18 Actions Taken by Trump and His Team This Week

The fifth week of Donald Trump’s second term has generated notable headlines involving the US president and his administration.

From labeling Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky as a dictator to announcing considerable federal job cuts, the Trump administration is actively addressing numerous issues.

To keep you updated, here’s a summary of 18 significant actions taken this week.

On Tuesday, Trump referred to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky as a “dictator,” amidst an escalating exchange between the two leaders.

These remarks followed Zelensky’s response to US-Russia discussions regarding the ongoing war, from which Kyiv was left out.

Zelensky accused Trump of being “immersed in a world of disinformation” dictated by Moscow after Trump suggested that the Ukrainian leader held a mere 4% approval rating, a statistic Zelensky condemned as a Russian fabrication.

Zelensky’s presidency was slated to conclude in May 2024; however, due to Russia’s significant invasion three years prior, elections remain suspended under martial law.

This “dictator” remark drew sharp criticism from European leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who labeled it as “wrong and perilous.”

On Tuesday, US and Russian delegates conducted their inaugural high-level, in-person discussions since the war’s onset; Ukraine was conspicuously absent from the meeting.

Prominent US officials convened with their Russian counterparts in Saudi Arabia, raising alarms in Kyiv that their interests were being diligently neglected.

On Friday, Trump indicated to Fox News that Zelensky’s presence at the peace discussions was irrelevant and stated he would “certainly” accept a call from him.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio remarked that the dialogue with Russia represented a preliminary step toward brokering a peace agreement, assuring that no decisions would be forced onto Ukraine.

Russian officials released a US citizen who had been detained at a Moscow airport this month due to cannabis possession.

Kalob Byers, 28, was liberated mere hours before the US-Russia discussions concerning the war in Ukraine began.

Additionally, the US announced plans to release a Russian national, Alexander Vinnik, who was arrested in 2017 on charges of laundering billions of dollars using Bitcoin, as part of a prisoner exchange that facilitated the return of American teacher Marc Fogel last week.

The Trump administration is taking steps to abolish New York City’s congestion pricing scheme, which imposes fees on vehicles entering specified areas of the city, with revenue aimed at enhancing its deteriorating transit systems. This plan was implemented last month.

“CONGESTION PRICING IS OVER,” Trump declared on social media. “Manhattan, and all of New York, is RESCUED. LONG LIVE THE KING!”

In a counter to this, New York Governor Kathy Hochul stated: “We are governed by laws, not by a king. We shall see you in court.”

Four women who claim to have been sexually abused by social media figure Andrew Tate expressed “extreme concern” regarding reports that US officials had urged Romania to ease travel restrictions on Tate and his brother, Tristan Tate, both of whom hold dual UK-US citizenship.

The Financial Times reported that US officials had approached the Romanian government about this case last week, followed by outreach from Trump’s representative Richard Grenell over the weekend.

A source disclosed to the publication that a request was made by the US to return the brothers’ passports so they could travel while awaiting the completion of their criminal proceedings.

The BBC has sought a comment from the US State Department.

The US Border Patrol reported a decrease in migrants unlawfully crossing the US-Mexico border in January.

They recorded 29,000 arrests, the lowest figure since May 2020, down from 47,000 in December, according to department statistics.

Trump assumed office on January 20, succeeding former President Joe Biden.

The Trump administration has vowed to intensify measures against undocumented immigration into the US, which has included declaring a state of emergency at the southern border while expanding rapid expulsion procedures.

The Trump administration, led by his Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) chief Elon Musk, is maintaining a cost-cutting initiative aimed at significantly reducing the federal workforce.

Over 6,000 employees from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are anticipated to face termination by week’s end.

Approximately 1,000 employees from the US National Park Service were let go the previous weekend, representing about 5% of their workforce, as reported by CBS News.

The administration has also commenced termination of hundreds of employees from the Federal Aviation Administration, with David Spero, head of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists union, denouncing the dismissals as “disgraceful”.

Polls indicate public support for reduced government expenditures, yet there are concerns that Musk’s efficiency efforts may go overboard.

The Trump administration is working to reinstate officials at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) who were involved in the governmental response to bird flu before being discharged over the weekend, according to US media.

These dismissals occurred as a new bird flu outbreak is causing chaos on poultry and cattle farms, resulting in soaring egg prices.

A spokesperson from the USDA informed the BBC that while “several” officials handling bird flu were “notified of their terminations” last weekend, “we are working quickly to amend the situation and retract those termination notices.”

This is not the first instance; following the recent termination of staff from the National Nuclear Security Administration, reports surfaced indicating that efforts were being made to reinstate some of them, yet communication issues hindered the process.

Trump has authorized an executive order aimed at exploring strategies to make in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments more affordable.

At a Mar-a-Lago event, White House staff secretary Will Scharf noted that the order instructs the Domestic Policy Council to propose recommendations within 90 days to safeguard IVF access and significantly lower its costs.

During his campaign, Trump promised that insurance companies or the government would cover IVF treatment costs if he returned to the presidency.

A dispute arose between the White House and the Associated Press (AP) following Google’s change of the Gulf of Mexico’s name to the Gulf of America for users in the US.

Trump has mandated that the body of water be labeled as such in US government documents.

In response, the AP has stated it will maintain the name Gulf of Mexico in its style guide, utilized by numerous US media outlets.

On Tuesday, Trump proclaimed that he would bar the AP from the Oval Office and Air Force One until they cease their use of the term Gulf of Mexico.

On Wednesday, US Justice Department attorneys defended their decision to terminate a criminal case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

Last week, the Department of Justice motioned to drop fraud and bribery charges against Adams. Seven attorneys from the justice department, including the top prosecutor in Manhattan, resigned in protest over the order to dismiss the case.

Adams, who was indicted for these charges last year, denies any wrongdoing.

Trump has claimed he was not involved in the decision to ask prosecutors to dismiss the Adams case.

On Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order terminating federal benefits for undocumented migrants.

The initiative aims to ensure that federal allocations to states and localities “will not be utilized to endorse sanctuary policies or support illegal immigration,” as stated by the White House.

Additionally, the Trump administration suspended a service aimed at assisting unaccompanied children navigate the immigration court system.

Trump stated he is contemplating allocating a portion of potential savings from Elon Musk’s taskforce to directly provide payments to US taxpayers.

“We’re contemplating returning 20% to the American citizens and another 20% to reduce debt,” Trump remarked in Florida this week, providing minimal details.

Prior to these comments, Musk had posted on his social media platform X, indicating he “will consult with the President” after a user suggested they announce a “DOGE Dividend”.

In his address at the Munich Security Conference last week, US Vice-President JD Vance launched a scathing critique of European democracies, asserting that the primary threat to the continent stems not from Russia and China but “from within”.

While Vance was anticipated to discuss potential negotiations to resolve the Ukrainian conflict, he instead accused European governments, including the UK’s, of retreating from democratic values and overlooking voter concerns on migration and free speech.

His speech drew condemnation from multiple politicians attending the conference.

Rubio boycotted a gathering of G20 foreign ministers in South Africa this week, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed he would not participate in the upcoming G20 finance ministers’ meeting.

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa asserted that commitment to multilateralism and international law is crucial for addressing global crises.

While announcing his refusal to participate, Rubio stated that South Africa was “leveraging G20 to promote ‘solidarity, equality, & sustainability.’ In simple terms: DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion] and climate change”.

Bessent indicated he had other commitments in Washington.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has instructed US military branches to pinpoint $50bn in cuts for the coming year, aiming to redirect funds towards Trump’s objectives.

The deputy defense secretary indicated in a statement on Wednesday that they would eliminate “excessive bureaucracy” and “unnecessary spending that impeded our military under the past administration, including so-called ‘climate change’ measures and other leftist agendas.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has restored funding for cancer research linked to 9/11 after Doge moved to eliminate it last week, according to officials.

The $257,000 (£199,000) contract is allocated for data processing to compare cancer incidence rates among firefighters exposed to toxins from the World Trade Center with those who were not.

Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer criticized the previous attempt to cut funding: “Research related to 9/11 cancer and FDNY funding should never have been on the table for termination”.

Trump’s motorcade circled the Daytona racetrack during the inaugural event of the Nascar season.

Air Force One conducted a flyover for attendees before he interacted with the drivers and accompanied them for a lap around the track.