Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Trump cancels housing bill signing event — President Trump canceled a scheduled signing event for the housing bill, citing the need for Congress to pass the SAVE America Act first. This cancellation reflects his prioritization of voter eligibility legislation over housing reform, which could impact public perception and support for his administration.
• Trump threatens to withhold housing bill signature — President Trump announced he will not sign a bipartisan housing bill into law until Congress passes the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, which requires proof of citizenship to vote. This announcement came after the Senate and House passed the housing measure aimed at increasing housing supply and affordability.
• Trump withholds signature on bipartisan housing bill pending passage of voter ID legislation — After the Senate and House overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan housing affordability bill designed to increase housing supply and prevent private equity from purchasing single-family homes, Trump announced he would not sign it into law until Congress passes the SAVE Act, which requires proof of citizenship to vote and mandates states surrender voting rolls to the federal government. Trump cancelled a scheduled housing bill signing ceremony, declaring the voter ID measure a "National Emergency."
• Trump refuses to sign housing bill pending Senate passage of voting restrictions measure — President Trump refused to sign a major housing bill that had passed with bipartisan majorities in Congress, conditioning its approval on the Senate advancing the Save America Act, a voting restrictions measure. This represents a continuation of Trump's linkage of unrelated legislative priorities, previously connecting the housing bill's passage to renewal of a foreign surveillance law. The standoff has created a legislative logjam and prompted House Republican leadership to cancel scheduled votes.
• Trump canceled bipartisan housing bill signing hours before ceremony — Roughly an hour before Trump was scheduled to sign bipartisan housing legislation on Capitol Hill alongside Republican leaders, he canceled the signing via social media post, calling the bill "of minor importance" and demanding Congress pass the SAVE Act first. The presidential seal-emblazoned table sat waiting in Statuary Hall as some top Republicans were mid-speech or press conference touting the bill, unaware the president had canceled.
• White House Press Secretary contradicted housing bill signing announcement — White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted hours before Trump's refusal to sign the housing bill, announcing that "Trump will sign into law the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, one of the most significant pieces of housing affordability legislation in American history," touting it as a bipartisan achievement and "promise made, promise kept." Trump then canceled the signing.
• Interior Department transferred taxpayer funds to Freedom 250 events — The Department of Interior transferred taxpayer money to the National Park Foundation for use in Freedom 250 events, and the National Park Service funded the Fourth of July fireworks display. Michael Scherer of The Atlantic reported this fact-check in response to Alexis Wilkins' claim that the celebration was not taxpayer-funded.
• Trump's construction projects carry over $1 billion in taxpayer costs — A New York Times analysis revealed that Trump's 18 major construction projects undertaken during his second term—including an East Wing ballroom, Kennedy Center renovations, National Garden of American Heroes, Lafayette Park, Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, and others—carry a potential cost exceeding $1 billion, with significant taxpayer expense despite Trump's claims of private funding.
• Trump demanded Senate pass SAVE Act before signing legislation — Trump announced he would not sign any additional legislation until the Senate passed the SAVE Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act), designed to restrict voting before the 2026 election. This conditional demand effectively halted all legislative activity and prompted House MAGA members to vote against procedural measures, leading Speaker Johnson to adjourn the House.
• Trump refused to sign bipartisan housing bill into law — President Trump declined to sign a landmark bipartisan housing bill after a midday confrontation with senators. The refusal followed Trump's demand that the Senate pass the SAVE Act to restrict voting before the 2026 election. Trump announced he would not sign any additional legislation until this voting-restriction measure advanced, effectively halting legislative activity and prompting Speaker Johnson to adjourn the House.
• House Freedom Caucus voted against procedural measures — Members of the far-right Freedom Caucus voted against procedural measures necessary for the House to conduct business, citing Trump's refusal to sign legislation as justification. Their obstruction rendered the House unable to accomplish any legislative work, prompting Speaker Johnson to adjourn members on Thursday.
• Senate Republicans voted against war powers resolution — Senate Republicans voted to reject advancing a war powers resolution that the Senate had passed the day before. The vote occurred after Trump's refusal to sign the housing bill and his confrontation with senators, appearing as an attempt to mollify the president following their brief assertion of independence.
• Trump canceled housing bill signing to leverage proof-of-citizenship voting requirement — President Trump canceled his scheduled signing of the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act on Wednesday, June 25, stating he would not approve it until Congress passed his SAVE America Act, which includes a proof-of-citizenship voting requirement. The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support (85–5 in Senate, 358–32 in House). Under the ten-day pocket-veto rule, the bill becomes law without Trump's signature if Congress remains in session and he does not veto it; Speaker Johnson indicated Trump will ultimately sign.
• Rep. Luna refused to reopen House floor pending Senate return — Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) announced she would not vote to reopen the House floor until the Senate returned to Washington to act on the SAVE Act. Luna criticized Senate Majority Leader Thune for obtaining unanimous consent to adjourn, saying "Thune is running and hiding."
• Rep. Luna shut down House floor over SAVE Act demand — Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) shut down the House floor, preventing any legislation from being brought up, because the Senate had not acted on the SAVE Act. Luna froze the House despite the fact that shutting down the floor does not accomplish anything in the Senate. Speaker Mike Johnson was unable to pass a rule or bring any legislation to a vote.
• Sen. Murkowski criticized Trump's housing bill obstruction — Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) told CNN's Manu Raju that Trump's decision to hold up his own agenda by demanding action on the SAVE Act was "not helpful to him" and "not helpful to the country." She noted that "If you don't have the votes, sir, you don't have the votes" and said Trump's actions do not help chances of keeping the GOP majority, as people want Congress to focus on issues affecting them at home.
• Sen. Whitehouse warned of Republican dissension and Trump's destructive intent — Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) warned that Thune may be growing fed up with Trump and that dissension in the Republican Caucus may be growing. Whitehouse suggested that "The realization may be dawning that Trump prefers to take them all down with him than fail alone."
• Senate Majority Leader Thune adjourned Senate for 19 days — Senate Majority Leader John Thune obtained unanimous consent to adjourn the Senate for 19 days after Trump's last-minute cancellation of the housing bill signing. Thune declined to comment on Trump's reversal, saying "I guess I would say at this point I don't have any observations."

Supporting reports

• US Park Police arrested David Hearn for touching pool liner — David Hearn, a 67-year-old three-time Olympic canoeist, was arrested by US Park Police on a charge of destruction of government property after he touched a piece of the Reflecting Pool's liner that was already peeling and partially detached. Hearn stated he did not vandalize or remove anything, only touched the flapping material. The arrest occurred at the Lincoln Memorial.
• National Guard arrested Olympic athlete David Hearn at Reflecting Pool — David Hearn, a three-time Olympian, was arrested by National Guard troops at the Reflecting Pool after leaving the site. Hearn stated he was detained for five hours, photographed, fingerprinted, held incommunicado, and never read his rights. He said he did not believe he had done anything wrong when approached by the troops.
• Trump threatens ten-year prison sentences for pool damage without due process clarity — President Trump posted on Truth Social that anyone found to have harmed or attempted to harm the reflecting pool faces a ten-year prison sentence, which "will be fully enforced." Trump asserted that six people have been arrested for allegedly damaging the pool, though only one arrest was confirmed: David Hearn, a 67-year-old former Olympic canoe racer from Maryland, who claimed he was detained for five hours by national guard troops and park police merely for reaching into the pool to examine peeling coating.

Supporting reports

• Trump threatened renewed military action if ceasefire terms not met — By Wednesday night, Trump backed away from celebratory statements about the ceasefire and posted a lengthy threat that all U.S. military assets would remain in place around Iran until the "REAL AGREEMENT" was fully complied with. He threatened that if compliance did not occur, "the 'Shootin' Starts,' bigger, and better, and stronger than anyone has ever seen before," and reiterated demands that Iran have no nuclear weapons and the Strait of Hormuz remain open.
• Trump threatens military action against Iran while contradicting his own deal claims — Trump posted threats on Truth Social declaring that all U.S. ships, aircraft, and military personnel will remain positioned around Iran until the "REAL AGREEMENT" is fully complied with. He threatened that if compliance does not occur, "Shootin' Starts, bigger, and better, and stronger than anyone has ever seen before." Trump also announced that Iran agreed to no nuclear weapons and an open Strait of Hormuz—terms that directly contradict his simultaneous claim that the ten-point framework is a fake hoax, since those terms originate from that framework. He stated the U.S. military is "Loading Up and Resting, looking forward, actually, to its next Conquest."
• Trump threatened renewed military action against Iran — Trump posted on Truth Social that all U.S. ships, aircraft, and military personnel will remain in place around Iran with additional ammunition and weaponry for the "lethal prosecution and destruction" of Iran until the ceasefire agreement is fully complied with. He stated that if compliance does not occur, "the 'Shootin' Starts," bigger and stronger than ever before. He also reiterated that no nuclear weapons and an open Strait of Hormuz were agreed terms.

Supporting reports

• Trump announces 10% global baseline tariff under Section 122 of Trade Act — Following the Supreme Court's ruling striking down his IEEPA-based tariffs, President Trump announced a new 10% global baseline tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which permits tariffs for 150 days. Trump stated the administration would initiate investigations into unfair trading practices that could lead to permanent tariffs. Trump framed the court's decision as actually strengthening presidential tariff authority and vowed to enact "very powerful alternatives" to the struck-down tariffs.
• Trump announces 10% global tariff under Section 122 — Following the Supreme Court's invalidation of his national emergency tariffs, Trump announced a 10% blanket global tariff "over and above our normal tariffs already being charged" under Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act, which permits temporary tariffs to address balance-of-payments deficits. This action circumvents the Court's ruling by invoking alternative statutory authority, though Section 122 requires congressional approval to extend beyond 150 days and prohibits country-specific discrimination.
• Trump announces new 10% global tariff under Trade Act of 1974 — Hours after the Supreme Court ruling, President Trump held a press conference announcing he would continue his tariff war using Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 instead of the IEEPA. He announced a new 10% global tariff and directed his administration to conduct investigations into unfair trading practices under other sections of the 1974 Act. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated the new tariffs would result in "virtually unchanged tariff revenue in 2026" and acknowledged the process would be more complicated but ultimately achieve the same outcome.
• Trump announces new 10% global tariff, increases to 15% within 24 hours — After the Supreme Court ruled his tariffs unconstitutional, President Trump announced a new 10% global tariff using different statutory authority and increased it to 15% less than 24 hours later. Trump stated "The policy hasn't changed. The legal tools that implement that may change but the policy hasn't changed," signaling intent to circumvent the court's constitutional ruling through alternative legal mechanisms. Top trade negotiator Jamieson Greer defended the shift as providing US business "leverage" in world trade.
• Trump signals intent to reimpose tariffs via alternative legal authority — At a news conference on 21 February 2026, President Trump stated he would attempt to reintroduce 10 percent tariffs on all countries using a different legal mechanism after the Supreme Court struck down his IEEPA-based tariffs. Trump characterized the court's failure to address refunds as "crazy" and predicted years of litigation. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent similarly suggested refunds could be delayed indefinitely.
• Trump announced 10% tariff on foreign imports following Supreme Court ruling — On Friday, February 21, 2026, immediately after the Supreme Court's decision striking down his IEEPA tariffs, Trump announced he was imposing a 10% tariff on foreign imports, directly contradicting the court's constitutional finding.
• Supreme Court ruled Trump's tariff regime unlawful; Trump announced new tariffs under Section 122 of Trade Act — The Supreme Court struck down Trump's sweeping tariff regime as lacking statutory authority. Within hours, Trump announced a new 10 percent worldwide tariff, raising it to 15 percent by the following morning, claiming authority under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. Legal analysis indicates Section 122 permits only temporary import surcharges of up to 15 percent for no more than 150 days, and only when the United States faces a serious international balance-of-payments crisis. The current U.S. balance-of-payments deficit is zero, and no such crisis exists. Trump's new tariff announcement appears to be an attempt to circumvent the Court's ruling through a different legal theory.
• Supreme Court rules Trump tariffs illegal under emergency powers law — The U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6-3 ruling on Friday declaring that most of Trump's tariffs lacked legal justification under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The court held that tariff authority belongs to Congress during peacetime, not the president. Trump responded by announcing a 15% global tariff under Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act. Trade chief Jamieson Greer stated the administration would persist with tariff policy despite the ruling and would not seek congressional authorization for the new tariffs.
• Trump signs global 10% tariff proclamation under Section 122 after Supreme Court blocks tariff authority — President Trump signed a proclamation on February 21, 2026, imposing a temporary 10% tariff on all countries effective February 24, invoking Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. The action followed a Supreme Court ruling blocking his use of tariffs. Trump claimed authority under existing statutes without congressional approval. Canada, Mexico, certain food products, and critical minerals were exempted. Trump publicly attacked six justices as a "disgrace to the nation" while praising three dissenters.
• Trump increased proposed global tariff rate from 10% to 15% via social media post — Trump announced via Truth Social that he was raising worldwide tariffs from the initially announced 10% to 15%, invoking Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. The announcement claimed the tariffs would take effect "effective immediately," though it remained unclear whether official documents had been signed. This followed Trump's earlier press conference announcement of 10% tariffs and came after the Supreme Court struck down his previous tariff actions as illegal on Friday.
• Trump imposed 10% global tariff under Section 122 of Trade Act of 1974, then raised it to 15% — On February 21, 2026, President Trump announced a 10% global tariff citing Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, then raised it to 15% the following day. Trump invoked this authority immediately after the Supreme Court struck down his previous tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. According to Popular Information's analysis, Trump's invocation of Section 122 is legally defective because the statute authorizes tariffs only in response to "large and serious" balance-of-payments deficits, not trade deficits; the U.S. currently has a zero balance-of-payments deficit, making the tariff legally unsupported.
• Trump announces 15% global tariff under alternative legal framework — Following the Supreme Court's ruling, Trump announced a 15% global tariff on all foreign imports (increased from 10% announced Friday) under Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act, a different legal framework than the one struck down by the court. Trade chief Greer indicated the administration would not automatically seek congressional authorization for these tariffs, which are set to expire within five months without it.
• Trump escalated tariffs to 15% and claimed court ruling expanded his powers — On Saturday, February 22, 2026, Trump posted that he was raising tariffs from 10% to 15% worldwide, effective immediately. He claimed the Supreme Court's decision "accidentally and unwittingly" gave him "far more powers and strength" than before and that he could "do absolutely 'terrible' things to foreign countries" using tariffs the court had approved.
• Trump administration announced plans to scale back tariffs on steel and aluminum — The Trump administration announced it would review and scale back tariffs on steel and aluminum goods—which had been set at up to 50 percent the previous summer—and exempt some items while halting expansion of the tariff lists. The administration also planned to launch more targeted national security probes into specific goods instead of maintaining broad tariffs. This move was undertaken in response to an affordability crisis damaging Trump's approval ratings.
• Trump invoked Section 122 authority to impose 10% tariff on all imports — Following the Supreme Court's IEEPA ruling, Trump immediately invoked Section 122 of the Tariff Act—an older statutory authority requiring no investigation but limited to 15 percent for 150 days—to impose a 10 percent tariff on all imports from all countries. This action circumvented the Court's restriction on unilateral IEEPA tariffs by relying on a different legal basis Congress had previously authorized.
• Trump raised Section 122 tariff from 10% to 15% — One day after imposing a 10 percent tariff under Section 122, Trump raised the rate to 15 percent—the statutory maximum under that authority. This escalation occurred within the same legal framework but pushed the temporary tariff to its ceiling.
• Trump imposed 15% tariff invoking Section 122 of Trade Act of 1974 — President Trump announced a 15% tariff by invoking Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, days after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down his prior tariff regime as unconstitutional. The administration's trade representative Jamieson Greer defended the move on Sunday shows, claiming the legal tool might change but policy remains consistent. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declined to commit to refunding approximately $134 billion collected under the now-invalidated tariffs, stating only that the administration would follow the court's direction.
• Administration announces pipeline of tariff investigations to rebuild tariff wall — Treasury Secretary Bessent announced on Sunday that Section 122 tariffs could expire after five months as Section 301 investigations into unfair trade practices and additional Section 232 national security tariffs are lined up to replace them. The administration is using procedural investigations as a mechanism to rebuild the same tariff structure that the Supreme Court struck down, using different legal authorities.
• Trade chief states tariff policy unchanged despite court ruling — On Sunday, U.S. trade negotiator Jamieson Greer told ABC News that the Trump administration would maintain its tariff policy and continue in the same direction, stating "the policy hasn't changed. The legal tools that implement that may change but the policy hasn't changed." Greer also confirmed the U.S. would not back out of bilateral tariff deals with the UK, EU, Japan, Switzerland, and others, despite the court ruling declaring those tariffs illegal.
• Trump delivered longest State of the Union address on record during partial DHS shutdown — President Trump delivered what multiple news outlets reported as the longest State of the Union address in U.S. history on February 24, 2026, while the Department of Homeland Security remained partially shut down since February 14. The address occurred during an active government funding lapse affecting federal workers' paychecks and DHS operations including TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, border security, airport screening, and the Coast Guard. Federal News Network reported it was the first SOTU ever delivered during an active partial government shutdown.
• Trump vowed to continue imposing tariffs despite Supreme Court ruling — During the State of the Union address, President Trump responded to the Supreme Court's striking down of his tariff authority by calling the ruling "unfortunate" and vowing to pursue "alternative" legal authorities to continue imposing tariffs without congressional approval. He also repeated the claim that tariffs are paid by foreign countries, contrary to evidence showing costs are borne primarily by American importers and consumers.
• Trump claimed he does not need Congressional approval for tariffs — Fifteen minutes after his threat post, at 9:49 a.m. on February 24, 2026, Trump posted that "As President, I do not have to go back to Congress to get approval of Tariffs. It has already been gotten, in many forms, a long time ago!" He claimed tariffs were "reaffirmed by the ridiculous and poorly crafted supreme court decision."
• Trump claims he has unchecked power after Supreme Court ruling — Trump publicly stated that the Supreme Court's ruling has given him "far more powers and strength" than before, suggesting he could use tariffs in a more aggressive manner. His comments reflect a disregard for the Court's authority and the principles of checks and balances.
• Trump posted that Supreme Court ruling granted him unchecked tariff power — At 7:06 a.m. on February 24, 2026, Trump posted on social media that the Supreme Court had "accidentally and unwittingly" given him "far more powers and strength" than he had before. He claimed he could use tariffs "in a much more powerful and obnoxious way, with legal certainty" and attacked the court with contemptuous language, writing "supreme court (will be using lower case letters for a while based on a complete lack of respect!)."
• Trump threatened higher tariffs against countries "playing games" — At 9:34 a.m. on February 24, 2026, Trump posted a threat that any country wanting to "play games" with the Supreme Court decision, especially those that have "ripped off" the U.S., would face "much higher Tariff, and worse" than recently agreed tariffs. The post ended with "BUYER BEWARE!!!"
• Trump threatens higher tariffs on foreign countries — Following the Supreme Court's ruling, Trump threatened that any country that "plays games" with the decision would face significantly higher tariffs. He asserted that he does not need Congressional approval for tariffs, claiming that previous approvals were sufficient. This statement reflects his intention to bypass legislative oversight in tariff implementation.
• Trump announced but did not sign 15 percent global tariff order — Trump announced plans to raise global tariffs to 15 percent under the 1974 Trade Act after his IEEPA tariffs were struck down by the Supreme Court. However, he never actually signed the order, meaning the effective tariff rate remained at 10 percent. The announcement was made publicly or on social media but was not formalized through executive action.
• Trump proclaims 10% temporary import surcharge on most goods for 150 days to address balance-of-payments deficit — President Trump issued Proclamation 11012 on February 20, 2026, imposing a temporary 10 percent ad valorem import surcharge effective February 24, 2026, for 150 days under section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. The proclamation cites large U.S. balance-of-payments deficits ($1.2 trillion goods trade deficit in 2024, current account deficit of 4.0% of GDP, and negative net international-investment position of -90% of GDP) as justification. Broad exemptions apply to critical minerals, energy, agricultural products, pharmaceuticals, vehicles, aerospace goods, and articles from Canada, Mexico, and Central American trade partners. The surcharge is in addition to existing tariffs and will be administered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
• Trump administration imposes 10% global tariff after Supreme Court strikes down "liberation day" tariffs — Following a Supreme Court decision that struck down Trump's sweeping "liberation day" tariffs imposed the previous year, the Trump administration announced a 10% global tariff on imported articles from every country for 150 days, effective Tuesday. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated the rate would rise to 15% or higher for some countries. The move represents a recalibration of tariff policy in response to the court's rejection of the earlier tariff regime.
• Trump sought Supreme Court rehearing on tariff decision — Trump posted on social media requesting that the Supreme Court reconsider its recent tariff decision, arguing that the ruling "could allow for Hundreds of Billions of Dollars to be returned to Countries and Companies that have been 'ripping off' the USA for many years." Trump asked "Is a Rehearing or Readjudication of this case possible???" Legal experts confirmed that no such rehearing mechanism exists under Supreme Court rules.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration suspends offshore wind leases citing national security — Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced that the Trump administration is suspending leases for five large offshore wind projects under construction, citing national security concerns and alleged radar interference. Burgum stated the Department of Defense concluded the wind programs create radar clutter that impairs military ability to distinguish friend from foe in airspace. Critics, including foreign policy journalist Kevin Baron and energy policy experts, characterized the stated rationale as false and attributed the action to Trump's long-standing ideological opposition to wind energy stemming from disputes over turbines near his Scottish golf course.
• Trump administration suspends offshore wind project leases citing national security concerns — The administration suspended leases for major offshore wind projects, citing "national security concerns." The stated rationale was framed as protecting radar systems, though the underlying motivation was to protect fossil fuel interests and prevent lower energy prices for consumers.
• Department of the Interior suspends offshore wind projects — The Department of the Interior announced the suspension of five offshore wind projects, citing national security concerns. The decision affects billions in investments and thousands of jobs, with the projects intended to provide electricity to millions of households. The justification referenced the "Department of War," a defunct entity, raising questions about the validity of the reasoning. A federal judge had previously ruled a related suspension effort as "arbitrary and capricious."
• Department of Interior suspends five offshore wind projects citing national security — The Department of Interior announced suspension of five offshore wind projects, citing national security concerns and referencing a non-existent "Department of War." The projects represent billions in investment, thousands of jobs, and electricity generation capacity for millions of households. A federal judge had previously ruled a related suspension effort "arbitrary and capricious" and contrary to law. The suspension was announced three days before Christmas.
• Interior Department suspended offshore wind projects on national security grounds — The Interior Department suspended five offshore wind projects, citing national security concerns and referencing "the Department of War," an agency that has not existed since 1947. A federal judge had recently declared a similar suspension "arbitrary and capricious."

Supporting reports

• Trump signs National Security Presidential Memorandum-7 on domestic terrorism — President Trump signed National Security Presidential Memorandum-7 (NSPM-7), directing law enforcement and regulatory agencies to investigate and disrupt networks, entities, and organizations allegedly responsible for encouraging acts of political violence. The memo directs the IRS commissioner to ensure no tax-exempt groups finance political violence or domestic terrorism, and instructs the IRS chief to refer organizations and their employees to the Department of Justice for investigation and possible prosecution. Legal experts and free speech organizations warn the order conflates protected speech with political violence and could be weaponized against left-leaning nonprofits.
• Trump issues presidential memorandum targeting "domestic terrorism" with focus on left-wing groups — On Thursday, President Trump signed a presidential memorandum aimed at investigating and dismantling what he characterized as a radical left-wing "terror network." The memo directs the FBI's joint terrorism taskforces, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Treasury to pursue an "all-of-government effort" against left-wing political violence and antifa. Trump suggested billionaires George Soros and Reid Hoffman could be targets. Critics, including the ACLU, argue the memo uses the label of "domestic terrorism" to target non-profits, activists, and protected political speech, with potential for broad crackdown on political opponents.
• Trump issued National Security Presidential Memorandum ordering prosecution of protest as federal crime — Three days after the antifa designation, Trump issued National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 (NSPM-7), titled "Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence," which established a National Joint Terrorism Task Force to investigate Americans engaged in protest and ordered the attorney general to prosecute protest as a federal crime to the maximum extent permissible by law.
• Trump signs memorandum targeting activists and nonprofits as "terror network" — President Trump signed a memorandum titled "Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence" that targets activists and nonprofits as part of what he called a "terror network" allegedly fueling violence against Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The memo alleges that "common threads" include anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, anti-Christianity, support for overthrowing the government, and extremism on migration, race, and gender. It grants law enforcement wide latitude to investigate, prosecute, and disrupt entities and individuals engaged in behavior the administration opposes, as well as nonprofit organizations that fund them. The memo also orders law enforcement to interrogate people regarding entities organizing actions and their financial sponsorship prior to adjudication or plea agreement.
• White House issues fact sheet on National Security Presidential Memorandum establishing domestic terrorism strategy — The White House issued a fact sheet on September 25, 2025, describing a National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM) signed by President Trump that directs federal agencies to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle organized political violence and domestic terrorism. The memorandum instructs the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force to coordinate investigations; directs the Attorney General to prosecute federal crimes related to organized political violence and recommend groups for designation as "domestic terrorist organizations"; instructs Treasury to identify and disrupt funding networks; and designates domestic terrorism a "National Priority Area." The fact sheet cites recent incidents including the assassination of conservative leader Charlie Kirk and attacks on ICE officers.
• Presidential Memorandum directs federal law enforcement to investigate and prosecute domestic terrorism and organized political violence through coordinated task forces, financial tracking, and organizational designation authority. — National Security Presidential Memorandum-7, signed September 25, 2025, directs the Secretaries of State, Treasury, and Homeland Security and the Attorney General to establish a comprehensive federal strategy countering domestic terrorism and organized political violence. The memorandum instructs the National Joint Terrorism Task Force to investigate individuals and organizations engaged in political violence, radicalization, doxing, and intimidation campaigns; directs the Treasury Department to identify and disrupt financial networks funding such activity; authorizes the Attorney General to designate groups meeting the statutory definition of "domestic terrorism" as domestic terrorist organizations; and mandates law enforcement agencies to interrogate suspects regarding organizational structures and funding sources. The memorandum identifies "anti-fascist" movements as a primary focus and cites recent assassinations, ICE facility attacks, and riots as justification for the expanded investigative authority.
• White House issued National Security Presidential Memorandum directing domestic terrorism investigations and prosecutions — The White House issued NSPM-7 on September 25, 2025, directing the National Joint Terrorism Task Force, Department of Justice, Department of Treasury, and Department of Homeland Security to investigate, prosecute, and disrupt entities and individuals engaged in political violence and intimidation. The memorandum directs law enforcement to investigate funding sources, organizational structures, and participants in acts characterized as domestic terrorism, with particular focus on what the document describes as "anti-fascist" movements. It instructs the Attorney General to prosecute federal crimes related to these investigations to the maximum extent permissible by law and authorizes the Treasury to deploy investigative tools to trace funding streams.
• Trump signed memorandum designating antifa as domestic terrorist organization — President Trump signed a separate presidential memorandum claiming to designate antifa, described as a leaderless and decentralized anti-fascist movement, as a "domestic terrorist organization." Legal experts warned that through this memo and the concurrent nonprofit-targeting memo, Trump is less concerned with curbing political violence and more concerned with stamping out an idea and creating a tool to use against any form of left-wing protest activity.
• Trump signed presidential memorandum targeting left-wing nonprofit organizations — President Trump signed a presidential memorandum directing the federal government to investigate and target liberal nonprofit organizations that fund the political left, specifically naming Democratic megadonors George Soros and Reid Hoffman. The memo ordered the Department of Justice and Department of Treasury to use anti-terrorism financial tools against unspecified organizations and directed the IRS commissioner to ensure that no tax-exempt entities finance political violence or domestic terrorism. Legal experts observed that the memo largely targets actions protected by the First Amendment by conflating speech and violence, and violates federal guidelines prohibiting law enforcement from investigating Americans based solely on First Amendment-protected activity.

Supporting reports

• Trump threatens to deploy National Guard to Chicago and Baltimore, claims Chicago is "world's most dangerous city" — Donald Trump announced plans to deploy National Guard units to Chicago and Baltimore to address violent crime, calling Chicago "the most dangerous city in the world" and citing 20 killings over 2.5 weeks and 75 shootings. He also discussed sending troops to New Orleans. The claims are contradicted by FBI crime data showing Chicago ranks 14th among cities over 100,000 residents in homicide rate (17.5 per 100,000), while the four highest-murder-rate cities—Jackson, Birmingham, St. Louis, and Memphis—are all in Republican-led states with rates ranging from 40.6 to 78.7 per 100,000.
• Texas National Guard preparation to deploy to Chicago reported — According to Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, the Texas National Guard is preparing to deploy to Chicago. Texas Governor Greg Abbott denied the claim. The deployment threat occurs despite Chicago experiencing declining violent crime, with 2025 showing fewer shootings than any year since the mid-1960s according to crime data expert Jeff Asher. Five major Texas cities—Houston, Corpus Christi, Lubbock, Dallas, and San Antonio—had higher violent crime rates per 100,000 people than Chicago in 2024.
• Trump pledges military deployment to Chicago and Baltimore amid false crime claims — President Trump pledged on Truth Social to deploy the military to Chicago and Baltimore, characterizing both cities as exceptionally dangerous. Trump called Chicago "the worst and most dangerous city in the World, by far" and a "killing field," and described Baltimore as "so far gone," a "hellhole," and a "horrible deathbed." However, FBI data shows Chicago ranked 55th in violent crime among major U.S. cities in 2024 (540 per 100,000), with multiple red-state cities including Memphis, Kansas City, Tulsa, and Louisville recording significantly higher rates. Baltimore is experiencing a historic crime decline, with August 2025 recording the lowest homicide count for that month on record and 91 homicides through September 1—the fewest in over 50 years for that period.
• Trump threatens national guard deployment to Chicago; advance ICE team training underway — President Trump reaffirmed his commitment to deploying federal troops to Chicago to address crime and homelessness, calling the city a "hellhole" and stating deployment would proceed regardless of local leadership consent. An advance team of at least 30 agents is undergoing crowd control and flash grenade training at Naval Station Great Lakes; 230 Customs and Border Protection agents are being transferred from Los Angeles. Chicago would become the second city to receive national guard troops after Washington DC (August) and Los Angeles (June). Local officials and community groups are organizing resistance, including legal preparation and "know your rights" campaigns.

Supporting reports

• Trump declares crime emergency in District of Columbia, delegates Metropolitan Police operational control to Attorney General — President Trump signed Executive Order 14333 on August 11, 2025, declaring a crime emergency in Washington, D.C., citing elevated violent crime rates. The order invokes section 740 of the Home Rule Act to place the Metropolitan Police Department under federal operational control, delegating authority to the Attorney General to direct the Mayor and determine necessary police services. The order cites 2024 crime statistics (27.54 homicides per 100,000 residents, 842.4 vehicle thefts per 100,000) and frames the emergency as necessary to protect federal workers, buildings, and government operations.
• Trump declared crime emergency in Washington, D.C., to take control of police — On August 11, 2025, President Trump declared a crime emergency in Washington, D.C., under the 1973 Home Rule Act to assume control of the city's police department. The Department of Justice had reported that crime in the District was at a 30-year low. The Home Rule Act permits such a takeover only if "special conditions of an emergency nature exist" and limits the takeover to 30 days unless Congress passes a joint resolution to extend it.
• Trump declares crime emergency in District of Columbia, delegates police control to Attorney General — President Trump issued an executive order on August 11, 2025, declaring a crime emergency in Washington, D.C., and invoking section 740 of the Home Rule Act to place the Metropolitan Police Department under federal control. The order delegates operational authority to the Attorney General, who may direct the Mayor to provide police services for federal purposes. Trump cited elevated violent crime rates (27.54 homicides per 100,000 residents in 2024, vehicle theft at 842.4 per 100,000) as justifying the emergency declaration and federal takeover of local law enforcement.
• President Trump signed Executive Order 14333 declaring a crime emergency in the District of Columbia and delegating operational control of the Metropolitan Police Department to the Attorney General. — On August 11, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14333, invoking section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to declare special conditions of emergency requiring the use of the Metropolitan Police Department for federal purposes. The order directs the Mayor to provide Metropolitan Police services for the maximum period permitted under law and delegates presidential authority to direct the Mayor to the Attorney General. The order cites 2024 crime statistics (27.54 homicides per 100,000 residents, 842.4 vehicle thefts per 100,000 residents) and asserts that D.C. has higher violent crime rates than all 50 states. The Attorney General is tasked with monitoring conditions and updating the President on whether further action is needed.
• President Trump signs executive order declaring crime emergency in District of Columbia — President Trump signed an executive order on August 11, 2025, declaring a crime emergency in Washington, D.C. The order invokes the President's authority under the District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act to require the Mayor to make Metropolitan Police Department services available to the President. The Attorney General is delegated authority to monitor the emergency and recommend further actions or termination. The fact sheet cites D.C. crime statistics (27 homicides per 100,000 residents in 2024; vehicle theft at 842.4 per 100,000) and frames the order as necessary to restore federal operations and public safety.
• White House issues release on "Liberation Day" declaring public safety emergency in Washington, D.C. — The White House issued a release on August 11, 2025, announcing that President Trump declared a public safety emergency in Washington, D.C., and placed Attorney General Pam Bondi in command of the Metropolitan Police Department. The release states the action targets "known gangs, drug dealers and criminal networks" and attributes the city's crime crisis to "abject failures of the city's local leadership." The document includes testimonials from D.C. residents supporting the measure.
• Trump Assumes Control Over D.C. Metropolitan Police Department — President Donald J. Trump announced at a press conference that he is taking control of the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department and deploying over 100 FBI agents, 40 agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, along with other federal officers and National Guard members to address crime in the capital. He stated that officers would clear homeless encampments from the city. This move comes despite statistics showing a significant decrease in violent crime in D.C.
• Trump signs executive order seizing DC police department control — President Trump signed an executive order on August 12, 2025, placing the DC Metropolitan Police Department under federal control, with Attorney General Pam Bondi assuming command. Trump also announced deployment of 800 National Guard troops to DC streets. The order was justified by claims of rising violent crime, but official DOJ data shows violent crime in DC declined 35% in 2024 (the lowest in over 30 years) and an additional 25% year-to-date in 2025. Crime expert Jeff Asher confirmed violent crime is declining regardless of categorization method.

Supporting reports

• Trump issues executive order declaring crime emergency in Washington DC — In August 2025, Trump issued an executive order declaring a crime emergency in Washington DC, despite the Department of Justice reporting that violent crime in the district was at a 30-year low. Within a month, more than 2,300 national guard troops from eight states and the district were deployed to patrol under the army secretary's command, with hundreds of federal agents also deployed to assist them.
• Trump administration deploys National Guard to clear Washington DC homeless camps — In August 2025, the Trump administration sent the National Guard into Washington DC, in part to clear homeless encampments as part of a broader crackdown on visible homelessness. Local reports indicate unhoused people are being moved around rather than housed, at an estimated cost of $1 million per day, with no tracking of outcomes.
• Trump declares public safety emergency in Washington DC and deploys National Guard — Trump held a press conference flanked by cabinet members to declare a "public safety emergency" in Washington DC, despite data showing violent crime in the capital was at a 30-year low. He placed DC police under temporary federal control and deployed 800 National Guard troops to the city, contradicting factual crime statistics.

Supporting reports

• Trump declares national emergency to justify tariff authority — Trump declared a national emergency under the National Emergencies Act to justify imposing tariffs, citing the need to "increase our competitive edge, protect our sovereignty, and strengthen our national and economic security." This invocation of emergency powers allows him to bypass the constitutional requirement that Congress hold the power to impose tariffs. The declaration relies on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to grant the president tariff authority during a declared emergency.
• Trump signed Executive Order 14257 imposing reciprocal tariffs on all imports, starting at 10 percent globally and escalating to country-specific rates on April 9, 2025, citing trade deficits as a national emergency. — President Trump signed Executive Order 14257 on April 2, 2025, declaring a national emergency based on persistent U.S. goods trade deficits and invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and National Emergencies Act. The order imposes an initial 10 percent ad valorem duty on all imports effective April 5, 2025, escalating to country-specific rates (detailed in Annex I) on April 9, 2025, for designated trading partners. Exemptions include certain steel, aluminum, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and critical minerals. The order authorizes the Secretary of Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative to modify duties based on trading partner retaliation or compliance with reciprocal trade alignment.
• Trump announces 10% universal tariff with higher rates on 60 countries — President Trump announced a 10% tariff on all U.S. imports, with higher rates on approximately 60 countries including China, Japan, Vietnam, South Korea, and the European Union. He made the announcement in a Rose Garden speech after stock market close. The announcement caused immediate market turmoil: Dow Jones futures fell over 1,000 points (2.5%) and S&P 500 futures dropped 3.6%. Trump framed the tariffs as addressing decades of unfair trade practices and promised they would create "the golden age of America."
• Trump signs reciprocal tariff executive order imposing 10% baseline duty on all imports — President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14206 on April 2, 2025, declaring a national emergency based on persistent U.S. goods trade deficits and imposing a 10% ad valorem duty on all imports effective April 5, 2025, with country-specific rates (ranging up to 60% for certain trading partners) taking effect April 9, 2025. The order cites the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and invokes national security and economic grounds, targeting what Trump characterizes as non-reciprocal trade practices, tariff asymmetries, and non-tariff barriers by trading partners.
• Trump signed Executive Order 14257 imposing reciprocal tariffs on all imports — President Trump signed Executive Order 14257 on April 2, 2025, declaring a national emergency based on persistent U.S. goods trade deficits and imposing reciprocal tariffs. The order establishes a 10 percent baseline ad valorem duty on all imports effective April 5, 2025, with country-specific higher rates for designated trading partners effective April 9, 2025, as detailed in Annex I. The order exempts certain goods including steel, aluminum, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and energy products, and includes carve-outs for USMCA-qualifying goods from Canada and Mexico. The order invokes the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and National Emergencies Act, citing trade deficits as a threat to national security and manufacturing capacity.
• Trump announces reciprocal tariff plan using simplified trade-deficit formula — President Trump announced a sweeping tariff plan calculated by dividing each country's 2024 goods trade deficit by total imports, then halving the result, with a 10% baseline for countries without large deficits. The White House confirmed the approach was simplistic, based solely on bilateral trade imbalances rather than the promised multi-factor analysis of tariff and non-tariff barriers. Economists criticized the methodology as economically flawed and strategically incoherent, with rates reaching 50% for Lesotho and 49% for Cambodia—countries with low purchasing power, not discriminatory trade practices.
• Trump administration implemented tariffs using an undocumented formula without standard economic methodology. — Trump's tariff policy applied tariffs to entire nations rather than specific products, using a formula that economists identified as nonsensical and potentially AI-generated. Economist Paul Krugman identified the formula as likely AI-derived. CNBC's Steve Liesman stated that "nobody ever heard of this formula" and concluded "the president kind of made this up as he went along." Former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers characterized the approach as "to economics what creationism is to biology, astrology is to astronomy, or RFK thought is to vaccine science." The administration provided no coherent policy rationale or analysis supporting the tariff structure.
• Trump declares national tariff emergency and claims foreign trade practices constitute national emergency — In April 2025, Trump declared a national emergency, asserting that "foreign trade and economic practices have created a national emergency" to justify sweeping tariffs. Two courts rejected this claim, though an appeals court temporarily halted the more expansive ruling. The administration bypassed Congress and normal legislative procedures to impose tariffs unilaterally under emergency authority.
• Trump announced universal tariffs on all countries — Trump stated that tariffs he will announce on Wednesday will apply to all countries, not just 10-15 specific nations previously mentioned. When asked whether tariff rates would be universal or differentiated by country, Trump declined to specify, saying "you're gonna see in two days."