Every terrible thing the Trump administration did in March 2026

March 2026 was defined by the outbreak of war in Iran, led by a confused and woefully unprepared administration that appeared to not have anticipated that the Iranian regime was capable of independent aims and action. The resulting quagmire sent gas prices soaring, disrupted global supplies of pharmaceuticals and fertilizer, and deepened the United States’ isolation on the world stage. Americans must ask themselves: if a president intended to sabotage the country, what would they do differently?

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, WAR, AND FOREIGN POLICY

Mar. 3: “Americans Stranded in the Middle East Are Having a Hard Time Getting Help From the State Department,” NOTUS

Mar. 3: “US turns up heat on Venezuela with threat to indict new leader Delcy Rodriguez,” Reuters

Mar. 3: “US launches military operations in Ecuador,” Politico; “The U.S. Said It Helped Bomb a Drug Camp. It Was a Dairy Farm,” NYT

Mar. 3: “U.S. sub sinks Iranian warship off Sri Lanka, killing 87 and expanding war zone,” Reuters; “Iranian warship was sailing home from India exhibition when U.S. sank it,” PBS

Mar. 5: “The Pentagon has labeled Anthropic a supply-chain risk,” Tech Crunch; “Anthropic Supply-Chain-Risk Designation Halted by Judge,” Wired

Mar. 5: “Trump demands immediate pardon for Netanyahu to focus on Iran,” Axios

Mar. 6: “Russia is providing Iran intelligence to target U.S. forces, officials say,” WaPo; “Putin offers to stop sharing intel with Iran if US cuts off Ukraine,” Politico

Mar. 6: “Pentagon names former DOGE employee Gavin Kliger as new chief data [AI] officer,” Defense Scoop (Reuters reported last year that Kliger had reposted content from white supremacist Nick Fuentes and self-described misogynist Andrew Tate); “U.S. military is using AI to help plan Iran air attacks, sources say, as lawmakers call for oversight,” NBC

Mar. 10: “The U.S. Built a Blueprint to Avoid Civilian War Casualties. Trump Officials Scrapped It,” ProPublica

Mar. 11: “U.S. at Fault in Strike on School in Iran, Preliminary Inquiry Says,” NYT; “US strike likely hit a school in Iran due to outdated intelligence, sources briefed on initial findings say,” CNN

Mar. 12: “US issues 30-day sanctions waiver for purchase of Russian oil at sea,” Reuters; “'Putin emerges as the big winner in Trump and Netanyahu's war against Iran',” Le Monde

Mar. 16: “Trump Administration Said to Tell Cuba That Its President Has to Go,” NYT

Mar. 20: “Pentagon to adopt Palantir AI as core US military system, memo says,” Reuters

Mar. 20: “Iran War Puts Global Energy Markets on the Brink of a Worst-Case Scenario,” Wired

Mar. 20: “DEA names Colombian president ‘priority target’ as US prosecutors probe ties to drug traffickers,” AP

Mar. 21: “US lifts sanctions on Iranian oil at sea in bid to ease supply pressures,” Guardian

Mar. 21: “Cuba’s power grid collapses in third nationwide blackout amid US oil blockade,” Guardian

Mar. 25: “U.S. brought back $100 million of gold from Venezuela, Interior Secretary Burgum says,” CNBC

Mar. 27: “Defense Secretary Hegseth intervened to stop promotions of Black and female officers,” NPR

Mar. 29: “New U.S. Missile Hit Iranian Sports Hall and School, Analysis Shows,” NYT (note: this is a second school strike)

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Mar. 3: “There Are 47,635 Epstein Files Offline for Review, DOJ Says,” WSJ

Mar. 3: “The FBI Discusses the Potential to Use AI to Hack Targets,” 404 Media

Mar. 3: “Justice Department rescinds Biden-era ‘no-knock’ warrant policy,” MS Now

Mar. 4: “Pam Bondi rescinds policy banning politically appointed DOJ employees from attending partisan events,” CBS

Mar. 9: “Live Nation settles antitrust case with DOJ, avoids Ticketmaster breakup,” NBC; “The Trump Administration Just Gave Live Nation the Gift of a Lifetime,” NYT

Mar. 10: “Bondi Is Said to Move to Military Housing Because of Threats,” NYT

Mar. 11: “Kash Patel Confirms UFC Fighters Will Train FBI Agents This Week, Calling It A “Historic Opportunity”,” Deadline

Mar. 13: “Judge blocks subpoenas against Fed Chair Jerome Powell, citing 'essentially zero evidence',” NBC; “Federal Reserve urges judge to deny bid to revive Jerome Powell probe subpoenas,” CNBC

Mar. 16: “DOJ to Start Hiring Prosecutors Directly Out of Law School,” Bloomberg

Mar. 16: “DOJ Plans to Lower Bar for States to Fast-Track Executions,” Bloomberg

Mar. 18: “Judge throws prosecutor out of court and orders leaders of N.J.’s U.S. Attorney’s office to testify,” Whyy

Mar. 18: “FBI and IRS to investigate nonprofit groups for domestic terrorism links, sources say,” CBS

Mar. 19: “James Comey subpoenaed in Trump-appointed prosecutor's 'grand conspiracy' probe,” NBC

Mar. 20: “DOJ seeks to drop criminal case tied to police killing of Breonna Taylor in 2020,” Reuters

Mar. 20: “Ex-FBI agents assigned to Trump cases sue Kash Patel over 'unlawful' firings,” NBC; “All the Justice and FBI employees who investigated Trump have left, deputy attorney general boasts,” CNN

Mar. 25: “Justice Department settles lawsuit from Trump ally Michael Flynn for $1.2 million,” PBS

Mar. 25: “Trump housing official seeks new DOJ prosecution of Letitia James,” NBC

Mar. 25: “Inside Trump's daily video montage briefing on the Iran war,” NBC

Mar. 26: “Pentagon considers diverting Ukraine military aid to the Middle East,” WaPo; “Poland won’t divert Patriot air defense systems to Gulf: The U.S. is approaching all its NATO allies looking for more air defense batteries,” Politico

Mar. 27: “Election expert testifies FBI's evidence in Fulton County ballot case 'doesn't make sense',” NBC

Mar. 31: “Pentagon declines to reaffirm NATO's collective defense, says up to Trump,” Reuters

IMMIGRATION, ICE, AND CBP

In custody deaths

14 immigrants have died in ICE custody this year, averaging about 4.6 deaths every month. Five people passed away while in detention in March. Keep in mind, we do not have information from independent autopsies; the circumstances surrounding their deaths are based on the word of Department of Homeland Security officials.

Mar. 1: Pejman Karshenas Najafabadi, a 59-year-old Iranian national who has lived in the U.S. since 1991, died of cardiac arrest at a hospital in rural Mississippi. He had been in ICE custody since April 2025, held at Winn Correctional Center (operated by the private prison company LaSalle Corrections) in Louisiana.

Mar. 3: Emmanuel Damas, a 56-year-old Haitian national who legally entered the U.S. in 2024, died from an apparently untreated tooth infection. He had been in ICE custody since September 2025, held at Florence Correctional Center (operated by CoreCivic) in Arizona.

Mar. 14: Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal,, a 41-year-old Afghan national who assisted the U.S. military and was evacuated to America in 2021, died after experiencing shortness of breath and chest pains. The cause of his death is unknown. Paktiawal had been in ICE custody for one day.

Mar. 16: Royer Perez-Jimenez, a 19-year-old Mexican national, died after allegedly committing suicide at Glades County Detention Center in Florida. He was in ICE custody for approximately three months following an arrest for impersonating and resisting an officer (though, both charges are questionable).

Mar. 25: Jose Guadalupe Ramos-Solano, a Mexican national of unknown age, died at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in California. He was in ICE custody for about a month.

ICE surveillance and data

Mar. 3: “CBP Tapped Into the Online Advertising Ecosystem To Track Peoples’ Movements,” 404 Media

Mar. 3: “All the Ways Big Tech Fuels ICE and CBP: A WIRED analysis shows that ICE and CBP have collectively spent at least $515 million on products from Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Palantir in the last few years alone,” Wired

Mar. 11: “DHS Seeks Access to Massive Employment, Salary and Family Database Legally Restricted to Use in Child Support Cases,” ProPublica

Mar. 13: “Drone sightings drove surveillance fears as ICE surged in Minnesota,” MPR

Mar. 13: “ICE agents reveal daily arrest quotas and [Palantir] surveillance app in rare court testimony,” Guardian

He suggested officers choose the location in part based on intelligence from an app called Elite. It’s unclear the exact role Elite played in identifying the area as a target – another officer testified that the ICE field office in Portland had provided “intelligence” that led them to visit the site. But JB explained that Elite was a “newer app” given to ICE agents. The app, he said, is “kind of like Google Maps” and shows how many individuals with an “immigration nexus” are believed to be in a certain area. Another officer testified that a “nexus” could mean any history of contact with immigration officials, which could include a naturalized US citizen. Elite, JB said, helped officers identify areas with a more “dense population”, meaning a higher likelihood of finding people to detain.

Mar. 19: “ICE officers are taking DNA samples from protesters they've arrested,” NPR

Mar. 31: “How Thomson Reuters Powers ICE and Palantir,” 404 Media

Immigration policy

Mar. 5: “Federal judge threatens fines over ICE's failure to return property to Minnesota detainees,” CBS

Mar. 5: “Trump can suspend refugee admissions, US appeals court rules,” Reuters

Mar. 10: “DHS Ousts CBP Privacy Officers Who Questioned ‘Illegal’ Orders: Department of Homeland Security leaders removed top privacy officers who objected to mislabeling government records to block their public release,” Wired

Mar. 12: “Eswatini receives third batch of migrants deported by the US,” AP

Mar. 14: “How White South Africans Are Reshaping the Mississippi Delta: As Donald Trump offers U.S. asylum to Afrikaners, thousands are already working in the country on agricultural visas,” New Yorker

Mar. 15: “DACA delays lead to lost jobs, less stability and anxiety over potential deportation under Donald Trump,” Chicago Tribune; “ICE detains DACA recipient on way to visit premature baby in NICU,” MS Now

Mar. 16: “The Trump Administration’s ‘Disturbing’ New Legal Strategy to Prosecute Border Crossers Is Taxing Courts and Testing the Law,” ProPublica

Mar. 16: “El Salvador forcibly disappearing nationals deported from the US, rights group says,” Reuters

Mar. 16: “Trump’s cancellation of licenses for immigrant truckers takes effect,” WaPo

Mar. 16: “US appeals court lifts block on Trump policy allowing fast third‑country deportations,” Reuters

Mar. 17: “Abused and neglected youths granted immigration protections are being detained and deported,” NBC

Mar. 17: “Trump administration to slash fee to renounce US citizenship from $2,350 to $450,” Guardian

Mar. 18: “Somali asylum seekers sounding alarm over "Somali Rocket Docket",” CBS

Mar. 19: “Some DHS contractors told White House officials they were asked to pay Corey Lewandowski,” NBC

Mar. 19: “Trump Admin Wrongfully Deported More Than 100 Asylum Seekers,” Yahoo

Mar. 20: “Trump Friend Asked ICE to Detain the Mother of His Child,” NYT

Mar. 21: “Homeless and stateless: Deportees from U.S. are trapped in Mexico,” LA Times

Mar. 23: “Feds plan to install 536 miles of floating barriers on Rio Grande to deter migrants,” Texas Tribune

Mar. 24: “Minnesota sues Trump administration for evidence in Good, Pretti killings,” Minn. Star Tribune

Mar. 24: “34 Former Military Members Were Put on Deportation Track in the Past Year,” NYT

Mar. 25: “ICE Plans to Expand Deportation Fleet With 10 New Airplanes,” NOTUS

Mar. 26: “Appeals court rules US can continue to detain immigrants without bond,” Guardian

Mar. 26: “DOJ admits ICE courthouse arrests relied on erroneous information,” NPR

Mar. 27: “U.S. senators launch investigation into Alligator Alcatraz ‘torture’ allegations,” Miami Herald

Mar. 28: “Judge Demands Answers on 'Unwritten' Deal Deporting 6,000 Cubans to Mexico Over The Past Year,” Latin Times

Mar. 30: “ICE agents will be stationed outside Marine Corps graduation events in South Carolina,” NBC

Other articles you should know about:

• “Trump administration ready to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Liberia, asks judge to lift block,” CBS
• “14 measles cases reported at El Paso ICE tent camp as Democrats call for its shuttering,” Texas Tribune
• “Worms in food, poor medical care, lights on 24/7: Families tell of life in Texas detention center,” AP
• “Nashville Reporter Who Has Detailed ICE Activity Detained in South Nashville Stop,” Nashville Banner
• “Haitian Asylum Seeker Found Unresponsive Days After Being Stranded at ICE-ISAP Office,” LA Taco
• “‘I feel desperate’: Minnesota woman suffering medical emergency stuck in Texas detention,” Minn. Reformer
• “Detained by ICE, he missed multiple cancer treatments. Now he’s in hospice,” Star Tribune
• “Judge orders Homeland Security to open Whipple to clergy,” MPR
• “ICE agent admits he was chasing wrong man in South Burlington [Vermont] operation,” WCAX
• “T.S.A. Tipped Off ICE Agents Before Arrests at San Francisco Airport,” NYT

ENVIRONMENT

Mar. 12: “Feds sue California to block electric vehicle mandate,” Courthouse News

Mar. 13: “Trump Administration Readies Plans to Dismantle Renowned Science Lab,” NYT

Mar. 13: “E.P.A. Moves to Weaken Limits on a Cancer-Causing Gas,” NYT

Mar. 20: “DOGE Goes Nuclear: How Trump Invited Silicon Valley Into America’s Nuclear Power Regulator,” ProPublica

Mar. 21: “Trump’s EPA is paving the way for haze to return to national parks, conservationists warn,” AP

Mar. 23: “Trump Administration to Pay $1 Billion to Energy Giant to Cancel Wind Farms,” NYT

Mar. 25: “EPA approves sale of a higher-ethanol fuel to try to lower gas prices,” AP

Mar. 27: “Trump EPA relied on industry science to weaken formaldehyde cancer rules, documents show,” Guardian

Mar. 31: “Trump officials exempt oil and gas drilling in the Gulf from endangered species rules,” AP

CULTURAL CONTROL

Mar. 2: “ProPublica Sues Education Department for Withholding Records About Discrimination in Schools,” ProPublica

Mar. 13: “Trump Administration Set to Receive $10 Billion Fee for Brokering TikTok Deal,” WSJ

Mar. 13: “Pentagon plan expands oversight of Stars and Stripes, limits content,” Stars & Stripes

Mar. 16: “Trump backs FCC chair’s threat to pull licenses of news outlets over Iran war coverage,” Guardian

Mar. 16: “Professors Are Changing What They Teach, Even Far From Trump’s Gaze,” NYT

Mar. 19: “FCC green-lights Nexstar's $6.2B merger with rival TV station owner Tegna,” NBC; “Judge halts Nexstar/Tegna merger after FCC let firms exceed TV ownership limit,” ArsTechnica

Mar. 19: “FCC Enforcement Chief Offered to Help Brendan Carr Target Disney, Records Show,” Wired

Mar. 20: “CBS News lays off 6% of staff and shutters radio division, kickstarting a Bari Weiss-led overhaul,” CNN

Mar. 23: “Voice of America journalists allege Trump is making news outlet a propaganda source,” PBS

Mar. 26: “Trump administration opens investigations into race in admissions at 3 medical schools,” CNN

Mar. 30: “New York Times says Pentagon is ignoring court order on press access,” PBS

Mar. 31: “Federal Judge Approves Trump Effort to Obtain List of Jews From Penn,” NYT

CORRUPTION, PARDONS, AND OLIGARCHS

Mar. 4: “Kraken Becomes First Crypto Firm to Win Access to Fed’s Core Payments System,” WSJ

• Reminders: “Crypto exchange Kraken settles U.S. investigation over alleged Iran sanctions violations [2022],” Reuters; “Kraken Donates $2M to Pro-Trump Crypto PACs [2025],” Yahoo

Mar. 5: “SEC Dismisses Fraud Case Against Crypto Billionaire Justin Sun,” WSJ

• Reminder: “Tron founder Justin Sun says he’s the top $TRUMP meme coin holder [2025],” CNBC

Mar. 5: “Trump's TikTok deal benefited firms that 'personally enriched' him, lawsuit says,” NBC

Mar. 6: “Democrats join legal challenge to Trump’s planned 250-foot arch,” WaPo

Mar. 6: “Pardon Industry Offers Rich Offenders a Path to Trump: One inmate paid lobbyists and lawyers with ties to the president’s team and walked free,” NYT

Mar. 11: “Democrats ask what happened to millions earmarked for Trump’s library,” WaPo

Mar. 12: “Inside the Binance accounts internal investigators say helped transfer more than $1 billion to Iran-linked entities,” Fortune

Mar. 12: “Amid Crowded Skies, FAA Kills Rule Aimed at Regulating Space Junk,” ProPublica

Mar. 13: “Trump crypto venture offers “guaranteed direct access” for $5 million,” Reuters

Mar. 13: “Jared Kushner Solicits Funds for His Firm While Working as Mideast Envoy,” NYT

Mar. 14: “Lobbyist Arrested in Extortion Attempt of Client Who Received a Trump Pardon,” NYT

Mar. 14: “The 2026 farm bill quietly hands big tech control over American farmland,” Fortune

Mar. 15: “Appointee wants to replace White House columns with the ones Trump prefers,” WaPo

Mar. 16: “Trump’s Handpicked Kennedy Center Board Greenlights Two-Year Closure,” NOTUS

Mar. 18: “Transportation Lobbyists Have Donated Thousands to Sean Duffy’s Son-in-Law as He Runs for Congress,” ProPublica

Mar. 18: “Firm That Planned Trump’s Jan. 6 Rally Received No-Bid Contracts: This administration has given the company, staffed by the president’s allies, multimillion-dollar contracts it was guaranteed to win,” NYT

Mar. 19: “US Mint can begin producing Trump commemorative gold coin after arts commission approves design,” AP

Mar. 21: “Firm with ties to Trump officials signs deal to lobby for Libyan warlord,” WaPo

Mar. 22: “Trump places statue of Christopher Columbus near the White House,” PBS

Mar. 23: “Nominee for Ambassador to Hungary Co-Owns a Nursing Home That’s Suing the Trump Administration Over Medicare Payments,” ProPublica

Mar. 25: Oil trades surged just before Trump's post on Iran talks. Some experts are suspicious,” CBS; “Trader made nearly $1 million on Polymarket with remarkably accurate Iran bets,” CNN; “Federal prosecutors are exploring whether prediction market bets trip insider trading laws,” CNN

Mar. 25: “Trump appeared to have business motive for keeping classified documents, Jack Smith finds,” MS Now

Mar. 26: “Trump’s White House Redesign Continues as He Replaces West Wing Colonnade Tiles,” Town & Country

Mar. 26: “Trump Eyes White House Treaty Room for Latest Renovation Project,” NYT

Mar. 26: “Trump's signature to appear on paper currency in a first for a sitting president,” NBC

Mar. 26: “State Department sends $1.25B from other programs to Board of Peace,” Semafor

Mar. 27: “Iran images appear to show land mines scattered by U.S. forces, a first in years,” WaPo

Mar. 30: “Jan. 6 rioter pardoned by Trump gets prison sentence for possessing 'enormous child pornography collection',” NBC

Mar. 30: “Pete Hegseth’s broker attempted to make defense investments before Iran war,” CNBC

Mar. 31: “Judge rules that White House ballroom construction ‘has to stop!’” CNN

MISCELLANEOUS

• “Despite Promises, Veterans Affairs Department Cut Thousands of Roles for Doctors and Nurses,” NYT
• “US Postal Service will run out of cash within a year without Congress’ help, postmaster warns,” CNN
• “Trump signs a new executive order on voting. Experts say he lacks the authority,” NPR
• “The government is investigating new claims that DOGE misused Social Security data,” NPR
• “U.S. Considers Withholding H.I.V. Aid Unless Zambia Expands Minerals Access,” NYT
• “FDA’s top infectious disease regulator to depart agency,” Stat
• “New VA-DOJ agreement on guardianship could put homeless veterans at risk, advocates warn,” CNN
• “Student loans to go to Treasury Department as Trump continues to dismantle Education Department,” AP
• “Top [FEMA] Disaster Response Official Claims He Teleported to a Waffle House,” Rolling Stone
• “USDA cancels $300 million program to help farmers buy land amid anti-DEI push,” Politico