Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Russ Vought froze federal infrastructure funding in blue states — Russ Vought, acting in his federal role, placed a hold on $2.1 billion in Chicago infrastructure projects, specifically the Red Line Extension and the Red and Purple Modernization Project, citing concerns about race-based contracting. The action represents a continuation of Vought's pattern of freezing federal funding on infrastructure projects in Democratic-led states.
• Trump administration freezes $2.1bn in Chicago transit funding, citing diversity concerns — OMB Director Russ Vought announced a freeze of $2.1 billion in federal funding for Chicago infrastructure projects, including Red Line extensions and modernizations of the city's mass transit system. Vought justified the hold as ensuring "funding is not flowing via race-based contracting," citing a new Transportation Department rule effective Wednesday. The move targets a Democratic-led city during a federal government shutdown and follows a similar $18 billion freeze on New York transit projects announced the previous day.
• Trump administration withholds $2.1 billion in Chicago transit funding citing race-based contracting concerns — Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought announced that $2.1 billion in federal funding for two transit infrastructure projects in Chicago had been placed on hold, citing concerns about "race-based contracting." The action occurred during the ongoing federal shutdown and was characterized as part of the Trump administration's strategy to retaliate against Democratic-led areas by canceling federal dollars for projects in those jurisdictions.

Supporting reports

• Energy Department slashes climate funding and freezes construction projects during shutdown — The U.S. Energy Department is cutting nearly $8 billion in climate-related funding for projects across 16 states and freezing $18 billion allocated for two New York City construction projects. Trump stated he would meet with Russell Vought, head of the Office of Management and Budget, to determine which agencies aligned with his political priorities should face cuts, describing the shutdown as an "unprecedented opportunity" to eliminate what he called "Democrat Agencies."
• OMB Director Vought impounded $8 billion in climate funding targeting Democratic states — Russell Vought, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, announced on October 2 that he was canceling $8 billion in congressionally approved funding for programs he claimed "fuel the Left's climate agenda." The targeted states were California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington—all states with Democratic senators. Vought stated the impoundments were illegal and used them selectively against Democratic-led states during the government shutdown.
• OMB Director Vought vowed to cut $26 billion from New York City projects — Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought vowed to cut $26 billion from projects in New York City that Congress had previously approved. Legal experts note that such impoundments lack lawful basis, as a government shutdown does not grant the OMB director additional authority to unilaterally rescind congressionally appropriated funds. Vought also vowed to slash the federal government broadly without legal justification.
• Vought announced $18 billion hold on New York City infrastructure projects — Russell Vought announced on October 2 that approximately $18 billion in New York City infrastructure projects had been placed on hold. He stated the action was to ensure funding was not flowing based on "unconstitutional DEI principles" and specifically cited the Hudson River Tunnel Project (Gateway) and the Second Avenue Subway project. The announcement came during the government shutdown and targeted infrastructure in a state with Democratic senators.
• Maine Family Planning announces primary care closure due to Medicaid defunding — Maine Family Planning announced on October 2, 2025, that it will cease offering primary care at its clinics by October 31, 2025, due to loss of Medicaid reimbursements under Trump's tax and spending bill. The organization will continue offering STI screenings and contraception to all patients regardless of insurance status "for as long as we are able." Approximately 70% of Maine Family Planning patients receive all healthcare from the organization, making the closure a significant access loss.
• White House pauses infrastructure and clean energy funding to Democratic states — OMB Director Russ Vought announced on social media that approximately $18 billion in New York City infrastructure projects have been placed on hold to prevent funding flowing to "unconstitutional DEI principles." Vought also announced cancellation of nearly $8 billion in clean energy funding, characterizing it as fueling "the Left's climate agenda." The actions target Democratic-leaning states during the government shutdown impasse.
• Energy Department terminated 321 awards for 223 projects — Hours after Russ Vought pledged to revoke climate-related funding, the Energy Department announced it had terminated 321 awards for more than 223 projects, claiming the investments did not "advance the nation's energy needs" and were not "economically viable." The agency provided scant details about the cuts.
• Vought announced cancellation of $8 billion in climate funding — OMB Director Russ Vought posted that nearly $8 billion in "Green New Scam" funding was being cancelled to halt the "Left's climate agenda." He listed projects in 16 states, all of which are blue states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.
• Vought announced freeze on $18 billion in NYC infrastructure projects — OMB Director Russ Vought announced that roughly $18 billion in New York City infrastructure projects, specifically the Hudson Tunnel Project and the Second Avenue Subway, had been put on hold. Vought claimed the freeze was to ensure funding was not flowing based on "unconstitutional DEI principles."
• Russ Vought froze federal infrastructure funding in blue states — Russ Vought, acting in his federal role, placed a hold on $2.1 billion in Chicago infrastructure projects, specifically the Red Line Extension and the Red and Purple Modernization Project, citing concerns about race-based contracting. The action represents a continuation of Vought's pattern of freezing federal funding on infrastructure projects in Democratic-led states.
• Trump administration freezes $2.1bn in Chicago transit funding, citing diversity concerns — OMB Director Russ Vought announced a freeze of $2.1 billion in federal funding for Chicago infrastructure projects, including Red Line extensions and modernizations of the city's mass transit system. Vought justified the hold as ensuring "funding is not flowing via race-based contracting," citing a new Transportation Department rule effective Wednesday. The move targets a Democratic-led city during a federal government shutdown and follows a similar $18 billion freeze on New York transit projects announced the previous day.
• Trump administration withholds $2.1 billion in Chicago transit funding citing race-based contracting concerns — Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought announced that $2.1 billion in federal funding for two transit infrastructure projects in Chicago had been placed on hold, citing concerns about "race-based contracting." The action occurred during the ongoing federal shutdown and was characterized as part of the Trump administration's strategy to retaliate against Democratic-led areas by canceling federal dollars for projects in those jurisdictions.

Supporting reports

• Trump warns military leaders of "enemy within" and suggests using Democratic cities as training grounds — On September 30, 2025, President Trump addressed hundreds of top military officials and warned darkly about the need to counter "the enemy within," declaring that "America is under invasion from within" and that "Democrats run most of the cities that are in bad shape." Trump suggested the military could be useful in his drive against crime in Democratic cities and could use these cities as military "training grounds," raising concerns about violations of the Posse Comitatus Act.
• Trump addressed military commanders on deploying troops in U.S. cities — President Trump spoke to assembled military commanders at Quantico, framing domestic civil unrest as an "invasion from within" equivalent to foreign military threats. He stated he had signed an executive order establishing a quick reaction force for quelling civil disturbances and indicated that deploying combat troops to major U.S. cities including San Francisco, Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles would be "a major part" of military operations. He referenced the constitutional oath to defend against "all enemies foreign and domestic" and characterized inner cities as a "war" requiring military intervention.
• Trump told military leaders to confront "enemy from within" — Speaking to hundreds of senior US military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico on September 30, President Trump warned of an unspecified "enemy from within," stating "We're under invasion from within, no different than a foreign enemy, but more difficult in many ways, because they don't wear uniforms." He also suggested that cities like San Francisco, Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles could be used "as training grounds for our military," language echoing authoritarian rhetoric about internal enemies and military deployment against civilian populations.
• Trump deploys National Guard troops to Chicago in October — In October, President Trump deployed National Guard troops to Chicago, continuing the pattern of using military forces for domestic law enforcement and immigration enforcement purposes.

Supporting reports

• Senate rejects competing funding bills; government shutdown imminent — On September 30, the Senate rejected both a Republican-backed funding extension through November 21 and a Democratic alternative that included healthcare provisions. Democrats blocked the GOP bill while Republicans blocked the Democratic measure; neither cleared the 60-vote threshold. The White House threatened mass federal worker layoffs if shutdown occurs. Senate Republican leaders announced plans to revote on Wednesday to pressure Democrats to switch positions.
• Senate failed to pass continuing resolution; government shutdown imminent — The Senate adjourned on September 30 without passing a continuing resolution to fund the government beyond the deadline. Republicans refused to include Democrats in negotiations. Democrats, whose votes were needed for passage, refused to support a continuing resolution unless it included a fix to extend premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act. Republicans had extended 2017 tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations while allowing premium tax credits to expire at year's end, which would cause healthcare insurance premiums to skyrocket by approximately 75 percent. The impasse resulted in a government shutdown.
• US federal government shutdown after Senate rejects competing funding bills — The US federal government shut down at midnight on October 1, 2025, after the Senate failed to advance either a Republican-drafted continuing resolution (55-45 vote) or a Democratic proposal (47-53 vote). Republicans control both chambers but lack the 60-vote Senate threshold needed to pass funding without Democratic support. The shutdown marks the first since December 2018. Democrats demanded extension of ACA premium tax credits and reversal of Medicaid cuts; Republicans refused. The White House announced plans to furlough approximately 750,000 federal workers.
• US federal government shutdown begins; Democrats demand healthcare concessions — On October 1, 2025, federal government funding lapsed, triggering a shutdown. As of mid-October, Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, have refused to vote to reopen the government without concessions on healthcare (ACA premium tax credits, Medicaid cuts reversal), public media funding, and limits on Trump's "pocket rescissions" authority. Republicans have demanded funding restart before negotiations. Seven Senate votes have failed to reach the 60-vote threshold. The shutdown has forced hundreds of thousands of federal employees to remain unpaid and prompted agency closures nationwide.
• Senate Adjourns Without Passing Government Funding Resolution — On September 30, 2025, the Senate adjourned without reaching an agreement on a continuing resolution to fund the government, which had been passed by the House. The failure to negotiate was attributed to Republican refusal to include Democrats in discussions, leading to a potential government shutdown. Democrats insisted that any resolution must include an extension of premium tax credits for healthcare under the Affordable Care Act, which Republicans allowed to expire.
• Federal government shut down — The federal government shut down on October 1 after the Republican-controlled Congress failed to pass proposals to keep the government open. It is the first government shutdown since Trump's first term, which lasted 34 days between December 2018 and January 2019.
• US federal government shutdown enters third day; Senate votes fail on competing funding proposals — The US federal government remained shut down for a third consecutive day on Friday, October 3, 2025, after the Senate failed to advance either Democratic or Republican funding proposals in a fourth round of voting. Neither bill secured the 60 votes needed for passage. Senate Majority Leader John Thune called for Democrats to support the Republican continuing resolution, while Democrats demanded inclusion of healthcare protections and reversal of Medicaid cuts before reopening. The shutdown, which began Wednesday at midnight, is expected to continue into the following week.

Supporting reports

• Federal agencies issue partisan shutdown blame statements in apparent Hatch Act violation — Multiple federal agencies (VA, HUD, HHS, Interior, Commerce, Labor, NLRB, National Archives, Patent Office, FTC) issued emails and public statements on September 30 blaming Democrats and the "radical left" for an impending government shutdown. The statements used identical or similar language across agencies and included partisan characterizations. Legal experts characterized the coordinated messaging as violating the Hatch Act, which restricts political activities by federal employees, and potentially violating federal law on lobbying with taxpayer funds.
• HUD website displays partisan shutdown message blaming "radical left" — The Department of Housing and Urban Development posted a large red banner on its homepage blaming the "radical left" for the looming government shutdown and stating the Trump administration wants to keep government open. The message appeared after Republican and Democratic leaders failed to reach a spending agreement by the Tuesday night deadline. HUD spokesperson Matthew Maley defended the banner as reporting on shutdown impacts, while critics characterized it as inappropriate partisan propaganda on a public agency website.
• Veterans Affairs spokesperson issues partisan shutdown statement — A Department of Veterans Affairs spokesperson issued a statement on Tuesday using charged political rhetoric, blaming "radical liberals in Congress" for attempting to shut down the government to achieve "open borders" and other partisan characterizations, while warning of impacts to veterans care and assistance programs.
• White House violated Hatch Act by using federal agencies to blame Democrats for shutdown — During the government shutdown crisis on September 30, the White House violated the Hatch Act—which prohibits use of government resources for partisan gain—by directing federal agencies to send emails to employees blaming Democrats for the shutdown. Agencies including the Social Security Administration, Small Business Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Commerce sent emails stating Trump "opposes a government shutdown" but Democrats were "blocking this Continuing Resolution… due to unrelated policy demands." The Department of Housing and Urban Development posted a banner calling the "Radical Left" responsible for the shutdown. The Department of Veterans Affairs issued a statement blaming "Radical liberals in Congress" for attempting to shut down the government.
• HUD posted banner blaming "radical left" for shutdown — The Department of Housing and Urban Development posted a bright red banner on its website on September 30 blaming the "radical left" for the impending government shutdown. The banner read, "The Radical Left are going to shut down the government and inflict massive pain on the American people unless they get their $1.5 trillion wish list of demands. The Trump administration wants to keep the government open for the American people." The non-profit consumer advocacy group Public Citizen subsequently filed a complaint with the US Office of Special Counsel, calling the banner a "blatant violation" of the Hatch Act.
• White House threatens federal worker layoffs during government shutdown — The Trump administration warned that federal worker layoffs are imminent if the government shutdown continues. Vice President Vance stated the administration would "lay some people off" and take "extraordinary steps" to maintain essential services. Approximately 750,000 federal employees face furlough with pay withheld, while essential workers such as military and border agents may be forced to work without pay. OMB Director Russ Vought announced the White House is also pausing or canceling infrastructure and clean energy funding to Democratic-leaning states.
• Department of Education employees' email accounts manipulated with partisan talking points — NBC News reported that Department of Education employees who were furloughed discovered their email out-of-office messages had been altered to include partisan talking points blaming Democrats for the government shutdown. Five civil servants provided copies of their manipulated messages, which had been rewritten in the first person without their consent. Employees stated the alterations violated the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity.
• Federal agencies deploy partisan messaging blaming Democrats for shutdown, potentially violating Hatch Act — Multiple federal agencies, including Treasury, Agriculture, Education, and at least a dozen others, have used official websites and employee out-of-office messages to blame Democrats for the government shutdown. The Department of Education altered employees' automated replies without their knowledge or approval. Legal experts and watchdog groups argue this constitutes a violation of the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity. Public Citizen and the Democracy Defenders Fund have filed complaints with the GAO and Special Counsel's office.
• Department of Education changed furloughed employees' out-of-office messages to blame Democrats — During the government shutdown, the Department of Education changed automated out-of-office email replies for furloughed employees from generic messages to ones blaming Democrats for the shutdown. When employees changed the messages back to neutral language, the Department changed them again to blame Democrats. This represents use of government communications infrastructure to advance partisan messaging during a shutdown.
• Trump administration threatens mass firings of federal employees during shutdown — On Thursday morning, the Trump administration threatened to fire many employees at federal agencies across the nation, creating fear and uncertainty among furloughed workers. Some employees printed out furlough notices and pay stubs in preparation for potential unemployment. The threat occurred amid the ongoing government shutdown and the administration's use of the crisis to pursue policy goals, including cutting climate funding and freezing construction projects.
• Federal agencies post partisan messages blaming Democrats for shutdown operations curtailment — Several federal government departments posted partisan and potentially illegal messages stating that their operations were curtailed due to "the Radical Left Democrat shutdown." Sources at the Education Department reported that out-of-office email messages were changed without staff permission to use rhetoric blaming Democrats for the shutdown. The action represents an apparent coordinated effort to use government communications infrastructure for partisan messaging during the funding lapse.
• White House issues fact sheet attributing government shutdown economic impacts to Democratic opposition to funding restrictions on healthcare for undocumented immigrants — The White House published a fact sheet on October 3, 2025, presenting state-by-state economic projections attributed to a government shutdown. The document claims the Council of Economic Advisers warns of $15 billion in weekly GDP losses, projects 43,000+ additional unemployed Americans over a month-long shutdown, and lists estimated impacts on WIC recipients, SNAP beneficiaries, consumer spending, and gross state product by state. The fact sheet frames the shutdown as caused by Democratic demands to fund healthcare for undocumented immigrants.

Supporting reports

• American Federation of Government Employees files lawsuit challenging deferred resignation program — The American Federation of Government Employees and other labor unions representing federal workers filed a lawsuit challenging the deferred resignation program, alleging it circumvents congressional authority, undermines statutorily required government functions by causing mass employee departures, and was enacted under threat of firings. The lawsuit remains ongoing as of the article date. AFGE president Everett Kelley stated the program should not be viewed as voluntary and represents an effort to create a toxic work environment.

Supporting reports

• Oregon sued to block National Guard deployment to Portland — On September 28, Oregon filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration seeking to block the deployment of National Guard troops to Portland. The lawsuit characterized the move as "provocative and arbitrary" and argued it "threaten[s] to undermine public safety by inciting a public outcry."
• Oregon attorney general sued Trump administration over National Guard deployment — Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield filed a lawsuit against President Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, and their respective departments, alleging that the National Guard had been unlawfully deployed for law enforcement duties. The suit was filed less than six hours after Hegseth's order calling 200 Oregon National Guard members into federal service for 60 days.
• Oregon files federal lawsuit to block Trump's seizure of state national guard troops for Portland deployment — Oregon's attorney general filed a lawsuit in federal court on Sunday seeking to block President Trump's deployment of 200 Oregon National Guard troops to Portland. Trump claimed authority under provisions allowing suppression of "rebellion" or lawlessness, but Oregon argues the characterization of Portland as "war ravaged" is false and based on outdated 2020 protest footage mixed with current social media reports. Governor Kotek stated there is no insurrection or public safety threat warranting military intervention, only routine free speech demonstrations near an ICE facility managed by local law enforcement.
• Oregon attorney general files lawsuit to block National Guard deployment — Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's activation of 200 federalized members of the Oregon National Guard for deployment to Portland. A federal judge was scheduled to hear arguments on Friday regarding whether to grant a temporary restraining order blocking the troop deployment, which the state opposes on constitutional and federalism grounds.

Supporting reports

• Secretary of Defense issues memorandum federalizing 200 Oregon National Guard members for 60-day deployment to Portland — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth issued a memorandum on September 28 stating that 200 members of Oregon's National Guard would be "called into Federal service effective immediately for a period of 60 days." The memorandum followed Trump's demand for military deployment to Portland, which he claimed was necessary to protect federal property and suppress lawlessness. Oregon's governor Tina Kotek stated she had been notified that the president had seized control of the state's reservists, invoking authority to suppress "rebellion" or lawlessness. City and state officials filed suit shortly thereafter to block the deployment.
• Hegseth called 200 Oregon National Guard members into federal service — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called 200 members of the Oregon National Guard into federal service for 60 days. This action followed Trump's repeated threats to deploy federal troops to Portland to address what he characterized as "domestic terrorism" and civil unrest. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek had explicitly told Trump and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that federal troops were unnecessary and that the state could manage its own public safety.
• Hegseth federalizes 200 Oregon National Guard personnel — On September 29, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth federalized 200 National Guard personnel from Oregon under the stated purpose of protecting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal government personnel performing federal functions. The action followed Trump's directive and Oregon Governor Tina Kotek's public disagreement with Trump's characterization of Portland's security situation.

Supporting reports

• Trump posts directive to deploy troops to Portland — On September 27, Trump's social media account posted a directive to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to deploy troops to Portland, Oregon, to protect ICE facilities from what Trump characterized as attacks by "Antifa" and "domestic terrorists." Trump authorized "Full Force, if necessary." The post was based on Trump's assertion that Portland was a "war ravaged" city plagued by "anarchists" and "crazy people," claims contradicted by local officials and reporting.
• Trump directed troop deployment to Portland, Oregon — On September 27, Trump announced via Truth Social that he directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to deploy troops to Portland, Oregon, which he baselessly called "War ravaged" and "under siege" by antifa. Portland Mayor Keith Wilson responded that "the number of necessary troops is zero, in Portland and any other American city." The deployment was presented without evidence of the claimed crisis.
• Trump directed military deployment to Portland with authorization for full force — President Trump posted that he was directing Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to provide troops to protect the ICE facility in Portland and "any of our ICE Facilities under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists," and authorized "Full Force, if necessary." The order came after Trump claimed the facility was under siege, but Senator Ron Wyden posted a video showing the ICE facility with no people present.
• Trump announced deployment of federal troops to Portland — Trump announced on Truth Social that he is directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to deploy federal troops to Portland, Oregon at the request of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to protect against what he characterized as attacks by "Antifa" and "domestic terrorists." Trump authorized "full force, if necessary." Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and Portland Mayor Keith Wilson both rejected the deployment, stating there is no insurrection or threat to national security warranting military presence in the city.