On Saturday, President Donald Trump issued an executive order officially designating English as the national language of the United States.
This directive rescinds a policy introduced by former President Bill Clinton in 2000, which mandated federal agencies and federally funded programs to provide language assistance to individuals with limited English proficiency.
While Trump’s order revokes Clintonโs directive, it does not impose mandatory changes on government agencies. Instead, it grants agency leaders the authority to determine whether adjustments to language services should be made.
The U.S. Establishes English as Its Official Language
Historically, English has served as the primary language of government operations in the U.S., as evidenced by the nation’s foundational documents. However, the country has never officially designated a national languageโuntil now.
Trump emphasized the importance of a common language in fostering national unity, stating in the order, “A nationally designated language is at the core of a unified and cohesive society, and the United States is strengthened by a citizenry that can freely exchange ideas in one shared language.”
The United States has been one of the few nations worldwide without an official language. Currently, approximately 180 out of 195 countries globally have designated an official language.
Trumpโs Stance on Language and Immigration Policies
Trump has consistently advocated for establishing English as the nation’s official language, particularly throughout his 2024 campaign. His emphasis on language policy was closely tied to his criticism of former President Joe Bidenโs immigration policies.
During a speech at the 2024 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Trump expressed concerns about the linguistic diversity brought by new immigrants, stating, “We have languages coming into our country. We donโt have one instructor in our entire nation that can speak that language. These are languagesโitโs the craziest thingโthey have languages that nobody in this country has ever heard of. Itโs a very horrible thing.”
His executive order outlines its intent to “promote unity,” “cultivate a shared American culture for all citizens,” and “ensure consistency in government operations while fostering civic engagement.”
Interestingly, First Lady Melania Trump is fluent in multiple languages, including English, French, Italian, German, and Slovene, as previously reported by Fox News Digital.
While the executive order seeks to establish English as the standard language for governmental operations, it does not eliminate multilingual services entirely. The extent to which language assistance programs will be affected remains at the discretion of individual agency heads.
As this new policy takes effect, it marks a significant shift in U.S. language policy, solidifying English as the official language for the first time in the nation’s history.
