This article highlights significant economic improvements at the start of 2026, attributing falling gas prices and mortgage rates to the Trump Administration’s "America First" policies.

1. Historic Drops in Gas Prices

• • Five-Year Lows: Gas prices have reached their lowest levels since 2021, marking seven consecutive weeks of decline.

  • National Averages: Regular gas is currently under

    
    

  • Household Savings: American motorists are projected to spend $11 billion less on gas in 2026 than in 2025. Gas spending as a share of disposable income has reached its lowest point in 20 years.

2. Improved Housing Affordability

• • Mortgage Rates: The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate has hit a three-year low, dropping more than 1% over the past year. This has resulted in the lowest monthly housing payments for Americans in over two years.

  • Rent Declines: Rents have decreased for five consecutive months.

  • Policy Drivers: The administration attributes this progress to two specific actions:

    • • Directing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase $200 billion in mortgage-backed securities to lower borrowing costs.

      • Implementing a ban on large institutional investors buying single-family homes to increase inventory for individual families.

Conclusion
The administration frames these trends as the direct result of a "relentless pursuit of energy dominance and housing affordability," arguing that these measures are successfully restoring the "American Dream" by putting more money back into the pockets of everyday citizens.

This Executive Order, signed by President Donald J. Trump on January 9, 2026, declares a national emergency to protect Venezuelan sovereign funds held in the United States from being seized or attached by private creditors and judicial processes.

The President determined that attempts by private parties to seize "Foreign Government Deposit Funds" (Venezuelan oil revenues) constitute an "unusual and extraordinary threat" to U.S. national security and foreign policy. The order invokes the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the National Emergencies Act (NEA) to address this threat.

The order specifically targets "Foreign Government Deposit Funds," defined as:

• • Money held in U.S. Treasury accounts on behalf of the Government of Venezuela, its Central Bank, or PDVSA (Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A.).

  • Funds derived specifically from the sale of natural resources (oil) or the sale of diluents.

The order establishes a total legal "blockade" around these funds to ensure they remain under U.S. government control:

• • Voiding Judicial Actions: Any court-ordered attachment, judgment, lien, or garnishment against these funds is prohibited and declared "null and void."

  • Freezing Assets: No funds may be transferred, withdrawn, or exported without a specific license or authorization from the Trump Administration.

  • Supremacy: This order supersedes all previous Executive Orders that might have regulated or blocked these funds in the past.

The President argues that protecting these funds is vital to achieving several "America First" foreign policy goals:

• • Stability: Ensuring economic and political stability in Venezuela to stem the influx of illegal immigrants.

  • Counter-Narcotics: Using the funds as leverage to stop the "flood of illicit narcotics" into the U.S.

  • Countering Foreign Adversaries: Protecting American interests against "malign actors" like Iran and Hezbollah.

The order clarifies the legal standing of the money to prevent private lawsuits:

• • Not Private Property: The funds are declared sovereign property of Venezuela, not the property of private "judgment creditors" or commercial actors.

  • Custodial Capacity: The U.S. Government asserts it is holding the money strictly as a custodian for diplomatic and governmental purposes, not as a commercial participant.

  • No Waiver of Immunity: The order explicitly states that holding these funds does not waive sovereign immunity. The Attorney General is directed to assert this immunity in any court proceeding to block private claims.

• • Treasury & State Dept: The Secretary of the Treasury manages the funds but must follow the disbursement instructions of the Secretary of State.

  • Reporting: The administration will provide recurring reports to Congress regarding the status of this national emergency.

1. Declaration of National Emergency2. Definition of Protected Funds3. Absolute Shield Against Judicial Process4. Geopolitical and Security Justifications5. Legal Status and Sovereign Immunity6. Administration and Oversight

This article outlines an Executive Order signed by President Donald J. Trump declaring a national emergency to protect Venezuelan oil revenues currently held in U.S. Treasury accounts. The move is framed as a strategic effort to preserve these funds for U.S. foreign policy objectives and national security.

• • Legal Shield: The Executive Order blocks all judicial processes—including attachments, liens, and garnishments—against Venezuelan oil revenues and diluent sales held by the U.S. Treasury.

  • Sovereign Status: The order affirms that these funds are the sovereign property of Venezuela held in U.S. custody for diplomatic and governmental purposes, making them immune to private legal claims or seizures.

  • Authorization: All transfers or dealings involving these funds now require specific authorization, superseding any previous regulatory orders.

The administration argues that maintaining control over these funds is essential for several "America First" priorities:

• • Border and Drug Control: Protecting the revenue is linked to efforts to stem illegal immigration and disrupt the flow of illicit narcotics, which the administration blames for thousands of American deaths.

  • Countering Malign Influence: By preventing the seizure of these assets, the U.S. aims to keep them out of the hands of "malign actors" such as Iran and Hezbollah.

  • Regional Stability: The policy seeks to promote economic and political stability in Venezuela and the broader Western Hemisphere.

The article situates this Executive Order within a series of aggressive actions taken by the Trump Administration:

• • Counter-Narcotics: The President designated eight cartels (including Tren de Aragua) as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and authorized lethal force against narcoterrorists.

  • Economic Blockade: A total blockade of sanctioned oil tankers moving in and out of Venezuela has been ordered.

  • Military Action: The text references a recent "extraordinary military operation" by U.S. armed forces to bring "outlaw dictator" Nicolás Maduro to justice.

The administration frames the protection of these revenues as a tool for regional deterrence. By safeguarding the funds, the President aims to reestablish stability in the Western Hemisphere while advancing specific goals: stopping illegal immigration, blocking deadly drugs, and countering foreign interference.

Protection of Oil RevenueNational Security and Foreign Policy ObjectivesBroader Context of Actions Against the Maduro RegimeConclusion