The Trump administration has taken steps to illegally shut down the government agency created by Congress to protect consumers.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) was created by Congress in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis to protect American consumers from predatory behavior in the financial sector. The agency has faced many attacks, even as recently as 2024, but the Supreme Court overwhelmingly upheld its constitutionality. Despite its congressional mandate, the Trump administration is attempting to dismantle the CFPB. Elon Musk's so-called "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE), following its usual pattern of illegally bulldozing agencies, changed part of the website and accessed agency data, including HR and payroll systems, as well as financial information and enforcement records. Musk posted “CFPB RIP” on X (formerly known as Twitter), which is also launching a digital banking service that would likely have been regulated by the agency. President Trump also appointed Russell Vought as Acting Director of the CFPB. Within days of his appointment, Vought issued a stop-work order and refused to request critical funds, effectively hamstringing the agency. Undermining the agency means undermining protections for consumers on critical issues like credit reporting and discriminatory lending, and it means the CFPB cannot continue litigating cases like those that recover billions of dollars for consumers.

This order largely repeats American policy on Iran, including sanctions and stopping Iran from obtaining nuclear capabilities.

This order largely restates longstanding U.S. policy towards Iran. It highlights sanctions, although Iran is already heavily sanctioned. It directs the UN Ambassador to highlight the Iranian threat, which ambassadors of both parties have routinely highlighted. And it states that U.S. policy is to deny Iran a nuclear weapon, although President Trump withdrew America from the successful Iran nuclear deal during his first term which likely accelerated Iran's efforts to obtain a nuclear weapon.

This order calls for reform of the Foreign Service such that State Department employees will be recruited, evaluated, and promoted based on their loyalty to President Trump.

The order tells the Secretary of State to reform recruitment, evaluation, and retention standards to ensure that all State Department employees fully carry out President Trump's America First foreign policy agenda. Foreign Service Officers have long implemented presidents' initiatives regardless of their party, but this order politicizes their work by suggesting any officer who shows dissent or contradicts Trump will be fired. The order expands President Trump's Schedule Policy/Career (formerly known as Schedule F) directive by trying to make it easier to fire non-political government workers who are not fully aligned with President Trump's agenda. It reverses the longstanding principle of the Foreign Service that officers are hired and promoted for their merit, expertise, and experience, rather than their political loyalty.

This action purports to fire Hampton Dellinger, the head of the Office of Special Counsel, which investigates internal government whistleblower complaints and prevents corruption.

The Office of Special Counsel exists to protect whistleblowers and other employees inside the government who call out improper and corrupt conduct. It was created after Watergate as part of the series of reforms to guarantee an independent, protected civil service that benefits the people, not the party in power or the personal interests of the president. For that reason, the head of the office serves a five-year term regardless of who holds the presidency, and can only be removed for good reason. The Trump Administration tried to fire Hampton Dellinger, the current Special Counsel, in a one-line email with no justification.

This order suspends enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prevents companies from committing bribery abroad.

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act prohibits U.S. companies from paying bribes to foreign officials to get or maintain business. It is a vital tool in the U.S. fight against corruption abroad, which ultimately benefits democratic principles of transparency and rule of law, as well as U.S. customers and the U.S. national interest. It also projects the U.S. commitment to the rule of law abroad and ensures companies do not play an ever escalating game of incurring bribery costs. This order directs the Attorney General to halt any new investigations and review existing ones for 180 days, which can be extended even further.

This order suspends enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prevents companies from committing bribery abroad.

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act prohibits U.S. companies from paying bribes to foreign officials to get or maintain business. It is a vital tool in the U.S. fight against corruption abroad, which ultimately benefits democratic principles of transparency and rule of law, as well as U.S. customers and the U.S. national interest. It also projects the U.S. commitment to the rule of law abroad and ensures companies do not play an ever escalating game of incurring bribery costs. This order directs the Attorney General to halt any new investigations and review existing ones for 180 days, which can be extended even further.