April 12, 2025

Sean Calabria, Associate Vice President & Director of Research

Confirmed Cabinet Nominees

Pending Cabinet Nominees

  • Elise Stefanik, U.N. Ambassador: (Committee voted to advance on 1/30)

Confirmed Key Sub-Cabinet Nominees

Key Actions: Executive Orders & Presidential Memos

  • Presidential Memo: America First Investment Policy
    • This memo declares it the policy of the United States to preserve an open investment environment to help ensure that artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies of the future are built, created, and grown right here in the United States.
  • Presidential Memo: Defending American Companies and Innovators from Overseas Extortion and Unfair Fines and Penalties
    • This memo targets foreign taxes and penalties on American companies, such as Digital Services Taxes (DST) by directing the administration act, imposing tariffs and taking such other responsive actions necessary to mitigate the harm to the United States and to repair any resulting imbalance.
  • Presidential Action: President Trump Takes Decisive Action to Deliver Relief to Kentucky
    • Trump granted a Major Disaster Declaration for the Commonwealth of Kentucky on Monday following severe storms and flooding.
  • Executive Order: Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” Cost Efficiency Initiatives
    • This order commences a transformation in Federal spending on contracts, grants, and loans to ensure Government spending is transparent and Government employees are accountable to the American public.
  • Presidential Memorandum: Suspension of Security Clearances and Evaluation of Government Contracts
    • This order suspended security clearances for Covington & Burling LLP staff who worked with Jack Smith.
  • Executive Order: Addressing the Threat to National Security From Imports Of Copper
    • President Trump initiated a Section 232 investigation into the national security impact of copper imports.
  • Executive Order: Making America Healthy Again by Empowering Patients with Clear, Accurate, and Actionable Healthcare Pricing Information
    • This order promotes transparency in medical billing and healthcare pricing.
  • Executive Order: Designating English as the Official Language of The United States
  • Executive Order: Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production
    • This order directs the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture, through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Chief of the United States Forest Service (USFS) to each issue new or updated guidance regarding tools to facilitate increased timber production and sound forest management, reduce time to deliver timber, and decrease timber supply uncertainty.
  • Executive Order: Addressing The Threat To National Security from Imports of Timber, Lumber
    • This order directs the Secretary of Commerce to initiate an investigation undersection 232 of the Trade Expansion Act to determine the effects on the national security of imports of timber, lumber, and their derivative products.
  • Executive Order: Amendment to Duties to Address the Flow of Illicit Drugs across our Northern Border
    • This order ceases certain duty free de minimis treatment policies for Canada.
  • Executive Order: Amendment to Duties to Address the Situation at our Southern Border
    • This order ceases certain duty free de minimis treatment policies for Mexico.
  • Executive Order: Honoring Jocelyn Nungaray
    • This order renames a wildlife refuge after a 12 year old girl who was killed by illegal immigrants.
  • Executive Order: Establishment of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and United States Digital Asset Stockpile
    • This order declares it the policy of the United States to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and to establish a United States Digital Asset Stockpile that can serve as a secure account for orderly and strategic management of the United States’ other digital asset holdings.
  • Executive Order: Amendment To Duties to Address the Flow of Illicit Drugs Across Our Southern Border
    • This order suspends certain previously enacted auto tariffs on Mexico until April 2.
  • Executive Order: Amendment To Duties to Address the Flow of Illicit Drugs Across Our Northern Border
    • This order suspends certain previously enacted auto tariff on Canada until April 2.
  • Executive Order: Addressing Risks from Perkins Coie LLP
    • This order directs the Attorney General, the Director of National Intelligence, and all other relevant heads of executive departments and agencies (agencies) shall immediately take steps consistent with applicable law to suspend any active security clearances held by individuals at Perkins Coie, pending a review of whether such clearances are consistent with the national interest.
  • Executive Order: Restoring Public Service Loan Forgiveness
    • This order directs the Secretary of Education shall propose revisions to 34 C.F.R.685.219, Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury as appropriate, that ensure the definition of “public service” excludes organizations that engage in activities that have a substantial illegal purpose.
  • Executive Order: Establishing The White House Task Force on The FIFA World Cup 2026
  • Presidential Action: Ensuring the Enforcement of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65(c)
    • This order directs the heads of executive departments and agencies, in consultation with the Attorney General, to ensure that their respective agencies properly request under Rule 65(c) that Federal district courts require plaintiffs to post security equal to the Federal Government’s potential costs and damages from a wrongly issued injunction.
  • Executive Order: Additional Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions
    • This order rescinds numerous Biden executive orders on various policy issues.
  • Executive Order: Addressing Risks from Paul Weiss
    • This order suspends the security clearances held by individuals at Paul Weiss and Mark Pomerantz law firms.
  • Executive Order: Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy
    • This order eliminates to the maximum extent possible several federal entities.
  • Presidential Proclamation: Invocation of the Alien Enemies Act Regarding the Invasion of The United States by Tren De Aragua
    • This proclamation invokes the Alien Enemies Act to deport illegal immigrant gang members.
  • Presidential Proclamation: National Agricultural Day, 2025
  • Presidential Proclamation: National Poison Prevention Week, 2025
  • Presidential Memorandum: Removing Discrimination and Discriminatory Equity Ideology From the Foreign Service
    • This memo declares it the policy of the Federal Government that hiring in foreign policy positions, like hiring in all other parts of the Government, shall be based solely on merit.
  • Executive Order: Achieving Efficiency Through State and Local Preparedness
    • This order declares it the policy of the United States that State and local governments and individuals play a more active and significant role in national resilience and preparedness.

Head of State Visits

  • On February 24, President Trump met with French President Macron at the White House for a series of bilateral meetings.
  • On February 27, President Trump hosted Ukrainian President Zelensky at the White House where the two leaders were expected to sign a critical minerals deal. However, after a heated disagreement in the Oval Office in front of the press, Trump canceled the remaining meetings and asked Zelensky to leave the White House.

Key Bills Signed

  • On March 15, President Trump signed into law asix-month funding bill, averting a government shutdown.

Major Accomplishments and Announcements

  • President Trump and the head of the Taiwanese semiconductor company TSMC CEO C.C. Wei announced plans on Monday for a four-year, $100 billion investment in the United States.
  • On March 4, President Trump delivered his address to a joint session of Congress.
  • President Trump announced French-based shipping firm CMA CGM would invest $20 billion in the United States to build out shipping logistics and terminals.
  • U.S. employers added 151,000 jobs in February, the first full month under the new Trump administration, extending a streak of job growth to 50 months.
  • The Trump administration lifted its pause on military and intelligence support for Ukraine after Kyiv’s endorsement of a U.S. ceasefire proposal, according to a joint statement by Ukraine and the United States.
  • More than 63,000 pages of records related to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy were released Tuesday following an order by President Trump, many without the redactions that had confounded historians for years.
  • NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams returned to Earth on Tuesday after more than 280 days in space due to delays in their return.

AGS will continue to monitor announcements and developments in the new administration and provide updates as needed, including a 90 day iteration of this report.

To stay up to date on what AGS is doing, follow us on LinkedIn

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FEATURED NEWS

AI, American Power, and the Challenge of China: A National Strategy for the 21st Century
Nick Snyder joins American Global Strategies as Senior Vice President for Strategic Affairs
Robert C. O’Brien appointed to the Commission on the National Defense Strategy by Speaker Johnson
Former DHS and FBI officials discuss Correspondents’ Dinner security
Robert C. O’Brien joins Kudlow to discuss the conflict in the Middle East
Robert C. O’Brien joins Kudlow Radio to discuss foreign policy and national security
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