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 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

• Trump administration issues executive order imposing sanctions on ICC officials and affiliates — The Trump administration issued an executive order in February 2025 authorizing comprehensive sanctions against International Criminal Court officials, judges, and individuals and organizations assisting the ICC's investigation into Israeli crimes in Palestine. The order targeted ICC prosecutors, judges, three Palestinian human rights groups, and UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese, effectively criminalizing collaboration with the court and restricting access to US financial and technology services.
• Executive Order to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias — President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14202, establishing a Task Force within the Department of Justice to eradicate anti-Christian bias. The Task Force, chaired by the Attorney General, includes members from various federal departments and agencies. Its functions include reviewing past anti-Christian policies, recommending remedial actions, and protecting religious liberties. The Task Force will submit reports to the President and is set to terminate in two years unless extended.
• Imposing Sanctions on the International Criminal Court — President Donald J. Trump issued Executive Order 14203, imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC). The order blocks property and suspends entry into the U.S. for ICC officials and their families, citing the ICC's investigations into U.S. and Israeli personnel as illegitimate. The order declares a national emergency to address the threat posed by the ICC's actions, which are seen as undermining U.S. sovereignty and national security.
• Trump Imposes Sanctions on International Criminal Court — On February 6, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC). The order blocks property and assets of ICC officials and restricts their entry into the United States. This action is in response to the ICC's investigations and arrest warrants against U.S. and Israeli personnel, which the U.S. government deems illegitimate. The order declares a national emergency to address these actions, citing threats to U.S. national security and foreign policy.
• Trump signed executive order on ICC sanctions — On February 6, 2025, Trump signed an executive order authorizing economic sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing the body of "improperly targeting" the United States and its allies, including Israel. Trump criticized the ICC for issuing warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes. The order grants Trump broad powers to impose asset freezes and travel bans against ICC staff and family members if the US determines they are involved in investigating or prosecuting US citizens and certain allies.
• Trump signed executive order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court — President Trump signed an executive order declaring a national emergency and imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court, blocking property and assets of ICC officials and suspending their entry into the United States. The order names ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan in an annex and authorizes the Secretary of State and Treasury to identify additional ICC personnel for sanctions. The order asserts that the ICC has engaged in "illegitimate and baseless actions" by investigating U.S. and Israeli personnel and issuing arrest warrants for Israeli officials, and claims this threatens U.S. national security and sovereignty.