President Donald Trump signed four executive orders on Tuesday, ranging from modernizing payments systems in the Department of the Treasury to election integrity measures to suspensions of security clearances.
Trump signed the group of orders during a meeting with U.S. Ambassadors in the Cabinet Room. One order directs the Treasury Department’s payment system to use electronic payments rather than checks beginning September 30, 2025.
“Historically, checks issued by the Treasury are, I believe, 14 times more likely to become the subject of fraud than electronic transfer payments,” said White House staff secretary Will Scharf while detailing the order.
The order is aimed at rooting out “waste, fraud, and abuse in the government,” according to Scharf.
Trump emphasized that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wants to modernize the system, adding that it should have been done two or three decades ago.
Another related order Trump signed is to improve the Treasury Department’s “ability to screen for improper payments and fraud, track transactions, and manage the Government’s disbursements,” according to a White House fact sheet.
“The Order directs the Department of the Treasury to update guidance and enhance systems across the Federal Government to ensure that all payments made on behalf of agencies undergo pre-certification verification to prevent fraud and improper payments,” the document adds.
A third order suspends any security clearances of employees of Jenner & Block LLP “pending a review of whether such clearances are consistent with the national interest.”
Jenner & Block LLP hired former U.S. Attorney Andrew Weissmann after he was a top prosecutor on the Mueller investigation, as Scharf pointed out.
“We’ve taken action against a number of law firms that have participated either in the weaponization of government, the weaponization of the legal system for political ends, or have otherwise engaged in illegal or inappropriate activities,” Scharf said, classifying Jenner & Block LLP as such a firm.
He went on to add:
It’s a law firm that’s engaged in invidious, racially, and sexually discriminatory practices. It’s also a law firm that has participated in the weaponization of the legal system against American principles and values, and we believe that the measures in this executive order will help help correct that.
The fourth order Trump signed is titled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections,” and takes a number of actions aimed at securing elections in the United States.
“The Election Assistance Commission will require documentary, government-issued proof of U.S. citizenship on its voter registration forms,” per a fact sheet on the order.
Per the White House, DHS, the State Department, and the Social Security Administration are directed to provide federal database access to states to verify individuals’ citizenship and voter eligibility when they register to vote.
“Among numerous other aspects of this executive order, this is going to cut down on illegal immigrants on the voter rolls, ensure that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the data that they have available is being fully weaponized to ensure that illegal immigrants aren’t voting,” Scharf said of the order.
Moreover, the order places conditions on election-related federal funds for states.
“Federal election-related funds will be conditioned on states complying with the integrity measures set forth by Federal law, including the requirement that states use the national mail voter registration form that will now require proof of citizenship,” a White House fact sheet reads.
Additionally, Attorney General Pam Bondi is also directed to “take appropriate action against states that count ballots received after Election Day in Federal elections,” and federal funding for elections in these states “will be conditioned on compliance,” per the fact sheet.
Trump said that more steps regarding election integrity can be expected in the weeks ahead.
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