Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel concludes Foreign Service Grievance Board violates Article II — The Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel issued an opinion concluding that the Foreign Service Grievance Board's statutory authority to reverse disciplinary decisions by the Secretary of State violates Article II of the Constitution. The opinion, signed by Assistant Attorney General T. Elliot Gaiser, holds that final decision-making power over Foreign Service personnel must rest with the presidentially accountable Secretary of State, not an independent board. The DOJ advised that the FSGB may continue to hear grievances but the Secretary will retain final authority going forward.

Supporting reports

• Pentagon threatens to defund 30 universities over foreign academic partnerships — The Pentagon issued a directive ordering 30 US universities, including Harvard, MIT, Johns Hopkins, Georgetown, and Cornell, to review and terminate foreign academic partnerships deemed national security risks within two weeks (by August 31, 2026). The order targets ties to Chinese institutions and claims to protect taxpayer-funded research from unauthorized technology transfers and intellectual-property theft. Universities failing to comply face loss of federal funding.

Supporting reports

• US sanctions ICC president and prosecutor over Gaza investigations — Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against Tomoko Akane, president of the International Criminal Court, and Abdoulaye Seye, an ICC senior trial lawyer, for investigating crimes in Gaza and pursuing cases without state consent. Rubio characterized the ICC as "corrupt and fatally politicized" and stated the US goal is to "disable the ICC's ability to operate." This follows Trump's 2025 executive order sanctioning the court and prior sanctions on prosecutor Karim Khan, who had sought arrest warrants for Israeli officials.

Supporting reports

• Trump held press conference in Oval Office addressing Iran, Oman, North Korea, and USS Abraham Lincoln conditions — Trump held a press conference in the Oval Office where he stated Iran should "raise the white flag of surrender," threatened to "bomb the shit out of" Oman if it interfered with reopening the Strait of Hormuz, declared his intent to declare the Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory, dismissed reports of poor conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln as "fake news," and defended his relationship with North Korea's Kim Jong Un while suggesting reduced military exercises with South Korea. He also dismissed criticism from Senator Jon Ossoff regarding his aide Natalie Harp.
• Trump threatens military action against Oman over Iran peace talks — On Monday 17 August, Donald Trump threatened to bomb Oman, a key US strategic partner and historical backchannel to Iran, if it "gets in the way" of his demands in stalled US-Iran peace negotiations. Trump also signaled he was not pressing for the war to end without Iran meeting his conditions, telling Fox News "I have no time schedule. I'm not in a hurry." The US and Iran missed their 60-day diplomatic deadline the same day, failing to reach agreement on Iran's nuclear program.
• Trump stated intent to declare Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory — Trump stated he believes declaring the Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory is "a great idea" because "we control it with a blockade" and "we have total control over the strait." He indicated he would pursue this declaration.
• Trump threatened military action against Oman — Trump stated that if Oman interferes with reopening the Strait of Hormuz, "we'll bomb the shit out of them," and later told a reporter that Oman "didn't behave very well" but "we'll handle them very easily just like we do other things."
• Trump threatened to bomb Oman if it interferes with Iran negotiations — In an interview with Fox News Channel's Trey Yingst on the morning of August 18, Trump threatened military action against Oman, a key U.S. ally in the Middle East. When asked about talks between Iran and Oman over control of the Strait of Hormuz, Trump stated: "If Oman gets in the way, we'll bomb the sh*t out of them."
• AP reports Trump threatened to bomb Oman — The Associated Press reported new details regarding President Trump's recent threat to bomb Oman, a U.S. ally in the Middle East. The threat represents an escalation in rhetoric toward a country that has historically maintained diplomatic relations with the United States.

Supporting reports

• Trump instructed reduction of joint military exercises with South Korea — President Trump posted that he instructed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to substantially reduce joint military exercises with South Korea, citing cost concerns and claiming the exercises send an inappropriate signal to North Korea. Trump stated he has a "very good relationship" with Kim Jong Un and framed the exercises as unnecessary given North Korea's purported non-threatening stance during his presidency. This marks the first time in U.S. history the country has reduced military commitments to South Korea, a 75-year ally.
• Trump orders Pentagon to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea — President Trump abruptly ordered the Pentagon to scale back Ulchi Freedom Shield, an 11-day joint military exercise with South Korea scheduled for August 17–27, involving approximately 18,000 South Korean troops. Trump announced the decision via social media, citing his "very good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and framing the drills as "inappropriate and hostile." The move came days after North Korea test-fired ballistic missiles. Congressional Democrats criticized the decision as punishing an ally and handing propaganda to a dictator.
• Trump defended relationship with North Korea and suggested reducing military exercises with South Korea — Trump stated that Kim Jong Un "has always treated me with great respect" and that he "understands" the North Korean leader better than previous presidents. He indicated that South Korea declined his request for assistance with Iran and suggested that the U.S. cannot "go around and protect all of these countries, especially when they're not there to help us," implying reduced commitment to South Korean defense.
• Trump ordered reduction of U.S.–South Korea military exercises — On Sunday evening, Trump declared that he had ordered Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to "substantially reduce" joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his relationship with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. The drills were scheduled to begin the following day. Trump claimed the exercises sent an inappropriate signal to North Korea, though the decision coincided with North Korea deploying 50,000 troops to support Russia's war in Ukraine.