March 17

World Liberty Financial completes $550 million token sale

On March 17, 2025, World Liberty Financial, a project linked to the Trump family, announced it had raised about $550 million through token sales. Reporting said a Trump-affiliated entity received a large share of revenues, raising scrutiny over financial benefits tied to political influence.

White House celebrates defiance of judicial order calls Boasberg ruling illegitimate

Stephen Miller and other White House officials publicly celebrate the administration's decision to defy Judge Boasberg's TRO. Miller characterizes the federal court order as an illegitimate judicial overreach and asserts that immigration enforcement lies solely within executive discretion. The public statements underscore the administration's commitment to bypassing judicial review in deportation cases.

HUD and Interior open 500 million acres of federal land to address the housing shortage

The Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of the Interior launched a joint task force opening 500 million acres of federal land for potential residential development to address the national housing shortage. The initiative aimed to fast-track permits and reduce regulatory barriers on public land. Environmental groups warned of irreversible damage to protected ecosystems and Indigenous sacred lands.

Trump calls for impeachment of Chief Judge Boasberg after judge blocks Venezuelan deportation

On March 17, 2025, two days after Chief Judge James Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for D.C. issues a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from deporting Venezuelan migrants under the 18th-century Alien Enemies Act, President Trump posts on Truth Social: "This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!!" The post follows the Trump administration sending two planes carrying deported Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador after the restraining order was entered. Administration officials tell reporters they did not believe the order applied to flights already en route. Trump calls Boasberg an unelected "troublemaker and agitator" and an "Obama judge." Chief Justice John Roberts issues a public statement: "For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision." The U.S. Marshals Service reports 564 threats against federal judges in fiscal year 2025. The Hill documents increased threats against federal judges following Trump's rhetoric.

Army Corps awards $70M border wall contract without competitive bidding

The Army Corps of Engineers awarded a $70 million border wall construction contract through an emergency sole-source procurement, bypassing the standard competitive bidding process. The contract went to a politically connected firm. Government watchdogs warned the action violated federal procurement law and set a precedent for circumventing contracting transparency requirements.

Trump revokes Secret Service protection for Hunter and Ashley Biden

President Trump signed an order revoking Secret Service protection for Hunter Biden and Ashley Biden, the first such removal of protection for a former president's children in modern history. The White House cited budget concerns; critics called it political retaliation against the Biden family. Experts warned it could expose private citizens to politically motivated threats.

FBI diverts 934 agents from national security to redact Epstein files

The FBI reassigned 934 agents — including counterterrorism and counterintelligence specialists — from active national security investigations to process and redact Jeffrey Epstein files, per a directive from Director Kash Patel. Former officials warned the redeployment created dangerous gaps in national security coverage. Critics called it a politically motivated distraction from ongoing federal investigations.

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U.S. coalition airstrike in Mosul kills over 100 civilians in its deadliest single strike

A U.S. coalition aircraft dropped a single GBU-38 precision-guided bomb on a building in Mosul al-Jadida neighborhood on March 17, 2017, targeting two ISIS snipers on the second floor. The bomb detonated a large ISIS explosives cache hidden in the building, causing a catastrophic collapse that killed at least 105 civilians sheltering on the ground floor. The Pentagon confirmed the death toll in May 2017, making it the deadliest single coalition airstrike since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Eisenhower authorizes a covert program to remove Castro from power

President Dwight Eisenhower approves a covert CIA program aimed at undermining and eventually removing Fidel Castro. The decision formalizes Washington's shift from uneasy coexistence to organized pressure. That campaign helps set the stage for the Bay of Pigs and Cuba's search for Soviet protection.