MIL WH Engine

Source: United States White House

SECURING THE BEST AI IN THE WORLD FOR AMERICA’S DEFENDERS: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the National Security Enterprise, establishing a new framework to put the most advanced, secure, and reliable AI systems into the hands of America’s warfighters and intelligence professionals while ensuring their responsible use. 

• The Memorandum directs the national security enterprise to accelerate AI adoption to meet surging demand, adapt the best commercial and open-source technologies for mission use, assure that fielded systems are robust, steerable, controllable, and preserve clear lines of accountability under the Constitutional chain of command.
• The Memorandum strengthens national security capabilities, directing the rapid onboarding of the most advanced AI models from multiple vendors, driving the buildout of next-generation, high-security computing facilities to run future AI systems at scale, and bolstering the talent pipeline, including by establishing an AI National Security Strategic Reserve of top non-governmental experts.
• The Memorandum directs the Secretary of War to issue an updated directive on autonomy in weapon systems and requires annual review of key guidance across the national security enterprise to keep pace with the rapidly advancing AI frontier. 
• The Memorandum directs departments and agencies to ensure that no entity, commercial or otherwise, can disable, degrade, or modify an AI system that American warfighters depend on without prior approval. It also offers new partnerships with willing private-sector companies to secure America’s cutting-edge AI against global threats. 
• The Memorandum rescinds and replaces the Biden Administration’s NSM-25, an outdated document that burdened American AI adoption with ideological mandates and fostered dangerous single-vendor dependencies that left our warfighters exposed.

PROTECTING AMERICAN WARFIGHTERS AND AMERICAN VALUES: The men and women who defend the United States deserve the most advanced AI in the world. President Trump is making sure that they have access to it, that they can rely on it when it matters most, and that this technology is handled with the care and seriousness expected by the American people.

• AI will be among the most transformative technologies for national security in American history. Used appropriately, it can help protect troops on the battlefield, enable precise operations that minimize harm to civilians, and ensure the United States maintains technological overmatch against every adversary.
• The national security enterprise will never develop or deploy AI to censor free speech, embed ideological bias, or conduct unlawful surveillance against the American people. Civil liberties and Constitutional protections are non-negotiable.
• The Memorandum makes accountability a central pillar of AI adoption, reinforcing a chain of command that runs from the American people through their elected President to the warfighter. Commanders, directors, and agency heads remain accountable for ensuring these obligations are met at every level.

DRIVING AMERICAN AI DOMINANCE:  President Trump is securing American AI leadership and delivering its benefits to the American people. 

• In July 2025, President Trump released his AI Action Plan, organized around three pillars: accelerating innovation, building American AI infrastructure, and leading in international AI diplomacy.
• In July 2025, he signed an Executive Order preventing the Federal government from using AI models that include ideological biases or social agendas.
• In March 2026, President Trump unveiled his comprehensive national legislative framework addressing the most pressing policy topics that AI presents, including protecting children, strengthening American communities, supporting creators, defending free speech, enabling innovation, and building an AI-ready workforce. 
• In May 2026, the Department of War announced agreements with eight of the world’s leading AI companies to deploy their capabilities on the Department’s classified networks. This historic step places advanced AI systems directly in the hands of our warfighters and establishes the United States military as the premier AI-enabled fighting force.
• In June 2026, President Trump signed an Executive Order to advance American AI innovation to strengthen America’s cybersecurity, protect critical infrastructure, and ensure the United States remains the global leader in AI innovation.
• President Trump has driven historic private-sector investment commitments into American AI infrastructure, manufacturing, and research, creating countless new jobs for Americans across the country and ensuring the frontier of this technology is built here at home. 

Source: United States White House

class=”has-text-align-left”>MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE

THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY

THE SECRETARY OF WAR

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

THE SECRETARY OF ENERGY

THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY

THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET

THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE

THE DIRECTOR OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

THE ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS

THE ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR POLICY AND HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISOR

THE DIRECTOR OF THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

THE NATIONAL CYBER DIRECTOR

SUBJECT:       Artificial Intelligence in the National Security Enterprise

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby direct the following:

Section 1.  Purpose.  Artificial intelligence (AI) will be among the most transformative technologies to national security in the history of the United States.  When adopted appropriately, AI can help protect our warfighters during peacetime and on the battlefield, enable precise operations that minimize harm to civilians, and ensure the United States continues to maintain technical overmatch against our adversaries and strategic competitors.

Previous administrations imposed undue bureaucracy that hampered the pace of AI adoption, fostered dangerous dependencies on single vendors, and made it challenging for our warfighters to adopt the most advanced technologies.  Meanwhile, our competitors continued to develop and deploy their own AI and sophisticated autonomous technologies for military and intelligence purposes, employing them with little regard for appropriate human oversight or civil liberties.

Under my Administration, the United States can and will responsibly accelerate the use of AI across intelligence and warfighting domains in line with American values.  The United States possesses the most effective and moral military in the history of world.  It is also among the most trusted institutions in American life.  That trust is rooted in an unbroken chain of command and accountability, from our democratic process through civilian and military leadership, to the men and women who carry out the mission.

My Administration will ensure that those who safeguard America and the American way of life are equipped with the most sophisticated and secure AI technologies to perform complex, time-sensitive, and highly-consequential missions, with full confidence that those tools will be available when they matter most.  We will streamline the acquisition and deployment of these technologies while maintaining rigorous oversight and building a secure and resilient supply chain that cannot be severed in times of conflict.  We will work closely with the private sector and academia to ensure the best technical talent is available to the national security enterprise and that our warfighters are trained to effectively employ advanced AI systems in accordance with guidance.  Through these efforts, my Administration will secure a decisive and enduring AI advantage against any and all adversaries while safeguarding the constitutional chain of command.

Sec. 2.  Policy.  My Administration will accelerate the development and use of AI for national security applications, guided by the following four pillars:

(a)  Adoption.  The national security enterprise shall accelerate AI adoption by identifying mission areas where AI can enhance operational effectiveness and eliminating unnecessary barriers to rapid deployment.  To this end, the national security enterprise shall maintain deep, proactive partnerships with industry, to make the most advanced frontier models broadly available to national security professionals without delay, ensuring technological overmatch while driving rapid experimentation and validation across potential applications.

(b)  Adaptation.  The national security enterprise shall adapt commercial or open-source AI technologies, leveraging the most cutting-edge capabilities available from diverse suppliers across the private sector, large and small, while ensuring that AI technologies chosen are optimized for their intended use.  In cases where the use of a commercial solution is not appropriate due to security or mission limitations, executive departments and agencies (agencies) may deploy commercially or internally customized AI technologies or develop AI technologies internally.  Such technologies shall be made available across the national security enterprise to support multiple missions where possible.

(c)  Assurance.  The national security enterprise shall assure that all AI technologies adopted are designed to be reliable, robust, steerable, and controllable, and that they operate, in accordance with applicable laws, government policies, and guidance.  To protect American warfighters, the national security enterprise shall ensure, through contractual clauses or other means, that no commercial entity or adversary possesses the capability to prevent use of, disable or degrade, or materially modify without Federal Government knowledge and approval, an AI system that our men and women depend on for their missions.  In addition, rigorous security and functionality measures, including testing, evaluation, validation, and verification, shall be implemented to assure the appropriate confidentiality, integrity, reliability, availability, and interoperability of AI systems across the national security enterprise.

(d)  Accountability.  American AI technologies shall neither be developed nor used by the national security enterprise to censor free speech, embed ideological bias, or conduct unauthorized or unlawful surveillance activities.  The use of AI by the national security enterprise must always be consistent with United States civil liberties and protections afforded by the Constitution and laws and regulations safeguarding the privacy of American citizens.  Commanders, directors, and heads of agencies shall remain responsible and accountable for ensuring that these obligations are met at every level of command, and that such accountability keeps pace with the evolution of AI capabilities and regulations governing the privacy and civil liberties of American citizens.

Sec. 3.  Updated Policies and Guidance.  (a)  Within 90 days of the date of this memorandum, the Secretary of War shall issue an update to DOD Directive 3000.09 on Autonomy in Weapon Systems, to be reviewed annually to account for the rapidly evolving capabilities of AI systems, to ensure the deliberate adoption of AI systems that respect the chain of command and operational authorities, and remain consistent with the policy set forth in section 2 of this memorandum.

(b)  Consistent with roles and responsibilities outlined in the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 (44 U.S.C. 3551 et seq.), the Secretary of War for systems described in section 3553(e)(2) of that Act, the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) for systems described in section 3553(e)(3) of that Act, and the heads of relevant agencies for systems described in section 3557 of that Act, shall direct, to the maximum extent permissible by law, termination for default or for convenience contracts with companies that have repeatedly demonstrated a pattern of conduct that is inconsistent with policies laid out in section 2 of this memorandum.  This includes contracts under which such companies provide services to the applicable agencies as subcontractors. The heads of these agencies may establish a waiver process to grant limited exceptions of a defined duration, to exceed no longer than 1 year, where such relationships are necessary to responsibly steward United States national security.  Exceptions may include operational imperatives, test and evaluation arrangements, threat intelligence sharing, and other mission-critical applications, subject to appropriate risk mitigation measures and enhanced oversight.  All exceptions shall be reported to the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology (APST) and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (APNSA) in writing by heads of agencies, without designee, within 30 days of the waiver being granted.

(c)  Within 90 days of the date of this memorandum, consistent with policies laid out in section 2 of this memorandum, the Committee on National Security Systems and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB Director), in coordination with the APST, and in consultation with the heads of relevant IC elements, shall issue an appropriate policy for governance of AI use in national security systems, including implementation and reporting requirements.  Such policy should maximize consistency with AI governance requirements for non-national security systems, such as that in OMB guidance OMB memorandum M-25-21, to the extent appropriate.

(d)  To address sensitive national security issues, a classified annex will be issued within 90 days of the date of this memorandum.

(e)  Following the issuance of the guidance called for in this section, the Secretary of War, heads of agencies within the IC, and the heads of any other agency performing a national security function shall update all relevant policies and guidance to be consistent with the policy set forth in this memorandum.  Each such agency head shall review and, as necessary, further update such guidance on an annual basis to reflect the evolving state of AI technology.

(f)  This memorandum hereby rescinds and replaces National Security Memorandum-25 and associated guidance.

Sec. 4.  Advancing National Security Capabilities.  (a)  Within 120 days of the date of this memorandum, the Secretary of War, the DNI, and the heads of agencies with IC elements shall review and update procurement processes to ensure the rapid onboarding of the most advanced AI models from multiple vendors, closing the capability gap between what is available to the public and to our national security workforce.

(b)  Within 90 days of the date of this memorandum, the APST and the OMB Director, in coordination with the Secretary of War, the Secretary of Energy, the DNI, and the Director of the National Security Agency (NSA Director), and in consultation with other agencies as appropriate, shall jointly develop a roadmap to ensure that all elements of the national security enterprise have adequate access to advanced computing resources.  The roadmap should include the commissioning of advanced AI computing facilities with the appropriate high security requirements, to support next-generation AI systems operating at scale, and should include the establishment of an AI test range for national security use cases, subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c)  Within 120 days of the date of this memorandum, the Secretary of War, the Secretary of Energy, the DNI, and the NSA Director, through the AI Security Center, in consultation with the APST, shall develop partnerships with willing private-sector companies to help secure America’s most cutting-edge AI technologies, including from malicious distillation attacks.  Such partnerships may include sharing threat intelligence, conducting joint AI red-team exercises, assisting with personnel vetting, supporting joint security research and development (R&D) that the private sector cannot undertake alone, enhancing the physical and cyber security of our Nation’s data centers, and providing technical support similar to that given to Defense Industrial Base partners.  Agencies shall coordinate and deconflict engagements with industry partners when practicable.

(d)  The Secretary of Energy shall work with relevant agencies through the Genesis Mission to develop capabilities for applying AI to national security missions, including through partnerships with the private sector.

(e)  The DNI, in coordination with IC elements, shall prioritize the collection and analysis of foreign AI technologies, across the AI technology stack, AI applications and uses, and AI governance and policies that pose a threat to United States national security, economic security, and strategic competitiveness.  In consultation with the DNI, the Secretary of State shall develop a strategy to engage with allies and partners and share findings from the DNI’s analysis, as appropriate, to address these threats.

(f)  Within 120 days of the date of the memorandum, consistent with applicable authorities, the DNI, the Secretary of War, the Secretary of Energy, and the NSA Director, under his National Manager authorities, shall initiate joint AI data and model exchanges, accessible across multiple enclaves, for mission applications common to the national security enterprise.

Sec. 5.  Building Capacity for AI Adoption.  (a)  Agencies are directed to utilize special hiring and pay authorities, as well as novel talent programs from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and other relevant agencies, to accelerate the hiring of technical AI talent into the Federal Government.

(b)  Within 120 days of the date of this memorandum, the OPM Director, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security, and in consultation with the DNI, the Secretary of War, the Secretary of Energy, the OMB Director, the APST, and the APNSA, the Homeland Security Advisor, and relevant IC elements, shall initiate efforts to establish an AI National Security Strategic Reserve of non-governmental AI talent to provide support to Federal efforts to address AI national security issues, as needed.

(c)  Within 120 days of the date of this memorandum, the DNI and the Secretary of War, in coordination with the OMB Director and IC elements, shall develop and implement an AI for National Security Curriculum, coordinated with existing Federal AI and cyber training programs.  This initiative shall ensure that relevant personnel across the national security enterprise are trained to employ AI systems in accordance with applicable guidance and maintain literacy on the current AI frontier, including its capabilities, limitations, and implications for national security.

(d)  Agencies shall prioritize the R&D of technologies that enable AI reliability, robustness, steerability, and controllability in fulfillment of mission requirements, including constitutional protections.  They shall also develop capabilities and best practices to maintain the leadership of the national security enterprise in this domain, subject to the availability of appropriations.

(e)  Within 120 days of the date of this memorandum, to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of America’s most critical AI systems, the DNI, the Secretary of War, and the NSA Director, under his National Manager authorities, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Energy, and the Secretary of the Treasury, shall develop a joint strategy for AI risk management and assurance and implementation guidance that establishes baseline AI security practices for the national security enterprise, to be submitted to the APST, the OMB Director, the National Cyber Director, and the APNSA for review prior to publication.

(f)  Within 120 days of the date of this memorandum, the Secretary of War, through the NSA Director, and the DNI shall submit standardized AI national security Test, Evaluation, Verification, and Validation methodologies, including for conformity verification and sustainment of high-security AI systems, at appropriate classification levels, to the APST and the National Cyber Director for review prior to publication, where appropriate.

Sec. 6.  Definitions.  For the purposes of this memorandum:

(a)  “Artificial intelligence” or “AI” has the meaning set forth in 15 U.S.C. 9401(3);

(b)  “AI incident response” means the preparation, detection, analysis, remediation, and recovery from intentional or unintentional performance degradation or data loss or spillage of AI systems, including technical malfunctions and adversarial attacks;

(c)  “AI security” means the application of appropriate protection mechanisms across the AI technology stack to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of AI systems, from design through deployment;

(d)  “AI technology stack” means the layers that enable the development and deployment of AI technologies, including AI-optimized hardware and related infrastructure, including chips, servers, accelerators, data center storage, cloud services, networking, etc.; data pipelines and labeling systems; AI models and systems; security and cybersecurity measures for AI models and systems; and AI applications for sector-specific or functional use cases;

(e)  “Chain of command” means the properly designated succession of individuals through which authority, direction, and control is exercised to accomplish a lawful objective;

(f)  “Controllability” means the ability to monitor the operation and outcomes of a system and take corrective action as needed.

(g)  “Intelligence Community” has the meaning given the term in section 3003 of title 50, United States Code;

(h)  “National security enterprise” means the Department of War, the Intelligence Community, and other agencies that develop, deploy, or use national security systems or otherwise serve a national security role;

(i)  “Reliability” means the ability of a system to perform as required, without failure, under given conditions;

(j)  “Robustness” means the ability of a system to maintain a level of performance under a variety of circumstances, including outside intended operating conditions; and

(k)  “Steerability” means the ability to shape the internal behavior of a system to pursue a given set of objectives.

Sec. 7.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

                             DONALD J. TRUMP

Source: United States White House

Today, our Nation commemorates the Battle of Midway, the extraordinary air and sea victory that stripped Imperial Japan of its naval supremacy in the Pacific and set America’s Armed Forces on a path to ultimate triumph in World War II.

In the months following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Imperial Japan advanced across the Pacific with fierce momentum, seizing territory and challenging Allied forces at every turn on land, in the air, and at sea.  They had their sights on Midway Island, a small but strategically vital American bastion just over 1,000 miles away from Hawaii—the last significant barrier between Japanese naval power and the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.  

What Imperial Japan did not know was that American ingenuity had already decimated all hopes of victory.  Working around the clock in absolute secrecy, U.S. Navy codebreakers had cracked Japan’s encrypted communications, piecing together the time, location, and full scope of the planned attack.  For the first time since the attack on Pearl Harbor, America had the upper hand.

On June 4, 1942, the skies over Midway erupted in one of the most dramatic clashes in the history of armed conflict.  In a battle waged almost entirely by aircraft, Americans heroically manned air defense positions on the island while American aviators flew headlong into a formidable enemy force with breathtaking courage and precision.  Wave after wave of American dive bombers descended upon the Japanese fleet with ferocious determination, eventually sinking 4 irreplaceable aircraft carriers and destroying over 200 enemy aircraft.  Imperial Japan’s dreams of an expanded empire began to slowly fade at the hands of American military might, turning the tide in the Pacific Theater and setting the stage for total victory 3 years later.

Eighty-four years after the guns fell silent over Midway, the legend of this victory burns as brightly as ever, especially during our Nation’s 250th year of Independence.  In the decades since this epic battle, America and Japan have built one of the world’s most enduring friendships, forging an alliance grounded in shared values and a mutual commitment to a free and peaceful world. 

From the waters of the Pacific to every battlefield on which America has ever been tested, the unbroken story of American triumph has always been to face down every enemy, overcome every adversity, and emerge each time more powerful, more resolute, and more glorious as the greatest Nation the world has ever known.

Source: United States White House

President Trump’s appointment of William J. Pulte to serve as Acting Director of National Intelligence is drawing praise from lawmakers in the nation’s capital. A battle-tested reformer with deep experience safeguarding highly sensitive information and overhauling massive government institutions, Pulte brings decisive leadership, proven integrity, and a fierce America First commitment to the Intelligence Community.

Pulte has a track record of transforming inefficient bureaucracies, protecting critical American assets, and confronting entrenched interests — exactly the outsider leadership needed to ensure our nation’s intelligence agencies focus on their core mission: protecting the American people and confronting global threats.

Here’s what they’re saying:

Sen. Jim Banks: “While Democrats play politics with our national security, @pulte will put the American people first. He is a friend, ally, and patriot who will fight to drain the Swamp of our intel community, and keep America safe. I look forward to working with him as Acting Director of National Intelligence.”

Sen. Marsha Blackburn: “Congratulations to @pulte on being named Acting Director of National Intelligence. I applaud his willingness to serve our nation and look forward to supporting him.”

Sen. Katie Britt: “As a member of the Senate Banking Committee, I’ve enjoyed working with @Pulte in his capacity as Director of Federal Housing. I appreciate his willingness to serve and dedication to our country. I wish him success in this critical role for our national security.”

Sen. Bernie Moreno: “A great pick by President Trump! My friend @Pulte will lead the DNI with integrity, cripple the deep state, and always prioritize America’s national security and the safety of our citizens!”

Sen. Tommy Tuberville: “I am ALL FOR Bill Pulte as the Acting Director of National Intelligence. He has done an excellent job in his role as Director of Federal Housing, and I’ve worked closely with him to get the WOKE NONSENSE out of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Bill is an America First PATRIOT, and I am confident he is the right man to drain the SWAMP in our intel community.”

Rep. Andrew Clyde: “President Trump has a phenomenal track record of making out of the box appointments that deliver results for the American people. Bill Pulte will be a great Director of National Intelligence.”

Rep. Lance Gooden: “If Democrats, RINOs, and the deep state are all vehemently against @pulte as Director of National Intelligence, he is the right man for the job.”

Rep. Paul Gosar: “The Left & DC establishment are melting down over @POTUS selection of Bill Pulte.  Here’s a reminder: @POTUS was elected to lead the Executive Branch & has every right to surround himself with America First people he trusts to carry out his agenda.  Pulte has proven himself to be a fighter, a reformer & someone willing to challenge a broken status quo.”

Rep. Abe Hamadeh: “As a former intelligence officer, I know the importance of fearless transparency and courageous leadership to keep our country safe and strengthen our national security. Bill @Pulte is a relentless fighter for the truth, a political outsider with a fresh perspective we desperately need more of in Washington. I have complete confidence in President Trump’s selection of him as the next Director of National Intelligence.”

Rep. Darrell Issa: “Congratulations to @pulte on his appointment by @realDonaldTrump as the new Acting Director of National Intelligence. Bill has successfully managed some of the most sensitive American data, as well as more than $10 trillion in assets at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. This is the right man at the right time for this critical post.”

Rep. Ronny Jackson: “CONGRATULATIONS to our next Acting Director of National Intelligence, Bill Pulte! As a member of @HouseIntel, I look forward to working with him to support President Trump’s agenda and ensure our intelligence agencies are equipped to confront the growing threats facing our nation!”

Rep. Nick Langworthy: “Congratulations to Bill Pulte on his appointment as Acting Director of National Intelligence. At a time when threats to our nation are growing more complex, strong leadership matters. I am confident Bill will serve with integrity, focus, and an unwavering commitment to protecting the American people.”

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna: “Bill Pulte will be a great ODNI! Go Bill – Go!”

Rep. Lloyd Smucker: “Congratulations to @pulte on your appointment as Acting Director of National Intelligence! Grateful for your service as you take on this key role helping President Trump and his administration protect our nation.”

Rep. Marlin Stutzman: “Bill Pulte is a smart person and a fantastic businessman. I appreciate President Trump’s confidence in naming him intel chief!”

Rep. Claudia Tenney: “Congratulations to @pulte on his appointment as Acting Director of National Intelligence. Director Pulte has managed some of the most sensitive issues in our economy and has a proven record of leadership. As a former bank attorney & member of @HouseIntel, I look forward to working with him.”

Source: United States White House

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby determine and order:

Section 1.  Purpose.  Customs enforcement is essential to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.  Effective customs enforcement prevents the importation of unlawful and dangerous goods; ensures importers of record (IORs) are correctly identified and accountable for duties owed; and guarantees compliance with numerous Federal laws, including laws governing forced labor, rules of origin, origin marking, intellectual property, revenue collection, and product safety.

Customs reform is long overdue.  Systemic inefficiencies, loopholes, insufficient enforcement mechanisms, and outdated processes have created opportunities for malign actors to evade Federal law.  Examples of noncompliance include undervaluing imports, withholding critical information about IORs and the goods being imported, and avoiding payment of duties through various arrangements and schemes.  These actions threaten national security, undermine foreign relations, disadvantage domestic businesses, and harm Americans.

The United States must strengthen its customs enforcement through comprehensive reform, including through agency action and legislation.  Such reform should focus on protecting national security, promoting lawful trade, ensuring the timely collection of duties, modernizing systems and processes, bolstering compliance mechanisms, increasing transparency, and protecting Americans and the domestic economy.

Sec. 2.  Importers of Record.  (a)  Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) shall, pursuant to 19 U.S.C. 66, 1484, 1498, 1623, 1624, and 4320, and any other applicable law, take steps to revise importer eligibility regulations, guidance, and policies consistent with the policy of this order.  These revisions shall include:

(i)    requiring that an IOR maintain at all times a minimum level of tangible domestic assets, bonding, or both, as determined by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to be necessary to ensure compliance with U.S. customs and trade laws, and increasing the minimum required bond coverage for an IOR;

(ii)   requiring that an IOR be designated and reported to CBP, and that a bond, or sufficient tangible domestic assets, or both, be required, for all formal entries under 19 U.S.C. 1484 and informal entries under regulations promulgated pursuant to 19 U.S.C. 1498; and

(iii)  requiring that an IOR provide to CBP additional data and identification information, including anticipated import volumes, year organized, ownership and beneficial ownership disclosures, business affiliation disclosures, and domestic asset disclosures, and any other data that CBP deems necessary.

(b)(i)  Pursuant to 19 U.S.C. 66, 1484, 1498, 1623, 1624, and 4320, and any other applicable law, the Secretary shall promptly issue, amend, modify, or rescind any relevant regulation, policy, or guidance to prohibit a foreign IOR from filing informal entry under regulations promulgated pursuant to 19 U.S.C. 1498.

(ii)  These prohibitions for informal entry are necessary for foreign IORs importing low-value articles because such IORs are not similarly situated to U.S. IORs.  This is in part due to the substantially higher volumes of low-value articles that are imported by foreign individuals and companies that are less familiar with U.S. customs and trade laws and that face lower penalty amounts and financial consequences for noncompliance where penalty amounts are correlated to value.  It is critically important that the United States be able to counter these challenges through meaningful and effective enforcement actions.  The United States faces substantial barriers when seeking to enforce U.S. customs and trade laws against foreign actors like foreign IORs, particularly when assets, operations, and key individuals are located overseas.  Prohibiting the filing of informal entries for foreign IORs puts all IORs on equal footing and is necessary to treat IORs equally based on their individualized circumstances and in order to protect U.S. revenue and domestic industry, protect American consumers, strengthen national security, and maintain foreign relations.  In any event, I determine that it is not in the interests of national security or practicable to treat foreign IORs equally to U.S. IORs in the informal entry environment.

(c)(i)  Pursuant to 19 U.S.C. 66, 1484, 1498, 1623, 1624, and 4320, and any other applicable law, the Secretary shall promptly issue, amend, modify, or rescind any relevant regulation, policy, or guidance to require for formal entry under 19 U.S.C. 1484 that a foreign IOR:  (1) may not rely on a continuous bond to meet the bond requirements for entry, except as permitted by CBP when the foreign IOR has demonstrated that the revenue would be fully protected and that compliance with the laws, regulations, and instructions enforced by CBP would be assured; and (2) be validated in CBP’s Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT), if determined by CBP to be eligible, or use a CTPAT validated and licensed customs broker to file entries with CBP.

(ii)  These additional requirements for formal entry are necessary for foreign IORs because such IORs are not similarly situated to U.S. IORs.  The United States faces substantial barriers when seeking to enforce U.S. customs and trade laws against foreign actors like foreign IORs, particularly when assets, operations, and key individuals are located overseas.  Principles such as the revenue rule reinforce why it is important for the United States to impose heightened requirements against foreign IORs, which can more easily evade payment of amounts owed and other consequences for noncompliance with U.S. customs and trade laws.  Foreign IORs may exploit U.S. customs and trade laws and refuse to pay their customs debts, knowing the challenges posed by international enforcement of domestic customs laws and regulations.  Because these challenges are not present for U.S. IORs, the additional requirements for formal entry for foreign IORs put all IORs on equal footing and are necessary to treat IORs equally based on their individualized circumstances and in order to protect U.S. revenue and domestic industry, protect American consumers, strengthen national security, and maintain foreign relations.  Moreover, I determine the current conditions of entry produce, in practice, unequal treatment of U.S. IORs when compared to foreign IORs.  In any event, I determine that it is not practicable to treat foreign IORs equally to U.S. IORs, at least not in the respect detailed in subsection (b) of this section.

(d)  Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary shall require all IORs to maintain “good standing” with CBP, and CBP shall define “good standing” based on the IOR’s and its affiliates’ history of compliance with U.S. customs and trade laws and regulations and payment of required customs liabilities, among other relevant considerations.  For example, IORs that have been found by CBP to have illegally imported fentanyl, nitazene, or other illicit substances or contraband, including precursor chemicals for the purposes of manufacturing illicit substances, shall, consistent with applicable law, not be in “good standing” with CBP.  IORs not in “good standing” with CBP shall not be allowed to import into the United States or otherwise conduct activities directly related to the importation of goods, including designating a customs broker to act as IOR on their behalf.

(e)  Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary shall update the IOR registry consistent with the policy of this order.  These updates shall include removing inactive IORs; confirming active IORs are compliant with all applicable regulations and disclosures; and creating risk-based tiers for IORs based on compliance history, enforcement actions, and audit results, among other things.

(f)  Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary shall establish enhanced vetting procedures, including recurrent vetting, for all individuals and entities seeking to conduct activities directly related to the importation of goods, including foreign IORs, affiliates of IORs, customs brokers, custodians of bonded merchandise, and freight forwarders.

Sec. 3.  Import Disclosure and Certification Requirements.  (a)  The Secretary shall take steps to establish heightened import disclosure and certification requirements consistent with the policy of this order.  These heightened requirements shall include certifying compliance with critical supply chain requirements like the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (Public Law 115-44), 18 U.S.C 545, and others to be determined by CBP, in consultation with the heads of relevant executive departments and agencies (agencies); disclosing certain foreign tax and global business identifiers; and providing detailed information about the imported good’s supply chain and production methods, such as the manufacturer’s product identifier (e.g., model or style number) or key specifications (e.g., composition, grade, or size).  The Secretary shall enforce all applicable criminal fines and civil penalties in the event of noncompliance with these heightened requirements.

(b)  Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary shall take steps to establish a requirement mandating the submission of any documentation or information that the foreign exporter was required to submit to the foreign customs administration prior to exporting to the United States.

Sec. 4.  Enforcement and Penalties.  (a)  The Secretary shall, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, take any action he deems necessary to bolster the enforcement of customs laws, regulations, and other mandates, including conditions necessary for participation in the CTPAT program.  These actions shall include enforcing liquidated damages claims against bonds for noncompliance; restricting in-bond utilization; increasing audits; and imposing maximum penalties for brokers who, for example, fail to conduct due diligence, repeatedly represent noncompliant clients, or fail to cooperate in a timely manner with requests for information by CBP.

(b)  The Secretary and the Attorney General shall take all appropriate action to prioritize the enforcement of Federal law relating to importations involving products produced by forced labor, and importations involving misclassification, undervaluation, and illegal transshipment, including investigations conducted pursuant to the Enforce and Protect Act (Public Law 114-125).

(c)  Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary shall take steps to revise all mitigation standards consistent with the policy of this order.  These revisions shall include establishing a minimum penalty floor of not less than 50 percent of the assessed penalty, absent exceptional circumstances that materially impact national security; establishing a minimum liquidated damages floor; and eliminating mitigation for repeat offenders.

Sec. 5.  Streamlined Disposal.  Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, take actions to expedite and enhance the seizure and disposal of non-compliant imports.  These actions shall include reducing or eliminating regulatory burdens to voluntary abandonment, increasing bond requirements for high-risk shipments, authorizing third-party disposal, and utilizing authorities under 19 U.S.C. 1612.

Sec. 6.  Transparency.  Within 90 days of the date of this order, and in consultation with the heads of relevant agencies, the Secretary shall enhance transparency in customs by taking steps to establish various requirements, standards, and practices consistent with the policy of this order.  These measures shall include requiring periodic review and expiration of confidentiality requests, as appropriate; and publishing annual enforcement transparency reports.  Each measure established under this section shall be consistent with applicable law, national security, and any other applicable limit on the disclosure of sensitive information.

Sec. 7.  Consideration of Relevant Issues.  In making the judgments in this order, I have considered all relevant alternatives including less restrictive alternatives, all legitimate reliance interests, and all other relevant issues and factors and determine that the action and policy judgments in this order are the reasonable result.  For example, in ordering the action specified in section 2(b) and section 2(c) of this order, I have considered all relevant alternatives including less restrictive alternatives, all legitimate reliance interests, and all other relevant issues and factors, and I determine that prohibiting foreign IORs from filing informal entry pursuant to regulations promulgated under 19 U.S.C. 1498 and increasing the requirements for foreign IORs to use formal entry are reasonable policy judgments.

Sec. 8.  Legislation.  Within 45 days of the date of this order, the Secretary, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the heads of any other relevant agencies, shall submit to the President, through the Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing, recommendations for legislation to strengthen customs enforcement.

Sec. 9.  Reporting.  Within 1 year of the date of this order, the Secretary shall submit a report to the President, through the United States Trade Representative, the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, and the Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing, on the effectiveness of the matters set forth in this order.

Sec. 10.  Definitions.  For purposes of this order:

(a)  The term “U.S. IOR” means an IOR that, in the case of an individual, is a United States citizen or a lawful permanent resident, and in the case of an entity, is organized under the laws of the United States, is located in the United States, and has at all times controlling beneficial owner(s) who are United States citizens or lawful permanent residents; or, in the case of an entity, owns a significant amount of real property in the United States, as determined by the Secretary.

(b)  The term “foreign IOR” means an IOR that does not meet the definition of “U.S. IOR” — in the case of an individual, is not a United States citizen or a lawful permanent resident, and in the case of an entity, is not organized under the laws of the United States, not located in the United States, does not have at all times controlling beneficial owner(s) who are United States citizens or lawful permanent residents, or does not own a significant amount of real property in the United States, as determined by the Secretary.

(c)  For purposes of the definitions of “U.S. IOR” and “foreign IOR,” the Secretary shall provide further guidance concerning the meaning of the term “located in the United States,” and such guidance shall prioritize preventing entities from using shell companies, sham transactions, or artificial corporate or organizational structuring in an attempt to qualify as a U.S. IOR.  At a minimum, to be “located in the United States” an entity must have:

(i)    its principal place of business in the United States;

(ii)   a physical presence where significant business activity is conducted in the United States; and

(iii)  sufficient tangible assets located in the United States, taking into account the size and scale of the overall operations of the company and whether the entity is an instrumentality of a foreign manufacturer without a substantial United States presence. 

Sec. 11.  Severability.  If any provision of this order, or the application of any provision of this order to any individual or circumstance, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this order and the application of its provisions to any other individuals or circumstances shall not be affected.

Sec. 12.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law, including the Administrative Procedure Act, and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

(d)  The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of Homeland Security.

                              DONALD J. TRUMP

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    June 3, 2026.

Source: United States White House

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including sections 3301, 3302, 5595 and 7511 of title 5, United States Code, it is hereby ordered:

Section 1.  Purpose.  The President relies on subordinates in the executive branch to help him faithfully execute the laws and advance the priorities for which he was elected by the American people.  Officials in confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, and policy-advocating roles (policy-influencing positions) play particularly important roles in helping him fulfill this constitutional duty.  Therefore, ensuring that such employees can be removed for misconduct or poor performance is essential to protecting democratic self-government by an elected President.

To enhance accountability in these policy-influencing positions, Executive Order 13957 of October 21, 2020 (Creating Schedule F in the Excepted Service), as amended by Executive Order 14171 of January 20, 2025 (Restoring Accountability to Policy-Influencing Positions Within the Federal Workforce), created Schedule Policy/Career in the excepted service.  Schedule Policy/Career positions are policy-influencing career positions that will be filled based on merit and not political affiliation.  At the same time, Schedule Policy/Career positions are exempted from the adverse action procedures that make removals for poor performance or misconduct so difficult that barely two-fifths of Federal supervisors believe they could remove subordinates who engage in serious misconduct, and only a quarter believe they could remove serious underperformers.  Further, two-thirds of senior Federal executives report that their agencies rarely or never reassign or dismiss underperforming managers.

Senior policy-influencing positions must be transferred into Schedule Policy/Career to increase accountability in such positions.  This order effectuates these transfers and amends the Civil Service Rules and Regulations and previous Executive Orders to implement Schedule Policy/Career.  In addition to ensuring accountability for poor performance, this order also advances merit in the Federal civil service by directing executive departments and agencies (agencies) to appropriately recognize and reward Schedule Policy/Career employees for outstanding work.

Sec. 2.  Amendments to the Civil Service Rules and Regulations.  (a)  Civil Service Rule I is amended by removing the text of 5 CFR 1.3(d) that follows the words “Provided, that an employee who is in the competitive service” and adding in its place “with competitive status at the time his position is first listed under Schedule A, B, C, Policy/Career or G shall be in the excepted service but shall retain his competitive status.”

(b)  Civil Service Rule III is amended by adding at the end of 5 CFR 3.1(a) a new paragraph 5 that reads:  “(5) An employee whose initial appointment was to a Pathways Program position in Schedule D of the excepted service, and who was subsequently converted to a position in Schedule Policy/Career, with or without an intervening term appointment, and without a break in service of one day.”

(c)  Civil Service Rule VI is amended as follows:

(i)   5 CFR 6.2 is amended by:

(A)  revising the first sentence to read: “OPM shall publish at least annually a list of the positions excepted from the competitive service in the following schedules, which constitute parts of this rule:”; and

(B)  revising the second sentence of the paragraph labeled “Schedule Policy/Career” to read:  “In appointing an individual to a position in Schedule Policy/Career, each agency shall follow merit-based hiring procedures as may be prescribed by OPM and shall follow the principle of veteran preference as far as administratively feasible.”

(ii)  5 CFR 6.8 is amended by adding a new subsection (e) to read:  “(e) An employee in the competitive service serving a probationary period when his position is first listed under Schedule Policy/Career of the excepted service shall acquire competitive status upon satisfactorily completing 1 year of current continuous service in that position.”

(d)  Civil Service Rule XI is amended by revising 5 CFR 11.3(a) by removing the period at the end and inserting in its place the following text:  “; provided that individuals appointed to positions in Schedule C, Schedule E, Schedule Policy/Career, and Schedule G are not subject to trial periods.”

(e)  Subsection (c) of the definition of “Qualifying appointment” at 5 CFR 550.703 is revised to read:  “(c) An excepted appointment without time limitation, except under Schedule C or Schedule G, or another noncareer appointment.”

(f)  5 CFR 550.704(b) is amended by striking “or” at the end of subparagraph (4), striking the period at the end of subparagraph (5) and inserting “; or” in its place, and adding a new subparagraph (6) as follows:  “(6) Occupies a position in Schedule Policy/Career of the excepted service and his or her agency identifies unacceptable performance or misconduct as the basis for separation in a written notice to the employee.”

(g)  Within 60 days of the date of this order the Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall take steps to prepare and issue revisions that remove or update, as applicable, obsolete provisions of the Civil Service Rules that do not substantively affect agency operations.

Sec. 3.  Amendments to Executive Orders.  (a)  Executive Order 13957, as amended by Executive Order 14171, is further amended as follows:

(i)   by removing the fourth paragraph of section 1; and

(ii)  by amending section 5(a) by removing everything that follows “Following such reviews each agency head” and inserting in its place: “shall petition the Director to recommend that the President place in Schedule Policy/Career any such competitive service, Schedule A, Schedule B, or Schedule D positions within the agency that the agency head determines to be of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character and that are not normally subject to change as a result of a Presidential transition.  Any such petition shall include a written explanation documenting the basis for the agency head’s determination that such position should be placed in Schedule Policy/Career.”

(b)  Executive Order 13562 of December 27, 2010 (Recruiting and Hiring Students and Recent Graduates), as amended by Executive Order 14217 of February 19, 2025 (Commencing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy), is further amended by adding a new sentence at the end of section 5(c):  “Such career appointments may include positions in Schedule Policy/Career, subject to review by OPM.”

Sec. 4.  Performance Awards.  (a)  Consistent with 5 CFR Part 451 and applicable law, the head of each agency with employees in Schedule Policy/Career is directed to set aside a separate bonus pool, and use existing award authorities, to ensure that Schedule Policy/Career employees are appropriately recognized and rewarded for outstanding work.

(b)  The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall promptly initiate a rulemaking pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 4504 and 4506 to create a Presidential award program for Schedule Policy/Career employees.

Sec. 5.  Schedule Policy/Career Determination and Transfer.  (a)  The positions set forth in the Appendix to this order are determined to have a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character.  It is further determined that it is necessary and warranted by conditions of good administration to except these positions from the competitive service because of their confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character.

(b)  The positions set forth in the Appendix to this order are hereby placed in Schedule Policy/Career of the excepted service.  Subsequent changes to a listed position description’s numbering or a position’s organizational realignment do not alter its placement in Schedule Policy/Career.

(c)  The head of each agency with positions covered by subsection (b) of this section shall within 7 days of the date of this order:

(i)   notify officers or employees encumbering such positions of their placement in Schedule Policy/Career; and

(ii)  conform agency records and practices to reflect the changes made by this order.

Sec. 6.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

(d)  If any provision of this order, or the application of any provision to any person or circumstances, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this order and the application of any of its other provisions to any other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.

(e)  The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Office of Personnel Management.

APPENDIX

                              DONALD J. TRUMP

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    June 3, 2026.

Source: United States White House

RESTORING ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order that makes senior Federal leaders that influence policy decisions more accountable to the American people. 

• The Order reclassifies about 8,000 senior policy-influencing positions into Schedule Policy/Career. 
• While this rule allows for heightened accountability, these remain “career” positions and the non-partisan hiring processes, competitive status, and other aspects of these roles will not change. Removal decisions will also be made without respect to political affiliation.
• Roles listed on Schedule Policy/Career are at-will positions. Agencies can remove employees in Schedule Policy/Career for poor performance, misconduct, corruption, or subversion of Presidential directives without lengthy procedural hurdles that often prevent accountability, consistent with the ability to remove appointees responsible for implementing the President’s agenda.
  • 97% of reclassified positions are GS-15 or Senior Level positions (or the equivalent in agencies with different pay plans). These are the highest-ranking career positions outside of the Senior Executive Service.
  • These roles include agency positions such as directors, deputy directors, chiefs of staff, senior advisors and policy analysts, employees with significant involvement in drafting regulations and guidance, public affairs and legislative affairs leaders, and employees with significant involvement in determining who gets Federal grants.

FIXING A BROKEN SYSTEM: Personnel rules make removing Federal employees for any reason exceedingly difficult. Consequently, employees with significant policy-making responsibilities can stay in their jobs for years even if they perform poorly, engage in misconduct, or are unwilling to advance Presidential policy across administrations, making their agencies less capable of delivering for the American people.  

• Federal employee removal procedures are lengthy and burdensome. Removals and subsequent appeals often take a year or more to process. As a result, agencies seldom remove career employees, even at senior levels, including for egregious conduct or subversion of Presidential priorities.
  • When polled, a plurality of senior federal employees in Washington, D.C. said they would ignore a lawful order from President Trump that they considered bad policy, although all executive branch employees report to the President. 
  • During the first Trump Administration, career employees refused to assist on policy matters like prosecuting racial discrimination in higher education or drafting rules regarding Title IX reform because of their personal policy disagreements.
• Elected officials must be able to hold policy-making career employees accountable for their performance and conduct in order to operationalize the policies that voters elected them to pursue.

DRAINING THE SWAMP: President Trump is delivering on his promise to dismantle the deep state and reclaim our government from Washington ineptitude and corruption.

• President Trump authorized buyout programs to encourage Federal employees to leave voluntarily. Adoption was large, yet unsurprisingly, the Federal government has remained more than capable of delivering on its core functions for the American people.
  • Under President Trump, the Federal workforce has been reduced to its lowest level since 1966. 
• Last year, President Trump signed an Executive Order requiring Federal hiring to follow specific policies and procedures established by agency leadership to improve the efficient delivery of government services.
• President Trump’s Office of Personnel Management has proposed rules to improve Federal employee performance appraisals, expedite removals for serious misconduct, and streamline the cumbersome reduction-in-force process.
• President Trump established a new Civil Service Rule XI, requiring agencies to affirmatively determine whether probationary employees’ performance warrants retention, rather than letting them become tenured permanent employees by default, which was the previous practice.  
• Today’s Executive Order builds on Executive Order 13957, which was issued in President Trump’s first term to reclassify senior federal workers in policy-related roles as at-will employees, enabling swift accountability for those in influential positions.
  • When President Biden took office, he revoked Executive Order 13957, reinstating a system that shielded unaccountable bureaucrats. The Biden Administration also issued regulations that sought to prevent such accountability measures by a future administration. 
  • President Trump vowed on the campaign trail to reinstate Executive Order 13957, a promise he kept on his first day returning to office. The Office of Personnel Management has since rescinded the Biden Administration regulations that prevented Schedule Policy/Career’s immediate implementation.

Source: United States White House

DIRECTING COMPREHENSIVE CUSTOMS REFORM: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order that will strengthen the enforcement of U.S. customs laws through comprehensive reform.

• The Order directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to strengthen several requirements for importers of record (IORs). Examples include:
  • increasing bonding requirements and requiring IORs to maintain at all times a minimum level of tangible domestic assets, bonding, or both;
  • subjecting foreign IORs to heightened requirements for formal entry;
  • authorizing only U.S. IORs to file informal entry;
  • imposing a “good standing” requirement on all IORs; and 
  • increasing vetting procedures for all individuals and entities that conduct activities directly related to the importation of goods.
• The Order directs DHS and CBP to establish various disclosure and certification requirements designed to combat duty evasion and noncompliance with supply chain rules.
• The Order directs DHS and CBP to increase enforcement of existing customs laws, including by establishing a 50% minimum penalty floor limiting CBP’s discretion to reduce the assessed penalties on importers who violate our customs laws. 
• The Order directs DHS to enhance the seizure and disposal of non-compliant imports, including by reducing regulatory burdens to voluntary abandonment and authorizing third-party disposal.
• The Order directs DHS to enhance transparency in customs, including by publishing annual transparency reports.
• The Order directs DHS to propose legislation to strengthen customs enforcement.  

PROMOTING ECONOMIC STRENGTH AND NATIONAL SECURITY BY COMBATTING CUSTOMS FRAUD: President Trump recognizes the critical role of customs enforcement to our national security and that action is needed to address longstanding issues with the existing regulatory environment.

• Customs enforcement is essential to the national security and economy of the United States. For example, it prevents the importation of unlawful and dangerous goods, and it ensures that IORs are accountable for duties owed and comply with numerous federal laws, including laws governing forced labor and product safety.
• Customs reform is long overdue. Systemic inefficiencies, loopholes, insufficient enforcement mechanisms, and outdated processes have created opportunities for malign actors to evade federal law.
• The Order addresses these longstanding concerns through comprehensive reform focused on protecting national security, promoting lawful trade, ensuring the timely collection of duties, modernizing systems and processes, bolstering compliance mechanisms, and protecting Americans and the domestic economy. 
• The Order also brings U.S. customs policy and practice in line with many of our trading partners. For example, the current practice of most foreign countries is to either prohibit foreign entities or persons from serving as the IOR or generally require that foreign importers partner with verified domestic parties. This practice promotes compliance and accountability while reducing barriers to enforcement.  
• The reforms directed in the Order will not take effect immediately. In general, DHS and CBP will engage with relevant stakeholders through the standard rulemaking process, meaning affected parties will have a meaningful opportunity to adjust operations, if needed.

BUILDING ON A RECORD OF PUTTING AMERICA FIRST IN TRADE: President Trump is taking action to restore integrity to our customs system, crack down on duty evasion, and ensure that foreign importers play by the rules.

• On Day One, as part of his America First Trade Policy, President Trump directed his Administration to take a number of steps to ensure that duties are collected and tariffs are not evaded.
• President Trump suspended the de minimis loophole — long exploited by foreign shippers to flood American markets with cheap, duty-free goods and funnel illicit fentanyl into the country. 
• A number of President Trump’s Agreements on Reciprocal Trade include commitments to cooperate on combatting duty evasion.
• The President signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which permanently repealed the statutory basis for the de minimis exemption worldwide, effective July 1, 2027.

Source: United States White House

PROMOTING AMERICAN AI INNOVATION AND SECURITY: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to advance American artificial intelligence (AI) innovation to strengthen America’s cybersecurity, protect critical infrastructure, and ensure the United States remains the global leader in AI innovation. 

• The Order directs appropriate agencies to prioritize the cyber defense of National Security Systems, Department of War information systems, and civilian Federal government information systems. 
• This includes the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, and the National Cyber Director, issuing binding operational directives and other guidance to facilitate access to AI-enabled cybersecurity tools and services for Federal agencies, State and local authorities, and operators of critical infrastructure, including rural hospitals, community banks, and local utilities. 
• The Order establishes an AI cybersecurity clearinghouse, in voluntary coordination with the AI industry and critical infrastructure operators, to identify and remediate software vulnerabilities at scale.
• The Order directs the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management to identify funding opportunities for advanced AI cybersecurity capabilities and expand Federal cybersecurity hiring and placement pathways. 
• The Order calls for the development of a classified benchmarking process against which industry may assess their models for advanced AI cyber capabilities, identifying covered frontier models.
• The Order directs the Federal government to establish a voluntary framework in collaboration with AI developers regarding covered frontier models, which would provide the Federal government with secure early access for trusted partners to strengthen cybersecurity and promote secure innovation.
• The Order expressly states that nothing shall be construed to authorize creation of any mandatory governmental licensing, pre-clearance, or permitting requirement for the development, publication, release or distribution of AI models. 
• The Order directs the Attorney General to prioritize enforcement against individuals who use AI to illegally access or damage computer systems, steal data, or facilitate other criminal activity. 

STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN INNOVATION AND SECURITY: President Trump believes America must lead the world in AI without burdening innovators with unnecessary regulation.

• Unlike the Biden Administration’s top-down regulatory approach, President Trump is working hand-in-hand with American industry to strike the right balance between innovation and national security. 
• President Trump recognizes that America’s private sector leads the world in AI innovation and that government should partner with innovators – not stifle them.
• As AI capabilities increase, new cyber and national security considerations emerge that require coordinated action between the Federal government and the private sector.
• The United States must protect American ingenuity, intellectual property, and critical systems from exploitation and cyberattacks by adversaries. 
• President Trump and his Administration are not in the business of picking winners and losers. This Administration has one goal: ensure the best and safest tech is deployed rapidly to defeat any and all threats.
• Protecting American ingenuity and critical infrastructure requires the full power of both the public and private sectors working together, and President Trump’s common-sense, America First approach will ensure the United States continues to dominate globally.

LEADING THE WORLD IN INNOVATION AND CYBERSECURITY: President Trump is the most forward leaning President on innovation in American history.

• Immediately upon returning to office, President Trump eliminated the Biden Administration’s overreaching and harmful AI policies, unleashing a new era of innovation.  
• In July 2025, President Trump released his AI Action Plan, which called for examining and removing onerous regulations that hinder America’s ability to lead in this key technology.  
• In July 2025, he signed an Executive Order preventing the Federal government from using AI models that include ideological biases or social agendas.
• In December 2025, he signed an Executive Order to protect American AI innovation from an inconsistent and costly compliance regime resulting from varying State laws.
• In March 2026, President Trump released his National Cyber Strategy for America, which outlines his priorities for ensuring that America remains unrivaled in cyberspace, calling for unprecedented coordination across government and the private sector to invest in the best technologies and continue world-class innovation, and to make the most of America’s cyber capabilities for both offensive and defensive missions.
• In March 2026, President Trump unveiled his comprehensive national legislative framework that addresses the most pressing policy topics that AI presents.
• Today’s Executive Order advances President Trump’s ongoing effort to position the United States as the global leader in AI, cybersecurity, and next-generation technologies. 

Source: United States White House

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

Section 1.  Purpose.  The United States continues to lead the world in Artificial Intelligence (AI) because of the enormous talent and innovation of our AI industry, and because we refuse to stifle this innovation with overly burdensome regulation.  My Administration has unleashed tremendous technological growth and economic investment in AI by slashing the bureaucratic constraints that the prior administration placed on America’s AI developers and researchers, and by instead encouraging AI innovation and accelerating responsible AI adoption across government and industry. 

Advanced AI capabilities make our Nation stronger, but also introduce new national security considerations that require coordinated action across executive departments and agencies (agencies), and components.  As these capabilities evolve, my Administration will continue to work closely with industry to ensure that the best and most secure technology is deployed rapidly to confront any and all threats to our country.  We will continue to lead an America First cybersecurity effort that enhances both our national security and our global AI dominance.

It is the policy of the United States to promote AI innovation and security by working collaboratively with the private sector to modernize government and private sector information systems and harden them against external threats; to protect American ingenuity and intellectual property from exploitation and theft by adversaries; and to cultivate America’s advanced AI-enabled capabilities.

Sec. 2.  Upgrading American Systems for Advanced AI.  (a)  Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Committee on National Security Systems shall prioritize the cyber defense of National Security Systems, as defined in 44 U.S.C. 3552(b)(6)(A), by taking appropriate and expeditious action consistent with the purpose of this order.

(b)  Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of War shall prioritize the cyber defense of Department of War information systems by taking appropriate and expeditious action consistent with the purpose of this order.

(c)  Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Homeland Security, through the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), in consultation with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, and the National Cyber Director, shall release Binding Operational Directives and other guidance as appropriate to:

(i)    expedite and prioritize the cyber defense of civilian Federal Government information systems in order to protect our Nation’s vital functions;

(ii)   establish or expand Federal programs and cybersecurity services that enhance AI-enabled defensive tools; and

(iii)  facilitate access to cybersecurity tools and services including, where appropriate, covered frontier models for agencies, State and local authorities, and operators of critical infrastructure such as rural hospitals, community banks, and local utilities.

(d)  Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the National Cyber Director, the Secretary of War, through the Director of the National Security Agency (NSA), and the Secretary of Homeland Security, through the Director of CISA, shall form an AI cybersecurity clearinghouse, in voluntary collaboration with the AI industry and operators of critical infrastructure, that coordinates and deconflicts scanning for software vulnerabilities, discovers and validates such vulnerabilities, and coordinates and prioritizes remediation and distribution of vulnerability patches.

(e)  Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Director of OMB, in coordination with the National Cyber Director and the Director of CISA, shall determine whether any Federal grant programs have available and relevant funding that can be directed toward applicants developing advanced AI vulnerability detection.

(f)  Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall expand the United States Tech Force Information Cybersecurity Specialist hiring and placement pathways.

Sec. 3.  Secure Frontier Model Deployment.  Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of War, through the Director of NSA, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, through the Director of CISA, in consultation with the White House Chief of Staff, through the National Cyber Director, the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology (APST), and the Secretary of Commerce, through the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and in coordination with other agencies, as appropriate, shall:

(a)  develop and maintain a classified benchmarking process to assess the advanced cyber capabilities of AI models and determine the threshold at which an AI model should be designated a “covered frontier model” for the purposes of this order, sharing such assessments with AI developers and researchers as appropriate.  Such a determination shall be made by the Director of NSA, in consultation with the National Cyber Director, the APST, the Director of CISA, and other representatives of the Department of War, as appropriate.

(b)  design a voluntary framework with AI developers through which developers would be able to:

(i)    engage the Federal Government to determine whether model(s) under development meet the designation of “covered frontier model”;

(ii)   provide the Federal Government with access to covered frontier models, subject to appropriate confidentiality, cybersecurity, insider-risk, and intellectual-property protection, use, and nondisclosure requirements, for a period of up to 30 days before they plan to release such models to other trusted partners; and 

(iii)  collaborate with the Federal Government to select trusted partners that will have early access to covered frontier models to promote secure innovation and strengthen the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure.

(c)  Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the creation of a mandatory governmental licensing, preclearance, or permitting requirement for the development, publication, release, or distribution of new AI models, including frontier models.

Sec. 4.  Protection Against Criminal Actors.  The Attorney General shall prioritize the enforcement of 18 U.S.C. 1028, 18 U.S.C. 1030, 18 U.S.C. 1343, and all other applicable Federal criminal laws against anyone who utilizes AI to illegally access or damage a computer without authorization, or who utilizes AI while engaged in such illegal access to further any other crime.  This includes breaching any public or private information technology system, or employing AI agents to unlawfully access data or information that is subsequently used for a criminal or unlawful purpose.

Sec. 5.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

(d)  The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of War.

                             DONALD J. TRUMP

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    June 2, 2026.