Here’s what happened at the White House during the month of February.
The Ongoing Partial Government Shutdown
- On Feb. 3, President Trump signed a $1.2 trillion funding package, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which ended a brief partial government shutdown for two weeks. The package provided funding for several government departments, including Defense, Health and Human Services, and Transportation.
- The partial government shutdown resumed on Feb. 14 and remains in effect. While ICE and Border Patrol are fully funded until 2019 due to the One Big Beautiful Bill, other agencies from the Department of Homeland Security aren’t being funded.
Supreme Court Strikes Down Tariff Deal
- In a 6-3 ruling on Feb. 20, the Supreme Court ruled against Trump in Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump, stating that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not allow the president to impose open-ended tariffs, per Brookings.
Trump Hosts a Governors Breakfast
- On Feb. 20, Trump hosted a breakfast with governors at the White House. The meeting took place after the National Governors Association withdrew following Trump’s exclusion of Democratic governors.
The U.S. & Mexico El Mencho Raid
- Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, was killed on Feb. 22 in a U.S.-intelligence-aided Mexican military operation, per CNN. Following El Mencho’s death, the cartel unleashed a wave of violent retaliation tactics across 20 states in Mexico.
National Angel Family Day Holiday
- On Feb. 23, Trump announced National Angel Family Day, a holiday on Feb. 22 made to honor American citizens who were killed by undocumented immigrants.
2026 State of the Union Address
- President Trump delivered the longest State of the Union address in U.S. history on Feb. 24. According to NBC News, Trump touted his administration’s economic policies and immigration enforcement. Read the full 2026 address transcript here.
The U.S. Men’s Hockey Team Visits the White House
- On Feb. 24, the U.S. men’s hockey team was invited to the White House after winning gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. Although the U.S. women’s hockey team was invited as well, they declined the invitation due to scheduling conflicts.
The Clintons Testify in the Epstein File Case
- On Feb. 26, Hillary Clinton testified in front of the Republican-led House Oversight Committee in relation to the Epstein Files case. In her opening statement, Clinton suggested the event was “an insult to the American people,” per The Guardian.
- On Feb. 27, Bill Clinton testified as the House was investigating his connection to Jeffrey Epstein. In a closed-door testimony, the former president pleaded his innocence.
The U.S. and Israel Attack Iran
- The U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. According to NPR, Israeli strikes killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, carried out with U.S. support. State outlets confirmed that his daughter and grandchild were also killed in the attack. Iran has since launched retaliatory strikes, targeting Israeli and U.S. interests, including Bahrain, the UAE, and Qatar.
- Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the goal of the U.S. and Israeli strikes is to “remove the existential threat posed by Iran.”