6 hours ago

Tracking Trump – updates on the presidency’s first 100 days

Donald Trump has completed an extraordinary return to power as the 47th president, vowing to impose his vision and re-altering the political and cultural landscape of the nation.

To keep up with the dizzying array of executive orders, directives, firings and policy changes, the Guardian will be tracking the major developments of the second Trump administration’s first 100 days, just like we did during the first 100 days of Trump’s first presidency in 2017.

This story will be updated every Monday during Trump’s first 100 days.

Week 6

2 March 2025Day 42

The fallout continued from Trump and Zelenskyy’s disastrous Oval Office meeting, as the Ukrainian leader sought to recalibrate and insisted a minerals deal was ready to be signed during a diplomatic visit to London. While Europe rallies behind Ukraine, Trump’s Republican allies, including the House speaker, Mike Johnson, said Zelenskyy may have to resign, a suggestion Senator Bernie Sanders called “horrific”. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said Trump’s White House had effectively become “an arm of the Kremlin”.

a person holds a sign that reads ‘Ukraine can recognize a dictator and it’s not Zelenskyy’

Also on Sunday:

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr urged Americans to get the MMR vaccine in response to a growing measles epidemic in Texas, days after Kennedy, who has long sowed skepticism with his endorsement of anti-vaccine conspiracy theories, downplayed the situation as “not unusual”.

1 March 2025Day 41

A federal judge in Washington blocked Trump from ousting the leader of a federal watchdog agency, ruling that the effort to terminate the official without cause was “unlawful”. The decision by US district judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington allows Hampton Dellinger to remain the head of the Office of Special Counsel, which protects federal whistleblowers. In her ruling, Jackson wrote that upholding the president’s ability to fire Dellinger would give him “a constitutional license to bully officials in the executive branch into doing his will”. The case is likely to be decided by the supreme court.

Also on Saturday:

Musk renewed his demand that every federal employee send an email detailing their recent accomplishments, a week after the original demand sparked chaos and confusion across the government workforce.
Trump signed an executive order establishing English as the official language of the US.
Supporters of Ukraine protested against the Trump administration across the US, including a Vermont ski resort where Vance was vacationing with his family.

28 February 2025Day 40

In an explosive Oval Office meeting, Trump and his vice-president, JD Vance, assailed and berated Zelenskyy in a storm of accusations and falsehoods about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The tense exchange ended with Zelenskyy leaving the White House early, without signing a controversial minerals deal that was seen as key to unlocking US security guarantees for European peacekeepers in Ukraine. During the exchange, which played out publicly on live TV, Trump said Zelenskyy was “gambling with world war three” and told the Ukrainian president to come back “when he is ready for peace”. Hours later, Zelenskyy sought to de-escalate the situation in an interview on Fox News, but Trump appeared unmoved as he departed Washington for his Mar-a-Lago resort.

a man with a stern expression sits with his hands clasped while another man talks at him with his hands outstretched

Also on Friday:

European leaders and Democrats rallied around Zelenskyy, voicing continued support for Ukraine, while Trump’s Republican allies demand the Ukrainian leader apologize.
The White House said that classified documents seized by the FBI from Mar-a-Lago in 2022 had been returned to Trump.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump had “asked Zelenskyy and the Ukrainians to depart the White House” after their contentious exchange in the Oval Office.
The Democratic party sued Trump over a recent executive order it says violates federal election law by giving him too much power over the independent federal election commission.

27 February 2025Day 39

Keir Starmer, the British prime minister, arrived at the White House bearing a letter from King Charles as he quietly appealed to Trump not to abandon Ukraine as the US president searches for a speedy end to Russia’s brutal invasion of the country. In remarks, Starmer praised Trump for “changing the conversation” and making peace possible in Ukraine while Trump denied calling Zelenskyy a dictator, despite having done so, and suggested Vladimir Putin could be trusted. En route to Washington, Starmer pledged to raise the country’s defense spending, a commitment seen as a way to persuade Trump to provide a “backstop” for European security in Ukraine. And in a major relief for the British premier, Trump indicated that he would not slap harsh tariffs on the UK.

a man holds a letter while seated next to another man

Also on Thursday:

A federal judge found that the mass firings of probationary employees as part of the Trump administration’s government downsizing effort were likely unlawful.
The ruling came on the same day that the Trump administration moved to terminate hundreds of workers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), the US’s pre-eminent climate research agency housed within the Department of Commerce.
Senate Democrats publicly – and some Republicans privately – raised concerns over the Trump administration’s freeze on foreign aid and cuts to USAid.

26 February 2025Day 38

Donald Trump used the first full cabinet meeting of his second term to heap praise on Elon Musk and his billionaire ally’s mission to dramatically reduce the size of the federal government. Though not a member of Trump’s cabinet, Musk attended and took center stage as the secretaries sat mostly silently for the hourlong meeting. The tech mogul defended Doge’s actions, which have stoked confusion and backlash, but conceded that the team would make mistakes, citing a decision to cancel an Ebola prevention effort that “quickly” reinstated. During the summit, Trump also threatened to slap 25% tariffs on the European Union and announced that Ukrainian president Volodomyr Zelenskyy would visit the White HOuse to sign a minerals deal with the US.

a man speaks while standing in a room full of people seated at a table

Also on Wednesday:

A new White House memo instructed federal agencies to submit plans for “a significant reduction” in their staff by 13 March, potentially setting the stage to shrink the government workforce by tens of thousands more in the coming weeks. A top Senate Democrat warned that Trump may be pursuing a mineral rights deal with Vladimir Putin and Russia as well as Zelenskyy and Ukraine.
A Pentagon memo filed in court on Wednesday said transgender service members would be separated from the US military unless they receive an exemption.
The supreme court handed the president his first victory, granting the Trump administration’s request to pause a lower court’s deadline for the government to resume nearly $2bn in foreign aid payments.

25 February 2025Day 37

In a dramatic vote, House Republicans unified behind a budget blueprint, taking a major step toward advancing Donald Trump’s “big BEAUTIFUL” tax cut and immigration agenda. But vulnerable Republicans face a brewing backlash over the plan, which would almost certainly require significant reductions to social safety net programs that serve the poor. House Democrats plan to hammer Republicans over their support for the measure and the potential cuts to Medicaid required to pay for it as they plot a return to power in next year’s midterms. But Trump’s fiscal plan is far from guaranteed: Republican negotiators from both the House and Senate must now reconcile their competing budget blueprints to move forward.

Also on Tuesday:

The White House said it would pick which media outlets are allowed to participate in the presidential press pool, drawing sharp condemnation from the White House Correspondents’ Association, which warned: “In a free country, leaders must not be able to choose their own press corps.”
The Trump administration announced that immigrants in the US without authorization could face fines and prison time if they fail to submit their personal data to a government registry while the president floated the creation of a “gold card” visa that would give wealthy foreigners a pathway to citizenship for a $5m fee.

24 February 2025Day 36

The US office of personnel management told agency officials that federal workers were not required to respond to billionaire Elon Musk’s demand that they defend their recent accomplishments or risk being fired, even as Donald Trump indicated support for the ultimatum. The email sparked widespread chaos and confusion amid ongoing turmoil Musk’s Doge has inflicted on the federal workforce. After government departments gave their employees differing instructions as to whether they should respond to the message, OPM, which manages the federal workforce, announced that compliance with the email was voluntary and that failing to do so by midnight would not be considered a resignation, as Musk had warned.

Also on Monday:

France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, warned Donald Trump against a “surrender” of Ukraine during a visit to the White House, as the US president said Vladimir Putin would accept European peacekeepers in Ukraine as part of a potential deal to end the conflict. (The Kremlin has pushed back on this.)
Earlier in the day, the US joined Russia, Belarus and North Korea in voting against an EU-Ukrainian resolution condemning Russia on the third anniversary of its full-scale invasion, another sign of Trump’s sharp turn toward Putin.

Week 5

23 February 2025Day 35

Anti-Trump conservatives and centrists held a competing conference this weekend, dubbed Principles First, to counter the Conservative Political Action Conference’s (CPAC) Trump fest. But Principles First attenders, particularly officers who defended the Capitol during the insurrection, saw harassment from January 6 pardonee and Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, and the conference was subject to bomb threats on 23 February signed “Enrique T”. that said it was to honor the “J6 hostages” and “Emperor Trump”.

Also on Sunday:

Some at CPAC advocated for overriding the constitution to elect Trump for a third term, calling their quest for a Trump reign the Third Term Project. But at least one elected Republican, Oklahoma senator Markwayne Mullin, said he didn’t support the idea.

22 February 2025Day 34

Trump took the stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) for an all-out brag session, claiming he had saved the country and actually won the election by more, repeating unspecified lies that Democrats were cheating on elections. His victory lap included boasts of pardoning January 6 rioters, some of whom were in attendance, and killing diversity initiatives.

Elon Musk orchestrated emails sent by the Trump administration to all federal workers demanding they outline in five bullet points what they did at their jobs in the past week or risk termination, the latest escalation against the civil service. Kash Patel, the newly confirmed FBI director, told his agency employees they didn’t need to respond, and other agencies told workers to hold off on replies as well.

21 February 2025Day 33

The Associated Press sued the Trump administration after Trump’s team blocked the news agency from attending press events because the organization has continued using “Gulf of Mexico” in its reporting rather than the Trump-branded “Gulf of America”.

Also on Friday:

Trump reassigned the top official at US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in an effort to speed up deportations. The administration also rescinded its decision to cut off legal aid for unaccompanied immigrant children, just three days after it ordered government-funded attorneys across the country to immediately stop their work, a sign of the chaotic nature of the Trump presidency.

Separately, the Proud Boys were back in Washington DC, with key leaders fresh off their Trump pardons for participating in the January 6 insurrection. Enrique Tarrio, a former national leader of the far-right group, was arrested near the US Capitol on a charge that he assaulted a woman protesting a gathering attended by him and others who received pardons.

20 February 2025Day 32

Trump’s acolytes, riding high after one month of slash-and-burn rightwing governance, gathered for the Conservative Political Action Conference. Elon Musk appeared in sunglasses and a black Maga hat and wielded a chainsaw given to him as a gift by far-right Argentinian president Javier Milei. Steve Bannon, the far-right leader and Trump booster, gave a fascist-style salute on stage.

At the conference, JD Vance said immigration was the “greatest threat” to Europe and the US, at least until 30 days ago here.

Also on Thursday:

Trump continued the mass firing of federal workers, axing people at the Internal Revenue Service and in disaster recovery, among others. Some fired were then rehired, including public health workers responsible for responding to the spreading bird flu.

19 February 2025Day 31

“LONG LIVE THE KING!” Trump said of himself after moving to block a congestion pricing policy in New York City, inviting a legal battle with his home state. His claim of royalty brought strong backlash after his first month in office included various ways he’s attempting to consolidate power and threats to defy the courts if they go against his wishes.

Also on Wednesday:

Trump attempted to rewrite the history of Russia’s war against Ukraine, saying Ukraine started it when in reality Russia invaded the country unprovoked.

Trump called Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator” after the Ukrainian president said Trump appeared to be “trapped” in a Russian “disinformation bubble”.

18 February 2025Day 30

Trump signed an executive order to expand his power over independent agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Trade Commission, claiming he requires “presidential supervision and control of the entire executive branch”. These agencies would see presidential control over their policies and budgets, a change from the current process, under the order, which is likely to be challenged in court.

Also on Tuesday:

Trump appeared with Musk in a joint interview with Fox host Sean Hannity, where the president and his billionaire backer complimented each other relentlessly: Musk said he loves Trump and called him a “good man” while Trump called Musk “brilliant” and a “very good person”.

Another executive order signed on this day calls for a report that would recommend how to reduce the costs associated with in vitro fertilization. Some in the anti-abortion movement oppose IVF and reacted negatively to the order.

17 February 2025Day 29

Federal workers who were on their probationary periods were fired indiscriminately across various agencies over the holiday weekend, leaving gaps in aviation, nuclear safety, national parks, food safety and a host of other government jobs. Elon Musk and his so-called “department of government efficiency” team continued their march across agencies to find areas to cut. A top Social Security Administration official quit after Musk’s team tried to access people’s personal data.

people hold signs that read ‘the majority will not be silent’ and ‘do not obey in advance’

Also on Monday:

Protestors showed up at state capitols and other major cities across the country to speak out against the Trump administration and Musk, rallying to “stop the coup” of the federal government.

Trump nominated Edward Martin, a January 6 defender and Stop the Steal activist, to serve as US attorney for the District of Columbia. Martin had served in an interim role and was dismissing any pending cases against the January 6 rioters.

Week 4

16 February 2025Day 28

Trump asked the supreme court to let him fire the head of a federal agency that protects government whistleblowers, marking his first appeal to the justices on America’s highest court since he took office. The justice department’s filing asked the conservative-majority court to lift a judge’s court order temporarily reinstating Hampton Dellinger as the leader of the office of special counsel.

Also on Sunday:

Trump told reporters that he believes he could meet “very soon” with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.

15 February 2025Day 27

Trump went on social media to signal continued resistance to limits on his executive authority in the face of multiple legal challenges. “He who saves his Country does not violate any Law,” the president wrote on his Truth Social network. The phrase, attributed to Napoleon, the French military leader who eventually declared himself emperor, drew immediate criticism from Democrats. “Spoken like a true dictator,” Senator Adam Schiff of California, a longtime adversary of Trump, wrote on X.

Also on Saturday:

14 February 2025Day 26

JD Vance, the vice-president, stunned the Munich security conference by accusing European leaders of suppressing free speech, failing to halt illegal migration and running in fear from voters’ true beliefs. Vance suggested that Europe was infected by media censorship, cancelled elections and political correctness.

“The threat that I worry the most about vis-à-vis Europe is not Russia, it’s not China, it’s not any other external actor,” the vice-president said. “And what I worry about is the threat from within, the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values.” The blistering remarks were condemned by the European Union and Germany but drew praise from Russian state television.

Also on Friday:

Members of Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency” arrived at the Pentagon in what appeared to be their first meeting with defense department staff.

Under pressure from Trump’s justice department leadership, prosecutors in Washington asked a federal judge to drop bribery and fraud charges against the New York mayor, Eric Adams, rather than see the entire public integrity office be fired.

13 February 2025Day 25

Trump unveiled plans for the US to implement “reciprocal” tariffs on all countries with which it conducts trade. “They charge us a tax or tariff and we charge them the exact same,” he told reporters in the Oval Office.

Signing a memorandum called the “Fair and Reciprocal Plan”, the president admitted the tariffs could cause Americans some “some short-term disturbance”, adding: “Prices could go up somewhat short-term. But prices will also go down.”

Also on Thursday:

The Senate voted 52–48 to confirm the longtime vaccine sceptic Robert F Kennedy Jr as the next health and human services secretary. Senator Mitch McConnell, a polio survivor, was the only Republican to join all Democrats in opposition, saying he “will not condone the relitigation of proven cures”.

Trump was equivocal when asked what concessions Russia should be willing to make to secure a peace deal in Ukraine. He told reporters at a press conference: “It’s too early to say what’s going to happen. Maybe Russia will give up a lot. Maybe they won’t. It’s all dependent on what is going to happen.”

12 February 2025Day 24

Trump held separate phone calls with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in an effort to end the war that has raged for three years. The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, told reporters at a briefing: “They were very good calls. They were very positive.”

Later Trump told reporters he expected to come face to face with Putin soon. “We ultimately expect to meet,” he said in the Oval Office. “In fact, we expect that he’ll come here, and I’ll go there, and we’re going to meet also, probably in Saudi Arabia. The first time we’ll meet in Saudi Arabia.”

Also on Wednesday:

The Senate confirmed the former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard in a 52–48 vote to serve as director of national intelligence. Senator Mitch McConnell, the former Senate leader, was the lone Republican to join all Democrats in opposition.

The Senate budget committee voted 11–10 to approve a budget reconciliation bill intended to serve as a blueprint to get Trump’s border, energy and military agenda through Congress.

11 February 2025Day 23

a man with a black baseball cap has a boy on his shoulders

Joined by his four-year-old son X in the Oval Office, Elon Musk claimed the ”department of government efficiency’s” (Doge) goal was to “restore democracy”, contending that the federal bureaucracy had amassed too much power.

The world’s richest man denied conflicts of interest. “You can see whether I’m doing something that’s benefiting one of my companies or not,” he told reporters. “I’ll be scrutinised nonstop.” Trump signed an executive order that seeks to “significantly reduce the size of government” by instructing agencies to undertake plans for “large-scale reductions in force”.

Also on Tuesday:

Trump stood by his plan for the US to take control of Gaza and redevelop it as a tourist destination while relocating 2 million Palestinians. During a meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Trump told reporters: “We’re going to take it. We’re going to hold it. We’re going to cherish it.”

The White House secured the release of Marc Fogel, an American teacher who had been imprisoned in Russia. The US released Alexander Vinnik, a Russian cybercriminal who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, in exchange.

10 February 2025Day 22

Trump signed an order to impose 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports to the US while eliminating all country exceptions. He said: “It’s a big deal. This is the beginning of making America rich again.”

The chief executive of Ford, Jim Farley, said while he believed the president aimed to strengthen the US car industry overall, the tariff plans had “a lot of cost and a lot of chaos”. The move was also criticised by Canada, Mexico and other trading partners.

Also on Monday:

The justice department ordered federal prosecutors to drop corruption charges against the New York mayor, Eric Adams, arguing that the case was interfering with the mayor’s ability to aid the president’s crackdown on illegal immigration.

Week 3

9 February 2025Day 21

Donald Trump defended Elon Musk, head of the “department of government efficiency”, amid criticism of the billionaire’s slash-and-burn tactics at agencies such as USAid. “He’s not gaining anything. In fact, I wonder how he can devote the time to it,” Trump told Fox News in an interview taped ahead of the Super Bowl.

Trump also predicted Musk would find “billions” of dollars of abuse and fraud in the federal government. “I’m going to tell him very soon, like maybe in 24 hours, to go check the Department of Education ... Then I’m going to go, go to the military. Let’s check the military,” Trump said. “We’re going to find billions, hundreds of millions of dollars of fraud and abuse.”

Also on Sunday:

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One as he flew to New Orleans for the Super Bowl, Trump said he would impose new 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the US.
Trump also declared Sunday to be “Gulf of America Day”, the latest step in his effort to rename the Gulf of Mexico.

8 February 2025Day 20

In an interview with the New York Post, Donald Trump announced he would revoke the security clearances of more top Democrats, including Joe Biden’s former secretary of state, Antony Blinken, and the New York attorney general, Letitia James. “Bad guy. Take away his passes,” Trump said of Blinken. He added: “This is to take away every right they have [revoking security clearances] including they can’t go into [federal] buildings.”

Also on Saturday:

Russ Vought, Trump’s new director of the office of management and budget, announced he had cut off the budget of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

7 February 2025Day 19

Donald Trump moved to revoke Joe Biden’s security clearance and end the former president’s daily intelligence briefings as retaliation for Biden doing the same to him in 2021. Biden indicated he would end his predecessor’s intelligence briefings after the House impeached Trump for inciting the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

Also on Friday:

Trump halted a key piece of his proposed tariffs against China.
A federal judge blocked Trump from placing thousands of USAid employees on leave, dealing a blow to the president’s efforts to dismantle the agency.
Trump announced he would appoint himself chair of the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and fire multiple members of its board of trustees. A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center said it had “received no official communications from the White House regarding changes to our board of trustees”.
Trump signed an executive order to cut financial assistance to South Africa due to “unjust racial discrimination” against white Afrikaners, as he offered them asylum in the US.

6 February 2025Day 18

A federal judge temporarily blocked a deadline for government employees to decide whether to take a buyout offer as legal challenges play out. The deadline, which was initially set at 6 February at 11.59pm ET, was extended to at least Monday to allow parties to file legal briefings in a lawsuit over the policy.

Also on Thursday:

The US Senate voted along party lines to confirm Russell Vought, a key architect of Project 2025, as the new director of the office of management and budget.
Trump called for the “termination” of 60 Minutes in the latest escalation of his fight against the US media, writing in a Truth Social post: “CBS should lose its license, and the cheaters at 60 Minutes should all be thrown out, and this disreputable ‘NEWS’ show should be immediately terminated.”

5 February 2025Day 17

Donald Trump’s suggestion that the US would “take over” Gaza sparked outrage among Democrats, who slammed the “insane proposal” as a “dangerous” threat to 2 million Palestinians. Congressman Al Green, a Democrat of Texas, even announced plans to bring articles of impeachment against Trump over the proposal.

Meanwhile, Republicans reacted to the intense backlash with muted concern. The Republican speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, told CNN: “We have to back Israel 100%. So whatever form that takes, we’re interested in having that discussion. It’s a surprising development, but I think it’s one that we’ll applaud.”

Also on Wednesday:

Trump imposed tariffs on China, sparking intense retaliation from Beijing.
A US military plane carrying 104 deported people landed in India, marking the latest development in Trump’s efforts to use the armed forces to help advance his immigration agenda.

4 February 2025Day 16

two men speaking to a crowd with their hands up

Donald Trump sent shockwaves around the world when he suggested the US would “take over” Gaza and “own it”, a pronouncement that was interpreted as a potential endorsement of the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. “If it’s necessary, we’ll do that,” Trump said at a press conference alongside the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. “We’re going to take over that piece; we’re going to develop it, create thousands and thousands of jobs, and it’ll be something that the entire Middle East can be very proud of.”

Also on Tuesday:

The Senate confirmed Pam Bondi as the next US attorney general in a vote of 54 to 46.
The Senate finance committee advanced Robert F Kennedy’s nomination to serve as the next secretary of health and human services, despite concerns over his past anti-vaccine comments and his flip-flopping on abortion access.

3 February 2025Day 15

Donald Trump announced a one-month delay in his proposed tariffs against Canada and Mexico after phone calls with the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, and the Mexican president, Claudia Sheinbaum. Trump’s threat had rattled global financial markets, as the EU braced for tariffs as well.

Meanwhile, the clash over the future of USAid intensified, as the White House confirmed plans to merge the foreign aid agency with the state department. The secretary of state, Marco Rubio, declared himself the acting administrator of USAid as Elon Musk declared his wish to shutter the agency.

Also on Monday:

Trump signed an executive order aimed at creating a sovereign wealth fund, suggesting the fund may be used to purchase the social media platform TikTok.

Week 2

2 February 2025Day 14

man wearing black suit and tie holds arms up while speaking behind podium

Two senior security officials at the US Agency for International Development (USAid) were reportedly placed on administrative leave after a confrontation with personnel from Elon Musk’s newly created “department of government efficiency” (Doge). The incident occurred when Doge officials demanded access to USAid security systems and personnel files at the agency’s Washington headquarters, eventually gaining entry despite initial resistance from security staff.

Musk publicly declared USAid “a criminal organization” following reports of the confrontation.

Also on Sunday:

The administration terminated temporary protected status for more than 300,000 Venezuelans, giving recipients just 60 days to leave the country after the official notice is published.

1 February 2025Day 13

close-up of woman wearing black jacket and patterned shirt

In what has been the most far-reaching move of his presidency thus far, Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China in a series of executive orders that threaten to set global trade on fire.

The orders set 25% tariffs on most Mexican and Canadian imports and 10% on Chinese goods, with energy products from Canada facing a reduced 10% duty. The move prompted retaliation from Mexico and Canada, with Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, announcing reciprocal tariffs on C$155bn (US$107bn) worth of US products and Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, preparing similar countermeasures ranging from 5% to 20% on select US imports.

China said it will be challenging the new US tariffs at the World Trade Organization and would take unspecified countermeasures.

Also on Saturday:

Trump announced military strikes against Isis targets in Somalia via Truth Social, claiming the operation eliminated a senior attack planner.
Six Americans previously detained in Venezuela were released following a meeting between Trump’s envoy Richard Grenell and President Nicolás Maduro.

31 January 2025Day 12

The Trump administration initiated a sweeping round of cuts at the justice department targeting potentially hundreds of FBI agents and others who worked on cases related to the January 6 Capitol attack. According to an internal memo, the acting FBI director, Brian Driscoll, instructed bureau leaders to provide the justice department with information about all current and former employees who “at any time” worked on January 6 investigations.

FBI leadership was given until noon on Tuesday to provide information about all current and former employees involved in Capitol riot cases.

Also on Friday:

While the White House announced it would be celebrating Black History Month, the Defense Intelligence Agency ordered an immediate halt to all activities and events related to historical and cultural observances, including Martin Luther King Jr Day, Black History Month and Holocaust Remembrance Day, according to an internal memo obtained by NBC News.

30 January 2025Day 11

man wearing navy suit and red tie gestures while standing behind podium

Trump linked Wednesday night’s fatal plane and helicopter collision just outside of Washington DC to diversity and equity initiatives at the Federal Aviation Administration implemented under previous administrations, making the claims during a White House briefing room appearance even as investigations into the crash were just beginning.

The incident marked the first major commercial airline crash in the United States since 2009. Following his remarks, Trump signed executive orders appointing Christopher Rocheleau, a 22-year veteran of the FAA, as acting commissioner and directing the removal of what he termed “DEI and woke policies” from the agency.

Also on Thursday:

Trump signed an executive order dubbed “additional measures to combat anti-semitism” citing increased discrimination since 7 October 2023. The order directs federal agencies to identify additional legal tools for prosecuting what could be deemed as antisemitic acts and requires higher education institutions to monitor and report certain activities by foreign students that could constitute grounds for removal.

29 January 2025Day 10

man wearing navy suit stands behind microphone

The office of management and budget rescinded its controversial memo freezing federal spending on loans and grants, less than 48 hours after its issuance sparked widespread confusion and legal challenges nationwide. The rapid reversal came after states, schools, and organizations dependent on federal funding expressed serious concerns about the freeze’s impacts.

Also on Wednesday:

Trump ordered the expansion of the migrant operations center at Guantánamo Bay to accommodate what the administration termed “high-priority criminal aliens”.

An executive order targeting K-12 education sought to eliminate what it described as “radical indoctrination”, re-establishing the 1776 Commission and mandating federal review of school funding.

28 January 2025Day 9

The administration issued a directive requiring all federal employees to return to in-person work by 6 February, ending remote work arrangements with an option for buyouts for those unwilling to comply.

The memo offered federal workers a choice: return to offices or submit pre-written “deferred resignation letters” with a buyout worth seven months’ salary. The document warned of impending “restructurings, realignments, and reductions in force” across federal agencies, suggesting widespread changes that could include furloughs and the reclassification of many federal employees to at-will status.

Also on Tuesday:

A federal judge temporarily blocked the administration’s freeze on federal financial assistance.
The White House announced new media access rules welcoming independent journalists and content creators to briefings.
Trump fired two Democratic officials at the National Labor Relations Board, potentially stalling hundreds of labor practice cases.

27 January 2025Day 8

people hold black signs with white writing that says ‘trans lives matter’

Trump signed an executive order prohibiting people who are transgender from serving in the military, reversing Obama-era policies that had allowed their service and Biden-era policies that allowed for serving openly. The order was accompanied by a broader directive to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the military.

Also on Monday:

A separate EO looked to reinstate and offer potential back pay for service members discharged under the military’s previous Covid-19 vaccine mandate, though implementation faces various legal and logistical hurdles.

Week 1

26 January 2025Day 7

Trump announced retaliatory sanctions on Colombia after its president, Gustavo Petro, said his country would not accept deportation flights from the United States unless the Trump administration ensured the repatriated migrants were treated with “dignity that a human being deserves” and not “like criminals”.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said he was imposing 25% tariffs on all Colombian goods, a travel ban and immediate visa revocations for Colombian government officials, their allies and their supporters, as well as visa sanctions on all party members, family members and supporters of the Colombian government.

Also on Sunday:

JD Vance endorsed immigration raids on schools, telling CBS’s Face the Nation in his first interview since taking office that he hoped they would have a “chilling effect on illegal immigrants coming to our country”.
Republican senators Tom Cotton, the chair of the intelligence committee, and Lindsey Graham urged Trump to reconsider his decision to strip security details from three members of his first administration who are under threat.

25 January 2025Day 6

Trump defended his removal of 15 inspectors general of nearly every cabinet-level agency in a Friday night purge as lawmakers in both parties raised concerns about the legality of firings that first require a notice to Congress. “It’s a very common thing to do,” Trump claimed to reporters on Air Force One while traveling to Florida, although he added that he would not be firing the justice department inspector general Michael Horowitz, because he had been by impressed by Horowitz’s report that criticized the former FBI director James Comey for releasing memos that described Trump’s attempts to get him to end the criminal investigation into his then national security adviser Mike Flynn.

Also on Saturday:

Trump told reporters onboard Air Force One that he wanted Jordan and Egypt to house Palestinians from Gaza, adding he mentioned it during his call with the king of Jordan.

24 January 2025Day 5

A man speaks at a podium next to a woman who is Melania Trump

Trump proposed shutting down the Federal Emergency Management Agency, saying that the states could do a better job at responding to disasters, even though he lacks the power to unilaterally dissolve the agency and would need congressional action. “I think we’re going to recommend that Fema go away and we pay directly – we pay a percentage to the state,” Trump said, while he toured Asheville, North Carolina, which was devastated by the remnants of Hurricane Helene last year. “The state should fix it.” Trump also inaccurately characterized Fema’s role, which intervenes only if a state governor requests it.

Also on Friday:

The Trump administration summarily fired 15 inspectors general in a late-night purge that could clear the way for Trump to install loyalists in the crucial roles on identifying fraud and working on whistleblower allegations in the government.
Pete Hegseth was confirmed by the US Senate as Trump’s defense secretary in the narrowest vote for the role in the modern era. Hegseth was confirmed 51-50 with JD Vance acting as the tiebreaker after the Republican senators Mitch McConnell, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski voted against his nomination.

23 January 2025Day 4

A man holds his right hand up as his left hand is on the Bible held by a woman; they both face another man reading from a book

A federal judge temporarily blocked Trump’s executive order trying to end automatic citizenship for babies born on US soil, calling the attempt “blatantly unconstitutional”. The US district judge John Coughenour issued a 14-day restraining order, after siding with the states of Washington, Arizona, Illinois and Oregon, which brought the lawsuit. Trump later said he would appeal the decision as he pushes ahead with his executive order to end birthright citizenship.

Also on Thursday:

John Ratcliffe was confirmed by the US Senate to be the next CIA director.

22 January 2025Day 3

A man speaks on Fox news with a chyron that says “Hannity sits down with Trump in the Oval Office”

The Trump administration threatened tens of thousands of federal workers with “adverse consequences” if they failed to report on colleagues who defy directives to cease diversity, equity and inclusion efforts from their agencies. The directives gave employees 10 days to report instances of efforts to continue the programs under alternative guises to a special email account to avoid disciplinary action. The warnings, based on an email template from the office of personnel management, marked a dramatic escalation of Trump’s war on diversity programs that were introduced to reverse decades of systemic inequities.

Also on Wednesday:

Trump said in an interview with Fox News’s Sean Hannity in the Oval Office that he might withhold federal funding from cities that do not cooperate with his deportation plans.
Trump’s political appointees ordered US attorneys to investigate and prosecute state and city law enforcement officials if they refused to carry out the administration’s immigration crackdown.

21 January 2025Day 2

A man who is Donald Trump and a female bishop walk past each other in a crowd of people

Attorneys general from 22 states sued the Trump administration in two federal district courts to block Trump’s executive order seeking to stop children born to unauthorized immigrants on US soil from automatically becoming citizens, decrying the order as unconstitutional. The lawsuits argued that the 14th amendment is “automatic” and neither the president nor Congress has the authority to revise it. Trump’s executive order flew in the face of more than 100 years of legal precedent, the lawsuits added, and babies born in the US have long been guaranteed citizenship regardless of their parents’ immigration status.

Also on Tuesday:

The bishop at Trump’s inaugural prayer service implored him to “have mercy” on gay, lesbian and transgender children, as well as undocumented immigrants – which Trump told reporters he did not appreciate.
Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee for defense secretary, faced new allegations that he denied from his ex-sister-in-law that his second wife once hid from him in a closet and had a safe word to call for help if she needed to get away from him.

20 January 2025Day 1

A man signs papers at a desk as people gather around him and a crowd takes photos

Trump was sworn in as the 47th commander in chief under the dome of the US Capitol in a made-for-television ceremony that saw him stick to the script in his official speech but unleash his true feelings in his second speech that attacked the January 6 committee as “political thugs” and the pardons Joe Biden granted the members on the panel. Meanwhile at the Capital One Arena, where Trump had his inaugural parade, the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, briefly shocked the news cycle by twice doing what resembled a Hitler salute. Trump wasted no time starting his agenda to dramatically reshape the political and cultural landscape of the nation, signing executive orders at the arena and then at the White House while he gave a freewheeling commentary to reporters.

The executive orders included: