Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Secretary Hegseth provides inconsistent testimony on Iran war objectives — During Senate Appropriations Committee testimony, Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) questioned Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth about statements made early in the Iran conflict claiming core objectives were to "destroy the missile threat" and "obliterate Iran's missiles and drones." Hegseth had declared four months earlier that all objectives had been achieved. When pressed, Hegseth declined to confirm whether the missile threat had been defeated, instead redefining "combat ineffective" to mean Iran could not deploy missiles at scale against the United States. Ossoff noted that Hegseth had assured the American people of Iranian surrender on day nine of the war and asked whether his statement that Iran's military had been "destroyed and made combat ineffective" was truthful.
• Senator Murray challenged Hegseth's claim that Iran's missile program is "functionally destroyed." — Senator Patty Murray cited Hegseth's April 8 statement that Iran's missile program was "functionally destroyed" with "launchers, production facilities and existing stockpiles depleted and decimated." She noted that Iran has been firing missiles at U.S. military bases and ships for the past week, contradicting Hegseth's assessment. Hegseth responded only that "Iran is at the weakest point militarily it has ever been in in the past decade."
• Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chair Caine testified on $1.5 trillion DOD budget request. — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chair Dan Caine testified before the Senate to defend a $1.5 trillion DOD budget request—nearly double the 2024 budget of $841 billion. Hegseth stated "not funding this department at $1.5 trillion is the greatest threat our nation faces," while Caine acknowledged air power has limits in achieving military objectives.
• Senator Durbin questioned unobligated DOD funding and "woke priorities" pivot. — Senator Dick Durbin asked Hegseth about $75 billion in unobligated DOD funding from the prior year's reconciliation package. Hegseth acknowledged the figure and stated "There's plans and designs on that - move away from all the woke priorities of what the Biden admin was pursuing," indicating funds would be redirected away from diversity and inclusion initiatives.
• Senator Merkley pressed Caine on civilian infrastructure targeting in retaliation. — Senator Jeff Merkley questioned Joint Chiefs Chair Dan Caine on whether the U.S. would target civilian infrastructure in retaliatory strikes, noting that international law prohibits such targeting. Caine responded only that "we have a robust process," declining to provide explicit assurance that civilian infrastructure would be protected.
• Senator Murray questioned necessity of National Guard funding and Caribbean strikes for Iran war. — Senator Patty Murray asked Hegseth why "billions of dollars more for the National Guard and this administration's illegal strikes in the Caribbean" are urgently needed for the Iran war. Hegseth responded by blaming "gross negligence and neglect of the Biden admin" without addressing the substance of her question about the connection between Caribbean operations and Iran conflict.
• Senator Reed challenged Hegseth on war authorization and Strait of Hormuz contingencies. — Senator Jack Reed accused Hegseth of "gross negligence" for failing to fully inform Trump that the Strait of Hormuz could be effectively closed by Iranian action. Reed questioned whether Trump should be "praised for starting war without authority" and creating conditions where "the world economy is suffering tremendously," challenging the administration's failure to obtain congressional authorization.
• Senator Reed questioned whether airstrikes alone will defeat Iran; Caine declined to address ground troop escalation. — Senator Jack Reed asked Joint Chiefs Chair Dan Caine whether airstrikes alone would defeat Iran. Caine acknowledged that "air power has got limits" but declined to address whether ground combat escalation would follow, stating "I think it'd be unhelpful for me to opine on hypotheticals."

Supporting reports

• DOJ opens investigation into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook — The DOJ opened a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook based on a mortgage fraud referral from FHFA Director Bill Pulte. The investigation follows Trump's failed attempt to dismiss Cook from the Federal Reserve, a move aimed at seizing control of the U.S. central bank. Cook's attorney Abbe Lowell characterized Pulte's accusations as politically motivated and noted that Pulte has ignored reports indicating his family members and multiple senior Trump officials may have committed similar mortgage fraud infractions.
• Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook's lawyer disputed mortgage fraud allegations — A lawyer for Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Special Attorney for Mortgage Fraud Ed Martin, arguing that allegations made by Trump and Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte that Cook engaged in mortgage fraud "fail on even the most cursory look at the facts," and that alleged contradictions in her loan applications were "cherry-picked, incomplete snippets."

Supporting reports

• Treasury official resigns over Musk's demands — David Lebryk, a senior Treasury Department official, resigned following Elon Musk's demands for access to sensitive payment systems. Lebryk, a non-political civil servant, had refused Musk's repeated requests for access. His resignation raises concerns about the integrity and independence of federal financial systems.
• Access granted to Treasury Department systems — Reports indicate that Marko Elez, a 25-year-old engineer with previous ties to Elon Musk's companies, has gained direct access to Treasury Department systems that manage significant government payments. This access allows him to potentially alter critical financial operations, raising concerns about the security and integrity of government payment systems. The implications of such access could affect various federal programs, including veterans' benefits and Social Security.