If you haven’t had the time or energy to keep up with the dizzying array of executive orders, agency closures, and chaotic policy decisions coming out of the Trump administration, here’s what you need to know. Trump’s cruel, reckless and illegal policies are making us poorer, less healthy, and less safe.
If any of this concerns you, call or email your representatives in Congress, your state legislators, and local officials. Demand that they hold the Trump administration accountable for actions and policies that hurt everyday Americans.
We Pay Higher Prices For Everyday Goods
Trump has imposed a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports (Canada is the largest supplier of steel and aluminum to the U.S.), a 10% tariff on all goods from China, a 25% tariff on all other imports from Canada and Mexico (temporarily paused), and more tariffs are looming on European imports. Despite his claims, foreign governments do not pay these tariffs—American importers pay them. These costs are passed down to consumers in the form of higher prices on everyday goods, from groceries to household items.
Meanwhile, egg prices have skyrocketed due to avian flu (dead chickens don’t lay eggs). Instead of trying to prevent the spread and mutation of bird flu, Trump has been busy making bizarre foreign policy moves like attempting to "buy Greenland" and taking an “ownership position” in the Gaza Strip.
High Interest Rates Hurt Families
The Federal Reserve is keeping interest rates high to combat inflationary pressure caused partly by Trump’s tariffs. As a result, mortgages, car loans, and credit card debt have all become more expensive, putting homeownership out of reach for many Americans. At the same time, Trump and his allies are pushing for another round of massive tax cuts for corporations and the ultra-wealthy—adding trillions to the federal deficit and fueling more economic instability.
Healthcare for the Poor and Most Vulnerable is Slashed
Medicaid provides healthcare to 79 million mostly low-income and disabled Americans but Trump and his Republican allies are trying to slash funding, imposing illegal work requirements and lowering federal contributions—triggering Medicaid cuts in multiple states. Millions could lose healthcare while Trump shifts the savings into tax breaks for the wealthy.
We’re Weaker Against Pandemics
Trump has allowed Musk to shut down USAID, an agency created by President Kennedy that plays a critical role in stopping global disease outbreaks before they reach the U.S. USAID has historically been effective in helping poorer countries, particularly in Africa, help treat and prevent the spread of deadly diseases like AIDS, COVID, Tuberculosis, Monkeypox, and Ebola. There is currently a severe outbreak of Ebola in Uganda. With the shuttering of USAID, those diseases will have the opportunity to spread and mutate exponentially and ultimately reach the United States. Trump also withdrew from the World Health Organization, cutting off early access to warnings about pandemics and the spread of disease.
Two other agencies that help protect public health are also under assault from Trump. The National Institutes of Health have been prohibited from communicating with the outside world. The Centers for Disease Control have been forced to stop releasing crucial data to the public, keeping state and local health officials in the dark about where to devote their disease prevention resources.
Public health experts warn that these actions increase the chances deadly diseases will spread unchecked—and America will be less prepared than ever. And China and Russia are only more than glad to fill the void created by withdrawal of U.S. foreign aid and demonstrate that democracies cannot be relied upon.
Our Nation’s Security is Compromised
Trump is gutting our intelligence and law enforcement agencies and firing top officials at the FBI, CIA, and NSA while preparing to fire thousands more. The administration has received the names of at least 6,000 FBI agents who worked on the January 6th rioters and Mar-a-Lago classified documents investigations. In addition, Trump and Musk have offered “deferred resignation” to most CIA and NSA employees, encouraging them to quit in exchange for being paid through the end of September.
These reckless cuts weaken our defenses against terrorism, cyber threats, crime, drug trafficking, and malign actors, leaving the U.S. more vulnerable. Meanwhile, our foreign adversaries—Russia, Iran, and North Korea—are celebrating. But the damage does not stop there. Trump’s indiscriminate firings and forced resignations have decimated institutional knowledge, crushed morale, and sent a chilling message to career national security professionals. His erratic, retribution-driven purge of intelligence officials makes the country much less safe. Expect more security threats in the months ahead. Trump does not care. He’s too busy exacting revenge on the “deep state.”
Union Rights Are Under Attack
Trump has crippled the independent National Labor Relations Board, illegally firing its only Democratic member and blocking it from functioning. The Board now has only two members, and it needs three to act. If Trump wants the Board to function, he will appoint only pro-management members. Trump also fired the NLRB’s General Counsel, who sets the Board’s agenda, and appointed a new pro-management General Counsel. If your employer violates your union contract, you have nowhere to turn.
For federal employees, Trump has ordered the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to instruct all agencies to ignore collective bargaining agreements on telework—setting a dangerous precedent for rolling back union rights across the Board. This may be a precursor to disregarding other provisions in government union contracts. While violating telework agreements would typically result in a claim before the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), the FLRA currently has no general counsel to prosecute cases, leaving federal employees with no real recourse.
A Crisis in Aviation Safety
Since Trump was inaugurated, aviation safety has deteriorated with multiple deadly crashes. Sixty-seven people died in the crash of a Blackhawk helicopter and an American Eagle jet near National Airport, and in Philadelphia, a Medivac jet crashed, killing 7 people and injuring many more. In Alaska, a commuter plane crashed, killing all 10 on board. Across the nation, numerous aircraft have collided on the ground with each other and with equipment. Meanwhile, 90% of airports lack sufficient air traffic controllers and yet Trump is encouraging mass retirements. Instead of fixing the problem, his administration has also ended diversity hiring programs, further shrinking the pool of qualified candidates for traffic controllers.
No Protection for Consumers from Big Banks
Trump and his lackey, Russell Vought—Project 2025 architect and new OMB Director— have shuttered the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau and told its roughly 1,600 employees not to show up for work. The CFPB was formed as an independent federal agency to “promote fairness and transparency for mortgages, credit cards, and other consumer financial products and services.” It has investigated hundreds of thousands of complaints from financial institution customers over the years and obtained $19 billion in refunds and canceled debts for consumers. Because the Trump administration has no interest in protecting consumers from predatory lending, excessive bank fees, bank fraud and other financial institution misconduct, it has summarily and illegally terminated the only federal agency that helped consumers level the playing field with banks.
What You Can Do
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Get involved. Stay informed. Together, we can build a stronger, more resilient Democratic Party. Join us today.
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