Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Trump administration denies Reuters reporters access to cabinet meeting — The Trump administration denied reporters from Reuters news agency access to a cabinet meeting in February 2025. This represents another instance of restricting major news organizations' ability to cover government proceedings.
• Trump administration ejects HuffPost reporter from White House press pool — In February 2025, the Trump administration ejected a HuffPost reporter from the White House press pool, which is a rotating group of reporters allowed close access to the president and key administration officials. This action restricts a news organization's ability to cover the administration.

Supporting reports

• White House press secretary announces end of WHCA role in managing press pool — White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced in February 2025 that the Trump administration would no longer recognize the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) in managing the White House press pool. Instead, the "White House press team" would control access to the White House. WHCA President Eugene Daniels responded that the change "tears at the independence of a free press in the United States" and suggested the government would choose which journalists cover the president.

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

• ICE updated timestamps on old press releases — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has updated timestamps on old press releases, making them appear more recent in Google searches. This action has caused outdated enforcement actions to surface as current events, creating a misleading impression of ongoing mass deportations. The press releases, some dating back over a decade, were marked with a new timestamp of January 24, 2025. This manipulation of search results has led to confusion and fear among immigrant communities, as well as misinformation about ICE's current activities.

Supporting reports

• Trump calls for CBS to cancel '60 Minutes' — President Trump called for CBS to cancel '60 Minutes' and suggested the network should lose its broadcasting license. This statement reflects the administration's antagonism towards media outlets critical of its policies.
• Trump calls for CBS News to be terminated — On February 6, 2025, Trump claimed that CBS News "defrauded the public" regarding an edited interview with Kamala Harris, calling for the network to be "immediately terminated." This statement reflects an attack on press freedom, as it seeks to punish a media outlet for its editorial choices.

Supporting reports

• ABC News pays Trump to settle defamation lawsuit — ABC News has agreed to pay $15 million to Donald Trump to settle a defamation lawsuit. The lawsuit was over inaccurate comments made by anchor George Stephanopoulos, claiming Trump had been found civilly liable for rape. This settlement is part of a series of legal actions by Trump against media organizations, which may deter critical reporting.
• CBS News parent Paramount settles claim with Trump — Paramount, the parent company of CBS News, is in talks to settle a $10 billion claim with Donald Trump. The claim alleges deceptive editing of a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. This settlement follows other media companies making payments to Trump, indicating a trend of media entities seeking to avoid conflict with the administration. The settlement has reportedly caused unrest within the CBS newsroom.
• Meta settles censorship claim with Trump — Meta has agreed to pay $25 million to settle a First Amendment protections claim with Donald Trump. The claim was related to "impermissible censorship" when Trump was banned from Facebook and Instagram in 2021. A significant portion of the settlement will be donated to Trump's presidential library. This settlement reflects ongoing tensions between social media platforms and political figures.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration investigates NPR and PBS sponsorship — Brendan Carr, the new federal communications chair under President Trump, has ordered an investigation into the sponsorship practices of NPR and PBS member stations. These media networks have been criticized by conservatives for having a liberal bias. The investigation reflects Trump's ongoing focus on media entities he perceives as adversarial. This move is part of a broader pattern of actions by the Trump administration to influence media coverage and control narratives.

Supporting reports

• Pentagon implements media rotation program — The Pentagon has announced a new "annual media rotation program" that will replace traditional media outlets with non-traditional ones in its press spaces. The New York Times, NPR, NBC, and Politico will be replaced by the New York Post, Breitbart, One America News Network, and HuffPost, respectively. This change, set to take effect on February 14, aims to broaden access to the Pentagon's Correspondents' Corridor. The move has been criticized by affected outlets as impeding access and not serving the public interest.
• Pentagon informs press corps of media rotation — The Pentagon informed its resident press corps that NBC, NPR, the New York Times, and Politico would have to rotate out to give seats to the New York Post, Breitbart, OANN, and HuffPost. This decision could affect media access and the diversity of press coverage at the Pentagon.

Supporting reports

• White House blocks Associated Press from press pool over terminology dispute — In February 2025, the White House blocked the Associated Press from the press pool after the news agency refused to adopt Trump's preferred terminology of "Gulf of America" instead of the longstanding "Gulf of Mexico" in its reporting. The exclusion represents retaliation for editorial independence.
• White House removes Associated Press journalists from press pool for terminology dispute — In February 2025, White House officials removed Associated Press (AP) journalists from the press pool in retaliation for the AP's continued use of "Gulf of Mexico" instead of Trump's preferred term "Gulf of America." Although a federal judge ruled in April that the removal violated the AP's First Amendment rights and ordered restoration of access, the Trump administration continued to limit AP access, excluding them from Air Force One during a Middle East trip and announcing it would no longer reserve a regular press pool slot for the AP and other independent newswires.

Supporting reports

• Purdue Exponent removes names and images of student protesters from website — In February 2025, Purdue Exponent removed the names and images of student protesters advocating for Palestinian human rights from its website, citing safety concerns and the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics. The paper announced the removal in an editorial stating "Pro-Palestinian students are under attack, so we're removing their names." The decision generated significant controversy, with the editor receiving over 7,000 emails, including death threats.

Supporting reports

• Washington Post kills Harris endorsement op-eds and restructures opinion section — In the weeks before the 2024 election, Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos killed op-eds at the paper endorsing Kamala Harris. After Trump's reelection, the Post announced it was revamping its opinion page to include only viewpoints supporting "personal liberties and free markets," with other viewpoints to be published elsewhere. Bezos stated in a note to staff that the paper would cover other topics but would exclude opinions opposing those pillars. The change led to a drop in subscriptions and the departure of the Post's top opinion editor.

Supporting reports

• Federal agencies stopped collecting and publishing data on immigration, workforce, climate, and other topics — The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration has ceased collection and publication of data across multiple federal agencies. The Department of Homeland Security stopped issuing monthly immigration statistics reports in February. The administration did not deliver the legally required annual report on the federal workforce. Dozens of climate change reports and data collections have been removed from government websites. The Education Department omitted key data from its required annual education report. Ongoing surveys have been dropped, including the Agricultural Labor Survey, the Drug Abuse Warning Network, and a household survey on hunger. Climate scientist Daniel Swain stated that "the complete and total collapse" of federal agency credibility has occurred in recent months.

Supporting reports

• Musk offers federal workers pay to resign — Elon Musk offered all 2 million federal workers eight months' pay if they resign, a move that has been criticized as potentially illegal and disruptive. The offer has raised concerns about the impact on government operations and the potential loss of experienced personnel.
• Treasury Secretary grants Musk access to payment systems — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent approved access to the Treasury's payments system for Elon Musk's team, following the administrative leave and subsequent retirement of Acting Secretary David Lebryk, who had refused the access. The payments system controls disbursement of over $6 trillion annually, and the decision to grant access to Musk's team has raised concerns about political influence and security.
• Attempt to Access Payment Systems — Elon Musk's team forced the resignation of David A. Lebryk, the highest-ranking career official at the Treasury Department, amid concerns that Musk's associates sought access to the U.S. government's payment systems. This access could allow for politically motivated interference in federal payments.
• Musk's team takes control of Treasury payment system — Elon Musk's team gained control of the Treasury's payment system, which manages approximately $6 trillion annually, allowing them access to sensitive financial information of Americans and businesses. This takeover was facilitated by the Trump administration, which placed two USAID security officials on leave when they attempted to prevent Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing classified information. The implications of this action raise significant concerns about the security and integrity of U.S. government operations.
• Elon Musk gains access to US Treasury payment system — Elon Musk has reportedly gained access to the US Treasury payment system, which is responsible for funding government operations. This access has raised concerns about bypassing traditional government oversight, as Musk is neither a federal employee nor appointed by the President. The situation has been described as a potential coup, with Musk and his team allegedly circumventing Congress and the executive branch. This development has sparked significant public outcry and calls for action to prevent further unauthorized control over government functions.
• Musk's Team Takes Control of U.S. Treasury Payment Systems — Elon Musk's team, operating under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has taken control of the U.S. Treasury payment systems, which manage approximately $6 trillion in annual transactions. This action allows them access to sensitive personal information and enables Musk to cancel transactions he deems wasteful, including the IRS Direct File system that allowed free online tax filing. This move raises concerns about the legality and security of government operations.
• Musk's team takes control of U.S. Treasury systems — Elon Musk's team, operating under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has taken control of the U.S. Treasury payment systems, which manage approximately $6 trillion in annual transactions. This action allows them access to sensitive personal information and enables Musk to cancel transactions he deems wasteful, including the IRS Direct File system. This move raises significant concerns about the security and integrity of government operations.
• Musk's DOGE given access to federal payment systems — Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been granted access to federal payment systems, allowing them to review government payments for waste. Although their access is described as "read only," this move is highly irregular and raises concerns about data privacy and the influence of private entities on government operations.
• Treasury grants Musk's team access to payment systems — The U.S. Department of the Treasury granted Elon Musk's team "read-only" access to coded data of the government's payment systems, which handle transactions such as social security payments and tax refunds. This access has sparked protests and concerns among Democratic lawmakers and the public about the potential misuse of sensitive financial data. Treasury officials assured that the system remains robust and effective, with no valid payment requests rejected, but the decision has been met with skepticism and fear of data exploitation.
• Elon Musk seizes control of US Treasury — Elon Musk, a private citizen, has reportedly seized control of the US Treasury, leading to significant financial disruptions. This action has resulted in the loss of funds for organizations such as the Haw River Assembly and World Relief, affecting grants and refugee resettlement money. The seizure is part of broader concerns about the potential confirmation of Russell Vought to the Office of Management and Budget, who is expected to support such actions if confirmed.