Reports indicate an executive order is being prepared to promote national unity and governmental efficiency by making English the official language and rolling back mandates for multilingual federal services.
According to *The Wall Street Journal*, citing White House sources, President Trump is reportedly planning to sign an executive order that would officially declare English as the national language of the United States for the first time.
Several news outlets, including *Reuters* and *AP*, initially reported that Trump was expected to sign the order on Friday. However, the White House did not confirm the signing by Friday evening.
Despite its long history and diverse population, the U.S. has never had a federally recognized national language. The executive order would reverse a previous directive from President Bill Clinton requiring federal agencies and those receiving federal funds to offer language assistance to individuals who are not proficient in English.
The administration maintains that the move “promotes unity, establishes efficiency in government operations, and creates a pathway for civic engagement,” according to a White House summary, even though agencies could still provide documents and services in other languages.
Immigration enforcement has been a key priority for Trump, who has pledged a large-scale deportation effort. He has frequently expressed concerns about the impact of immigrants who do not speak English on American society and schools.
Trump stated last year, “We have languages coming into our country that nobody here has ever heard of. It’s a very horrible thing.” He has also questioned the ability of non-English-speaking migrant students to integrate into classrooms.
Congress has seen repeated attempts over the years to legislate English as the official language, but none have succeeded. While over 30 states have already adopted English as their official language, national-level efforts have been unsuccessful.
During his first term, Trump removed the Spanish version of the White House website, which was later restored by President Biden. Shortly after Trump’s inauguration last month, his administration again removed the Spanish-language version of the official White House website.
Vice President J.D. Vance, a long-time advocate for English as the national language, has previously introduced the English Language Unity Act as a senator and proposed a language-testing requirement for citizenship.
Currently, U.S. naturalization requires applicants to demonstrate English proficiency. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over 78% of Americans speak only English at home, but millions also primarily use languages like Spanish and Chinese. The country is also home to numerous Native American languages.
Despite past criticisms of politicians using languages other than English, the Trump administration and its allies have actively courted Spanish-speaking voters during his presidential campaigns. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a bilingual Cuban-American, has used Spanish in diplomatic missions to Latin America to strengthen ties with regional leaders.
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