Did President Biden Issue 56 Executive Orders in His First 40 Days?

No.

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A widely shared Facebook post claims that President Joe Biden issued 56 executive orders in 40 days. The full post reads: “56 Executive Orders in under 40 days…..That, my friends, is an actual Dictator.”

This is a false claim.

According to the Federal Register, Biden has issued 37 executive orders since January 20 of this year. It’s worth mentioning that Biden has signed more than 50 executive actions, which includes executive orders, actions, and memorandums. While it’s true that the number of executive orders in Biden’s first three months of presidency is greater than that of both Donald Trump’s and Barack Obama, it’s still well below 56. 

From January 20, 2017, until March 19, 2017, Trump issued 17 executive orders and from January 20, 2009 until March 19, 2009, Obama issued 18 executive orders, according to data from the American Presidency Project. 

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  1. Daniel

    Who cares - he could issue 100 or 2.

    The inquiry that matters - is Biden extending the use of executive power in novel or unconstitutional ways.

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    CynthiaW

    If Biden has issued more than 50 different kinds of "executive stuff," that is not "well below 56."

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    Aylene Wright

    I assume this was a Facebook requested fact check but I find this kind of FC misses the point of the meme, it's not about the exact number of executive orders but the overall theme of Biden having many more of them than previous presidents.

    It's also very possible that the claim reflects confusion between executive orders and executive actions. The FC concedes Biden has issued more than 50 of those. But I wish you'd gone further and explained what exactly the differences are between executive orders, actions, and memos. Without that, I can't really tell how close the claim is to the truth.

    I did click the link but I didn't find an exact number or an explanation of the difference in the source, either.

    I also am starting to think that the TDFC should consider some kind of formal scoring system that acknowledges a range of truth values.

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      Aylene Wright

      PS: Using a Snopes like scale, I wouldn't have given this claim a False, I would have scored it "Mostly False" as the number is wrong and possibly the failure to differentiate between executive orders and executive actions. Or using a WaPo like system, maybe 3 Pinocchios.

      But it's not 100% False / 5 Pinocchio worthy in the way claims about Frazzledrip or Dominion are, it's not so ludicrous that no rational person could believe them.

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    DillaDonutz

    How many of Trump's were elimination of Obama policy that was deemed bad? Same for Obama with Bush. Give me your best fact check, Dispatch.

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  5. ppbwriter

    I'd be curious to see what Carol accepts as an appropriate number of executive orders over 40 days...and if Trump had issued 56 actual executive orders in as many days, wouldn't she have mocked up some graphic proclaiming his brilliance and his tireless efforts on behalf of folks like her?

    Can't we all just agree this power is overused, regardless of whether it's 20, 30, 40 over any number of days?

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      Farhall

      The executive branch has amassed too much power thanks to the impotence of congress. Within that vacuum, Executive Orders have become policy by fiat, regardless of party.

      However, there's currently no incentive to not do EOs. That's the root cause. EOs, just like "Acting" appointments, are a way to skirt Congress, and Congress is too impotent or cowardly to actually create any policy, and would rather hide behind grandstanding and justifications.

      The root of the disease is Congress. That's where it also needs to be cured. Until then the Executive will run rampant.

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