US President Donald Trump officially declared English as the national language of the United States. He claimed this decision would help unite the nation, which has a long history of immigration.

Executive Order on English

On Saturday, Trump signed an executive order making English the country’s official language. He stated that it was "long past time" for this recognition.

"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," the order said.

As a result, this order overturned a rule from the 1990s introduced by President Bill Clinton. That rule required federal agencies and government-funded organizations to assist non-English speakers. However, under Trump’s new order, agencies now have the discretion to decide how much multilingual support they will provide.

"Nothing in this order... requires or directs any change in the services provided by any agency," the order clarified. Furthermore, it added that department heads will determine what is necessary "to fulfill their respective agencies' mission and efficiently provide Government services to the American people."

Trump’s Executive Orders and Legal Issues

Since taking office, Trump has signed many executive orders. However, several faced legal challenges, especially those affecting federal funding.

English in U.S. History

The White House acknowledged that over 350 languages are spoken in the U.S. Nevertheless, it argued that English has been the country’s primary language "from the founding of our Republic." Additionally, the order pointed out that key historical documents, such as the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, were written in English.

America’s Diverse Languages

Despite English being dominant, millions of Americans speak other languages at home. In fact, government data from 2019 shows that nearly 68 million people in the U.S. use a language other than English daily. Notably, over 40 million speak Spanish. Moreover, many others speak Chinese, Vietnamese, and various Native American languages.