Trump to make English only American language – WSJ
Executive order reportedy aims to promote unity and efficiency, rescinding previous mandates for multilingual federal services
US President Donald Trump is preparing to sign an executive order that, for the first time, would designate English as the official language of the United States, according to The Wall Street Journal, which cited White House officials.
Several media outlets, including Reuters and AP, wrote that Trump was expected to sign the order on Friday. However, by Friday night, the White House had not confirmed its enactment.
The United States has never had a federally recognized national language despite its nearly 250-year history and diverse linguistic landscape. The executive order would overturn a mandate issued by former President Bill Clinton, which required federal agencies and recipients of federal funding to provide language assistance to non-English speakers.
While agencies will still be permitted to offer documents and services in languages other than English, the administration argues that the move “promotes unity, establishes efficiency in government operations, and creates a pathway for civic engagement,” according to a White House summary of the order.
Trump has made immigration enforcement a central focus of his presidency and has pledged an unprecedented mass deportation effort. He has repeatedly voiced concerns about the impact of non-English-speaking migrants on American communities and schools.
”We have languages coming into our country that nobody here has ever heard of. It’s a very horrible thing,” Trump said last year. He has also criticized the presence of migrant students who do not speak English, questioning their ability to integrate effectively into classrooms.
For decades, lawmakers in Congress have introduced legislation to designate English as the official language of the US, but those efforts have consistently failed. While over 30 states have already declared English their official language, previous congressional attempts to establish a national standard have not been successful.
Trump previously shut down the Spanish version of the White House website during his first term, a feature that was later reinstated when President Joe Biden took office. Within hours of Trump’s inauguration last month, his administration once again removed the Spanish-language version of the official White House website.
Vice President J.D. Vance, who previously introduced the English Language Unity Act as a senator, has long advocated for English to be the national language and has proposed a language-testing standard as part of the citizenship pathway.
Currently, the US naturalization process requires applicants to demonstrate English proficiency. According to the US Census Bureau, more than 78% of Americans speak only English at home, though millions primarily use languages such as Spanish and Chinese. The country is also home to dozens of Native American languages.
Despite previous criticisms of politicians using languages other than English, the Trump administration and its allies have undertaken significant efforts to engage Spanish-speaking voters during both of his presidential election campaigns. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a bilingual Cuban-American, has conducted diplomatic missions in Spanish during visits to Latin America, fostering stronger ties with regional leaders.