Politics & Power

In Q3 of 2025, Trump accelerated domestic enforcement and executive action, won headline-grabbing concessions from Big Tech, leaned heavily on tariffs, and ended the quarter staring down a shutdown fight—with courts, state officials,  markets, and Main Street businesses all reacting in real time.

1) Tech & the courts: Google and YouTube take center stage

A federal court on Sept. 2 ordered significant remedies in the DOJ’s search-monopolization case against Google—curbing distribution practices and forcing data-sharing with rivals, while stopping short of a breakup. Google said it’s reviewing the decision and raised privacy concerns; the DOJ framed it as a major win.

Then on Sept. 29, YouTube (Google) agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle Trump’s lawsuit over his 2021 account suspension after Jan. 6. The deal doesn’t require policy changes; most of the money is earmarked for outside projects outlined in the settlement reporting. Earlier this year, Meta and X reached separate settlements with Trump as well.

2) Domestic power moves: ICE, raids, and troops in major cities

Immigration enforcement defined much of Q3. ICE intensified raids in Los Angeles and other sanctuary jurisdictions after the Supreme Court cleared restrictions in early September. The administration portrayed it as restoring federal control, but local leaders blasted the tactics as disruptive and destabilizing.

By late September, the White House authorized National Guard and active-duty troops to back DHS operations in Los Angeles, Portland, and Chicago, marking one of the most aggressive federal deployments into domestic immigration enforcement in modern memory. Governors and mayors in affected states pushed back, accusing the administration of inflaming tensions and undermining community trust. Civil liberties groups warned of constitutional overreach, while Trump allies framed the show of force as proof he was delivering on campaign promises.

3) Executive orders & agency turbulence

The White House continued governing heavily by executive action, including a late-quarter EO framed around safeguarding TikTok while asserting national-security controls (Sept. 25). At the same time, federal courts pushed back on personnel power: on Sept. 25, the D.C. Circuit declined to stay a district-court order reinstating FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter after an attempted removal, citing precedent that protects for-cause officers.

4) The macro mood: growth, but a cliffhanger

Markets closed the quarter with shutdown talks going to the wire. Even as some trackers pointed to solid real-time growth estimates near Q3’s end, the political impasse threatened immediate services and confidence heading into October.

5) Tariffs and bankruptcies: Main Street feels the squeeze

The Trump administration doubled down on its tariff-first strategy in Q3, rolling out expanded levies on Chinese imports and threatening new duties on European autos. Officials pitched the moves as a way to protect American jobs, but the ripple effects hit supply chains and retailers already struggling with costs.

At the same time, a string of high-profile bankruptcies underscored the fragility of corporate America under tightening credit and tariff pressure. Retail chains and mid-sized manufacturers were among those seeking Chapter 11 protection this summer, with executives citing rising costs and falling consumer demand. Together, the tariffs and bankruptcies painted a stark picture: an economy that looks strong on paper, but is increasingly brittle for companies caught in the crossfire.

Between the Lines

• Consolidation of power: Court wins and ICE-led deployments show an executive willing to test institutional limits—while pushback from cities and courts reveals how contested those moves remain.
• Tech realignment: The Google search remedies and YouTube settlement make Big Tech a recurring stage for Trump’s agenda—part courtroom, part culture war, part competition policy.
• Economic flashpoints: Tariffs and corporate bankruptcies suggest a disconnect between headline growth and ground-level realities, sharpening the stakes heading into Q4.
• Q4 setup: A potential shutdown plus lingering litigation means volatility ahead; watch whether tariffs expand further and whether bankruptcies remain isolated or snowball.