Every terrible thing the Trump administration did in May 2026

ENVIRONMENT

In the last month, the Trump administration has lifted a ban on the use of cyanide bombs on federal land, ended limits on forever chemicals in drinking water, allowed off road vehicles in sensitive ecosystems, rescinded hunting regulations, and begun spraying a cancer-causing herbicide in national forests.

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May 1: “‘A Huge Setback’: New EPA Directive Could Weaken Hundreds of Chemical Regulations,” ProPublica

May 2: “Trump’s US Forest Service Spraying Deadly Toxins on America’s Woodlands,” Futurism

May 4: “The Trump administration is evicting bison herds from federal grasslands in Montana, siding with ranchers and Republican leaders over environmentalists and tribal leaders,” NYT

May 4: “Trump Administration Orders Rapid End to Some Hunting Rules on Federal Lands,” NYT

May 4: “Greater Yellowstone Slated Next in Trump Admin Logging Campaign,” Mountain Journal

May 7: “Trump is now effectively blocking any new wind projects in the United States…the Defense Department is refusing to sign off on things required to complete the FAA clearance process.” Heatmap

May 7: “Trump Administration Lifts Ban on ‘Cyanide Bombs’ on Public Lands,” NYT

The Bureau of Land Management will once again allow the use of the devices, which are spring-loaded traps intended to kill coyotes, foxes and other animals that prey on livestock…But the devices can also kill or injure people, pets and endangered species. In one 2017 incident that gained national notoriety, the 14-year-old Canyon Mansfield and his dog were sprayed by a cyanide bomb near their Idaho home. The dog, Kasey, collapsed and died. Canyon was rushed to a hospital, where he was treated for temporary blindness.

May 8: “Trump Exempted Some of the Nation’s Biggest Polluters From Air Quality Rules. All It Took Was an Email,” ProPublica

May 10: “The Military Base Home to Air Force One Leaked 32,000 Gallons of Jet Fuel Into the Potomac River Over the Last Few Months,” Futurism

May 11: “Trump Administration to Scrap Rule That Elevated Land Conservation: The rule, issued by the Bureau of Land Management, had prioritized the use of federal lands for conservation, recreation and renewable energy development,” NYT

May 18: “E.P.A. to End Some Limits on ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water: The rules were established by the Biden administration after research linked the compounds to a range of serious health problems,” NYT

May 18: “EPA rejects Hawaii plan to shutter oil-fired power plants: The agency said that forcing the power plants to close would violate the Constitution,” E&E News

May 19: “Oil Slick Reaches a Pristine Persian Gulf Island in Iran,” NYT; “Attack on Iran’s oil released as much pollution as a volcano,” New Scientist

May 20: “Greater Chaco Cultural Landscape named one of country’s ‘most endangered’ historic places,” Source NM

The Trump administration, for the last year, has floated a proposal to reverse a Biden-era order that issued a 20-year ban on oil and gas development on federal lands within 10 miles of the site, which holds paramount spiritual and cultural significance for numerous tribes and pueblos. The federal government also proposed merely shrinking the protected area.

Tribal leaders said they expect a decision in June and have criticized the process for failing to recognize Pueblo sovereignty. “The decision would not be made by people who hold a thousand years of cultural responsibility for that land, it would be imposed on us,” said Pueblo of Acoma Gov. Charles Riley.

May 21: “Trump eases restrictions on super-pollutants used in air-conditioning and refrigeration,” Le Monde

May 28: “Diesel Fuel Spilled on National Mall During 250th Event Setup,” NYT

May 29: “Trump Lifts Restrictions on Off-Road Vehicles on Public Lands,” NYT

May 29: “SEC moves to repeal rule that requires companies to report greenhouse gas emissions and climate risk,” AP

CORRUPTION AND SELF-DEALING

‘Weaponization’ slush fund

“Trump administration to create $1.776B ‘Truth and Justice Commission’ to compensate allies,” ABC

“Top Treasury Lawyer Resigns After Creation of ‘Anti-Weaponization’ Fund,” NYT

“New settlement term bars IRS from investigating Trump, his family for past tax issues,” CNN

“Longtime Trump ally Michael Caputo files first known claim for ‘anti-weaponization’ fund,” NBC

“Jan. 6 rioters clamor for payouts from Trump’s new ‘anti-weaponization’ fund despite backlash,” WHYY

“US judge temporarily blocks Trump’s $1.8 billion ‘weaponization’ fund,” Reuters

Stock trades

“President Trump was months late in disclosing tens of millions of dollars in stock trading,” WaPo

“Trump ethics filing reveals thousands of trades tied to U.S. stocks,” NBC

• Trump “bought a significant share of Intel, the chipmaker the Trump administration took a 10% stake in last year. The company’s stock is up 178% since the beginning of the year.”

• “Trump purchased $1 million to $5 million dollars worth of Nvidia stock on Feb. 10, only a week before Nvidia announced a major computer processing power deal with AI and social media giant Meta. Trump previously purchased $500,000 to $1 million worth of Nvidia stock on Jan. 6, a week before the Commerce Department officially approved the sale of some Nvidia chips to China.”

• “Trump earlier this year bought as much as $680,000 in stock of Eli Lilly, the maker of blockbuster obesity drugs, as the agencies he oversees undertook an agenda that largely benefited the company.”

• “President Trump earlier this year purchased more than $1 million in the stock of Dell Technologies, a transaction that is drawing scrutiny after the Pentagon this week announced a $9.7 billion contract with the Texas-based computer company.”

Reflecting pool

“The No-Bid Contract That Is Turning Washington’s Reflecting Pool Blue: President Trump handpicked a firm he said had worked on his swimming pool to repair the iconic site near the Lincoln Memorial,” NYT

“Reflecting Pool Repairs Appear Uneven and Behind Schedule, Officials Say,” NYT

“Reflecting Pool Repairs to Cost $13.1 Million. Trump Had Promised $1.8 Million,” NYT

“Nonprofit sues the federal government over plans to paint Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool blue,” NPR

Golf course

“A top fundraiser for President Donald Trump is seeking donations for a new nonprofit that says it will support Trump’s plans to dramatically remake parts of Washington’s waterfront, including East Potomac Golf Course and the proposed National Garden of American Heroes,” WaPo

“White House East Wing debris dumped at nearby golf course has toxic metals, report says,” WaPo

“Judge warns of ‘serious consequences’ if administration begins work at East Potomac Golf Course,” ABC

Arch

“White House planned to start triumphal arch work under unrelated contract: The unusual move would allow the administration to bypass a public bidding process,” WaPo

“Trump officials say they can build 250-foot arch without Congress’s approval,” WaPo

“Arts commission approves design for Trump’s 250-foot arch,” Politico

“Trump’s arch now has elevators—and a $100 million price tag,” Fast Company

Miscellaneous

“Treasury Department prepares $250 bill with Trump’s face on it,” NPR

“Team Trump’s latest no-bid contract: $5 million to coat horse statues in gold,” MS Now

“Trump’s Qatari-Gifted Air Force One Will Keep Its Luxurious Royal Interior,” WSJ

“Trump team hangs banners at DC construction sites thanking the president for the projects,” Yahoo

“Trump airport branding deal opens new route to profit for family,” Guardian

“Exclusive renderings of Penn Station overhaul show Trump’s name with presidential seal,” Gothamist

“Trump planning to build helipad at White House for new Marine One,” Hill

“Pentagon recruiting troops to watch White House UFC fights, memos show,” WaPo

“Trump Bought Stock In UFC’s Parent Company As He Promoted White House Fight,” HuffPost

“The White House Intervened to Get a $620 Million Deal for a Company Tied to Donald Trump Jr.,” ProPublica

“590,000 buyers paid $59 million for Trump’s gold phone — not 1 has shipped and refunds look unlikely,” Yahoo

“US reportedly dropped fraud charges against Indian billionaire after he hired Trump’s lawyer,” Guardian

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

May 5: “Prosecutors Had a Drugs-for-Votes Scheme “Locked Up.” Under Trump, They Were Told Not to Pursue Charges,” ProPublica

Leaders of the prison gang known as Los Tiburones, or the Sharks, were selling drugs to inmates not only for money, but for their votes. Specifically, votes for now-Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón, a longtime Republican and supporter of President Donald Trump, investigators found.

May 6: “FBI searches office of L. Louise Lucas, Virginia lawmaker who helped lead redistricting effort,” CBS

May 6: “Trump’s Justice Department takes steps to drop its case against the GOP’s Andy Ogles,” MS Now

May 7: “FBI defends Kash Patel after report alleging he gifts custom whiskey bottles,” Guardian

May 11: “Trump’s Complaints About Iran War Leaks Prompt Aggressive DOJ Investigations: The Wall Street Journal has received subpoenas for records of reporters,” WSJ

May 12: “DOJ paid millions to FBI agents suspended for misconduct, Raskin says,” WaPo

May 12: “FBI interviewing CIA officers in Brennan investigation,” NBC

May 14: “DOJ sues to block Trump ally [Jeffrey] Clark from facing attorney discipline,” Reuters

May 18: “The FBI Wants to Buy Nationwide Access to License Plate Readers,” 404 Media

May 26: “Trump DOJ mass-deletes info on Jan. 6 riot cases, including violent assaults on cops,” NPR

May 28: “Justice Department launches a criminal investigation into Trump accuser E. Jean Carroll,” CNN; “DOJ probes Democratic-allied nonprofit that helped pay E. Jean Carroll’s legal bills,” WaPo

May 28: “The DOJ Wants to Know Who on Reddit and X Is Criticizing ICE’s Tactics,” Bloomberg

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, WARS, AND FOREIGN POLICY

May 1: “Trump administration is pulling 5,000 troops from Germany,” NBC

May 4: “U.S. Revokes Visas of Board Members at Costa Rica’s Top Watchdog Newspaper,” NYT

May 7: “Defense Department Inspector General Won’t Investigate Helicopter Fly-By At Kid Rock’s House,” HuffPost

May 7: “US launches a review of Mexican consulates that could lead to closures,” AP

May 7: “‘Hondurasgate,’ the alleged US and Israeli interference plot to destabilize Mexico and other progressive governments,” El Pais; “Hondurasgate Looks Worse than Watergate and Iran-Contra Combined,” Washington Monthly

May 12: “CIA escalates secret war on cartels with deadly operations inside Mexico,” CNN

May 12: “Trump’s ‘Golden Dome’ estimated to cost $1.2 trillion, far more than initially said,” PBS

May 13: “Army cuts training as service is short billions of dollars,” ABC; “Army cuts dozens of medical training courses amid funding woes,” ABC

May 14: “Cuba has run out of diesel and fuel oil, energy minister says, as US blockade pushes island to brink,” Guardian; “U.S. indicts Cuba’s Raúl Castro on murder and conspiracy charges for downing of planes in 1996,” CBS

May 18: “Treasury extends Russian oil sanctions waiver for another month,” Politico

May 19: “More US troop withdrawals from Europe expected, NATO commander says,” Military Times; “NATO allies bewildered by Trump’s about-face on US troop moves in Europe,” AP

May 21: “The U.S. military has depleted much of its inventory of advanced missile-defense interceptors after expending far more high-end munitions defending Israel,” WaPo

May 28: “Trump administration tells prosecutors to stand down on Venezuela leader, sources say,” AP

IMMIGRATION

May 4: “Internal ICE records reveal widespread use of force in detention centers,” WaPo

May 7: “ICE Plans to Develop Own Smart Glasses to ‘Supplement’ Its Facial Recognition App,” 404 Media

May 7: “Broadview protesters sue feds over DNA collection after arrests, saying it violates rights,” Chicago Sun Times

May 11: “The ICE Surveillance Firm With Missing Executives And Phantom Clients,” Lever

May 12: “ICE Agents Have List of 20 Million People on Their iPhones Thanks to Palantir,” 404 Media

May 12: “Former private prison official to serve as acting ICE chief,” NPR

May 13: “The Trump administration is leaning on the Internal Revenue Service to upend how undocumented immigrants can file their taxes, as officials discuss changes that could force people to tell the agency about their immigration status or disengage from the tax system entirely,” NYT

May 14: “Judge orders US government to return Colombian woman deported to DR Congo,” CNN; “Feds say Ebola outbreak means they can’t bring back NJ-bound woman deported to Congo,” Gothamist

May 14: “Trump Border Patrol Chief Abruptly Quits After Report He Solicited Sex Workers Abroad,” HuffPost

May 14: “UN pleads for Equatorial Guinea not to send US asylum seekers to their home countries: ‘Their life would be in danger’,” Guardian

May 16: “Sierra Leone to take in hundreds of West Africans deported by US, minister says,” Reuters

May 18: “Trump Is Taking Immigrants to Court, Seeking Millions in Fines,” Bloomberg

May 21: “Chicago man charged with assaulting ICE agent in Brighton Park,” Chicago Sun Times

May 26: “Trump raises refugee ceiling by 10,000 to bring in more white South Africans,” Reuters

May 27: “DHS Threatens to Stop International Flight Processing in Sanctuary Cities,” Time

May 27: “ICE detainees are dying by suicide at an ‘alarming’ rate, an AP investigation finds,” AP

May 28: “Trump administration sues four states for denying ICE undercover license plates,” Reuters

May 29: “Washington Protesters Convicted of “Conspiracy to Impede” ICE Agents,” Mother Jones

May 29: “Trump administration deported 21,000 to places US calls too dangerous to visit: at least 600 were children,” Guardian

May 30: “ICE sued over ‘inhumane’ conditions at Camp East Montana in West Texas,” Texas Tribune

Other articles:

• “U.S. citizen stopped in Lafayette, shackled, and detained in Louisiana ICE facility,” The Lens

• “Protesters clash with agents outside New Jersey ICE facility. Inside, detainees continue their hunger strike, attorneys say,” CNN; “US senator says he was pepper-sprayed by federal agents during protest at ICE facility,” Guardian

• “Pregnant woman from Ghana and her son are being detained at Dulles Airport,” ABC

• “Man shot by ICE in Central Valley charged with assaulting federal agents,” LA Times

• “Video Appears to Show ICE Agent Tasing Man Multiple Times Ahead of Bushwick Hospital Standoff,” The City

• “Videos Show Upstate Cops Calling Border Patrol on Drivers,” NY Focus

• “Bodycam video raises questions after Boston police arrest leads to ICE custody,” WBUR

• “Unauthorized ICE ‘wellness checks’ by police at Ohio schools draw outrage,” Guardian

• “She was deported without her toddler. Then ICE blamed her for his killing,” WaPo

• “They called 911 for help. Police sent them to ICE detention instead,” Miami Herald

• “Tucson DACA recipient detained after agents ‘aggressively’ enter home, family says,” Tucson

CULTURAL CONTROL

May 1: “Trump DOJ investigating 36 Illinois school districts over gender and sexuality curriculum,” CBS

May 4: “Department of Education opens investigation into Smith College for admitting trans women,” CNN

May 6: “EEOC sues New York Times, alleging discrimination against White male worker,” CBS

May 8: “ABC accuses Trump administration of violating free speech rights,” NBC; “Trump FCC warns all broadcasters to follow orders or be punished like ABC,” Ars Technica

May 8: “Press freedom groups challenge Larry Ellison’s reported promise to fire CNN anchors,” LA Times

May 15: “DOJ accuses Yale and UCLA medical schools of discriminating against white and Asian applicants,” STAT

May 22: “How Trump’s Culture War Derailed a New Smithsonian Museum,” Atlantic

May 26: “Paramount appears to sway DOJ staff on Warner Bros. takeover,” Semafor

May 26: “Justice Department sues UCLA for the third time, alleges antisemitism against students,” LA Times

May 29: “Research Funding Slows Again for Universities Targeted by White House,” NYT

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

• “The Trump administration is trying to divert $2 billion in global health funding to pay for USAID shutdown,” CNN

• “US to take steps to curb antidepressant prescribing, RFK Jr says,” Guardian

• “Why the FDA rejected a ‘breakthrough’ melanoma drug,” Scientific American

• “F.D.A. Blocked Publication of Research Finding Covid and Shingles Vaccines Were Safe,” NYT

• “Trump Taps Don Jr.’s 38-Year-Old Turkey-Hunting Pal to Lead FDA,” Rolling Stone

• “A $5 Million Donation From Big Tobacco Preceded F.D.A. Vape Decision,” NYT

• “GOP House rep’s wife to perform duties of U.S. surgeon general,” Hill

• “RFK Jr. fires two leaders of preventive health panel,” NPR

• “Babies Are Bleeding to Death as Parents Reject a Vitamin Shot Given at Birth,” ProPublica

• “Efforts to Contain Ebola May Have Been Hindered by Lack of U.S. Involvement: Aid cuts by the Trump administration have shut down crucial disease surveillance networks and medical supply chains in East Africa,” NYT

• “Trump admin shutting key US researchers out of global virus response talks, documents and sources reveal,” CNN

• “Vance announces suspension of $1.3 billion in Medicaid payments to California,” NBC

• “US freezes Medicare enrollments for new home healthcare and hospice providers,” Reuters