Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Trump claimed ignorance of Starshield restrictions and refused accountability — When pressed by reporters about who ordered the restriction of Ukraine's Starlink access, Trump stated "I have no idea" and refused to provide information, saying "I wouldn't tell you if I did know." When asked whether it was appropriate for the world's richest person to have such power over a Russia-Ukraine conflict, Trump defended Musk, calling him "a very good person" and asserting "Elon will never do anything wrong." This response came despite reporting that Trump had ordered the change and despite ongoing Ukrainian reports that Starshield remained non-functional.

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• Leaked AfD documents reveal decade-long courtship of Trump and MAGA figures — A data breach of Germany's far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has exposed over 420,000 emails and documents spanning from 2013 to present, revealing systematic efforts to cultivate relationships with Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, and other MAGA-aligned figures. The leak shows AfD officials crafting obsequious messages to Trump after his 2016 election, requesting political favors (including removal of UN "enemy state" clauses), and coordinating with Trump administration officials during his second term, including meetings with State Department representatives and Vice President JD Vance with party co-leader Alice Weidel in February 2025.

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• Hillary Clinton suggested Putin has leverage over Trump — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton suggested that Vladimir Putin possesses compromising information on Trump. The statement was made in the context of Trump's reported request to restrict Ukrainian communications networks during active Russian military operations.
• Hillary Clinton alleged Trump's Russia alignment stems from financial interests and potential blackmail — Hillary Clinton publicly stated three reasons for Trump's alignment with Russia: first, his admiration for authoritarian leaders who can kill opponents and his desire to become a dictator; second, financial motivation through oil, gas, and critical minerals deals with Russia and carving up Ukrainian assets involving Trump and his family; and third, her belief that Putin possesses compromising material on Trump (photos, videos) similar to Epstein files, which Trump has fought to keep sealed. Clinton suggested that public release of Epstein files would shock even Trump supporters about his conduct.

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• Secretary of State Rubio and Ambassador Whitaker characterized Starshield slowdown as private business decision — Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker publicly defended the Starshield slowdown as a private business decision within Musk's authority. Whitaker told Fox News Channel that Starlink is a private company applying terms of service to all customers, including Ukraine, framing the matter as a commercial dispute rather than an administration policy. This characterization contradicted the fact that Trump had to call Musk to request restoration of the system.

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• Nate Hochman, fired for Nazi symbol retweet, hired as State Department deputy director — Nate Hochman, a former Ron DeSantis presidential campaign staffer fired in 2023 after retweeting a video featuring a Nazi sonnenrad symbol, was hired earlier this year as deputy director of the State Department's policy planning office under Secretary Marco Rubio. He also serves as Rubio's chief speechwriter. His hiring represents the placement of a person with documented extremist associations into a senior diplomatic position.

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• US lawmakers urge UK investigatory powers tribunal to open Apple encrypted-data case proceedings — Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Congressman Warren Davidson (R-OH) sent a letter to Britain's investigatory powers tribunal (IPT) demanding transparency in Apple's legal challenge to a UK Home Office demand for encrypted-data access. The dispute stems from a January 2025 technical capability notice requiring Apple to break encryption on iCloud backups; Apple withdrew its Advanced Data Protection feature from UK users in response. The lawmakers argue the UK's use of secrecy directives violates US constitutional separation of powers and prevents Congress from exercising legislative oversight. An IPT case-management hearing is scheduled for September 2026.

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• State Department displays mislabeled map of Africa at global health summit — The State Department displayed a map at a global health summit in Brazil with every African country mislabeled. The error represents a significant diplomatic embarrassment and raises questions about the competence and attention to detail of the State Department.
• State Department presented Africa map with all countries mislabeled at international AIDS conference in Brazil. — During a State Department presentation at the AIDS 2026 conference in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday, a map of Africa was displayed with every country mislabeled. Nigeria, where the U.S. has several hundred troops deployed, was shown as landlocked in the Sahara Desert. Mozambique was relocated to the Horn of Africa, and Ivory Coast was placed on the opposite side of the continent. The map contained an OpenAI watermark, indicating it was generated using AI tools. Attendees photographed and posted the errant map online, drawing international attention to the error during a global health conference.
• U.S. State Department Map Error at Global Conference — A U.S. government map of Africa, presented at a global conference in Brazil, mislabeled every country, causing a stir among attendees. The map, created with OpenAI tools, incorrectly placed several African countries, leading to embarrassment for the State Department. The error occurred during a presentation on new health agreements.

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• JD Vance claims victory on unresolved issues — Vice President JD Vance claimed victory regarding the Hormuz Strait and the nuclear program while both issues remained unresolved in the ongoing peace talks at the Lake Lucerne Summit. Vance's premature victory claim contradicted the actual status of negotiations and the substantive disagreements still on the table.
• Iran denied U.S. claims about inspector access agreement — Iran's state media outlet Fars News and Iranian national security journalist Mohammed Ghaderi both denied Vice President Vance's claim that Iran had agreed to allow IAEA inspectors back into the country. An informed source told Fars that no such discussion occurred during the Swiss negotiations. This directly contradicted the U.S. administration's public justification for lifting oil sanctions.
• JD Vance announced lifting of Iranian oil sanctions following Switzerland negotiations — Vice President JD Vance announced at a press conference in Switzerland that the U.S. would lift all sanctions on Iranian oil after securing Iranian assurance to allow international inspectors back into the country. The announcement lacked specifics and was immediately contradicted by Iranian officials and media, who denied any agreement on inspector access. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed a temporary 60-day general license authorizing Iranian oil production, delivery, and sales.
• Trump made false claims about Iran nuclear agreement terms — Trump posted on Truth Social claiming Iran "fully and completely agreed to highest level Nuclear inspections long into the future" and that released Iranian assets would be placed in escrow and used exclusively to purchase American food and medical supplies from U.S. farmers. The article notes that these terms are not in the agreement and Iran is denying them. UN Ambassador Mike Waltz acknowledged the agreement is a 14-point memorandum of understanding with details still being negotiated.
• Vice President Vance announced Iran nuclear inspection agreement — Vice President J.D. Vance, after traveling to Switzerland for talks with Iranian negotiators, announced that Iran had agreed to allow international observers to periodically inspect its nuclear program. Vance characterized the inspections as a "major milestone" and "the first step in permanently denuclearizing" Iran's nuclear weapons program. Trump heralded the plan. However, such inspections were already part of the 2015 JCPOA that Trump withdrew from in 2018 and continued until Trump ordered military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities on June 22, 2025, after which Iran refused inspections of bombed sites.
• Iran Foreign Ministry denied key U.S. claims about nuclear agreement — Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei held a press conference denying multiple U.S. assertions about the memorandum of understanding. Iran stated it will decide how to use released assets without restrictions, denied agreeing to IAEA inspector visits to nuclear facilities, stated it did not discuss missile capabilities, and asserted that if Israel violates the agreement by attacking Lebanon, Iran will respond.
• Iran publicly contradicts Trump on nuclear inspections and sanctions terms — Iran issued a public statement contradicting Trump's characterization of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two nations. Iran clarified that it has not agreed to allow IAEA inspectors into its nuclear facilities, has not committed to purchasing American agricultural products with unfrozen funds (approximately $12 billion), and has no restrictions on oil shipments following the lifting of tanker sanctions. Iran warned Trump against misrepresenting the MOU's terms, stating that doing so could constitute a breach triggering Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
• Trump claimed Iran agreed to nuclear inspections; Iran denied making new commitments — Trump announced that Iran had "fully and completely agreed to highest level Nuclear inspections" and threatened to end negotiations if Iran refused. Iran subsequently disputed the claim, stating it had made "no new commitments" on nuclear inspections and would continue existing cooperation with the IAEA under the less stringent framework that has operated for years, not under the JCPOA terms.

Supporting reports

• Trump claimed U.S. secretly extracting oil from Iran during war — At the signing event, Trump claimed the U.S. had been secretly extracting millions of barrels of oil from Iran, stating he was revealing this operation publicly for the first time. He claimed the U.S. took 22 ships "the other night" with no lights and destroyed Iranian radar. New York Times reporters noted Trump appeared to be referring to a well-known U.S. operation helping commercial vessels traverse the Strait of Hormuz, through which over 200 ships had been guided in slightly more than a month. The reporters could not confirm Trump's claim that the effort enabled over 100 million barrels to reach the market.
• Iran's state-run news agency published draft text of purported U.S.-Iran deal — Iran's state-run Mehr News Agency published what it claims is the draft text of an agreement with the Trump administration, including a $300 billion U.S.-led reconstruction package, $24 billion in immediate frozen asset releases, full lifting of the naval blockade within 30 days, and suspension of oil and petrochemical sanctions. Iran's missile program and support for "resistance groups" were explicitly excluded from the negotiating agenda. The White House immediately disputed the Iranian account, issuing a contradictory summary emphasizing nuclear material destruction, program dismantlement, and performance-based conditions.
• Iran–U.S. memorandum of understanding remains unsigned with disputed terms — Iran state media released a 14-point draft memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran that includes immediate ceasefire, lifting of naval blockade, $300 billion in reconstruction aid, release of $24 billion in frozen assets, and suspension of oil sanctions. Trump disputed the leaked terms, claiming they bore no relation to what was actually agreed. A senior Trump administration official told Fox News the deal was approximately 75 percent complete and expected to be signed within days, but Iran's Foreign Ministry stated it could not confirm the speculations and was still in internal finalization stages.
• Trump posted on social media disputing Iran's leaked deal terms — Trump posted on social media that Iran's leaked terms "have NOTHING to do with the terms that were agreed to, in writing," calling the Iranian account "weak and pathetic" and labeling Iranian leaders "very dishonorable people." He also flagged an overnight drone attack on Indian ships near the Strait of Hormuz as "TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE." The posts were part of a broader pattern of dueling public narratives about the deal's contents.

Supporting reports

• Secretary of Defense Hegseth invoked Great Replacement theory at D-Day commemoration — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, speaking in France at a D-Day commemoration, invoked the Great Replacement conspiracy theory—which claims that white European and American culture is being undermined by immigration from Africa and Asia. He characterized immigration to European nations as an "invasion" and questioned whether European capitals would "do something about that invasion," perverting a commemoration of the Allied defense of democracy against fascism into a platform for white nationalist ideology.
• Hegseth uses D-Day speech to attack European immigration policy — On the 82nd anniversary of D-Day, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered remarks at Normandy in which he used the occasion to criticize European immigration policy. He stated that "different European beaches are stormed by different dangerous ideologies" today and questioned when European capitals would act against what he characterized as an invasion of migrants arriving by boat.
• Secretary of Defense rejects foundational U.S. government belief — During a commemoration of D-Day, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth rejected the foundational belief that the government should promote the general welfare, instead framing the event as a call against perceived threats from immigration.
• Pete Hegseth delivered speech at D-Day ceremony invoking immigration as "invasion" — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivered a speech at the Normandy D-Day ceremony in which he characterized immigration to European countries as an "invasion" comparable to military threats. He stated: "Different European beaches are stormed by different dangerous ideologies such as in Spain, Italy, Greece and Bulgaria. Boats and men arrive. When will European capitals do something about that invasion?" He framed the speech around the sacrifice of D-Day soldiers.
• Defense Secretary Hegseth delivers D-day speech comparing European immigration to military invasion — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking at the American military cemetery in Normandy on the 82nd anniversary of D-day, suggested that the freedom allied forces fought for in 1944 now risked being "upended" by a "new invasion" of migrants threatening Europe. He asked: "When will European capitals do something about that invasion, or is it too late?" The speech was widely denounced for weaponizing a solemn military commemoration to advance anti-immigration rhetoric aligned with far-right movements.

Supporting reports

• Trump posted dismissive statement on Iran negotiations — At 1:43 p.m. on June 1, Trump posted on social media that "Talks are continuing, at a rapid pace, with the Islamic Republic of Iran," contradicting his earlier statement to CNBC that he "couldn't care less" if negotiations ended and that they were becoming "very boring." At 5:47 p.m., he posted that he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and indirectly with Hezbollah, claiming both agreed to stop striking each other.
• Trump administration suspended Iran nuclear negotiations framework — Following two hours of Situation Room discussions on May 31, the Trump administration appeared poised to accept a 60-day memorandum of understanding with Iran that would have released approximately $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets, established a postwar investment fund (reportedly valued at $300 billion), and deferred nuclear program discussions. Trump emerged without final approval. On June 1, Iranian officials suspended negotiations, citing Israeli strikes on Lebanon that they claim violate the ceasefire agreement, and threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz and target the Bab al-Mandab strait.
• Iran suspends all diplomatic communications with the United States — Iran's Tasnim News Agency announced that Iran has halted all dialogue and message exchanges with the United States through mediators, citing Netanyahu's military escalation in Lebanon as a violation of ceasefire preconditions. Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi stated that a ceasefire must apply to all fronts, including Lebanon. Iran's IRGC threatened to fully blockade the Strait of Hormuz and activate the Bab al-Mandab Strait in the Red Sea in response.
• Iran suspends peace negotiations with United States and Israel — Iran announced it is breaking off all peace talks with the United States and Israel, citing repeated violations of the ceasefire by both parties. The Iranian negotiating team suspended discussions and text exchanges through intermediaries. Iran's state media Tasnim reported that violations on all fronts, including Lebanon, had prompted the suspension. Iranian officials emphasized that a comprehensive ceasefire across all fronts—including Lebanon—was a precondition for continued dialogue, and stated that as long as Iran's stance on immediate halt to operations and complete withdrawal from occupied areas was not satisfied, there would be no dialogue.
• Trump posts contradictory statements on Truth Social regarding ceasefire status — President Trump posted on Truth Social claiming he had productive calls with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Hezbollah representatives, stating that all shooting would stop and that Israel would not attack Hezbollah. He also posted that talks with Iran were continuing at a rapid pace. However, Netanyahu immediately contradicted Trump's account, stating that Israel would continue to attack terror targets in Beirut if Hezbollah did not cease attacking Israeli cities and citizens, and that the IDF would continue operations in southern Lebanon as planned.

Supporting reports

• Iran state media publicly contradicts Trump's claims about Strait of Hormuz passage — Iran's Fars News Agency issued a statement contradicting Trump's characterization of the proposed arrangement, clarifying that passage through the Strait of Hormuz would not constitute "free passage" but rather passage under Iranian management, permits, and terms. Fars also reported that American officials have privately told Iran to disregard Trump's social media posts as domestic political performance. Tasnim News Agency reported that U.S. obstruction of asset-release clauses remains ongoing and the agreement could be canceled entirely.

Supporting reports

• Trump Retaliates Against Republicans Over Epstein Files — Former President Trump is reportedly retaliating against Republican figures, including Thomas Massie, who advocated for the release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein. This action suggests internal party conflicts and potential misuse of influence to suppress information.
• Trump posts social media message about Iranian surrender amid collapsed negotiations — President Trump posted a social media message containing what the source characterizes as a "delusional fantasy" about Iranian surrender while actual diplomatic negotiations with Iran were collapsing. The post represents a disconnect between Trump's public rhetoric and the deteriorating state of real diplomatic engagement with Iran.
• Trump posts violent and racist imagery on Truth Social — President Trump posted approximately 35 messages on Truth Social overnight, including AI-generated and manipulated images depicting violence against political opponents and racist stereotypes. The posts included AI-generated videos of Trump directing military action against Iran, images of political figures in violent or degrading scenarios, racist caricatures of House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and other inflammatory content. The posts represent a pattern of using the social media platform to disseminate violent and racist imagery targeting political opponents and Democratic leaders.

Supporting reports

• Trump declares Iran victory; Strait of Hormuz remains closed and Iran denies agreement — Two days after Trump posted 13 celebratory messages on Truth Social declaring Iran had agreed to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and surrendered to all his demands, the strait remained closed, Iran stated they had agreed to nothing, and Iranian forces fired on vessels attempting to transit. The Trump administration scrambled to organize another round of peace talks scheduled for Tuesday in Pakistan, but Iran denied any plans to attend and disputed Trump's characterization of events.
• Trump announced Iran wanted to close Strait of Hormuz and accused Iran of blackmail — President Trump stated that Iran wanted to "close up the strait again, you know, as they've been doing for years, and they can't blackmail us." Trump's characterization contradicted the factual timeline: the strait remained open until Trump began bombing Iran on February 28, 2026. Trump's use of the term "blackmail" lacked public evidence of threats to expose secrets or threats of harm associated with the Iran crisis.

Supporting reports

• Pete Hegseth attacked press for insufficient patriotism in war coverage — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth held a press conference attacking the press for what he characterized as relentlessly negative coverage and insufficient patriotism in reporting on the war. He compared journalists to Pharisees in a biblical analogy, stating they were "there to witness, to write everything down, and to report" with "hardened hearts" and "politically motivated animus" that blinded them to "the brilliance of our American warriors." He accused the media of peddling "garbage" and questioned which side some journalists were on.
• Pete Hegseth compares press to Biblical Pharisees at Pentagon briefing — At an 8 AM press briefing at the Pentagon, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth compared the American press corps to the Biblical Pharisees, stating that the media, like the Pharisees, witness miracles but have hardened hearts. This came after Trump faced significant backlash for posting an AI-generated image of himself as Jesus. The article notes this represents an escalation of religious comparisons rather than a retreat from the controversy.
• Pete Hegseth quoted non-biblical text as scripture at Pentagon prayer service — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth incorporated what he claimed was a Bible verse at his monthly Pentagon Christian prayer and worship service, attributing it to Ezekiel 25:17. The verse he quoted—"And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to capture and destroy my brother"—was actually written by screenwriter Quentin Tarantino for the 1994 film Pulp Fiction and recited by a character before committing murder. The text does not appear in the actual Bible.
• Hegseth took questions only from conservative and far-right media outlets — During his press conference, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth took questions exclusively from OAN (One America News Network), Real America's Voice, Daily Wire, and Just the News—all conservative or far-right media outlets. He did not take questions from mainstream or independent news organizations.
• Hegseth claims China assurances on Iran weapons shipments — When asked about intelligence reports suggesting China is preparing weapons shipments to Iran during the ceasefire, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth responded that "China has assured us that is not going to happen." The article notes the irony of relying on China's assurances while the Trump administration is in the middle of a catastrophic trade war with China.

Supporting reports

• Trump attacked and made false claims about the Pope — Trump attacked Pope Leo XIV, claiming the Pope made a statement saying Iran can have nuclear weapons. When a reporter corrected him, stating the Pope did not say that, Trump responded that he had the right to disagree with the Pope. Trump also declined an offer to meet with the Pope to resolve differences, stating he did not think it was necessary. Trump further claimed the Pope was "just preaching the gospel" in response to bishops' statements defending the Pope.
• Trump made false claims about First Lady and Epstein connections — When asked about the First Lady's recent statement denying any links to Jeffrey Epstein, Trump claimed she had no connections and attributed the false news reports to "fake news." He stated he believed this had been "proven," despite no such proof being presented. Trump also stated he was "okay with" a public hearing for Epstein survivors but claimed the victims "refused to go under oath."

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• Trump posts mocking content about Iran during active negotiations — While peace talks were underway in Pakistan, Trump posted on social media declaring Iran's military completely destroyed, their navy gone, air force gone, and radar dead. He wrote "praise be to Allah" mockingly, referencing deaths of Iranian leaders, during live negotiations while U.S. officials sat across from Iranian counterparts. He also posted about fertilizer prices, called the war a "fight for freedom," and posted about oil tankers and the Strait of Hormuz, contradicting his earlier statement that the waterway was "somebody else's problem."

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• Trump contradicts ceasefire terms on uranium enrichment — Trump posted that there will be no uranium enrichment and that the U.S. will work with Iran to remove all nuclear material. However, the ten-point framework he agreed to explicitly allows Iran to continue enriching uranium. Trump is now publicly claiming the opposite of what the agreement states.

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• Trump shifts from 10-point to 15-point framework claim — Trump posted yesterday that he agreed to Iran's 10-point framework. He is now posting about "15 points," shifting the narrative about which agreement was reached. The U.S. had a 15-point plan that amounted to Iran surrendering; Iran had a 10-point plan that amounted to the U.S. surrendering. Trump agreed to the 10-point plan but is now claiming credit for a 15-point framework.

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• State Department directs embassies to launch coordinated counter-propaganda campaigns using X and military psychological operations — Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed a cable directing all U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide to launch coordinated campaigns against foreign propaganda, explicitly endorsing Elon Musk's X platform and its Community Notes feature as an "innovative" tool. The directive instructs diplomatic staff to coordinate with the Pentagon's Military Information Support Operations (Miso) unit, recruit local influencers and community leaders to amplify American narratives, and rebrand U.S. foreign assistance with prominent American flags. The cable frames these efforts as countering hostile state disinformation from Iran, Russia, and China.

Supporting reports

• White House Press Secretary Leavitt denied Iran negotiations while Trump claimed agreement — When asked to explain the discrepancy between Trump's claims that Iran had agreed to most of his 15-point plan and Iran's public statements that no negotiations were taking place, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded: "I think the American people are smart enough not to take the word of a terrorist regime." Leavitt did not address the factual discrepancy or provide evidence supporting Trump's claims of Iranian agreement.
• White House Press Secretary Leavitt invoked religious justification for military operations — When asked about Pope Francis's statement that "God does not listen to the prayer of those who wage war," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded by reframing the question as one about praying for service members rather than addressing the Pope's moral critique. Leavitt stated: "Our nation was a nation founded 250 years ago almost on Judeo-Christian values. And we have seen presidents, the leaders of the Dept of War, and our troops go to prayer during the most turbulent times in our nations history and I don't think there is anything wrong with our military leaders or with the president calling on the American people to pray for our service members overseas."
• White House Press Secretary Leavitt stated Trump loves CPAC and has great relationship with Matt Schlapp — When asked why Trump did not attend CPAC and whether he believed the conference had become less relevant, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded: "No. He loves CPAC. He has a great relationship with Matt Schlapp." The statement affirmed Trump's support for the conservative conference and its leadership despite his absence from the event.
• White House Press Secretary Leavitt defended potential strikes on Iranian infrastructure — When asked about Trump's statements regarding potentially destroying Iranian electrical generating plants, oil wells, Kharg Island, and desalination plants, and whether such strikes would constitute war crimes under international law, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded: "Their best move is to make a deal or else the US armed forces has capabilities beyond their wildest imagination." Leavitt did not directly address the legality question but instead issued a threat regarding US military capabilities.
• White House Press Secretary Leavitt stated US would not pay for Iran war costs — White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the Trump administration would not commit to paying for the costs of the Iran war, instead suggesting that Arab countries should be called upon to fund the operation. When asked who would pay for the war, Leavitt responded: "I think it is something the president would be quite interested in calling them to do. Certainly, it's an idea I know he has and something you will hear more from him on." The response drew comparison to Trump's unfulfilled promise that Mexico would pay for the border wall.

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• Trump claimed formation of international naval coalition to reopen Strait of Hormuz without verification from allied nations — Trump posted claims that China, France, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and other nations would join a U.S. naval coalition to keep the Strait of Hormuz open after Iran blocked it. No evidence was presented that these countries had actually committed to such action. The claim contradicted Trump's earlier statement that the U.S. did not need allies in military operations. Geopolitical analysts noted the implausibility of China joining a U.S.-led coalition against Iran given their deep economic and strategic ties.

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• Spain's foreign minister denied White House claim that Spain reversed position on Iran military operations — Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Luis Albares categorically denied a claim made by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt that Spain had reversed its position and agreed to allow the U.S. to use Spanish military bases to launch attacks against Iran. Albares stated that Spain's position on the Middle East war, attacks on Iran, and use of Spanish bases "has not changed." Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez separately stated opposition to war and violations of international law.

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• Marco Rubio issues directive restricting US diplomatic commentary on Iran negotiations — Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued an unclassified cable to US ambassadors in the Middle East ordering them to refrain from public statements, interviews, or social media activity that could inflame regional tensions or complicate US relationships, particularly regarding Iran nuclear negotiations. The directive, circulated on February 23, was widely interpreted as a rebuke of US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee following his remarks on a podcast claiming Israel had a biblical right to Middle Eastern territory. White House officials expressed concern that Huckabee's comments could harden Iran's negotiating position ahead of talks with Trump envoys.

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• White House deletes JD Vance's social media post acknowledging Armenian genocide — Vice President JD Vance posted on X that he was visiting an Armenian genocide memorial to honor "the victims of the Armenian genocide" during a trip to Armenia. The White House subsequently deleted the post, citing staff error. This marked the first time the Trump administration used the word "genocide" to describe the historical atrocities. The deletion prompted anger from Armenian diaspora groups and opposition lawmakers, who viewed it as capitulation to Turkish pressure and a reversal of Biden-era recognition.