As President Joe Biden’s time in the White House winds down, he’s been making some bold moves to lock in his policies before Donald Trump has a chance to roll them back. From halting offshore drilling to commuting the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates, Biden is determined to leave his mark.
But not everyone is on board with his last-minute decisions. Trump, never one to hold back, has fired back at Biden’s actions, accusing him of undermining the will of the people. “They say there’s going to be a smooth transition, but all they do is talk,” Trump said in a recent interview. “I’ll undo all of this on day one,” he added, particularly targeting Biden’s drilling ban.
While Trump isn’t happy with these moves, experts argue that what Biden is doing is actually pretty normal for a president nearing the end of their term. Jonathan Hanson, a political scientist at the University of Michigan, pointed out that such actions are part of the game when one party is handing over the reins to another.
And despite Trump’s claims that Biden is tying his hands, these policies aren’t set in stone. Some can be reversed, and others may not be as hard to undo as they seem.
One major decision Biden made this week was to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for migrants from Venezuela, El Salvador, Sudan, and Ukraine. This move affects over 900,000 people, giving them an 18-month extension. TPS is a tool presidents can use to protect migrants without needing approval from Congress—but it’s also something that the next administration could end if they choose to.
Biden also made waves with his offshore drilling ban, using an old federal law called the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. This law allows Biden to block drilling, and the only way to undo it is through Congress.
Dan Mallinson, a professor at Penn State, explained that it’s not unusual for a president to dig through the law books for ways to push through executive orders that are hard to reverse. Biden’s decision to establish two new national monuments in California, protecting 840,000 acres from drilling, is just another example of this strategy.
Though Trump could technically shrink the size of these monuments once he’s in office, Biden’s actions are part of a well-planned strategy. Just like how Trump took similar steps to reverse Obama-era policies, Biden is doing what he can to preserve his legacy.
Mallinson emphasized that, in the grand scheme of things, Biden’s actions are nothing out of the ordinary. These kinds of moves happen during every transition of power.
What sets this moment apart, however, is the messaging. While Biden has kept a relatively low profile during this time, focusing on policy over headlines, Trump has been vocal, taking to social media and interviews to voice his frustrations.
But no matter how much Trump criticizes, Biden still has the authority to act as president until January 20. So while Trump may claim the right to make changes, the reality is that Biden is still calling the shots for now.
In the end, this is just another chapter in the ongoing back-and-forth between the two political giants. Biden may be pushing through some final decisions, but Trump still has time to make his mark once he takes office. The question remains: Will these last-minute moves stick, or will they be reversed when the new president takes over? Only time will tell!
