Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Executive Order on Perkins Coie LLP — President Donald J. Trump issued Executive Order 14230, addressing alleged risks posed by the law firm Perkins Coie LLP. The order mandates a review of security clearances held by Perkins Coie employees, cessation of government services to the firm, and scrutiny of government contracts involving the firm. It also directs investigations into racial discrimination practices by large law firms, including Perkins Coie, and limits federal engagement with the firm to protect national security interests.
• Executive Order: Addressing Risks from Perkins Coie LLP — President Donald Trump issued an executive order targeting the law firm Perkins Coie LLP, citing its alleged involvement in activities undermining democratic elections and engaging in racial discrimination. The order mandates a review of security clearances held by Perkins Coie employees, cessation of government services to the firm, and scrutiny of government contracts involving the firm. It also directs the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to review large law firms for compliance with non-discrimination laws. The order aims to align federal contracting and personnel policies with national security interests and anti-discrimination laws.
• Trump administration suspends security clearances and restricts access for Perkins Coie LLP employees — The White House issued a fact sheet announcing that President Trump signed an executive order suspending security clearances held by Perkins Coie LLP employees pending review, halting government material and services to the firm, restricting employee access to government buildings, prohibiting federal hiring of its staff, and directing termination of all federal contracts with the firm. The fact sheet characterizes the firm's legal work as "unethical and discriminatory" and references past litigation involving the firm.
• Trump signed executive order targeting law firm Perkins Coie LLP with security clearance suspensions, contract terminations, and personnel restrictions. — President Trump signed an executive order on March 6, 2025, directing federal agencies to suspend security clearances held by Perkins Coie employees, terminate or review federal contracts with the firm, require contractors to disclose business relationships with Perkins Coie, restrict employee access to federal buildings, and limit hiring of Perkins Coie staff. The order cites the firm's 2016 work on the Steele dossier, litigation against election laws, and diversity hiring practices as justification. The Attorney General and EEOC Chair are directed to investigate large law firms for alleged racial discrimination in hiring and promotion.
• Trump suspends security clearances for law firm employees — President Trump signed an executive order suspending security clearances for employees of a law firm that previously worked for Hillary Clinton. The order also urges agency heads to terminate contracts with the firm, raising legal and ethical concerns.

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• White House issues fact sheet on memorandum directing federal agencies to enforce Rule 65(c) bond requirements in litigation against the government — The White House published a fact sheet on March 6, 2025, describing a presidential memorandum signed by President Trump directing federal agencies to enforce Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65(c), which requires plaintiffs seeking preliminary injunctions or temporary restraining orders against the government to post security (financial bonds) to cover potential costs or damages if the injunction is later found unjustified. The fact sheet frames this as deterring "frivolous lawsuits" and "activist judges" while protecting taxpayer funds.
• Trump signs memo on lawsuit fees — President Trump signed a memo urging agencies to enforce a rule requiring those who sue the administration to pay a fee upfront. Legal experts warn this could deter individuals and groups from filing lawsuits against the government, impacting access to justice.

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• White House issues fact sheet on Trump administration policy actions — The White House published a fact sheet titled "President Trump is Restoring Common Sense to Government" on March 4, 2025, cataloging policy actions taken by the Trump administration. The document claims the administration designated English as the official language, ended DEI initiatives across federal agencies, dismissed Biden-era lawsuits against police and fire departments, ordered declassification of documents related to assassinations of JFK Jr., RFK, and MLK Jr., banned COVID-19 vaccine mandates at federally funded schools, rolled back paper straw mandates, ordered an end to federal censorship, examined Second Amendment regulations, directed enforcement of the Hyde Amendment, and terminated approval for New York City's congestion pricing scheme.

Supporting reports

• Amendment to Duties To Address the Situation at Our Southern Border — President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14227, amending previous orders to address duties related to the southern border. The amendment revises duty-free treatment under 19 U.S.C. 1321, ceasing availability upon notification by the Secretary of Commerce. This order aims to ensure adequate systems for processing and collecting tariff revenue on covered articles.
• Executive Order amends duties on northern border drug flow — President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14226, amending duties related to the flow of illicit drugs across the northern border. The order modifies previous Executive Orders 14193 and 14197, specifically revising duty-free treatment provisions under 19 U.S.C. 1321. The amendment allows for the cessation of duty-free treatment upon notification by the Secretary of Commerce that adequate systems are in place to process and collect applicable tariff revenue.
• Trump amends duties at the southern border — On March 2, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order amending duties related to the southern border. This amendment modifies Executive Order 14194, initially issued on February 1, 2025, and further amended on February 3, 2025. The order revises section 2(g) to stipulate that duty-free de minimis treatment for certain articles will cease once the Secretary of Commerce confirms that systems are in place to process and collect applicable tariff revenue. This action aims to address the flow of goods and ensure tariff revenue collection at the southern border.
• Trump amends duties to address illicit drug flow across northern border — President Donald Trump issued an executive order on March 2, 2025, amending duties to address the flow of illicit drugs across the northern border of the United States. This amendment modifies a previous executive order by revising the conditions under which duty-free de minimis treatment is available for certain articles. The Secretary of Commerce is tasked with notifying the President when systems are in place to process and collect applicable tariff revenue, at which point the duty-free treatment will cease for eligible articles.
• White House issued amendment to tariff executive order on southern border — The White House issued a presidential action amending Executive Order 14194 (February 1, 2025) and Executive Order 14198 (February 3, 2025), which imposed duties on imports related to the southern border situation. The amendment revises section 2(g) to condition duty-free de minimis treatment on the Secretary of Commerce certifying that adequate systems exist to process and collect tariff revenue. The order invokes the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, National Emergencies Act, and Trade Act of 1974 as authority.
• White House issued amendment to tariff order on illicit drugs from Canada — The White House issued an amendment to Executive Order 14193 (issued February 1, 2025) that imposed duties on goods crossing the northern border to address illicit drug flow. The amendment modifies section 2(h) to make duty-free de minimis treatment conditional: such treatment remains available for eligible articles until the Secretary of Commerce notifies the President that adequate systems exist to fully process and collect tariff revenue on those articles, at which point the exemption ceases.

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• Executive Order Designating English as Official Language — President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14224, designating English as the official language of the United States. This order revokes Executive Order 13166, which improved access to services for persons with limited English proficiency. The order aims to promote unity and streamline government operations by establishing a single official language, while allowing agencies to continue providing services in other languages as necessary.
• Trump designates English as the official U.S. language — President Donald Trump issued an executive order designating English as the official language of the United States. This order revokes Executive Order 13166, which aimed to improve access to services for persons with limited English proficiency. The new order emphasizes the importance of a unified national language for societal cohesion and civic engagement. It directs federal agencies to recognize English as the official language but does not mandate changes to services provided in other languages. The Attorney General is tasked with updating guidance consistent with this order.
• White House issues fact sheet on executive order designating English as official language — The White House published a fact sheet on March 1, 2025, describing an executive order signed by President Trump designating English as the official language of the United States. The order states it rescinds a Clinton-era mandate requiring federal agencies and funding recipients to provide language assistance to non-English speakers. The fact sheet claims the order allows agencies flexibility to continue offering services in other languages while encouraging immigrants to adopt English, and asserts the designation promotes national unity and government efficiency.
• White House signed executive order designating English as the official language of the United States — The White House signed an executive order on March 1, 2025, designating English as the official language of the United States. The order revokes Executive Order 13166 (2000), which required federal agencies to provide services and documents in languages other than English for persons with limited English proficiency. The order states that agency heads retain discretion over service provision and are not required to cease multilingual document production, but directs the Attorney General to rescind policy guidance issued under the prior order and provide updated guidance consistent with applicable law.
• Trump designates English as the official language — President Trump signed an executive order designating English as the official language of the United States. This order rescinds a Clinton-era mandate requiring government agencies and federally funded organizations to provide language assistance to non-English speakers, potentially affecting access to services for non-English speaking communities.

Supporting reports

• Columbia University capitulates to Trump administration demands and accepts conditions for restoration of $400 million in federal funding — Columbia University agreed to a series of demands from the Trump administration in March as a precondition for the restoration of $400 million in federal funding. The article does not specify the exact demands, but contextualizes Columbia's capitulation as part of a broader pattern of universities caving to executive pressure, contrasting it with Harvard's refusal.

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• Trump administration cancels $577 million in international labor rights programs — Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced in March the cancellation of approximately $577 million in grants for international labor programs administered by the Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) at the Department of Labor. The cuts eliminated programs addressing child labor, forced labor, worker rights in supply chains, and enforcement of trade agreements. Labor groups, including the Solidarity Center, Global March Against Child Labour, and the American Institutes for Research, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday challenging the termination as unauthorized and arguing Congress had authorized the programs.

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• Trump fires FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter — President Trump moved to fire Rebecca Slaughter, a Democratic FTC commissioner, before her term was set to expire in 2029. The firing was made without cause, citing only policy differences. Slaughter was one of two Democratic commissioners Trump sought to remove from the consumer protection and antitrust agency. The move drew criticism from Democratic senators and antimonopoly groups who viewed it as an attempt to eliminate internal opposition to corporate interests within the agency.
• Trump fires Rebecca Slaughter from Federal Trade Commission — In March 2025, President Trump fired Rebecca Slaughter, the last remaining Democratic member of the Federal Trade Commission, claiming her continued service was "inconsistent with [the] Administration's priorities." Although Trump had initially appointed Slaughter, he asserted the right to remove her under Article II of the Constitution, despite Congress having structured the FTC position to shield it from presidential politics. This action became the predicate for the Slaughter v. Trump case, which the Supreme Court decided in Trump's favor on June 29, 2026.
• Trump administration fires Rebecca Slaughter from FTC; she files lawsuit challenging termination — In March 2025, President Trump fired Rebecca Slaughter, a Democratic FTC commissioner appointed in 2018, via email. Slaughter and fellow Democratic commissioner Alvaro Bedoya (also fired) filed a lawsuit challenging their terminations days later. In July 2025, a federal judge reinstated Slaughter, but the Trump administration appealed. In September 2025, the Supreme Court allowed Trump to remove Slaughter while the case proceeded, signaling the Court's intent to overturn Humphrey's Executor.
• Trump fired FTC member Rebecca Slaughter citing inconsistency with administration priorities — In March 2025, Trump fired Rebecca Slaughter, the last remaining Democratic member of the Federal Trade Commission, claiming her continued service was "inconsistent with [the] Administration's priorities." Although Trump himself had initially appointed Slaughter, he asserted the right to remove her under Article II of the Constitution despite Congress establishing the FTC position to be shielded from presidential politics. Since 1935, the Supreme Court has held that presidents may fire independent agency members only for "inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office." Trump's action invokes the "unitary executive" theory to expand presidential removal power over independent agencies.

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• Trump issued executive order suspending Jenner & Block security clearances — In March 2025, President Trump signed an executive order titled "Addressing Risks from Jenner & Block" that suspended security clearances for lawyers at the firm and restricted their access to government buildings, officials, and federal contracting work. Trump accused the firm of engaging in activities that "undermine justice and the interests of the United States" and specifically criticized it for employing Andrew Weissmann, who had worked on the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 campaign.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration executive order targeting states with late-ballot policies — A March executive order by President Trump sought to punish states that allow mail-in ballots to arrive after election day. At least three states have ended the practice in response. Lawsuits challenging this portion of the executive order remain ongoing.
• Trump issues executive order targeting mail-in ballot counting — President Trump issued an executive order in March directing the attorney general to "take all necessary action" against states that count mail-in ballots received after election day if postmarked by the deadline. The order prompted immediate legal challenges from the Brennan Center, ACLU, League of Women Voters, and other organizations seeking to block its implementation.
• Trump issues executive order imposing proof-of-citizenship and mail ballot restrictions — In March 2025, President Trump issued an executive order seeking to impose proof-of-citizenship requirements on federal voter registration forms and to bar states from accepting mail ballots that arrive after Election Day, even if postmarked before. Courts blocked much of the order, but in August, Trump doubled down by pledging to "get rid of" mail voting altogether before the 2026 midterms. The threat has amplified right-wing suspicion of absentee ballots and emboldened state-level crackdowns.

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• Trump urged impeachment of Judge James Boasberg and attacked him as "radical left lunatic" — Trump in March 2025 urged the impeachment of DC federal judge James Boasberg and falsely branded him a "radical left lunatic" after Boasberg issued a ruling halting the deportation to El Salvador of scores of Venezuelan immigrants with alleged gang ties. The attack prompted Chief Justice John Roberts to issue hours-later criticism of political attacks on the judiciary and warnings against calls to impeach judges for their decisions.

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• Trump signs executive order shifting disaster relief responsibility to states — In March 2025, President Trump signed an executive order instructing state and local officials to increase their disaster response capacity as FEMA scales back its operations. While state and local authorities already coordinate resources provided by FEMA and other agencies during emergencies, the executive order implies they may also assume the financial burden of disaster relief. This could be devastating to small local governments lacking sufficient revenue to cover infrastructure repairs or assist displaced residents. Florida, for example, received $5.5 billion in FEMA assistance to recover from Hurricane Irma in 2017.

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• Secretary of State invokes emergency authorities for arms transfer — Secretary of State Marco Rubio bypassed Congress to invoke "emergency authorities" for sending $4 billion in arms, including 2,000-pound bombs, to Israel. This action follows a precedent set by the Biden administration. The move has raised concerns about the executive branch's unilateral military decisions without congressional approval.