Presidents from both parties routinely pause their predecessors’ rules, but Trump’s delays are lasting longer and reaching further — with targets including protections for student borrowers, standards for e-cigarettes, and an expansion of requirements that airlines report lost luggage. In one instance, a federal court found the approach illegal, providing fodder for future challenges.
“Obama did it to Bush. Bush did it to Clinton,” said Stuart Shapiro, a Rutgers University professor who served as a White House regulatory analyst under presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. “But the extent of the regulations that we’re talking about, and the political importance and the impact, is greater in the Trump administration.”