By: u/RealKafkaEsquire
Instagram: @RealKafkaEsquire
Twitter: @Kafkaesquire
This report is only a summary and editorial regarding the executive orders (“EOs”) signed by the Trump Administration during the last week. EOs are not legislation or court opinions. They do not carry the weight of law, and are merely statements of policy within the executive branch. That is not to say they cannot be cited in court or legal pleadings, or aren’t relevant to the application of law, only that they are almost never controlling outside of internal executive branch administration.
EOs are signed and reported on, generally, a week before they are published into the Federal Register. Until such a publication, it can be difficult to know the exact language of the signed EO. For that reason, these reports only include EOs published in the Federal Register. While this can lead to these reports feeling delayed or dated, it is to ensure precision and clarity.
While I am a licensed attorney, this is not paid legal advice. Nothing in this communication is intended to create an attorney-client relationship. Unless expressly stated otherwise, nothing contained in this article should be construed as a digital or electronic signature, nor is it intended to reflect an intention to make an agreement by electronic means.
Executive Order 14303 - Restoring Gold Standard Science
Signed: 5/23/2025
Published: 5/29/2025
Section 1 talks a bunch of shit about the scientific community. It complains about Covid 19, whales, climate change, and DEI. It goes on to say that they want to return to a gold standard of science.
Section 2 establishes definitions for the EO.
Section 3 requires agencies to conform to the gold standard of science meaning science conducted in a manner that is:
(i) reproducible;
(ii) transparent;
(iii) communicative of error and uncertainty;
(iv) collaborative and interdisciplinary;
(v) skeptical of its findings and assumptions;
(vi) structured for falsifiability of hypotheses;
(vii) subject to unbiased peer review;
(viii) accepting of negative results as positive outcomes; and
(ix) without conflicts of interest.
Section 4 forbids misconduct by federal employees, and to make scientific data public unless prohibited by law.
Section 5 revokes Biden era policies regarding scientific integrity and to revert to Trump 1 era guidance except when it conflicts with this EO.
Section 6 states this EO applies to all federal employees involved in the generation, use, interpretation, or communication of scientific information.
Section 7 orders agency heads to establish processes and guidance to implement this EO. It orders processes be put into place to to correct scientific information pursuant to the Information Quality Act.
Section 8 allows for agency heads to apply for a waiver to this EO.
What It Means
This EO focuses heavily on the promulgation, use, and accreditation of scientific information. This topic has been in the public eye for almost a decade at this point, and has become incredibly political. As Section 1 points out, there are many scientific topics that are contested, largely only by conservative pundits, and have become central to the identity of conservative political thought. This EO attempts to control every point at which the government interacts with scientific information and how it distributes it to the public. As the Government is the largest funder of scientific research, this affects almost every scientific discipline and field in the world.
Looking Forwards
This is one of many EOs that is attempting to enforce MAGA double speak. There is nothing in this EO that will increase the quality or veracity of scientific data or research. Instead it simply gives the Administration more control over scientific research and information. The Administration is making it clear that they are not interested in science, but controlling it to their advantage.
Executive Order 14302 - Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base
Summary
Section 1 spends time lauding the US’s history of nuclear development and how recently it has fallen short.
Section 2 states that it is the policy of the US to expedite and promote nuclear energy production and support the opening of new facilities.
Section 3 orders various Secretaries and Executive Officials to coordinate and provide recommendations on how to better facilitate and strengthen the domestic nuclear fuel cycle.
Section 4 orders the building of new facilities, restarting of closed facilities, and the integration of nuclear energy into the military.
Section 5 orders that nuclear engineers and other careers that are needed for the expansion and maintenance of nuclear energy facilities be prioritized in EO 14278. It also orders Executive Officers to facilitate grants, training, and education in these fields.
What It Means
There is little subtext to this EO. It very directly wishes to support and facilitate the increase of nuclear energy in America. While this is a laudable effort, it contains little substance, merely ordering various departments to “facilitate” or “coordinate” to increase nuclear energy production.
Looking Forward
This EO will likely not provide sufficient or even significant impact to the nuclear energy market in America. These facilities cost hundreds of millions to billions to set up, and require massive and long term infrastructure to maintain. Investors in nuclear energy look for stability before working on projects, and the actions of this Administration are anything but stable.
It is notable that so many sections of this EO cut against other policies of the Administration: expansion of research grants, expansion of education and training, foreign trade, and renewable energy. While nuclear energy is an important and useful form of energy production, the EO is likely a clear sign to the Administration’s capture to special interest donors.
Executive Order 14301 - Reforming Nuclear Reactor Testing at the Department of
Section 1 also spends some time talking about how great US nuclear technology and energy production used to be.
Section 2 defines terms for the EO.
Section 3 delegates the design, construction, operation, and disposition of advanced reactors to be under the authority and jurisdiction of the Department of Energy
Section 4 outlines new procedures and orders new guidance to be issued regarding test reactors and approval for test reactors.
Section 5 orders the creation of a pilot program for reactor construction and operation outside of the National Laboratories and orders at least three reactors be approved for this pilot program by July 4, 2026.
Section 6 orders various officials to ensure that the EPA includes exceptions to facilitate this EO.
Section 7 orders that the Department of Energy’s DOGE team be involved with implementing this EO.
What It Means
This EO in conjunction with the other nuclear EOs from this week, is focused on the nuclear energy market. This is more focused on promulgating and expanding nuclear energy.
Looking Forward
Not much more to say than what has been said previously. This EO does however take the testing of new types of reactors further out from under the government’s eye. As with most other EOs from this Administration, its heavy focus on deregulation could lead to serious harm down the road.
Executive Order 14300 - Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Summary
Section 1 discusses the history of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and how they are too safe and risk averse. According to the EO, this has led to an unnecessary restriction of the American nuclear energy market.
Section 2 states it is the US policy to facilitate and increase domestic nuclear energy production.
Section 3 tries to augment the congressional mandate under the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act of 2024, Public Law 118-67, Sec. 501(a), and include a mandate to consider the benefits of increased availability of nuclear energy.
Section 4 orders that the NRC undergo a reduction in force and facilitate this EO.
Section 5 orders the NRC in conjunction with its DOGE team and the OMB to review its regulations and guidance and try to reduce them to help more rapidly deploy licenses for nuclear energy, and remove unnecessary regulations. It orders that they reevaluate radiation limits.
What It Means
This is a sister EO to EO 14300, EO 14301, and 14299, and is attempting to help clear out bureaucratic roadblocks to establishing more nuclear facilities.
Looking Forward
There isn’t much to say here that wasn’t said about the previous two EO. This EO does more aggressively call out specific regulations, i.e. readjusting safe radiation levels. This EO also appears to be challenging the congressional mandate of the NRC, a direct challenge to congressional delegation powers. It is likely that this EO will be challenged in court, and those provisions attempting to change the Congressional mandate will likely be struck down.
Executive Order 14299 - Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for
Summary
Section 1 talks about the national security crisis that could come from America’s lack of nuclear energy facilities.
Section 2 states that it is US policy to facilitate advanced nuclear technologies to support national security objectives.
Section 3 orders the Secretary of the Army and Defense to establish a program for the utilization of nuclear energy for domestic military bases.
Section 4 orders the Secretary of Energy to initiate a process for AI data centers to be connected to the necessary infrastructure to receive nuclear energy.
Section 5 orders the Secretary of Energy to take stock of all uranium and nuclear materials in the US stockpiles. It also places a focus on recyclable nuclear materials and establishing new recycling processes.
Section 6 orders the Secretaries of Defense and Energy to coordinate and find ways to promote nuclear energy for military readiness.
Section 7 orders that the building of Nuclear energy be exempt from EPA requirements.
Section 8 orders the Secretary of State to facilitate more nuclear exports via 123 Agreements under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954.
Section 9 orders the prioritization of security clearance distributions as needed to facilitate this EO.
What It Means
This EO appears to be focusing primarily on expanding nuclear energy via a national security approach. With the other three EOs regarding nuclear energy, it appears to form a scattershot attempt at supporting new nuclear energy and deregulating the industry. By attacking this issue from so many angles, something is bound to survive a judicial challenge.
Looking Forward
While the military has, and does, implement nuclear energy where it finds it useful, it is not clear how this EO will enable them in some way that they were not before. More telling is the provision regarding AI data centers. It is likely that this EO will be to the benefit of tech billionaires and the AI sycophants that helped get JD Vance into the whitehouse.
Section 9 is particularly concerning, as it appears to functionally lower the standards of issuing security clearances, specifically clearances concerning nuclear materials. While it may be over speculative, it is not ridiculous to say that this action could lead to the leak of nuclear material and technology in the future.