Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• West Virginia national guard member killed in targeted ambush near White House — Sarah Beckstrom, a 20-year-old West Virginia national guard member, was killed in a targeted ambush near the White House by Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who had previously worked with the CIA and arrived in the US in 2021. A second guardsman, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, was wounded but survived and was released from hospital. The incident raised questions about whether the president was unnecessarily placing guard members in danger.

Supporting reports

• Supreme Court rejected Trump administration's argument to deploy federalized National Guard in Chicago — On December 23, 2025, the Supreme Court rejected the Trump administration's legal argument that it possessed the power to deploy federalized National Guard troops in and around Chicago. The decision limited Trump's authority to use military forces within the United States without explicit congressional authorization or state consent.
• Supreme Court rejected Trump administration's National Guard deployment authority in Chicago — On December 23, 2025, the Supreme Court rejected the Trump administration's argument that it possessed the power to deploy federalized National Guard troops in and around Chicago. The 6-3 decision blocked the administration's attempt to militarize American cities without state consent.
• Supreme Court rejects Trump's National Guard deployment in Illinois as unlawful — The U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6-3 preliminary ruling that President Trump's deployment of federalized National Guard troops in the Chicago area beginning in October violated the Posse Comitatus Act. The majority held that a president must first attempt to execute laws using regular U.S. military forces and may deploy the National Guard only if unable to do so with regular forces. The Court found the Government failed to identify statutory or constitutional authority permitting military enforcement of laws in Illinois.
• Supreme Court rejected Trump's National Guard deployment for immigration enforcement in Illinois — The Supreme Court rejected Trump's deployment of the National Guard to aid immigration enforcement in Illinois, ruling that federal law limits use of the National Guard to situations where regular military forces are insufficient. The majority found that the President does not have inherent authority to deploy the military to protect ICE property. Three justices (Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch) dissented.
• Supreme Court blocks Trump administration from deploying National Guard in Illinois — The Supreme Court blocked the Trump administration from deploying National Guard troops in Illinois as part of his mass immigration crackdown, ruling that the government "failed to identify a source of authority that would allow the military to execute the laws in Illinois." The decision represents a rare judicial check on executive power in the Trump administration.
• Supreme Court Denies Stay in Trump v. Illinois — On December 23, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court denied the federal government's request for a stay in the case of Trump v. Illinois. This decision upheld a lower court's order that barred the Trump administration from deploying the federalized National Guard in Illinois for immigration enforcement actions. The case arose after the Trump administration federalized the Texas and Illinois National Guard to assist with immigration enforcement in Chicago, which was challenged by the state of Illinois. The Supreme Court's denial means the federal government cannot deploy the National Guard in Illinois pending further legal proceedings. Justices Alito, Thomas, and Gorsuch dissented from the decision.
• US Supreme Court blocks Trump national guard deployment to Chicago — The US Supreme Court denied the Trump administration's emergency request to lift a lower court order blocking the deployment of national guard troops to the Chicago area. In a 6-3 decision, the majority ruled that the government failed to meet the legal burden required to show it could not enforce immigration laws without federal military intervention. The decision upholds a ruling by US District Judge April Perry from October and signals potential impact on similar deployments in other Democratic-led cities.

Supporting reports

• Raskin and Lieu demand investigation into Caribbean double-tap strike — Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) sent a letter to the Justice Department demanding an investigation into a September 2 double-tap strike in the Caribbean that killed two survivors. The lawmakers argued that the order to conduct the strike constituted either a war crime or premeditated murder, stating that "the killing of unarmed, helpless men clinging to wreckage in open water is simply murder."

Supporting reports

• Trump announced construction of two new "Trump-class" battleships for the U.S. Navy — President Trump announced that the U.S. Navy will build two new battleships designated the "Trump-class," which Trump has been involved in designing as part of a "Golden Fleet." The vessels represent a significant departure from modern naval doctrine, as the last U.S. battleship was decommissioned in the 1990s. An illustration provided by the White House depicts Trump's image on the upper deck of the proposed vessel. Military experts have criticized the design as focused on aesthetics rather than strategic necessity.
• Trump announces new warship class named after himself with AI and nuclear weapons — Trump announced that a new generation of U.S. Navy warships will be designated the "Trump-class" battleships. He described them as the fastest and most powerful ever built, equipped with hypersonic weapons, rail guns, high-powered lasers, and nuclear-armed cruise missiles under development. Trump stated he personally participated in the design alongside the U.S. Navy and emphasized AI control as a major factor in the ships' operation.
• Trump announces new class of nuclear-capable battleships named after himself — At Mar-a-Lago, Trump announced his latest vanity project: a new class of US battleships named after himself, which are expected to have nuclear capabilities. The announcement represents the militarization of presidential ego and potential misuse of defense resources.