March 17, 2026
Energy Triumph, EO Creating Task Force To Eliminate Fraud, Birthdays of Presidents Andrew Jackson and James Madison, And More
By S.E. Gunn, PhD - All News Pipeline
On March 13, 2026, the White House published the article ICYMI: “Trump’s Energy Triumph” which portrays the US as prepared for "current troubles in the Persian Gulf" according to an Op-Ed by Kimberley Strassel in The Wall Street Journal. Strassel writes that the propaganda media is working hard to get "everything wrong about Iran" and blame the Trump Administration for a global energy crisis. Strassel concludes:
We are no longer hostage to Middle East fossil-fuel threats, which gives us room to weather temporary Hormuz disruptions.
On March 16, 2026, President Trump signed the EO Establishing the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud to combat government-wide and state-wide fraud and corruption.
Section 1 acknowledges that US taxpayers fund housing, food, medical care, cash assistance, and more for citizens in need. States administer these Federal programs. Illegal aliens, criminals, foreign gangs, bureaucrats, State and local officials, non-government organizations, and ineligible providers have exploited these State administered Federal programs to the tune of billions of US dollars leading to excessive and widespread fraud, misuse, mismanagement, waste, and abuse all paid for by the US taxpayer.
Section 2 establishes the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud which will be chaired by VP Vance, with Vice Chair being the Chairman of the FTC, and Senior Advisor being the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security. In addition, representatives of the following agencies & departments shall be included: Departments of Treasury, Justice, Agriculture, Labor, HUD, Education, VA, Homeland Security along with the Small Business Administration and the Office of Management and Budget. In addition, other agencies, inspectors general, or components within the Executive Office of the President will be shanghaied by the Chairman as needed.
Section 3 identifies the operation and priorities of this task force to include:
- accelerate and coordinate a comprehensive national strategy to stop waste, freaud, and abuse.
- develop measures to improve eligibility verification for Federal benefit programs and maximize enforcement of eligibility including the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996
- develop controls to be implemented before funds are disbursed
- evaluate indicators of fraud and high-risk vulnerabilities
- promote data sharing and coordination among all agencies (State, local, tribal, territorial governments, Federal government)
- disrupt and dismantle fraud networks and facilitators
- investigate and disrupt fraud
- prevent remittance transfers once fraud is identified
- audit and ensure compliance monitoring
- analyze info for all providers or retailers to inspect for fraud
- agencies will provide the task force info the task force deems necessary to accomplish the tasks set forth in this EO
- the task force reports to the President who has direct supervision and control of the task force.
Section 4 sets report deadlines:
- 30 days report on descriptions of fraud transactions and processes along with suggested steps to prevent the fraud
- 60 days adopt minimum anti-fraud requirements to prevent fraud and loopholes that allow for systemic abuse
- 90 days submit a measurable implementation plan
Section 5 the Task Force Chairman (or Vice Chairman) can task heads of agencies to provide administrative and technical support as well as information required by the task force to carry out the functions of this EO
Section 6 tasks the AG to promote private person civil actions concerning fraud within Federal benefits programs as well as to review such actions to the maximum extent practicable.
The accompanying Fact Sheet President Donald J. Trump Establishes the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud reiterates that today's EO establishes a Task Force to eliminate fraud in Federal Benefits programs. The goal is to stop fraud, waste, and abuse in these programs.
On March 16, 2026, the White House published the article Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s Nomination for DHS Secretary Draws Bipartisan Acclaim (his nomination was reported on in my March 10, 2026 ANP Article). Senator Mullin has been a champion of border security, defender of US sovereignty, and has experience with national security threats. Senator Mullin has the support of both sides of the political equation as well as news commentators and reporters. We shall see just how much support Senator Mullin has when it comes time for Congress to vote on his appointment.
The Layoff Tracker 2026 – Recent Layoffs update:
- March 16, 2026: SK Battery America said it cut 958 of 2,566 jobs at its Georgia plant, citing slowing EV demand.
- March 14, 2026: Atlassian Corp. plans to cut 1,600 jobs, or 10% of its global workforce, as part of a pivot to AI.
- March 13, 2026: Meta Plans To Lay Off 16,000 Workers As Company Looks To Leverage AI To Cut Costs.
- March 12, 2026: Berkeley Unified will issue more than 350 layoff notices.
- March 11, 2026: Walgreens to Lay Off Workers as Store Closures Loom.
LAWFARE lawsuit tracker to date:
- 233 active cases
- 22 suits filed by the Trump Administration
- 17 SCOTUS stays or motions to vacate of lower court orders
- 1 SCOTUS affirmation of lower court order
- 8 suits where judges ruled for the federal government
- 9 suits where judges ruled against the federal government
- 6 criminal prosecutions by the DOJ:
- Representative McIver,
- former FBI Director James Comey, dismissed without prejudice 11/24/2025,
- former National Security Advisor John Bolton,
- (illegal alien) Kilmar Abrego Garcia, ordered released 12/11/2025;
- New York AG Letitia A James, dismissed without prejudice 11/24/2025,
- Congressional candidate Katherine Abughazaleh
In the lawsuit Centro de Trabajadores Unidos v. Scott Bessent docket # 25-5181 Appeal of 1:25-cv-00677 filed in Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on May 21, 2025 about Immigration Enforcement where Centro de Trabajadores Unidos appealed Judge Friedrich's denial of their motion for a preliminary injunction to keep the IRS from disclosing addresses of persons who filed tax returns. On February 24, 2026 Judges Srinivasan, Millet, & Edwards (who wrote the opinion) denied the PI appeal deciding that IRS taxpayer addresses are not part of a taxpayers return and therefore do not receive any special protection from disclosure. Therefore, the IRS can release addresses associated with a taxpayer's account.
In the lawsuit National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States v. National Park Service docket # 1:25-cv-04316 (discussed in my January 8, 2026 ANP Article) filed in District Court, District of Columbia on December 12, 2025 about East Wing Demolition where The National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States sued the National Park Service over the demolition of the East Wing of the White House and President Trump's Ballroom Project. On February 26, 2026 Judge Richard J. Leon denied the PI writing:
The parties have jockeyed for the most legally advantageous position to either support, or oppose, the injunction that is the object of this suit.
Unfortunately, because both sides initially focused on the President's constitutional authority to destruct and construct the East Wing of the White House, Plaintiff didn't bring the necessary cause of action to test the statutory authority the President claims is the basis to do this construction project without the blessing of Congress and with private funds.
If Plaintiff is inclined to amend its complaint with the necessary ultra vires cause of action to test the President's statutory authority, the Court will expeditiously consider it and, if viable, address the merits of the novel and weighty issues presented.
Until then, however, I have no choice but to deny Plaintiff's motion for a preliminary injunction for lack of likelihood of success on the merits.
For all the reasons stated above, it is hereby ORDERED that the National Trust's Motion for a Preliminary Injunction [Dkt. #2] is DENIED.
An Order consistent with the above will issue with this Memorandum Opinion.
SO ORDERED.
On February 27, 2026 plaintiffs filed an amended complaint. Then, on March 1, 2026, plaintiffs filed a second amended complaint in which they want the courts to declare the ballroom construction illegal, that President Trump exceeded his Constitutional powers by not getting Congress' permission, and they want the ballroom project ended.
Had they done this before construction was started on the ballroom; the courts could have issued a PI that could have been followed. At this point, the construction area has been demolished and construction has started on the ballroom. What good will stopping the process do? Nothing for the people but gives activist judges something to do and makes the lawyers lots of taxpayer money. At this point, the construction should be allowed to be finished.
In the lawsuit California v. USDA docket # 3:25-cv-06310 filed in District Court, N.D. California on July 28, 2025 about SNAP Data Collection where a coalition of states sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture over its demand that states turn over the personal information of SNAP applicants and recipients. On February 26, 2026, Judge Maxine M Chesney ordered:
For the reasons stated above, Plaintiff States' motion is hereby GRANTED IN PART, and USDA is PRELIMINARILY ENJOINED from disallowing SNAP funding based on Plaintiff States' failure to comply with the demands set forth in the November 24 and December 23 letters or otherwise acting thereon.
On February 27, 2026, Judge Maxine M Chesney also ordered:
The Court has considered the parties’ Second Joint Stipulation to Continue the Deadline to File a Joint Status Report. Good cause appearing therefor, the Court GRANTS that stipulation and EXTENDS the parties’ deadline to submit a Joint Status Report proposing a schedule for cross-motions for summary judgment until Friday Monday, March 9, 2026.
On March 9, 2026, Judge Maxine M Chesney ordered:
The Court has considered the parties’ Third Joint Stipulation to Continue the Deadline to File a Joint Status Report. Good cause appearing therefor, the Court GRANTS that stipulation and EXTENDS the parties’ deadline to submit a Joint Status Report proposing a schedule for cross-motions for summary judgment until Monday, March 23, 2026.
This is the lawsuit to which President Trump refers in the video above as one of the issues for the task force to investigate in eliminating fraud in Federally funded programs.
In the lawsuit AFGE v. Trump docket # 25-4014 Appeal of 4:25-cv-03070 (discussed in my August 13, 2025 ANP Article) filed in Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on June 27, 2025 about Rescinding Collective Bargaining Agreements where the government appealed Judge Donato's order granting a preliminary injunction which prevented the Trump administration from implementing the executive order which would rescind collective bargaining agreements signed under the Biden administration. On February 26, 2026, Judges John B Owens (who concurred with the opinion written by Judge Bress), Bridget S Bade, and Daniel A Bress (who wrote the opinion), vacated the preliminary injunction in favor of the Trump Administration's actions under 5 USC 7103(a)3) and 7103(b)(1) which provides the President the ability to exclude any agency or subdivision from coverage under the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute (FSLMRS).
On March 15, 2026, the White House published America 250: Presidential Message on the Birthday of President Andrew Jackson heralding President Jackson (discussed as a Patriot in my December 9, 2025 ANP Article) as a "champion for the common man, a stalwart against political corruption, and a fierce defender of Republican self-government." The White House writes:
Today, my Administration is proudly advancing the vision championed by President Jackson. We are promoting a trade policy that has secured unprecedented investment in our economy and protects our workers, industries, and manufacturers from foreign exploitation. We are restoring accountability and efficiency to Washington by tackling waste, fraud, and abuse and ensuring the United States Government is truly of, by, and for the people. We will never waver in our defense of our citizens, our sovereignty, and our homeland.
As we commemorate the birthday of our 7th Commander in Chief—and as we celebrate 250 glorious years of American independence—we honor the memory of one of the most consequential leaders in American history. On what would have been his 259th birthday, we commit to furthering President Jackson’s legacy, expanding his vision, honoring his memory, and restoring the full might of the American promise for many years to come.
On March 16, 2026, the White House published America 250: Presidential Message on the Birthday of President James Madison honoring President Madison as the Father of our Constitution and one of the intellectual architects of the American Founding. The White House writes:
Born on March 16, 1751, in Port Conway, Virginia, Madison was deeply devoted to the pursuit of knowledge. Through his intense study of history, philosophy, and the classics, he nurtured the ideas that would help guide a young Nation toward liberty and self-government. In 1776, he was elected to the Fifth Virginia Convention, where he helped draft the State Constitution and the foundational Virginia Declaration of Rights, which would later inspire the opening paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence.
As a member of the Second Continental Congress, Madison played a key role in the debates that led to the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention, and when he gathered with other delegates in the sweltering summer of 1787, Madison’s depth of study of both classical and Enlightenment texts on the nature and history of republican governance helped define the contours of the debates that followed. His proposed government—grounded in the separation of powers, popular representation, and structural accountability—helped shape our Constitution, which so famously in final form begins with the revolutionary sentence that forever changed the world: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
During the ratification debates that followed, Madison penned 29 essays of the legendary Federalist Papers, in which he laid out and defended the philosophy and principles lying at the heart of our new constitutional order. And he helped ensure ratification of the Constitution at the contentious ratification debates in Virginia. Madison’s role in defining our form of government did not end there, though. As a member of the House of Representatives in the First United States Congress, Madison drafted the Bill of Rights, balancing the constitutional framework he established with a list of stated rights and guarantees that have become central to our constitutional order.
Madison would go on to serve as Secretary of State under President Thomas Jefferson, where he played a key role in bringing about the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of our new Nation. As the fourth President of the United States, Madison defended American sovereignty during the War of 1812, and ushered in the “Era of Good Feelings” thereafter, helping to define the civic character of the United States.
Following his presidency, Madison returned home to his beloved Montpelier estate in Virginia, where he remained a titan in American public life for years to come. He served as the rector of the University of Virginia, which he helped to establish, and played a decisive role in resolving the Nullification Crisis. At the age of 78, Madison was a representative to the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1829 to 1830.
In his honor, as we celebrate 250 glorious years of American independence, my Administration reaffirms the sacred principles that James Madison spent his life defending—including rule by the people, freedom of religion, and the constitutional rule of law. On what would have been his 275th birthday, we salute the great James Madison for his integral role in securing our birthright of liberty.
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