Donald Trump signed an executive order on February 18, 2025, that brings independent federal agencies under White House control—a move past presidents actively avoided. Under this order, agencies like the Federal Trade Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, and Federal Communications Commission must now submit all draft regulations for presidential review and discuss their priorities with administration officials. Trump’s action marks one of many executive orders during his second term, including renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, imposing tariffs on Canada and China, and targeting transgender women in sports.
Experts say this latest order could make Trump one of the most consequential presidents in American history. It gives him direct control over agencies Congress designed to function independently from political pressure. Unlike Barack Obama and other former presidents who carefully avoided interfering with these agencies, Trump has directly challenged their autonomy, breaking decades of presidential restraint and potentially reshaping executive power for generations.
Table of Contents
- Trump’s Wave of Executive Orders in His Second Term
- What the February 18 Executive Order Actually Does
- Major Independent Agencies Now Under Presidential Control
- Why Trump Says This Order Is Necessary
- How the White House Will Control These Agencies
- Legal Challenges Expected Against the Executive Order
- Trump’s Order Sets Up Historic Battle Over Government Power
Trump’s Wave of Executive Orders in His Second Term
President Trump started his second term with a rapid series of executive orders showing his hands-on approach to governance. One early order renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, signaling Trump’s “America First” priorities and asserting executive authority over long-established geographic names. Foreign policy changes came next, with significant tax tariffs imposed on Canada and China, reshaping trade relationships with major U.S. partners. Social policy felt Trump’s impact through an order targeting transgender women in sports, adding to ongoing national debates about gender identity in athletics. Schools saw changes when Trump eliminated COVID-19 vaccine mandates, reversing pandemic-era health policies that are still in place at some educational institutions.
Trump also signed orders to eliminate paper straws and create a new White House Faith Office to replace the previously named “White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.” Each order demonstrates Trump’s willingness to use executive power aggressively early in his second term, establishing direct control over issues ranging from trade to education to social policy.
What the February 18 Executive Order Actually Does
On February 18, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order titled “Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies,” fundamentally changing how federal agencies operate. At its core, Trump’s order brings traditionally independent agencies directly under White House control, ending decades of separation between these regulators and presidential authority.
Every agency must submit draft regulations to the president for review before implementation – a significant shift from their ability to issue rules independently. Agency heads must consult with Trump administration officials about their “priorities and strategic plans,” giving the White House direct input into their operations. As stated in the order: “The President and the Attorney General (subject to the President’s supervision and control) will interpret the law for the executive branch, instead of having separate agencies adopt conflicting interpretations.”
Almost no exemptions exist for formerly independent agencies, with Federal Reserve monetary policy functions as the single exception to these new requirements. Office of Management and Budget will oversee all agencies to ensure “tax dollars are being spent wisely” according to White House standards. All executive branch officials and employees now fall directly under Trump’s supervision per the order’s text, centralizing authority throughout federal government operations.
Major Independent Agencies Now Under Presidential Control
Trump’s executive order names explicitly three major independent agencies that will now fall under direct White House supervision. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) heads President Trump’s list of previously independent bodies. FTC regulates business practices and enforces antitrust laws across American markets – powers that will now require presidential approval. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) faces similar changes in response to Trump’s orders. Previously operating independently to regulate securities markets and protect investors, the SEC must now seek White House approval for regulations. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which governs telecommunications, internet policy, and broadcast media, becomes another formerly independent agency now required to submit rules for presidential review.
Though not explicitly named in Trump’s order, the Federal Election Commission would likely be subject to these new requirements as another independent regulatory agency. Legal experts predict that additional independent regulatory bodies beyond those specifically named will also face new White House oversight requirements under Trump’s broad executive order.
Why Trump Says This Order Is Necessary
President Trump justifies his executive order by claiming independent agencies have “exercised enormous power over the American people without Presidential oversight” for too long. According to the order text: “Executive power without responsibility has no place in our Republic. The United States was founded on the principle that the government should be accountable to the people.” Trump cites constitutional foundations for his actions, with the order stating: “That is why the Founders created a single President who is alone vested with ‘the executive Power’ and responsibility to ‘take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.'”
His administration frames the order as restoring proper constitutional balance: “For the federal government to be truly accountable to the American people, officials who wield vast executive power must be supervised and controlled by the people’s elected president.” Financial concerns feature prominently in Trump’s reasoning, as he alleges previous regulations from these agencies have cost American taxpayers and businesses billions of dollars. By bringing these agencies under direct presidential control, Trump claims to increase accountability to voters who can hold him responsible for agency actions, rather than unelected officials making decisions without voter oversight. Constitutional arguments underpin his rationale, with repeated references to Article II powers vested solely in the president as chief executive, positioning his order as fulfilling his constitutional role.
How the White House Will Control These Agencies
Russell Vought, acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, will play a central role in implementing Trump’s executive order. His office must now “establish performance standards and management objectives” for heads of previously independent agencies. Agency leaders must report regularly to Vought, who will report directly to President Trump about their performance and efficiency metrics. Poor performance could trigger leadership changes previously impossible under independent agency structures.
Vought gains significant financial leverage through authority to make “necessary and appropriate” changes to agency budgets – potentially reducing funding for initiatives that don’t align with White House priorities. All agency actions must advance what the order describes as the President’s “policies and priorities,” giving Trump direct influence over regulatory decisions once made independently.
Trump’s executive order has sparked intense reactions on social media, with many expressing serious concerns about its implications.
On X (formerly Twitter), user Pink Heretic warned: “If this doesn’t scare the absolute crap out of you, you aren’t paying attention.”
Another account, Atheists Assemble, characterized the move as “The beginning of the end for the US.”
Legal Challenges Expected Against the Executive Order
Legal scholars predict that Trump’s executive order will face immediate court challenges based on concerns about the separation of powers. Multiple lawsuits may emerge from Congress, affected agencies, and civil rights groups. White House lawyers base their argument on “unitary executive theory,” a conservative legal view that gives presidents broad control over all executive branch functions and decisions regardless of congressional intent.
Trump’s order directly contradicts laws passed by Congress that specifically created independent agencies free from presidential control, raising fundamental questions about executive authority limits. Most independent agencies were designed with bipartisan leadership panels serving fixed terms and members who could not be fired except for misconduct—structural protections Trump’s order effectively removes. Constitutional law experts predict the case will ultimately reach the Supreme Court in a significant test of presidential power versus congressional authority to structure federal agencies.
The Supreme Court’s 2020 ruling allowed presidents to fire the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau without cause but left open questions about multi-member commissions like those affected by Trump’s new order. Humphrey’s Executor v. United States, from 1935, remains highly relevant. Justices then ruled that Congress could prevent presidents from firing commissioners who run independent agencies, a precedent that Trump’s order challenges.
Lower courts have attempted to block some of Trump’s previous executive actions, but his administration has largely ignored these rulings while appeals work through higher courts. Federal judges may issue temporary injunctions against portions of Trump’s order while legal battles continue, creating uncertainty for agencies caught between judicial and executive branch instructions. Trump administration officials indicate they plan to implement the order regardless of initial court rulings, following a pattern of waiting for final judgments from appellate courts. This process could extend throughout much of Trump’s second term.
Trump’s Order Sets Up Historic Battle Over Government Power
Trump’s takeover of independent agencies fundamentally reshapes the power balance in Washington. Few presidential actions since Franklin Roosevelt have dramatically altered the federal governance structure. If courts uphold Trump’s executive order, future presidents from both parties could maintain similar control over once-independent regulators. This could result in a complete power shift from specialized expert agencies to direct White House control.
Constitutional scholars warn about the long-term impacts on regulatory stability. With new administrations, rules, and regulations might drastically change every four to eight years, creating unpredictable business environments. Congress faces tough choices about reasserting its authority. Lawmakers may need to pass new legislation clarifying independent agency status, setting up additional confrontations with executive power.
The American government now faces a choice between competing visions of executive power—one with vigorous checks and balances and one with consolidated presidential authority. The Supreme Court’s eventual ruling will likely reshape federal governance for generations. Whatever the courts decide, Trump’s bold action has already redefined presidential boundaries, proving his willingness to test constitutional limits and reshape government according to his vision.
