Take Care Ledger
One short summary per article, in plain language. Each tells what the administration did, why it raises a question under the Constitution or federal law, and where things stand as of Nov 9, 2026. Every fact comes from the linked article, where it is footnoted to the ledger and its sources.
Wars and use of force
Caribbean Boat Strikes
Since Sept 2, 2025, the U.S. military has fired on small boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. The administration says the boats carry drugs for “narco-terrorist” cartels. By Oct 27, 2026, the strikes had killed 243 people in 80 attacks, by the research group InSight Crime’s count. Under the Constitution, only Congress can declare war (Article I, Section 8), and Congress has not approved force against cartels. The administration says the cartels’ actions are an “armed attack,” so the President’s own powers are enough. It also says a federal law, the War Powers Resolution, which makes the President stop fighting after 60 days unless Congress agrees, does not apply.
As of Nov 9, 2026, the strikes continue, and no court has ruled on their legality. Both chambers voted down measures to stop them. A judge ordered the Justice Department’s legal memo turned over for private review. A wrongful-death suit is pending. On Nov 9 Rep. Thomas Massie refiled impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, one over the strikes.
Venezuela and the Maduro Capture
On Jan 3, 2026, U.S. aircraft struck targets in Venezuela while special forces seized President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. They were taken to New York to stand trial on drug-trafficking and other charges. Venezuela’s defense minister said 83 people died. The U.S. then took control of Venezuela’s oil sales and began working with Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, who now runs the country.
Under the Constitution, only Congress can declare war (Article I, Section 8), and Congress did not approve the raid. The administration called it a law-enforcement operation to arrest a man charged in a U.S. court. A Justice Department memo said the President “likely could conclude” it “falls short of war in the constitutional sense.” About 15 UN experts said it broke the UN Charter’s ban on force against another country. As of Nov 9, 2026, Maduro awaits trial, with a pretrial hearing in December and trial set for June 14, 2027. No election is scheduled, and U.S. strikes in Venezuela continue.
The 2026 Iran War
On Feb 28, 2026, the United States and Israel began bombing Iran. An Israeli strike killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. A U.S. missile hit an elementary school in Minab and killed about 156 people. Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, and the International Energy Agency called the result the largest disruption in oil-market history. A deal signed in June ended the fighting, but on July 8 Trump declared the ceasefire “over.” By late October, 23 U.S. service members had died.
Under the Constitution, only Congress can declare war (Article I, Section 8), and Congress never approved this one. A federal law, the War Powers Resolution, says the President must stop fighting after 60 days unless Congress agrees. In May the administration told Congress the fighting had “terminated” with an April ceasefire. Both chambers later passed a withdrawal measure. The administration treats it as non-binding because it never went to the President to sign. As of Nov 9, 2026, the U.S. naval blockade remains, U.S. strikes hit Iran on Nov 2 and 6, and no court has ruled.
Domestic Troop Deployments
Starting in June 2025, Trump sent National Guard troops into cities. In California, Oregon and Illinois the governors objected, so he took command of their Guard units. A federal law allows that only during an invasion or a rebellion, or when regular forces cannot enforce federal law (10 U.S.C. § 12406). Judges blocked all three deployments. In Portland, Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, found the protests were not a “rebellion.” A judge also ruled that the Los Angeles troops broke the Posse Comitatus Act, which bars soldiers from acting as police. After the Supreme Court refused to let the Illinois deployment proceed, Trump announced a pullout from all three cities on Dec 31, 2025.
As of Nov 9, 2026, court orders still block those three deployments. Deployments with governors’ consent continue. The D.C. Guard mission runs through Inauguration Day 2029; a challenge is pending. In Memphis, Guard soldiers killed Tyrin Johnson in July 2026; a family autopsy found he was shot in the back. The state is still investigating.
Threats Against Nigeria, Greenland, Cuba and Mexico
Trump has threatened military or economic action against Greenland, Nigeria, Cuba and Mexico. He would not rule out force to get Greenland, a territory of NATO ally Denmark. In January 2026 he announced tariffs on eight European allies unless they agreed to a sale. He withdrew them on Jan 21 and pledged not to use force. On Dec 25, 2025, U.S. Navy missiles hit militants in Nigeria, whose government said it approved. A Jan 29, 2026 order allowed tariffs on Cuba’s oil suppliers.
The UN Charter bars threatening force against another country’s territory (Article 2(4)). Under the Constitution, only Congress can declare war, and it approved none of these operations. The Supreme Court later ruled that the emergency law behind such tariffs does not allow them. As of Nov 9, 2026, a September deal gives the U.S. new defense areas in Greenland while keeping it Danish. Many U.S. forces have left Nigeria. The Cuba emergency stays in effect without its tariffs. No U.S. strike in Mexico has been acknowledged.
Cover-ups and information control
The Epstein Files
The “Epstein files” are federal records on Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Asked in February 2025 about Epstein’s client list, Attorney General Pam Bondi said, “It’s sitting on my desk right now to review.” In July 2025 the Justice Department said there was no client list. Trump called the files “fake.” Congress then passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, 427–1 in the House, and Trump signed it on Nov 19, 2025. The department has published about 3.5 million pages and says it has complied.
The law lets the department hold back only a few kinds of records, such as victims’ personal details. It bans withholding for “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.” The department has held back pages it calls privileged or duplicates. In June 2026 Judge Emmet Sullivan found it likely broke the law. As of Nov 9, 2026, he has not ruled on withheld FBI notes of interviews with a woman who accused Trump of abuse, which Trump denies. Two government watchdogs are still reviewing the department’s work.
The Signal Chat and Pentagon Information Policy
In March 2025, top officials used Signal, a commercial messaging app, to discuss planned airstrikes on Yemen’s Houthis. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz had added a journalist to the chat by mistake, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted the strike timing to the minute. Waltz lost his post on May 1, 2025. In December the Pentagon’s inspector general found that Hegseth’s use of an unapproved network risked endangering the mission. His lawyer said the report “totally exonerates” him. The Pentagon also told reporters to pledge to get approval before publishing what they learned there, or lose their passes.
The Espionage Act punishes sharing national defense information with people not allowed to have it. The inspector general accepted that Hegseth could declassify the details and made no criminal referral. In March 2026 Judge Paul Friedman ruled the pledge broke the First Amendment, calling it “viewpoint discrimination, full stop.” As of Nov 9, 2026, Hegseth remains in office with no discipline or charge. The pledge stays blocked while an appeal goes forward.
Withdrawn Studies and Deleted Federal Data
Since January 2025, federal agencies have taken down or changed health, climate and history webpages. They have stopped regular data reports, such as a yearly count of households that lack enough food. In late April 2025, nearly 400 scientists writing the next National Climate Assessment were dismissed. On Aug 1, 2025, Trump fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics hours after a weak jobs report. He said she had “faked the Jobs Numbers,” and news outlets reported he gave no evidence. Health officials also held back studies on vaccine safety and on how well a COVID vaccine worked.
A law called the Administrative Procedure Act lets courts undo agency actions that lack a reasoned explanation. In July 2025 a judge used it to order the health pages restored. As of Nov 9, 2026, those pages are back. Most other removals and halted data series remain in effect. The October 2025 inflation report was never published, and a proposal to change the 2023 climate assessment is pending.
FCC Actions and Press Access
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) licenses TV and radio stations. Under Chair Brendan Carr, it opened inquiries into how broadcasters covered the news and ordered ABC’s stations to renew their licenses early. On Sept 17, 2025, Carr said of a Jimmy Kimmel monologue, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.” ABC suspended Kimmel within hours and brought him back five days later. The Pentagon told reporters to accept new rules or give up their passes. In September 2026 the White House revoked passes for reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico.
The First Amendment protects a free press, and a federal law bars the FCC from censoring what stations air (47 U.S.C. § 326). Carr says stations must “serve the public interest.” As of Nov 9, 2026, courts have blocked the Pentagon’s press pledge and restored the three outlets’ passes. A Los Angeles-area court order limits force against journalists. ABC and Disney’s FCC lawsuit awaits a ruling, and no court has ruled on the Kimmel episode.
Corruption and self-enrichment
Crypto and World Liberty Financial
During Trump’s second term, he and his sons started or grew several crypto businesses. They include World Liberty Financial, its WLFI token and USD1 stablecoin, and the $TRUMP memecoin. On Jan 16, 2025, a company linked to the national-security adviser of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) agreed to buy 49% of World Liberty for $500 million. The deal was not made public until February 2026. Meanwhile, the Securities and Exchange Commission dropped cases against crypto firms, and Trump pardoned crypto executives. His June 2026 financial disclosure showed more than $1 billion in 2025 crypto income.
The Constitution bars a President from taking gifts or payments from a foreign government without Congress’s consent (Foreign Emoluments Clause). The question is whether UAE-linked money paid to a company Trump owns through a trust counts. Congress has not voted to consent. As of Nov 9, 2026, the businesses keep paying the family. A lawsuit calling the UAE payments “illegal foreign emoluments” is pending. Sen. Richard Blumenthal requested World Liberty’s records by Jan 4, 2027.
Trump Organization Foreign Deals
Trump kept owning the Trump Organization as President, with his sons running it through a trust. The company took on projects in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Serbia and other countries, often with partners linked to those governments. Those governments were negotiating with Trump over investment, weapons and tariffs at the same time. His June 2026 financial disclosure showed nearly $60 million in 2025 fees from foreign real-estate deals. Qatar also gave a Boeing 747 that now flies as Air Force One.
The Constitution bars a President from taking gifts or payments from a foreign government unless Congress agrees (Foreign Emoluments Clause). Congress has not agreed. Trump has said he has “nothing to do with the family business.” No court has ruled on its meaning since 2021. As of Nov 8, 2026, the deals remain in force, and one watchdog group counts 25 foreign projects in development. No lawsuit targets the real-estate deals. The incoming House Oversight chair plans 2027 probes of the family’s business dealings.
Media Settlements and Trump’s Lawsuits
In late 2024 and 2025, ABC, Meta, X, Paramount and YouTube paid about $90 million to settle Trump’s personal lawsuits. Most went to his library fund or White House ballroom. Paramount settled while seeking federal merger approval. In January 2026 Trump sued the IRS, part of the government he leads, for $10 billion over a leak of his tax returns. In May the Justice Department settled by creating a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” that could pay January 6 defendants. It also barred audits of Trump’s past returns.
Under the Constitution’s Article III, federal courts decide only real disputes between opposing sides. A judge found there was “never adverseness between the Parties” in the IRS suit. Another judge blocked the fund, and the department dropped it. As of Nov 9, 2026, the company payments stand and the audit ban remains. Courts dismissed his suits against the Wall Street Journal and an Iowa pollster, and he has appealed the pollster ruling. His New York Times and BBC suits are pending.
Pardons and Clemency
Trump has pardoned or shortened the sentences of more than 1,700 people. They include about 1,600 people charged over the Jan 6, 2021 Capitol riot, 77 people tied to the 2020 “fake elector” slates, more than 20 politicians convicted of corruption, donors and nine companies. A June 2026 Reuters review found that 96% of the grants did not meet Justice Department guidelines. In September 2026, 60 Minutes recorded lobbyists quoting a $300,000 price for a pardon.
The Constitution lets the President pardon “Offences against the United States” (Article II, Section 2), meaning federal crimes only. In April 2026 a Colorado court ruled that Trump’s “pardon” of Tina Peters did not touch her state conviction. Federal bribery law bars officials from taking anything of value for an official act. Whether it reaches a President is disputed after a 2024 Supreme Court immunity ruling. As of Nov 9, 2026, the federal pardons stand, and no process exists to undo them. A Democratic inquiry into payments for pardons has made no findings.
Renamings, Monuments and the Ballroom
Trump’s name or image has gone on federal places and programs, including the Kennedy Center, the U.S. Institute of Peace building and a $1 coin. On Oct 20, 2025, the White House East Wing was torn down for a donor-funded ballroom. Trump also proposed a 250-foot arch near Arlington National Cemetery. Asked whom it honors, he said, “Me.” Boards led or filled by Trump appointees approved both.
A federal law bars building on park land in Washington “without express authority of Congress” (40 U.S.C. § 8106). Challengers say neither project has it. The administration cites a 1925 law for the arch. A judge ruled that only Congress can rename the Kennedy Center, and Trump’s name came off in June 2026. In August the Supreme Court let ballroom work resume, finding the suing group likely lacked the right to sue, without deciding if the building is legal. As of Nov 9, 2026, ballroom construction continues, a judge’s Nov 5 order temporarily blocks the arch, and the Kennedy Center appeals are pending.
Government Equity Stakes and Chip Export Deals
Since 2025 the government has been buying pieces of private companies. In August 2025 it took about 10% of Intel, partly by turning unpaid CHIPS Act grants into shares. It also holds a “golden share” in U.S. Steel that lets it block plant closings. By late October 2026, one tracker counted 48 such deals worth $30.3 billion. Nvidia and AMD agreed to pay the government 15% of some China chip sales in return for export licenses.
No new law approved these deals. The Constitution says “No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported” (Article I, Section 9), so one question is whether the chip payments count. A separate law lets an agency buy a company only when a law “specifically” allows it. Nvidia says officials only “expressed an expectation” of the 15% and never made it a rule. As of Nov 8, 2026, the stakes and the golden share are in force, with no court ruling on any. Whether any of the 15% was paid is unresolved.
Musk, DOGE and Conflict-of-Interest Questions
Elon Musk ran the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, as an unpaid temporary federal employee until May 28, 2025. He never filed a public report of his finances. His companies held federal contracts worth billions and had dozens of open matters at federal agencies. In February 2025 the Justice Department dropped its hiring-discrimination case against SpaceX. In January 2026 the Pentagon said it would run Grok, his xAI chatbot, on classified networks.
A federal law makes it a crime for an employee, even a temporary one, to take part “personally and substantially” in decisions that affect his own money (18 U.S.C. § 208). The White House says Musk stepped aside from conflicts. A judge found that Musk “made the decisions” to close the foreign-aid agency USAID, but an appeals court paused that ruling. As of Nov 9, 2026, no charge or ethics finding about Musk appears in the record. DOGE ended on July 4, 2026. The Supreme Court will decide whether the public-records law covers it.
Outside Allies and Donors
People with no government job have publicly pushed for firings, prosecutions and policy changes, and the administration sometimes acted soon after. On Apr 2–3, 2025, activist Laura Loomer gave Trump names of National Security Council staff she called disloyal, and he fired six of them. Donors with business before federal agencies also gave large sums to MAGA Inc., a super PAC that backs Trump. The largest donor, Crypto.com’s parent company, gave $35 million.
Federal ethics laws cover government workers, not private advisers, and gifts to a super PAC are legal. The Supreme Court has said a campaign contribution to an elected official becomes a crime only if given in return for an “explicit promise or undertaking” to take an official act (McCormick v. United States, 1991). No official body has found a link between any gift and any government action. As of Nov 9, 2026, a court has ruled only one firing that followed a Loomer campaign unlawful: that of prosecutor Maurene Comey, on Oct 26. The Justice Department says it will appeal.
Cabinet Financial Disclosures and Ethics Complaints
Several top officials took office owning stakes in industries their agencies regulate. In February 2025 Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick handed his firm, Cantor Fitzgerald, to his sons. Cantor later earned fees from a company that had signed a preliminary $1.6 billion deal with Commerce. ProPublica reported that companies owned by Cerberus, the firm Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg co-founded, hold contracts in a missile-defense program he oversees. The Pentagon says he has no “direct responsibility” for those contracts.
A federal law makes it a crime for officials to handle matters affecting their own money or their spouse’s or young children’s (18 U.S.C. § 208). It does not reach grown children or the President. Bloomberg counted about 28,700 trades in Trump’s accounts through June 2026; the White House says outside managers make them. As of Nov 9, 2026, no official has been charged under that law, and watchdog complaints are pending. Kristi Noem and Lori Chavez-DeRemer have left the Cabinet. The Justice Department is investigating Noem’s adviser Corey Lewandowski.
Retribution and the rule of law
Prosecutions and Investigations of Trump Critics
Starting in January 2025, Trump called for investigations of people who had investigated, prosecuted or criticized him. The Justice Department opened cases against several, including James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. On Sept 20, 2025, Trump posted a message to his Attorney General: “JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!” Within three weeks a new prosecutor had indicted both.
The Fifth Amendment’s promise of fair legal process bars charging people to punish them or because of their protected speech. Comey and James said Trump’s posts showed that motive. On Nov 24, 2025, a judge threw out both indictments because the prosecutor had been appointed improperly. The department calls that a harmless “error in the title” and has appealed. As of Nov 9, 2026, the only conviction is John Bolton’s guilty plea, with sentencing in early December. Grand juries refused to re-indict James, and Comey faces two newer cases. Trump’s Nov 7 order to “look into” Democrats’ oversight pledges has led to no announced investigation.
Justice Department and FBI Personnel Changes
In January 2025, Justice Department leaders fired prosecutors who had worked for Special Counsel Jack Smith. The FBI later fired agents who had worked on investigations of Trump, often without giving a reason. The unit that prosecutes elected officials shrank to two lawyers. By May 2026 a watchdog group had counted 608 departures from the department, 202 of them firings.
A 1978 law, the Civil Service Reform Act, says career employees can be fired only for cause. The department says the President’s constitutional powers let it remove them anyway. On Oct 26, 2026, a judge ruled that firing prosecutor Maurene Comey broke that law and the separation of powers. The department says it will appeal. Courts in five districts also found that officials kept as acting U.S. Attorneys past their 120-day terms were serving unlawfully. As of Nov 9, 2026, Todd Blanche is Attorney General after a 50–49 Senate vote. Three division heads and the U.S. Attorney in Miami resigned Nov 5–9. None of the unit cuts has been reversed.
Federal Reserve Independence
On Aug 25, 2025, Trump announced he was removing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. He cited claims that she had committed mortgage fraud before she joined the Fed, though she has never been charged. In January 2026 the Justice Department sent the Fed grand-jury subpoenas about Chair Jerome Powell’s testimony about a building renovation. Powell said the threat of charges came from the Fed setting interest rates rather than “following the preferences of the President.” In March a judge canceled the subpoenas, finding their main purpose was harassment.
The Federal Reserve Act lets a President remove a governor only “for cause.” On June 29, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 5–4 that Cook may stay in office for now, because that protection gives her a right to notice and a chance to respond. As of Nov 8, 2026, Cook still votes on the Fed’s board. A second attempt to remove her is pending before a White House panel, with a hearing set for Dec 14. The Powell investigation is closed.
Law Firms and Universities
From February 2025, Trump signed a memo and orders against several large law firms whose lawyers had worked for his opponents. The orders suspended lawyers’ security clearances, limited their building access and ordered reviews of the firms’ contracts. Nine firms made deals instead, promising a total of $940 million in free legal work. The administration also froze grants to universities, saying it was fighting antisemitism. Columbia, Brown, Cornell and Northwestern paid a combined $406 million and regained their funding.
The four firms that sued all won rulings that the orders were unconstitutional. The government says courts cannot review clearance decisions “even if it is for improper motives.” For schools, a civil-rights law allows cutting funds only after notice, a hearing and a report to Congress (42 U.S.C. § 2000d-1). In September 2025 a judge undid Harvard’s freeze, finding it was punishment for speech. As of Nov 8, 2026, the law-firm orders stay blocked while an appeals court decides, and Harvard’s case is on appeal. The signed deals remain in place.
Conflicts Between the Executive and the Courts
Trump, Elon Musk and several House Republicans have called for impeaching judges who ruled against the administration. The Justice Department filed misconduct complaints against nine judges. By an Associated Press count reported by CNN, judges found the administration broke court orders in at least 31 lawsuits over 15 months. The best-known case began in March 2025, when deportation flights to El Salvador landed after Chief Judge James Boasberg ordered them turned around.
Under the Constitution, federal judges serve “during good Behaviour” and can be removed only through impeachment (Article III). Chief Justice John Roberts said impeachment “is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision.” Boasberg found probable cause that officials had criminally disobeyed his order. An appeals court has blocked his inquiry three times, and the Justice Department calls it “unlawful, unnecessary and futile.” As of Nov 9, 2026, the full appeals court has not ruled. No judge has been impeached. Judges in Maryland, California and Pennsylvania found civil contempt; Minnesota and Colorado judges are weighing it.
Elections and democracy
Mid-Decade Redistricting
In summer 2025 Trump urged Republican-led states to redraw their House maps before the 2026 midterms rather than after the next census. Texas went first with five new Republican-leaning seats. California voters answered with Proposition 50, a map favoring Democrats. On Apr 29, 2026, the Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana map that had a second majority-Black district (Louisiana v. Callais). Several Southern states then redrew.
The Supreme Court has said federal courts cannot hear claims that a map unfairly favors one party (Rucho v. Common Cause, 2019). Courts can still hear claims that a map was drawn by race, under the Constitution’s equal-protection guarantee. A three-judge court blocked Texas’s map as racially drawn, but the Supreme Court reversed it. In the Nov 3, 2026 midterms, Texas’s map left Republicans one seat worse off. CBS News counted two House seats shifting to Republicans, both in redrawn districts. As of Nov 8, 2026, most new maps are in force, and Louisiana’s redrawn 6th District goes to a Dec 12 runoff.
Federal Actions on Election Administration
Before the Nov 3, 2026 midterms, Trump signed two voting executive orders. The Justice Department demanded voter lists from at least 48 states and DC, sued 29 states and DC, and shared data with Homeland Security. Removals left the Federal Election Commission and the Election Assistance Commission without enough members to vote. On Jan 28, 2026, the FBI seized Fulton County, Georgia’s 2020 ballots under a court-issued warrant.
The Constitution gives states, and Congress, power over the “Times, Places and Manner” of congressional elections (Article I, Section 4). It gives the President no role. Courts blocked both orders, and one judge wrote that the Constitution “does not grant the President any specific powers over elections.” Judges dismissed 27 straight voter-list suits. In October the department sued to have about 20,000 California mail ballots kept separate, then dropped the case after the Supreme Court turned it down. As of Nov 9, 2026, the department still holds Fulton’s ballots. Its appeals in the voter-list, Fulton subpoena and Alaska Senate cases are pending.
The 2026 Midterms
In the primaries before the Nov 3, 2026 midterms, Trump-backed challengers beat Republicans who had broken with him, including Rep. Thomas Massie. A Postal Service rule tied mail-ballot delivery to a federal portal. Government-funded ads ending “Paid for by the U.S. Government” began running on Sept 23. On Election Day, Democrats won the House, took the Senate 54–44 and flipped 12 state legislative chambers.
The Constitution leaves the “times, places and manner” of congressional elections to the states and Congress (Article I, Section 4). The Supreme Court kept the mail rule from taking effect, saying the government was “unlikely to succeed on the merits.” A judge halted the ads under a law that bars agencies from spending on “publicity or propaganda.” The White House called them “public service announcements.” On Nov 9 Trump posted, with no evidence, that the results were not “honest.” None has been overturned. Democrats take control of both chambers on Jan 3, 2027. As of Nov 9, 2026, 19 House seats and two Senate races are uncalled.
Third-Term Statements and the No Kings Protests
Since January 2025, Trump and his allies have talked about him serving past January 2029. Rep. Andy Ogles proposed amending the Constitution to allow a third term after a break. Trump has gone back and forth. In March 2025 he said he was “not joking” about a third term. On Oct 22, 2026, he said the law bars him, but “I think I have the right to run again” because of the 2020 result. A protest movement called “No Kings” held four nationwide rounds, the last on Oct 17, 2026.
The Constitution says no one “shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice” (22nd Amendment). It has no exception for a term after a break. Only a new constitutional amendment can change that rule, and no court has ruled on any third-term route. As of Nov 8, 2026, Ogles’s proposal has not moved and expires on Jan 3, 2027. Trump has not ruled out a third term or endorsed a 2028 successor.
Shutdowns, Rescissions and Impoundment Findings
From October 2025 to April 2026, government funding ran out three times. That included a 43-day full shutdown and a 76-day Homeland Security shutdown, the longest on record. The White House budget office, led by Russ Vought, held back or canceled money Congress had approved. In the 2025 shutdown’s first three days, it froze or canceled about $28 billion for projects in Democratic-leaning states. It also sent two “pocket rescissions,” requests to cancel money sent so late that it expired before Congress’s 45-day review ended.
A 1974 law, the Impoundment Control Act, says the money must stay available while Congress considers a request to cancel it. The Government Accountability Office found nine violations of that law and said it does not allow pocket rescissions. Vought said the office had become “hyper partisan.” The office’s head can sue under the law, but that post is empty. As of Nov 9, 2026, the pocket-rescission funds, about $4.9 billion and $810 million, have expired. A stopgap funds the government until Dec 11.
Immigration and civil liberties
Alien Enemies Act and CECOT
On Mar 15, 2025, President Trump used the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 law, against Venezuelan men his administration called Tren de Aragua gang members. That day 137 men were flown under the act to CECOT, a prison in El Salvador. Judge James Boasberg ordered the planes turned around, but they kept going. Kilmar Abrego Garcia, protected by a 2019 order from removal to El Salvador, was sent there too.
The act applies only during a declared war or an “invasion or predatory incursion,” so courts have asked whether a gang counts. The Supreme Court said each man must get notice and a chance to see a judge. Boasberg later ruled the men were denied fair process and ordered them brought back. An appeals court has three times stopped his inquiry into whether officials criminally defied him. As of Nov 8, 2026, none of the 137 is reported returned, and appeals on both matters are undecided. Abrego Garcia’s smuggling charges were dismissed as vindictive, and the government’s appeal is pending.
City Enforcement Operations and Fatal Shootings
Starting in mid-2025, the administration sent teams of ICE and Border Patrol agents into cities, mainly Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis. In Minneapolis in January 2026, agents killed two U.S. citizens, Renée Good and Alex Pretti. The Trace, a news site, counts 32 times through Oct 8, 2026 when immigration agents fired at people away from the border, killing 9. Homeland Security sometimes first called the person shot the attacker, though reporters found video showing otherwise.
The Fourth Amendment limits how much force officers may use. A federal law makes it a crime for officials to violate people’s rights, but no agent has been charged under it. County prosecutors have charged three agents. Two want their cases moved to federal court, arguing that the Constitution shields federal officers doing their jobs from state charges. In September 2026, the Justice Department stopped sharing evidence about Good and Pretti with Minnesota. As of Nov 9, 2026, no agent has been charged over a killing, and the transfer requests are pending.
Detention and Deaths in Custody
The administration sent migrants to Guantánamo, opened tent camps on an Army base and in the Florida Everglades, and reopened family detention. On July 4, 2025, Congress gave ICE $45 billion for detention. Four days later, ICE said most people who entered without inspection must be held with no chance of bail. ICE lists 24 deaths in custody in fiscal 2025 and a record 36 in fiscal 2026. ProPublica counted 519 U.S. citizens detained through Oct 21, 2026.
For decades, such people could ask an immigration judge for release on bond under one section of immigration law. The administration says another section requires detention. By May 2026, judges had ruled against that reading more than 10,000 times. Because immigration detention is civil, not criminal, the Constitution forbids conditions that amount to punishment. As of Nov 9, 2026, no-bail detention mostly continues pending a Supreme Court ruling. The record shows no one punished for custody deaths. ICE reviews found poor care in at least 23 of 29 deaths, EFE reported.
Travel Bans, Refugees and Denaturalization
The administration stopped taking in refugees on Jan 20, 2025, then set a cap meant “primarily” for Afrikaners. Of 16,292 refugees admitted in fiscal 2026, almost all came from South Africa. A travel ban grew to 39 countries on Jan 1, 2026. Officials also ended temporary legal status for over a million people and sent more than 25,000 people to countries not their own. By Aug 3, 2026, the Justice Department had filed 123 suits to strip citizenship, then announced 40 more on Oct 5.
A federal law lets the President block groups of foreigners from entering. An appeals court let the full refugee pause stand for now, saying the President likely had that power, but another struck down a proclamation shutting off asylum at the border. To remove citizenship, the government must prove with “clear, unequivocal, and convincing” evidence that it was gained illegally or by lying. As of Nov 9, 2026, the travel ban, the refugee pause and the status terminations remain in force. The Supreme Court hears the removals to other countries in December.
Student Visas and Speech-Based Removals
Starting in March 2025, immigration agents arrested foreign students and scholars who had joined pro-Palestinian advocacy, and sought to deport them. Mahmoud Khalil, a green-card holder at Columbia, was arrested Mar 8, 2025 and held 104 days. Tufts student Rümeysa Öztürk, co-author of a student-newspaper op-ed, was arrested Mar 25. The government relied on Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s findings that their presence would hurt U.S. foreign policy. More than 8,000 student visas were revoked in 2025.
The First Amendment protects free speech, and the Supreme Court said in 1945 that this includes noncitizens living here. Judge William Young ruled Sept 30, 2025 that Rubio and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem acted “intentionally to chill” speech. In January 2026 he threw out the policy, though an appeals court paused part of his order. As of Nov 9, 2026, the policy stays blocked. Khalil, under a final removal order, has asked the Supreme Court to step in. Mohsen Mahdawi, a Columbia green-card holder, was ordered removed in June and is appealing.
Federal Data Sharing and Surveillance
Since early 2025, the administration has pulled together records that agencies used to keep apart, including tax, Social Security, Medicaid, passport and voter files. Many of the shared systems were built by the company Palantir, and ICE uses them to find people to deport. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) gained access to many of these databases. The IRS sent ICE about 47,000 taxpayer addresses before a judge stopped it in November 2025.
Laws such as the Privacy Act of 1974 and the tax-privacy law limit why agencies may share records. A judge found the IRS had broken the tax-privacy law about 42,695 times. Other rulings went the government’s way: the Supreme Court let DOGE keep its Social Security access and let citizenship checks of voter rolls continue. As of Nov 9, 2026, IRS address sharing remains blocked. The Justice Department has lost 27 voter-roll suits. A judge ordered New York City to give ICE some shelter residents’ names. Section 702, which lets agencies collect foreign communications, lapsed Jun 12.
Institutions and policy capture
Federal Workforce Reductions and Schedule F
Starting Jan 20, 2025, the administration moved to strip firing protections from career jobs it called “policy-influencing,” a group first called Schedule F. It fired newer workers still on trial periods, offered about 2 million workers paid “deferred resignation,” and carried out layoffs. An order ended union bargaining for more than 1 million workers. Pew counts a net loss of about 238,000 federal workers in 2025, or 10.3%.
Under the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, most career employees can be fired only for a good reason and can appeal to a review board. Judge William Alsup found that the personnel office directed about 25,000 trial-period firings “under false pretense,” but did not order anyone rehired. Supreme Court emergency orders let the firings stand and the layoffs go ahead while the lawsuits continue. As of Nov 8, 2026, most job losses stand, and no fired trial-period worker has been reinstated. About 8,000 positions have moved into the new category, and lawsuits against it have no ruling. Congress reversed about 4,000 layoffs made during a 2025 shutdown.
Inspectors General and Watchdogs
On Jan 24, 2025, the White House fired 17 inspectors general, in-house officials who audit and investigate federal agencies. Trump also removed members of boards and commissions whom Congress had protected from being fired without cause. That left several, including the Federal Election Commission, without enough members to vote. In 2026, inspectors general and congressional auditors reported that agencies had kept records from them.
The Inspector General Act requires the President to give Congress 30 days’ notice and a “substantive rationale” before firing an inspector general. On Sept 24, 2025, Judge Ana Reyes ruled that the firings broke this law. She reinstated no one, because Trump could fire them again after giving notice. On June 29, 2026, the Supreme Court overturned a 1935 decision and ruled that Congress cannot shield officials who carry out executive power from being fired at will. As of Nov 9, 2026, no fired inspector general is back, and 27 of those posts were empty. The election commission still lacks the votes to enforce the law.
Public Health Under RFK Jr.
On June 9, 2025, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. removed all 17 members of the government’s vaccine advisory panel. His replacements included people who had called for suspending mRNA COVID shots. On Jan 5, 2026, the acting CDC director cut the routine childhood vaccine schedule to 11 diseases, with no panel vote and no public comment. The CDC counted 5,182 measles cases in 2026 through Nov 5, the most since 1991.
The Administrative Procedure Act requires agencies to give sound reasons for their decisions. On Mar 16, 2026, Judge Brian Murphy found most of Kennedy’s picks unqualified. He paused 13 of the 15 appointments and every vote the panel had taken. On Aug 10, 2026, Trump ordered the cut again by executive order. No court has decided whether a President can set the vaccine schedule that way. As of Nov 9, 2026, Murphy’s order still holds, and the government’s appeal, argued Oct 6, is undecided. The Aug 10 order is in force with no reported challenge.
Climate and Environmental Policy Changes
On Jan 20, 2025, Trump pulled out of the Paris climate agreement and declared a “national energy emergency,” later used to keep retiring coal plants open. On Feb 12, 2026, he finalized repeal of a 2009 finding that greenhouse gases endanger public health. It was the legal basis for limits on car and power-plant pollution. The administration also halted offshore wind farms, shrank two Utah monuments and canceled billions in clean-energy grants. The Energy Department told a court that 284 grants were picked “based solely on the political identity” of the recipients’ states.
The Impoundment Control Act bars the government from holding back money Congress has set aside. On Aug 4, 2026, a full appeals court ruled 6–4 that the Environmental Protection Agency had “likely contravened” a 2022 law that funded green-bank grants. As of Nov 9, 2026, that money stays frozen pending the government’s Supreme Court appeal. The Paris exit, greenhouse-gas repeal and monument cuts stand. Courts have blocked the wind halts, coal orders and Solar for All cancellation.
Foreign powers
Russia and Ukraine
In March 2025, the administration paused weapons shipments and intelligence sharing with Ukraine. Both resumed after Ukraine agreed to a 30-day ceasefire. Russia did not agree. Several Trump deadlines for sanctioning Russia passed without sanctions. On Oct 22, 2025, Treasury sanctioned Russia’s oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil. A month later, the administration backed a 28-point peace plan, written with a Russian envoy, under which Ukraine would give up the rest of the Donbas. The last treaty capping U.S. and Russian nuclear warheads expired Feb 5, 2026.
Under the Constitution, a binding U.S. promise to defend Ukraine would normally be a treaty approved by two-thirds of the Senate. An agreement made without the Senate would not bind a future president. A sanctions law signed Sept 18, 2026 lets the President waive its penalties, and on Oct 16 Trump waived nearly all of them. As of Nov 9, 2026, there is no peace deal. Russia demands all of Donbas, and Ukraine refuses. New talks are set for Nov 10–11 in Abu Dhabi.
China and North Korea
U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods hit 145% in spring 2025, before a May truce, the first of several. The administration let chipmakers sell AI chips to China for a share of the sales, first 15% and later 25%. It told Congress of $11.1 billion in Taiwan arms sales in December 2025 but held back another package of about $14 billion. Trump called North Korea a “nuclear power” and said he would “love to meet” Kim Jong Un.
Under the Constitution, Congress has the power to tax imports. The first China tariffs relied on a 1977 emergency law, and on Feb 20, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 6–3 that it does not allow tariffs. Export-control law says “[n]o fee may be charged” for a license, but no court has reviewed the chip deals. As of Nov 9, 2026, the truce holds, reportedly until Jan 10, 2027. Fees on China-linked ships are paused until then. A replacement 12.5% tariff awaits a ruling. The Taiwan package is stalled; no Trump–Kim meeting is set.
Gulf States, Israel and Gaza
The administration lifted sanctions on Syria and approved about $28 billion in arms sales to Israel and Gulf states, declaring emergencies to skip Congress’s review period. A Sept 29, 2025 order pledged to treat an attack on Qatar as a threat to U.S. security. Trump brokered a Gaza ceasefire overseen by a “Board of Peace” that names him chairman with no term limit. Qatar supplied a 747 now flying as Air Force One. A UAE-linked firm bought 49% of the Trump family’s crypto company for $500 million.
The Constitution bars officials from taking gifts from foreign governments without Congress’s consent. The Attorney General found the gift “legally permissible” if the jet goes to Trump’s library foundation by 2029. Defense promises have usually been made by treaty, with Senate approval. As of Nov 9, 2026, the jet is in service and the Qatar order in force, but Congress has voted on neither. Eight Senate votes to block arms sales failed. The Gaza ceasefire is partial, and Hamas has not disarmed.
Tariffs and Trade Policy
In 2025, Trump built his tariffs on a 1977 emergency-powers law. He declared emergencies over fentanyl on Feb 1 and the trade deficit on Apr 2, then set tariff rates on nearly every country. He also added tariffs tied to Brazil’s prosecution of former president Jair Bolsonaro and to India’s purchases of Russian oil.
The Constitution gives Congress the power to tax imports and regulate trade with other countries. On Feb 20, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 6–3 that the emergency law does not allow tariffs. About $166 billion was owed back to importers who paid, not to shoppers. More than $100 billion had been refunded by early August. The administration turned to other trade laws, using a 1930 law for the first time to put a 50% tariff on most Canadian goods. As of Nov 9, 2026, the Canada tariffs, tariffs based on national security and tariffs over forced labor are in force. A court heard a challenge to the forced-labor tariffs on Sept 30 and has not ruled.