September 18, 2026

Trump to make English official US language, source says

The US lacks an official federal language, causing issues in certain states

Trump to make English official US language, source says
US President Donald Trump speaks during a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the East Room at the White House, Feb 27, 2025 in Washington, DC, US Carl Court/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

bdnews24.com

Reuters

Published : 01 Mar 2025, 02:55 AM

Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 12:39 PM

President Donald Trump will sign an executive order to make English the official US language, a source with knowledge of the matter said on Friday.

The source did not provide a timing for the signing of the order, first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

The United States has never had an official language at the federal level but the issue has been problematic for certain states.

The use of Spanish in public life has sparked controversy over the years, including in Texas, where a state senator in 2011 demanded that an immigrant rights activist speak English not his native Spanish at a legislative hearing.

That rekindled a decades-old debate over whether it is proper to speak Spanish in Texas, which was once a part of Mexico and, before that, a part of the Spanish Empire.

The issue has been painful for many older Mexican-American Texans who recall being punished for speaking Spanish in school in the 1950s.

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