In January, southern California and particularly Greater Los Angeles experienced widespread wildfires, and the Texas Hill Country experienced devastating floods in July. American news media has paid significantly more attention to aviation accidents, both within American borders as well as one in India involving the American airplane manufacturer Boeing. Furthermore, March witnessed a blizzard spread across the US and Canada, and under both the Biden administration and Trump's HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., American companies, politics and culture have paid increasing attention to food coloring as part of the Make America Healthy Again movement.
Elections will be held on November 4 of this year. The off-year election includes gubernatorial and state legislative elections in a few states, as well as numerous mayoral races, and a variety of other local offices on the ballot.
The National Weather Service warns of severe weather disruption as a winter storm emerges in the central US and begins to move east, bringing heavy snow and freezing temperatures.[17]
The State Department notifies Congress of a planned $8 billion arms sale to Israel consisting of air-to-air and Hellfire missiles, artillery shells, and other ammunitions.[18]
January 6
Due to harsh weather and snowstorms, a water treatment facility malfunctions and floods, causing the entire city of Richmond, Virginia to completely lose access to running water. As a result, several surrounding counties also suffer from similar issues.[19]
Biden bans new oil and gas drilling along the majority of American coastlines.[20]
Trump's son Trump Jr. makes a personal visit to Greenland weeks after Trump announced that "ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity". In response to the visit, Danish prime ministerMette Frederiksen states that "Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders".[27]
The Treasury imposes sanctions on Hungarian cabinet minister Antal Rogán for alleged corruption, accusing him of using his position to secure financial benefits for himself and political allies.[28]
Senate majority leader John Thune promises swift consideration of the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act so President-elect Trump can sign it into law shortly after taking office. Under the act, any foreigner who investigates, arrests, detains or prosecutes US citizens or those of an allied country, including Israel, would be sanctioned along with their family members.[33][36]
January 10
Vice President-elect JD Vance resigns from the Senate.[37]
Trump is sentenced to an "unconditional discharge" for 34 counts of falsifying business records in his New York hush money case.[38]
January 13 – AccuWeather releases a preliminary estimate of the total physical and economic losses caused by the ongoing wildfires in Southern California of between $250–275 billion, a figure attributed to exceptionally high property values in and near Santa Monica, which would surpass their estimates of the costs of the entire 2020 US wildfire season as well as Hurricane Helene in 2024.[49]
January 14
Hamas officials say that they have accepted a draft agreement for a potential ceasefire as well as the release of hostages. Mediators in the US and Qatar also state that this is the closest that both sides have been to a ceasefire agreement so far.[50]
Israel and Hamas reach a diplomatic agreement mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the US to initiate a ceasefire and an end to military operations in Gaza, as well as to facilitate the exchange of hostages and prisoners, marking the first major cessation of hostilities since November 2023.[53]
January 19 – ByteDance temporarily and voluntarily shutters its services TikTok, CapCut, Lemon8, and Marvel Snap in the U.S. due to uncertainty of whether the Biden administration would enforce the ban.[70] Biden did not enforce the ban and left the enforcement to Trump, who promised not to enforce it either, resulting in ByteDance restoring its U.S. services.
January 20: Donald Trump becomes the 47th U.S. president.January 20: JD Vance becomes the 50th U.S. vice president.
Trump signs an executive order directing federal agencies to refer to the northernmost portion of the Gulf of Mexico as "Gulf of America" and Denali as its 1917–2015 federal designation, Mount McKinley.[77]
The US Senate unanimously confirms Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, making him the first Cabinet official of Trump's second term to be confirmed by the Senate. Rubio also becomes the first Latino American to serve as Secretary of State.[78]
Trump officially creates the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk aimed at cutting spending of the US government. Within minutes of the announcement, government employee unions, watchdog groups, and public interest organizations sued over this executive order.[79]
Trump signs an executive order to delay enforcement of the lawbanningTikTok in the US for 75 days.[80]
Oracle Corporation, MGX, SoftBank Group, OpenAI, and other partners have announced the launch of The Stargate Project, a joint venture focused on developing AI infrastructure in the US. The initiative includes a projected $500 billion investment and aims to create 100,000 new jobs in the US by 2029.[89]
The Trump administration imposes an immediate freeze on meetings – such as grant review panels – as well as travel, communications, and hiring at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), impacting $47.4 billion worth of activities.[95]
Colombian President Gustavo Petro blocks two U.S. military aircraft carrying deported Colombians as part of Trump's immigration crackdown from landing in his country.[104] In response, Trump enacts a 25% tariff on all goods traded to the U.S. from Colombia, which will be raised to 50% in one week; Colombia accepts the deportation flights a day later.[105]
Rubio announces the release of American citizen Anastasia Nufer from a prison in Belarus.[106]
The Nasdaq falls sharply in response to DeepSeek, a Chinese competitor to OpenAI's ChatGPT. Chip giant Nvidia loses $600bn of its value, the biggest drop for a single company in U.S. stock market history.[109]
Trump signs an executive order eliminating "gender radicalism in the military", targeting transgender troops in the military, and another executive order that mandates a process to develop an American Iron Dome.[111]
Trump announces plans to transform the US detention facility in Guantanamo Bay into a holding center for undocumented immigrants, capable of hosting 30,000.[121]
Former Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey is sentenced to 11 years in prison, following his conviction on bribery and corruption charges.[122]
A medical transport jet crashes into a northeastern Philadelphia neighborhood, killing all four passengers and two crew members onboard. Additionally, one person on the ground is killed and 19 injured.[127][128]
DOGE representatives are granted full access to the federal treasury, allowing Elon Musk and his team to monitor and potentially limit government spending.[130]
Trump says he has ordered the US military to carry out airstrikes against Islamic State positions in Somalia. The strikes targeted a series of cave systems used by the terror group.[135]
The Puntlandmilitary spokersperson claims that US airstrikes against ISIL have killed 46 fighters in the Cal Miskaad Mountains, a remote area in northeastern region Bari, Somalia.[141]
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Trump announce they have agreed to delay 25% of tariffs on Mexico and Canada for a month in exchange for boosting security along their respective borders.[144][145]
Trump says he is stopping funding to South Africa over a land seizure law.[147]
Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele makes an offer to Secretary of State Marco Rubio to accept convicted "dangerous American criminals" and incarcerate them at the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador in exchange for a fee.[148]
February 4
The US implements a 10% across-the-board tariff on Chinese products and eliminates the de minimis exemption for exports from China. In response, China imposes retaliatory tariffs on energy products, farm equipment, and automobiles from the US, effective February 10, and export controls on critical minerals. It also adds US-based PVH Group and Illumina Inc. to its unreliable entities list and launches a probe into technology company Google for alleged anti-trust violations.[149]
The State Department orders the closure of all overseas missions of USAID and recalls thousands of USAID staff to the US ahead of the agency's shutdown.[150]
Trump announces that the US will take control of the Gaza Strip in an agreement with Israel. Trump also says Palestinians will have no choice but to leave the territory and that the US military will be in charge of Gaza's reconstruction to turn the area into "The Riviera of the Middle East" for "the world's people."[151][152][153]
The Postal Service says it is temporarily refusing inbound parcels from China and Hong Kong effective immediately.[157]
Protests against Trump: Protests occur in cities across the US against Trump, his administration, Elon Musk, and Project 2025. The protests are referred to as 50501.[158]
February 6
Trump signs an executive order imposing sanctions on International Criminal Court officials that assist investigations into US citizens or those of its allies, namely Israel. A day later, 79 countries jointly speak out in a statement against the sanctions.[159][160]
NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies says that the probability of asteroid2024 YR4 impacting Earth on 22 December 2032 has increased to 2.3%, or a (1-in-43) chance, following further observations of its trajectory. More observations are planned in the coming months to gather data on the asteroid before it moves too far away from Earth-based telescopes to be accurately observed.[162]
February 8 – International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Ahmad Khan becomes the first person to have economic and travel sanctions placed on him by the US government following an executive order signed by Trump intended to target the war crimes tribunal over investigations of US citizens or US allies.[167]
Trump's authorized airstrike in Cal Miskaad mountains in Bari Region, Puntland, on February 1, is confirmed to have killed ISIS leader Ahmed Maeleminine, a key recruiter and financier for the militant group.[169]
February 10
Trump signs an executive order imposing a 25% tariff on all aluminium and steel imports.[170]
Trump signs an executive order directing the Department of Justice to pause enforcing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, a law that prohibits American companies and foreign firms from bribing officials of foreign governments to obtain or retain business.[171]
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz announces that Russia has released Marc Fogel, an American teacher detained since 2021 after Steve Witkoff and several other Trump aides visited Moscow to negotiate an exchange for money launderer Alexander Vinnik.[173]
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Rubio speak by telephone about the Russo-Ukrainian War, the Gaza war, the sanctions against Russia, and removing restrictions on each country's diplomatic missions. They also discuss preparations for a high-level summit in Saudi Arabia. This is the first time the US and Russia have had contact at the foreign minister level in almost two years.[188]
The US military announces that the Yemen Coast Guard had successfully intercepted an Iranian weapons shipment on its way to the Houthi movement in Yemen on February 12.[192]
February 17
50501 demonstrations take place at state capitols around the US, including at Union Square in Washington, D.C. against the second administration of Trump, the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk, and Project 2025.[193]
Southwest Airlines announces it will layoff 1,750 jobs, 15% of its corporate workforce, for cost reduction. This is the company's first mass layoff since it started operating in 1971.[196]
The US and Russia start talks in Saudi Arabia about the war in Ukraine without European or Ukrainian participation. The delegations agree to start the negotiating process for ending the war, create high-level teams, and normalize diplomatic and economic ties between the two countries.[200][201][202]
NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies announces that the chance of asteroid2024 YR4 impacting Earth on December 22, 2032, has increased to 3.1% (1-in-32) following further observations of its orbital trajectory. It has now surpassed the threat of 99942 Apophis, which once had a 2.7% chance of hitting Earth during 2004 before later being ruled out.[206][207]
The National Science Foundation dismisses 168 workers, 10% of its workforce, to comply with Trump's executive order to reduce the federal workforce.[208]
The Internal Revenue Service announces it will layoff over 6,000 jobs around Tax Day as part of department downsizing led by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.[212]
The Pentagon and the Department of Defense announce they will jointly lay off 4,500 probationary workers, cutting 5–8% of the civilian workforce. The US Forest Service also announces it will lay off 2,000 employees.[214]
Veolia Water agrees to pay $53 million in settlement for all remaining active class action lawsuits for the contamination of drinking water in Flint, Michigan, but refuses to acknowledge any fault in the crisis.[215]
One person is killed and another is injured in a shooting at the Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The FBI is investigating the shooting, but it is believed the incident was not an act of terrorism.[220]
NASA formally announces that asteroid 2024 YR4 now poses "no significant threat" to Earth in 2032 and beyond as the chances of an impact drop to 1-in-59,000 (0.0017%). This means a planetary defense mission to intercept and deflect the object in 2028 during a close flyby of Earth is no longer necessary.[227]
Apple announces a $500 billion investment plan in the US over the next five years, aiming to hire 20,000 new employees and manufacture AI servers.[228]
Starbucks announces that it will cut 1,100 jobs across its stores in the US as part of cost reduction measures. The company also announces that its menu will be "simplified" and shrunk by 33%.[229]
February 25
Jo-Ann Stores files its second bankruptcy claim and announces it will close all 800 stores in the 49 states, with liquidation sales beginning immediately.[230]
Meta Platforms says it has fixed an error that resulted in Instagram users' Reels feeds displaying violent and graphic videos despite these users having content filters enabled.[239]
A 24-hour consumer spending boycott takes place across the US, in protest of wealth and income inequality, high prices of essential goods, and the rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives by the Trump administration.[241]
The Social Security Administration announces it will lay off over 7,000 jobs to align with Trump's executive order, despite its workforce already being at a 50-year low.[242]
US Central Command says that it has carried out a precision airstrike in Syria, targeting and killing Muhammed Yusuf Ziya Talay, a senior military leader in Hurras al-Din.[246]
TSMC announces plans to invest $100 billion in US chip manufacturing.[252]
The US seeks a plan to ease sanctions on Russia and some Russian oligarchs, while pausing all current military aid to Ukraine.[253][254]
Trump orders an expansion of tree cutting across 280m acres (113m hectares) of national forests and other public lands.[255]
March 4
Trump's 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports to the US take effect, while an existing 10% tariff on all Chinese imports rises to 20% amid an ongoing trade war.[256] Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that he will impose a reciprocal 25% tariff on American goods worth up to $155 billion.[257] The Chinese Ministry of Finance announces 10–15% tariffs on a range of American food imports, set to start March 10.[258]
Trump delivers a speech to a joint session of Congress.
The US begins direct negotiations with Hamas over the release of the remaining Israeli hostages. Trump later threatens on Truth Social and X that the people of Gaza "are dead" unless they return the hostages "immediately".[262]
The Department of Veterans Affairs announces it will lay off over 80,000 jobs to comply with the Trump administration's plans under the Department of Government Efficiency.[264]
The Department of Defense denies previous media reports that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had ordered a halt to offensive cyber operations and information operations against Russia by the US Cyber Command.[265]
Los Angeles County files a lawsuit against Southern California Edison, the electric utility company servicing most of Southern California, and alleges that the company's power system started the Eaton Fire, seeking to recover costs and damages sustained from the fire that damaged over 9,400 buildings and killed 17 people.[266]
The US Attorney for the District Court of Vermont indicts and charges 25 Canadians for conspiracy to defraud elderly people in the US out of US$21 million and charges five of those 25 with conspiracy to commit money laundering.[269]
Three skiers are killed after an avalanche trapped them under more than 30 feet of snow in the Chugach Mountains, Alaska[270]
March 6
Trump pauses tariffs on USMCA-compliant imports from Canada and Mexico until April 2.[271]
CMA CGM announces a $20 billion investment in US logistics over the next four years, aiming to create 10,000 new jobs.[272]
Trump signs an executive order creating a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve funded exclusively with bitcoin seized in criminal and civil forfeiture cases.[273]
According to a report in the academic journalScience, the population of the 554 recorded species of butterflies in the US has declined by 22% since 2000.[274]
Organized demonstrations and walkouts of scientists take place across 30 cities in the US and France in protest of the Trump administration's grant budget and employment cuts to several government scientific agencies.[278]
The US Army stationed in Puntland maintains its operations and will not pull out of the region in response to double ongoing operations in the fight against ISIS in Puntland's Bari Region.[281]
A plane crashes in a residential area in Pennsylvania, injuring five people.[286]
March 10
A major sell-off occurs on the stock market, including a 4% drop on the Nasdaq, amid ongoing concern about the impact of tariffs on the US economy.[287]
OntarioPremierDoug Ford announces that the province will charge 25% more for electricity supplied to the US, which includes the states of Michigan, Minnesota, and New York.[288] It is suspended the next day.
Trump announces a doubling of tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminium, from 25% to 50%.[291]
The US and Ukraine announce their intention to seek a 30-day ceasefire with Russia after talks in Jeddah, involving Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Ukrainian presidential chief of staffAndriy Yermak.[292]
US District Judge for the District Court of the District of Columbia Amir Ali orders the Trump administration to pay nearly $2 billion in unpaid funds for promised USAID programs that the administration ended.[293]
A 25% tariff on aluminum and steel products imposed globally by the US comes into effect.[295] In response, Canadian finance minister Dominic LeBlanc announces retaliatory tariffs on CAD$29.8 billion (US$20.7 billion) of goods from the US.[296]
Idaho Governor Brad Little signs a Bill, which officially makes firing squad as the primary execution method in the state. Idaho became the first state with such a policy.[298][299]
March 13
Russian President Vladimir Putin says that the American proposal for the ceasefire in Ukraine would depend on Russia's conditions being met, and that there will be further discussions.[300]
The Trump administration reportedly orders the US military to plan options to expand the presence of American troops in Panama and potentially try to reclaim the Panama Canal.[301]
Severe winds and dry conditions in the states of Oklahoma and Texas cause a series of wildfires, forcing evacuations and leaving thousands without power.[304]
13 people are killed by tornadoes as a regional risk for an outbreak of severe weather is outlined by the Storm Prediction Center over much of the US. A rare high-risk convective outlook is issued for tomorrow over the Deep South.[305]
Hamas says that it has agreed to resume ceasefire talks and release American Israeli hostage Edan Alexander. This comes after a proposal from Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.[306]
Trump publicly asks Russian President Vladimir Putin to spare the lives of "thousands of Ukrainian soldiers" said to be surrounded in Kursk Oblast.[309]
Trump orders a series of airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, killing at least 31 people and wounding 101 more. US Central Command announces that the strikes are the beginning of a large-scale operation in Yemen.[311] The USS Harry S. Truman is targeted the next day by the Houthis with 18 rockets and drones.[312]
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announces visa restrictions against former and current Thai officials who were involved in deporting at least 40 Uyghur men who were seeking asylum back to China, despite concerns that they could face persecution.[313]
Trump signs an executive order to end federal funding of the news organization Voice of America, accusing it of being "anti-Trump" and "radical". Its entire staff of 1,300 people is put on paid leave.[314]
The Trump administration flies 260 alleged immigrants to El Salvador, in defiance of a temporary restraining order from District Judge James Boasberg.[315]
Convicted rapist-murderer Jessie Hoffman Jr. becomes the first inmate executed in Louisiana in 15 years since 2010, and also becomes the first inmate executed by nitrogen hypoxia in Louisiana.[320]
Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agree to an immediate energy infrastructure ceasefire in Ukraine during a phone call, with additional negotiations to begin immediately on a permanent settlement of the conflict. Putin stated that the end of all foreign military and intelligence support to Ukraine would be one condition of such a settlement.[321]
A jury in North Dakota finds that Greenpeace must pay hundreds of millions of dollars to pipeline company Energy Transfer and is liable for defamation and other claims over protests in the state nearly a decade previously.[323]
US District Judge for the District of MarylandEllen Lipton Hollander temporarily blocks the Department of Government Efficiency from accessing Social Security systems that cover the personal information of US citizens. Judge Hollander also orders the department to delete any previously accessed personally identifiable information in their possession.[326]
Three people are killed and 15 others are injured in a mass shooting in a parking lot during a large gathering at Young Park in Las Cruces, New Mexico.[331]
March 22 – The US lifts a $10 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Afghan warlord Sirajuddin Haqqani after the Taliban released an American citizen who had been kept in captivity for two years.[332]
March 23
National Security Advisor Mike Waltz says that the US wants the "full dismantlement" of Iran's nuclear program and that "all options are on the table".[333]
March 25 – The US says that Russia and Ukraine agree to cease all military attacks in the Black Sea to ensure safe passage for commercial shipping, while Russia says that it needs guarantees and an order from the U.S. to Ukraine to respect such a deal.[340][341]
March 26
Trump signs 25% tariffs on all cars imported to the US. Canada states that it will respond, while Japan asks to be exempt from the tariffs.[342]
The US military conducts airstrikes targeting ISIS militants in the Golis Mountains as part of a coordinated operation led by AFRICOM. The strikes reportedly kill militants without causing any civilian casualties in militant hideouts located in the Golis Mountains of Puntland's Bari Region.[343]
Four American soldiers go missing during training in the Pabradė Training Area in Lithuania. A search for the soldiers is underway, and an investigation has been launched.[344]
Idaho Governor Brad Little formally signs a bill into law that permits the death penalty for rape and sexual abuse of children younger than 12 years of age. The bill will become effective on July 1, 2025. This law could ultimately challenge the precedent of Kennedy v. Louisiana.[347]
Protests are held at Tesla dealerships across the US, Canada, and Europe to protest against DOGE chief and Tesla CEO Elon Musk's role in the second Trump administration.[353]
The US announces sanctions on six Chinese and Hong Kong officials, including head of the national security officeDong Jingwei, accusing them of "transnational oppression and undermining Hong Kong autonomy".[360]
The US is given hosting rights to the 2031 FIFA Women's World Cup, with possible other CONCACAF members set to join as co-hosts. This is the third edition of the tournament that the US has hosted.[365]
Rent control in the US: Texas-based property management software company RealPage files a lawsuit against the city of Berkeley, California, as the city attempts to enact a local ordinance that would block landlords from deciding rent prices using an algorithm, alleging that the practice is anti-competitive and is driving up rent prices.[367]
Stocks fall sharply for a second consecutive day, both in the US and globally. The Dow Jones ends the day 2,231 points (5.5%) lower. The S&P 500 closes the week down 9.1%, marking its worst performance since March 2020.[368]Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell warns of "a highly uncertain outlook".[369]
April 5 – Hands Off protests: Mass protests are held in cities across the US in opposition to Trump and Elon Musk.[370]
April 6
2025 Southwest US measles outbreak: A child dies from measles complications at the UMC Health System in Lubbock, Texas, US, becoming the third measles-related death amid outbreaks and the second unvaccinated child victim.[371]
The death toll from the severe weather in the US rises to 18.[372]
Trump increases tariffs on China to 125% but pauses all new tariffs on every other country for 90 days with a lower reciprocal tariff of 10% during this period.[377]
The Nasdaq Composite closes up 12.16%, its biggest one-day percentage gain since January 3, 2001, and the second-largest on record. The S&P 500 jumps 9.52%, its largest one-day gain since October 28, 2008. The Dow Jones closes with its largest daily net gain in history.[378]
The Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, rules that the Trump administration must "facilitate" the return of wrongfully deported Maryland father Kilmar Abrego Garcia, imprisoned in an El Salvador jail.[382]
2025 Pennsylvania Governor's Residence arson: A man is arrested after he allegedly broke into Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's residence and started a fire while Shapiro and his family were sleeping. 38-year-old Cody Balmer is held on charges of attempted murder, aggravated arson, terrorism, and other charges in connection with the fire.[384]
A mass shooting at 5th Avenue Park in Conway, Arkansas results in 2 deaths and 9 injuries.[385]
A gunman opens fire on a large crowd leaving the French Quarter Festival in New Orleans; 5 people are injured.[386]
April 14
Nvidia announces plans to produce up to $500 billion worth of AI infrastructure in the US over the next four years. The plan includes new production facilities in Texas, in collaboration with TSMC, Foxconn, Wistron, Amkor, and SPIL.[387]
Trump meets with El Salvador's President Bukele at the White House. They both deny that Kilmar Abrego Garcia will be returned to the US.[388]
The federal government announces the freezing of more than $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts to Harvard University, after the institution said it would defy the Trump administration's demands to limit activism on campus.[392]
California Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta file a lawsuit against the Trump administration over his tariffs, making California the first U.S. state to do so.[394]
A massive power outage causes the entire island of Puerto Rico to lose electricity.[395]
Deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia: Democratic senator Chris Van Hollen from Maryland meets with Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador to push for his release. The move comes hours after being previously denied a meeting with him.[397]
April 18 – At least three people are killed when a small plane crashes into the Platte River in Omaha, Nebraska.[398]
Federal authorities arrest a man in Colorado Springs for his "Declaration of War" threatening Elon Musk, Tesla owners, and members of Trump's cabinet. The declaration, sent to various media outlets, detailed specific attack methods and aimed at Musk's elimination.[402]
April 22 – Roche announces plans to invest $50 billion in the US over the next five years, creating 12,000 jobs.[406]
April 23 – Harvey Weinstein's rape retrial begins after the original verdict was overturned.[407]
April 24
A group of 12 states files a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging that the national trade policy is subject to Trump's political motives instead of the law.[408]
11 people are injured in a shooting during an altercation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The suspect is shot and killed by responding police officers.[412]
More than 100 people suspected of entering the U.S. illegally are detained in a raid by the DEA and ICE at a nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which had been investigated for drug trafficking and prostitution.[417]
The Ukraine–US Mineral Resources Agreement is signed, providing an economic incentive for the US to continue to invest in Ukraine's defence and reconstruction, in exchange for access to the war-torn country's energy and mineral resources.[423]
The House of Representatives cites the Congressional Review Act and votes to block California from implementing a law that would phase out the sale of new gas vehicles by 2035.[424]
May 8 – American Robert Francis Prevost is elected to become pope during the 2025 papal conclave, becoming the first North American to hold the position. He chooses the name Pope Leo XIV.[430]
May 9 – Newark Mayor Ras Baraka is taken into custody while protesting outside the Delaney Hall ICE detention center. He is released several hours later.[431]
May 12
Trump announces a plan to pressure drug companies to lower US costs by 50% to 90%.[432]
May 13 – Saudi Arabia announces a $600 billion investment in the US, including Nvidia AI chips, Boeing planes, a $142 billion defense deal, a $20 billion DataVolt energy project, $14.2 billion in GE Vernova exports, and others.[437]
May 14 – Trump signs an agreement with Qatar to facilitate economic exchanges valued at a minimum of $1.2 trillion, including deals totaling more than $243.5 billion across sectors such as defense, aviation, infrastructure, and energy.[438]
May 15 – The United Arab Emirates announces plans to invest $1.4 trillion in the US over the next 10 years, focusing on AI infrastructure, semiconductors, energy, quantum computing, biotechnology, and manufacturing.[439]
A large and destructive tornado tore through the Greater St. Louis suburbs, damaging or destroying thousands of structures and resulting in 5 deaths and $1.6 billion in damage.
The Trump administration halts Harvard University's ability to enroll international students and requires existing international students to transfer to other schools.[451] A judge blocks the order.[452]
The Supreme Court rules that Trump can legally revoke the temporary protected status (TPS) of Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan immigrants in the country, totaling over 530,000 people. This comes after the Supreme Court previously allowed the Trump administration to revoke the TPS of over 250,000 Venezuelans living and working in the US.[457][458]
Trump signs Proclamation 10949, which bans nationals from 12 countries, mostly in Africa and the Middle East, from entering the US.[462]
Contrary to all other member nations, the US vetoes a UN Security Council resolution that calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.[463]
June 6
Kilmar Abrego Garcia returns to the US after being deported to El Salvador and held at the CECOT maximum security prison. He faces charges of trafficking migrants.[464]
Grant Hardin, who had escaped from North Central Unit prison in Calico Rock, Arkansas on May 25 by disguising himself as a guard, is recaptured by law enforcement about 1.5 miles away from the prison that he escaped, ending the manhunt.[465]
June 15 – Three people are killed, including an infant, and two teenagers are injured in a shooting following a confrontation at a carnival in Salt Lake City, Utah.[481]
June 16 – Furniture retailer At Home files for Chapter 11bankruptcy as a result of the increased tariffs, as well as a declining number of customers.[482]
After 18 months of negotiations, Japanese company Nippon Steel finalizes its $14.9 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel. The deal allows U.S. Steel to retain its name and headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and gives the U.S. government the ability to veto corporate decisions as needed.[485][486]
June 23 – Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announces an end to the "roadless rule" protecting nearly a third of forests in the United States, enabling 58 million acres of land to be opened up to road construction and development.[501]
June 24
Iran–Israel war: Trump uses an expletive in front of reporters, as he accuses both Iran and Israel of violating a ceasefire announced the previous night.[502][503]
In three separate decisions, the Supreme Court rules that lower court orders are limited on nationwide injunctions in Trump v. CASA, Inc., that teaching using LGBTQ themed books in public schools without parental opt-outs violates the Free Exercise Clause in Mahmoud v. Taylor, and upholds the Texas law requiring age verification for accessing pornographic websites.[507][508][509]
The S&P 500 index closes at a record high of 6173.07 points, the highest since February.[510]
June 28 – California governorGavin Newsom files a $787 million defamation lawsuit against Fox News over misrepresentation of a phone call between him and Trump.[511]
Sean "Diddy" Combs is found not guilty of racketeering, and not guilty of sex trafficking ex-partner Casandra Ventura and another woman referred to as "Jane". He is found guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution, related to both women.[522]
Former WBC middleweight champion Julio César Chávez Jr. is arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at his home in Los Angeles due to Chávez Jr.'s affiliation with the Sinaloa Cartel, which the U.S. has designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization.[526]
July 3 – The first group of immigrant detainees arrives at Alligator Alcatraz in Florida, beginning the facility's operations.[527]
Trump also announces a new set of tariffs on imports from Algeria, Brunei, Iraq, Libya, Moldova, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka, assigning country-specific duties ranging 20 to 30% following the expiration of a 90-day negotiation period.[545]
In an attack at a church in Lexington, Kentucky, a gunman shoots a state trooper, carjacks a vehicle, then kills two women and injures two men before police kill him.[549]
House Republicans block a Democratic attempt to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files. The final vote is 211 to 210, with zero Republicans supporting the measure.[554]
President Trump announces a private-sector investment initiative totaling more than $90 billion in Pennsylvania. The investment comes from companies across the technology, energy, and finance sectors. Participating firms include Anthropic, Blackstone, Brookfield, CoreWeave, BlackRock, Google, Constellation Energy, and Meta.[555]
The Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science (CJS) votes to reject a planned 24.3% cut in NASA funding contained in the White House's fiscal 2026 budget proposal.[556]
Trump sues media tycoon Rupert Murdoch for $10 billion after the Wall Street Journal reports allegations that Trump's name appeared on a "bawdy" 2003 birthday card to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.[564][565]
The Department of Justice asks a federal court to unseal grand jury transcripts in Jeffrey Epstein's case at the direction of Donald Trump.[569]
July 19 – 30 people are injured when a car drives into pedestrians outside a club on Santa Monica Boulevard in East Hollywood, Los Angeles. The driver of the vehicle is shot and injured, though it is not known if they were shot before or after the crash.[570]
AstraZeneca announces it will invest $50 billion in the United States by 2030. The investment will support the construction of a new drug manufacturing facility in Virginia and expand research and development and cell therapy manufacturing in Maryland, Massachusetts, California, Indiana, and Texas.[573]
Following the withdrawal of 2,000 National Guardsmen last week, the Pentagon announces the withdrawal of all 700 Marines who were deployed to Los Angeles, California.[574]
July 22 – The United States and Japan announce a new trade framework. The framework includes 15% reciprocal tariffs on Japanese goods entering the United States, a $550 billion investment commitment from Japanese companies in the US, a joint U.S.-Japan venture on an LNG project in Alaska, and other initiatives.[578]
Lieutenant Governor David M. Apatang is sworn in as the new governor of the Northern Mariana Islands following the death of Governor Arnold Palacios the previous day.[585]
Intel announces planned layoffs for over 20,000 employees by the end of the year.[586]
The United States and the European Union announce a new trade framework. This includes 15% reciprocal tariffs on European goods entering the United States, a $600 billion investment commitment from the EU, European imports of American energy worth $750 billion by 2028, and additional European purchases of military equipment, automobiles, aircraft, and technology products.[591]
The United States and South Korea reach trade a new trade framework. This includes 15% reciprocal tariffs on South Korean goods entering the United States, a $350 billion investment commitment from South Korea, and South Korean imports of American energy worth $100 billion by 2028.[599]
August 2 – The Office of Special Counsel begins investigating former assistant U.S. attorney Jack Smith, alleging he violated the Hatch Act during his investigations of President Trump prior to Trump's election.[604]
The Texas House of Representatives vote to issue civil arrest warrants for more than 50 Democratic representatives who left the state in order to block a vote on a U.S. House of Representatives map that would give Republicans more seats. In Texas, at least 100 of the 150 representatives must be in the state for a vote. The civil arrest warrants only apply in Texas and are largely symbolic.[606]
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announces the withdrawal of $500m in funding for mRNA vaccines targeted at diseases such as the flu and COVID-19, stating that "mRNA technology poses more risks than benefits for these respiratory viruses".[608]
August 6 – The DHS announces it is removing age restrictions for new hires at ICE.[609]
Apple Inc.CEOTim Cook presents a gift to Donald Trump of a glass plaque (from Corning Inc., Harrodsburg, Kentucky) with a 24-karatbullion gold display base (from Utah), and announces a $100 billion commitment to U.S. manufacturing, amidst a Trump plan to impose an import tariff of 100% on semiconductor chips, a 25% tariff on Apple, 50% tariffs on Indian imports (exempting smartphones) and after Apple's 2025 February $500 billion investment commitment over the next five years, the aiming to hire 20,000 new employees, and manufacture AI servers.[612][613] On August 6, Trump said Apple will dodge the new tariffs on semiconductors.[614][615][616][617]
Trump deploys the National Guard to Washington, DC and places the city's police under federal control, as he announces a crackdown on crime and homelessness in the capital.[620]
An explosion at the Clairton Coke Works outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, kills two people and injures another ten.[621]
The US sees its largest job losses since the COVID-19 pandemic, with half of all industries laying off workers, and many economists predicting a recession.[622][623]
October 14 – Microsoft has set the retirement (end-of-life) date for its Windows 10 operating system on this date.[628][629] Users will either have to install Windows 11 or use an alternative operating system from Microsoft to receive security updates. However, the third-party programs and LTSC will continue to support it.