President Donald Trump has officially designated English as the United States’ official language, emphasizing the move as a step toward national unity.
In an executive order released by the White House on Saturday, Trump stated that it is “long past time” for English to be formally recognized as the country’s primary language.
According to the order, a shared national language is essential for fostering a unified and cohesive society.
The executive order overturns a directive from the 1990s, issued during President Bill Clinton’s administration, which required federal agencies and organizations receiving federal funding to offer services in multiple languages.
However, the new policy still allows agencies some discretion in deciding how much multilingual support to provide.
“Nothing in this order… requires or directs any change in the services provided by any agency,” the order clarifies, adding that agency heads will determine what level of language assistance is necessary to fulfill their responsibilities efficiently.
Trump has aggressively used executive orders to implement his agenda, though many of his directives have faced legal challenges, particularly when they involve changes to federal funding.
The White House acknowledges that over 350 languages are spoken across the United States but argues that English has always been central to the nation’s identity.
The order highlights that key historical documents, including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, were written in English.
According to U.S. government statistics from 2019, nearly 68 million people in the country speak a language other than English at home.
While English remains dominant, Spanish is spoken by more than 40 million people, with other
