Donald Trump has issued more executive orders and presidential memoranda in his first two weeks than former President Barack Obama - or any President since Franklin Roosevelt.

The Republican has signed eight orders and 12 memoranda so far, which signify one of the highest uses of power that the President has. Mr Obama signed one less - 19 - over the same period. Mr Trump's number was far higher than George W Bush (4), or Bill Clinton (10) in the first two weeks of office.

Mr Trump tweeted in July 2012 that Mr Obama was flexing his Presidential muscle too much and too early on in his term.

"Why is Barack Obama constantly issuing executive orders that are major power grabs of authority?" he asked.

Ronald Reagan, who Mr Trump has often modelled himself on, did not sign any in the first two weeks in office.

If Mr Trump continues at his present pace, he will sign 1,040 actions this year, which would be almost four times as many as Mr Obama signed throughout his entire time in office.

Both orders and memoranda take immediate effect, the only difference is that a memorandum should be published in the Federal Register to have "general applicability and legal effect". Neither need approval by Congress.

With each sweep of his pen and photo opportunity, Mr Trump has moved to dismantle laws that Mr Obama instated over his eight years in office.

Mr Trump has worried critics that he is rolling back rights for women, LGBT members, people of colour and is dismissing climate change.

The Republican’s re-instating of the Mexico City Policy, banning aid to foreign organisations that even talk about abortion, his orders to build the Dakota Access and the Keystone XL Pipelines, as well as his request to build the wall along the border, are just three of the 20 orders. He has also ordered a review of all the Obama-era regulations on the financial and investment industry which were put in place after the 2008 credit crisis.

The latest three orders, signed Thursday, outline the mandate of the newly sworn-in Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the longtime senator from Alabama who was once deemed too racist to serve as a federal judge. They include enforcing existing laws and creating new ones to crack down on drug cartels, illegal immigration and violent crime, as well as invest more power in the police.

The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Show all 9 1 /9 The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the media White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer takes questions during the daily press briefing Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Union leaders applaud US President Donald Trump for signing an executive order withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations during a meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington DC. Mr Trump issued a presidential memorandum in January announcing that the US would withdraw from the trade deal Getty The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Mexico wall A US Border Patrol vehicle sits waiting for illegal immigrants at a fence opening near the US-Mexico border near McAllen, Texas. The number of incoming immigrants has surged ahead of the upcoming Presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, who has pledged to build a wall along the US-Mexico border. A signature campaign promise, Mr Trump outlined his intention to build a border wall on the US-Mexico border days after taking office Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and abortion US President Donald Trump signs an executive order as Chief of Staff Reince Priebus looks on in the Oval Office of the White House. Mr Trump reinstated a ban on American financial aide being granted to non-governmental organizations that provide abortion counseling, provide abortion referrals, or advocate for abortion access outside of the United States Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Dakota Access pipeline Opponents of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines hold a rally as they protest US President Donald Trump's executive orders advancing their construction, at Columbus Circle in New York. US President Donald Trump signed executive orders reviving the construction of two controversial oil pipelines, but said the projects would be subject to renegotiation Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and 'Obamacare' Nancy Pelosi who is the minority leader of the House of Representatives speaks beside House Democrats at an event to protect the Affordable Care Act in Los Angeles, California. US President Donald Trump's effort to make good on his campaign promise to repeal and replace the healthcare law failed when Republicans failed to get enough votes. Mr Trump has promised to revisit the matter Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Donald Trump and 'sanctuary cities' US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January threatening to pull funding for so-called "sanctuary cities" if they do not comply with federal immigration law AP The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the travel ban US President Donald Trump has attempted twice to restrict travel into the United States from several predominantly Muslim countries. The first attempt, in February, was met with swift opposition from protesters who flocked to airports around the country. That travel ban was later blocked by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The second ban was blocked by a federal judge a day before it was scheduled to be implemented in mid-March SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP/Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and climate change US President Donald Trump sought to dismantle several of his predecessor's actions on climate change in March. His order instructed the Environmental Protection Agency to reevaluate the Clean Power Plan, which would cap power plant emissions Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

One of the most controversial orders has currently been blocked by the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, and it may go all the way to the Supreme Court. Signed 27 January, the order banned nearly all travellers from seven Muslim-majority countries in the name of fighting terrorism, yet nobody from these countries has killed a single American in a terrorist attack on US soil since 2001, according to a Cato Institute report.

Mr Trump has sent out a series of angry tweets, including one all in capital letters.

"SEE YOU IN COURT!"

His cabinet has been described as the wealthiest - a collective worth of $81. billion - and the least educated in modern American history. A total of 17 cabinet picks alone have more wealth than a third of American households. Mr Trump’s campaign pledge to "drain the swamp" of Washington DC compared to Mr Obama’s cabinet, which was around $7.7 billion less rich than that of successor’s.

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It is also the least ethnically diverse since Ronald Reagan.