Trump to Sign Order Designating English as U.S. Official Language

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump is poised to sign an executive order making English the official language of the United States. This decision, expected to be finalized shortly, marks a significant policy shift as the nation has never designated an official language in its 250-year history, despite English being the predominant language in official documents.

The executive order will rescind a federal mandate established by former President Bill Clinton in 2000, which required federal agencies and recipients of federal funding to provide language assistance for non-English speakers. According to a White House official, this new directive aims to streamline government operations while celebrating multilingualism.

“This order will create a pathway to civic engagement and promote unity across our diverse population,” the official stated. Consequently, it will allow federal agencies the discretion to decide on providing services in languages other than English.

Despite the historical absence of an official language, surveys indicate that nearly 350 languages are spoken across the U.S. Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Arabic are some of the most common languages utilized aside from English, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. A report showed that the number of individuals speaking a non-English language at home increased significantly from 1980 to 2019—rising from 23.1 million, about one in ten residents, to 67.8 million, which amounts to approximately one in five.

Trump has expressed the need for a common language, particularly highlighting concerns at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in 2024. “We have languages coming into our country that nobody in this country has ever heard of. It’s a very horrible thing,” he remarked during his speech.

The executive order is expected to foster a sense of shared identity among Americans, with the White House asserting that it will help guarantee effective communication in public services.

As the administration works to cement this policy, Trump has also made notable changes since reclaiming the Oval Office, including renaming areas to reflect a more unified national narrative. Recently, he signed an order changing the Gulf of Mexico’s designation to the Gulf of America.

The plans for this executive order align with Republican-led efforts at various levels of government to designate English as the official language, although prior legislative attempts to pass similar measures have stalled.

While the exact date for the signing is not yet confirmed, White House officials indicate that more information will be released shortly.