Trump’s Sixth Week: Power Plays, Policy Shifts, and Legal Clashes
Federal shake-ups, immigration crackdowns, and media restrictions mark another turbulent week in Washington.
The sixth week of Trump’s second term has been marked by sweeping policy changes, federal shake-ups, and growing legal battles. Political commentator and former Fox News host Dan Bongino has been named deputy director of the FBI, breaking decades of precedent, as the position has traditionally been held by career FBI agents. This follows a previous Introspective report on former prosecutor Kash Patel’s appointment as the bureau’s director.
On the economic front, the administration announced Thursday that tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada will take effect March 4, after a temporary pause in February. Additionally, a new 10% tariff on Chinese imports was unveiled the same day.
Trump and Elon Musk’s restructuring of the federal workforce has continued to spark backlash. More than 10% of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) staff were fired, impacting the 988 emergency hotline. On Tuesday, members of the U.S. Digital Service—a division under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—resigned in protest of the administration’s downsizing efforts. Between Monday and Tuesday, the Social Security Administration shut down two offices, affecting more than 200 employees. On Wednesday, the White House directed all federal agencies to prepare for mass layoffs and submit implementation plans by March 13.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) faced scrutiny after announcing an online registry requiring undocumented immigrants over the age of 14 to register, renewing fears of mass deportations. The administration also proposed replacing the traditional green card with a "gold card" aimed at attracting wealthy immigrants. Meanwhile, the State Department on Tuesday ordered officials to deny visas to transgender athletes, a move consistent with the administration’s broader crackdown on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. The Art Museum of the Americas has since canceled exhibitions featuring Black, LGBTQ, and Latino artists. In a related shift, lawmakers in nine states have introduced legislation calling for the Supreme Court to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.
In another major policy shift, the White House announced new restrictions on press access, allowing the administration to determine which media outlets can attend events. This breaks a century-old tradition of an independent press coalition managing access. The move comes as some Trump supporters push for constitutional amendments that could enable him to serve a third term.
Government Restructuring and Staffing Changes
Former Fox News host and Secret Service agent Dan Bongino was announced Sunday as the deputy director of the FBI, completing the leadership team of the law enforcement agency after Kash Patel was confirmed as director.
President Donald Trump made the announcement on Truth Social, describing Bongino as “a man of incredible love and passion for our country.”
“Dan has a master’s degree in psychology from CUNY and an MBA from Penn State. He was a member of the New York Police Department (New York’s Finest!), a highly respected special agent with the United States Secret Service, and is now one of the most successful podcasters in the country—something he is willing and prepared to give up in order to serve,” Trump wrote.
However, like Patel, Bongino has faced backlash for spreading conspiracy theories about the FBI, despite never having been an agent. His appointment marks a significant departure from precedent, as the deputy director has traditionally been a career FBI official rather than a political appointee. Bongino also previously criticized the bureau following two assassination attempts against Trump last year and was banned from YouTube in 2022 for spreading COVID-19 disinformation.
“The FBI has totally and completely failed America,” Bongino said in a June 2024 episode of his podcast, obtained by NBC News.
“It kills me to have to tell you that you can’t trust these people. You cannot.”
Before Patel’s appointment, Bongino defended him, telling the Associated Press that Patel would “clean that mess up.”
“[If] we don’t get this guy in at the FBI, you’re never going to get any answers at all,” Bongino said.
Patel expressed his support for Bongino in a message obtained by Reuters, saying his deputy would bring “vigor and enthusiasm” to the role.
“I am confident Dan will bring vigor and enthusiasm to the deputy director role, driving the operations of this organization in the right direction,” Patel wrote.
Bongino has also criticized the FBI’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and its subsequent search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, which led to the seizure of more than 300 classified documents and Trump’s 2023 indictment.
In a 2016 video, Bongino denounced the Obama administration as “corrupt,” reflecting his longstanding scrutiny of the former president.
“They know exactly what they’re doing, and the ends will always justify the means,” he said.
Many Democrats and government officials reacted to Bongino’s appointment, with Sen. Adam Schiff of California calling him an “internet troll” in a post on X.
“Trump installs another loyalist who won’t say no to any immoral or unethical act. And our law enforcement agencies—and public safety—are further degraded,” Schiff wrote.
Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut labeled Bongino a “grifter” and described his appointment as a “bad dream.”
“Dan Bongino’s entire show is telling listeners the world is ending so they buy the dozens of survivalist products he sells,” Murphy wrote on X.
Christopher O’Leary, a former FBI official who retired in 2023, told NBC News that Bongino’s appointment was “beyond problematic,” citing his history of spreading disinformation about the 2016 and 2020 elections.
“Any hope that Kash could be steered by having experienced leaders around him is out the window. We now have two conspiracy theorists and election deniers running our premier law enforcement and intelligence agency,” O’Leary said.
However, many Republicans praised Bongino’s appointment. Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas called him “an excellent choice” in an X post.
“Dan’s experience in law enforcement as an NYPD officer and a special agent in the Secret Service makes him an excellent choice to serve alongside FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi. I look forward to watching this all-star team return the FBI to its core mission of protecting the American people,” Marshall wrote.
Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee called Bongino a “red-blooded American.”
“Congratulations to my friend @dbongino. He is a red-blooded American who will help restore integrity and bring the FBI back to an agency Americans can fully trust,” Burchett wrote.
Bongino defended his appointment on his podcast, arguing that the justice system is “weaponized.”
“If you are a political opponent of mine who has proudly celebrated a weaponized justice system, I understand why you don’t get how a guy like me—who discusses partisan content in an opinion show—could take on an unquestionably nonpartisan job,” he said.
“I’m going to ask you a simple question: Have you seen what I did before I came here? I’m committed to service. People play different roles in their lives. People are dads, people are soccer coaches. People are cops and military officers and enlisted service members. People are carpenters, people are plumbers. We play different roles in our lives, and each one requires a different skill set.”
Meanwhile, mass layoffs have continued following Trump’s directive to downsize the federal government. More than 10% of staff at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) were terminated, impacting over 100 employees, including those working on the 988 emergency hotline for people in crisis.
“People on the federal staff who oversee and are working to raise awareness of 988 nationally are the people who are gone,” wrote Stacey Palosky, a SAMHSA employee, in a LinkedIn post.
At the same time, 21 employees from the U.S. Digital Service (USDS) resigned Tuesday, stating in a memo obtained by The Introspective that they refuse to use their skills to “dismantle critical public services.”
The USDS—the technology unit of the executive branch—was folded into Elon Musk’s DOGE following the start of Trump’s second term. The unit was originally formed during the Obama administration after the troubled launch of Healthcare.gov.
“We swore to serve the American people and uphold our oath to the Constitution across presidential administrations,” the departing staffers wrote.
“However, it has become clear that we can no longer honor those commitments.”
Musk dismissed the resignations, calling the former employees “Dem political holdovers” who “refused to return to the office.”
“They would have been fired had they not resigned,” Musk wrote on X.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also downplayed the resignations, calling the employees out of touch.
“Anyone who thinks protests, lawsuits, and lawfare will deter President Trump must have been sleeping under a rock for the past several years,” Leavitt said in a statement obtained by the Associated Press.
“President Trump will not be deterred from delivering on the promises he made to make our federal government more efficient and more accountable to the hardworking American taxpayers.”
That same day, the Social Security Administration (SSA) shut down two offices—the Office of Transformation and the Office of Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity—affecting 200 employees.
“Our focus is supporting President Trump’s priorities, which include streamlining functions and prioritizing essential work,” Acting Commissioner of Social Security Lee Dudek said in a press release.
“Eliminating the Office of Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity and reassigning its statutory responsibilities advances the president’s goal of making the federal government more efficient in serving the American public.”
Many SSA employees expressed uncertainty about their job status amid the layoffs.
“Everything was smooth and very positive, and it seemed like this was a great place to work. But now, no one knows anything,” an SSA employee told The Baltimore Banner.
“I still don’t know if I’m going to have a job.”
The SSA said responsibility for handling Equal Employment Opportunity complaints and reasonable accommodation requests would be reassigned to other divisions.
Following the restructuring, the Trump administration issued a memo Wednesday ordering federal agencies to significantly reduce their workforce by eliminating positions deemed nonessential. Agencies must submit their restructuring plans by March 13.
Legal and Federal Actions
After a legal battle in which the Trump administration was initially required to pay $2 billion in foreign aid, the Supreme Court on Wednesday paused the deadline—marking the first time the president’s efforts to downsize the federal government reached the court. The decision followed an emergency appeal filed by the administration, which argued that the midnight deadline was “not logistically or technically feasible.”
The administration had been required to pay organizations that had worked with or received grants from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) after the State Department charged the administration with illegally freezing payments. A previous report from The Introspective highlighted the budget cuts to the humanitarian agency, which caused turmoil among its employees.
Separately, a federal judge blocked the DOGE from accessing private information on Americans from the Department of Education and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) following a lawsuit filed by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).
The temporary restraining order, set to expire March 10, prohibits the Department of Education and the OPM from providing personal information to the DOGE.
“This is a significant decision that puts a firewall between actors who we believe lack the legitimacy and authority to access Americans’ personal data,” AFT President Randi Weingarten said in an interview with The Washington Post.
“When people give their financial and other personal information to the federal government—namely to secure financial aid for their kids to go to college or to get a student loan—they expect that data to be protected and used for the reasons it was intended, not appropriated for other means.”
The lawsuit alleged that the Trump administration violated the Privacy Act of 1974—a landmark law passed after the Watergate scandal that protects personal information from being used by the federal government without consent—by giving the DOGE sensitive data, including Social Security numbers, home addresses, and driver’s license numbers.
Immigration Crackdowns and Policy Shifts
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Tuesday that it is creating an online database to track all undocumented immigrants over the age of 14 living in the U.S. illegally. The database, called the Federal Immigration Registry, builds on a previous executive order that declared an emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border and sought to end birthright citizenship.
Individuals required to register must provide their address, be fingerprinted, and submit additional identifying information, according to a statement released Tuesday.
“An alien’s failure to register is a crime that could result in a fine, imprisonment, or both,” the statement read.
“For decades, this law has been ignored—not anymore.”
Many advocates and human rights groups reacted with outrage following the announcement. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has since warned of increased mass deportations.
“Historically, we know that we have to sit up and pay attention anytime a government says it's going to set up a registry on the basis of national origin, race, religion, or any other immutable characteristic, because dramatic losses of civil liberties and civil rights are sure to follow—and potentially worse,” said Heidi Altman, vice president of policy at the National Immigration Law Center, in an interview with ABC News.
While failure to register could lead to imprisonment, many scholars note that undocumented immigrants are unlikely to comply, especially amid rising anti-immigrant sentiment.
“But even if it doesn’t actually accomplish much in terms of deporting more people, it sends a signal to the American people that ‘We’re cracking down on immigrants,’ and it will also heighten the fear immigrants already have about what’s going on,” said Stephen Yale-Loehr, an immigration law scholar and retired Cornell University professor, in an interview with the Associated Press.
That same day, the State Department ordered its officials worldwide to deny visa applications to transgender athletes seeking to enter the U.S. for sporting events. The department also instructed officials to issue permanent visa bans against athletes who are deemed to have “misrepresented” their birth sex on visa applications.
“In cases where applicants are suspected of misrepresenting their purpose of travel or sex, you should consider whether this misrepresentation is material such that it supports an ineligibility finding,” read the announcement by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, obtained by The Guardian.
This follows a previous Introspective report in which President Trump signed an executive order on Feb. 5 banning transgender women from competing in women’s sports.
Since the order, some organizations, including the Philadelphia School District, have chosen to ignore the rule and allow transgender athletes to participate in sports aligned with their gender identity. This contrasts with the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA), which has chosen to comply.
“The board approved the removal of the Transgender Policy in accordance with the executive order from the PIAA Policy and Procedures Manual, effective immediately,” read a statement from the organization.
In a report by The Philadelphia Inquirer, Education Law Center attorney Kristina Moon said the executive order does not hold significant legal weight but is part of a broader trend of increasing transphobia in Trump’s second administration.
“It’s part of a broader, really harmful politicization of trans folks in general and part of the scapegoating of students who just want to be able to attend school, be themselves, and participate just like everybody else,” Moon said.
“It’s making trans folks and trans students out to be some sort of harmful bogeyman, and it can make school environments really hostile for students.”
The backlash against LGBTQ+ rights has intensified, as lawmakers in at least nine states have introduced legislation encouraging the Supreme Court to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.
Michigan Rep. Josh Schriver, elected in 2022, said in a statement that the ruling “is at odds with the sanctity of marriage, the Michigan Constitution, and the principles upon which the country was established.”
“Increased instances of religious persecution have been a consequence of the court’s ruling 10 years ago,” Schriver said.
Schriver previously made homophobic comments in a December post on X, calling for same-sex marriage to be illegal again.
“Make gay marriage illegal again. This is not remotely controversial nor extreme,” Schriver wrote.
According to NBC News, states such as Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota have introduced legislation seeking to reverse the ruling. Meanwhile, states such as Texas and Missouri introduced bills that did not explicitly reference Obergefell but instead sought to create a “covenant marriage” category that would apply only to heterosexual couples.
Economic and Trade Developments
Trump announced Tuesday that the United States would introduce a “gold card” for wealthy foreigners, which would function similarly to the current green card system—allowing noncitizens the right to live and work in the country—but would require a $5 million fee.
“We’re going to be selling a gold card,” Trump said.
“You have a green card. This is a gold card. We’re going to be putting a price on that card of about $5 million, and that’s going to give you green card privileges, plus it’s going to be a route to citizenship. And wealthy people will be coming into our country by buying this card.”
The gold card will replace the controversial EB-5 program, which Congress created in 1992, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website. The EB-5 program grants green cards to immigrants who invest between $800,000 and $1.05 million to create jobs.
President Trump also announced this week that tariffs—taxes on imports—on Mexico and Canada would resume, ending a nearly monthlong pause on the directive.
“So the tariffs will go forward, yes, and we’re going to make up a lot of territory,” Trump said in a report by CNBC.
A previous report from The Introspective covered the president’s executive order imposing a 25% tariff on products from Mexico and Canada, with an additional 10% on Canadian energy. The tariffs were paused after separate agreements were made for the two countries to send troops to their borders.
In a Truth Social post Thursday, Trump claimed that drugs such as fentanyl were entering the United States at “unacceptable levels.”
“Millions of people have died over the last two decades. The families of the victims are devastated and, in many instances, virtually destroyed. We cannot allow this scourge to continue to harm the USA, and therefore, until it stops or is seriously limited, the proposed TARIFFS scheduled to go into effect on MARCH FOURTH will, indeed, go into effect as scheduled,” Trump wrote.
In the same post, Trump announced that China would face an additional 10% tariff.
“China will likewise be charged an additional 10% tariff on that date.”
China previously imposed retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. earlier this month after Trump increased tariffs on its exports.
Executive Actions and Federal Policy Changes
Trump signed an executive order Tuesday targeting Covington & Burling LLP, a prominent law firm in Washington, D.C., that represents Jack Smith, the former special counsel for the Justice Department in the investigations of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, when the Capitol was attacked by Trump supporters.
The executive order aims to revoke security clearances and government work for the law firm, including Peter Koski, a partner at Covington.
“I hereby direct the attorney general and all other relevant heads of executive departments and agencies to immediately take steps consistent with applicable law to suspend any active security clearances held by Peter Koski and all members, partners, and employees of Covington & Burling LLP who assisted former Special Counsel Jack Smith during his time as special counsel, pending a review and determination of their roles and responsibilities, if any, in the weaponization of the judicial process,” the executive order read.
In a statement obtained by Bloomberg, representatives from Covington said the firm serves to defend Smith in a “personal” and “individual” capacity.
“Covington serves as defense counsel to Jack Smith in his personal, individual capacity,” the statement said. “We look forward to defending Mr. Smith’s interests and appreciate the trust he has placed in us to do so.”
The suspension of security clearances for Covington lawyers marks another shift in Trump’s second term, as many at the firm have held significant roles in the Justice Department.
“This is nothing less than a petty and vindictive attack on the legal profession, and particularly the ability of a select group of cleared lawyers to defend the interests of officials across the intelligence community,” national security attorney Bradley Moss told CNN.
“The bigger question is, how far is he going to take this war against the legal profession and against anyone who stands for the rule of law?”
Days later, the administration’s backlash against policies promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) continued. The Art Museum of the Americas, located near the White House, canceled exhibitions featuring Black, Latino, and LGBTQ+ artists.
The Before the Americas exhibition was scheduled to open March 21 and include more than 40 pieces of art exploring migration, colonialism, and intersectionality—the framework that considers the interconnected nature of identities such as race, class, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
“This would have been the first show that they would have had this many African American artists in their galleries at one time,” said Cheryl D. Edwards, the exhibition’s curator, in an interview.
A report by The Washington Post highlighted a phone call Edwards received from the museum director, who informed her that the institution had to cancel the exhibition.
“I have been instructed to call you and tell you that the museum [show] is terminated,” Edwards said in the report, recalling the conversation.
“Nobody uses that word in art—terminated.”
Another exhibit, Nature’s Wild with Andil Gosine, was also scheduled to open the same day, featuring stories about queer theory—a field of study that critiques society’s views on gender and sexuality—and colonialism in the Caribbean. This event was also canceled due to cuts to DEI initiatives.
Media and Constitutional Controversies
The White House announced earlier this week that officials will determine which news organizations have access to presidential events, breaking a long-standing tradition in which the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA)—an independent coalition—managed press access.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the move as “inclusive” and said it restores “access back to the American people.”
“The White House press team, in this administration, will determine who gets to enjoy the very privileged and limited access in spaces such as Air Force One and the Oval Office,” Leavitt said at a press briefing.
“A select group of D.C.-based journalists should no longer have a monopoly on press access at the White House.”
The decision was criticized by the WHCA, which said it “tears at the independence of a free press.”
“This move tears at the independence of a free press in the United States. It suggests the government will choose the journalists who cover the president. In a free country, leaders must not be able to choose their own press corps,” WHCA President Eugene Daniels said in a press release.
“To be clear, the White House did not give the WHCA board a heads-up or have any discussions about today’s announcements. But the WHCA will never stop advocating for comprehensive access, full transparency, and the right of the American public to read, listen to, and watch reports from the White House, delivered without fear or favor.”
At the president’s first Cabinet meeting Wednesday, The Associated Press, Reuters, HuffPost, and the German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel were denied access, breaking precedent. AP and Reuters, along with Bloomberg—which was allowed to cover the event—were permanent members of the White House press rotation.
The editors of AP, Reuters, and Bloomberg released a joint statement Wednesday in response to the new rule.
“It is essential in a democracy for the public to have access to news about their government from an independent, free press,” the statement said.
The statement also emphasized the role of wire services in keeping the public informed.
“The three organizations have long worked to ensure that accurate, fair, and timely information about the presidency is communicated to a broad audience of all political persuasions, both in the United States and globally. Much of the White House coverage people see in their local news outlets, wherever they are in the world, comes from the wires.”
President Trump also gained attention this week for comments in which he entertained the idea of a third term, which is prohibited by the 22nd Amendment of the Constitution.
“Should I run again?” Trump asked at a Black History Month event last week, prompting the crowd to chant, “Four more years!”
“There’s your controversy right there,” he said.
The idea has also been promoted by some of his supporters. A poster displayed at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) last weekend read, “For Trump 2028… And Beyond!” and was captioned “Third Term Project.”
While many have dismissed the idea, citing constitutional and historical precedent, others believe Trump would run for a third term if the Constitution were amended.
“If there’s a procedural way to accomplish it, he’s likely very much considering it,” Senior Policy Advisor for the American Family Association and 2020 Trump campaign attorney Jenna Ellis told NBC News.
“That does take a constitutional amendment, but let’s not forget that the Constitution was amended to impose term limits, and that can be undone.”
The most common method to amend the Constitution requires a two-thirds vote in Congress, followed by ratification from 38 of the 50 states.