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President Donald Trump on Saturday signed an executive order making English the official language of the US.
The order revokes an executive order issued by former President Bill Clinton in 2000, “Improving Access Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency,” that required federal agencies and recipients of federal funding to provide language assistance to non-English speakers.
However, Trump’s order notes it does not “require or direct” any change in services provided by any agency.
It will be up to agency heads to decide if any changes should be made.
While English has been used as the country’s national language — seen in every historic governing document — the US has never had an official language.
“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,” Trump wrote in the order.
The US is one of just a few countries without an official language.
About 180 of the 195 countries across the globe have made the distinction.
Trump has been outspoken about designating English as the nation’s language, specifically in 2024, as he criticized former President Joe Biden’s immigration policies.
“We have languages coming into our country. We don’t have one instructor in our entire nation that can speak that language,” Trump said while speaking before the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2024. “These are languages—it’s the craziest thing—they have languages that nobody in this country has ever heard of. It’s a very horrible thing.”
The order states it is intended to “promote unity” and “cultivate a shared American culture for all citizens,” while ensuring consistency in government operations and creating a pathway to civic engagement.
First lady Melania Trump speaks at least five languages, including English, French, Italian, German and Slovene, Fox News Digital previously reported.
Trump has signed at least 76 executive orders since reclaiming the Oval Office in January, Fox News Digital previously reported.Executive orders and actions included renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, and signing an executive order to restore the Obama-named Mount Denali to its original Mount McKinley.
Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.
