Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Trump and Melania called for Jimmy Kimmel to be fired over a joke — On April 23, Jimmy Kimmel aired a joke about First Lady Melania Trump's appearance on his ABC late-night show. Two days later, after an assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, Trump and Melania publicly called for Kimmel's firing on April 27, characterizing the joke as "hateful," "violent rhetoric," and a "call to violence." FCC Chairman Brendan Carr also pressured ABC to take action. Kimmel denied the joke was a call to assassination.
• Melania Trump issued statement attacking Jimmy Kimmel and demanding ABC take action against him — Melania Trump issued a social media statement attacking late-night host Jimmy Kimmel for a joke made at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner two days prior. Kimmel had joked that Melania had "a glow like an expectant widow." Melania characterized Kimmel's monologue as "hateful and violent rhetoric," called him a "coward," and demanded that ABC network take action to prevent him from broadcasting, stating "People like Kimmel shouldn't have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate."
• FCC Chair Carr threatened ABC affiliates over Jimmy Kimmel — FCC Chair Brendan Carr threatened ABC affiliates with enforcement action regarding Jimmy Kimmel's comments about Melania Trump, stating "We can do this the easy way or the hard way." The FCC subsequently launched a review of Disney's broadcast licenses years ahead of the normal schedule. The threat and accelerated review appear coordinated with the president's demand for Kimmel's firing.
• Trump and Melania called for Jimmy Kimmel to be fired — President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump called on Disney and ABC to fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel over a video in which Kimmel jokingly called Melania an "expectant widow." Trump characterized the joke as a "despicable call to violence." The incident prompted FCC Chair Brendan Carr to threaten ABC affiliates with enforcement action, stating "We can do this the easy way or the hard way," and the FCC subsequently launched a review of Disney's broadcast licenses ahead of schedule.
• Trump called for Jimmy Kimmel to be fired over joke — Trump and Melania called for late-night host Jimmy Kimmel to be fired over a joke, according to reporting covered in the briefing's Wednesday section on buried political stories.

Supporting reports

• FCC approved Skydance-Paramount merger — The FCC voted to approve the merger of Skydance Media and Paramount Global. This approval came less than a day after Paramount fired Stephen Colbert and settled lawsuits with Trump, according to the bulletin's reporting.
• Skydance Media agrees to eliminate civil rights and DEI programs as condition of FCC merger approval — To obtain Federal Communications Commission approval of an $8 billion merger between CBS parent company Paramount and Skydance Media, Skydance agreed to eliminate programs related to civil rights, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and to produce "unbiased" journalism. FCC Chair Brendan Carr approved the merger and subsequently bragged on right-wing media that CBS agreed to install an internal political "bias monitor" reporting to Paramount's president to ensure news coverage favorable to Trump and the right wing.
• FCC approves Paramount and Skydance Media merger — The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media, which is valued at $8 billion. This approval comes after Skydance Media promised to eliminate Paramount's diversity, equity, and inclusion practices and to address perceived bias at CBS News to gain support from the administration. The merger is significant as it reflects the influence of political considerations on corporate practices in media.
• FCC approved Paramount-Skydance merger — The Federal Communications Commission approved the $8 billion merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media on July 25, 2025, after Skydance committed to eliminating Paramount's diversity, equity, and inclusion practices and addressing alleged bias at CBS News.
• Skydance Media promised to eliminate diversity and inclusion practices at Paramount to secure FCC merger approval — Skydance Media, in merger negotiations with Paramount Global requiring Federal Communications Commission approval, publicly committed to eliminating Paramount's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices and rooting out alleged "bias" at CBS News. The commitment was made to win administration support for the $8 billion merger. The FCC approved the merger the same day.

Supporting reports

• Skydance Media agrees to eliminate civil rights and DEI programs as condition of FCC merger approval — To obtain Federal Communications Commission approval of an $8 billion merger between CBS parent company Paramount and Skydance Media, Skydance agreed to eliminate programs related to civil rights, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and to produce "unbiased" journalism. FCC Chair Brendan Carr approved the merger and subsequently bragged on right-wing media that CBS agreed to install an internal political "bias monitor" reporting to Paramount's president to ensure news coverage favorable to Trump and the right wing.
• Skydance Media promised to eliminate diversity and inclusion practices at Paramount to secure FCC merger approval — Skydance Media, in merger negotiations with Paramount Global requiring Federal Communications Commission approval, publicly committed to eliminating Paramount's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices and rooting out alleged "bias" at CBS News. The commitment was made to win administration support for the $8 billion merger. The FCC approved the merger the same day.
• FCC approves Paramount and Skydance Media merger — The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media, which is valued at $8 billion. This approval comes after Skydance Media promised to eliminate Paramount's diversity, equity, and inclusion practices and to address perceived bias at CBS News to gain support from the administration. The merger is significant as it reflects the influence of political considerations on corporate practices in media.

Supporting reports

• House Republicans pass Trump's $9 billion federal funding rescissions package — The House of Representatives passed a rescissions bill on a party-line vote (216–213) that claws back $9 billion in federal spending, including $8 billion in foreign assistance and $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (which funds NPR and PBS). Two Republicans broke ranks. The Senate had approved the measure earlier; it now heads to the president's desk for signature. The vote was delayed by Democratic amendments related to Jeffrey Epstein documents.

Supporting reports

• Senate considers $9.4 billion spending rescission package — The Senate considered a White House request for Congress to approve $9.4 billion in spending cuts the Trump administration made unilaterally to congressionally appropriated funds. The package includes ending federal support for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR, PBS, and local stations. The House had already passed it. Congress must approve by Friday or the funds revert to original appropriations. Senate Republicans expressed frustration that the White House had not specified which programs would be cut.
• Senate Republicans and White House reverse PEPFAR funding cut — Senate Republicans and the White House reached an agreement to reverse a proposed $400 million cut to PEPFAR, the global HIV and AIDS relief program, as part of Trump's $9 billion recissions package. The reversal preserved funding for the international health initiative.
• Trump administration announces plan to defund public broadcasting — The Trump administration included in its rescission package a request to end federal support for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR, PBS, and local public broadcasting stations. The administration stated that NPR and PBS "fuel…partisanship and left-wing propaganda." The cuts are part of the broader $9.4 billion rescission request before Congress.
• Senate Republicans advance rescissions bill cutting $9bn in public broadcasting and foreign aid — Senate Republicans moved to pass a rescissions package slashing up to $9bn in previously appropriated funds, targeting $1.1bn for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (which funds NPR and PBS) and approximately $8bn in foreign assistance. The GOP is racing to meet a Friday legal deadline. Vice President JD Vance broke a tie on a procedural vote after three Republican senators joined all Democrats in opposition. The Senate began a vote-a-rama on Wednesday afternoon. Senate Majority Leader John Thune announced a compromise to preserve $400m in PEPFAR funding, requiring a second House vote.
• Senate passes Trump rescissions package to claw back $9bn in spending — Congressional Republicans advanced legislation requested by President Trump to rescind $9 billion in previously appropriated federal funding, including $1.1 billion for public broadcasting (NPR/PBS) and approximately $8 billion in foreign aid. The Senate passed the bill 51–48 on July 17, 2025, with Republican senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins voting against it. The measure now returns to the House for final approval before the 45-day rescission window expires on July 18.
• US Senate passes Trump-requested rescissions package cutting $9bn in foreign aid and public broadcasting — The Republican-controlled Senate voted 51–48 to approve a rescissions bill that claws back $9 billion in previously appropriated spending, including $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (which funds NPR and PBS) and approximately $8 billion in foreign assistance. All Democrats and two Republicans (Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins) opposed the measure. Senate Majority Leader John Thune framed it as "fiscal sanity," while Democrats condemned it as an unconstitutional surrender of Congress's spending authority to the executive branch. The bill now proceeds to the House for final approval before a Friday deadline.