Oct 19, 2019 - Politics & Policy

Trump bashed Obama for executive orders, but his own record is basically the same

In this image, Trump looks to his right while Mike Pence sits behind him.

President Trump and Vice President Pence on Oct. 18. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

President Trump has issued 130 executive orders in his presidency so far — largely keeping pace with President Obama, except for the 55 orders he unleashed in 2017. (George W. Bush sent 54 in his first year).

Why it matters: Trump made it a point on the campaign trail to deride Obama's use of executive orders, saying "the country wasn't based" on them at a 2016 Republican Presidential Town Hall and that Obama's executive orders were "a basic disaster," since he couldn't "even get along with the Democrats."

The bottom line: Trump has relied on executive orders and emergency declarations in an attempt to push through some of his biggest campaign promises, like authorizing a border wall, securing its funding and banning travelers to the U.S. from predominantly Muslim countries. He's also heavily used them to impose sanctions.

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