Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Core PCE inflation rose 3.0% in December, largest increase since February 2025 — The Wall Street Journal reported that core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) inflation, excluding volatile food and energy components, rose 3.0% in December—the largest monthly increase since February 2025. The monthly rise was 0.36%, with October and November figures revised upward slightly. Reuters separately reported that underlying U.S. inflation increased more than expected in December, with signs pointing to further acceleration in January, strengthening expectations that the Federal Reserve would not cut interest rates before June.
• Economic data released showing core PCE inflation at 3 percent and GDP growth at 1.4 percent — Economic data released on Friday showed core PCE inflation running at approximately 3 percent and GDP growth at 1.4 percent during Trump's first year back in office. These figures fall significantly short of the growth projections Trump repeatedly promised during his campaign and early presidency. The weak growth occurs as Trump escalates tariffs, which will function as taxes on American families and businesses during a period of economic strain.
• Fourth quarter GDP growth falls short of projections — Fourth quarter GDP came in at 1.4 percent, significantly below expectations of 3 percent and administration projections as high as 5 percent. Full-year 2025 economic growth was 2.2 percent, the worst year for U.S. economic growth in nine years outside the COVID-19 pandemic. The weak growth occurred alongside inflation readings hotter than expected, with headline PCE at 2.9 percent and core at 3 percent.
• Fourth-quarter GDP growth fell to 1.4% annualized rate — The Commerce Department reported that GDP registered an annualized rate of 1.4% for the fourth quarter (October–December 2025), a marked slowdown from the 3.3% rate in the third quarter and lower than the 1.9% rate economists had projected. Overall, the economy grew by 2.2% in 2025, the slowest pace since 2020. The weak growth came amid tariff-related economic disruption and a government shutdown.
• Personal savings rate fell to 3.6%, lowest since 2022 — Economist Heather Long reported that the personal savings rate fell to 3.6%, the lowest level since 2022. Americans are drawing down savings to maintain spending, a trend that cannot be sustained indefinitely. While tax refunds may provide a temporary income boost in coming weeks, households will eventually need to tighten spending.
• Commerce Department reports U.S. trade deficit widened to $70.3 billion in December — Commerce Department figures released this week show that the U.S. trade deficit widened to $70.3 billion in December, bringing the annual total to $901.5 billion, the largest since data collection began in 1960. This contradicts Trump's public statements that the U.S. trade deficit has sharply declined, undermining a central justification for his tariff policies.

Supporting reports

• DHS/ICE announces $38.3bn warehouse-to-detention-center conversion plan across 24 facilities — US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) disclosed plans to acquire and retrofit 24 warehouses nationwide into immigration detention centers with capacity for tens of thousands of detainees. The plan includes 16 regional processing centers (1,000–1,500 capacity each) and 8 large-scale facilities (7,000–10,000 capacity) designated as "primary locations" for deportations. DHS estimates $158m to retrofit a Merrimack, New Hampshire facility and $146m to operate it over three years. The broader $38.3bn effort is intended to support mass deportations and is funded by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
• ICE expands facilities across United States — ICE has quietly and aggressively expanded across the United States in recent months, buying or leasing new facilities in nearly every state, many outside the country's largest cities but concentrated in Texas. DHS asked the General Services Administration to ignore competitive bidding rules and hide lease listings citing "national security concerns."
• ICE plans $38.3 billion detention center expansion — ICE officials are planning to spend $38.3 billion to buy warehouses across the country. ICE will retrofit sixteen of them to become processing centers that can hold 1,000 to 1,500 detainees at a time before funneling them into eight megacenters that can hold up to 10,000 detainees each.

Supporting reports

• OMB director diverted USAID appropriations to personal security detail — Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought took $15 million in unlawfully impounded money that Congress had appropriated for the U.S. Agency for International Development—funds designated to feed starving children—and redirected it to his own security detail, according to Reuters reporting citing documents.

Supporting reports

• DHS purchases three major detention facilities for $194.4 million — The Department of Homeland Security has secured at least three facilities for the detention warehouse system. DHS paid $87.4 million for one facility outside Philadelphia, $37 million for another outside San Antonio (a warehouse of nearly 640,000 square feet), and $70 million for a building the size of seven football fields in Surprise, Arizona, outside Phoenix. The total expenditure for these three facilities is $194.4 million.
• ICE purchased multiple warehouses nationwide to convert into large-scale detention camps with minimal oversight — Immigration and Customs Enforcement has spent over half a billion dollars purchasing warehouses across the country to convert into detention camps. The planned facilities would hold between 8,500 and 10,000 people each in buildings not originally designed for human habitation, making them larger than Rikers Island, the physically largest jail in the United States. ICE has purchased at least six warehouses at costs of $70–$110 million each, with billions more required for retrofitting and staffing. Recent purchases include warehouses in multiple states. Immigration attorney Aaron Reichlin-Melnick noted these mega-camps would operate with little to no real oversight.
• DHS and ICE acquire multiple large warehouse properties across six states for immigration detention expansion — The Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement have purchased or are planning to acquire approximately 23 warehouse-style properties nationwide, with confirmed acquisitions documented in Arizona (418,000 sq ft, $70M), Pennsylvania (520,000 sq ft, $87.4M), Texas (640,000 sq ft, $66.1M), Maryland (825,000+ sq ft, $102.4M), Texas near El Paso (over $122M), and Georgia. Additional proposals include a Mississippi facility designed to hold 8,500+ beds and a Texas site in Hutchins. The acquisitions bypass traditional approval processes by utilizing already-zoned industrial properties, enabling rapid expansion of detention and processing capacity.
• DHS and ICE Acquire Large Warehouses for Detention Expansion — The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have been acquiring large industrial warehouse properties across multiple states to expand immigration detention and processing capacity. Confirmed purchases include a 418,000-square-foot warehouse in Surprise, Arizona, a 520,000-square-foot facility in Upper Bern Township, Pennsylvania, a 640,000-square-foot site in San Antonio, Texas, an 825,000-square-foot warehouse in Washington County, Maryland, and a property in Socorro, Texas. These acquisitions are part of a broader strategy involving approximately 23 warehouse-style properties nationwide, as reported by the Washington Post.
• Oklahoma City warehouse owner terminates DHS detention facility negotiations following public opposition — A warehouse owner in Oklahoma City ended negotiations with the Department of Homeland Security for use as an ICE detention facility after public opposition and community scrutiny. The outcome demonstrates that local engagement and documentation can alter federal acquisition outcomes.
• DHS purchased six warehouse properties for detention infrastructure — Public records confirm that the Department of Homeland Security has purchased at least six massive warehouse properties across multiple states totaling hundreds of millions of dollars: Arizona (418,000 sq ft, $70M), Pennsylvania (520,000 sq ft, $87.4M), Texas (640,000 sq ft, $66.1M), Maryland (825,000+ sq ft, $102.4M), another Texas site ($122M+), and Georgia. Internal DHS planning documents describe a strategy involving approximately 23 warehouse-style properties nationwide. These industrial structures near highways, freight corridors, and airports are selected for logistical efficiency and rapid conversion into processing centers capable of handling large numbers of individuals simultaneously.

Supporting reports

• U.S. lost 108,435 jobs in January 2026 — The U.S. lost 108,435 jobs in January 2026, marking the biggest monthly job cuts since January 2009 during the Great Recession. Despite Trump's campaign promises to bring back manufacturing jobs, the U.S. lost approximately 68,000 manufacturing jobs in 2025.
• U.S. employers announced 108,435 January layoffs — CNBC reported that U.S. employers announced 108,435 layoffs in January 2026, the highest January total since the 2009 global financial crisis. Layoffs were up 118% from January 2025 and 205% from December 2025. Simultaneously, companies announced only 5,306 new hires, the lowest January since 2009, representing a 13% decline from January 2025 and a 49% decline from December 2025.
• U.S. employers announced 108,435 layoffs in January 2026 — According to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, U.S. employers announced 108,435 layoffs in January 2026, representing a 205 percent increase from December 2025 and the worst January for job cuts since 2009 during the Great Recession. Job openings fell to 6.5 million in December, the lowest level since September 2020. A Fox News poll found 72 percent of Americans believe the economy is in poor or fair condition. The hiring rate remains stuck at 3.3 percent, indicating companies are not expanding payrolls.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration allows Affordable Care Act subsidies to lapse — The Trump administration allowed Affordable Care Act subsidies to lapse, threatening health coverage for tens of millions of Americans. This action occurs while housing costs rise, wages lag behind inflation, and the administration prioritizes other spending.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration cuts all federal funding to Minnesota USDA programs — Trump's USDA cut off all federal funding to Minnesota, following earlier efforts to cut childcare funding to multiple blue states before a federal judge blocked that action. The funding cut is described as a deliberate act of economic punishment targeting a state that did not vote for Trump.

Supporting reports

• December 2025 jobs report shows 50,000 jobs added with severe downward revisions — The December 2025 jobs report revealed only 50,000 jobs added in a month that typically sees seasonal hiring gains, signaling deep economic weakness. Full-year 2025 job creation totaled 584,000—the worst year outside a recession since 2003. Every month of 2025 was revised downward; October's loss was revised from 105,000 to 173,000 jobs, and November's gain from 64,000 to 56,000. Manufacturing lost an additional 8,000 jobs in December, continuing a broader manufacturing recession.

Supporting reports

• December 2025 jobs report shows 50,000 jobs added with severe downward revisions — The December 2025 jobs report revealed only 50,000 jobs added in a month that typically sees seasonal hiring gains, signaling deep economic weakness. Full-year 2025 job creation totaled 584,000—the worst year outside a recession since 2003. Every month of 2025 was revised downward; October's loss was revised from 105,000 to 173,000 jobs, and November's gain from 64,000 to 56,000. Manufacturing lost an additional 8,000 jobs in December, continuing a broader manufacturing recession.

Supporting reports

• Small business bankruptcies surged to record levels — Small business bankruptcies filed under Subchapter V, a restructuring program for companies with less than $3.4 million in debt, reached 2,221 filings by early December 2025, exceeding the entire 2024 total of 2,211 filings. In August 2025 alone, approximately 200 small businesses filed for bankruptcy, a 17% increase compared to August 2024. Bankruptcy lawyers and economists characterized the acceleration as an early warning sign of broader economic distress.

Supporting reports

• HUD officials defended 50-year mortgage proposal without answers — HUD officials were asked to defend Trump's proposal for 50-year mortgages, which would trap generations in permanent debt without solving the housing crisis. HUD Secretary Scott Turner stated that "more research needs to be done." The source characterizes this as officials being put on television to defend Trump's proposals while lacking substantive answers, with loyalty to Trump valued over truth.

Supporting reports

• Education Department announced wage garnishment of defaulted student loan borrowers — The Trump administration announced that it will begin garnishing wages of student loan borrowers in default starting in early January 2025. Beginning the week of January 7, the Education Department expects approximately 1,000 defaulted borrowers to receive notices of administrative wage garnishment, with the number increasing thereafter. The government can seize up to 15% of a borrower's after-tax income. More than 5 million borrowers are currently in default, with projections that the total could reach approximately 10 million.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration to garnish wages of student loan defaulters — The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration will start garnishing the wages of people in default on their student loans early next year for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. The resumption of wage garnishment will affect millions of borrowers struggling with debt.
• Education Department announced wage garnishment of defaulted student loan borrowers — The Trump administration announced that it will begin garnishing wages of student loan borrowers in default starting in early January 2025. Beginning the week of January 7, the Education Department expects approximately 1,000 defaulted borrowers to receive notices of administrative wage garnishment, with the number increasing thereafter. The government can seize up to 15% of a borrower's after-tax income. More than 5 million borrowers are currently in default, with projections that the total could reach approximately 10 million.

Supporting reports

• Medicaid work requirements and cuts enacted in "big, beautiful bill" — Congress passed the "big, beautiful bill," which cuts Medicaid by a projected $911 billion over the next decade and imposes 80-hour-per-month work requirements on recipients. The bill passed with tie-breaking support from Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Policy experts warn that work requirements and administrative barriers will cause people with substance use disorders to lose access to federally subsidized addiction treatment, threatening Alaska's expanding inpatient recovery facilities that depend on Medicaid reimbursement.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration proposes 35% cut to Alaska's HIDTA drug interdiction funding — The Trump administration's 2026 fiscal year budget proposes cutting Alaska's High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) funding by 35% (over $100 million). Law enforcement and public health experts warn this will devastate Alaska's overdose prevention efforts, as HIDTA has enabled coordinated drug interdiction across the state's vast geography. Alaska police chiefs, including Anchorage Police Chief Sean Case, have sent letters to senators urging them to oppose the cuts, citing record interdiction success rates achieved through HIDTA coordination.

Supporting reports

• House Republicans unveil healthcare plan without ACA tax credit extension — House Speaker Mike Johnson unveiled a Republican healthcare alternative on December 12, 2025, as enhanced ACA tax subsidies set to expire December 31 threaten to double premiums for 22 million Americans. The 100-plus-page proposal focuses on expanding association health plans and regulating pharmacy benefit managers but explicitly excludes extension of enhanced tax credits. Cost-sharing reductions are included but do not take effect until January 2027. The plan leaves millions facing sharp premium increases while Congress remains deadlocked on a solution.

Supporting reports

• Senate Republicans advance Health Care Freedom for Patients Act — On December 10, 2025, Senate Majority Leader John Thune announced that the Senate would vote on December 12 on the Health Care Freedom for Patients Act, sponsored by Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA). The proposal would allow ACA subsidies to expire and replace them with direct payments to health savings accounts—$1,000 annually for enrollees aged 18–49 and $1,500 for those 50–64—but only for those purchasing bronze or catastrophic plans with deductibles of $10,600 or higher. The bill also includes restrictions on abortion coverage and gender transition services. Senate passage is uncertain; House Speaker Mike Johnson indicated House Republicans would introduce a competing proposal.

Supporting reports

• Trump announced $12 billion in one-time farmer payments to offset tariff damage — Trump announced the administration intends to provide one-time payments totaling $12 billion to farmers harmed by his tariff policies. Trump's tariffs have made imported machinery and fertilizer more expensive while destroying markets for corn, soybeans, and wheat, with economists estimating $44 billion in net cash income losses for farmers from 2025–2026 crops. Trump framed the payments as evidence of farmer support for him, citing "voting trends." Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins characterized the relief as temporary, promising a "golden age" once Trump's economic policies succeed.
• Trump announced $12 billion in additional bailout funds for farmers affected by tariff policies — Trump announced a new $12 billion economic assistance package for farmers, stating the funds would come from tariff revenue. He framed the bailout as compensation for farmers being "mistreated by other countries" due to tariffs. Politico reported that administration officials had prepared to draw the funds from USDA's emergency fund months earlier, despite Trump's pledge to use tariff revenue. Up to $11 billion will go to major row crop producers, with the remainder for specialty crop growers.
• Trump announces $12 billion aid package for farmers funded by tariff revenues — President Trump announced a $12 billion economic assistance program for U.S. farmers, stating the funds would be drawn from tariff revenue. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins detailed that $11 billion would go to row-crop farmers in one-time bridge payments, with remaining funds allocated to other crops. The announcement came amid trade disputes with China and other countries, following tariff policies under review by the U.S. Supreme Court. Farmers were promised payment by February 28, 2026, with details on application amounts within weeks.
• Trump administration announced $12 billion farm bailout funded by emergency disaster relief — The Trump administration announced a $12 billion bailout for farmers hurt by Trump's tariff policies, funded by redirecting emergency disaster relief funds. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt falsely claimed China was purchasing American soybeans again due to Trump's negotiations with Xi, when in fact China was the largest soybean buyer in 2024 (27 million metric tons) but stopped buying in 2025 when Trump imposed tariffs. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins stated that Trump's trade deals will solve farmer problems by next year.

Supporting reports

• CNN and CNBC announce partnerships integrating Kalshi prediction market data into news coverage — CNN announced immediate integration of Kalshi prediction market data across its programming, including a real-time news ticker displaying Kalshi data during relevant segments. CNBC announced a similar partnership beginning in 2026, incorporating real-time prediction data into editorial coverage across TV, digital, and subscription channels, plus a dedicated Kalshi page on CNBC's site. The economic terms were not disclosed. Kalshi, a CFTC-regulated online prediction market, has grown to an expected $50 billion in annual trading volume in 2025, up from $300 million in 2024, following a successful lawsuit against the CFTC.
• Prediction market structure creates guaranteed aggregate losses for retail users — Prediction markets on Kalshi are zero-sum: for every outcome, one bettor wins and the other loses. Because Kalshi collects fees on all trades, users are mathematically guaranteed to lose money in aggregate. Academic research found that Kalshi users lost an average of 20 percent even before fees, indicating that sophisticated bettors have a structural advantage over typical users. The CNN and CNBC partnerships will promote Kalshi to new audiences unaware of these dynamics, potentially driving retail participation in a system designed to extract wealth.
• Kalshi markets enable profitable speculation on humanitarian crises — Kalshi offered betting markets on specific humanitarian outcomes, including whether a famine would be declared in Gaza in 2025. After the IPC declared a famine in Gaza in August 2025, individuals profited from bets placed on that outcome, effectively monetizing human suffering and starvation. The article notes this exemplifies how prediction markets trivialize even the most severe events by framing tragedies as money-making opportunities.

Supporting reports

• AG Brooke Rollins stated that food stamp funding is being rolled back. — During the Cabinet meeting, Attorney General Brooke Rollins stated "Joe Biden increased food stamp program funding by 40%. Now, we continue to roll that back. Just gratitude and joy for this work. So, so grateful to you, President Trump." This indicates the administration is reducing SNAP benefits that were expanded under the prior administration.
• Brooke Rollins threatened to withhold SNAP funding from Democratic states — During a Cabinet meeting, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins threatened to withhold Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding to Democratic-led states beginning the following week if they refuse to provide the Trump administration with data about recipients, including their names and immigration status. The threat weaponizes food assistance as a tool for political coercion.

Supporting reports

• Interior Department pauses offshore wind leases citing national security concerns — In December 2025, the Interior Department paused leases for five large offshore wind operations on the east coast (Virginia, New York, New England), citing unspecified national security issues. The companies building the projects sued to halt the stop-work orders. In January 2026, federal judges—including a Trump appointee—issued temporary injunctions blocking Interior's actions, finding that unspecified national security concerns did not outweigh project damages after billions in investment.
• Trump administration blocks renewable energy projects and halts offshore wind construction while electricity bills surge 6.7% nationally — The Trump administration has failed to meet its 2024 campaign pledge to cut electricity bills in half within the first year of his presidency. Instead, average US household electricity bills rose 6.7% in 2025 compared to 2024, with some states experiencing increases of 15–23%. The administration's energy policy has prioritized oil and gas drilling while blocking renewable energy projects, including halting construction of five offshore wind farms in December 2025. Simultaneously, federal assistance programs for low-income households facing energy bills have been slashed, affecting over 6 million households.

Supporting reports

• U.S. tariff revenue surges to record levels, exceeding corporate income tax collections — U.S. tariff revenue surged 281 percent year-over-year in October to a record $34.2 billion. Over the three months ending in October, customs and excise taxes reached $96.8 billion, exceeding the entire fiscal year 2024 total. Total customs and excise tax revenues for fiscal year 2025 reached $215.2 billion. In fiscal year 2026 (beginning October 1), the government has collected $41.6 billion in corporate income taxes, only 22 percent more than tariff revenue. Average selling prices on Black Friday were 7 percent higher than the previous year, more than twice the overall inflation rate and exceeding average wage growth.

Supporting reports

• ADP private payroll report shows U.S. shed 32,000 private-sector jobs in November — The ADP private payroll report revealed the U.S. lost 32,000 private-sector jobs in November, missing Wall Street expectations. The report documented sustained weakness including four negative payroll months in the last six, with small businesses losing 120,000 jobs alone. Losses cut across manufacturing, information services, and professional services. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick acknowledged that mass deportations suppress job numbers but then blamed a "Democratic shutdown," while the White House attributed decline to tariffs and instability.
• Commerce Secretary Lutnick admits mass deportations suppress job numbers — Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick conceded on CNBC that "as you deport people that's going to suppress private job numbers," acknowledging that Trump's mass-deportation agenda directly harms employment. Lutnick then pivoted to blaming a "Democratic shutdown" and downplayed the role of tariffs and uncertainty in crushing small businesses, contradicting his own earlier admission.
• ADP reported U.S. job losses in November — Automatic Data Processing (ADP), a private human resources management company, reported that the U.S. lost approximately 32,000 jobs in November 2025. The losses were concentrated in small businesses, which are typically viewed as an economic bellwether. This data contradicted Trump's claims that his economic policies have not caused hardship.
• Commerce Secretary Lutnick acknowledged Trump policies caused disruption — Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick admitted to CNBC that Trump's policies have caused economic disruption, particularly through deportations affecting small business employment. He promised that the economy would rebound and grow in 2026, characterizing current job losses as a "near-term event."

Supporting reports

• Trump administration's Big Beautiful Bill Act and tariffs projected to worsen income inequality and cut benefits for the poor — The Trump administration enacted the Big Beautiful Bill Act and imposed indiscriminate tariffs, which the Budget Lab at Yale projects will reduce household income for all but the richest fifth of American families. The legislation cuts Medicaid and Affordable Care Act subsidies, trims hundreds of billions from SNAP nutrition assistance, and raises prices on staples. The bottom 10% of earners face a projected 7% income cut. The article frames these policies as deliberate choices to exacerbate inequality rather than market-driven outcomes.

Supporting reports

• Treasury Secretary Bessent advised inflation victims to move to red states — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that people suffering from inflation should move from blue states to red states, claiming blue state inflation is half a percent higher. When asked if the entire country faces recession risk, Bessent expressed confidence about 2026 while acknowledging housing and interest-rate-sensitive sectors are in recession.
• Treasury Secretary Bessent mocked inflation crisis and advised Americans to relocate — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appeared on Sunday news programs as Americans faced surging inflation heading into Thanksgiving. Rather than proposing solutions, Bessent mocked the crisis, advising Americans struggling with higher grocery and energy prices to "move from a blue state to a red state" as a remedy for inflation. The statement dismissed the hardship of millions of families experiencing a shrinking middle class.