Trump's Deregulation Plan Falls Flat Analysis Finds

Summary

Bloomberg Law analysis finds the Trump administration's push to fast-track deregulation using the 'good cause exception' has largely failed, with only a few anti-DEI rules repealed. Agency lawyers deemed the shortcut too risky given litigation prospects. Meanwhile, the administration has had more success in shrinking agencies and sidelining regulators like the CFPB through other means.

• The White House plan to rapidly repeal regulations using the 'good cause exception' has flopped after more than a year.
• Only a handful of rules (mostly anti-DEI) were repealed via this shortcut.
• Agency lawyers concluded the shortcut was not tenable due to litigation risk.
• The administration has been more effective in shrinking agency staffing and sidelining agencies like the CFPB.
• These enforcement and staffing changes are easier for future administrations to reverse than actual rule repeals.
• The analysis underscores the legal and procedural barriers to large-scale deregulation.