President Donald Trump has signed an executive order making English the official language of the United States, revoking a 2000 order by former President Bill Clinton that mandated language assistance for non-English speakers in federally funded programs.
The order states that agency heads will have discretion over modifying language services, rather than enforcing an immediate overhaul.
While English has historically been the dominant language in U.S. governance, the country has never had an officially designated language—a status now changed by Trump’s action.
“A nationally designated language is at the core of a unified and cohesive society,” the order states, adding that the move aims to strengthen national identity and promote civic engagement.
The United States was among a small number of countries without an official language, as 180 out of 195 nations globally have designated one.
Trump has long advocated for English as the national language, particularly in 2024, when he criticized former President Joe Biden’s immigration policies.
“We have languages coming into our country that nobody here has ever heard of,” Trump stated at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in 2024.
The executive order follows a series of actions by the Trump administration, including renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and restoring Mount Denali to its former name, Mount McKinley.
Since returning to office in January 2025, Trump has issued at least 76 executive orders, according to Fox News Digital.
