The week ends with historic executive actions, controversial proposals, and high-profile resignations.
Trump’s 32nd week ended with updates on legislation, resignations, immigration and the ongoing trade war. Trump revoked Secret Service protection for former Vice President Kamala Harris, reversing an extension issued by former President Joe Biden. At the same time, Trump announced he would sign an executive order requiring voter ID for every voter, following a previous report from The Introspective highlighting Trump’s pledge to ban mail-in voting for the 2026 elections, calling the machines “inaccurate,” “expensive” and “controversial.” Meanwhile, the White House announced plans to rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War.
Social Security Administration (SSA) Chief Data Officer Charles Borges resigned after filing a whistleblower complaint claiming that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) put sensitive information at risk. That same day, as backlash surrounding abortion continues, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) proposed prohibiting abortions for veterans, including in cases of rape and incest.
As anti-immigrant sentiment continues, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to rapidly deport undocumented immigrants without due process, temporarily setting back Trump’s mass deportation initiatives. Meanwhile, the United States announced it would not participate in a United Nations (UN) review of its human rights record, marking the first time in history that a UN member refused to participate.
As the trade war continues, Trump ended the “de minimis” exemption—a policy that allowed low-value packages shipped to the U.S. to avoid tariffs—impacting retailers such as Shein and Temu. Meanwhile, a federal appeals court ruled that most of the ongoing tariffs are illegal, dealing a major blow to Trump’s trade policies.
Kamala Harris, Department of War, Voter ID
President Trump revoked protection for former Vice President Kamala Harris after former President Joe Biden signed an executive order that expanded protection to 18 months instead of six months.
“The vice president is grateful to the United States Secret Service for their professionalism, dedication, and unwavering commitment to safety,” said senior Harris adviser Kirsten Allen.
Since the revocation, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) has offered protection for the former vice president, with a spokesperson for California Gov. Gavin Newsom refusing to discuss the deal.
“Our office does not comment on security arrangements,” Newsom’s spokesperson Izzy Gordon told the Los Angeles Times.
“The safety of our public officials should never be subject to erratic, vindictive political impulses.”
A law passed by Congress in 2008 allowed former vice presidents, their spouses and children under 16 Secret Service protection for up to six months after leaving office. It has been extended in recent administrations due to the heightened political climate. A previous report from The Introspective highlighted Trump revoking Secret Service protection for former President Biden’s children as well.
Vice President Protection 2008
At the same time, Trump announced plans to sign an executive order requiring voter ID from every voter.
“Voter I.D. Must Be Part of Every Single Vote. NO EXCEPTIONS! I Will Be Doing An Executive Order To That End!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
This follows a previous Introspective report highlighting Trump’s pledge to ban mail-in voting for the 2026 elections.
“I am going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS, and also, while we’re at it, highly ‘inaccurate,’ very expensive, and seriously controversial VOTING MACHINES, which cost ten times more than accurate and sophisticated watermark paper, which is faster and leaves NO DOUBT, at the end of the evening, as to who WON, and who LOST, the election,” Trump said in the report.
“Remember, the states are merely an ‘agent’ for the federal government in counting and tabulating the votes. They must do what the federal government, as represented by the president of the United States, tells them, FOR THE GOOD OF OUR COUNTRY, to do.”
He later told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting that the Republican Party is “going to do everything possible that we get rid of mail-in ballots.”
“We’re going to start with an executive order that’s being written right now by the best lawyers in the country to end mail-in ballots because they’re corrupt,” he said.
“And it’s time that the Republicans get tough and stop it, because the Democrats want it. It’s the only way they can get elected.”
Meanwhile, a report from The Wall Street Journal detailed plans from the Trump administration to rebrand the Department of Defense as the Department of War, seeking to revive a name last used in 1947 before the Department of Defense was created.
“As Department of War, we won everything. We won everything,” Trump said.
“I think we’re going to have to go back to that.”
SSA and Abortions
SSA Chief Data Officer Charles Borges resigned after filing a whistleblower complaint claiming that DOGE put sensitive information at risk.
“Should bad actors gain access to this cloud environment, Americans may be susceptible to widespread identity theft, may lose vital health care and food benefits, and the government may be responsible for reissuing every American a new Social Security number at great cost,” the complaint read.
In a resignation letter, Borges said he was leaving his position “involuntarily.”
“Due to my concerns regarding SSA’s questionable and potentially unlawful data management practices, and the inability to exercise my statutory duties as CDO, I believe my position is untenable and that this constitutes an intolerable working environment for a chief executive tasked with specific responsibilities and accountability,” read his resignation letter, addressed to Social Security Administrator Frank Bisignano and obtained by The Introspective.
Borges had served as the chief data officer since January.
Meanwhile, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) proposed prohibiting abortions for veterans, including in cases of rape and incest, raising new implications as abortion faces backlash post-Roe v. Wade.
“The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is proposing to reinstate the full exclusion on abortions and abortion counseling from the medical benefits package, which was removed in 2022,” the proposal read.
“VA is also proposing to reinstate the exclusions on abortion and abortion counseling for the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) that were removed in 2022.”
In a report from The Guardian, former Army Capt. Caitlin Russell reacted to the exclusion, saying the new policy would force “a woman to lie in the hospital bed until that woman is on death’s door.”
“Women are going to die,” she said.
Immigration and UN Review
As anti-immigrant sentiment continues, U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to rapidly deport undocumented immigrants without due process, limiting Trump’s mass deportation policies.
“In so holding, the court does not cast doubt on the constitutionality of the expedited removal statute, nor on its longstanding application at the border,” Cobb wrote in her opinion.
“It merely holds that in applying the statute to a huge group of people living in the interior of the country who have not previously been subject to expedited removal, the government must afford them due process. The procedures currently in place fall short.”
Immigration Ruling
In a statement obtained by The Introspective, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Cobb’s ruling “ignores the president’s clear authorities under both Article II of the Constitution and the plain language of federal law.”
“DHS is exercising its full authority under federal law by placing illegal aliens who have been here for less than two years into expedited removal,” the statement read.
“President Trump has a mandate to arrest and deport the worst of the worst. We have the law, facts, and common sense on our side.”
That same day, the United States announced it would not participate in a UN review of its human rights record, marking the first time in history that a UN member refused to participate.
“Engagement in UPRs implies endorsement of the (Human Rights) Council’s mandate and activities and ignores its persistent failure to condemn the most egregious human rights violators,” a State Department official told Reuters.
In that same report, Michael Posner, director of the Center for Business and Human Rights at New York University and former State Department official under the Obama administration, criticized the decision, claiming that the United States is undermining human rights efforts.
“By withdrawing from the UPR, the U.S. gives gross human rights abusers like Iran, Russia and Sudan an excuse to follow suit,” he said.
Trade War
With the trade war ongoing, Trump ended the “de minimis” exemption, impacting retailers such as Shein and Temu. This comes after Trump signed an executive order last month ending the policy.
“President Trump is putting an end to the proliferation of shippers worldwide that, among other things, deceptively exploit the de minimis privilege in an effort to evade duties, inspection, and U.S. law,” the White House said in a fact sheet.
There will be a six-month transition period when postal services can choose to pay a flat rate of $80 to $200 per package.
Meanwhile, a federal appeals court ruled that most of Trump’s tariffs are illegal, stating that only Congress can issue tariffs.
“The core congressional power to impose taxes such as tariffs is vested exclusively in the legislative branch by the Constitution,” the ruling read.
“Tariffs are a core congressional power.”
Tariffs Ruling
In a Truth Social post, Trump dismissed the attacks as “highly partisan” and said the Supreme Court will get involved.
“If these tariffs ever went away, it would be a total disaster for the country. It would make us financially weak, and we have to be strong,” he wrote.
“The U.S.A. will no longer tolerate enormous trade deficits and unfair tariffs and non-tariff trade barriers imposed by other countries, friend or foe, that undermine our manufacturers, farmers, and everyone else,” he continued.
“If allowed to stand, this decision would literally destroy the United States of America.”
The appellate court later paused the ruling from taking effect until Oct. 14 to give the Trump administration time to appeal the decision.
The Introspective 
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