Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Trump expected to name Kash Patel as head of ATF — Former President Trump is expected to appoint FBI Director Kash Patel as the head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), a move likely to please the National Rifle Association (NRA).
• Dan Bongino named deputy director of FBI — President Trump appointed Dan Bongino, a known election denier and conspiracy theorist, as the deputy director of the FBI. This appointment raises concerns about the politicization of federal law enforcement agencies.
• Trump appoints Kash Patel as FBI director — The Trump administration has appointed Kash Patel, a known supporter of far-right ideologies and conspiracy theories, as the director of the FBI. This move has raised concerns among experts who fear that federal law enforcement may deprioritize the threat from far-right extremist groups like the Base, a neo-Nazi organization. The appointment is seen as part of a broader policy shift away from policing far-right extremism, potentially exposing Americans to increased domestic terror threats.
• Trump appoints Dan Bongino as FBI deputy director — President Donald Trump announced the appointment of Dan Bongino, a far-right podcaster with no prior experience in the FBI, as the new deputy director of the agency. Bongino is known for his conservative commentary and support of Trump's false claims regarding the 2020 presidential election. This appointment has raised concerns about the future direction of the FBI under Bongino's leadership.
• Kash Patel appointed as FBI director — Kash Patel has been officially appointed as the new FBI director, with Dan Bongino as his deputy. Patel has signaled a lack of interest in pursuing investigations into far-right extremism, including groups connected to the January 6 Capitol attacks. Instead, he has indicated a focus on Black Lives Matter, antifascist activists, and media figures. Patel's leadership marks a shift in FBI priorities, potentially reducing scrutiny on far-right groups and impacting domestic terrorism investigations.

Supporting reports

• Kash Patel confirmed as FBI director — The US Senate confirmed Kash Patel as the new FBI director with a narrow 51-49 vote. Patel's confirmation was contentious due to concerns about his potential use of the position to pursue political opponents of Donald Trump. The vote reflects the divisive nature of his nomination and the polarized political climate.
• US Senate confirms Kash Patel as FBI director — The US Senate confirmed Kash Patel as the new FBI director with a narrow 51-49 vote. Patel, a key ally of former President Donald Trump, has been criticized for his perceived alignment with Trump's political agenda and his refusal to commit to keeping the FBI independent from partisan politics. His confirmation raises concerns about the potential politicization of the FBI, as Patel has previously expressed views that align with Trump's vision of a unitary executive. The confirmation reflects the contentious nature of his nomination and the divided opinions in the Senate.
• Republican senators confirm Kash Patel as FBI director — On February 20, 2025, the Senate voted 51-49 to confirm Kash Patel as the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The confirmation saw all but two Republican senators supporting Patel, who has previously labeled numerous officials as part of a "deep state." His confirmation raises concerns about potential political targeting within the FBI.
• Senate confirms Kash Patel as FBI director — The Senate narrowly confirmed Kash Patel, an election denier and Trump ally, as FBI director for a 10-year term. Patel has expressed intentions to target US media organizations, raising concerns about the politicization of the FBI and threats to press freedom.

Supporting reports

• Senate Democrats protest against Russell Vought's nomination — Senate Democrats held an all-night protest against Russell Vought, Trump's nominee to lead the White House budget office, due to his role in Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump's second term. Despite their efforts, Vought was confirmed along party lines. The protest was part of a broader Democratic strategy to oppose Trump's agenda, which includes a now-rescinded order freezing federal loans and grants. Activists were pleased with the Democrats' increased resolve to challenge the administration's actions.
• Senate urged to block Russell Vought's OMB appointment — There is a concerted effort to pressure the Senate to block the appointment of Russell Vought as Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Vought, associated with Project 2025, is accused of planning to staff the government with loyalists and undermine agencies by withholding congressionally-allocated resources. His refusal to testify that he would prioritize the Constitution over Trump's demands has intensified opposition. The Senate is expected to vote on his confirmation soon, and public campaigns are urging Senators to reject his nomination.
• Senate filibuster against Russell Vought — Democratic senators, led by Chuck Schumer, initiated a filibuster to block the confirmation of Russell Vought as the director of the Office of Management and Budget. The senators expressed concerns that Vought's proposals would threaten critical federal funding for programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.
• Legislation introduced to counter Musk's actions — Senator Chuck Schumer and Representative Hakeem Jeffries announced the introduction of legislation aimed at stopping Elon Musk's actions regarding the Treasury's payment systems. The proposed legislation, titled "Stop the Steal," seeks to protect Americans from potential abuses stemming from Musk's control over government financial operations.
• Senate to vote on Russell Vought's confirmation — The Senate is scheduled to vote on the confirmation of Russell Vought as the head of the Office of Management and Budget. Vought is criticized for his role in the Project 2025 agenda, which opponents argue could lead to policies detrimental to working families and democratic governance.
• Judge Griffin's Attempt to Overturn Supreme Court Election — Judge Griffin is reportedly attempting to overturn the results of a Supreme Court election in North Carolina by seeking to discard 65,000 votes. This action has been characterized as an outrageous power grab by the NC Supreme Court. The situation has prompted a campaign by Common Cause NC to raise awareness and ensure that affected voters are informed. The campaign highlights the importance of public vigilance and participation in safeguarding electoral integrity.
• Judge Griffins attempts to alter NC Supreme Court election — Judge Griffins is reportedly attempting to alter the outcome of the North Carolina Supreme Court election by targeting 60,000 votes, potentially affecting the election of Justice Alison Riggs. This action has prompted calls for public engagement and court attendance to ensure the integrity of the election process.
• Protests against government actions held nationwide — Nationwide protests have been held in response to recent government actions, including the seizure of the US Treasury and the potential confirmation of Russell Vought. These protests are described as peaceful expressions of First Amendment rights, with significant public participation.

Supporting reports

• Trump fires 17 Inspectors General without notice — Former President Donald Trump fired 17 non-partisan, independent Inspectors General at various government agencies without providing the required 30-day notice to Congress. This action violates federal law and has been criticized as a move to eliminate oversight and accountability within the government. The firings have raised concerns about potential corruption and abuse of power in the Trump administration.
• Trump fires multiple inspectors general — President Trump informed at least 15 inspectors general across various federal departments that they were fired, including those from Defense, State, and Health and Human Services. This action follows a recent law requiring presidents to provide written reasons for such removals, raising legal concerns about the firings.
• Trump fired federal inspectors general — Donald Trump dismissed more than a dozen independent federal government watchdogs, including inspectors general at the departments of state, defense, and transportation. This action was taken without providing the required 30 days' notice or reasons to Congress, which is a violation of federal law. The dismissals are seen as an attempt to replace these officials with loyalists, raising concerns about oversight and accountability in the government.
• Trump administration fires federal watchdogs — Since January 24, 2025, President Trump has fired a dozen independent federal government watchdogs, including Gwynne Wilcox, a senior official at the National Labor Relations Board. Wilcox described her dismissal as "unprecedented and illegal." These firings are part of Trump's broader agenda to reshape the federal government by reducing its workforce and cutting spending. The removal of these watchdogs has raised concerns about the administration's commitment to oversight and accountability.
• Trump fires Inspectors General without notice — Senator Chuck Grassley reported that President Trump fired 18 Inspectors General without providing the required 30-day notice to Congress. This action violates legal norms and raises concerns about oversight and accountability within the federal government.

Supporting reports

• White House issued National Security Presidential Memorandum reorganizing NSC structure and governance — The White House issued National Security Presidential Memorandum/NSPM-1 on January 20, 2025, reorganizing the National Security Council and its subordinate committees. The memorandum establishes a unified NSC staff serving both national security and homeland security functions, designates new NSC members (including the Attorney General, Secretary of Interior, White House Chief of Staff, and National Security Advisor), clarifies the roles of the National Security Advisor and Homeland Security Advisor, and restructures the Principals Committee and Deputies Committee with new decision-making and dispute-resolution procedures. The memorandum supersedes all prior NSC organizational directives, including National Security Memorandum–2 of February 4, 2021.
• Trump designates acting cabinet and cabinet-level officials — President Trump issued a presidential action designating 31 individuals to serve as acting heads of cabinet departments and cabinet-level agencies, effective immediately, pending Senate confirmation of permanent appointees. The designations invoke 5 U.S.C. § 3345 et seq. (the Federal Vacancies Reform Act). Acting positions include Secretary of State (Lisa Kenna), Attorney General (James McHenry), Secretary of Defense (Robert Salesses), and heads of EPA, CIA, FBI, and other major agencies.
• Trump designates chairmen and acting chairmen across federal agencies — President Trump issued a presidential action on January 20, 2025, designating chairmen and acting chairmen for 15 federal agencies and commissions, including the FCC (Brendan Carr), FERC (Mark Christie), FTC (Andrew Ferguson), NLRB (Marvin Kaplan), NRC (David Wright), SEC (Mark Uyeda, acting), EEOC (Andrea Lucas, acting), FDIC (Travis Hill, acting), NCUA (Kyle Hauptman), USCCR (Peter Kirsanow), Farm Credit Administration (Jeffrey Hall), Surface Transportation Board (Patrick Fuchs), and Federal Maritime Commission (Louis Sola).
• Trump sends cabinet and cabinet-level nominations to Senate — President Trump sent nominations to the Senate for 23 cabinet and cabinet-level positions on January 20, 2025. The nominations include Scott Bessent for Treasury Secretary, Pamela Bondi for Attorney General, Marco Rubio for Secretary of State, Peter Hegseth for Secretary of Defense, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Secretary of Health and Human Services, and 18 other positions spanning domestic and international agencies. The Senate must confirm each nominee.
• White House announces sub-cabinet nominations to Senate — The White House issued a formal nominations announcement to the Senate on January 20, 2025, naming 47 individuals for sub-cabinet positions across federal agencies. The list includes nominees for Deputy Secretaries, Under Secretaries, Assistant Secretaries, agency heads, and other senior executive roles, replacing officials who resigned or whose terms expired. Positions span Defense, Treasury, State, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, Justice, Veterans Affairs, and other departments.
• White House transmits 13 nominations to Senate for sub-cabinet positions — The White House transmitted 13 nominations to the Senate on January 22, 2025, for deputy secretaries, under secretaries, and other sub-cabinet roles across multiple agencies including Agriculture, Transportation, Energy, EPA, Treasury, Veterans Affairs, Interior, Education, SBA, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency. The nominees are identified by name, home state, and the position sought, with most replacing officials who resigned.