Every terrible thing the Trump administration did in September 2026

IMMIGRATION

Sept. 1: “Haitian student dies by suicide after ICE issued him an ankle monitor,” NBC

Sept. 1: “US may ask parents to prove citizenship or immigration status to get passports for their children,” Reuters

Sept. 2: “States now must report undocumented immigrants to DHS or risk federal funding, DOJ says,” CNBC

Sept. 2: “ICE hasn’t paid for detainee medical care since October. Advocates call it the ‘death policy’,” SF Chronicle

Sept. 2: “ICE detainee dies just hours after he was admitted into detention,” NPR

Sept. 3: “These Judges Take Months to Decide If Immigrants Have Been Unlawfully Detained,” ProPublica

Sept. 3: “ICE Skipped Basic Checks in Rush for Recruits, Whistle-Blower Says,” NYT

Sept. 3: “Federal prosecutor fired after investigating ICE officer for civil rights offenses in Minnesota shooting, sources say,” CBS; “Trump’s DOJ Blocked Serious ICE Shooting Charge Over Federal Prosecutor’s “Strongest Possible” Objections,” ProPublica

Sept. 4: “ICE Wants to Know Everyone Who Bought a Certain Green Beanie From REI in the Last 2 Years,” Wired

Sept. 4: “An Ex-Ecuadorian Official Said He Was in Political Danger. The U.S. Deported Him.” Washington Sun

Sept. 5: “ICE given permission to force-feed Cuban hunger striker with gastric tube,” Guardian

Sept. 8: “A Secretive DHS ‘Predictive Policing’ Unit is Analyzing Americans’ Financial Habits and Pulling Them Over,” 404 Media

Sept. 9: “An ICE holding facility in Phoenix is racking up 911 calls for medical emergencies,” KJZZ

Sept. 14: “DHS watchdog finds immigrants were held at ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ in outdoor cages the size of phone booths,” NBC

Sept. 14: “Immigrants’ Lawyers Say U.S. Is Redacting Documents Proving Legal Status,” NYT

Sept. 15: “ICE lost count of miscarriages, while detaining a record number of pregnant women,” Guardian

Sept. 16: “The Trump Administration Is Imprisoning Somali Immigrants at Gitmo,” Mother Jones

Sept. 16: “U.S. Fast-Tracked Deportation of Ecuadorean Politician Despite Torture Fears,” NYT

Sept. 18: “Men deported from US bound and beaten in Equatorial Guinea detention hotel, lawyers say,” Guardian

Sept. 18: “ICE launches massive private system to transport detainees across Texas under armed guard,” San Antonio Express News

Sept. 20: “ICE officer shoots Venezuelan man delivering food in Austin, lawyer says,” NBC

• “Venezuelan man shot by ICE agent hospitalized for paralysis treatment, returned to detention, lawyer says,” Reuters
• “ICE officer in Texas shooting was recruit not using a body camera,” WaPo
• “Austin man shot by ICE agent charged with assault, resisting arrest,” Texas Tribune

Sept. 21: “ICE hides locations of thousands of detainees with final removal orders,” AP

Sept. 21: “How Trump turned a refugee bureau into a $410 million deportation operation,” WaPo

Sept. 21: “Extreme overcrowding and abuse plague Florida ICE facilities, whistleblowers say,” Miami Herald

Sept. 22: “Costa Rican immigrant died while in ICE custody, agency says,” ABC; “Costa Rican man complained of lack of care for diabetes before his death in ICE custody, family says,” AP

Sept. 22: “Trump administration tells Congress it will admit 17,500 white South African refugees,” Chicago Tribune

Sept. 22: “DHS Opens ‘Black Site Docket’ for Immigrants Without Lawyers at 26 Federal Plaza,” City Reporter

Sept. 23: “Guatemalan man dies in crash during attempted ICE traffic stop,” NBC

Sept. 24: “Guatemalan national pinned under ICE vehicle while running from agents, state patrol says,” CBS

Sept. 24: “US citizen injured after ICE agents reportedly mistook him for fugitive,” Guardian

Sept. 28: “Judge Finds Trump Admin in Contempt of Court Again for Wrongful Deportation,” TPM

Sept. 29: “Supreme Court allows Trump’s ‘third country’ deportation policy,” NBC

Sept. 29: “DHS Expands Pop-Up Immigration Courts, Blocking Public Access,” Bloomberg

Sept. 29: “ICE to buy modified Boston Dynamics robot dogs in $1.3 million contract,” Boston Globe

Sept. 30: “ICE Deleted Reviews for Deaths in Custody That Cited Shoddy Medical Care,” Intercept

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, WARS, AND FOREIGN POLICY

Sept. 1: “Hegseth Targets 7 More Officers as His Frustrated Army Secretary Quits,” NYT

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired or blocked the promotions of more than 80 generals and admirals, a purge that has hit about 10 percent of the military’s top officers and shows no signs of slowing.

Sept. 2: “Pentagon cuts access to classified information amid Iran war concerns,” WaPo

Sept. 2: “In Small Iranian Town, a U.S. Attack Turns a Wedding Into a Tragedy,” NYT

Sept. 3: “Pentagon expands hormone screening guidance to include female service members,” Military Times

Sept. 4: “Pentagon Agreement With N.I.H. on Biodefense Draws Alarm From Democrats,” NYT;

Sept. 4: “In Major Leak Hunt, Pentagon Gives Polygraph Tests to Joint Staff Members,” NYT

Sept. 7: “Pentagon searching medical records to identify transgender troops,” Federal News Network

Sept. 10: “Pentagon in Talks to Get Into AI Infrastructure Funding With a $5 Billion Loan,” WSJ

Sept. 15: “Trump’s planned sale of controversial bombs to Israel is largest in years,” WaPo

Sept. 15: “New photos show widespread damage at U.S. positions caused by Iranian missile, drone attacks,” CBS

Sept. 18: “More U.S. troops have died amid Iran war than Pentagon has disclosed publicly,” WaPo

Sept. 19: “Judge refuses to block Pentagon from firing Stars and Stripes journalists,” Politico

Sept. 20: “Pentagon invites Paul Brothers, YouTube influencers, to speak to troops,” Task & Purpose

Sept. 24: “8 sailors assigned to USS Abraham Lincoln strike group attempted suicide, Navy secretary tells Congress,” CNN

Sept. 28: “Pentagon breach exposed sensitive data on nearly 3 million people,” ABC

Sept. 28: “Trump Brought Venezuelan Gold to the U.S., but Refiners Won’t Touch It,” NYT

Sept. 30: “Judge Questions Secrecy Around Trump Administration’s Memo on Boat Strikes,” NYT

Sept. 30: “Pete Hegseth appoints Elon Musk to US taskforce on future of warfare,” Guardian

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Sept. 9: “Trump administration fires prosecutor in dropped case against politically linked Indian billionaire,” NBC

Sept. 10: “Trump admin pick to oversee a conspiracy investigation into president’s foes resigns after DOJ clashes,” CNN

Sept. 14: “Prosecutor details ongoing 'grand conspiracy' probe into Trump’s enemies,” Politico

Sept. 15: “DOJ seeking reporter’s LinkedIn records in secretive First Amendment court fight,” Politico

Sept. 18: “DOJ says recent Supreme Court ruling shields Maurene Comey firing,” Politico

Sept. 22: “The FBI Anti-Corruption Squad Was Circling Susan Collins — Until Trump Got in the Way,” ProPublica

After the Corner Bakery meeting, Navatek’s CEO, Martin Kao, sent an initial $150,000 to the Collins super PAC using the shell company. Two months later, he told Navatek executives that Collins committed to getting the company $32 million in naval contracts, according to an internal company email reviewed by ProPublica.

Sept. 25: “DOJ says it has ended more than 50 decades-old school desegregation cases,” CBS

Sept. 28: “Second Prosecutor Quits Trump’s ‘Grand Conspiracy’ Case,” NYT

Sept. 29: “Two senior FBI agents ousted over investigation into alleged harassing calls to wife of Trump adviser Stephen Miller,” CNN

ENVIRONMENT

Sept. 8: “Trump Is Quietly Planning to Majorly Change How National Parks Are Run,” Washington Sun

Sept. 11: “Trump administration blocks $25 million in funding for national parks,” WaPo

Sept. 11: “EPA to Loosen Methane Rules, Boosting Pollution From Oil and Gas Wells,” ProPublica

Sept. 14: “US ends limits on coal and gas plant emissions, removing key tool to fight climate crisis,” Guardian

Sept. 14: “US aims to issue deep-sea mining permits within months, Interior Secretary Burgum says,” Reuters

Sept. 17: “Killing endangered wildlife is legal if they aren’t the target, new Trump rule says,” AP

Sept. 28: “Trump administration lowers fuel economy standards, critics say at a significant environmental cost,” AP

Sept. 28: “Trump administration considers building baseball park in Grand Teton National Park,” WaPo

Sept. 29: “Trump’s border wall construction cut into an ancient ground carving older than Stonehenge,” NBC

LEGACY PROJECTS, CORRUPTION, AND GENERAL SHADINESS

Sept. 1: “Whistleblower says USPS system Trump ordered for mail ballots is flawed and untested,” NBC

Sept. 1: “Coinbase Co-Founder Seeks Fields in Venezuela Oil Shakeup,” Bloomberg

Sept. 2: “Trump approves disaster relief funds for 7 red states, after denying aid to blue states,” MS Now

Sept. 2: “Kennedy Center disassembles Blue sculpture from its grounds,” AP

Sept. 3: “Secret Service is getting the fortified White House that past presidents resisted,” WaPo

Sept. 4: “Trump administration quietly closes criminal probe into Venezuela businessman amid oil deal,” CNN

Sept. 5: “Trump administration to dig at triumphal arch site despite no final federal approvals,” NPR

Sept. 8: “Trump gave $45,000 cash gifts to Natalie Harp, two other close aides,” WaPo

Sept. 11: “Contractor Blames Its Own Repairs, Not Vandals, for Reflecting Pool Failure,” NYT

Sept. 11: “Trump Heads to Ireland for the Irish Open at His Golf Course,” NYT

Sept. 11: “Howard Lutnick Has Doubled His Net Worth To Over $7B As Commerce Secretary,” Forbes

Sept. 13: “Kennedy Center Warns of Bankruptcy Unless Trump’s Name Is Added,” NYT

Sept. 13: “The Latest Spot for a Trump Tower: An Ex-Soviet Republic Moving Closer to Russia,” WSJ

Sept. 14: “Donald Trump Jr.’s Bahamas Wedding Was Secretly Bankrolled by Russian Oligarch Close to Putin,” ProPublica

Sept. 14: “Whistle-Blower: Federal Agents May Have Broken State Laws in Search for Voter Fraud,” NYT

Sept. 15: “Trump says Kennedy Center is closed hours after a judge ruled he can’t put his name on it,” Politico

Sept. 16: “Trump’s arch will harm historic sites but must proceed, federal officials say,” WaPo

Sept. 18: “RFK Jr. Got Free Flights to Fiji and Greece From a Top Donor,” WSJ

Sept. 20: “Trump says his D.C. arch will serve as 'military complex' with snipers and drones,” NPR; “Officials cast doubt on Trump’s plan for drones, snipers at proposed arch,” WaPo

Sept. 23: “‘I am the code’: Trump clashed with ballroom architect over safety issues,” WaPo

Sept. 24: “Trump officials sideline local historians in arch review,” Politico

Sept. 24: “From 16,000 to 185 to Zero: Trump’s Claims of Illegal Voting in Nevada Fizzle.” NYT

Sept. 28: “White House Drove Users to Official App Fraught With Trackers,” Washington Sun

Sept. 28: “US Tax Dollars Now Used to Secure Deals for Trump Family Cronies,” TPM

Sept. 28: “The Untold Origins of Trump’s Plan to Sharply Restrict Mail-In Voting,” ProPublica

Sept. 30: “Trump Media’s Merger With Nuclear Fusion Company Moves Closer to Completion,” NYT

Sept. 30: “Trump officials changed forms for overseas voters amid a GOP push to restrict voting,” NPR

CULTURAL CONTROL

Sept. 3: “Trump Moves to Strip Tax Exemption From Schools That Aid Minority Students,” NYT

Sept. 7: “Administration strips language that criticized Confederate statue at Arlington,” WaPo

Sept. 8: “Smithsonian Institution secretary to retire amid Trump attacks on museum independence,” Guardian

Sept. 9: “‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ Moves Interview With Texas Senate Candidate James Talarico From TV to YouTube Due to FCC Threats,” Variety

Sept. 10: “Trump administration claims UC Berkeley law school discriminates against white, Asian applicants,” AP

Sept. 16: “Trump administration plans ideological warning signs for Smithsonian,” NPR

Sept. 17: “FCC Approves Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Foreign Investment,” The Wrap

Foreign investors will own 49.5% of the non-voting equity in Paramount, with 38.5% of that total controlled by three Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds.

Sept. 19: “CNN, MS NOW, Politico reporters denied access to White House following Trump ban,” NPR; “Judge restores White House access for POLITICO, CNN and MS NOW,” Politico

Sept. 21: “Russel Vought will reportedly be given veto power over all NIH grants,” ArsTechnica

Sept. 23: “Paramount weighs tapping Musk for equity investment,” Semafor

Sept. 25: “Trump administration guts data collection on US education as math and reading scores plummet,” Guardian

Sept. 28: “Trump administration uses taxpayer money to air 2024 Trump campaign ad,” PBS; “Trump Directed Use of Taxpayer Money for Ads Praising His Presidency,” NYT

Sept. 28: “Education Department formally rescinds Title IX protections for LGBTQ students,” Hill

Sept. 28: “White House Tries to Cancel Millions for International Ed Programs,” Inside Higher Ed

Sept. 29: “Hegseth halts tenure appointments for civilian faculty at military academies,” Military Times

HEALTHCARE, REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS, AND LGTBQ+ RIGHTS

Sept. 3: “Kennedy asked to remove Pennsylvania measles death from CDC tally, sources say,” Reuters

Sept. 4: “HHS Cancels Infant Mortality, Postpartum Grants to Focus on Sperm Counts, ED,” Washington Sun

Sept. 4: “Kennedy Hires Covid Vaccine Skeptic to Look at Dubious Claims of Military Deaths,” NYT

Sept. 4: “Mount Sinai reaches deal with Trump DOJ to end gender-affirming care for minors,” Gothamist

Sept. 7: “‘Nakedly political’: US attempts to link trans support to authoritarianism in new health department report,” Guardian

Sept. 14: “Abortion opponents claim ‘tremendous victory’ as EPA tests water for abortion pills,” Politico

Sept. 16: “States Delayed in Getting Covid Shots for Children’s Immunization Program,” WSJ

Sept. 17: “Kennedy Overhauls Powerful Health Panel Whose Work He Has Blocked,” NYT

At least three of them, including the new chairman, have denounced or work with groups that denounce gender-affirming care for transgender teenagers. At least two have criticized Covid vaccines or suggested that fewer people should take them. And several are specialists in one or two medical fields, in contrast to the experts in primary care and prevention who normally serve on the panel.

Sept. 18: “NYU Langone strikes deal with Trump DOJ to end gender-affirming care for minors,” Gothamist

Sept. 22: "RFK Jr.’s Enhanced Security Was Funded With Money From Minority Health Office,” WSJ

Sept. 22: “Trump administration cuts ACA coverage for 750,000 people it says were ‘fraudulently’ enrolled,” NBC

Sept. 24: “Trump’s FDA pick sidesteps questions on abortion pill and vaccines at confirmation hearing,” NBC