Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Police deploy teargas and arrest protesters outside Delaney Hall detention facility — Following the announcement of the women's strike on June 12, law enforcement responded to ongoing protests outside Delaney Hall. New Jersey state police and Newark local police deployed teargas and arrested dozens of protesters in an effort to disperse crowds gathered in support of striking detainees. This escalation followed earlier ICE use of pepper spray, tasers, and batons against protesters supporting the May 22 strike.

Supporting reports

• Federal judge declined to certify nationwide class action on transgender medical records — On June 12, a federal judge in Maryland declined to certify a nationwide class action that would have barred the Justice Department from pressuring hospitals across the country to hand over medical records of transgender minors. Eleven families had sought the order after DOJ sent subpoenas to more than 20 major medical systems demanding records of patients who received gender-affirming care. However, the same judge had quashed DOJ's subpoena to Children's National Hospital in January, calling it a fishing expedition with no purpose other than to intimidate and harass. Courts in Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Colorado have thrown out similar subpoenas, and no reported federal decision has ruled in the government's favor on these demands.

Supporting reports

• ICE detains babies and toddlers under Trump administration — An analysis by the Marshall Project and MS NOW found that under the second Trump administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained at least 500 babies and toddlers between January 2025 and March 2026. On average, 25 children aged three and under were held in custody daily. This practice raises significant human rights and ethical concerns regarding the treatment of young children in immigration detention.
• ICE deports parents of U.S.-born children; hundreds of infants in custody — ABC News reported on June 12 that during the first 14 months of Trump's second term, only 3% of people detained by ICE had been convicted of a violent felony, despite Trump's promise to target the "worst of the worst." ICE apprehended parents of approximately 14,450 U.S.-born children, roughly half of whom were later deported. Separately, MS Now and the Marshall Project revealed that at least 500 babies and toddlers have been in ICE custody during the second Trump administration—ten times more than during the prior year under Biden.

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• Trump administration suspends federal funding to Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, under Secretary Scott Turner, suspended federal funding to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), the nation's largest continuum-of-care homeless services agency, pending an investigation into alleged fraud. HUD cited violations of conflict-of-interest rules, misuse of funds for empty hotel rooms, and failure to provide documentation. LAHSA disputed the allegations, stating it had corrected or was correcting nearly all issues raised. The suspension affects approximately 8% of LAHSA's budget and jeopardizes housing stability for thousands of homeless individuals in Los Angeles.

Supporting reports

• Interior Secretary Burgum cited fabricated national security rationale to cancel wind turbine projects — Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced cancellation of wind turbine projects that had already been funded, citing a report from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claiming wind turbines pose a national security threat because drones could use them as cover for undetectable attacks on the U.S. The rationale was widely characterized as absurd and motivated by Trump's personal animus toward wind energy stemming from a decades-old dispute over a wind farm near his golf course in Scotland.

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• Legal challenge filed against DHS border wall waivers in Big Bend sector — The Friends of the Ruidosa Church, river guide Billy Miller, and the Center for Biological Diversity updated an existing lawsuit on Thursday, June 12, 2026, challenging DHS border wall-related waivers of environmental laws in the Big Bend sector. The plaintiffs argue that the waivers violate due process and other constitutional rights, marking the first major legal challenge to the administration's authority to suspend environmental protections in a national park.

Supporting reports

• Federal judge extends block on Trump's $1.8bn IRS settlement fund — U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema extended her order blocking the Trump administration's $1.8 billion fund created as part of a settlement with the IRS over the leak of Trump's tax returns. The fund had triggered bipartisan outrage when announced. Brinkema conditioned lifting the block on acting attorney general Todd Blanche and treasury secretary Scott Bessent filing a declaration under penalty of perjury within one week that the fund would not proceed. Trump's public equivocation on the fund's status prompted the extension despite Blanche's earlier congressional testimony that it was dead.
• Preliminary injunction ruling — Floyd v. Department of Justice (E.D. Va.) 1:26-cv-01399 — Judge Brinkema granted Plaintiffs' motion for a preliminary injunction, blocking Defendants from taking any action to create or operate the Anti-Weaponization Fund, including transferring money to the Fund, processing claims, making payments, appointing managers, establishing governing rules, or reconstituting the Fund under any other name. The court ordered Defendants to reverse any transfers already made to accounts for the Fund and submit a compliance status report within seven days. The court also ordered Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, Jr., and Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent to file declarations under the penalty of perjury affirming they will not take further action to create or operate the Fund by June 19, 2026.
• Virginia Judge Leonie Brinkema issued injunction halting Trump's $1.8 billion slush fund — Virginia Judge Leonie Brinkema issued an injunction indefinitely halting Trump's $1.8 billion slush fund for allies, political cronies, and insurrectionists. The DOJ was ordered to produce evidence within one week that the fund has been abandoned, or the civil case will proceed. The ruling represents a judicial check on executive use of public funds for political purposes.

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• Kennedy Center board filed emergency appeal to D.C. Circuit Court — Late on June 12, 2026, the Kennedy Center board filed an emergency appeal to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, requesting a stay of Judge Cooper's order to remove Trump's name from the building. In the filing, the board alleged for the first time that amended bylaws required the board to strip all funding from the Kennedy Center unless Trump's name remained on it, effectively threatening to defund the institution to prevent compliance with the court order.
• Kennedy Center board amended bylaws to block name removal and trigger financial penalty — The Kennedy Center board of directors amended its bylaws to declare that removal of Trump's name would trigger a requirement to return all donations received since Trump took control of the institution, potentially causing bankruptcy. Legal experts characterized this as a textbook violation of fiduciary duty designed to take the board "hostage" and prevent compliance with the court order.

Supporting reports

• D.C. Circuit Court denied Trump's emergency motion to stay Kennedy Center removal — Late on June 12, 2026, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals denied Trump's emergency motion requesting a stay of Judge Cooper's order to remove Trump's name from the Kennedy Center. Despite the court's denial, the removal of signage took longer than anticipated due to the extensive scaffolding and labor required. The Department of Justice requested twelve additional hours to comply with the court order, stating the letters would come down "in the early hours of the morning of June 13," presumably to avoid the large audience watching the removal in person and on livestream.
• Judge Cooper denied DOJ stay request on Kennedy Center removal order — Judge Cooper rejected the Justice Department's request for a stay on his removal order, ruling that the government had not demonstrated it would prevail on the merits of its appeal. Cooper stated that staying the order "would not be in the public interest, which is rarely served by the 'perpetuation' of 'unlawful' governmental action."
• Justice Department filed notice of appeal of Kennedy Center removal order — Hours after the Kennedy Center board voted to launch a last-minute appeal to Judge Cooper's removal order, lawyers from the Justice Department filed a notice of appeal. They requested a stay on the judge's order, arguing that the board would be "forced to squander time and money" if the appeals court ruled in its favor and that it "would be incredibly confusing for the public" if Trump's name went back up after removal.
• Federal judge ordered Trump's name removed from Kennedy Center — A federal judge gave Trump 14 days to remove his name from the Kennedy Center. The deadline hit at midnight on June 12, 2026. Trump's legal team filed a last-minute stay request, arguing the removal would be "wasteful" and "confusing to the public," and escalated to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals seeking an emergency reprieve. Plaintiffs, including board member Joyce Beatty, responded that there is no real injury if the name is later restored, and documented real harm from the renaming: artists canceled performances, ticket sales dropped precipitously, and viewership of the Kennedy Center Honors broadcast fell. A judge upheld the ruling, and the Trump name was expected to come off the Kennedy Center around 6 p.m. ET on June 12.
• Judge denied Trump's emergency motion to reverse Kennedy Center name removal ruling — A federal judge in Washington, D.C. denied Trump's last-minute emergency petition seeking to reverse an earlier court order requiring removal of his name from the Kennedy Center. A work crew was deployed at the court-mandated deadline to remove the name, but work was halted due to rain. Trump subsequently filed an emergency stay petition with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, claiming the Kennedy Center board would face bankruptcy if forced to return donations received during his tenure.
• Trump's name removed from Kennedy Center facade — Workers removed the lettering referencing President Donald Trump from the facade of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on June 12, 2026, following the federal judge's order. The removal occurred around 6 p.m. ET after the midnight deadline passed.
• Department of Justice requested extension to comply with Kennedy Center removal order — The Department of Justice requested twelve additional hours from the court to comply with Judge Cooper's order to remove Trump's name from the Kennedy Center, stating that the letters would be removed "in the early hours of the morning of June 13." The request came after the government missed the midnight June 12 deadline, with the DOJ implicitly acknowledging that the removal would occur when there would not be a large audience watching either in person or on livestream.

Supporting reports

• Judge Boasberg declined request to vacate Jerome Powell grand jury opinion — Judge Boasberg declined a request from U.S. Attorney Pirro to vacate his earlier opinion quashing grand jury subpoenas targeting Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Boasberg went further, finding that Pirro had "harassed" Powell for nothing more than "displeasing" the president. The ruling upheld judicial protection of an independent agency head from politically motivated prosecution.

Supporting reports

• House Democrats demanded answers on Federal Bureau of Prisons policy change — House Democrats, led by Rep. Deborah Ross and joined by Jamie Raskin and Ro Khanna, demanded answers from the Federal Bureau of Prisons over a policy change that grants the Attorney General new authority to override prison placement decisions. The lawmakers noted this change appears to have been implemented after Ghislaine Maxwell was moved from a low-security Florida facility to a minimum-security camp in Texas—a placement that would normally be prohibited for sex offenders under BOP guidelines. Democrats believe the new policy may be a retroactive attempt to justify the transfer and demanded internal communications, legal analyses, and records explaining the change. The BOP was given until July 12 to respond.

Supporting reports

• Interior Department withheld death information from Grand Canyon heat fatality — On June 12, 2026, a 72-year-old man died of extreme heat on a popular Grand Canyon trail. National Park Service employees wanted to warn other visitors of the danger, but the Interior Department's communications office did not release the information. Four days later, on June 16, a couple aged 67 and 68 died of extreme heat on the same trail. The delayed disclosure prevented timely public warning of the hazard.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration redirects $352m in Secret Service funds to White House ballroom project — The Trump administration transferred $352 million in federal funds designated for the Secret Service toward construction of a White House ballroom, despite Trump's repeated public promises that the project would be financed entirely by private donations. The funds were drawn from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and placed into accounts labeled "Procurement, Construction, and Improvements" ($340.8m) and "Operations and Support" ($10.75m) on June 12, 2026. Congress had explicitly refused to provide $1 billion for the project. The administration justified the transfer as security-related, but senior legislators from both parties expressed skepticism.

Supporting reports

• Trump requests congressional resolution to symbolically expunge his two impeachments — President Trump is pressing Congress to pass a resolution that would symbolically nullify his two impeachments from his first term—one in 2019 over abuse of power regarding Ukraine, the second in 2021 following the January 6 Capitol attack. Constitutional scholars note the Constitution contains no mechanism to reverse an impeachment, making any resolution largely a political statement. Democrats argue the effort will only resurrect the original allegations during the midterm election cycle.
• Trump seeks to expunge impeachments — The Wall Street Journal reported on June 11 that Trump and his allies have discussed urging Republican lawmakers to pass a resolution "expunging" Trump's two first-term impeachments. House Speaker Mike Johnson called the move a "priority," though it would be purely symbolic with no legal weight. A measure is unlikely to be considered until after the midterm elections.

Supporting reports

• Brad Lander acquitted of obstructing elevator at ICE facility — Brad Lander, former New York City comptroller, was found not guilty of blocking an elevator at the ICE field office in Manhattan's 26 Federal Plaza on June 11, 2026. Lander and 10 other politicians had been arrested on September 18, 2025, after sitting in front of the 10th-floor elevator bank to protest denial of access to detention rooms. Judge Henry Ricardo ruled that Lander did not willingly obstruct the area, noting his low energy and compliance with orders to stop banging on doors, and finding his testimony about singing "We Shall Not Move" as a civil rights anthem credible.
• Brad Lander acquitted of obstruction charges — On June 12, a federal judge found Brad Lander not guilty of obstruction, ending the case from his September 2025 arrest at 26 Federal Plaza, where he and approximately 75 others were detained while attempting to inspect conditions in ICE's 10th-floor holding cells. Lander turned down a plea deal and demanded trial. The prosecution's closing argument cited him singing "We Shall Not Be Moved." The judge ruled that the government failed to prove its case.

Supporting reports

• Federal indictment unsealed against eight pro-Palestinian activists for alleged intimidation campaign — Federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment against eight pro-Palestinian activists accused of conspiring to run a criminal intimidation campaign against University of Michigan officials to force divestment from Israel-linked companies. The indictment describes vandalism, fake corpses placed on a board member's lawn, spray-painted anti-Israel messages at the president's home, and use of social media to broadcast threats. Six defendants made initial appearances in federal court in Detroit on Wednesday; one was arrested in Wisconsin and one remained at large.

Supporting reports

• Oil executives warn White House of potential $5 gasoline prices — Oil executives privately warned the White House that gasoline prices, already at $4.13 per gallon nationally and up over 40% year-over-year, could break $5 per gallon by summer's end. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is at 349.2 million barrels, approaching lows not seen since 1983. An industry official stated that the White House understands the severity of the situation but is "politically constricted from saying that publicly."

Supporting reports

• UFC event planned for White House South Lawn required $60 million in federal resources — A planned UFC fight event on the White House South Lawn, scheduled for Sunday, June 15, has required coordination from more than 7 federal agencies, hundreds of daily staff, and at least $60 million in expenditures, according to a legal filing. The National Park Service confirmed that "well over $60 million and tens of thousands of hours of labor have been expended." The Secret Service screened 20–30 trucks of equipment and 700–900 staff daily beginning May 20. A lawsuit seeks to halt the event, arguing it is "a volcano of corruption" and a for-profit endeavor from which the President and allies stand to profit, distinguishing it from precedent events like Easter Egg Rolls.

Supporting reports

• US House blocks extension of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) section 702 — The US House of Representatives failed to pass a short-term extension of FISA section 702 in a 198-218 vote on June 11, 2026. Democrats blocked the renewal in protest of Trump's appointment of Bill Pulte, a major Republican donor with no national security experience, as acting director of national intelligence. The law will lapse on June 12, though a FISA court certification allows collection to continue under existing orders through approximately March 2027.
• House rejected FISA renewal measure — Nineteen Republicans joined all but seven Democrats to reject a measure to extend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which expires on June 12, 2026. Under the fast-track procedure used by House Speaker Mike Johnson, the measure required a two-thirds majority but failed 218 to 198, not reaching even a simple majority. The rejection reflected concerns about Pulte's potential oversight of the program.
• Congress fails to reauthorize Section 702 of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act before deadline — Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which permits warrantless collection of communications involving foreigners outside the US and incidentally sweeps up American communications, was set to expire on June 12, 2026. Congress failed to reauthorize it by the deadline. House Speaker Mike Johnson blocked votes on reform amendments, particularly a warrant requirement for surveilling Americans' communications, refusing to allow longer extensions that included such reforms. The program continues operating under existing court certifications through March 2027, but the statutory authorization lapsed.
• Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act lapses — The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which grants the executive branch broad surveillance powers, lapsed on June 12 after Congress failed to pass a short-term extension. The lapse occurred amid Senate outrage over Pulte's potential appointment as acting DNI. Some Republicans attempted to pass a two-week extension, but their efforts failed.

Supporting reports

• Department of Homeland Security issues waiver allowing border wall construction in Big Bend National Park — The Trump administration's Department of Homeland Security published a waiver in the Federal Register on June 11, 2026, that suspends enforcement of major environmental and historical preservation laws—including the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, and Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act—to permit Customs and Border Protection to construct border security infrastructure in Big Bend National Park, Texas. The waiver authorizes construction of vehicle barriers, roads, surveillance systems, and potentially 30-foot steel bollard fencing across 17 miles of the park's river frontage and interior, despite the area accounting for less than 0.5% of unauthorized border crossings nationally.

Supporting reports

• Lawsuit filed to halt UFC event at White House, citing corruption and regulatory violations — Plaintiffs filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent the UFC event from proceeding on the White House South Lawn, arguing it violates regulations and represents corruption. The suit contends that the event is a for-profit endeavor from which the President and allies stand to profit, distinguishing it from precedent White House events. Plaintiffs also challenged the Trump administration's June 9 representation that the UFC would not film inside the Lincoln Memorial, noting that the National Park Service appeared to be taking instruction from the UFC and planned to close public access to the Memorial and allow filming inside it.
• Judge Amit Mehta ruled UFC event at White House could proceed despite legal challenge — Federal Judge Amit Mehta ruled that a UFC event scheduled to take place at the White House could proceed, finding that harm to plaintiffs challenging the event would be only "temporary" and that the legal challenge came too late. The judge cited the considerable time, labor, and funding already invested in organizing the event and its lead-up activities.
• Preliminary injunction ruling — Douglas v. National Park Service (D.D.C.) 1:26-cv-02016 — Judge Mehta denied Plaintiffs' emergency application for a temporary restraining order or expedited preliminary injunction to block United Fighting Championship (UFC) Freedom 250 events at the White House South Lawn and Lincoln Memorial, concluding that Plaintiffs failed to establish a substantial likelihood of standing, irreparable harm, or a favorable balance of equities. On standing, the court held that neither Plaintiff demonstrated a concrete, direct aesthetic injury - Romano's presence near the affected areas was speculative, and Douglas' planned visits were primarily for protest activity rather than enjoyment of the sites' aesthetic or historical character. The court also found that Plaintiffs' unreasonable delay in filing (the event had been publicized since July 2025), the ancillary nature of their claimed harms, and the temporary character of the event structures independently precluded a showing of irreparable harm. Judge Mehta also highlighted the significant potential losses that would be borne by event organizers and damage to the reliance interests of prospective attendees in the event of an emergency injunction.

Supporting reports

• House Democrats call for JD Vance testimony on Epstein files handling — House Democrats, led by Representative Robert Garcia, plan to request that committee chair James Comer summon Vice President JD Vance to testify about the Trump administration's handling of Epstein files. The request follows a New York Times report detailing internal crisis within the administration over the files, including Situation Room meetings where Vance warned the controversy was a "huge problem" while chief of staff Susie Wiles dismissed his concerns as conspiracy theories. The White House has not yet responded to whether Vance would comply.

Supporting reports

• Trump nominates Jay Clayton as Director of National Intelligence — Donald Trump nominated Jay Clayton, former SEC chair and current US attorney for the Southern District of New York, to serve as Director of National Intelligence. The nomination follows widespread criticism of Trump's earlier decision to install Bill Pulte as acting DNI. Clayton has no significant operational intelligence experience but has bipartisan early support. The nomination comes amid controversy over Pulte's tenure and a lapsed Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act reauthorization deadline.
• Trump nominates Jay Clayton as permanent director of national intelligence — Trump announced on June 11 that he was nominating Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the southern district of New York, as permanent DNI. Clayton has no experience in any of the 18 intelligence agencies under DNI purview. The Senate Intelligence Committee immediately scheduled Clayton's confirmation hearing for June 17—an extraordinarily rushed timeline—with the apparent goal of confirming him before June 19, thus preventing Pulte from ever serving as acting director.
• Trump nominated Jay Clayton as director of national intelligence — Trump announced his nomination of Walter Joseph "Jay" Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, to become the next director of national intelligence. Like Pulte, Clayton lacks national security experience. Clayton has been involved in the slow-walking of the release of the Epstein files.
• Trump withdrew nomination of Bill Pulte for DNI after Senate opposition — After a bipartisan group of senators indicated they would not vote to extend FISA surveillance authority if Bill Pulte remained Trump's nominee for Director of National Intelligence, Trump withdrew the Pulte nomination. Trump announced instead the nomination of Jay Clayton, former SEC Chairman and current U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, to the DNI position.
• White House sent nomination and withdrawal to Senate for Walter Clayton — The White House sent to the Senate a nomination of Walter Clayton of New York to be Director of National Intelligence, replacing Tulsi Gabbard. Simultaneously, the White House withdrew Clayton's pending nomination to be United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. The dual action redirects Clayton's candidacy from a four-year SDNY post to the intelligence directorship.

Supporting reports

• CENTCOM falsely claims Strait of Hormuz remains open — CENTCOM posted this week that the Strait of Hormuz "remains open for transit." However, the strait has been closed by Iran since late February. Admiral Brad Cooper's name on the statement was characterized as "an embarrassment to the institution."

Supporting reports

• Customs and Border Protection updates border wall plans for Big Bend National Park — Customs and Border Protection updated its interactive website map in February 2026 to indicate plans to erect a steel bollard wall along Big Bend National Park's river frontage, then subsequently revised the map to show only detection technology, and later updated it again to reflect plans for new roads and four separate 4-6 foot vehicle barriers. The shifting and opaque communications about infrastructure plans have generated sustained concern among park advocates, local business owners, and elected officials about the scope and environmental impact of eventual construction.