Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• August jobs report shows 22,000 jobs added; unemployment at 4.3% — The Bureau of Labor Statistics released August employment data showing only 22,000 jobs added to the U.S. economy, with unemployment at 4.3% and the broader jobless rate jumping to 8.1%. This represents the slowest four-month growth since 2020 and marks the first negative jobs month since December 2020 when accounting for revisions. Multiple sectors including manufacturing, construction, and business services posted job losses. Economists warned the labor market is "cracking" and that growth is almost entirely dependent on healthcare hiring.

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• Revolution Wind developers file federal lawsuit seeking preliminary injunction — On September 5, 2025, Revolution Wind project developers Ørsted and Skyborn Renewables filed a separate lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the stop-work order and requesting a preliminary injunction. The filing asserts the order "was issued without statutory authority, lacks any evidentiary basis, and is unlawful." The companies warn that if specialized offshore construction vessels depart due to the stoppage, the project faces delays of at least one year or potential cancellation, despite having already invested $5 billion.
• Rhode Island and Connecticut file lawsuit challenging Revolution Wind halt — On September 5, 2025, Rhode Island and Connecticut attorneys general filed suit in federal court challenging the Trump administration's stop-work order on Revolution Wind as "blatantly illegal." Connecticut Attorney General William Tong stated the order was "erratic and reckless governing." The states argue the halt threatens jobs (over 1,000 union workers employed), clean energy deployment, billions in private investment, and state climate goals. The lawsuit contests the order's legality and seeks to reverse the stoppage.

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• Federal judges criticize Supreme Court's emergency docket handling in Trump cases — Lower court federal judges, in rare media interviews and court opinions, have publicly criticized the Supreme Court for overturning their rulings through brief, unsigned emergency orders without legal explanation. Judges across the ideological spectrum say the practice creates legal confusion, undermines public trust in the judiciary, and fails to defend lower courts against Trump's attacks on judicial integrity. The Supreme Court has sided with Trump on nearly every emergency application filed in his second term—over 20 in seven months—a record pace.

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• Judge Allison Burroughs critiques Supreme Court's treatment of emergency orders as binding precedent — In a ruling on Trump's attempt to strip research funding from Harvard, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs publicly criticized the Supreme Court for expecting lower courts to treat its emergency orders as binding legal precedent when those orders appear to overturn longstanding precedent without explanation. Burroughs argued that the Supreme Court's informal orders create confusion in a "rapidly evolving doctrinal landscape" and that criticizing district courts for "defying" the high court is unhelpful when courts are working to apply both existing precedent and interim Supreme Court guidance.

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• Justice Gorsuch accuses lower courts of defying Supreme Court orders in NIH funding case — In an emergency order allowing Trump to cancel approximately $800 million in National Institutes of Health grants, Justice Neil Gorsuch, joined by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, accused lower courts of deliberately ignoring the Supreme Court's orders. Gorsuch claimed this was the third time in weeks the Court had to intervene in a case "squarely controlled" by its precedent and suggested lower court misbehavior prompted the Supreme Court's involvement. Gorsuch referred to the Court's emergency orders as "precedents."

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• Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissents in NIH case, accusing majority of "Calvinball jurisprudence" — In dissent to the Supreme Court majority's decision allowing Trump to cancel NIH grants, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson accused her conservative colleagues of "Calvinball jurisprudence"—a reference to a fictional game with no fixed rules. Jackson wrote that the Court appears to operate under two rules: that there are no fixed rules, and that the Trump administration always wins. Jackson has previously denounced the Court's use of the shadow docket.

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• Judge William Young apologizes to Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh for NIH ruling — U.S. District Judge William Young, a Reagan appointee overseeing litigation challenging Trump's attempt to eliminate NIH grant funding, publicly apologized to Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh during a court hearing. Young stated he did not intend to defy any Supreme Court precedent and that such defiance would be "foreign" to his conduct as a judicial officer. The apology followed Gorsuch's accusation that lower courts were deliberately ignoring the Supreme Court's orders.

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• Board of Immigration Appeals curtails bond release for immigration detainees — The Board of Immigration Appeals issued a decision on September 5 that dramatically curtailed the immigration system's ability to release detainees on bond while awaiting status determinations. The decision "virtually eliminate[d] bond for people no matter how long they've lived here and whether they have jobs and contribute to our nation," according to the American Immigration Lawyers Association. This action prompted immigration attorneys to shift strategy toward filing habeas corpus petitions in federal district courts.

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• House Speaker Johnson claimed Trump was FBI informant on Epstein — House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters that Trump was "an FBI informant to try to take this stuff down" regarding the Epstein files. Johnson's statement promoted a conspiracy theory that Trump secretly worked to bring down Epstein. Analysts suggest Johnson may be attempting to preemptively spin damaging material before the files become public, as Trump and Epstein had a documented falling out in 2004 over a South Florida property purchase.

Supporting reports

• Trump posts about Epstein to distract from jobs report — Trump posted on social media claiming the "confused and badly failing Democrat Party" did nothing about Jeffrey Epstein while he was alive, characterizing investigations into Epstein as a "Democrat HOAX" similar to "Russia, Russia, Russia." Trump stated the DOJ "has done its job" and called for an end to what he termed the "Democrat Epstein Hoax," crediting Republicans with "great, even legendary" work.

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• Trump hosted Rose Garden Club dinner for loyal supporters — Trump hosted the inaugural dinner of the "Rose Garden Club" in the newly-paved White House Rose Garden, explicitly telling attendees they were present because of their loyalty to the president. Trump stated: "You're the ones that I never had to call at 4:00 in the morning. You are the ones that have been my friends, and you know what I'm talking about." The event formalized a loyalty-based inner circle.
• — Trump hosted the inaugural dinner of the "Rose Garden Club" in the newly-paved White House Rose Garden, telling attendees they were present because of their loyalty to the president. Trump told them: "You're the ones that I never had to call at 4:00 in the morning. You are the ones that have been my friends, and you know what I'm talking about."

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• Trump nominates EJ Antoni to lead Bureau of Labor Statistics — Trump nominated EJ Antoni to run the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Antoni previously operated an anonymous Twitter account containing sexually degrading attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris, anti-gay slurs, and far-right conspiracy theories, including sharing doctored sexually explicit images of Harris.

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• Eric Adams Announces Continuation in Mayoral Race — Eric Adams, the current mayor of New York City, announced his decision to remain in the mayoral race despite reports suggesting that former President Donald Trump was encouraging him to withdraw. Trump allegedly offered Adams a potential ambassador position in Saudi Arabia to persuade him to drop out, aiming to consolidate support for independent candidate Andrew Cuomo against Democratic frontrunner Zohran Mamdani. Adams denied any job offers and reaffirmed his commitment to the race, emphasizing his working-class roots and determination to defeat Mamdani.
• Trump reportedly pressures NYC Mayor Adams to drop mayoral race; Adams denies and confirms candidacy — President Trump reportedly encouraged New York City Mayor Eric Adams to withdraw from the 2025 mayoral race and offered him a potential ambassador post to Saudi Arabia, allegedly to consolidate support for independent candidate Andrew Cuomo against Democratic frontrunner Zohran Mamdani. Adams denied the claims on Thursday and publicly confirmed Friday he is staying in the race, stating he is "the only one that can beat Mamdani." Trump's team reportedly also discussed offering a job to Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa to remove him from the race.

Supporting reports

• ICE raid detains 475 workers at Hyundai-LG battery plant in Ellabell, Georgia — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with Homeland Security Investigations, conducted a workplace raid on the Hyundai-LG battery plant under construction in Ellabell, Georgia, detaining 475 people, including 320 Korean nationals holding B-1 visas or visa-waiver status. The raid occurred one week before the article's publication and followed a DHS investigation that began in March 2025, coinciding with workplace safety incidents at the site. The detentions created diplomatic tension between the U.S. and South Korea and raised questions about whether undocumented workers' fear of deportation may have suppressed safety complaints.
• Trump administration conducted mass immigration raid on Hyundai facility in Georgia — ICE agents arrested 475 people, mostly South Korean nationals, during a raid on a Hyundai facility in Georgia on Thursday while executing a judicial search warrant as part of a criminal investigation into alleged unlawful employment. LG Energy Solution reported that 47 of its employees were detained, 46 of them Korean. Another 250 personnel from equipment partner companies, mostly Korean, were also detained. South Korean workers were to be returned to South Korea on a chartered flight.
• ICE detained Korean worker with valid B1/B2 visa at Hyundai factory raid — ICE arrested approximately 475 people during a raid on a Hyundai battery factory under construction in Ellabell, Georgia on September 5, 2025. An internal federal document obtained by the Guardian reveals that at least one detainee held a valid B1/B2 business visa and had not violated its terms. Despite this, ICE officials "mandated" the man accept voluntary departure and removal proceedings. The detainee was among roughly 300 people expected to be deported to South Korea. DHS disputed the account, but an anonymous agency official confirmed that legal workers were swept up in the operation.
• ICE raids Hyundai-LG battery plant in Georgia, detaining approximately 500 workers including 300+ South Koreans — US Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted a raid on the Hyundai-LG battery manufacturing plant in Ellabell, Georgia on Thursday, detaining nearly 500 workers—at least 300 South Koreans, 23 Mexicans, and others. Footage released by US authorities showed detained workers in handcuffs and ankle chains being loaded onto buses. The raid was the largest single-site sweep under Trump's anti-immigration campaign. South Korea's government announced negotiations for release and repatriation of its nationals, citing strain on diplomatic and economic relations between the two countries.
• Immigration raid arrests approximately 450 people at Hyundai battery plant in Georgia — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted a raid at a Hyundai Motor battery plant under construction in Georgia, arresting approximately 450 people including South Korean workers. The raid occurred weeks after Hyundai pledged $26 billion in U.S. investments and months after the U.S. and South Korea agreed to a 15% tariff rate on Korean imports in exchange for $350 billion in Korean investment in the U.S. South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs protested the action and expressed concern about the detention of Korean nationals.

Supporting reports

• ICE agents arrest and injure military veterans at deportation protests — US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested or injured at least eight military veterans during protests against Trump's deportation campaign and National Guard deployment plans. Documented cases include 70-year-old Air Force veteran Dana Briggs charged with assault after being knocked over by ICE agents in Chicago; Afghanistan veteran John Cerrone tackled, detained nine hours in solitary confinement, and charged with disorderly conduct; and Afghanistan veteran Daryn Herzberg in Portland, grabbed by hair and face-slammed, hospitalized, seeking $150,000 damages. Democratic lawmakers condemned the incidents as excessive force and violations of constitutional protest rights.

Supporting reports

• John Deere reported tariff costs and layoffs — John Deere, the leading US agricultural machinery supplier, reported that Trump's tariffs and trade policies have cost the company $300 million so far, with nearly another $300 million expected by year's end. The company's net income in the most recent quarter was down 29% from a year earlier. John Deere laid off 238 employees across factories in Illinois and Iowa this summer due to tariff impacts.

Supporting reports

• Private sector job growth fell to 54,000 in August — The ADP employment report showed private sector payrolls increased by only 54,000 in August, below the consensus forecast of 75,000 and marking a significant slowdown from the revised 106,000 gain in July. Jobless claims rose to 237,000, and job openings fell to one of their worst levels since 2020. Economists predict the official jobs report will show further labor market weakening, with some forecasting only 40,000 nonfarm payrolls added in August.

Supporting reports

• Robert F. Kennedy Jr. canceled $500 million in mRNA vaccine research funding — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. canceled $500 million in federal research funding designated for mRNA vaccine research. This action was part of broader efforts to reduce CDC capacity and remove staff opposed to his vaccine skepticism.
• HHS cancels $500 million in mRNA vaccine research funding — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the cancellation of $500 million in funding for mRNA vaccine research, a decision that has drawn significant criticism from public health experts and former CDC directors. This funding cut is part of Kennedy's broader strategy to reshape the CDC and its approach to vaccines, which he claims have failed during the pandemic.

Supporting reports

• Trump signed Executive Order 14345 implementing U.S.-Japan trade agreement with baseline 15% tariffs on Japanese imports, sector-specific carve-outs, and $550 billion Japanese investment commitment. — President Trump signed Executive Order 14345 on September 4, 2025, implementing a framework agreement with Japan announced July 22, 2025. The order establishes a baseline 15 percent tariff on nearly all Japanese imports, with exemptions for aerospace, automobiles, generic pharmaceuticals, and unavailable natural resources. Japan commits to $550 billion in U.S. investments (government-selected), increased agricultural purchases ($8 billion annually), and market access for U.S. goods. Tariffs apply retroactively to products entered after August 7, 2025. The Secretary of Commerce is directed to modify tariff schedules and monitor Japan's implementation.
• Trump issues executive order implementing U.S.-Japan trade agreement with tariff framework — President Trump signed an executive order on September 4, 2025, implementing a framework agreement with Japan announced July 22, 2025. The order establishes a baseline 15 percent tariff on nearly all Japanese imports, with sector-specific treatment for automobiles, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, and natural resources. Japan commits to $550 billion in U.S. investments, increased agricultural purchases ($8 billion annually), and market access for U.S. goods. The tariffs apply retroactively to products entered after August 7, 2025, with refunds processed under standard procedures.
• Trump signed executive order implementing U.S.–Japan trade agreement with reciprocal tariffs and Japanese investment commitments — President Trump signed an executive order on September 4, 2025, implementing a framework agreement with Japan announced July 22, 2025. The order establishes a baseline 15 percent tariff on nearly all Japanese imports, with sector-specific treatment for automobiles, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, and natural resources. Japan commits to $550 billion in U.S. investments (selected by the U.S. Government), increased agricultural purchases totaling $8 billion annually, and acceptance of U.S. vehicles and defense equipment. The order applies retroactively to products entered for consumption on or after August 7, 2025, and delegates implementation authority to the Secretaries of Commerce and Homeland Security.
• White House issues fact sheet on U.S.-Japan trade and investment framework — The White House published a fact sheet on September 5, 2025, describing an executive order signed by President Trump implementing a U.S.-Japan framework agreement announced July 22, 2025. The fact sheet states the agreement provides American producers over $15 billion in market access to Japan, includes Japanese commitments to purchase $8 billion in agricultural goods and $7 billion annually in energy, and a 15% baseline tariff on Japanese imports. The fact sheet claims Japan committed $550 billion in investments in U.S. critical industries.

Supporting reports

• Trump signed Executive Order 14345 implementing U.S.-Japan trade agreement with baseline 15% tariffs on Japanese imports, sector-specific carve-outs, and $550 billion Japanese investment commitment. — President Trump signed Executive Order 14345 on September 4, 2025, implementing a framework agreement with Japan announced July 22, 2025. The order establishes a baseline 15 percent tariff on nearly all Japanese imports, with exemptions for aerospace, automobiles, generic pharmaceuticals, and unavailable natural resources. Japan commits to $550 billion in U.S. investments (government-selected), increased agricultural purchases ($8 billion annually), and market access for U.S. goods. Tariffs apply retroactively to products entered after August 7, 2025. The Secretary of Commerce is directed to modify tariff schedules and monitor Japan's implementation.
• Trump issues executive order authorizing secondary titles renaming Department of Defense as Department of War — President Trump issued Executive Order "Restoring the United States Department of War" on September 5, 2025, authorizing the Secretary of Defense to use the secondary title "Secretary of War" and permitting the Department of Defense to be referred to as the "Department of War" in official correspondence, communications, and non-statutory documents. The order directs the Secretary to submit recommendations within 60 days on permanent legislative and executive actions needed to formally rename the department. Statutory references remain unchanged pending future legislation.
• Trump signed Executive Order 14346 modifying reciprocal tariff scope and establishing procedures for implementing trade and security agreements. — President Trump signed Executive Order 14346 on September 5, 2025, modifying the scope of reciprocal tariffs imposed under Executive Order 14257 and establishing procedures for implementing trade and security framework agreements. The order updates Annex II (list of goods exempt from ad valorem duties), delegates authority to the Secretary of Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative to implement framework and final trade agreements, and authorizes tariff modifications to implement agreements with trading partners. The order references a framework agreement with the European Union and establishes criteria for potential zero-percent tariff rates on specific imports.
• Trump issues executive order modifying reciprocal tariffs and establishing trade agreement procedures — President Trump issued an executive order on September 5, 2025, modifying the scope of reciprocal tariffs imposed under prior orders and establishing procedures for implementing trade and security framework agreements with foreign partners. The order delegates authority to the Secretary of Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative to implement framework and final trade agreements, permits tariff modifications to zero percent for aligned trading partners on specified product categories, and updates the list of goods exempt from reciprocal duties. The order invokes the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act as authority.
• President Trump signed Executive Order 14346 modifying reciprocal tariff scope and establishing procedures for trade and security agreements. — The White House issued Executive Order 14346 on September 5, 2025, modifying the scope of reciprocal tariffs imposed under prior executive orders and establishing procedures for implementing trade and security framework agreements. The order updates Annex II to Executive Order 14257 (which declared a national emergency based on U.S. trade deficits), delegates authority to the Secretary of Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative to implement framework and final trade agreements, and specifies that tariff modifications may be made upon conclusion of such agreements. The order references a recent framework agreement with the European Union and establishes criteria for potential zero-percent tariff rates on certain imports.
• White House issued fact sheet on reciprocal tariff modifications and trade deal implementation procedures — The White House issued a fact sheet on September 5, 2025, describing an executive order signed by President Trump that modifies the scope of reciprocal tariffs first announced April 2, 2025, and establishes procedures for implementing trade agreements. The order revises Annex II (exemptions list), adding bullion, critical minerals, and certain pharmaceuticals while removing aluminum hydroxide, resin, and silicone products from exemptions. It creates a "Potential Tariff Adjustments for Aligned Partners" framework allowing tariff reductions on aircraft, generic pharmaceuticals, unavailable natural resources, and certain agricultural products in exchange for reciprocal trade deals. The fact sheet claims the tariffs have generated investment and trade agreements with the EU, Japan, UK, and others.

Supporting reports

• House Republicans establish new subcommittee to reinvestigate January 6 attack — House Republicans voted along party lines to establish a new Republican-led subcommittee to reinvestigate the January 6 Capitol attack. The subcommittee, chaired by Barry Loudermilk of Georgia, will have eight members appointed by Speaker Mike Johnson and up to three appointed in consultation with Democratic leadership. The panel is authorized to conduct a full investigation and issue a final report by December 31, 2026. Democrats have criticized the move as an attempt to rewrite the narrative and exonerate Trump.

Supporting reports

• Washington DC sues Trump administration over national guard deployment — Washington DC's attorney general Brian Schwalb filed a federal lawsuit challenging Trump's deployment of approximately 2,300 national guard troops from seven states to DC streets since August 11. Schwalb argues the deployment constitutes an illegal "involuntary military occupation" and violates the Posse Comitatus Act by using military forces for domestic law enforcement. The suit contends the troops, placed under Pentagon command and deputized by the US Marshals Service, exceed presidential authority and breach the Home Rule Act and the Constitution. The deployment is legally limited to 30 days unless extended by Congress, expiring September 10.
• District of Columbia sues Trump over national guard deployment — On Thursday, the District of Columbia filed a federal lawsuit against President Trump challenging his deployment of troops to Washington DC. The suit represents a jurisdictional and constitutional challenge to the president's authority to deploy military forces in the nation's capital without proper authorization or consent from local authorities.

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• Department of Justice sues Boston and Mayor Wu over sanctuary city policies — The Department of Justice, through its Civil Division, filed a lawsuit against the City of Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu, and the Boston Police Department, alleging that Boston's sanctuary city laws interfere with federal immigration enforcement. Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated that Boston's policies result in the release of individuals convicted of serious crimes who would otherwise face removal. The lawsuit is part of a broader DOJ initiative announced on Bondi's first day in office to identify and litigate against state and local sanctuary policies nationwide.

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• Maine shooting survivors and families sue US government alleging army failed to prevent 2023 mass shooting — Survivors and family members of victims from the October 2023 Lewiston, Maine mass shooting filed suit in Maine district court on September 4, 2025, alleging the US Army repeatedly violated its own policies and procedures by failing to intervene against an Army reservist despite months of advance warning and red flags—including threatening messages and warnings from fellow soldiers and family members—that he posed a public-safety risk. The shooting killed 18 people. The suit seeks accountability and justice after an independent commission concluded the Army unit had missed "several opportunities" that might have prevented the attack.

Supporting reports

• DOJ official recorded discussing selective redaction of Epstein files — Joseph Schnitt, Acting Deputy Chief at the DOJ, was recorded on hidden camera by an operative associated with James O'Keefe discussing the handling of Epstein files. According to the video, Schnitt stated that files would be redacted to remove names of Republicans and conservatives while leaving Democratic names visible, suggesting partisan manipulation of sensitive investigative materials.
• James O'Keefe released video of DOJ official making statements about Ghislaine Maxwell — Right-wing activist James O'Keefe released a video showing Joseph Schnitt, the Department of Justice's acting deputy chief of special operations, stating that convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell was moved to a minimum security prison because the government is "offering her something to keep her mouth shut." Schnitt also told an undercover journalist that the Epstein files exist and that before release, the government will "redact every Republican and conservative person in those files and leave all the liberal, Democratic people."