Trump signs executive order designating English as the official language of the US

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Saturday that designated English as the official language of the U.S.

ABC News reported on Friday that the president was expected to sign the order.

The order rescinds a Clinton-era mandate that required agencies and recipients of federal funding to provide extensive language assistance to non-English speakers.

Agencies will have the flexibility to decide how and when to offer services in languages other than English, and they can keep current policies and provide documents and services in other languages, according to the order.

The move comes amid Trump's crusade to curb government support for programs promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. On his first day in office, the president signed an order directing federal agencies to terminate all "equity-related" grants or contracts and later signed a follow-up order requiring federal contractors to certify that they don't promote DEI.

The order marks the first time the country has ever had a national language.

The White House is defending the action, saying that while hundreds of languages are spoken across the United States, English is the most widely used. Also, the White House maintains that establishing a national language unifies the country and its citizens.

"Establishing English as the official language promotes unity, establishes efficiency in government operations, and creates a pathway for civic engagement," the White House wrote in a memo provided to ABC News prior to the signing.