Day 18

EO 14203 signed, authorizing ICC sanctions

Trump signed the executive order authorizing sanctions against ICC officials and those who cooperate with ICC investigations of U.S. or allied nationals.

From: Sanctions Against UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine

White House confirms Musk rules on his own conflicts

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt states it will be up to Musk himself to decide when to recuse from matters involving his financial interests. No ethics forms have been filed.

From: CFPB Dismantlement While Musk Launches Competing XMoney Payment Service

ICC Immunity Demands: Ultimatum to Amend Rome Statute and Exempt Americans from War Crimes Prosecution

The Trump administration issued an ultimatum demanding the ICC amend its founding Rome Statute to exempt citizens of non-signatory states — effectively granting blanket immunity to Americans and Israelis from war crimes prosecution. The administration sanctioned nine ICC judges and prosecutors, threatened to designate the court in its entirety, and demanded the ICC drop investigations into US troops in Afghanistan and Israeli officials over Gaza.

Executive Order Sanctioning International Criminal Court Officials

President Trump signed Executive Order 14203 authorizing sanctions against International Criminal Court officials, eventually targeting 11 individuals including judges and prosecutors. UN experts and the ICC describe the sanctions as an attack on judicial independence; retaliation against Court officials mirrors the offences against the administration of justice in Article 70 of the Rome Statute. The sanctions have been condemned by the UN, international legal organizations, and the ICC itself.

Palestinian Authority calls plan a 'catastrophe'

The Palestinian Authority condemns the proposal as a 'catastrophe' and a violation of Palestinian rights. PA President Abbas states Palestinians will never abandon their land.

From: Trump Proposes Forcible Displacement of 2.3 Million Palestinians from Gaza

DOGE feeds Education Department data into AI tool

DOGE feeds Department of Education data into an AI tool to generate recommendations for budget cuts and program eliminations, raising concerns about automated decision-making affecting federal education programs.

From: DOGE Unauthorized Access to Treasury, OPM, and Social Security Databases

Elez resigns after racist posts discovered

Marko Elez resigns from his government position after the Wall Street Journal discovers a series of racist social media posts he made before joining DOGE. He had been given access to one of the most sensitive financial databases in the federal government after just weeks on the job, with inadequate vetting.

From: DOGE Associates Gained Access to $6 Trillion Treasury Payment System

White House confirms Musk polices his own conflicts

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt states it is up to Musk to determine when a conflict of interest exists and recuse himself.

From: Musk's $38 Billion Government Contract Empire Untouched While Leading DOGE Cuts