Tracking scandals and controversies in Donald Trump’s second term as President of the United States, which began on January 20 2025.
Media Scandals
Trump FCC Launched Investigation Of Comcast (MSNBC Parent). “The FCC, the agency that regulates the media and telecommunications industry, said in a letter dated Tuesday that it would open the inquiry into both Comcast — which provides broadband, mobile and cable TV services under the Xfinity brand — and NBCUniversal, the media arm that encompasses the company’s broadcast and cable TV networks, streaming app Peacock, and Universal film studio and amusement parks.” [CNBC]
Trump Banned AP Reporters From White House Events. “The White House blocked an Associated Press reporter from an event in the Oval Office on Tuesday after demanding the news agency alter its style on the Gulf of Mexico, which President Donald Trump has ordered renamed the Gulf of America. The reporter, whom the AP would not identify, tried to enter the White House event as usual Tuesday afternoon and was turned away. Later, a second AP reporter was barred from a late-evening event in the White House’s Diplomatic Reception Room.” [AP]
Funding Freeze Scandals
Farmers Lose Millions In Payments After Trump Freeze. “Farmers report missing millions of dollars of funding they were promised by the U.S. Agriculture Department, despite promises from the Trump administration that a federal funding freeze would not apply to projects directly benefiting individuals. On his first day in office, President Donald Trump ordered the Agriculture Department to freeze funds for several programs designated by President Joe Biden’s signature clean-energy and health-care law, the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. The freeze paused some funding for the department’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program, which helps farmers address natural resource concerns, and the Rural Energy for America Program, which provides financial assistance for farmers to improve their infrastructure.” [Washington Post]
CFBP Scandals
Trump Ordered Consumer Protection Bureau To Cease Operation. “The lead architect of Project 2025 and recently appointed acting director for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has told the agency’s employees to essentially halt all operations ― the Trump administration’s latest move to roll back consumer protections against corporate giants. In a Saturday email obtained by several news outlets, Russell Vought ordered the federal financial industry watchdog’s staff to “cease all supervision and examination activity,” stop issuing regulatory guidance, halt pending investigations while refraining to open new ones, and no longer “make or approve filings or appearances by the Bureau in any litigation, other than to seek a pause in proceedings.”” [HuffPost]
One of the first political bloggers in the world, Oliver Willis has operated OliverWillis.com since 2000. Contributor at Media Matters for America and The American Independent. Follow on Twitter at @owillis. Full bio.