Biden signs 19 executive orders so far, how does that compare to recent past presidents Evan Vucci/AP President Joe Biden signs his first executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) and last updated 2021-01-23 17:02:24-05 If it seems like President Joe Biden is issuing a lot of executive orders on his first few days in office, itâs because he is. Historically speaking, a lot more than his recent predecessors of both parties. Biden signed nine executive orders on Wednesday, Jan. 20, his first day in office, and another eight on Thursday and two on Friday. Biden has also issued several other executive actions, similar to executive orders but legally different, including presidential memoranda and agency directives.