Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Department of Education threatens to revoke school funding for teaching about systemic racism — In February 2025, the Department of Education sent a letter threatening to halt federal funding to any school that teaches students about "systemic and structural racism." The letter argues that these lessons "teach students that certain racial groups bear unique moral burdens that others do not." The American Civil Liberties Union sued the Department, arguing that the letter violated free speech. In April, multiple federal judges froze the order.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration instructed Department of Education to end investigations into book bans — The Trump administration directed the Department of Education to cease investigations into book bans, labeling them a "hoax." This move comes amid a surge in book bans across the United States, particularly targeting discussions of race, LGBTQ+ issues, and diversity in public schools. The directive reflects a broader conservative backlash against certain educational materials and has been criticized for undermining free expression and educational diversity.

Supporting reports

• Trump signs executive order barring transgender participants from women's sports — In February 2025, President Trump signed an executive order that bars transgender participants from competing in women's sports. The order is part of a broader federal crackdown on transgender rights and participation. The State Department has separately instructed officials to deny visas to transgender athletes attempting to enter the U.S. for competitions, with instructions to impose permanent visa bans on those deemed to misrepresent their birth sex.
• Executive Order on Women's Sports Participation — President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14201, mandating that federal funds be rescinded from educational programs allowing male participation in women's sports. The order aims to protect female athletes' opportunities under Title IX, emphasizing safety and fairness. It directs the Secretary of Education and other agencies to enforce compliance and adjust policies accordingly.
• Trump signs executive order banning trans athletes from women’s sports — On February 5, 2025, Donald Trump signed an executive order banning transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports. The order directs federal agencies, including the Department of Justice, to interpret Title IX rules to prohibit transgender girls and women from competing in female sports categories. It mandates immediate enforcement and threatens to cut off federal funding for schools that allow trans women or girls to compete in female-designated sports. The order is expected to face legal challenges and has been criticized by advocacy groups for its impact on trans rights.
• Trump issues executive order on women's sports — President Donald Trump issued an executive order on February 5, 2025, titled "Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports." The order directs federal agencies to ensure that educational institutions receiving federal funds do not allow men to compete in women's sports, citing Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972. The order mandates the rescission of funds from programs that fail to comply and calls for the enforcement of policies that preserve female athletic opportunities. It also involves international efforts to promote sex-based categories in sports.
• White House issues fact sheet promoting executive order on women's sports eligibility — The White House published a fact sheet on February 5, 2025, promoting an executive order signed by President Trump that day. The order directs the Department of Justice to enforce a nationwide vacatur of the Biden administration's Title IX rewrite, requires schools and athletic associations to deny participation in women's sports to transgender athletes, directs the Secretary of State to demand changes to International Olympic Committee policies, and instructs the Department of Homeland Security to review visa policies. The fact sheet characterizes the prior administration's policies as a "war on women" and includes testimonials from female athletes.
• White House signed executive order on women's sports eligibility — President Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to enforce Title IX to restrict athletic competition in women's sports categories to biological females. The order directs the Secretary of Education to rescind federal funding from educational programs allowing transgender athletes to compete in women's sports, instructs the Department of Justice to enforce the policy, and tasks the State Department with promoting sex-based eligibility standards internationally and at the Olympic level. The order also directs review of immigration policies to prevent males seeking to participate in women's sports from entering the United States.
• Trump bans trans women in sports — President Trump signed an executive order banning trans women and girls from competing in female sports. This order discriminates against trans athletes and limits their participation in sports.

Supporting reports

• West Point disbands student-led clubs following DEI order — The US military academy at West Point has dissolved 12 student-led cultural and professional clubs in response to executive orders from the Trump administration targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs across federal institutions. A memorandum signed by DC Chad Foster instructed the immediate shutdown of clubs such as the Society of Women Engineers, the Latin Cultural Club, and Spectrum, an LGBTQ+ support group. The directive requires these organizations to remove all public-facing content and cease all activities. This move has sparked criticism from alumni and advocates for diversity in military education.

Supporting reports

• Higher education groups file lawsuit against Trump administration — Higher education groups, including the American Association of University Professors and the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration. The lawsuit challenges executive orders that eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) positions in government and threaten to suspend funding to institutions with DEI policies. Filed in the US district court in Maryland, the suit claims these orders violate the US Constitution, exceed executive authority, and threaten academic freedom and access to higher education.

Supporting reports

• Florida state colleges enroll in ICE 287(g) program, granting campus police immigration enforcement powers — At least 11 Florida state colleges, including Florida International University and University of Florida, have signed agreements under the ICE 287(g) program, training campus police as federal immigration agents with authority to stop, question, detain, and report students on immigration status. The partnerships were encouraged by Governor Ron DeSantis in February 2025. The program, reactivated by the Trump administration after Obama discontinued it in 2012 for racial profiling concerns, has prompted student protests and fears of visa cancellations and deportations, particularly affecting international students.

Supporting reports

• Florida House passes bill to override Supreme Court obscenity standard in school book challenges — The Florida House passed HB 1539, legislation that would prohibit school districts from considering a book's "potential literary, artistic, political, or scientific value" when evaluating removal challenges. The bill would allow books to be removed based solely on "obscene" content, directly contradicting the 1973 Supreme Court Miller test, which requires consideration of serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value as part of the obscenity determination. School districts failing to comply could lose state funding. The bill was sponsored by Representative Doug Bankson (R) and ultimately languished in the Senate Education Committee.

Supporting reports

• Oklahoma State Board of Education approves social studies standards incorporating election denial claims — The Oklahoma State Board of Education approved revised social studies standards in February 2025 that direct high school teachers to present discredited 2020 election conspiracy theories—including claims about ballot-counting halts, mail-in voting risks, and "bellwether county" anomalies—as legitimate topics for student debate. The standards, championed by State Superintendent Ryan Walters and developed with input from far-right figures including Kevin Roberts (Heritage Foundation) and Dennis Prager (PragerU), will take effect in fall 2025. Teachers report concern about pressure to teach election falsehoods despite overwhelming judicial and DOJ refutation.
• Oklahoma Superintendent Walters approves social studies curriculum including 2020 election fraud claims — Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters approved a new social studies curriculum for the 2025-26 school year that requires high school students to "analyze" debunked claims about the 2020 election, including allegations of ballot-counting halts, mail-in voting fraud, and "batch dumps." The curriculum presents these claims as legitimate concerns without labeling them as conspiracy theories. The State Board of Education approved the standards in February after Walters provided them to board members only 4 p.m. the day before a 9:30 a.m. meeting, preventing adequate review of the 400-page document. Multiple board members later stated they did not realize the standards differed from earlier versions and called Walters' tactics a "breach of trust."
• Walters withheld curriculum changes from State Board members until day before vote — Ryan Walters did not send the new social studies standards with his additions to State Board of Education members until 4 p.m. the day before the board's 9:30 a.m. meeting, preventing adequate review of the approximately 400-page document. The email "subtly indicate[d]" updates had been made but provided no specifics. During the meeting, Walters did not mention specific changes. When board member Chris VanDenhende later requested documents noting the changes, Walters called the request "irrelevant." Board member Ryan Deatherage asked to delay the vote, but Walters pressured the board to vote that day, citing a legislative time crunch that did not exist—the board had until April to approve the standards.

Supporting reports

• Department of Defense Education Activity bans instruction about race and gender — In February 2025, the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), which runs a network of 161 primary and secondary schools, released a memo instructing educators to stop teaching "resources potentially related to gender ideology and discriminatory equity ideology that are under the operational compliance review." The memo stated it was to "ensure compliance with executive orders." DoDEA schools were also instructed to remove books "potentially related to gender ideology or discriminatory equity ideology" and cancel cultural awareness activities, including Black History Month.
• Department of Defense imposes censorship on military schools — The Department of Defense (DoD) has implemented a censorship regime across its 161 primary and secondary schools, as detailed in a February 7 memo from the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA). This directive, purportedly to comply with President Trump's executive orders, eliminates content acknowledging contributions of women, minorities, and LGBTQ people. It cancels cultural awareness events and mandates the removal of related materials from school libraries and curriculums, affecting 67,000 students in military families. The memo has led to the removal of books and the alteration of curriculums to exclude topics related to gender and racial equity.
• DoDEA schools ordered to alter curriculums — The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) has instructed its schools to alter curriculums to comply with President Trump's executive orders. Educators are directed to stop teaching materials related to "gender ideology and discriminatory equity ideology." Prohibited materials include chapters on gender and sexuality in AP Psychology, Black History Month content, and lessons on immigration. The guidance also restricts access to books like "Becoming Nicole," affecting the educational content available to students.
• Military schools ordered to remove specific books — Following a February 7 memo, military school librarians and teachers have been instructed to remove books related to "gender ideology or discriminatory equity ideology" from libraries. The directive affects DoDEA schools worldwide, with a deadline of March 3 for reviewing such books. Titles already removed include "Hillbilly Elegy," "Brave New World," and "An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States." A subsequent memo on February 10 informed parents of additional titles pending review, including books about Ruth Bader Ginsburg and a young girl accepting her freckles.