2025 Executive Orders to watch in 2026

The first year of President Donald Trump’s second term proved to be a busy one. The White House issued Executive Orders (EOs) on a wide range of topics, including employment, energy and natural resources, government contracting, federal regulatory oversight, and artificial intelligence (AI). A number of these EOs were challenged in court. Some of those challenges remain active, but others have been at least partially resolved.

Now that the flurry of EOs has slowed somewhat, business leaders can get a better sense of how to comply with this new federal guidance. The following are six areas in which the Trump administration focused its attention in 2025—and that companies can expect to remain priorities in 2026.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion

One of the Trump administration’s first EOs, issued in January 2025, sought to end what it calls “illegal” diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) programs.

Federal agencies have attempted to implement the EOs through directives and guidance. Hundreds of legal challenges have been filed, and more are likely, with plaintiffs (and critics) noting the lack of clear definitions for “illegal DEI” within existing law, EOs, directives, and guidance. This has created significant uncertainty for government contractors and subcontractors, grantees, and private employers.