Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Trump administration petitions Supreme Court to overturn third-country deportation ban — Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that the Department of Justice filed a petition with the US Supreme Court on Thursday, September 25, 2026, seeking to overturn a federal appeals court ruling that blocked the Trump administration's policy of deporting immigrants to countries other than their own. The administration has already deported over 25,000 migrants to at least 29 third countries, including dangerous locations such as the Central African Republic and South Sudan. The lower court had declared the Department of Homeland Security's policy unlawful, and the appeals court upheld that decision in a class-action lawsuit brought by migrants subject to deportation orders.

Supporting reports

• Senate Republicans block war powers resolution to end US-Iran conflict — Senate Republicans voted down a House-passed war powers resolution on Thursday, September 25, 2026, that sought to end the US military conflict with Iran. The measure failed 49-50, despite bipartisan House passage and support from four Republican senators (Tillis, Murkowski, Paul, Collins). The conflict had reached 200 days with 19 US service members killed and over 750 injured. Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer and Andy Kim, invoked the War Powers Resolution to force the vote. The defeat marks the latest in a series of failed Democratic attempts to end the war since Trump ordered military strikes in late February 2026.

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• Ketanji Brown Jackson criticizes Supreme Court's emergency docket practices in public speech — Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson delivered remarks at the University of the District of Columbia's law school, expressing concern that the Supreme Court's use of the "shadow docket" or emergency docket undermines public faith in the judiciary. She stated the practice risks becoming "an end-run around the standard review process" and noted that while the Court has begun providing more explanation for emergency rulings, it still falls short of full merit-docket review. Her comments came hours after the Trump administration filed another emergency request seeking to allow deportations to countries other than immigrants' home nations.

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• Trump administration denies White House access to CNN and MS Now journalists despite federal court order — On Thursday evening, the Trump administration barred journalists from CNN and MS Now from covering a White House state dinner honoring Chinese President Xi Jinping, hours after U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued an overnight order requiring the administration to restore press credentials to the three banned outlets (CNN, MS Now, Politico). CNN was permitted only a photojournalist and audio technician, excluding editorial staff. MS Now reporter Laura Barrón-López was denied credentials entirely. The administration had revoked the outlets' hard passes on Saturday, citing "fake news," but Kelly ruled the revocation violated due process and likely breached First Amendment protections.
• White House blocked CNN and MS NOW from state dinner with Chinese leader Xi Jinping — On the evening of September 25, CNN and MS NOW were blocked from full access to the White House state dinner with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The White House told CNN it could send only an audio producer and a cameraman, not a reporter or producer. CNN senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes stated the outlet was "specifically denied access" and that the White House was "not letting in the CNN editorial presence."

Supporting reports

• Federal judge orders Trump administration to restore White House press credentials to banned outlets — U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued an early-morning order on Thursday requiring the Trump administration to restore press credentials to journalists from CNN, MS Now, and Politico for a 14-day period. The judge found the administration likely violated due process and First Amendment protections when it revoked the outlets' hard passes on Saturday without advance notice or opportunity to be heard. Kelly ruled the standards cited by the White House were "so vague" as to be constitutionally inadequate and expressed skepticism that national security was the actual motivation, noting Trump's content-based statements about the ban. A hearing on a preliminary injunction was scheduled during the 14-day restoration period.
• Federal judge ordered White House to restore press credentials for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico reporters — U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a 14-day restraining order requiring the White House to immediately restore press credentials for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico reporters after Trump banned them. The judge found the news organizations were likely to succeed on their claim that their passes were revoked without due process. When reporters attempted to cover Trump's event with Chinese President Xi, they were initially denied access in defiance of the court order, prompting attorneys to file an emergency motion. The White House eventually admitted the reporters after other media outlets joined a boycott.
• U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly granted media outlets' request to block Trump's White House ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico — After a hearing on Trump's Friday ban of CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House campus, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly (appointed by Trump in 2017) granted the media outlets' request for a temporary restraining order, finding that the administration's national security justification was pretextual. Kelly noted that the stories the White House objected to were "routine" and that one was based on a White House press call. Kelly ordered the credentials of 78 journalists restored immediately.

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• White House denied access to reporters in defiance of court order — Despite the federal court's overnight restraining order, White House staff denied access to CNN, MS NOW, and Politico reporters when they arrived to cover Trump's event with Chinese President Xi on the morning of September 24. The denial occurred in direct defiance of the judicial order. Attorneys for the media companies filed an emergency motion requesting an expedited hearing, which was granted and scheduled for 12:45 p.m. The White House eventually admitted the reporters just before the emergency hearing was set to begin.
• White House continued to deny CNN, Politico, and MS NOW access despite court order — Despite Judge Kelly's order restoring journalist credentials, the White House continued to deny reporters from CNN, Politico, and MS NOW access to the White House campus on the morning of September 25. The outlets' lawyers requested an emergency hearing, citing repeated violations of the court's order. After the judge ordered the administration to respond, the reporters were allowed back into the area.

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• Complaint filed — State of New York v. U.S. Department of Interior — Eight northeastern states filed a federal complaint challenging the Department of the Interior's June 2026 settlement agreements with offshore wind developer Invenergy to cancel three East Coast wind leases in exchange for Judgment Fund repayment and $653 million in spending on oil, gas, and liquified natural gas projects. The states allege the cancellations violate the Administrative Procedure Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, and the Judgment Fund Act, and deprive them of renewable energy generation capacity sufficient to power 2.6 million homes. Plaintiffs seek vacatur of the agreements and injunctive relief.
• Complaint filed: State of New York v. U.S. Department of the Interior — New York, New Jersey, and six other states filed a complaint in the Eastern District of New York challenging the Department of the Interior's April 27, 2026 agreement with Bluepoint Wind, LLC to cancel an offshore wind lease and reimburse Bluepoint $765 million from the Judgment Fund in exchange for investment in oil and gas projects. Plaintiffs allege the cancellation is arbitrary and capricious, violates the Administrative Procedure Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, and that the settlement agreement exceeds statutory authority and misuses the Judgment Fund. They seek vacatur of the cancellation and agreement, declaratory relief, and injunctive relief.

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• ProPublica investigation reveals bribery scheme involving Sen. Susan Collins and defense contractor Navatek — ProPublica published an investigation detailing allegations that Sen. Susan Collins steered millions in federal defense contracts to Navatek in exchange for illegal campaign contributions funneled through shell companies. Navatek CEO Martin Kao was indicted in 2022 for making illegal campaign contributions after the FBI discovered the scheme. Kao told the FBI the arrangement involved a pay-to-play operation spanning dozens of politicians. The FBI had assembled evidence for a sweeping bribery probe by end of 2024, but the investigation was halted after Trump returned to the White House and dismantled specialized FBI and DOJ public corruption units.
• FBI investigation into Senator Susan Collins shut down — ProPublica reported that the FBI had evidence Senator Susan Collins participated in a pay-to-play scheme, and that the investigation was shut down after Trump took office. The closure of the investigation into a sitting senator suggests potential interference with law enforcement independence and selective application of accountability.
• FBI anti-corruption investigators fired after investigating Senator Collins for pay-to-play scheme — ProPublica reported that the FBI's anti-corruption group was investigating Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, for a pay-to-play scheme in which defense contractor Navatek made illegal donations to her 2020 campaign and later received multimillion-dollar government contracts. When Trump returned to the White House in 2025, he fired the investigators building the case and largely stopped investigating public corruption. Collins's office admitted the campaign disgorged illegal contributions but denied knowledge of the arrangement, though emails suggest otherwise.
• FBI investigation into Senator Susan Collins' steering of defense contracts was halted after Trump purged public corruption unit — In 2020, the FBI launched an investigation into the relationship between a former defense contractor CEO and Senator Susan Collins' staff, with ProPublica reporting that "the senator's office steered government contracts worth millions toward the company while her campaign was pumping [the CEO] and his network for donations." After Trump began his second term in 2025, he purged the FBI unit working on public corruption investigations, effectively halting the probe.

Supporting reports

• Federal appeals court rules third-country deportation policy unlawful — A three-judge federal appeals court panel unanimously ruled on Friday (date of ruling not specified, but referenced as occurring before the article's publication) that the Trump administration's third-country removal policy violated due process by failing to provide adequate notice of deportation decisions or opportunity for legal contestation. Human rights lawyers argued the ruling should ground deportation flights immediately. However, the Department of Homeland Security's general counsel stated the policy would continue, and the government indicated it would appeal within the 90-day window allowed by law. The ruling relates to a March 2025 lawsuit; a district judge had issued a preliminary injunction in April 2025, but the Supreme Court lifted it in June 2025, allowing flights to resume.

Supporting reports

• Federal lawsuit filed challenging White House press ban — On September 21, CNN, MS NOW, and Politico filed a federal lawsuit challenging the White House's ban on their journalists. The organizations argue that the exclusions violate First Amendment rights and are retaliatory based on their reporting. The Trump administration contends that White House access is a privilege tied to national security, not a constitutional right. Federal Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, is scheduled to hear the news organizations' emergency request for temporary restoration of access on September 23 at 3:30 p.m. Eastern.
• CNN, MS Now, and Politico file federal lawsuit challenging White House journalist ban — Three news organizations filed a federal lawsuit on Monday against the Trump administration seeking a temporary restraining order to block enforcement of the journalist ban and restore press credentials. The lawsuit argued the ban violated First Amendment rights to free press and access to government information. The suit came after Secret Service confiscated press badges from reporters on Saturday following Trump's announcement of the ban via Truth Social.
• CNN, MSNBC, and Politico file lawsuit challenging media ban — On September 21, CNN, MSNBC, and Politico filed a federal lawsuit against Trump, communications director Steven Cheung, Secret Service director Sean Curran, and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, alleging violations of the First and Fifth Amendments. The lawsuit characterizes the ban as retaliation for negative news coverage and states that Trump banned the outlets because he deemed their reporting "negative" and to chill future reporting about his administration. The plaintiffs seek restoration of their press credentials for White House coverage.
• Judge Timothy Kelly assigned to media ban lawsuit — U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, appointed to the bench by Trump in 2017, was assigned to hear the lawsuit filed by CNN, MSNBC, and Politico challenging the White House media ban. Judge Kelly ordered the government to respond to the lawsuit by the following day and scheduled a hearing for Wednesday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. Trump responded by complaining that the outlets "have drawn a great Judge, for them, a man who ruled in favor of Jim Acosta" in 2018, and vowed to appeal any adverse ruling.
• CNN, MS Now, and Politico sue Trump administration over White House press badge revocation — Three major news organizations filed a federal lawsuit in US District Court for Washington DC on Monday, September 21, seeking to regain White House access after their journalists' credentials were revoked on Saturday. The revocation followed Trump's announcement via Truth Social that the outlets would lose access due to their coverage. The plaintiffs argue the ban violates the First Amendment and Fifth Amendment, claiming retaliation based on viewpoint and lack of due process. They seek a temporary restraining order to immediately restore access while litigation proceeds.
• Complaint filed: Cable News Network, Inc. v. Trump (D.D.C. 1:26-cv-03287) — CNN, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), and POLITICO, along with three of their White House correspondents, filed a complaint in D.D.C. challenging President Trump's Sept. 18, 2026 ban on the three news organizations from White House grounds. The ban was announced as retaliation for "FAKE NEWS" reporting and took effect Sept. 19, 2026, when Secret Service officers denied entry and confiscated press credentials. Plaintiffs allege violations of the Fifth Amendment Due Process Clause (deprivation of liberty and property interests without notice or hearing) and the First Amendment (unlawful retaliation against protected speech and viewpoint discrimination). They seek declaratory and injunctive relief, including immediate restoration of credentials and access.
• MS NOW, CNN, and Politico filed lawsuit against Trump's White House press ban — Three major news outlets filed a federal lawsuit challenging Trump's total ban on their access to the White House. The lawsuit argues the ban violates the First Amendment and constitutional principles protecting press credentials and access. The outlets contend that while presidents may disagree with coverage, the Constitution protects news organizations' liberty and property interests in press credentials and the access they afford for public benefit.

Supporting reports

• Speaker Johnson defended Trump's Iran war as "operation" not war — Speaker Mike Johnson, when asked at what point Congress should step in to address the Iran war, responded that the administration does not consider it an ongoing war but rather an "operation—Operation Epic Fury, which was an epic success." Johnson stated "I don't think we need liberal Marxist Democrats in Congress trying to tell the commander in chief what to do with the military right now," dismissing congressional oversight of military operations.

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• Defense Secretary Hegseth narrowly avoided impeachment vote — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth narrowly avoided becoming the first civilian defense chief to face an impeachment vote in the House since William Belknap was impeached in 1876. An impeachment resolution introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie was not taken up after Speaker Mike Johnson sent House lawmakers home early, ensuring the vote would not occur until after the midterm elections. Johnson defended Hegseth and insisted the move had nothing to do with the defense secretary, but the controversy underscored slipping support for Hegseth in Congress and mounting criticism that he is politicizing the military through his ousting of top generals and crusade against "woke ideology" while directing an increasingly unpopular war lacking a clear exit strategy.

Supporting reports

• Senate Armed Services Committee opposed Hegseth's pick for Army secretary — The Republican-led Senate Armed Services Committee expressed firm opposition to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's top pick for Army secretary, Sean Parnell, who is Hegseth's chief spokesman. The opposition indicates declining support for Hegseth's leadership and his personnel choices.

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• Trump claimed military requested conversion of Triumphal Arch to military complex for drones and sniper ammunition — Trump announced plans to convert a planned Triumphal Arch near Arlington Memorial Bridge into a military complex to house drones and sniper ammunition, claiming the military made a "strong request" for the conversion. Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) criticized the plan as dangerous and suggested Trump was creating a pretext to defend against a lawsuit by falsely linking the arch to national security. Democratic lawmakers indicated they could subpoena Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine to verify whether the military actually requested this use.
• Trump announces plan to convert Arlington Memorial Bridge area into military complex and triumphal arch — Trump announced on social media that he has agreed to convert the area at the Receptive Circle adjoining the Arlington Memorial Bridge into a military complex and triumphal arch, citing national security purposes and a request from the U.S. Military. The structure would house drones, snipers, and ammunition storage. Trump claimed Washington, D.C. is the only major capital without a triumphal arch and that this would be "by far, the greatest of them all."

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• 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.

Supporting reports

• Trump announced ban of CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from White House — Trump announced that CNN, MSNBC, and Politico are banned from the White House "effective immediately," accusing them of reporting what he calls "fake news." Reuters reported that Trump said the ban could extend to additional news organizations. Trump told reporters "I don't want them here" and said he would take the ban "as far as you can." The administration has not explained how the restriction would work, and the Associated Press reported that journalists from the affected outlets remained on White House grounds Friday afternoon.
• Trump bans MS Now, CNN, and Politico reporters from White House grounds — President Trump ordered the removal of reporters from MS Now, CNN, and Politico from White House grounds, effective immediately, citing what he claimed was constant "fake news" reporting. On Saturday morning, journalists from these outlets were denied access and had their press passes confiscated by the Secret Service at security gates. Trump stated the decision was "cumulative" over two years and said he was considering banning additional outlets. The White House Correspondents' Association and press freedom advocates condemned the action as unconstitutional.
• Secret Service confiscates press badges and denies White House access — On September 19, reporters from CNN, MSNBC, and Politico attempting to enter the White House press complex were denied entry by security personnel, and Secret Service agents confiscated their press credentials. This enforcement action followed Trump's announcement the previous day banning the three outlets from White House facilities.
• Trump banned CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from White House — Trump issued a directive banning CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from the White House. The ban surprised many senior Trump staffers, who learned of it only through Trump's Truth Social post while Chief of Staff Susie Wiles was out of town. The press shop was initially blindsided and unsure how to respond. A source close to the White House confirmed the ban is "real and permanent as far as POTUS is concerned." Discussions were already underway about adding more news organizations, with Trump specifically citing the New York Times and Washington Post as possible additions.