducing Regulatory Burdens for Domestic Manufacturing
• Presidential Memorandum Regarding Construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline
• Presidential Memorandum Regarding Construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline
• Presidential Memorandum Regarding Construction of American Pipelines
• Presidential Memorandum Regarding the Hiring Freeze
• Presidential Memorandum Regarding Withdrawal of the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Negotiations and Agreement
• Presidential Memorandum Regarding the Mexico City Policy
• Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies