Key facts
- Approximately 8,000 federal workers are moved into 'at-will' employment under a new Schedule F classification.
- The administration is allocating nearly $700 million to support the U.S. coal industry using the Defense Production Act.
- Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte is instructed to cut staff and agencies within the intelligence community.
- Approximately 5 million Americans have lost access to food assistance programs since the start of Trump's second administration.
- The Social Security Administration has eliminated 7,100 positions, reducing its workforce by over 13%.
- A federal judge struck down a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas as an unlawful tax.
- President Trump signed an executive order establishing a voluntary review system for advanced AI models.
- The Kennedy Center must remove all references to President Donald Trump by June 12.
- The TrumpRx.gov initiative now offers discounts on over 800 prescription drugs.
- The U.S. Army is preparing for executions of its four death-row inmates pending presidential approval.
- A recent poll shows Donald Trump's approval ratings have reached a new low.
President Trump has implemented a wide range of executive actions and policy directives across various sectors. A significant move involves the creation of a new classification, Schedule F, which places approximately 8,000 federal employees into 'at-will' employment, thereby removing traditional job protections for policy-focused roles. This action has drawn criticism, with concerns that it effectively turns career employees into political appointees. Concurrently, the administration is allocating nearly $700 million to bolster the U.S. coal industry by invoking the Defense Production Act. These funds are designated for upgrading existing plants, financing new projects, and supporting a coal export terminal, framed by the administration as a national security imperative.
Further directives target the U.S. intelligence community, with President Trump instructing acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte to initiate firings and significantly reduce the size of the intelligence apparatus. Trump has publicly stated that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence is "unnecessary and/or too big," and Pulte's acting status is seen as facilitating these downsizing efforts. In the realm of technology, an executive order establishes a voluntary review system for advanced artificial intelligence models, requiring companies to share new models 30 days prior to release to identify national security risks, though it does not mandate licensing or deployment slowdowns. The administration is also reshaping arts and humanities endowments by appointing individuals aligned with the President's vision.
Economic and social policies have also seen substantial changes. Approximately 5 million Americans have lost access to food assistance programs since the start of Trump's second administration, with Georgia experiencing the largest decline. The Social Security Administration has eliminated 7,100 positions, a reduction of over 13%, leading to concerns about case backlogs. A federal judge has ruled a $100,000 fee imposed on new H-1B visas for skilled foreign workers unlawful, deeming it an unauthorized tax. Healthcare groups are suing the administration over a rule capping student loan borrowing for certain graduate programs. Meanwhile, new policies are making it harder for some sick Americans to maintain Medicaid coverage, with the stated intention of reducing benefit recipients. The Trump administration is also proposing a government-wide non-disclosure agreement for federal workers, which free speech groups protest as an assault on the First Amendment. The President has also announced the expansion of the TrumpRx.gov initiative, adding 160 new prescription drugs to the program, now offering discounts on over 800 medications.
In regulatory and legal matters, President Trump is taking a hands-on approach to oversight, influencing merger approvals and drug policy, a departure from historical presidential practices. The Kennedy Center has been ordered to remove all references to President Donald Trump following a court ruling that found their addition illegal. The Army is reportedly preparing for executions of its four death-row inmates pending presidential approval. President Trump has also been reviewing U.S. oil and gas strategy, identifying energy stocks as 'unstoppable,' potentially impacting the energy market. Amidst these actions, a recent poll indicates Trump's approval ratings have reached a new low, even as he claims the U.S. economy is booming.