Ending the Weaponization of the Federal Government
This executive order, titled Ending the Weaponization of the Federal Government, directs senior federal leadership to review and address what the President characterizes as the weaponization of federal law enforcement and intelligence activities over the previous four years. The Attorney General, in coordination with department and agency heads, must identify instances where enforcement actions appeared contrary to the order’s goals and prepare a report with recommended remedial actions for the President. The Director of National Intelligence, with IC leadership, is given a parallel duty to review intelligence activities and report back with remedial recommendations. The order emphasizes compliance with existing record-retention requirements and states that the actions it authorizes are consistent with law, appropriations, and do not create enforceable rights. In short, it establishes a paired, gatekeeping review process aimed at correcting perceived past misconduct in enforcement and intelligence work. Potential impact includes formal internal reviews within major agencies (DoJ, SEC, FTC, and the Intelligence Community), possible policy or procedural changes to address identified issues, and increased accountability for document-retention practices. The order does not transfer new criminal or civil authority, but it seeks to guide remedial actions through presidential recommendations and specified reporting channels.
Key Points
- 1The Attorney General, in consultation with all department/agency heads, must review civil and criminal enforcement activities over the last four years, identify conduct that appears contrary to the order’s purposes, and prepare a report with remedial action recommendations for the President.
- 2The Director of National Intelligence, with IC leadership, must review intelligence activities over the last four years, identify counter-purposes conduct, and prepare a presidentially-delivered report with remedial action recommendations; the IC definition follows 50 U.S.C. 3003.
- 3Departments and agencies must comply with applicable document-retention policies and legal obligations; any noncompliance will be referred to the Attorney General.
- 4General provisions preserve existing statutory authorities, clarify the order is implemented consistent with law and appropriations, and state that the order does not create any enforceable rights.
- 5The order is presented as a corrective, accountability-focused measure aimed at addressing “weaponization” of federal power against the American people, with reporting and remediation being the central mechanisms.