Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Health Secretary RFK Jr. reduces flu vaccine promotion amid early seasonal surge — The article reports an early and unusually severe flu season on the US west coast, with California's test positivity rate at 9.65% (versus normal 1% in early October) and Utah recording 242 cases (up from 10 last year). A new H1N1 mutation is credited for the early onset. The FDA-approved 2026-27 vaccine targets H1N1, H3N2, and influenza B. However, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist, has reduced promotion of flu shots and engineered an overhaul of childhood vaccine schedules.

Supporting reports

• Trump eliminates vehicle fuel economy standards — On September 26, Trump announced the elimination of vehicle fuel economy standards established under former President Joe Biden, continuing efforts to lock the United States into dependence on fossil fuels.
• Trump administration slashes clean car fuel economy standards — The Trump administration announced Monday the rollback of clean car rules that had required automakers to reduce emissions and improve fuel efficiency for model years 2022–2031. The Department of Transportation's new rule, called "Freedom Means Affordable Cars," reverses Biden-era standards that mandated 8–10% annual fuel efficiency increases. The administration estimates the change will reduce vehicle costs by $1,300 but will increase fuel consumption by 100 billion gallons through 2050, boost carbon dioxide emissions by 5%, and raise fuel spending by $185 billion. Environmental groups and public health advocates condemned the move.
• Trump administration finalizes rollback of federal vehicle fuel economy standards — The Transportation Department finalized a rollback of federal vehicle fuel economy requirements on Monday, reducing the projected 2031 fleetwide average from 49.3 miles per gallon to 34.9 miles per gallon. The administration projects compliance cost savings of approximately $1,289 per vehicle for automakers. However, federal projections indicate drivers will spend over $1,600 in additional fuel expenses over a vehicle's lifetime, with increased gasoline consumption and emissions.
• Trump administration eviscerates pollution limits on cars, trucks, and power plants — The Trump administration has removed or significantly weakened environmental regulations governing emissions from vehicles and power generation facilities. The article states the administration "eviscerated pollution limits on cars, trucks and power plants" as part of a broader pattern of rolling back environmental protections. This action reduces federal oversight of major sources of greenhouse gas emissions and represents a reversal of prior regulatory standards.

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• Trump dismisses AI safety concerns and calls regulation a hoax — Trump has repeatedly characterized concerns about artificial intelligence dangers as a "hoax" and a "scam," arguing that government already possesses sufficient regulatory authority over tech companies. This stance contradicts positions held by his own party members, AI company leaders, and the broader scientific community calling for AI safety measures and oversight.

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• Trump announces creation of "AI Force" and appointment of AI czar — President Trump announced on social media that he would create an "AI Force" (modeled on the Space Force) and appoint an artificial intelligence czar, though he provided minimal operational details. The announcement came amid growing industry and political calls for AI safety guardrails and regulation. Trump characterized concerns about AI risks as a "hoax" generated by the political left, reaffirmed his administration would not hinder AI industry growth, and stated that criminal and civil justice systems could address "bad actors" without formal regulatory oversight.
• Trump announced formation of AI Force and AI Czar position — Trump announced plans to form an "AI Force," similar to the Space Force, and stated he will announce an "AI Czar" position in the near future, specifying that "only High I.Q. individuals need apply." Trump posted that his administration will not "hinder or stifle" AI growth and will "cherish it, help it, and watch over it," while also stating the administration will look for "BAD" using existing criminal and civil justice systems.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration establishes NIH grant-veto board aligned with presidential agenda — The Trump administration is establishing an executive order creating an external board to approve National Institutes of Health grant funding. The board, to include OMB Director Russell Vought and NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, would require unanimous decisions and could veto biomedical research grants deemed misaligned with Trump's political priorities. This breaks with the NIH's traditional merit-based evaluation process. The move follows administration accusations that the NIH funds "woke" initiatives and comes amid a class-action lawsuit by researchers alleging First Amendment violations through ideological censorship of grant awards.
• Trump directed budget director to create political appointee board for NIH grants — Trump directed his budget director Russ Vought to draft an executive order creating a board of political appointees to decide which grants the National Institutes of Health should fund. This represents another attempt to cut Harvard's funding and place political control over the nation's $48 billion in congressionally-appropriated biomedical research funding. Congress this month signaled disapproval of an earlier Vought plan to give political appointees control of health grants by including a provision in a stopgap funding bill that temporarily blocks the administration from implementing that earlier plan. Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins personally rejected Vought's plan.

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• Trump administration vaccine-skeptical policies linked to measles deaths; CDC autism page altered — Senator Bill Cassidy, Republican chair of the US Senate health committee, publicly blamed the Trump administration's vaccine-skeptical approach for three confirmed measles deaths in Pennsylvania (with a fourth under review) during the worst US measles outbreak in over three decades. Cassidy challenged Trump's surgeon general nominee Nicole Saphier to directly state that vaccines do not cause autism. The article also reveals that after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. became health secretary, the CDC's "Autism and Vaccines" webpage was altered—an asterisk was added to the headline "Vaccines do not cause Autism," undermining scientific consensus despite Kennedy's prior assurance to Cassidy that the CDC would maintain clear statements refuting the vaccine-autism link.

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• ACLU and researchers file class-action lawsuit challenging Trump administration's use of keyword list to block NIH grants — Researchers and civil-rights groups filed a class-action lawsuit in San Francisco federal court on September 16, 2026, challenging the Trump administration's use of a 235-keyword list (including terms like "gender" and "racist") to block and cancel National Institutes of Health grants. The suit argues the administration is violating the First Amendment by censoring scientific research on topics including health equity and climate change. The administration had canceled thousands of grants in 2025; more than 4,500 have since been restored. The lawsuit seeks to cover all researchers whose grants remain disrupted or who faced delays, denials, or forced renegotiations.

Supporting reports

• Complaint filed — Salles v. National Institutes of Health — Seventeen individual researchers filed a class action complaint in the Northern District of California challenging Trump administration executive orders affecting federal grantmaking. The orders terminated DEI programs, barred funds for "gender ideology," required DEI certifications, directed agencies to terminate or modify grants to advance administration priorities, and made peer-review recommendations advisory rather than binding. Plaintiffs allege NIH implemented these policies through internal directives that screened grants and applications, imposing "government-wide ideological litmus tests." The complaint names NIH, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, HHS, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and the DOGE Service as defendants, and seeks class certification, declaratory judgment, injunctive relief restoring terminated grants, and vacatur of the challenged policies.

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• Trump made public statements dismissing AI safety concerns as a hoax — The president made multiple social media posts characterizing concerns about artificial intelligence as a "hoax" perpetrated by Democrats, comparing AI safety warnings to climate change denial and the Russia investigation. He stated he is the "Hoax Buster" and called for complete deregulation of the AI industry.

Supporting reports

• Trump dismisses AI safety warnings and prioritizes competition with China — When asked today about industry calls to slow AI development, Trump dismissed the warnings, stating the U.S. needed to stay ahead of China. He characterized the safety concerns as "negative forces" bringing up "things that won't happen," rejecting the industry leaders' calls for measured development in favor of rapid advancement for competitive advantage.
• Trump dismissed AI safety concerns and rejected tech CEO regulation proposals — Trump posted on Truth Social that the only "control or guardrails" AI needs is a "strong and smart president," rejecting calls from large-cap tech CEOs for AI regulation. He accused AI safety advocates of conspiracy and treason, naming Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei as a target. Trump stated his administration had "stopped AI people from doing bad things" and warned "conspiracy theorists, treasonists, traitors, and leakers" to beware. The post dismissed concerns about catastrophic AI risks raised by technology leaders.

Supporting reports

• DOJ investigates virus scientists including former COVID czar Fauci — Trump's Justice Department has been investigating several virus scientists, including former COVID czar Anthony Fauci, seeking phone, email, grant, payment records, and grand jury testimony. The investigation's status and scope remain unclear. Fauci is protected from federal prosecution for his official actions from 2014 to 2025 by a preemptive pardon issued by former President Joe Biden.

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• HHS releases report linking gender ideology to left-wing authoritarianism without peer review — The US Department of Health and Human Services released a report claiming to link "gender ideology" and support for transgender people to left-wing authoritarianism and political violence. The report was not peer-reviewed, did not undergo scientific journal publication, and experts say it contains severe methodological flaws. Legal scholars note it may violate the Information Quality Bulletin, a federal regulation requiring peer review for influential scientific information from government agencies.

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• Kennedy suggests measles deaths in Pennsylvania were fabricated — As the U.S. faces a measles outbreak that has killed two unvaccinated people in Pennsylvania—including a newborn too young for vaccination—HHS Secretary Kennedy suggested that Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro's announcement of the deaths might have been "altogether fabricated by one of the Governor's hopeful staffers." The claim contradicts documented public health data.
• HHS Secretary RFK Jr. testified falsely about 2019 Samoa visit, documents show — According to the Associated Press, HHS Secretary RFK Jr. repeatedly told lawmakers who held the key to his confirmation last year that a 2019 visit to Samoa before a deadly measles outbreak had "nothing to do with vaccines." New documents refute that testimony. Kennedy, then a prominent anti-vaccine activist, preceded the visit with a letter to the Samoan Prime Minister requesting to study the Pacific island nation's measles, mumps and rubella vaccines after the deaths of two children who had received them.
• RFK Jr. praised low vaccine uptake in Lancaster County in 2021, preceding measles deaths — The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced that two unvaccinated people in Lancaster County died from measles. In 2021, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., then chair of the Children's Health Defense, spoke at an Amish country fair in Lancaster County where he praised the low childhood vaccine uptake and downplayed the severity of measles. The timing and location of Kennedy's remarks preceded the recent measles deaths in the same community.
• RFK Jr. falsely testified to Congress about Samoa vaccine visit — Documents obtained by the press reveal that RFK Jr., now HHS Secretary, made false statements during his 2025 Senate confirmation hearings when he claimed his 2019 Samoa visit had "nothing to do with vaccines." Letters show Kennedy explicitly told the Samoan prime minister he intended to investigate the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine. Kennedy's visit is reported to have empowered anti-vaccine activists; a measles epidemic followed that killed 83 people. Knowingly lying to Congress is a federal crime, though rarely prosecuted.

Supporting reports

• Earthjustice files lawsuit challenging EPA approval of datacenter chemicals — Earthjustice, a nonprofit environmental law organization, filed a lawsuit challenging the EPA's approval of two photoacid generator compounds used in datacenters. The lawsuit argues that the EPA violated the Toxic Substances Control Act by approving chemicals it acknowledged may present unreasonable risk to workers and the public without implementing adequate protective restrictions, and that the approval represents a fundamental failure of the agency's obligation to protect public health.

Supporting reports

• Trump EPA proposes rule to exempt datacenters from public air pollution disclosure — The Trump administration's Environmental Protection Agency proposed a new rule that would eliminate the Clean Air Act requirement for datacenters to publicly disclose air pollution emissions. The rule would make disclosure voluntary at state and local officials' discretion rather than mandatory. Datacenters are significant sources of nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, and heavy metals. Environmental advocates warn the change will reduce public oversight, prevent communities from knowing what pollutants they will breathe, and weaken enforcement of federal pollution limits linked to asthma, heart disease, and cancer.
• EPA approves two toxic datacenter chemicals despite acknowledged health risks — The Trump administration's Environmental Protection Agency approved two photoacid generator compounds for import and immediate use in U.S. datacenters, despite acknowledging in consent orders that the chemicals may present "unreasonable risk" to workers and the public and could cause sudden death, cancer, neurological damage, and reproductive harm. The EPA admitted insufficient data to quantify acute toxicity and lethality risks but approved the chemicals anyway with minimal restrictions, prompting a lawsuit by Earthjustice arguing the approval violates the Toxic Substances Control Act.

Supporting reports

• Dr. Mehmet Oz declines to clarify Trump's claim that MMR vaccine may be lethal — Dr. Mehmet Oz appeared on CBS and was asked to clarify Trump's statement that the MMR shot may be lethal. Oz responded that "We want parents to have the autonomy to decide what their kids receive." When pressed again to clarify Trump's use of the term "lethal," Oz stated "The MMR vaccine is not a lethal vaccine" but did not directly address or repudiate Trump's original claim.

Supporting reports

• Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promoted alternative health approaches over vaccines — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has promoted the belief that health depends on strong immune systems fortified through "healthy living, clean water, and good nutrition" rather than reliance on vaccines proven to prevent infectious diseases. Kennedy has made unsubstantiated claims about measles deaths in Texas being caused by malnutrition and has associated with anti-vaccine movements, while promising to explore alternative treatments for measles including vitamins rather than promoting vaccination.

Supporting reports

• Multiple food product recalls issued for salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria contamination — Multiple food product recalls were issued in 2026 for contamination with salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, including frozen organic blueberries sold across eight states, fresh jalapeños from Taylor Farms, 1.5 million dozen eggs sold across six states, and numerous prepared foods, salad dressings, soups, bakery items, and ready-to-eat products. FDA records show a steady stream of recalls throughout 2026, reflecting the broader food safety crisis.
• Federal funding cuts reduced food safety inspection capacity by more than 40 percent — Federal funding cuts scaled back the ability of federal agencies to conduct food inspections and provide grants to state and local health departments, reducing food safety detection systems by more than 40 percent. These cuts directly contributed to the largest cyclospora outbreak in U.S. history, with at least 9,481 people in 17 states falling ill from contaminated lettuce from Taylor Farms, and thousands more cases under investigation.

Supporting reports

• Pentagon threatens to defund 30 universities over foreign academic partnerships — The Pentagon issued a directive ordering 30 US universities, including Harvard, MIT, Johns Hopkins, Georgetown, and Cornell, to review and terminate foreign academic partnerships deemed national security risks within two weeks (by August 31, 2026). The order targets ties to Chinese institutions and claims to protect taxpayer-funded research from unauthorized technology transfers and intellectual-property theft. Universities failing to comply face loss of federal funding.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration cancels Alzheimer's research grants targeting discrimination and racism impacts — The Trump administration canceled at least three grants totaling $15 million at Emory University and University of Pittsburgh that studied how discrimination and racism affect brain health and Alzheimer's disease risk. NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya cited misalignment with agency priorities and questioned the scientific validity of self-reported discrimination measures. The cancellations follow a pattern of DEI-related grant terminations, though a federal judge previously ruled similar cancellations illegal; the Supreme Court later allowed $783 million in NIH funding cuts to proceed via shadow docket ruling.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration opens public comment period on vaccine recommendation categories — The Trump administration's Health and Human Services (HHS) department published a Federal Register notice on Friday seeking public feedback on vaccine recommendation categories (routine, risk-based, shared clinical decision-making) and whether new categories should be adopted. The notice, tied to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s task force on safer childhood vaccines, invites 30 days of public comment on the categorization structure and evidence-evaluation standards. Public health experts warn the process bypasses CDC and ACIP expertise, risks confusion about vaccine access, and may be designed to limit vaccination uptake.

Supporting reports

• RFK Jr. and Trump made false claims about vaccine safety at press conference — At a press conference, Trump and RFK Jr. claimed that childhood vaccines cause autism and that the combined MMR vaccine is lethal and the size of a soda bottle. RFK Jr. stated the CDC website is "outdated" when confronted with CDC data showing no scientific evidence for separating the MMR vaccine. When asked about the soda-bottle claim, RFK Jr. deflected by saying "people make their own assessment." These claims contradict established scientific consensus and CDC guidance.

Supporting reports

• Polymarket spread false vaccine misinformation on social media — Polymarket, a prediction market platform that has marketed itself as a "global truth machine," spread misinformation through its official X accounts. Most recently, a Polymarket account posted a false graphic claiming that babies in the U.S. receive 72 vaccine injections, a claim contradicted by multiple independent fact checkers.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration finalizes rule ending federal Medicaid and CHIP funding for gender-affirming care — The Trump administration finalized a rule on Tuesday to eliminate gender-affirming care coverage through Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The rule, set to take effect on 13 October, will prevent federal funding for transgender youth receiving such care. The Department of Health and Human Services cited international reviews while ignoring recent evidence supporting the safety and effectiveness of gender-affirming care. Nearly 35,000 public comments were submitted, approximately 90% opposing the change. Legal challenges are expected and could delay or block implementation.

Supporting reports

• DHS posts procurement forecast for ICE electric-shock glove contract — The Department of Homeland Security published a procurement forecast on August 10, 2026, announcing that Immigration and Customs Enforcement intends to purchase the CTG-5 G.L.O.V.E. (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter), an electric-shock device manufactured by Compliant Technologies. The contract is estimated at $10 million to $20 million and could involve thousands of devices. The gloves deliver 324–362 volts through direct skin contact and are designed for use by ICE agents in Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations.
• ICE announces procurement of shock gloves for detainee control — On August 10, ICE published a notice announcing plans to spend up to $20 million on shock gloves that deliver electrical charges to subdue individuals. The manufacturer's warnings specify the device should subdue someone in three seconds or less, must not be used longer than 15 seconds, should not be used simultaneously on one person, must avoid the head, face, throat, chest, and groin, and must not be used on the elderly, children, pregnant women, people with severe disabilities, or as punishment or torture. The procurement represents a significant expansion of potentially harmful restraint technology.
• ICE procurement of electric shock gloves for immigration enforcement — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced plans to spend up to $20 million to purchase thousands of Glove (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter) devices—gloves capable of delivering painful electric shocks—for use by officers and agents by March 2027. The manufacturer claims the devices induce compliance within three seconds without leaving marks. Civil rights advocates, including the ACLU, expressed alarm, citing ICE's existing pattern of force with minimal oversight and the risk of abuse in immigration enforcement contexts.
• DHS plans to equip ICE agents with electric shock gloves — The Department of Homeland Security announced plans to equip ICE agents with "Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter" (G.L.O.V.E.) gloves capable of delivering painful electric shocks to detainees. The devices, which have been used by some jails and police departments, are intended to be deployed by March 2027. DHS plans to spend up to $20 million to purchase thousands of the gloves. Tom Homan, on Fox News, characterized the devices as an alternative to lethal force for gaining compliance.
• ICE announced plan to purchase shock gloves — DHS published an acquisition forecast stating that ICE has a new requirement to purchase shock gloves, officially named "Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter." The gloves function as tactical gloves until an officer activates electric-shock mode, delivering a painful electrical stimulus intended to gain compliance through direct skin-to-skin contact. DHS estimates the contract at $10 million to $20 million, with ICE intending to issue the devices to officers and agents in Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations. The manufacturer's manual warns against use against vulnerable groups including children, pregnant people, the elderly, and those with severe disabilities, and recommends a maximum activation of 15 seconds. A pending lawsuit alleges a 43-year-old died when Kentucky jail officers shocked him 27 times with shock gloves and 13 times with a Taser in 2024.
• ICE plans to spend $20 million on electric shock gloves for agents — The Associated Press reported that ICE is planning to spend up to $20 million to give its agents electric shock gloves to use as part of enforcement operations. The manufacturer states the gloves should not be used on children, pregnant people, or elderly or disabled people. The gloves represent an expansion of force capabilities for an agency already known for excessive force.