Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Trump imposes 25% tariff on South Korean imports — Trump announced a 25% tariff on all imports from South Korea, overriding the existing U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement ratified by Congress. The action was taken unilaterally via letter to South Korea's president, described by observers as unconstitutional and arbitrary.

Supporting reports

• Trump announced 35% tariff on goods from Canada — On Tuesday, July 8, 2025, President Trump announced a 35% tariff on goods from Canada, effective August 1.
• Trump announced 50% tariff on copper effective August 1 — On Tuesday, July 8, 2025, President Trump announced a 50% tariff on copper, effective August 1. Copper is vital to the defense industry, batteries, electric wires, and plumbing. The U.S. imports more than half of the copper it uses. Trump stated he wants the U.S. to produce the copper it needs domestically, but industry experts note that achieving domestic production capacity will take years.
• Trump announces 50% tariff on Brazil, citing Bolsonaro trial as "witch-hunt" — On Wednesday, President Trump announced a 50% tariff on Brazilian products, explicitly linking it to what he called a "witch-hunt" trial against former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro. Trump also announced tariffs on seven other countries (Philippines, Brunei, Moldova, Algeria, Libya, Iraq, Sri Lanka) ranging from 25–30%, effective 1 August. Trump cited Brazil's regulation of social media platforms and claimed an unfair trade deficit. Brazilian President Lula rejected the demands, asserting Brazil's sovereignty and independent judiciary.

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• Federal agents and California National Guard conduct militarized immigration raid on MacArthur Park, Los Angeles — On Monday morning, dozens of federal immigration officers in tactical gear and approximately 90 California National Guard troops deployed to MacArthur Park in Los Angeles, an immigrant neighborhood. Officers arrived on horseback and in armored military vehicles, including one with a mounted rifle. The operation lasted about an hour. Children at a nearby daycare were quickly ushered inside. No arrests were immediately confirmed. City leaders, including Mayor Karen Bass, denounced the operation as a "reality TV spectacle" and intimidation tactic. The raid ended after Bass spoke with a Department of Homeland Security representative.
• CBP, National Guard, and ICE conducted heavily armed raid on MacArthur Park in Los Angeles — At approximately 10:30 a.m. local time on July 7, heavily armed masked agents from Customs and Border Patrol, the National Guard, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, accompanied by armored vehicles, a helicopter, and mounted weapons, raided the MacArthur Park area of Los Angeles. Fox News Channel personnel were embedded with the operation and broadcast throughout. CBP brought its own press team and photographed bystanders. After Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass arrived and spoke with Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino, agents departed. No specific target or arrests were clearly documented.

Supporting reports

• ICE conducts large-scale enforcement raids across Los Angeles region, targeting immigrants with apparent racial profiling — Beginning in early June 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) intensified raids across Los Angeles and surrounding areas, including a high-profile July 7 operation in MacArthur Park featuring armed agents, horses, and armored vehicles. Legal complaints allege agents targeted people based on race, ethnicity, language, and location rather than individualized suspicion. By mid-July, DHS reported nearly 2,800 arrests; most arrestees had no criminal convictions. The raids have devastated immigrant communities economically, with businesses reporting 50% revenue losses, and psychologically, with widespread fear preventing residents from accessing public spaces, work, and services. On July 11, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order barring agents from using race, ethnicity, accent, or location as stop factors.
• ICE raids two California cannabis farms with chemical munitions deployed against protesters — Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, accompanied by National Guard troops in military vehicles, conducted raids on two Glass House Farms locations in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties on July 10. Federal agents fired chemical munitions (smoke/tear gas) to disperse protesters gathered on roads near the farms. Video showed children fleeing, workers being detained with bound hands, and local officials including U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal being denied entry to observe the operation. At least three people were transported to hospitals. The company stated it fully complied with search warrants.

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• DHS Secretary Kristi Noem called for firing of FEMA employees who "don't like us" — Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, recently called for the firing of FEMA employees who "don't like us." This statement reflects efforts to politicize the agency and remove personnel based on loyalty rather than performance or merit, as part of broader efforts to tighten control over FEMA.

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• Trump administration announces tariff implementation delay to August 1 with notification letters to trading partners — President Trump announced his administration will begin sending letters to trading partners on July 7 notifying them of new tariff rates, with implementation delayed from the original July 9 deadline to August 1. Trump stated approximately 12–15 letters would be sent, with some countries having already reached deals. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick clarified that tariffs take effect August 1. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated letters would go to approximately 100 smaller trading partners. Trump also threatened an additional 10% tariff on BRICS nations for opposing unilateral tariff measures.
• White House issues fact sheet on reciprocal tariff enforcement and announces new tariff rates effective August 1 — The White House issued a fact sheet announcing that President Trump signed an executive order extending tariff rate expiration from July 9 to August 1, 2025, and sent letters to 15 countries announcing new reciprocal tariff rates to take effect on August 1. The fact sheet states that some countries will face revised rates lower than initially announced on April 2, while others face higher rates. The administration characterizes the action as addressing trade deficits and establishing "more reciprocal" bilateral trade relationships.
• White House issues fact sheet on executive order eliminating renewable energy tax credits — The White House published a fact sheet on July 7, 2025, promoting an executive order signed by President Trump that directs the Treasury Secretary to terminate clean electricity production and investment tax credits for wind and solar facilities, and directs the Interior Secretary to revise regulations eliminating preferential treatment for renewable energy. The fact sheet characterizes these sources as "unreliable" and "foreign-controlled" and frames the action as advancing energy independence and national security.
• Trump issues executive order ending renewable energy tax credits and subsidies — President Donald Trump issued an executive order on July 7, 2025, directing the Treasury Department and Department of Interior to eliminate federal tax credits and subsidies for wind and solar energy within 45 days of enactment of the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act." The order mandates strict enforcement of the termination of clean electricity production and investment tax credits (sections 45Y and 48E of the Internal Revenue Code), implementation of foreign entity restrictions, and elimination of regulatory preferences for renewable energy sources compared to dispatchable energy sources.
• White House signed executive order eliminating wind and solar energy tax credits and directing agency review of preferential treatment — President Trump signed an executive order directing the elimination of federal tax credits for wind and solar energy facilities under sections 45Y and 48E of the Internal Revenue Code. The order instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to enforce termination of these credits within 45 days of enactment of the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" and to implement enhanced restrictions on foreign entities. The Secretary of the Interior is directed to review and revise regulations and policies that provide preferential treatment to wind and solar facilities compared to dispatchable energy sources. The order characterizes renewable energy subsidies as market distortions that threaten national security and fiscal health.

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• Federal Housing Finance Agency directs Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to count Bitcoin as mortgage asset — The U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency issued a directive instructing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to count Bitcoin holdings as assets on single-family home mortgage applications, allowing applicants to include cryptocurrency valuations in their loan qualification without converting to U.S. dollars first. This policy change enables borrowers to leverage volatile digital assets to meet mortgage lending standards, potentially increasing systemic financial risk if Bitcoin prices decline sharply after loans are issued.

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• DOJ raises racial gerrymandering concerns in Texas districts — The Department of Justice sent a letter to Texas officials on July 7, 2025, raising "serious concerns" that four congressional districts—three in Houston and one in Dallas-Fort Worth—were racially gerrymandered in violation of the Voting Rights Act. Texas Republicans have maintained since 2021 that the districts comply with law, and the matter remains in ongoing federal litigation in El Paso.

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• Federal judge rules against non-profits challenging Trump administration rescission of violence-prevention grants — Judge Amit P. Mehta of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled against five non-profit organizations that sued the Trump administration over the rescission of hundreds of millions of dollars in grant funding for violence prevention, substance abuse response, and hate crime programs. Although Mehta called the cuts "shameful" and stated they would likely harm vulnerable communities, he ruled he lacked authority to issue an injunction to restore the funding. The Department of Justice had terminated the grants on April 22, 2025, claiming they no longer aligned with the administration's priorities.

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• DOJ lawyer argued First Amendment has "nuances" for non-citizens — During a court hearing involving a First Amendment lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's efforts to deport pro-Palestinian academics and student activists, a Justice Department lawyer argued that "there are nuances to the First Amendment" for non-citizens when it comes to "national security, foreign policy, immigration enforcement, and enforcement discretion," 10 minutes after admitting that all people in the US "share the same rights under the First Amendment."

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• Supreme Court ruled Trump can proceed with federal workforce reduction — The Supreme Court ruled that Trump can proceed with his plan to reduce the federal workforce through mass layoffs. In her dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson panned the ruling, writing, "This was the wrong decision at the wrong moment, especially given what little this Court knows about what is actually happening on the ground."
• US Supreme Court lifts stay on Trump federal workforce reductions — The US Supreme Court issued an unsigned order on Tuesday lifting a lower court freeze on Trump administration "reductions in force" (mass federal layoffs). The decision reversed San Francisco District Judge Susan Illston's 22 May ruling that had blocked agencies from carrying out mass layoffs and ordered reinstatement of fired workers. The Court found Trump's executive order and implementing memorandum "likely to succeed" on lawfulness grounds. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, warning the decision would result in hundreds of thousands of job losses across agriculture, commerce, health, state, treasury, veterans affairs, and other agencies.
• Preliminary injunction ruling — American Federation Of Government Employees, AFL-CIO v. Trump (N.D. Cal.) 3:25-cv-03698 — In an 8-1 decision, the Supreme Court stayed a preliminary injunction which had blocked the administration from implementing widespread Reduction in Forces (RIFs) and agency reorganizations across 22 agencies. The majority noted that the Executive Order 14210 and related memorandum are likely to be lawful, and found the district court had based its injunction on those directives rather than individual agency plans. They declined to opine as to whether any specific RIFs or reorganization plans may be lawful. Justice Sotomayor concurred to emphasize that the lower court may still review individual agency plans on a case-by-case basis. Justice Jackson dissented.
• Supreme Court stays preliminary injunction in case challenging Trump's executive order — On July 8, 2025, the Supreme Court granted a stay on a preliminary injunction that had been issued by the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. The injunction had temporarily blocked the implementation of President Donald Trump's executive order titled "Department of Government Efficiency" Workforce Optimization Initiative, which aimed to enact a hiring freeze and large-scale reductions in force across federal agencies. The Supreme Court's decision allows the federal government to proceed with the order while the legal challenge continues. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented in the 8-1 decision.
• Supreme Court stays preliminary injunction on Trump's workforce optimization order — On July 8, 2025, the Supreme Court granted a stay on a preliminary injunction that had been issued by the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. The injunction had temporarily blocked the implementation of President Donald Trump's executive order titled "Department of Government Efficiency" Workforce Optimization Initiative, which aimed to enforce a hiring freeze and large-scale reductions in force across federal agencies. The Supreme Court's decision allows the federal government to proceed with the order while the legal challenge continues. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented in the 8-1 decision.
• Supreme Court Grants Stay in Trump v. American Federation of Government Employees — On July 8, 2025, the Supreme Court granted the federal government's request for a stay in the case of Donald J. Trump, President of the United States, et al. v. American Federation of Government Employees, et al. This decision allows the Trump administration to proceed with implementing an executive order that enacts a hiring freeze and large-scale reductions in force across federal agencies. The order had been previously blocked by a preliminary injunction issued by Judge Susan Illston of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. The Supreme Court's decision was made in an 8-1 vote, with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissenting.

Supporting reports

• Trial begins on Trump administration's deportation policy targeting pro-Palestinian students — A federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's effort to deport foreign students based on pro-Palestinian political speech commenced trial in Massachusetts federal court on July 7, 2025. Brought by the American Association of University Professors, university chapters, and the Middle East Studies Association, the case represents the first legal challenge to reach trial on what critics call "ideological deportation." Witnesses testified about a chilling effect on campus speech, with noncitizen scholars self-censoring academic work and declining to teach or publish on Palestine-related topics. The government denies a formal policy exists but claims authority to deport noncitizens whose presence it deems a threat to U.S. foreign policy, even absent criminal conduct.

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• Trump and Netanyahu attacked Zohran Mamdani over ICC arrest warrant — Also during the dinner, Trump and Netanyahu attacked Zohran Mamdani for saying he would arrest Netanyahu if he visited New York, which he told Zeteo in December, in conjunction with an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court. Trump, who last week used the antisemitic phrase "shylocks," baselessly accused Mamdani of saying "some really bad thing about Jewish people." Calling Mamdani a "communist," Trump also warned that he "better behave" if he becomes mayor of New York City, saying, "otherwise, he's going to have big problems."

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• Trump administration's TikTok enforcement delay revealed — Newly released letters indicate that the Trump administration instructed the Department of Justice not to enforce a law banning TikTok for 75 days while reviewing it. This decision allowed the app to remain available despite legal restrictions, raising questions about executive overreach and adherence to the rule of law.
• Trump directed DOJ not to enforce TikTok ban for 75 days and instructed Attorney General Bondi to tell companies they face no legal liability — When Trump took office, he directed the Department of Justice not to enforce the congressionally passed TikTok ban for 75 days while his administration reviewed it. He also instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to tell companies they could continue carrying the TikTok app "without incurring any legal liability," despite the law passed by Congress, signed by President Biden, and upheld unanimously by the Supreme Court.

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• Education Secretary warned California over trans athlete policy — On Twitter, Education Secretary Linda McMahon warned California Governor Gavin Newsom that the state could face legal action for refusing to ban trans athletes from girls' and women's sports. McMahon noted that Newsom will be hearing from Attorney General Pam Bondi.

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• IRS announced exemption for churches endorsing political candidates — The IRS announced in a court filing that churches and other houses of worship are free to endorse political candidates, creating an exemption for a decades-old ban preventing tax-exempt non-profit organizations from political activity.
• IRS announces churches may endorse political candidates without tax penalty — The IRS filed in federal court that churches can endorse political candidates without risking loss of tax-exempt status, upending a 70-year interpretation of the Johnson Amendment of the tax code. Other tax-exempt organizations remain barred from candidate endorsements.

Supporting reports

• White House issued fact sheet on federal hiring freeze and merit-based approval requirements — The White House issued a fact sheet on July 7, 2025, describing a Presidential Memorandum signed by President Trump that day. The memorandum requires most federal civilian hires and new positions to be approved by presidentially appointed agency leadership, effective through October 15, 2025. The fact sheet states the policy aims to end "incompetence and 'equity' over results" and claims exemptions apply to immigration enforcement, national security, and public safety roles. The document frames the action as promoting fiscal responsibility and government efficiency.
• White House issued presidential memorandum imposing federal hiring freeze through October 15, 2025 — The White House issued a presidential memorandum on July 7, 2025, directing a freeze on federal civilian hiring through October 15, 2025. The order prohibits filling vacant positions or creating new positions in executive departments and agencies, except for military personnel, immigration enforcement, national security, public safety roles, and the Executive Office of the President. The memorandum permits exemptions for positions approved by agency heads or presidential appointees and carves out Social Security, Medicare, and veterans' benefits. It references a Merit Hiring Plan issued by the Office of Personnel Management on May 29, 2025.

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• Trump pardons January 6 Capitol attackers — President Trump pardoned supporters who participated in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, abandoning the traditional norm that presidential pardons be used sparingly and judiciously. This action signals that political loyalty supersedes accountability for violence against democratic institutions.

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• Trump orders DOJ to scrutinize political opponents — President Trump breached the Department of Justice's traditional independence by ordering it to scrutinize his political opponents and punish his critics through measures such as stripping their Secret Service protections. This action politicizes law enforcement and converts the DOJ into a tool for personal vendetta.

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• Trump announces 50% tariff on copper — During the Cabinet meeting, Trump announced a 50% tariff on copper without prior notice or legislative coordination. The announcement was made casually amid other remarks and represents a unilateral executive action on trade policy.
• Trump confirms August 1 tariff deadline via Truth Social — After being questioned about the firmness of his August 1 tariff deadline and facing social media ridicule for equivocation, Trump posted on Truth Social stating that tariffs will begin August 1, 2025, with no extensions granted and all money due and payable on that date.
• Senior Trump official characterizes trade negotiations as theatrical — A senior Trump administration official told Politico that the administration's "trade negotiations" are fake and that Trump is conducting tariff policy for drama and theater. The official stated: "Trump knows the most interesting part of his presidency is the tariff conversation. It's all fake. There's no deadline. It's a self-imposed landmark in this theatrical show, and that's where we are."

Supporting reports

• Trump administration sent letter to Harvard over antisemitism findings — The Trump administration sent a letter to Harvard University informing the school that its investigation found it in "violent violation" of the Civil Rights Act for failing to take adequate action against antisemitism on campus. The letter warned that failure to institute changes immediately would result in loss of all federal financial resources. Harvard disagreed with the findings.

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• Trump administration deported eight immigrants to South Sudan without ties to the country — The Trump administration deported eight immigrants who had been incarcerated on a US military base in Djibouti to South Sudan, a country to which the majority of them have no ties. The move came just two days after the Supreme Court granted an emergency appeal to expel the men to South Sudan following a temporary block by a lower court judge.

Supporting reports

• Budget reconciliation bill allocates $170.7 billion to immigration enforcement — The budget reconciliation bill allocates $170.7 billion to immigration enforcement, more than the military budgets of all but fifteen countries. The measure provides $51.6 billion to build a wall on the southern border—more than three times what Trump spent on wall construction during his first term. It allocates $45 billion for ICE detention facilities, a 265% increase in ICE's annual detention budget, and $29.9 billion for ICE enforcement operations, a threefold increase in ICE's annual budget. According to the American Immigration Council, ICE will receive more funding than the FBI, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, and Bureau of Prisons combined, making it the largest federal law enforcement agency in U.S. history.

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• ProPublica reported Homeland Security Secretary Noem may have broken law on fundraising — ProPublica reported that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem may have broken the law when she secretly accepted $80,000 that she had raised for a non-profit organization promoting her political career while serving as South Dakota governor, and failed to include it on her disclosure form. The report raises questions about potential financial misconduct by a cabinet official.

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• Hegseth unilaterally halts Ukraine military aid shipment citing false weapon shortage claims — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth unilaterally halted an agreed shipment of air defense missiles, Patriot interceptors, howitzers, and precision munitions to Ukraine, citing concerns that US weapons stockpiles have run too low. The aid had been promised during the Biden administration. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated that US military forces "have everything that it needs to conduct any mission, anywhere, anytime," contradicting Hegseth's rationale. Democrats and Ukrainian officials said there is no evidence of US weapon shortages, and the delay hampers Ukraine's defense against Russian bombardment.