What is the official language of the U.S.A. and what is its future now that Donald Trump is here?

Like so many other things Donald Trump has undermined — decency in politics, trust in democratic institutions — he’s now targeting one of the few things holding this country together: Our ability to coexist without an official language.

Trump is reportedly planning to sign an executive order that would declare English as the official language of the United States. Not only that, but this executive order would also roll back a Clinton-era federal mandate requiring government agencies and recipients of federal funding to provide language assistance — things like translations and interpreters — for people who don’t speak English. While agencies would still be allowed to provide services in other languages, they’d no longer be required to. It’s a subtle but significant shift, one that will reduce access to essential services for millions of Americans with limited English proficiency (LEP). 

The Trump administration is framing this move as a push to “promote unity” and improve government “efficiency.” 

Does the U.S. have an official language?

Trump to sign an executive order making English the official U.S. language – NBC News. This 🤡🙄 https://t.co/ReMTCsNVqg

— Patricia Yamane (@yamane_patricia) February 28, 2025

Despite what many people assume, the United States has never had an official language at the federal level. That’s right — unlike countries like France or Germany, which have specific laws declaring their national tongues, the U.S. has always operated without one. From its founding, America was envisioned as a melting pot of diverse peoples, cultures, and languages.

In fact, during the early days of the republic, there were serious debates about whether English should even be the primary language of government and education. German was widely spoken in Pennsylvania, Dutch in New York, and French in parts of Louisiana. (Fun fact: There’s a persistent myth that German almost became the official language of the U.S., but it’s not true. What is true is that German was a major language in early America, and some German-speaking communities even printed newspapers and conducted school lessons in their native tongue.)

Fast forward to today, and while English is unquestionably the most commonly used language in the U.S., it coexists with hundreds of others. Spanish is the second-most spoken language, with over 40 million speakers nationwide. Mandarin, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Arabic are also widely spoken, reflecting the rich tapestry of immigrant communities that have shaped — and continue to shape — American society.

At the state level, however, the story is a little different. Over half of U.S. states have enacted laws declaring English their official language. These laws are largely symbolic, as they don’t typically affect how state governments operate day-to-day. But they do send a clear message about the priorities of those who pass them, often in states with significant immigrant populations.

So why is Donald Trump pushing this now? 

The timing, as always, is political. This isn’t the first time the idea of making English the official language has come up. Republican lawmakers have been trying to pass similar legislation for decades, but it’s always stalled in Congress, partly because it’s a solution in search of a problem. Declaring English the official language is a surefire way to energize his conservative base, many of whom view the move as a defense of American culture against the perceived threat of multiculturalism.