Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• DTE Energy requests regulatory approval for $6.4bn gas plant expansion to serve datacenter demand — DTE Energy, Michigan's largest utility serving 2.3 million customers, filed a long-term energy delivery plan with the Michigan Public Service Commission requesting approval to build 2.1 gigawatts of new gas plants in 2031–2032 to meet demand from hyperscale datacenters contracted with Google, Oracle, and others. The proposal would shift infrastructure costs to residential ratepayers while potentially undermining Michigan's 2040 renewable energy mandate. The MPSC will issue a preliminary decision within 300 days.

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• Became Law: Chiricahua National Park Act — Congress enacted H.R. 6380, designating Chiricahua National Park in Arizona. The bill became Public Law 119-133 on October 20, 2026. This legislative action establishes federal protection and management authority over the Chiricahua mountain region, affecting land use, conservation policy, and recreational access in southeastern Arizona.
• Became Law: Critical Infrastructure Manufacturing Feasibility Act — Congress passed and the President signed H.R. 1721, the Critical Infrastructure Manufacturing Feasibility Act, into Public Law 119-127 on October 20, 2026. The measure addresses domestic manufacturing capacity for critical infrastructure components. The law's specific provisions and policy effects are not detailed in the legislative record provided.
• Became Law: License to Drill Act — The License to Drill Act became Public Law 119-134 on October 20, 2026. Congress enacted legislation governing federal drilling permits and licensing procedures. The law establishes new regulatory frameworks for oil and gas exploration on federal lands and waters, affecting environmental policy and energy development authority.
• Became Law: Pleasant Valley Ranger District Administrative Site Conveyance to Gila County — Congress enacted Public Law 119-126, requiring the Secretary of Agriculture to convey the Pleasant Valley Ranger District Administrative Site to Gila County, Arizona. The measure transfers federal land management authority over the administrative facility from the U.S. Forest Service to local county control, affecting resource management and governance of the site.
• Became Law: Southcentral Foundation Land Transfer Act of 2025 — Congress enacted Public Law 119-130, authorizing a land transfer to Southcentral Foundation. The bill completed the legislative process and was signed into law on October 20, 2026. This measure transfers specified federal or trust lands to the foundation, likely affecting Alaska Native land rights, resource management, or community development in the Southcentral Alaska region.

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• EPA approves Georgia air quality plan removing nonattainment new source review requirements — The Environmental Protection Agency finalized approval of Georgia's State Implementation Plan revision removing nonattainment new source review (NNSR) permitting requirements and emission reduction credit provisions from the state's air quality regulations. The revision follows Georgia's 2022 redesignation of the Atlanta ozone area from nonattainment to attainment status under the Clean Air Act. The EPA rejected arguments that NNSR should remain as a contingency measure despite recent ozone standard exceedances, finding that Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permitting and maintenance plan triggers provide adequate protection.
• EPA approves Kentucky's Limited Maintenance Plan for Louisville Area ozone standards — The Environmental Protection Agency finalized approval of Kentucky's Limited Maintenance Plan (LMP) for the 1997 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) covering the Kentucky portion of the bi-state Louisville Area (Bullitt, Jefferson, and Oldham Counties). The plan demonstrates that air quality will remain in attainment through 2027, the end of the second 10-year maintenance period following the area's 2007 redesignation from nonattainment to attainment. The EPA evaluated design value data, monitoring networks, and contingency provisions, and determined the plan adequately assures maintenance of the standard. The approval makes the plan's commitments federally enforceable under the Clean Air Act.
• EPA approves Maryland air plan revisions establishing nitrogen oxide emission limits for municipal waste combustors — The Environmental Protection Agency finalized approval of Maryland's State Implementation Plan revisions establishing reasonably available control technology (RACT) requirements for nitrogen oxide emissions from municipal waste combustors. The rule sets specific emission limits for two large facilities—Montgomery County Resource Recovery Facility (140 ppmv 24-hour average, 105 ppmv 30-day average) and Wheelabrator Baltimore (150 ppmv 24-hour average, 145 ppmv 30-day average)—and exempts small combustors constructed before August 30, 1999. The EPA rejected a commenter's request for stricter limits, finding Maryland's determinations adequate under the Clean Air Act.
• EPA approves Missouri air quality rule revisions on construction permit exemptions — The Environmental Protection Agency finalized approval of Missouri's State Implementation Plan revision modifying construction permit exemptions under the Minor New Source Review program. The rule refines emergency generator exemptions, updates recordkeeping requirements, and clarifies cross-references. EPA found the revisions comply with the Clean Air Act, do not backslide air quality, and strengthen permit exemption standards. The rule becomes effective November 9, 2026.
• EPA approves New Jersey State Implementation Plan revisions for ozone RACT certifications under Clean Air Act sections 182 and 184. — The Environmental Protection Agency issued a final rule approving New Jersey's State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted November 23, 2021, and March 3, 2025, certifying that the state meets Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) requirements for volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides emissions under the 2008 and 2015 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The approval covers the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island nonattainment area (Serious classification for 2008 ozone; Moderate for 2015) and the Philadelphia-Atlantic City nonattainment area (Moderate for 2015), as well as statewide Ozone Transport Region obligations. The rule becomes effective November 9, 2026.
• EPA approves Oklahoma air plan for interstate SO2 transport requirements under Clean Air Act — The Environmental Protection Agency issued a final rule approving portions of Oklahoma's State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted May 28, 2021, demonstrating compliance with Clean Air Act section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) interstate transport requirements for the 2010 1-hour sulfur dioxide (SO2) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). EPA determined Oklahoma's emissions will not significantly contribute to nonattainment or interfere with maintenance of the SO2 NAAQS in other states, based on weight-of-evidence analysis including certified design values, emissions trends, and source-specific evaluations within a 50-kilometer urban-scale assessment. The rule becomes effective November 9, 2026, and applies to certain areas of Indian country in Oklahoma consistent with prior SAFETEA approval and D.C. Circuit precedent.
• EPA approves clean data determination for Berrien and Muskegon County ozone nonattainment areas — The Environmental Protection Agency finalized a determination that Berrien County and Muskegon County, Michigan have attained the 2015 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards based on 2023-2025 monitoring data and approved exceptional events exclusions for wildfire smoke impacts. The determination suspends requirements for these areas to submit attainment demonstrations, Reasonably Available Control Measures plans, Reasonable Further Progress plans, and other State Implementation Plan requirements related to ozone attainment, contingent on continued compliance with the standard.
• EPA publishes weekly Environmental Impact Statements notice — The Environmental Protection Agency published a notice of availability for Environmental Impact Statements filed between September 28 and October 5, 2026, pursuant to Clean Air Act Section 309(a) and CEQ guidance. The notice lists two EIS actions: a draft Nuclear Regulatory Commission combined license application for the Project Matador Advanced Energy and Intelligence Campus in Texas (comment period ending November 23, 2026), and an amended APHIS draft grizzly bear damage management EIS for Montana with an extended comment period (now ending November 4, 2026). EPA's comment letters on EISs are available through the EPA's CDX database.

Supporting reports

• Datacenter developers accused of circumventing EPA air pollution permitting rules — Environmental advocates allege that datacenter developers, including Amazon and Duke Energy, are manipulating EPA air pollution permitting processes by dividing emissions sources into multiple "minor" permits to avoid "major" source reviews and associated emission controls. Cases cited include North Carolina (Amazon/Duke with 649 diesel generators), New Mexico (Project Jupiter proposing two natural gas microgrids), and Maryland (four datacenters on one campus). The tactic reduces public scrutiny and regulatory oversight while potentially exposing low-income communities to increased air pollution.

Supporting reports

• Administration considers MLB game at Grand Teton National Park — The Trump administration is considering hosting a Major League Baseball game at a national park and has been scouting locations to build a baseball facility in Grand Teton National Park, according to reporting on September 27.
• MLB approached Trump administration about national park baseball game — The Washington Post reported that Major League Baseball has approached the Trump administration about hosting a game at a national park. The administration has scouted locations in Grand Teton National Park to build a baseball stadium to host an MLB game. Grand Teton is the country's 8th-most visited national park and is famous for its views of the Teton Range. National Park Service Deputy Director Frank Lands visited Grand Teton this week and examined three potential locations for a baseball park within the park's boundaries. The report notes that national parks are among the country's most protected federal lands, and constructing a sports facility at Grand Teton could set a new precedent for use of vast national park land in the Western US.

Supporting reports

• Trump eliminates vehicle fuel economy standards — On September 26, Trump announced the elimination of vehicle fuel economy standards established under former President Joe Biden, continuing efforts to lock the United States into dependence on fossil fuels.
• Trump administration slashes clean car fuel economy standards — The Trump administration announced Monday the rollback of clean car rules that had required automakers to reduce emissions and improve fuel efficiency for model years 2022–2031. The Department of Transportation's new rule, called "Freedom Means Affordable Cars," reverses Biden-era standards that mandated 8–10% annual fuel efficiency increases. The administration estimates the change will reduce vehicle costs by $1,300 but will increase fuel consumption by 100 billion gallons through 2050, boost carbon dioxide emissions by 5%, and raise fuel spending by $185 billion. Environmental groups and public health advocates condemned the move.
• Trump administration finalizes rollback of federal vehicle fuel economy standards — The Transportation Department finalized a rollback of federal vehicle fuel economy requirements on Monday, reducing the projected 2031 fleetwide average from 49.3 miles per gallon to 34.9 miles per gallon. The administration projects compliance cost savings of approximately $1,289 per vehicle for automakers. However, federal projections indicate drivers will spend over $1,600 in additional fuel expenses over a vehicle's lifetime, with increased gasoline consumption and emissions.
• Trump administration eviscerates pollution limits on cars, trucks, and power plants — The Trump administration has removed or significantly weakened environmental regulations governing emissions from vehicles and power generation facilities. The article states the administration "eviscerated pollution limits on cars, trucks and power plants" as part of a broader pattern of rolling back environmental protections. This action reduces federal oversight of major sources of greenhouse gas emissions and represents a reversal of prior regulatory standards.

Supporting reports

• Complaint filed — State of New York v. U.S. Department of Interior — Eight northeastern states filed a federal complaint challenging the Department of the Interior's June 2026 settlement agreements with offshore wind developer Invenergy to cancel three East Coast wind leases in exchange for Judgment Fund repayment and $653 million in spending on oil, gas, and liquified natural gas projects. The states allege the cancellations violate the Administrative Procedure Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, and the Judgment Fund Act, and deprive them of renewable energy generation capacity sufficient to power 2.6 million homes. Plaintiffs seek vacatur of the agreements and injunctive relief.
• Complaint filed: State of New York v. U.S. Department of the Interior — New York, New Jersey, and six other states filed a complaint in the Eastern District of New York challenging the Department of the Interior's April 27, 2026 agreement with Bluepoint Wind, LLC to cancel an offshore wind lease and reimburse Bluepoint $765 million from the Judgment Fund in exchange for investment in oil and gas projects. Plaintiffs allege the cancellation is arbitrary and capricious, violates the Administrative Procedure Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, and that the settlement agreement exceeds statutory authority and misuses the Judgment Fund. They seek vacatur of the cancellation and agreement, declaratory relief, and injunctive relief.

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• EPA eliminated greenhouse gas emission limits for power plants — The Environmental Protection Agency announced it is eliminating rules that limit greenhouse gas emissions from coal and natural gas power plants and intends to prevent future administrations from implementing such regulations. The action was framed as necessary to "unleash" American energy production.

Supporting reports

• Private Equity Climate Risks Consortium releases report on top 20 PE firms' fossil fuel energy portfolios — The Private Equity Climate Risks Consortium published research showing that the world's top 20 private equity firms manage $7.3 trillion in assets and operate energy portfolios producing 1.5 billion tons of greenhouse gases annually—more than all but four countries. The firms own 15,000 miles of pipelines, 124GW of power generation capacity across 370 fossil fuel plants, and hundreds of oil and gas fields. Despite capacity to transition away from fossil fuels, firms including BlackRock, GIP, EQT, and Kayne Anderson increased fossil fuel holdings compared to 2024, and are investing heavily in natural gas plants to power AI datacenters.

Supporting reports

• Administration cancels offshore wind project; funnels $900 million to Trump donor's firm — The Trump administration canceled an offshore wind project and directed the German company RWE to receive $1.2 billion in federal funds to abandon wind leases off New York, California, and Louisiana in exchange for investing in "conventional energy" projects. RWE will spend $900 million of that sum acquiring a stake in a liquefied natural gas project in Louisiana currently owned by a private equity fund run by Australian billionaire Michael Dorrell, who donated approximately $1 million to Trump's inaugural committee. The arrangement effectively funnels federal funds to a Trump donor's private equity firm.
• Trump administration settles offshore wind cancellation with $1.2 billion payout to RWE — The Trump administration reached a settlement requiring German energy company RWE to receive $1.2 billion from a federal fund in exchange for surrendering offshore wind leases in New York, California, and Louisiana and investing in conventional energy projects instead. Of the payout, $900 million will be used by RWE to purchase a stake in a liquefied natural gas project in Louisiana from a private equity fund owned by Australian billionaire Michael Dorrell, who donated $926,300 to Trump's inaugural committee in late 2024 and another $73,700 weeks later.

Supporting reports

• Trump EPA proposes rule to exempt datacenters from public air pollution disclosure — The Trump administration's Environmental Protection Agency proposed a new rule that would eliminate the Clean Air Act requirement for datacenters to publicly disclose air pollution emissions. The rule would make disclosure voluntary at state and local officials' discretion rather than mandatory. Datacenters are significant sources of nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, and heavy metals. Environmental advocates warn the change will reduce public oversight, prevent communities from knowing what pollutants they will breathe, and weaken enforcement of federal pollution limits linked to asthma, heart disease, and cancer.
• EPA approves two toxic datacenter chemicals despite acknowledged health risks — The Trump administration's Environmental Protection Agency approved two photoacid generator compounds for import and immediate use in U.S. datacenters, despite acknowledging in consent orders that the chemicals may present "unreasonable risk" to workers and the public and could cause sudden death, cancer, neurological damage, and reproductive harm. The EPA admitted insufficient data to quantify acute toxicity and lethality risks but approved the chemicals anyway with minimal restrictions, prompting a lawsuit by Earthjustice arguing the approval violates the Toxic Substances Control Act.

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• Trump administration files proposal to rescind 25-year-old roadless rule protecting national forests — The U.S. Forest Service, under Trump's Department of Agriculture, formally filed a proposal on Tuesday to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which has protected approximately 45 million acres of old-growth national forests from road construction, drilling, and logging for 25 years. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins framed the move as removing "outdated restrictions" to enable forest management and wildfire mitigation. Environmental groups immediately opposed the plan, warning it would open iconic forests including Alaska's Tongass and California's Tahoe to industrial logging and development. A public comment period runs until September 21.

Supporting reports

• Strategic Petroleum Reserve depleted to 4-decade low — The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve has fallen below 300 million barrels for the first time since the early 1980s, hitting a 4-decade low. The government is releasing 172 million barrels in response to supply disruption caused by the Iran war, with the SPR expected to reach approximately 243 million barrels after the drawdown. Experts warned that rapid release could damage the salt caverns that store the oil, making it difficult to respond to future energy emergencies. The Department of Energy stated at least 70 million barrels must remain to safely manage the caverns.
• Senior energy advisor disputed safe minimum SPR level — Amos Hochstein, a senior energy advisor to Joe Biden, disputed the Department of Energy's claim that 70 million barrels must remain in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Hochstein stated that going below 300 million barrels would deplete the reserve to the point of never resurrecting it, and that many experts believe the reserve cannot safely go near 300 million barrels due to physical damage risk to storage caverns.

Supporting reports

• Park Service redirected $323 million to Trump White House projects — Internal Park Service records obtained by Meidas reporter Scott Macfarlane reveal that more than $323 million have been made available for upgrades and projects on White House grounds in 2026, a dramatic increase of nearly 5,000 percent from the $7.5 million spent on such projects in 2024. The records show corresponding multi-million-dollar reductions in funding for major national parks including Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Grand Canyon. Tim Whitehouse of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility characterized the reallocation as using the National Park Service as "a piggy bank for Trump's vanity projects."
• Trump administration diverts $323 million from National Park Service to White House renovations — More than $323 million has been funneled from the National Park Service to Trump's vanity projects on the White House grounds, according to reporting by Scott MacFarlane on August 11. This represents a nearly 5,000% increase over the $7.5 million spent at the White House in 2024, the final year of the Biden presidency. The diversion occurs even as Trump's own Interior Secretary Doug Burgum estimates a $30 billion backlog of deferred maintenance in the parks themselves. An additional $100 million has been allotted to the National Mall this year. The $423 million allocated for White House and National Mall projects in 2026 exceeds the combined funding for Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Mammoth Cave, Zion, Joshua Tree, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and the Statue of Liberty complex.

Supporting reports

• DOGE delayed forest-thinning grant, forests later burned — The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) delayed a $10 million grant that would have funded forest-thinning efforts on approximately 4,000 acres of high-risk forest in Minnesota. According to the Washington Post, most of the planned work never commenced. Subsequently, some of these same forests caught fire, suggesting that the delayed intervention may have contributed to increased fire risk or severity.

Supporting reports

• Wildfires and smoke create hazardous air quality across North America — More than 800 wildfires in Canada and at least a dozen in northern Minnesota, driven by extreme weather caused by climate change, are producing smoke that exposes Americans from the Midwest to the Northeast to hazardous levels of air pollution. Detroit, Minneapolis, and Chicago rank in the top five most polluted cities in the world. New York City officials are distributing N95-type masks to commuters. More than 115 million people are in the plume of unhealthy to hazardous air quality, with conditions expected to worsen. The Trump administration has dismissed addressing climate change as a "scam."
• Canadian wildfire smoke degraded air quality in Northeast before World Cup final — Smoke from more than 100 uncontrolled fires in Canada blanketed the Northeast and Midwest with unhealthy air quality, occurring just as New Jersey prepared to host the World Cup final outdoors on July 20, 2026. The environmental degradation affects public health and major international sporting events.

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• White House issues fact sheet on EPA regulatory relief proclamation for chemical manufacturers — The White House issued a fact sheet on July 13, 2026, announcing that President Trump signed a proclamation granting two years of regulatory relief from EPA standards for chemical manufacturers producing semiconductors, medical devices, and defense materials. The proclamation allows covered facilities to comply with pre-Biden EPA standards instead of current regulations. The fact sheet states the exemptions are justified on grounds of national security and economic viability, claiming Biden-era emissions standards impose "costly and unattainable" compliance requirements.

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• Trump administration drastically cut endangered species protections — The Trump administration announced a final rule on July 10, 2026, that drastically cut protections for endangered species by opening vulnerable animals' habitats to farming, drilling, mining, and real estate development. Environmentalists characterized the move as the biggest erosion of wildlife protections in half a century. The rule eliminates regulatory barriers to commercial exploitation of critical habitat areas.

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• Trump issues proclamation exempting chemical manufacturers from Clean Air Act emissions standards for two years — President Trump issued Proclamation 11041 on July 9, 2026, exempting certain stationary sources subject to the EPA's May 2024 Hazardous Organic Naphtha (HON) Rule from compliance with Clean Air Act section 112 emissions-control requirements for two years beyond the rule's original compliance deadlines. The proclamation invokes national security and chemical manufacturing resilience, claiming the required emissions-control technology is not commercially viable. Affected facilities will revert to pre-HON Rule emissions obligations during the exemption period.
• Trump issued proclamation exempting chemical manufacturers from Clean Air Act emissions standards for two years — President Trump signed a proclamation on July 13, 2026, exempting certain stationary sources in the synthetic organic chemical manufacturing industry from compliance with the EPA's May 2024 Hazardous Organic Emissions (HON) Rule for two years beyond the rule's original compliance deadlines. The proclamation states the exemption applies to section 112 Clean Air Act requirements and claims the technology to comply is not commercially available. The proclamation invokes national security and chemical supply chain resilience as justification.

Supporting reports

• U.S. Department of Transportation withdraws offshore wind grant to California — The Department of Transportation withdrew a nearly $427 million Biden-era grant for a proposed offshore wind project in California that would have generated electricity for 25 million homes. The withdrawal undermines California's goal to develop 25 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2045 and prompted California's attorney general to send notice of intent to sue.

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• Trump proposed cutting National Park Service staff by 31 percent — Trump's 2027 budget proposal called for cutting 3,967 full-time National Park Service employees, representing a 31% reduction in staff. This follows the loss of nearly 25% of the Park Service workforce since Trump took office. The cuts would further reduce the agency's capacity to maintain parks and respond to visitor safety issues.

Supporting reports

• Trump's $14 million Reflecting Pool renovation covered in algae; conservative media blamed sabotage — The Trump administration's $14 million no-bid contract to renovate the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool resulted in the pool becoming covered in green algae. The renovation painted the pool bottom blue but failed to address filtration and circulation problems, accelerating the algae problem. Conservative media personality Grant Stinchfield declared the algae a result of sabotage by the left, calling it vandalism by people who "can't stand Trump, American greatness and his quest to make DC beautiful again." The post received 3.2 million views. The actual cause was stagnant water with poor filtration, a basic scientific problem.
• National Park Service dumps hydrogen peroxide into Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool — National Park Service workers dumped bottles of hydrogen peroxide directly into the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on the morning of June 16 in an attempt to mitigate an algae bloom caused by recent renovations. Reuters photographer Jonathan Ernst captured foam floating on the surface. Dr. Michael O'Brien questioned on social media whether the approach was scientifically sound, noting that at least 8,000 liters of 12% hydrogen peroxide would be needed to reach minimum concentration to kill algae.
• Trump administration awards no-bid contract for Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool renovation — The Trump administration awarded a $14.2 million no-bid contract to Virginia-based Atlantic Industrial Coatings to renovate the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, intending to turn it "American flag blue" for the nation's 250th birthday. The contractor had previously worked on a swimming pool at one of Trump's golf clubs. Days after completion, algae proliferated in warm weather, forcing National Park Service workers to use skimmers and hydrogen peroxide to address the bloom. The administration claims a "nanobubbler technology" water treatment system will resolve the issue.
• Reflecting Pool renovation cost $16 million instead of stated $1.5 million — Federal contracting records revealed that Trump's renovation of the Reflecting Pool by the Lincoln Memorial cost approximately $16 million, not the $1.5 million Trump had publicly stated. The pool is now fouled with green algae. Trump and Interior Department officials claimed the project was a success and reposted articles praising the renovation despite the cost overrun and visible algae contamination.
• Workers treated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool with hydrogen peroxide to address algae bloom — Workers poured hydrogen peroxide into the Reflecting Pool by the Lincoln Memorial to attempt to kill an algae bloom that had turned the pool bright green. The algae bloom resulted from Trump's renovation of the pool, which included dark paint on the pool floor. The dark paint caused the sun to heat the water faster than before, creating conditions that accelerated algae growth, an outcome experts had warned about.
• U.S. Park Police arrested cyclist for touching peeling pool material — On Friday, June 18, former Olympic canoe racer David Hearn, 67, was arrested by U.S. Park Police for destruction of government property, a misdemeanor, after he reached into the reflecting pool to feel the detached blue epoxy material while on a 52-mile bike ride. Hearn denied vandalizing anything, stating he was unaware of what was happening before being handcuffed. The arrest occurred as the pool's coating was actively peeling and floating in algae-filled water.
• Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool develops severe algae bloom after $14 million renovation — Days after completion of a $14 million renovation, the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool developed an algae bloom more severe than any recorded in June for at least five years. Trump had promised in April to clean up the "filthy" and "disgusting" water and resurface the basin to eliminate leaking and paint it "American flag blue." After refilling began on June 4, Trump praised the "clean, beautiful water." However, satellite analysis by University of Virginia environmental scientist Alana Menendez detected more algae in the pool in an image taken the week after reopening than in any June images from 2021 onward. The Interior Department began treating the pool with hydrogen peroxide and nanobubble ozone technology, but the hydrogen peroxide is causing the new blue paint to peel, as documented in social media posts.

Supporting reports

• Interior Secretary Burgum cited fabricated national security rationale to cancel wind turbine projects — Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced cancellation of wind turbine projects that had already been funded, citing a report from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claiming wind turbines pose a national security threat because drones could use them as cover for undetectable attacks on the U.S. The rationale was widely characterized as absurd and motivated by Trump's personal animus toward wind energy stemming from a decades-old dispute over a wind farm near his golf course in Scotland.

Supporting reports

• Reflecting pool repairs exceeded budget by over $12 million — The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation project, initially projected to cost $1.8 million and be completed by July 4, 2026, actually cost at least $14.2 million. The administration awarded a no-bid contract and agreed to a 20% profit margin, which a National Park Service analysis found to be "inflated." The project was declared complete on June 6, but within days algae bloomed in the pool and the blue epoxy coating began peeling.
• Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool covered in algae bloom — Reporters documented a thick green algae bloom overtaking the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on June 10 and 11, 2026. The Trump administration blamed "residual algae" from supply lines for the environmental degradation of the iconic monument.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration dismantles deep-ocean observation system — The Trump administration is tearing out a $368 million deep-ocean observation system that monitors marine ecosystems, coastal environments, and ocean currents affecting climate change. The U.S. began operating the system in 2016 and expected it to continue for 25 years. The action aligns with Project 2025's criticism of federal science programs for paying too much attention to climate change. Democrats have pledged to fight the plan.