During his 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump was openly critical of President Barack Obama’s use of executive orders and vowed to vastly reduce their use. In February 2016 at a South Carolina town hall, Trump said: “Executive orders sort of came about more recently. Nobody ever heard of an executive order. … Obama, because he couldn’t get anybody to agree with him, starts signing them like they’re butter,” adding, “I want to do away with executive orders for the most part.”

In fact, the earliest executive order was issued by George Washington. These orders continued through every president except William Henry Harrison, who died one month after taking office in 1841.

Trump called Obama’s executive orders a “basic disaster,” criticizing their overuse and claiming they evidenced weak leadership: “We have a president that can’t get anything done so he just keeps signing executive orders all over the place.” As a candidate, Trump criticized the use of executive orders, calling them excessive and un-presidential. But as president, he has relied on them.

Average annual executive orders by president: George W. Bush, 36; Obama, 35; Joe Biden,  48; Trump in his first term: 55.  Executive orders issued to-date by Trump in less than six months of his second term: 170 (per EO 14147 through EO 14316 of the Federal Register).