Trump's December Push: New Executive Orders Target Immigration, Workforce, and Global Ties Amid Democratic Pushback
As December 2025 begins, President Trump continues his aggressive second-term agenda with a flurry of executive actions, building on the 217 orders signed since January. Recent moves include November 24's designation of certain Muslim Brotherhood chapters as foreign terrorist organizations and November 20's directives on federal workforce reforms, echoing his early reinstatement of Schedule F—now rebranded as Schedule Policy/Career—to strip protections from tens of thousands of policy-influencing civil servants. Critics decry it as a politicization of the bureaucracy, with unions filing suits claiming it enables mass firings without due process, while supporters hail it as essential for accountability. Meanwhile, the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO, formalized in January, has left a $400 million funding gap, prompting experts to warn of weakened global health coordination and rising Chinese influence.
On immigration, the administration is ramping up enforcement: Over 4,000 reduction-in-force notices targeted federal employees in October amid shutdown threats, though courts paused many, citing procedural violations. Deportation flights have surged, with hundreds operating monthly—prioritizing criminals and security threats—under expanded 287(g) agreements now covering 40 states and third-country removals to places like El Salvador's CECOT prison. Border wall progress includes 85 miles planned for 2025, funded by the One Big Beautiful Bill's $46.5 billion allocation, with new sections in Arizona and Texas closing gaps halted under Biden. TikTok's saga persists, with Trump extending the sale deadline to December 16 amid a framework deal for U.S. investors like Oracle to acquire 80% stake, licensing ByteDance's algorithm despite bipartisan security concerns.
Yet challenges mount: Gallup's latest poll shows Trump's approval dipping to 36%—a second-term low—with 60% disapproving, driven by economic frustrations, inflation woes, and backlash over the Epstein files' partial release, but we know how polls tend to lie to fit narratives. Republicans hold at 84% approval, but independents have cratered to 25%. Democrats eye midterms gains, floating probes into Schedule F's implementation and deportation costs, which have ballooned via pricier military flights. As holiday debates heat up, Trump's "America First" blueprint faces tests: Will workforce cuts streamline government or spark chaos? Can deportations scale without third-country pushback? With polls seeming to signal voter fatigue, the coming weeks could very well define his momentum. Will he be able to continue the push for We The People? Not without your continued support. If you have ideas, send them to him via WH.gov!
