January 17

Trump threatens 10% tariffs on eight European nations to force a Greenland sale

Trump announced via Truth Social a 10% tariff on all goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland starting February 1, rising to 25% on June 1 unless Greenland is transferred to the U.S. The tariffs targeted NATO allies and retaliated against European officials who visited Greenland. Thousands protested in Copenhagen.

Bipartisan congressional delegation visits Denmark, contradicting Trump on Greenland

An 11-member bipartisan congressional delegation led by Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) traveled to Copenhagen to reassure Danish officials. Republicans Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Thom Tillis joined the trip. Lawmakers stated Greenland should be seen as a U.S. ally "not as an asset" — directly contradicting Trump's annexation push and signaling rare intra-Republican dissent on foreign policy.

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Trump Proposes "Board of Peace" as UN Rival Requiring $1 Billion Permanent Membership Fee

Trump unveiled plans for a "Board of Peace" focused on Gaza as an alternative international body to the United Nations. Permanent membership would require a $1 billion payment to the board, with Trump as permanent chairman with authority to designate his successor. The structure drew immediate criticism as a pay-to-play system rewarding authoritarian states willing to pay entry fees.

Medicare selects 15 more drugs for price negotiation

Federal health officials selected 15 additional drugs for Medicare price negotiation under the Inflation Reduction Act. The action expanded a major shift in how the federal government can bargain over prescription drug prices for seniors.

Biden delegates sanctions powers for fentanyl and Iran-China energy enforcement

President Joe Biden used a January 17, 2025 memorandum to delegate several sanctions-related presidential powers to cabinet officials. The memo assigned FEND Off Fentanyl Act authorities to the Treasury secretary, the secretary of state, the attorney general, the commerce secretary, and the homeland security secretary, depending on the provision. It also delegated authorities tied to Division G of Public Law 118-50 and the Iran-China Energy Sanctions Act of 2023. The action mattered because Congress had given the president formal sanctions powers, but federal agencies needed delegated authority to turn those powers into enforcement decisions, financial restrictions, and other sanctions actions.

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Supreme Court upholds federal TikTok divest-or-ban law

The Supreme Court unanimously upheld the federal law requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok or face an effective U.S. ban. The decision balanced free expression concerns against Congress’s national-security judgment about foreign control of a major communications platform.

Trump launches $TRUMP meme cryptocurrency three days before inauguration

Three days before his inauguration, President-elect Donald Trump launched the $TRUMP meme cryptocurrency on the Solana blockchain, promoted via his social media accounts. The token raised approximately $100 million within days of launch, with insiders and affiliated entities retaining approximately 80 percent of the total token supply. The launch had no precedent in American history — no president-elect or sitting president had previously launched a financial instrument whose value was directly tied to the holder's perception of presidential power and future policy decisions.

Trump launches $TRUMP memecoin three days before inauguration

Donald Trump launched the $TRUMP memecoin on January 17, 2025 — three days before his presidential inauguration — through entities he and his family controlled. Insider-controlled wallets retained approximately 80% of the token supply, and the coin's market cap surged past $14 billion within 48 hours, transferring over $100 million to Trump-affiliated entities from retail buyers. The launch directly preceded Trump taking presidential oath on January 20, raising immediate Foreign and Domestic Emoluments Clause questions about a sitting president profiting from a financial instrument marketed using his office.

Biden declares Equal Rights Amendment ratified as 28th Amendment symbolic action

In one of his final acts as president, Biden issues a formal statement declaring the Equal Rights Amendment ratified as the 28th Amendment to the Constitution, following Virginia's ratification in 2020 completing the required 38 states. The declaration is largely symbolic. The National Archives has said it will not certify the amendment because three states ratified after the 1982 deadline set by Congress, and the Justice Department under Biden had previously concluded the deadline was valid. Biden calls the ERA "the law of the land" and calls on Congress and states to affirm it. The declaration energizes women's rights advocates but has no formal legal effect.

Biden delegates State Department authority for FY2023 defense-law reports to Congress

President Joe Biden issued a January 17, 2025 memorandum delegating authority to the secretary of state to submit reports to Congress required by sections 5562(a)(2) and 5562(a)(3) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023. The delegation applied after consultation with relevant departments and agencies and also covered future laws with the same or substantially similar reporting requirements. The action mattered because it showed how presidents often delegate statutory reporting duties to cabinet officials, turning congressional oversight mandates into agency-managed reporting processes.