On November 4, 2025, President Trump issued two executive orders modifying tariff rates with China as part of an economic and trade arrangement. The first order, “Modifying Reciprocal Tariff Rates Consistent With the Economic and Trade Arrangement Between the United States and the …
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled 2-1 to overturn a district court order blocking President Trump’s deployment of approximately 200 Oregon National Guard troops to protect a Portland ICE facility. Circuit Judges Ryan D. Nelson and Bridget S. Bade …
President Trump commuted the 87-month federal prison sentence of former Rep. George Santos (R-NY) after Santos served only three months of his sentence. Santos pleaded guilty in August 2024 to multiple counts of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, campaign finance violations, and financial crimes …
President Trump signed an executive order titled ‘Ensuring Continued Accountability in Federal Hiring’ on October 15, 2025, extending the federal hiring freeze and requiring all federal hiring decisions to be approved by ‘Strategic Hiring Committees’ consisting of senior …
President Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum on October 9, 2025, authorizing the construction of up to four Arctic Security Cutters (ASCs) abroad to address ‘urgent national security needs’ in the Arctic region. The memorandum invokes presidential authority under 14 U.S.C. 1151(b) …
The Supreme Court began its 2025-2026 term on October 6, 2025, with a docket featuring critical cases on executive power, voting rights, and constitutional law. The October session includes 10 oral arguments over five days, with several cases that could fundamentally reshape American governance.
Key …
President Trump signed an executive order on September 30, 2025, titled ‘Unlocking Cures for Pediatric Cancer with Artificial Intelligence,’ committing an additional $50 million to explore AI applications in pediatric cancer research. The order directs the MAHA Commission to coordinate …
President Trump signed an executive order titled ‘Assuring the Security of the State of Qatar’ on September 29, 2025, providing Qatar with an unprecedented security guarantee stating that ’the United States shall regard any armed attack on the territory, sovereignty, or critical …
ProPublica exposed Russell Vought, Trump’s OMB director and Project 2025 architect, as operating as a ‘shadow president’ or ‘second commander-in-chief’ orchestrating the systematic dismantling of federal agencies and expansion of presidential power. Vought led Project …
President Trump signed Executive Order 14352 titled ‘Saving TikTok While Protecting National Security’ on September 25, 2025, approving a deal that allows TikTok to continue operating in the United States under majority U.S. ownership. The order extended the enforcement deadline by 120 …
The Supreme Court agreed to hear a rush appeal deciding whether President Trump acted lawfully in firing board members leading independent federal agencies, setting up oral arguments for December 2025. The case will reconsider the landmark 1935 precedent Humphrey’s Executor v. United States, …
President Trump signed Executive Order 14351 establishing the ‘Gold Card’ visa program, requiring foreign nationals to make ‘unrestricted gifts’ of $1 million to the Department of Commerce ($2 million if a corporation gives on behalf of an individual) to obtain residency. The …
President Trump issued a Presidential Proclamation imposing severe restrictions on H-1B specialty occupation workers, requiring employers to pay a $100,000 fee per petition with limited national-interest exemptions. This dramatic escalation in visa costs represents a fundamental shift in skilled …
President Trump signed Executive Order 14348 on September 5, 2025, creating a new ‘State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention’ designation that empowers the Secretary of State to blacklist foreign countries determined to be involved in or supporting wrongful detentions of U.S. nationals. …
The Trump administration filed an expedited emergency petition with the Supreme Court seeking to overturn the Federal Circuit’s August 29 ruling that declared Trump’s sweeping tariffs illegal under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The government asked the Court to …
On September 1, 2025, President Trump initiated a massive purge of federal Inspectors General, firing approximately 17 independent watchdogs across multiple agencies. These dismissals, explicitly outlined in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 blueprint, violated federal law requiring …
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled 7-4 that President Trump unlawfully exceeded his emergency powers authority when imposing sweeping tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The full court held that Trump’s ‘reciprocal tariffs’ …
President Trump signed an executive order titled ‘Making Federal Architecture Beautiful Again’ mandating that all new federal public buildings embrace classical architecture styles to ‘honor tradition, foster civic pride, and inspire the citizenry.’ The order represents an …
President Trump signed two executive orders on August 25, 2025, aimed at eliminating cashless bail policies nationwide and specifically in Washington D.C. The nationwide order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to identify states and jurisdictions with cashless bail policies and authorizes …
President Trump signed an executive order titled ‘Prosecuting Burning of the American Flag’ directing the Department of Justice to prosecute individuals for flag burning, despite the Supreme Court’s landmark 1989 decision in Texas v. Johnson establishing flag burning as protected …
President Trump signed an executive order titled ‘Guaranteeing Fair Banking for All Americans’ directing federal financial regulators to combat alleged ‘debanking’—the denial or termination of financial services based on political considerations. The order requires agencies …
President Trump signed Executive Order 14332 titled ‘Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking,’ transforming the federal grantmaking process by giving presidential political appointees unprecedented power over billions of dollars in research and discretionary grants. The order requires …
In a significant escalation of institutional capture, President Trump fired 17 inspectors general across multiple federal agencies in late January 2025. The mass firings, done without the legally required 30-day congressional notice, targeted watchdogs investigating potential misconduct in agencies …
In a controversial 8-1 decision, the Supreme Court lifted lower court injunctions blocking the Trump administration’s mass firing plans, enabling reductions of up to 50% in 19 federal agencies. The ruling temporarily permits widespread federal workforce terminations, with Justice Ketanji Brown …
In a landmark hearing, the Supreme Court began addressing complex constitutional challenges surrounding executive branch financial entanglements. The court explored unprecedented legal territory regarding potential emoluments violations, signaling a willingness to directly examine potential …
The Trump administration initiated unprecedented legal actions challenging judicial independence, including multiple court orders blocking administrative actions and mounting tensions between the executive and judicial branches. Multiple federal courts issued restraining orders against sweeping …
A draft bill from the House Judiciary Committee would expand Trump’s executive power by curtailing the FTC’s antitrust enforcement capabilities, aligning with broader efforts to consolidate presidential control over independent agencies
In a landmark ruling on April 22, 2025, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals established unprecedented guidelines for presidential authority to federalize state National Guard troops. The decision significantly expanded executive power by upholding the president’s ability to deploy 4,000 …
For the first time in White House history, the Easter Egg Roll is sold to corporate sponsors, with tech giants Meta, Amazon, and YouTube purchasing sponsorships ranging from $75,000 to $200,000, raising significant ethical concerns about monetizing public events.
President Trump removed two Democratic board members, Todd Harper and Tanya Otsuka, from the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), leaving the agency with only one Republican board member. The removals sparked legal challenges, with a federal judge later ruling that the firings were likely …
The Trump White House negotiated deals with top law firms—including Latham & Watkins, Simpson Thacher, Kirkland & Ellis, and A&O Shearman—to provide approximately $500 million in pro bono legal work. In exchange, these firms would avoid potential sanctions targeting organizations with …
In a landmark series of rulings spanning multiple federal appeals courts and culminating on April 10, 2025, federal judges significantly reaffirmed and expanded legal frameworks for holding the executive branch accountable. The decisions centered on critical constitutional issues including …
Law firm Milbank LLP reached a $100 million pro bono settlement with Trump to avoid punitive executive orders, part of a broader trend of law firms making strategic agreements to maintain government contracts
President Trump negotiated a $100 million pro bono legal services deal with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, effectively avoiding an executive order that would have penalized the firm. The agreement includes specific conditions about employment practices and representation.
Trump’s EPA established an email portal allowing fossil fuel companies to request Presidential Exemptions from Clean Air Act regulations, enabling up to two-year compliance waivers for pollution control standards on nearly 200 toxic pollutants.
President Trump attempted to federalize the California National Guard without Governor Newsom’s consent, sparking a major constitutional showdown. A federal court issued a temporary restraining order, blocking the deployment and challenging the president’s authority under Title 10, …
Federal District Court in D.C. issued a landmark ruling challenging Trump administration’s unilateral National Guard deployment powers. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer ruled that Trump violated the Posse Comitatus Act by sending National Guard troops to Los Angeles for immigration …
President Trump rescinded Executive Order 14237 targeting Paul Weiss law firm after the firm agreed to provide $40 million in pro bono legal services, adopt political neutrality, and support causes aligned with the administration’s priorities.
President Trump missed the February 19 deadline to disclose private donors for his presidential transition, breaking a long-standing transparency practice. By declining federal funding of $19.4 million, Trump avoided requirements to cap donations at $5,000 per person and publicly list donor details.
President Donald Trump rebrands himself as the ‘crypto president’ through multiple cryptocurrency ventures, including World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a $TRUMP meme coin, and American Bitcoin, while also establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve through an executive order.
The Supreme Court heard critical arguments challenging President Trump’s authority to unilaterally federalize state National Guard units during the 2025 constitutional crisis. At least 23 Republican-led states support the deployment, while 22 Democratic-led states oppose it. The case centers …
In February 2025, the Supreme Court and federal district courts reached a critical impasse over presidential emoluments enforcement. Following a pattern established in previous cases, the Court repeatedly declined to resolve substantive questions about Trump’s potential constitutional …
President Trump fired key government officials overseeing ethics and whistleblower protections, including David Huitema (Office of Government Ethics), Hampton Dellinger (Office of Special Counsel), and Colleen Shogan (National Archivist). The removals were part of a broader effort to reshape federal …
The Trump White House announced it will continue its policy of not releasing visitor logs, effectively preventing public and press access to information about who is meeting with the president. This approach, first implemented during Trump’s first term and challenged by transparency advocates …
President Trump issued a series of pardons to individuals convicted of financial crimes in February 2025, including Rod Blagojevich (former Illinois governor convicted of corruption), the Chrisleys (reality TV stars convicted of bank fraud), Michael Grimm (former congressman convicted of tax fraud), …
President Trump issued an executive order on February 10, 2025, pausing Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) enforcement for 180 days. The order directs the Department of Justice to halt all new FCPA investigations and review existing enforcement guidelines, effectively suspending investigations …
Russell Vought, who authored Project 2025’s chapter on restructuring Executive Office and expanding presidential power, was confirmed as OMB Director on February 6, 2025 by a 53-47 Senate vote. He now implements the exact recommendations he wrote, including using the budget agency to withhold …
President Trump fired Rohit Chopra, the CFPB director appointed during the Biden administration, removing a key consumer protection advocate. Trump appointed Scott Bessent as acting director, signaling a significant shift in the agency’s leadership and approach to financial regulation.
Trump administration implements Project 2025’s Schedule F recommendation, rebranded as ‘Schedule Policy/Career,’ identifying approximately 50,000 federal positions for reclassification from career civil servants to political appointees screened for ideological loyalty. This move …
Russell Vought, a key architect of Project 2025, is confirmed by the Senate on February 6, 2025, in a 53-47 party-line vote to serve as OMB Director under President Donald Trump. Vought’s confirmation represents a critical step in executing Project 2025’s blueprint for federal agency …