A Democracy Drive Thread
Purging career officials and filling the Justice Department, intelligence, health, and other agencies with loyalists and donors — often unqualified, frequently bypassing Senate or judicial review — and what some did once in place.
This thread tracks, in chronological order and with sources, the replacement of career and nonpartisan officials with personal and political loyalists: the appointments and the purges that made room for them, the loyalty tests imposed on federal workers, the nominees rejected or withdrawn, and the documented consequences once loyalists were installed in prosecutorial and regulatory posts. Entries are presented in order so the pattern is visible on its own.
September 17, 2013
On the ground
Trump’s foundation gives $25,000 to a political committee backing Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, days after her office said it was reviewing the New York fraud case against Trump University. Florida never took action against Trump University. Trump later paid a $2,500 fine because charities are barred from making political contributions.
January 1, 2025
Since January 2025, the Trump administration has fired more than 113 immigration judges, replaced them with military lawyers and political appointees, and pressured remaining judges to align with deportation goals. This effort, supported by Elon Musk's 'department of government efficiency' (Doge), has included offering buyouts to remove federal employees seen as obstacles to the deportation agenda.
January 20, 2025
Between January 2025 and February 2026, thousands of career lawyers left the Justice Department, including many with decades of experience. This turnover was driven by firings of prosecutors who worked on January 6 cases and investigations into President Trump, as well as resignations due to political interference and low morale. Former officials report that the loss of institutional memory and experienced staff has weakened the department's ability to enforce laws regarding tax enforcement, anti-narcotics, white collar crime, and civil rights.
January 21, 2025
On the ground
Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan, the first woman to lead a military branch, and TSA Administrator David Pekoske were removed. The advisory committee, created after the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, included victims’ families and industry experts.
February 17, 2025
On the ground
Martin, already serving as interim U.S. attorney, had urged “die-hard true Americans” to work until their “last breath” to “stop the steal” and sat on the board of a group supporting January 6 defendants. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis said he could not support him for the D.C. post. Trump withdrew the nomination in May, named Jeanine Pirro instead, and made Martin the Justice Department’s pardon attorney and head of its Weaponization Working Group.
February 20, 2025
On the ground
Republicans Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski joined every Democrat in voting no. CNN reported that one person named in his book relocated their family for safety ahead of his confirmation.
February 21, 2025
On the ground
Hegseth told Fox News, “We want lawyers who give sound constitutional advice and don’t exist to attempt to be roadblocks,” adding, “It’s time for fresh blood.” The same night Trump fired Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. CQ Brown.
“We want lawyers who give sound constitutional advice and don’t exist to attempt to be roadblocks to anything that happens.”
February 23, 2025
On the ground
For more than 100 years the deputy director role had been filled by a career agent. Bongino, a former Secret Service agent, had been banned from YouTube for spreading misinformation.
February 26, 2025
On the ground
Ingrassia, a 29-year-old former far-right podcast host and election denier, posted the remarks in December 2020 and January 2021. ABC reported he had been pushed out of his earlier Justice Department role after pushing to hire people with “exceptional loyalty” to Trump. He was later nominated to lead the Office of Special Counsel and withdrew.
March 13, 2025
On the ground
A former FBI official called it “highly unusual” and a break with long-standing precedent. The checks cover finances, foreign contacts and security risks.
March 19, 2025
Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner resigned on March 19, 2025, following reports that he was asked to step down by President Donald Trump. The resignation occurred shortly after Elon Musk, as part of the Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, suggested the privatization of Amtrak and the U.S. Postal Service.
On the ground
Attorney General Bondi appointed Sarcone acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York in March 2025. Syracuse.com reported his past posts suggesting Biden be tried for treason and Obama be deported. His office later issued subpoenas to New York Attorney General Letitia James; in January 2026 a federal judge ruled Sarcone had not been lawfully serving and blocked the subpoenas — the fifth Trump acting U.S. attorney found unlawful. In August 2026 the 2nd Circuit upheld that ruling, 2–1.
April 3, 2025
President Donald Trump fired several senior National Security Council officials, including Brian Walsh, Thomas Boodry, and David Feith, following a meeting with far-right activist Laura Loomer, who urged him to purge staff she deemed insufficiently loyal to the MAGA agenda.
President Donald Trump fired six National Security Council (NSC) staffers, including senior directors Brian Walsh, Thomas Boodry, and Maggie Dougherty, following an Oval Office meeting with far-right activist Laura Loomer. Loomer presented opposition research and urged the president to remove officials she deemed disloyal to his agenda, leading to firings that occurred overnight and over the weekend.
On April 3, 2025, the U.S. Senate confirmed Dean John Sauer, a former personal attorney for President Donald Trump, as the Solicitor General of the United States. During his confirmation hearing, Sauer declined to commit to following all court orders and refused to commit to recusing himself from conflicts of interest.
On the ground
Loomer had met with Trump the day before and named Haugh and Wendy Noble, alleging ties to Gen. Mark Milley. At least six National Security Council staff were also fired. The White House gave no reason.
April 7, 2025
On the ground
Officials believed Hegseth made the decision. Adm. Lisa Franchetti and Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan had been fired earlier.
April 10, 2025
Kathleen Sgamma, an oil and gas lobbyist and president of the Western Energy Alliance, withdrew her name from consideration for the position of Director of the Bureau of Land Management on April 10, 2025, during her scheduled confirmation hearing. While the White House provided no official reason for the withdrawal, reports indicate it followed the publication of a 2021 memo in which Sgamma criticized President Trump's role in the January 6 Capitol riot.
April 11, 2025
On the ground
Caine had retired from the Air Force. Trump has repeatedly told the story of Caine saying he would “kill for” him as a sign of loyalty.
April 16, 2025
On the ground
Martin had not listed the appearances on his Senate questionnaire. Trump later withdrew the nomination.
May 1, 2025
President Donald Trump removed National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and his deputy, Alex Wong, from their positions. The removals occurred following a scandal involving a Signal group chat where sensitive military operation details were shared with a reporter. Additionally, right-wing activist Laura Loomer had publicly called for their ouster and met with the president to recommend the list of names for removal.
President Donald Trump appointed 22-year-old Thomas Fugate, a recent college graduate with no prior counterterrorism or government leadership experience, to lead the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) within the Department of Homeland Security. Fugate replaced William Braniff, a seasoned Army veteran with over 20 years of national security expertise who resigned in protest of budget cuts.
May 5, 2025
On the ground
He did not say which positions would go. It followed the firings of the Joint Chiefs chairman and several other senior officers.
May 7, 2025
President Donald Trump nominated Dr. Casey Means, a wellness influencer and ally of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., for the position of Surgeon General. Means, who dropped out of her surgical residency and has no government experience, was nominated after Trump withdrew his initial pick, Janette Nesheiwat.
May 8, 2025
President Donald Trump appointed Fox News host Jeanine Pirro as the interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, replacing Ed Martin Jr., whose nomination for the permanent position was withdrawn. Pirro, a former New York prosecutor and judge, has been a long-time supporter of Trump and a former host on 'The Five'.
President Trump appointed former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro to serve as the acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, replacing Ed Martin.
On the ground
Hayden, confirmed in 2016 to a 10-year term, was dismissed in a late-night email on May 8, 2025, after a conservative group accused her of being “woke.” Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Hayden had done “quite concerning things… in the pursuit of DEI and putting inappropriate books in the library for children.” The Library of Congress is a research library serving Congress; it does not lend books to children.
“There were quite concerning things that she had done at the Library of Congress in the pursuit of DEI and putting inappropriate books in the library for children.”
May 10, 2025
On the ground
Perlmutter was fired on May 10, 2025, a day after her office released a report concluding that many AI companies’ use of copyrighted work for training likely isn’t fair use, and days after Trump fired Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, who had appointed her. Perlmutter sued, arguing the Library of Congress is part of the legislative branch. In June 2026, the Supreme Court declined to let Trump remove her for now.
May 12, 2025
President Trump appointed Todd Blanche, his former defense lawyer and current Deputy Attorney General, as the acting Librarian of Congress. This appointment follows the firing of Dr. Carla Hayden, the first Black person to hold the position, who the White House stated was fired due to her support for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
May 14, 2025
On the ground
The April assessment found the Maduro government “probably does not have a policy of cooperating with TDA.” A former council chairman said the message to analysts was “one of intimidation.”
May 22, 2025
On the ground
Beattie was fired from Trump’s first White House in 2018 after CNN revealed he had spoken at a conference attended by white nationalists. He has written that “‘Shithole countries’ was the high-point of Trumps presidency.” In February 2025 he was elevated to a top State Department post, and in July he was also put in charge of the U.S. Institute of Peace.
“When a population gets feral, a little snip snip keeps things in control.”
June 1, 2025
The Office of Personnel Management published a memorandum requiring applicants for civil service positions, including entry-level roles such as janitors and nurses, to answer essay questions regarding their commitment to the Constitution and how they would help advance President Trump's Executive Orders and policy priorities. Applicants who pass this screening are then subject to an 'executive interview' with a political appointee to evaluate their 'organizational fit and commitment to American ideals.' In September 2026 a federal judge blocked the administration's “loyalty” question for job applicants.
June 2, 2025
The Trump administration introduced a new federal hiring plan that requires new employees to submit essays explaining which executive orders or policy initiatives they will help advance, as well as essays on their commitment to upholding the Constitution. The plan also includes the drones of continuous vetting for all federal workers to monitor for 'trustworthiness' and removes self-assessments for applicants, replacing them with Trump-approved technical and alternative assessments. In September 2026 a federal judge blocked the administration's “loyalty” question for job applicants.
June 9, 2025
Bradley Bondi, the brother of Attorney General Pam Bondi, ran for president of the D.C. Bar Association. He was defeated by Diane Seltzer, who won with over 90 percent of the vote in an election with record turnout.
June 11, 2025
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appointed eight new members to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) after firing the entire previous roster of 17 members. The new appointees, which include Robert Malone and Martin Kulldorff, were selected through a process that bypassed the usual CDC vetting process conducted by career agency officials. The panel's recommendations are critical as they determine federal policies and insurance coverage for vaccinations nationwide.
June 24, 2025
On the ground
Reuveni says he was pushed out after resisting efforts to defy judges and make false arguments. The complaint came a day before Bove’s confirmation hearing for the Third Circuit. Republicans turned down requests to hear from Reuveni, and Bove was confirmed.
July 11, 2025
In a 165-page questionnaire submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee for his nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, Emil Bove declined to denounce the January 6 attack on the Capitol, stating that the characterization of the events is a matter of significant political debate. Bove also declined to rule out the possibility of Donald Trump serving a third presidential term, stating it would be improper for him as a nominee to address the 22nd Amendment in a hypothetical scenario.
July 16, 2025
More than 900 former Department of Justice employees sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee opposing the nomination of Emil Bove to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, citing concerns over his conduct and deviations from constitutional principles.
July 17, 2025
Following a decision by federal judges to decline the extension of John Sarcone III's appointment as interim U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York, the Trump administration appointed him as "special attorney to the attorney general" and first assistant U.S. attorney to maintain his control over the office.
July 29, 2025
On July 29, 2025, the US Senate voted 50-49 to confirm Emil Bove, a former defense attorney for Donald Trump, to a lifetime appointment as a judge on the US Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit. Bove had previously served as principal associate deputy attorney general at the US Department of Justice, where whistleblowers alleged he urged DOJ officials to ignore court orders regarding deportation efforts and oversaw the mass firing of prosecutors deemed insufficiently loyal to Trump.
President Donald Trump nominated Emil Bove, a former personal attorney and senior Justice Department official, to the US Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit. Bove was confirmed by the Senate on July 29, 2025, following opposition from Democrats and over 900 former Justice Department employees who cited concerns over his integrity and his actions at the DOJ, including ordering the dismissal of corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
August 2, 2025
President Donald Trump appointed Jeanine Pirro, a former Fox News host who promoted debunked claims of 2020 election fraud, to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. Pirro was confirmed by the Senate on August 2, 2025, after having previously advanced theories that voting machines were used to flip votes.
The U.S. Senate confirmed Jeanine Pirro, a former Fox News host and loyalist to President Trump, as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia in a 50-45 vote.
August 11, 2025
President Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate E.J. Antoni, a conservative economist from the Heritage Foundation and a critic of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, to lead the agency. This nomination follows the firing of former Commissioner Erika McEntarfer on August 1, 2025, whom Trump claimed without evidence that had 'rigged' jobs reports to make Republicans look bad. The White House withdrew the nomination on September 30, 2025, after widespread criticism from economists.
President Donald Trump nominated E.J. Antoni, an economist from the Heritage Foundation, to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) after firing the previous commissioner, Erika McEntarfer, whom he accused of manipulating jobs data. Video evidence emerged showing Antoni was present on the Capitol grounds during the January 6, 2021, insurrection, though the White House described him as a "bystander" who did not enter the building or cross barricades.
August 12, 2025
President Trump and the Justice Department used administrative maneuvers to keep several controversial U.S. attorneys in power, including Alina Habba in New Jersey and John Sarcone III in New York, after federal judges in those states rejected their appointments or declined to extend their interim terms. In New Jersey, the administration fired the court-appointed replacement, Desiree Leigh Grace, and immediately re-installed Habba as acting U.S. attorney. In New York, Attorney General Pam Bondi named Sarcone as a 'special attorney to the attorney general' to bypass judicial rejection. Similar maneuvers were used to appoint Bilal Essayli in California and Sigal Chattah in Nevada.
August 14, 2025
President Donald Trump nominated E.J. Antoni, former chief economist at The Heritage Foundation, to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Antoni has previously described Social Security as a 'Ponzi scheme' and suggested the program should be 'sunsetted'. The White House withdrew the nomination on September 30, 2025, after widespread criticism from economists.
August 18, 2025
On the ground
Acting as special prosecutor, Bailey’s office indicted St. Louis County Executive Sam Page, a Democrat, on two felony theft counts and two election misdemeanors for using county money on mailers about a ballot measure — a common local-government practice experts said had never before led to criminal charges in Missouri. ProPublica found the case was the latest in a string of legal moves by Bailey against Democrats. A Marquette University political scientist said Bailey “really was auditioning for that role,” calling his record “a template for what type of approach Bailey is going to take on the federal level. Political opponents are going to get targeted.”
“It’s a template for what type of approach Bailey is going to take on the federal level. Political opponents are going to get targeted.”
August 22, 2025
On the ground
Hegseth also fired Navy Reserve chief Vice Adm. Nancy Lacore and Rear Adm. Milton Sands, head of Naval Special Warfare Command.
August 26, 2025
Heather Honey, a conservative election researcher known for promoting false claims about the 2020 election in Pennsylvania and Arizona, was appointed to a senior role in the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Strategy, Policy and Plans. The position, which did not exist under the previous administration, focuses on election integrity.
August 28, 2025
The Justice Department, under Attorney General Pam Bondi, implemented a rule change allowing the appointment of temporary immigration judges without requiring prior experience in immigration law. This follows the firing of dozens of immigration judges and the top officials of the immigration court system.
September 18, 2025
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), appointed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., voted 8-3 to recommend that the MMRV combination vaccine not be administered to children under age 4, suggesting instead that they receive separate vaccines for MMR and varicella. This decision was made despite warnings from public health experts and the American Academy of Pediatrics that the move could sow fear and mistrust in vaccines and limit access to the process, as insurance programs like Medicaid may stop paying for the combination dose for younger children.
September 19, 2025
President Trump called for the removal of Erik S. Siebert, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, after Siebert reported that investigators found insufficient evidence to bring charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey. Trump subsequently nominated Lindsey Halligan, a former member of his personal legal team and an insurance lawyer who has never been a prosecutor, to replace him.
September 22, 2025
President Donald Trump appointed Lindsey Halligan, a former insurance lawyer with no prior prosecutorial experience, as the interim US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. Halligan replaces Erik Siebert, who was removed from the position after declining to prosecute political opponents of the president, including New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey.
September 23, 2025
The Trump administration has fired over 125 immigration judges and professional court staff through multiple waves of terminations and voluntary resignations. This includes firings in February, April, and September 2025, affecting courts in several states including California, Florida, New York, and Washington. The administration has also replaced some roles with temporary military lawyers and lowered qualification requirements for judges.
October 6, 2025
President Donald Trump has pressured federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia to bring criminal charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James over alleged mortgage fraud. This pressure has led to the installation of a loyalist, Lindsey Halligan, as interim U.S. Attorney to replace Erik Siebert, who resigned after resisting such prosecutions. Career prosecutor Elizabeth Yusi has informed colleagues that she plans to decline to seek charges against James, citing a lack of probable cause, and faces potential termination for her resistance.
October 13, 2025
Maggie Cleary, the senior Justice Department prosecutor and former acting US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, was removed from her position. This removal follows the appointment of Lindsey Halligan, a former defense lawyer for Donald Trump, as interim US attorney. Halligan has overseen a series of firings and resignations of career prosecutors who opposed the political prosecution of Trump's critics, such as James Comey and Letitia James.
October 16, 2025
The Trump administration is reportedly planning sweeping changes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), including installing allies in the criminal-investigative division (IRS-CI) and replacing the chief of the investigative unit. These changes are intended to facilitate criminal inquiries into left-leaning groups and major Democratic donors, including George Soros, based on a list of targets compiled by Gary Shapley, an adviser to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
October 21, 2025
President Donald Trump nominated Paul Ingrassia to lead the Office of Special Counsel, a federal watchdog agency. Ingrassia withdrew his name from consideration on October 21, 2025, after text messages were revealed in which he described himself as having a "Nazi streak" and stated that the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday should be "tossed into the seventh circle of hell."
President Trump and his legal team have filed administrative claims seeking approximately $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for investigations into his 2016 campaign's ties to Russia and the FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago estate. The request for taxpayer-funded compensation involves potential conflicts of interest, as the Justice Department officials tasked with settling the claims are former defense attorneys for Trump and his co-defendant.
On October 21, 2025, the U.S. Senate confirmed Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe to be a U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Florida in a 53-46 vote.
October 28, 2025
President Donald Trump dismissed all six active members of the Commission of Fine Arts, an independent federal agency responsible for reviewing the design and aesthetics of federal construction projects in Washington, D.C. The White House stated that the members would be replaced with appointees who are more aligned with the White House's 'America First' policies. This move comes as the administration prepares to move forward with construction projects including a $300 million ballroom in the White House East Wing and a ceremonial arch in Washington, D.C.
The White House terminated all six members of the Commission of Fine Arts, an independent federal agency responsible for reviewing construction projects in Washington, D.C. The administration stated that the board members, who were appointed by former President Joe Biden, were replaced to ensure the commission is aligned with the president's policies.
October 30, 2025
President Trump replaced Rear Admiral Kurt Rothenhaus, the Chief of Naval Research, as the head of the Office of Naval Research (ONR), appointing Rachel Riley, a 33-year-old former McKinsey & Company partner and former DOGE employee with no apparent naval experience.
On the ground
The Atlantic reported, and Axios confirmed, that Miller moved his family onto a military base after neighbors protested outside their Arlington home, which they listed for $3.75 million. Noem lives in the house meant for the Coast Guard commandant at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, and Hegseth and Rubio live on Fort McNair’s “Generals’ Row.” Army Secretary Dan Driscoll shares a home at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall. Some senior officials have always lived on bases, but never so many at once, and the moves are straining housing usually reserved for senior military officers.
November 17, 2025
Acting FEMA chief David Richardson resigned on November 17, 2025, following months of controversy regarding his lack of experience in disaster management and his leadership style. Richardson, a loyalist to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, had previously been appointed to lead the agency despite having no prior experience in disaster management. Reports indicate that the Trump administration had already planned to oust him before his resignation. He will be replaced by Karen Evans, a Trump administration ally, on December 1.
November 20, 2025
On the ground
David Maltinsky, a decorated intelligence specialist in the Los Angeles field office, was nearly finished with special-agent training at Quantico when he was handed Patel’s dismissal letter. The flag had been flown by the Los Angeles field office itself in June 2021 and given to him afterward; his supervisors had approved displaying it. Patel’s termination letter cited Article II of the Constitution as the basis for firing him.
December 1, 2025
The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court's ruling that former Trump lawyer Alina Habba was unlawfully serving as the acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey. The court found that the Trump administration's attempts to bypass Senate confirmation and the Federal Vacancies Reform Act to keep Habba in the role were invalid.
December 15, 2025
In his own words
Asked on Dec. 15, 2025 whether FBI Director Kash Patel had told him why the bureau was struggling to identify the shooter, Trump said: “You’d really have to ask the school a little bit more about that because this was a school problem.” Patel had faced criticism for touting the FBI’s work after the person of interest was released; Rhode Island’s attorney general said the evidence “now points in a different direction.” Within a week, the administration opened an Education Department investigation into Brown’s campus security.
“This was a school problem.”
December 17, 2025
The US Senate confirmed billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA with a 67-30 vote. Isaacman, the founder and CEO of Shift4, has no prior experience in government or at NASA, and was renominated by President Donald Trump after a previous nomination had been withdrawn.
The Trump administration recalled nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial and senior embassy posts in 29 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South and Central Asia, and the Western Hemisphere to replace them with personnel supportive of 'America First' priorities.
January 13, 2026
The Justice Department, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, accused U.S. District Judge David Novak of a 'gross abuse of power' and an 'affront to the separation of powers' after Novak ordered Lindsey Halligan, a Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney in Virginia, to explain why she continues to use the title despite a previous court ruling that her appointment was illegal. The Justice Department's response argued that Novak's demand for a change to the signature block was 'untethered from how federal courts actually operate.'
January 28, 2026
On the ground
Politico reported on Jan. 27, 2026 that CISA’s sensors flagged multiple uploads of contracting documents marked “for official use only” in the first week of August 2025, after Gottumukkala obtained an exception to use ChatGPT when most DHS employees were blocked from it. Senior DHS officials led an internal review of possible harm. “He forced CISA’s hand into making them give him ChatGPT, and then he abused it,” one official said. Earlier, at least six career staff were put on leave after Gottumukkala failed a counterintelligence polygraph he had pushed to take. He was later moved out of the agency.
February 5, 2026
On the ground
Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard’s office, hunting for voter fraud at Trump’s behest, obtains Puerto Rico’s voting machines and tests them for vulnerabilities. The U.S. attorney, Homeland Security agents and an FBI supervisor arranged the handover. ODNI claimed “extremely concerning” practices but released no detailed evidence.
February 24, 2026
Daren Margolin, head of the Executive Office for Immigration Review, has recruited over 1,700 applicants for 'deportation judge' vacancies via social media ads with lower qualification requirements than typical state judges. Former employees describe Margolin as incompetent and fear he is being installed as a loyalist to rubberstamp deportation orders.
March 5, 2026
President Donald Trump announced on March 5, 2026, that he is replacing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with Senator Markwayne Mullin. Noem is being moved to a new role as special envoy for 'the Shield of the Americas'. The change comes after bipartisan complaints about Noem's leadership, including the deaths of two US citizens at the hands of immigration agents in Minneapolis and reports of a personal relationship with a senior adviser.
March 10, 2026
U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann ruled that Attorney General Pam Bondi's attempt to install three DOJ lawyers—Jordan Fox, Philip Lamparello, and Ari Fontecchio—as leadership for the District of New Jersey's prosecutor's office was illegal. The judge noted that the administration had previously attempted to install Alina Habba as interim U.S. attorney, which was also ruled unlawful. Judge Brann warned that the administration's insistence on installing handpicked attorneys regardless of legal requirements, such as Senate confirmation, bypassed lawful routes to fill the vacancy.
President Trump appointed Erika Kirk, CEO of Turning Point USA, to the Air Force Academy's Board of Visitors, replacing her late husband, Charlie Kirk.
On the ground
At his February 2026 confirmation hearing, Carl was pressed on years of commentary, including repeated writing about the “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen cited a 2024 podcast in which he reportedly said “Jews have often loved to play the victim” and that “the Holocaust dominates so much of modern Jewish history.” Asked by Sen. Chris Murphy what “White culture” was being erased, Carl pointed to “mass immigration.” He needed every Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee to advance; on March 10 he withdrew, saying “this unanimous support was not forthcoming,” and later called the hearing “theatrical” and “brutal.”
March 14, 2026
David Harvilicz, the Department of Homeland Security's assistant secretary for cyber, infrastructure, risk and resilience policy, has called for the federal government to ban voting machines in all federal elections, claiming they are vulnerable to exploitation. Harvilicz is a co-founder of a company with James Penrose, who was involved in attempts to seize voting machines following the 2020 election.
March 17, 2026
Critics and watchdog groups argue that three presidential appointees to the National Capital Planning Commission—Will Scharf, James Blair, and Stuart Levenbach—lack the required legal planning experience to vote on the $400 million White House ballroom project.
March 27, 2026
On the ground
The New York Times and NPR reported that Hegseth pressed for months before removing the names himself. One, a Black armor officer and combat veteran, was apparently targeted over a paper he wrote 15 years earlier on why Black officers tend to choose support branches; a female logistics officer had served during the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal. NBC later reported Hegseth intervened in promotions for more than a dozen senior officers, and that 60% of 24 officers pulled from lists were Black or female. The Pentagon called the reporting “fake news.”
April 18, 2026
The U.S. Justice Department appointed Joseph DiGenova, a former lawyer for Donald Trump's 2020 election challenges, to lead a criminal investigation into former CIA Director John Brennan. This appointment follows the removal of career prosecutor Maria Medetis Long from the case after she expressed concerns regarding the strength of the evidence.
April 27, 2026
The Trump administration has hired dozens of new immigration judges, including some with openly pro-MAGA views and no prior immigration law experience, to replace more than 100 fired experienced judges. The Department of Justice's Executive Office for Immigration Review has recruited candidates as 'deportation judges' to fast-track the removal of immigrants from the United States.
July 13, 2026
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) died July 11, 2026 at age 71 of an aortic dissection. On Monday, July 13, President Trump used a Truth Social post to recommend that Gov. Henry McMaster appoint Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, as interim senator, calling it “a fabulous tribute to Lindsey.” McMaster appointed her the same day to serve the remainder of Graham’s term, through January 3, 2027. Nordone is a longtime South Carolina state official — commissioner of the state Commission for the Blind, with more than 28 years in state government — but has never run for or held elected office; the seat came to her by the president’s say-so and a family tie rather than any campaign. A special primary is set for August 11 and the election for the full term in November.
“I recommended, to Governor Henry McMaster, Lindsey Graham’s wonderful sister, Darline, to serve as interim Senator from the Great State of South Carolina. This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly!”
July 15, 2026
Todd Blanche — who defended Trump in his 2024 New York criminal trial before being installed as deputy attorney general — appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee on July 15, 2026 for his confirmation hearing to lead the DOJ permanently. As acting head since April he has driven the department’s campaign against Trump’s perceived enemies, including indictments of former FBI Director James Comey and the civil-rights group the Southern Poverty Law Center. Ranking member Sen. Dick Durbin told him, “In less than 18 months at the Department of Justice, you’ve shown you’re still President Trump’s personal attorney.” Blanche insisted he was not Trump’s “yes man.”
At his July 15, 2026 Senate Intelligence Committee confirmation hearing, Jay Clayton — Trump’s pick for Director of National Intelligence — would not directly answer who won the 2020 presidential election. Pressed repeatedly by Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff and independent Sen. Angus King, Clayton said only that “Joe Biden was certified” and that he is “not an election denier,” but refused to state that Biden won. When Ossoff asked him point-blank, Clayton replied, “I’m not going to do this with you.” Ossoff called the answers “disqualifying.” Clayton’s refusal follows a pattern of Trump nominees declining to affirm Biden’s 2020 victory.