President Donald Trump signed a landmark executive order on Tuesday that would allow the White House to control independent institutions that have long operated outside its influence.
Scan orders claiming to promote “presidential oversight and control of the entire executive branch” may affect independent institutions such as the Federal Election Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Trade Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The order appears to be to test a once-legal theory called the Unified Execution Theory, which argues that the president has solely controlled the entire executive branch. It also reflects the growing influence of Trump's budget chief Russell Vought, who has long been a supporter of unified administrative theory.
The legal challenge will surely satisfy the order quickly.
“The previous government allowed so-called 'independent regulators' to act with minimal presidential oversight,” the order read.
U.S. President Donald Trump asked a question from a White House reporter in Washington, D.C. on February 12, 2025. / Andrew Harnik/ Getty Images
It continued: “These regulators currently exercise substantive administrations, without sufficient responsibility to the President and through his responsibility to the American people.” It continued: “These practices undermine the agency’s “question” of the country” and prohibit the implementation of federal laws “unified, coherent” by “unified, coherent” means. ”
“To make the federal government truly responsible to the American people, officials with huge executive powers must be supervised and controlled by the people's elected president,” the order declared.
“So, to improve administration and increase the responsibility of regulatory officials to the American people, it is the executive policy to ensure the president’s oversight and control of the entire executive branch.”
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in an executive order signed by the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on February 11, 2025. / Andrew Harnik/ Getty Images
The order outlines the approach involved by the director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, will monitor the agencies by establishing “Performance Standards and Management Objectives” and regularly report to the President on standards and objectives such as their performance and efficiency. ”
The order also allows Voight to modify the agency's budget “necessary and appropriate budgets to advance the president's policies and priorities.”
In addition to his role as budget leader, Vought replaced the interim title of acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, another independent institution, and has since abandoned a large portion of his staff and stopped funding.
Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget for U.S. President Donald Trump, nominee at the Senate Banking Committee Nomination Hearing on January 22, 2025 in the Dickson Senate in Washington, DC The building was held. /kayla bartkowski/ getty image
This move is unprecedented. Past presidents rarely tried to challenge the independence of these institutions, and some even avoided the suggestion of interference through their actions.
But Trump made amazing last week claim: “The person who saves his country will not violate any law.”
