Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• US appeals court rejects Trump administration bid to redetain Georgetown scholar Badar Khan Suri — The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Trump administration's attempt to redetain Badar Khan Suri, an Indian postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University arrested by ICE in March 2025 for pro-Palestinian social media speech. The 2-1 decision upheld a lower court's bail release and rejected the government's motion to move the case from Virginia to Texas, affirming that detained immigrants retain habeas corpus rights to challenge detention in federal court even during pending removal proceedings.

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• Two small American businesses file lawsuit challenging Trump administration tariffs under Section 301 — Liberty Justice Center, on behalf of spice importer Burlap and Barrel and watchmaker Collective Horology, filed suit against the Trump administration challenging new tariffs announced Thursday affecting over 80 countries. The plaintiffs argue Trump exceeded his authority under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act, which permits tariffs only on goods made with forced labor. They contend the tariffs lack country-specific and practice-specific findings required by law and that the USTR failed to provide reasoned, record-based explanations. This marks the second major legal challenge by Liberty Justice Center after winning a 6-3 Supreme Court ruling earlier in 2026 against Trump's "liberation day" tariffs.
• Complaint filed: Burlap and Barrel, Inc. v. Greer (Ct. Intl. Trade) — On July 24, 2026, Burlap and Barrel, Inc., a New York spice importer, and Collective Horology, a California watch retailer, filed a putative class action complaint in the United States Court of International Trade challenging tariffs issued by the Office of the United States Trade Representative on July 23, 2026, under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. The tariffs, imposed on 60 economies "with the specific direction of the President" for alleged failure to enforce prohibitions on forced-labor goods, are alleged to exceed USTR authority, violate the Administrative Procedure Act, and breach the nondelegation doctrine. Plaintiffs seek class certification, declaration of unlawfulness, vacatur, an injunction against enforcement and collection, and refund of duties paid.

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• Federal panel declined to block Tennessee congressional map splitting Memphis — A three-judge federal panel declined to block Tennessee's new congressional district map that splits Memphis's majority-Black population into three separate districts. The panel, composed of two Trump appointees and one Obama appointee, expressed skepticism toward plaintiffs' claims that the map violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by diluting Black voting power. The map prompted Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen's retirement announcement. The decision follows the Supreme Court's April 2026 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais striking down Louisiana's second majority-Black district.

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• President imposes tariffs on 60 economies for forced labor import enforcement failures — The President issued a memorandum directing the U.S. Trade Representative to impose tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 on goods from 60 economies found to have failed to impose or effectively enforce prohibitions on forced-labor imports. Tariff rates range from 10 percent to 12.5 percent ad valorem, with product-specific exemptions and tariff-rate quotas for certain textile and apparel goods. The action follows investigations initiated March 12, 2026, and determinations made June 2, 2026, that the practices of each economy are unreasonable and burden U.S. commerce.
• Trump issued presidential memorandum imposing tariffs on 60 economies for forced labor enforcement failures — President Trump issued a presidential memorandum directing the U.S. Trade Representative to impose tariffs ranging from 10 to 12.5 percent ad valorem on goods from 60 economies, including major trading partners (Canada, Mexico, European Union, Japan, China, India), based on determinations that these economies fail to impose or effectively enforce prohibitions on forced-labor-produced imports. The memorandum follows a March 2026 section 301 investigation and June 2026 determinations of actionable practices. Tariffs include exemptions for specified products and tariff-rate quotas for certain textile and apparel goods from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Malaysia, to be established by September 1, 2026.
• Trump imposes new tariffs on 80+ countries citing forced labor — At 12:01 a.m. on July 24, Trump imposed tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5% on goods from more than 80 countries representing 99.4% of U.S. trade, claiming the countries produce goods using forced labor. The action invokes a different legal authority than the "Liberation Day" tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court in February 2026 and differs from tariffs imposed after that ruling. The time limit for imposing tariffs under the law used for the post-Supreme Court decision tariffs expired on July 24. Within hours, two small businesses sued in the U.S. Court of International Trade, alleging the new tariffs were designed to reinstate the unconstitutional tariff system.
• Trump imposes new tariffs on 60 countries — Trump imposed new tariffs of 10 to 12.5 percent on 60 countries, citing forced labor as the pretext. The bulletin does not specify which countries were targeted, the effective date of the tariffs, or the administration's justification for the specific rates.

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• US trade representative defends tariffs before Senate; Democrats challenge inflation claims — Jamieson Greer, US trade representative, testified before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday, denying that Trump's tariffs have increased prices for American families despite inflation surging to a three-year high. Democratic senators, including Elizabeth Warren and Raphael Warnock, challenged Greer with estimates showing families paying an average of $1,700 more in tariff costs since Trump's return to office. Greer cited core inflation at 2.6% year-on-year but did not address overall inflation remaining higher than when Biden left office. The hearing occurred as a 10% tariff regime was set to expire Friday, with Trump officials indicating replacement with new duties.

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• Pentagon establishes Economic Defense Unit to invest public funds in defense industries — The Trump administration established an "Economic Defense Unit" (EDU) at the Pentagon tasked with investing public money in defense industries. According to reporting by the New York Times in March, the Pentagon recruited Wall Street investment bankers to the team to manage up to $200 billion in government investment over three years. Recruiters offered prospective employees access to fund-raising channels including royal families and foreign sovereign contacts for their own future investment firms.

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• Trump administration takes ownership stakes in private companies for national security — The U.S. government under Trump has taken ownership shares of private companies deemed important to national security, including Intel and U.S. Steel. According to New York Times reporting in November 2025, the administration had committed more than $10 billion in taxpayer funds to favored businesses. The lack of transparency in this private-sector interference raised concerns about favoritism, corruption, and market distortion.

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• Pentagon allocates $58.5bn to AI research under former Uber executive oversight — The Trump administration's defense budget allocates $58.5bn to artificial intelligence research, overseen by Emil Michael, former Uber executive and head of the Pentagon's research and engineering division. Michael, while in his first months in office, reportedly made millions in profits—between 400% and 4,800%—on his personal investment in Elon Musk's xAI company, creating a potential conflict of interest between his Pentagon role and private financial interests in AI ventures.
• Pentagon's Office of Strategic Capital allocates $20bn under private equity leadership — The Pentagon's Office of Strategic Capital, functioning as a private equity arm of the Department of Defense, is allocated $20bn in the Trump budget. The office is presided over by a former employee of Cerberus Capital, the private equity firm formerly headed by Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg. Last year, the office committed $620m to a mining company backed by a fund tied to Trump's son Donald Jr., exemplifying the blending of private equity interests with defense spending.

Supporting reports

• House approves $73bn budget for Iran war without Senate Democratic input — House Republicans approved a budget plan allocating $73 billion for the ongoing war with Iran on July 23, 2026, using reconciliation procedures to circumvent the Democratic filibuster in the Senate. The authorization falls short of the Pentagon's original $350 billion request needed to reach the administration's $1.5 trillion overall defense spending target for fiscal 2027. The move reflects Republican efforts to fund military operations without requiring bipartisan Senate approval.
• House passes $1.15tn defense bill with partisan voting and embedded voting restrictions — The Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a $1.15 trillion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by a 216-212 vote on July 23, 2026. The bill includes military pay raises, codifies renaming the Pentagon the "Department of War," and allocates funds for the ongoing war with Iran. Democrats largely opposed the measure, citing Trump's unilateral decision to attack Iran without congressional authorization, the inclusion of the Save America Act (banning mail-in ballots and imposing voter ID restrictions), and provisions deepening US-Israel defense cooperation. The bill now proceeds to the Senate.
• House passed National Defense Authorization Act with Section 219 — The House passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which includes Section 219, a controversial provision requiring the U.S. military to share sensitive technology with Israel. Six Democrats voted for the bill: Reps. Henry Cuellar (TX), Donald Davis (NC), Jared Golden (ME), Vicente Gonzalez (TX), Adam Gray (CA), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA). Seven Republicans voted against it: Reps. Josh Brecheen (OK), Tim Burchett (TN), Elijah Crane (AZ), Harriet Hageman (WY), Anna Paulina Luna (FL), Thomas Massie (KY), and Chip Roy (TX).
• Rep. Lauren Boebert missed NDAA vote citing Section 219 concerns — Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) told TMZ she missed the NDAA vote because she was waiting for a call from Secretary Hegseth and the vote was closed before she could participate. She stated she opposed Section 219 because her constituents do not want the military technology swap with Israel and said she was trying to avoid reporters due to recent Botox injections.
• Rep. Thomas Massie opposes NDAA Section 219 — Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) stated that Section 219 of the NDAA "tragically merges our military technology and supply chains with Israel's" and called it "a betrayal of our sovereignty," expressing hope the provision would fail in the Senate.
• House Republicans merge NDAA with voting restrictions (Save America Act) — House Republicans, bowing to pressure from rightwing lawmakers and Trump, merged the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with the Save America Act, legislation that would ban mail-in ballots and impose new voter identification requirements at registration and ballot-casting. Democrats objected to the $1.15tn NDAA cost and halted advancement of the Senate version in protest of renewed Iran hostilities, complicating the defense budget's Senate passage.
• House Republicans pass $95bn Iran war spending and voting restrictions before summer recess — House Republicans, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, passed a $95bn budget blueprint for Iran war spending and a super-sized military budget (NDAA) merged with voting restrictions (the Save America Act) during their final week before summer recess. Four dissident Republicans joined Democrats to pass a symbolic war powers resolution mandating Trump withdraw troops from Iran. Senate Republican leader John Thune signaled he would place the budget on "hold" as leverage in funding negotiations, raising the likelihood the Iran spending question remains undecided until September.

Supporting reports

• Jes Staley testifies before House committee on Epstein ties — Former Barclays CEO Jes Staley appeared before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform in a closed-door interview regarding his past relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Staley, who resigned from Barclays in 2021 after UK regulators found he had misrepresented the closeness of his ties to Epstein, was questioned as part of the committee's ongoing investigation into Epstein. A transcript of the interview is expected to be released later. Representative Robert Garcia stated that Staley claimed during the hearing to have had "no real friendship with Epstein," which Garcia dismissed as false.

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• US House passes war powers resolution directing Trump to end Iran conflict — The US House of Representatives passed a war powers resolution (214-208 vote) directing President Trump to withdraw military forces from the conflict with Iran. The resolution, proposed by Democrat Pramila Jayapal, passed with support from all Democrats and four Republicans (Tom Barrett, Warren Davidson, Thomas Massie, Brian Fitzpatrick). This follows an identical resolution passed in June that was also approved by the Senate. The Trump administration has argued war powers resolutions are unconstitutional and has not complied with the prior Senate-approved resolution.
• House passes concurrent resolution to end Iran War — The House of Representatives passed a concurrent resolution to end the war in Iran by a vote of 214 to 208. Four Republicans—Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Warren Davidson of Ohio, and Tom Barrett of Michigan—joined Democrats in support. A concurrent resolution expresses the sentiments of Congress but is not a law and does not require presidential signature. House members used the concurrent resolution mechanism because such resolutions are "privileged" and can bypass standard scheduling requirements.

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• Twenty-five Democratic attorneys general sue Trump administration over politicized FEMA disaster aid conditions — Twenty-five Democratic state attorneys general, led by California's Rob Bonta, filed a federal lawsuit in Rhode Island challenging the Trump administration's imposition of "unlawful" conditions on over $740 million in federal disaster preparedness and counter-terrorism grants. The conditions require states to implement federal voter citizenship verification systems, conduct post-election audits, and assist ICE in deportation operations. The lawsuit also challenges FEMA's new authority to cancel grants if states are deemed misaligned with agency priorities. A Trump-appointed judge previously ruled similar conditions "unconscionable and unlawful."
• Twenty-five states and D.C. sued federal government over conditional disaster and homeland security funding — Twenty-five states and the District of Columbia filed a federal lawsuit in Rhode Island challenging FEMA and DHS conditions on billions of dollars in annual disaster relief and homeland security grants. The conditions require states to convert to paper ballots, conduct manual audits, reconcile voter registration lists, verify citizenship of all registered voters, assist DHS in immigration enforcement, and accept DHS authority to withdraw all grants at will. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha characterized the conditions as "unlawfully withholding billions in critical funding" to coerce election and immigration policy changes.
• Complaint filed — State of Illinois v. Federal Emergency Management Agency — On July 23, 2026, 25 states, the District of Columbia, and the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for Rhode Island challenging FEMA's new Fiscal Year 2026 Homeland Security Grant Program conditions. The conditions require states to transition to hand-marked paper ballots, conduct post-election audits, verify voter and election worker citizenship using federal immigration databases, and comply with other election and immigration-related mandates as a prerequisite to receiving over $1 billion in federal preparedness funding. Plaintiffs allege the conditions exceed FEMA's statutory authority, are arbitrary and capricious, and violate the Spending Clause. They seek declaratory judgment, vacatur, injunctive relief, and a writ of mandamus.

Supporting reports

• Complaint filed — State of Illinois v. Federal Emergency Management Agency — On July 23, 2026, 25 states, the District of Columbia, and the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for Rhode Island challenging FEMA's new Fiscal Year 2026 Homeland Security Grant Program conditions. The conditions require states to transition to hand-marked paper ballots, conduct post-election audits, verify voter and election worker citizenship using federal immigration databases, and comply with other election and immigration-related mandates as a prerequisite to receiving over $1 billion in federal preparedness funding. Plaintiffs allege the conditions exceed FEMA's statutory authority, are arbitrary and capricious, and violate the Spending Clause. They seek declaratory judgment, vacatur, injunctive relief, and a writ of mandamus.

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• Department of Justice sues Colorado over in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants — The Department of Justice filed suit against Colorado, alleging that state laws providing in-state tuition and financial aid to undocumented immigrants violate federal law by discriminating against U.S. citizens and creating incentives for illegal immigration. The complaint seeks to enjoin enforcement of Colorado statutes that extend in-state tuition rates to all residents regardless of immigration status. DOJ characterized this as its 14th such lawsuit and cited prior favorable orders in Texas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Nebraska.

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• Federal judge orders Pentagon to explain testosterone policy discrepancy for transgender troops — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a policy requiring male service members aged 30 and over to be screened for testosterone levels, with voluntary testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) offered to those below normal. Federal Judge Ana Reyes ordered the Trump administration to explain why the Pentagon promotes TRT for cisgender soldiers while arguing that hormone treatment disqualifies transgender troops from service. The judge demanded answers before an August 7 hearing on lawsuits challenging the transgender military ban.

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• Trump threatens to bomb Iranian civilian infrastructure in response to maritime incidents — Trump posted on social media that the United States will bomb and destroy one bridge or power plant in Iran, including those in Tehran, in response to any Iranian attack on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Secretary of State Marco Rubio characterized the policy as "a head for an eye," indicating escalation beyond proportional response. Such targeting of civilian infrastructure constitutes a war crime under international humanitarian law.

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• Complaint filed: Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights v. Mullin — The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) and Legal Services for Children (LSC) filed a complaint in the Northern District of California challenging a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) policy designating the $250 fee for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) petitions as categorically non-waivable. The plaintiffs, representing abused, neglected, or abandoned immigrant youth who risk losing SIJS eligibility upon turning 21, allege the fee-waiver ban is arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act and was adopted without required notice-and-comment rulemaking. They seek vacatur of the policy and injunctive relief requiring USCIS to process SIJS fee-waiver requests under its ordinary framework.

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• SNAP benefits terminated for 440,000 Arizona residents under One Big Beautiful Bill Act — The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, championed by Republicans and celebrated by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, made the deepest cuts to SNAP in its history, expanded work rules, and shifted costs to states. Arizona alone has terminated SNAP benefits for 440,000 residents since the law's passage. The cuts have forced Arizona to lay off a third of its caseworkers. Among those losing benefits is Dee McDonald, a 65-year-old cancer survivor weighing 69 pounds who skips meals to feed her three teenaged grandsons.

Supporting reports

• TSA privatizes airport screening at Des Moines and Tampa airports — Des Moines International Airport and Tampa International Airport have opted into the Transportation Security Administration's new privatization model for airport screening. This resurrects the pre-9/11 system in which individual airlines contracted with private security firms to screen passengers and baggage. Congress created the TSA after the September 11, 2001 attacks because the private system had demonstrated dangerous vulnerabilities.

Supporting reports

• House Judiciary Chair Jordan Urges Prosecution of Former Special Counsel Jack Smith — House Judiciary Committee chair Jim Jordan sent a letter to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche urging the Trump Justice Department to prosecute former special counsel Jack Smith, alleging he made false statements during closed-door testimony. Smith's lawyers countered that the referral reflects "a chilling eagerness to weaponize the justice system by attacking a career, nonpartisan public servant." The allegation centers on Smith's testimony regarding how his office obtained congressional text messages, with Republicans claiming he knowingly lied by not mentioning a NARA subpoena.
• House Judiciary Committee refers Jack Smith for criminal investigation — House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan referred former special counsel Jack Smith to the acting attorney general for alleged perjury, claiming Smith made false statements to Congress about access to lawmakers' phone records during testimony in December 2025 and January 2026. Jordan asserted that DOJ documents revealed Smith's team had access to text messages of 44 members of Congress, contradicting Smith's prior testimony that they only had "toll records." Smith's attorneys denied the allegations, characterizing the referral as weaponization of the justice system and retaliation for investigating Trump.

Supporting reports

• ICE failed to comply with official body camera policy despite adequate funding and authority — Since February 2025, ICE's official policy required law enforcement officers to wear body cameras during enforcement activities. However, as of February 2026, only 3,000 of ICE's 13,000 officers were equipped with body cameras. ICE avoided compliance with the policy by simply not ordering sufficient cameras, despite having access to $75 billion in unrestricted funding since July 4, 2025, and existing contracting authority since 2023 to purchase up to $100 million in body cameras from Axon Enterprise. This non-compliance resulted in at least eight deaths during immigration enforcement actions under the current Trump administration, with body cameras present in only one instance.

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• HHS withholds additional Medicaid funding from California and Minnesota — Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the federal government is withholding more than $1 billion in additional Medicaid funding from California and Minnesota, claiming the administration wants proof that payments are not fraudulent. The administration had already withheld $1.3 billion from California since May and $243 million from Minnesota since February. Kennedy announced it will now withhold an additional $867 million from California and more than $200 million from Minnesota.

Supporting reports

• Pentagon requests $67 billion emergency appropriation for Iran war operations — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine appeared before the Senate Appropriations Committee requesting an emergency injection of $67 billion to fund Pentagon operations through the end of the fiscal year on September 30. The Pentagon has sunk billions into the war in Iran; Hegseth stated the war cost $37.5 billion, though independent analysts estimate the true cost is significantly higher. The Navy and Air Force are projected to run out of money at the end of July 2026.
• Defense Secretary Hegseth requests $67 billion supplemental appropriation for Iran War operations — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared before Congress on Tuesday, July 22, requesting an additional $67 billion in supplemental funding to sustain Defense Department operations through the end of September. The request follows escalating military operations in Iran that have exhausted the expanded budget Congress previously provided. Senator Lisa Murkowski raised concerns that the administration may be attempting to use supplemental appropriations as a backdoor mechanism to satisfy War Powers Resolution requirements without explicit congressional authorization for military action.
• Hegseth requests $88bn supplemental funding for Iran war at Senate hearing — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified before the Senate appropriations committee on the US-Israel war on Iran, disclosing that the conflict has cost $37.5bn to date and requesting approximately $88bn in supplemental funding ($67.1bn specifically for Iran operations). Hegseth warned that without the funds, the Pentagon faces "critical shortfalls" affecting military pay, equipment replenishment, and operations. The hearing occurred amid a collapsed ceasefire, recent American combat deaths, and bipartisan criticism over shifting war rationales and lack of congressional authorization.
• Hegseth requests $454bn defense budget increase to $1.5tn, citing "generational investment" — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified before the Senate appropriations committee on July 21, 2026, requesting a $454bn increase in military spending for 2027, bringing the total to approximately $1.5tn—a 44% increase that would match World War II spending levels when adjusted for inflation. The request includes $67bn in emergency defense funds for 2026, with $37.5bn allocated to ongoing Iran war operations through September 30. Hegseth also disclosed that $75bn from a prior $156bn appropriation remains unobligated with no detailed spending plan.

Supporting reports

• Secretary Hegseth provides inconsistent testimony on Iran war objectives — During Senate Appropriations Committee testimony, Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) questioned Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth about statements made early in the Iran conflict claiming core objectives were to "destroy the missile threat" and "obliterate Iran's missiles and drones." Hegseth had declared four months earlier that all objectives had been achieved. When pressed, Hegseth declined to confirm whether the missile threat had been defeated, instead redefining "combat ineffective" to mean Iran could not deploy missiles at scale against the United States. Ossoff noted that Hegseth had assured the American people of Iranian surrender on day nine of the war and asked whether his statement that Iran's military had been "destroyed and made combat ineffective" was truthful.
• Senator Murray challenged Hegseth's claim that Iran's missile program is "functionally destroyed." — Senator Patty Murray cited Hegseth's April 8 statement that Iran's missile program was "functionally destroyed" with "launchers, production facilities and existing stockpiles depleted and decimated." She noted that Iran has been firing missiles at U.S. military bases and ships for the past week, contradicting Hegseth's assessment. Hegseth responded only that "Iran is at the weakest point militarily it has ever been in in the past decade."
• Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chair Caine testified on $1.5 trillion DOD budget request. — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chair Dan Caine testified before the Senate to defend a $1.5 trillion DOD budget request—nearly double the 2024 budget of $841 billion. Hegseth stated "not funding this department at $1.5 trillion is the greatest threat our nation faces," while Caine acknowledged air power has limits in achieving military objectives.
• Senator Durbin questioned unobligated DOD funding and "woke priorities" pivot. — Senator Dick Durbin asked Hegseth about $75 billion in unobligated DOD funding from the prior year's reconciliation package. Hegseth acknowledged the figure and stated "There's plans and designs on that - move away from all the woke priorities of what the Biden admin was pursuing," indicating funds would be redirected away from diversity and inclusion initiatives.
• Senator Merkley pressed Caine on civilian infrastructure targeting in retaliation. — Senator Jeff Merkley questioned Joint Chiefs Chair Dan Caine on whether the U.S. would target civilian infrastructure in retaliatory strikes, noting that international law prohibits such targeting. Caine responded only that "we have a robust process," declining to provide explicit assurance that civilian infrastructure would be protected.
• Senator Murray questioned necessity of National Guard funding and Caribbean strikes for Iran war. — Senator Patty Murray asked Hegseth why "billions of dollars more for the National Guard and this administration's illegal strikes in the Caribbean" are urgently needed for the Iran war. Hegseth responded by blaming "gross negligence and neglect of the Biden admin" without addressing the substance of her question about the connection between Caribbean operations and Iran conflict.
• Senator Reed challenged Hegseth on war authorization and Strait of Hormuz contingencies. — Senator Jack Reed accused Hegseth of "gross negligence" for failing to fully inform Trump that the Strait of Hormuz could be effectively closed by Iranian action. Reed questioned whether Trump should be "praised for starting war without authority" and creating conditions where "the world economy is suffering tremendously," challenging the administration's failure to obtain congressional authorization.
• Senator Reed questioned whether airstrikes alone will defeat Iran; Caine declined to address ground troop escalation. — Senator Jack Reed asked Joint Chiefs Chair Dan Caine whether airstrikes alone would defeat Iran. Caine acknowledged that "air power has got limits" but declined to address whether ground combat escalation would follow, stating "I think it'd be unhelpful for me to opine on hypotheticals."

Supporting reports

• Complaint filed — Rogoff v. Trump, et al. (W.D. Wash.) — On July 21, 2026, Roger Rogoff, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney appointed as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington on July 15, 2026, filed a complaint in federal court challenging his removal by President Trump less than an hour after his appointment. Rogoff alleges the removal violated the Appointments Clause, the Separation of Powers doctrine, 28 U.S.C. § 546(d), and the Fifth Amendment. He seeks declaratory relief, an injunction barring enforcement of the removal, and mandamus relief.