Author: Kate McQuarrie
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Twenty-one states and D.C. have open availability of voter files
President Donald Trump (R) addressed the nation in a speech on July 16, 2026, during which he said that China gained illicit access to 220 million U.S. voter files, including names, addresses, phone numbers, and political party preferences. Each state is legally required to maintain voter files, or digital databases of information about registered voters.…
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Trump White House has 411 employees, according to annual report
The White House released its annual report to Congress on personnel, which details White House staff members and their salaries, on July 1, 2026. The Trump White House includes 411 staff members, according to the report. Forty-six are detailees — staff temporarily assigned to the White House from another agency or department — including three…
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Trump ends June with 40% approval rating, same as Biden's at this point in his term
At the end of June, polling averages showed President Donald Trump (R) with a 40% approval rating, the same as President Joe Biden (D) had at this point in his term. Fifty-seven percent of voters disapproved of Trump's performance. The highest average approval rating Trump has received in his second term was 54%, last seen…
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Second Trump administration has seen historically high ambassador vacancies and political appointments
Seventeen months into President Donald Trump's (R) second administration, a historically high number of ambassador posts remain vacant. According to the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), an unprecedentedly high percentage of ambassadors appointed during Trump's second term have been political appointees. Ambassadors are the highest-ranking U.S. representative to their appointed countries or international organizations. Article…
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President Donald Trump issued six executive orders in June, the fourth-lowest monthly total in his second term
President Donald Trump (R) issued six executive orders in June, the fourth-fewest of any month in his second term. As of July 1, Trump has signed 269 executive orders in his second term. The June executive orders addressed artificial intelligence, the administrative state, customs enforcement, quantum computing, and agriculture. Click here to read more about…
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Trump signs the Secure America Act into law
President Donald Trump (R) signed the Secure America Act, a federal budget reconciliation bill providing $70 billion in funding for border control and immigration enforcement through fiscal year 2029, into law on June 10, 2026. The U.S. Senate passed the bill on June 5, and the U.S. House of Representatives passed it on June 9. The…
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Trump saw lowest average approval rating of his second term in May
President Donald Trump (R) saw the lowest average approval rating of his second term in May. At the end of May, approval polling averages showed Trump with a 39% approval rating, the lowest average of his second term. Fifty-eight percent of voters disapproved of his performance. Previously, Trump's lowest average was 40% approval in April…
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Trump issued five executive orders in May, matching April for second-fewest in his second term
President Donald Trump (R) issued five executive orders in May. That number ties with April's total for the second-fewest executive orders issued in any month so far in his second term. The May orders concerned sanctions, financial systems, federal lands, and vaccines. Click here to read more about each order. As of June 1, Trump…
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Trump issued second-lowest number of executive orders of his second term in April
April saw President Donald Trump’s (R) second-lowest monthly executive order total thus far in his second term. Trump issued five executive orders in April, having issued 259 total in his second term as of May 1. Trump issued orders on pharmaceuticals, college sports, the administrative state, and retirement savings. Click here to read more about…
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Trump and 119th Congress saw lowest approval ratings of Trump's second term in April
President Donald Trump (R) and the 119th Congress saw their lowest approval ratings of Trump’s second term in April. At the end of April, approval polling averages showed Trump at 41% approval. Fifty-seven percent of voters disapproved of his performance. The lowest average approval rating of his second term was 40%, last seen on April…