Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Trump Media stock collapsed to all-time low amid massive business losses and failed diversification strategy — Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), parent of Truth Social and majority-owned by President Trump, saw its stock (DJT) plummet from a peak of $62 in March 2024 to below $10 per share by February 2026. Despite Trump's extensive personal promotion on Truth Social, the company reported only $972,000 in quarterly revenue against a $58.4 million net loss in Q3 2025. Truth Social has approximately 359,000 daily active users versus 100+ million for competitors X and Threads. TMTG's diversification efforts—including a $2.5 billion Bitcoin purchase at $108,000 per coin (now worth $67,000), a $51 million loss on Crypto.com tokens, and a proposed $6 billion merger with nuclear fusion company TAE Technologies—have failed to stabilize the business or stock price.
• Trump administration dropped SEC investigation into Crypto.com, which then became TMTG's major business partner — Under the Biden administration, Crypto.com faced an SEC investigation. After Trump took office, the administration terminated the inquiry. Shortly thereafter, Crypto.com became TMTG's most significant business partner. In September 2025, TMTG announced it would offer Crypto.com's Cronos tokens (CRO) as rewards on Truth Social and purchased 684.4 million CRO tokens at 15.3 cents each. The partnership also included plans for a joint prediction market platform called Truth Predict. The timing and sequence—regulatory relief followed by lucrative business partnership—suggests potential quid pro quo dynamics.

Supporting reports

• Complaint filed — American Academy of Pediatrics v. Federal Trade Commission — The American Academy of Pediatrics filed suit in D.D.C. challenging a Federal Trade Commission Civil Investigative Demand (CID) seeking information about AAP's statements on pediatric gender dysphoria treatment. AAP alleges the CID is retaliatory, exceeds FTC jurisdiction, and violates the First and Fourth Amendments.

Supporting reports

• Complaint filed: Democracy Defenders Fund v. Federal Bureau of Investigation (D.D.C. 1:26-cv-00496) — Democracy Defenders Fund, a non-profit organization, filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the FBI for violating the Freedom of Information Act by failing to respond to a FOIA request concerning the FBI's investigation of Thomas Homan, Trump's "Border Czar." DDF alleges that Homan accepted $50,000 from undercover FBI agents posing as contractors in 2024, and that the FBI ended its investigation after Trump took office in 2025. The FBI denied DDF's FOIA request on January 5, 2026, denied expedited processing on February 9, 2026, and has not responded to DDF's appeal. DDF seeks a declaration that the FBI wrongfully withheld records and a permanent injunction requiring disclosure.

Supporting reports

• Ghislaine Maxwell refuses to answer questions in congressional deposition — Ghislaine Maxwell, serving a 20-year prison sentence for trafficking teen girls for Epstein, refused to answer questions during her deposition before the House oversight committee. Her attorney invoked her Fifth Amendment right to remain silent, citing her ongoing legal fight against her conviction. Maxwell's counsel stated she would be willing to speak if granted clemency by President Trump, effectively conditioning cooperation on executive pardon.
• House oversight committee subpoenas Bill and Hillary Clinton for Epstein depositions — The House oversight committee subpoenaed former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to provide closed-door depositions regarding their ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Bill Clinton has publicly acknowledged flying on Epstein's airplane in the early 2000s for humanitarian work but denied visiting Epstein's private island. The Clintons are scheduled to sit for depositions the following week.
• Les Wexner testifies before House oversight committee on Epstein ties — Billionaire Les Wexner, former boss of Victoria's Secret, testified before the House oversight committee on Wednesday regarding his past financial relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Wexner, subpoenaed as part of the committee's investigation into Epstein's crimes, denied misconduct and claimed he was "duped" by Epstein. Democrats on the committee questioned his credibility, suggesting he must have known about Epstein's abuse given their close association. The testimony continued throughout the afternoon at Wexner's Ohio home.
• Rep. Garcia reported DOJ and FBI did not contact Les Wexner about Epstein — House Oversight ranking member Robert Garcia reported that during Les Wexner's deposition, Wexner stated that neither the DOJ nor the FBI had ever contacted him to ask about Epstein and his crimes, despite Wexner's decades-long relationship with Epstein, his power of attorney over Epstein's finances, and his position as someone Epstein trusted deeply. Garcia characterized this as "outrageous and unforgivable."
• Rep. Lynch criticized DOJ for inaction on Epstein investigation compared to UK — Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) appeared on CNN and contrasted the British government's swift action in arresting Prince Andrew with the U.S. government's inaction. Lynch stated that "our chief law enforcement officer Pam Bondi is defending and obstructing the investigation," highlighting the stark difference in how the two governments have responded to Epstein-related allegations.
• Leslie Wexner deposition underway in Epstein investigation; House Oversight Committee examines financial transfers — A major deposition involving Leslie Wexner, Epstein's longtime financial patron, is underway as part of the ongoing Epstein investigation. Congressman Robert Garcia, ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, emphasized Wexner's significance prior to the deposition, noting that much of Epstein's wealth came directly from Wexner and that understanding why such vast sums were transferred remains central to understanding the broader enterprise. Survivors have consistently pointed to Wexner as a key figure within Epstein's network. Wexner submitted a written statement claiming he was "naive" and had been duped by a "con man," insisting he severed ties nearly two decades ago and had no knowledge of Epstein's criminal conduct.
• California congressman Ro Khanna identifies Les Wexner as previously redacted name in Epstein files — California congressman Ro Khanna publicly identified Les Wexner as one of six previously redacted names in the Epstein trove, where the FBI appears to have named him as a co-conspirator. Khanna's disclosure prompted national attention to Wexner's ties to Epstein. Wexner is scheduled to be deposed in front of an oversight committee on Wednesday following the disclosure.

Supporting reports

• FCC Chairman Brendan Carr signals enforcement of equal-time rule against talk shows — FCC Chairman Brendan Carr issued new guidance signaling that late-night and daytime talk shows can no longer assume they fall under the "bonafide news" exemption from the equal-time rule. Carr indicated that exemption determinations would depend on multiple factors, including whether there was "partisan motivation" in featuring political candidates as guests. The guidance prompted stations to seek pre-approval before booking candidates, effectively making the FCC a de facto guest-booking authority.
• FCC Chair Carr opened investigation of The View — FCC chair Brendan Carr opened an investigation of the morning talk show The View after Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico appeared on the show earlier this month. Carr changed the FCC's enforcement of the Equal Time Rule to apply to non-news talk shows that appear to be "motivated by partisan purposes," requiring networks to give equal time to all candidates for an office if they interview one candidate.
• FCC chair investigates talk show for Equal Time Rule violation — FCC chair Brendan Carr opened an investigation into the talk show "The View" after it featured Democratic candidate James Talarico, suggesting that the show may have violated the Equal Time Rule by not providing equal airtime to other candidates.
• FCC launches investigation into ABC's interview with Democratic candidate — After ABC's The View interviewed Texas State Representative James Talarico on February 2, 2026, an anonymous FCC source leaked to Fox News that the Commission had launched an investigation into the interview. The FCC source stated, "Fake news is not getting a free pass anymore," signaling that the investigation was retaliatory and politically motivated.
• FCC investigated San Francisco radio station over ICE coverage — Early in Trump's second term, the FCC launched an investigation into San Francisco radio station KCBS over its coverage of ICE operations in San Jose. According to the Associated Press, the station's news directors told employees to ensure that the station's coverage did not anger the FCC, demonstrating that regulatory threat had a chilling effect on editorial independence.

Supporting reports

• Trump repeats false Epstein exoneration claim — President Trump stated on Air Force One that he has "nothing to hide," has been "exonerated," and has "nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein," claiming he has been "totally exonerated on Epstein." Representative James Walkinshaw (D-VA) responded that Trump "hasn't been exonerated" and that "Trump's relationship with Epstein was much longer and much deeper than he has revealed," citing information from released Epstein files.
• Trump claimed exoneration regarding Epstein and made false statements about 2020 election — On Air Force One, Trump responded to questions about Prince Andrew's arrest by claiming he is "totally exonerated" regarding Epstein, stating "I did nothing." Trump falsely claimed that Epstein "was against me" and "was fighting me in the election" based on "the last three million pages of documents." In fact, Trump has not been exonerated. Later in Georgia, Trump promoted the false claim that he won the 2020 election and urged Congress to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which he claimed would prevent future losses. Trump stated: "We'll never lose a race. For 50 years, we won't lose a race."
• Trump expressed sympathy for Prince Andrew and claimed exoneration regarding Epstein — Trump responded to Prince Andrew's arrest by expressing sympathy for his "old friend," stating he felt it was "a shame" and "a very sad thing." Trump claimed he was "the expert in this because I've been exonerated" and stated "I did nothing" regarding Epstein, while noting that "nobody used to speak about Epstein when he was alive."
• Trump makes false claims about voter ID support and mail-in ballot prevalence — President Trump claimed that 98 percent of the population supports voter ID requirements and wants to end mail-in ballots, which he characterized as corrupt. Trump stated that the United States is "the only country in the world that has this system of mail in ballots" and asserted that if voter ID and proof of citizenship were required, "Democrats could never win an election." Trump made these claims while promoting the SAVE Act, which extends beyond voter ID requirements to include additional provisions.

Supporting reports

• Trump accuses Maryland governor of "gross mismanagement" over federally regulated sewage spill; excludes Moore from White House governors' dinner — President Trump posted on Truth Social accusing Maryland Governor Wes Moore of "gross mismanagement" after a federally operated sewer line (the Potomac Interceptor, run by DC Water under EPA oversight) ruptured on January 19, releasing over 200 million gallons of untreated sewage into the Potomac River. Trump announced Fema deployment to coordinate response despite the agency operating without funding due to a partial government shutdown. Trump subsequently excluded Moore from a White House governors' dinner scheduled for Saturday, citing dissatisfaction with Moore's handling of the spill and Baltimore bridge reconstruction.

Supporting reports

• Trump excludes Maryland and Colorado governors from bipartisan governors conference — President Trump excluded Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Colorado Governor Jared Polis from the bipartisan governors conference traditionally hosted by the president. When asked about the exclusions, Trump stated that one governor was from Colorado, "where he's got a 73 year old woman who's probably got serious cancer confined because she pointed out the voter theft that was taking place," and characterized the other governor as "just a bad governor." The excluded governors are a Black governor and a gay governor.

Supporting reports

• Trump threatens to replace Marjorie Greene and denies prior endorsement — When asked about Marjorie Greene's criticisms of him regarding Epstein and other matters, Trump stated "We have a lot of people who want to take Marjorie 'Traitor' Greene's place. Many candidates. I have to choose one." The bulletin notes that Trump had endorsed Clay Fuller in Greene's race two weeks prior, suggesting Trump either forgot the endorsement or was making a new threat. Greene responded by characterizing Trump's "traitor" label as "a badge of honor because I'm not in his cult and I refused to bow to his demands to cover up the Epstein files to protect his friends."

Supporting reports

• Trump family and organization sued IRS for $10 billion over tax data leak — Trump, his sons Don Jr. and Eric, and the Trump Organization filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department for damages stemming from an IRS contractor's conviction during Trump's first term for leaking their tax information, along with that of thousands of other Americans who are not suing. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated he will write whatever check he is told to cut, indicating executive willingness to pay the claim from federal funds.

Supporting reports

• Preliminary injunction ruling — State of Minnesota v. Noem (D. Minn.) 0:26-cv-00190 — A magistrate judge denied Minnesota's motion for expedited discovery, holding that despite the “far-reaching and deeply traumatizing effects” of Operation Metro Surge, Plaintiffs had not shown good cause because they had not yet filed the contemplated preliminary injunction motion or narrowly targeted their request to support specific and necessary ends.
• Stay motion decided — Lesly Miot v. Trump (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-02471 — A coalition of 17 states and the District of Columbia filed an amicus brief in opposition to the emergency motion to stay pending appeal.
• Case update — Democracy Forward Foundation v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-04424 — Defendant answered Plaintiff's complaint and included the defense that its actions did not violate FOIA or other statutory provisions.
• Case update — State of Washington v. Federal Emergency Management Agency (D. Mass.) 1:25-cv-12006 — Plaintiff States filed a Motion to Enforce Judgment.
• Motion to dismiss decided — State of New York v. Department of Education (D. Mass.) 1:25-cv-11116 — Judge Young granted parties' joint motion to dismiss the complaint without prejudice after the administration withdrew its appeal in American Federation of Teachers v. Department of Education of a court order vacating the same challenged agency action.
• Ruling vacated — Lazaro Maldonado Bautista v. Ernesto Santacruz Jr. (C.D. Cal.) 5:25-cv-01873 — Judge Sykes granted Plaintiffs' motion to enforce judgment, finding that the government violated her prior order by continuing to detain noncitizens without a bond hearing. Judge Sykes vacated a Board of Immigration Appeals decision that conflicted with her order, finding that the administration's continued reliance on that decision “far crossed the boundaries of constitutional conduct.” Judge Sykes also ordered the government to provide notice to a nationwide class of detained noncitizens of their ability to seek bond hearings under her order.
• Stay motion decided — U.H.A. et al v. Bondi et al (D. Minn.) 0:26-cv-00417 — Judge Tunheim granted the motion to stay consideration of Plaintiffs' contempt motion for seven days.
• Case update — Center for Constitutional Rights v. United States Department of State (S.D.N.Y.) 1:25-cv-06879 — Defendants filed a status report which indicates that USAID had begun its production of priority documents to Plaintiff and that the parties would continue to confer on narrowing the scope of Defendants' searches in light of USAID initially locating over 17 million potentially responsive records and DOS initially locating over 900,000 pages of responsive records.
• Case update — Vizguerra-Ramirez v. Choate et al (D. Colo.) 1:25-cv-00881 — In a minute order , Judge Wang directed that the case be administratively closed.
• Complaint filed — Lemmon v. Trump (D.D.C. 1:26-cv-00544) — Private plaintiffs, including Vietnam War veterans, diplomats, and a historic preservation expert, filed a complaint in D.D.C. challenging President Trump's proposed 25-story "Independence Arch" on Memorial Circle between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. Plaintiffs allege the administration violated the Commemorative Works Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and National Environmental Policy Act by proceeding without required legislative approval and environmental review on an accelerated schedule ahead of July 4, 2026. They seek declaratory and injunctive relief to bar construction and have filed a motion for preliminary injunction.
• Complaint filed: Williams v. National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Two scientists and an association of engineers and scientists at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center filed suit in D.D.C. against NASA and the Archivist of the United States, challenging the September 2025 reversal of NASA's records-preservation framework and the closure of the Goddard Information and Collaboration Center and NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. Plaintiffs allege the decisions violated the Administrative Procedure Act as arbitrary and capricious and seek vacatur, rescission, and an order requiring preservation of the database and records.
• Motion granted — Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance v. United States Department of the Interior (D. Utah) 2:25-cv-00657 — Judge Barlow granted a motion allowing Peak Minerals, the owner of mineral leases at stake in Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance's lawsuit against the government, to intervene in the case.
• Preliminary injunction ruling — Citizens For Responsibility And Ethics In Washington v. Department Of Justice (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-04426 — Judge Kollar-Kotelly issued an order which granted in part and denied in part Plaintiff's preliminary injunction motion . The DOJ was ordered to expedite its processing of CREW's FOIA requests, however Judge Kollar-Kotelly declined to direct the DOJ to process its requests at a specific rate, instead opting to direct the parties to develop a proposal for the expedited processing and production of the most urgent records.
• Preliminary injunction ruling — Tincher v. Noem (D. Minn.) 0:25-cv-04669 — The Eight Circuit stayed the appeal proceedings pending an indicative ruling by the district court on a motion to dissolve the preliminary injunction, following the reported end of Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis.
• Appeal filed — State of Illinois v. Noem (D.R.I.) 1:25-cv-00495 — The government appealed Judge McElroy's Dec. 22, 2025 order granting summary judgment to Plaintiffs to the First Circuit (Case No. 26-1182 ).
• Case update — Jorge Lujan v. FMCSA (D.C. Cir.) 25-1215 — The court severed Lujan v. FMCSA , 26-1032 from Lujan v. FMCSA , 25-1215. The court ordered Lujan v. FMCSA , 25-1215 remain in abeyance pending further order of the court following the disposition of Lujan v. FMCSA , 26-1032.
• Case update — Jorge Lujan v. FMCSA (D.C. Cir.) 26-1032 — Plaintiffs filed an amended complaint alleging they have exhausted administrative remedies under FOIA and are now entitled to an injunction.
• Case update — Protect Democracy Project v. U.S. Department of the Treasury (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-04101 — The court consolidated American Public Health Association v. EPA , 26-1037 with Elena Venner v. EPA , 26-1038. These cases will proceed under American Public Health Association v. EPA .
• Cases consolidated — American Public Health Association v. EPA (D.C. Cir.) 26-1037

Supporting reports

• Stephen Colbert reports CBS blocked Talarico interview — The Trump administration issued new guidance in January 2026 reinterpreting the "equal-time rule" to apply to daytime and late-night talk shows, reversing the longstanding assumption that interviews with politicians conducted by talk show hosts would be exempt from the rule. This guidance became the legal basis cited by CBS for blocking the Colbert-Talarico interview.
• Texas Democratic Senate primary between Talarico and Crockett — James Talarico and Jasmine Crockett are competing in the Texas Democratic primary for a U.S. Senate seat scheduled for March 3, 2026. On February 16, CBS refused to air Stephen Colbert's interview with Talarico, citing Trump administration FCC guidance concerns. The incident generated widespread censorship allegations and boosted Talarico's campaign through viral YouTube views and fundraising. Both candidates present contrasting strategies: Crockett emphasizes partisan confrontation of Trump; Talarico pursues cross-partisan economic messaging to appeal to disaffected Trump voters and independents.
• Stephen Colbert reports network legal censorship of Texas state representative — Late-night host Stephen Colbert announced on air that his network's legal team had prohibited him from interviewing Texas state Representative James Talarico, who was scheduled as a guest. Colbert stated he was told "in no uncertain terms" that he could not have Talarico on the broadcast and was further instructed not to mention the prohibition itself. Colbert then proceeded to discuss the censorship on air, citing the network's apparent unwillingness to address the matter.
• CBS refused to air Colbert interview with Democratic candidate over FCC equal-time rule — Late-night host Stephen Colbert reported that CBS refused to broadcast an interview he conducted with Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, citing legal concerns about FCC chair Brendan Carr's regulatory guidance issued in January requiring equal airtime for political candidates on daytime and late-night talk shows. CBS claimed the broadcast "could trigger" the equal-time rule, though the network stated the program was not prohibited. Colbert's team found no historical enforcement of the rule on late-night shows dating to the 1960s. The interview was uploaded to YouTube instead.
• CBS Blocks Stephen Colbert Interview with Texas State Representative — CBS network legal counsel blocked Stephen Colbert from airing an interview with Texas State Representative James Talarico and instructed him not to mention the cancellation. The network cited concerns about retaliation from FCC Chair Brendan Carr. Colbert disclosed the censorship on-air and subsequently released the interview independently online, revealing the chilling effect of government pressure on editorial decisions.
• CBS prohibits Colbert interview with Democratic candidate under FCC pressure — CBS forbade Late Show host Stephen Colbert from interviewing Texas State Representative James Talarico, a Democrat running for U.S. Senate, citing the FCC's January 21 "equal time rule" reinterpretation. The FCC declared that talk-show interviews with political candidates would no longer have blanket news exemptions and would be evaluated case-by-case for "bona fide" news purposes versus "partisan purposes." CBS also instructed Colbert's lawyers to prevent him from discussing the censorship decision. Colbert aired the incident anyway on his February 17 show, calling it an effort to silence Trump critics on television.
• Colbert's interview with Talarico received 3.8 million YouTube views — As of 10:00 p.m. on February 18, Colbert's 15-minute interview with Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico had been viewed on YouTube 3.8 million times. Forbes reported it is Colbert's most watched interview in months, indicating significant public interest in Talarico's message criticizing Republican use of Christianity as a political weapon.
• CBS blocked interview with Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico — Late-night talk show host Stephen Colbert told viewers he had been unable to air an interview he did with Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate from Texas James Talarico. Colbert stated: "I was told…that not only could I not have him on, I could not mention me not having him on." CBS chose not to challenge the FCC's reinterpreted Equal Time Rule, which FCC chair Brendan Carr had changed to apply to non-news talk shows deemed "motivated by partisan purposes."

Supporting reports

• Department of Homeland Security issued hundreds of subpoenas to tech companies for social media account data — The Department of Homeland Security sent Google, Meta, and other tech companies hundreds of administrative subpoenas seeking names, emails, phone numbers, and identifying data for social media accounts that criticize ICE or monitor its operations. Google, Meta, Reddit, and Discord reportedly complied with some subpoenas. These were administrative subpoenas not signed by a judge but issued directly by DHS.

Supporting reports

• Pentagon reportedly considering severing ties with AI company Anthropic over surveillance limits — Reporting indicates the Pentagon may sever ties with AI company Anthropic because the company sought limits on use of its technology for domestic surveillance of Americans. A senior Pentagon official acknowledged the move would be difficult to implement but suggested it was being pursued because Anthropic resisted allowing its systems to be used for domestic spying.

Supporting reports

• Border czar Tom Homan defended ICE mask use and denied racial profiling — On CBS's "Face the Nation," Trump administration border czar Tom Homan defended the use of masks by ICE agents, claiming they are necessary for agent protection despite police officers not wearing them. Homan also claimed that federal agents do not engage in racial profiling and that stops are made only on "reasonable suspicion," contradicting the Supreme Court's prior ruling that opened the door for ICE to engage in racial profiling.

Supporting reports

• Federal officers use force against protesters in immigration crackdown — The Washington Post reported that federal officers carrying out Trump's immigration crackdown in cities across the country have shot 13 people with guns. Far more frequently, they have used harsh tactics including rubber bullets, pepper spray, tear gas, explosive flash-bangs, vehicle ramming, and pointing guns at peaceful protesters and people obstructing them. Officers masked and equipped with military-grade armor and rifles have injured hundreds of people. Courts in at least four states have found that officers used force inappropriately and indiscriminately.

Supporting reports

• David Stockman criticizes Trump administration policies — David Stockman, Reagan's former Budget Director, stated that Rep. Tom Massie is "literally throwing his body and his career in the path of the Trumpian madness," including unhinged protectionism, worsening budget deficits, massive pressure on the Federal Reserve to print inflationary money, rampant law enforcement authoritarianism, bully boy foreign policy actions such as kidnapping foreign presidents or bombing foreign cities that pose no threats to homeland security, and another round of free spending from a bankrupt government.

Supporting reports

• Congress triggered partial DHS shutdown over ICE enforcement reforms — The Department of Homeland Security funding lapsed at midnight on February 15, 2026. Democrats are using the appropriations power to demand enforcement reforms including body cameras, visible identification numbers, and judicial warrants for arrests on private property, in response to fatal shootings of U.S. citizens by federal officers in Minneapolis. Congress left for recess without resolving the impasse and will return February 23. ICE and CBP can draw on prior-year funding to sustain operations during the lapse.
• DHS funding lapsed, triggering partial shutdown over enforcement reform impasse — The Department of Homeland Security's appropriations expired at 12:01 a.m. ET on Saturday, February 15, after Congress failed to pass funding legislation. Democrats blocked Republican attempts to pass full-year or short-term funding without immigration enforcement reforms, including body cameras, visible identification, warrant requirements, and use-of-force policy changes, following fatal shootings by federal officers in Minneapolis. Approximately 90% of DHS employees continue working with delayed pay. ICE and CBP operations remain less disrupted due to prior-year appropriations. Congress recessed until February 23 without resolution.
• DHS shutdown enters second month amid TSA funding dispute between Texas lawmakers — The Department of Homeland Security has been without funding since mid-February after Democrats refused to authorize operations unless Republicans agreed to new restrictions on federal immigration enforcement (identification requirements, mask restrictions, street detention limits). TSA employees have missed paychecks, causing long airport security lines. Republican Senator John Cornyn and Democratic Congressman Greg Casar publicly sparred outside Austin airport on March 16, with Cornyn demanding Democrats fund DHS and Casar accusing Cornyn of refusing compromise to secure Trump's endorsement in a primary race. Democrats attempted but failed to pass DHS funding excluding immigration enforcement; Republicans blocked the measure.
• Limited government shutdown affecting DHS agencies over immigration enforcement restrictions — A partial US federal government shutdown took effect on Saturday, February 15, 2026, affecting approximately 13% of the federal civilian workforce across Department of Homeland Security agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration. The shutdown resulted from failed negotiations between the White House and Congressional Democrats over new restrictions on federal immigration agents, including mandates for judicial warrants and prohibitions on face masks during operations. Congress adjourned for a 10-day break, delaying resolution. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection operations continued due to prior-year funding.

Supporting reports

• Garcia calls for Commerce Secretary Lutnick investigation — House Oversight ranking member Robert Garcia called on House Oversight Committee chair James Comer to bring in Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick for questioning. Garcia stated that Lutnick visited Epstein's island and had extensive communications with Epstein after it was known Epstein was preying on children, and argued Lutnick should not hold office.
• House Oversight demands full Epstein file release — House Oversight ranking member Robert Garcia stated that Trump's DOJ intends to withhold approximately 50% of Epstein files while claiming full compliance with law. Garcia announced the committee will demand release of all files to the committee while protecting survivors, and will investigate the names of Epstein's co-conspirators and men who abused women and girls.
• Rep. Mace challenges DOJ privilege claims on Epstein files — Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) stated that DOJ's invocation of "Work Product Privilege" will not withstand legal challenge for withholding Epstein files. Mace argued that federal agencies have already waived privileges by disclosing redacted and unredacted information, and that privilege claims cannot apply when investigations are concluded and no prosecutions are planned.

Supporting reports

• DOJ claims full compliance with Epstein Transparency Act — Attorney General Pam Bondi and Todd Blanche issued a letter asserting that the Department of Justice has completely fulfilled its obligations under the Epstein Transparency Act, claiming release of all records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in DOJ's possession relating to Epstein. House Oversight ranking member Robert Garcia disputed this claim, stating that approximately 50% of Epstein files remain withheld.
• Rep. Massie alleges DOJ removed Epstein documents — Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) stated that the DOJ took down significant Epstein documents before Congress could review unredacted versions. Massie said the DOJ cannot keep documents down after already producing them, indicating potential destruction or concealment of evidence.
• Sen. Schumer accuses DOJ of Epstein file cover-up — Sen. Chuck Schumer stated that the Epstein Transparency Act required all files to be released by December 19, 2025. Schumer alleged that DOJ delayed release for 43 days, cherry-picked documents with heavy redactions, and admitted to releasing less than 1% of all documents until recently. Schumer accused Attorney General Bondi of attempting to deceive the American people.
• Trump administration declares Epstein files case closed despite evidence of undisclosed material — Reporting indicates the Epstein files are substantially larger than previously disclosed, with researchers estimating as much as 50 terabytes of material, with only a fraction produced publicly. The Trump administration has declared the case "closed" and insisted there is nothing more to see, despite evidence to the contrary. Millions of documents reportedly remain undisclosed.
• DOJ withholds approximately 3 million Epstein files despite congressional mandate — The Trump administration's Department of Justice continues to withhold approximately 3 million documents related to Jeffrey Epstein's crimes, despite Congress mandating their release in late 2025. Hillary Clinton, speaking at the Munich Security Conference, accused the DOJ of "slow-walking" the release and urged the administration to "get the files out." Periodic document dumps have occurred, but the vast majority remain unreleased.

Supporting reports

• Don Lemon arraigned on federal civil rights charges related to Minnesota church protest coverage — Former CNN host and independent journalist Don Lemon pleaded not guilty in federal court in St. Paul, Minnesota, to charges of conspiracy and interfering with congregants' constitutional rights to freely exercise religion. Lemon was arrested while covering a January 18 anti-ICE protest at a Southern Baptist church. His attorney raised First Amendment issues and requested return of Lemon's phone, seized during arrest. Four other defendants, including civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong, also pleaded not guilty. Nine people total have been charged under the 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.

Supporting reports

• Department of Justice issued subpoenas to Minnesota state officials — The Department of Justice issued subpoenas to several high-ranking Minnesota state officials, signaling potential federal prosecution. Members of Congress subsequently brought some officials in for questioning. The subpoenas were issued in connection with the federal immigration surge and appeared designed to intimidate state leadership and create legal jeopardy for officials resisting federal demands.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration unlawfully detained immigrants over 4,400 times — According to Reuters reporting on judicial findings, the Trump administration unlawfully detained immigrants more than 4,400 times since October 2025, as documented by hundreds of judges. The detentions are part of a broader immigration enforcement policy that has driven ICE detention to record highs and generated over 20,000 lawsuits. The pattern reflects systemic violations of detention law and due process.

Supporting reports

• Federal agents arrested protesters and journalists; White House mocked arrested protester with digitally altered photo — During the Minnesota ICE surge, federal agents arrested protesters and journalists documenting the operations. Following at least one arrest, the White House created and circulated a digitally altered photograph mocking the arrested protester. The action represents use of government resources to ridicule and intimidate dissent.

Supporting reports

• Utah legislature passes law restricting redistricting jurisdiction to state supreme court — The Republican-controlled Utah legislature enacted a state law providing that only the Utah Supreme Court may hear redistricting cases going forward, a jurisdictional restriction designed to consolidate control over future redistricting disputes.
• Utah legislature pushes back congressional candidate filing deadlines — The Republican-controlled Utah legislature postponed congressional candidate filing deadlines as part of a broader effort to delay implementation of the court-ordered redistricting map and maintain the 2021 map for the 2026 election.