Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Trump administration charges 40 people for voter fraud nationwide — The Trump administration has charged approximately 40 people across the United States for voter fraud in recent weeks, with approximately 170 people charged for illegal voting since the start of Trump's second term. These charges occur amid a broader administration effort to create the impression that voter fraud is rampant, despite multiple studies showing it is exceedingly rare. The charges are being pursued ahead of midterm elections, representing a significant departure from historical DOJ practice of avoiding politically sensitive enforcement actions during campaign season.

Supporting reports

• DOJ sues California over alleged noncitizen voters — The Department of Justice sued the state of California, alleging that 20,000 noncitizens remain on the state's voter rolls and demanding the state be blocked from tabulating certain ballots the DOJ claimed might belong to noncitizens. California state officials rejected the federal claims, stating the DOJ had wrongly flagged U.S. citizens and people whose voter registrations had already been cancelled as potential ineligible voters. The 20,000 alleged noncitizens represent a tiny fraction of California's 23 million registered voters.

Supporting reports

• DOJ abandons 60-day pre-election neutrality rule and conducts politically sensitive enforcement actions — For decades, the Department of Justice has followed an unwritten rule to avoid activities that could influence elections during the 60 days preceding election day. In 2026, this rule has been abandoned. Recent DOJ actions include suing California for refusing to investigate voters' citizenship, federal agents raiding the home of Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN), and Attorney General Todd Blanche campaigning for Republican candidates. These actions occurred within the pre-election window.

Supporting reports

• FBI investigation into defense contractor corruption halted after Trump administration takes office — A defense contractor allegedly engaged in "campaign cash-for-contracts" dealings with former South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham and Congressman James Clyburn (D-SC). The FBI was actively investigating these interactions, but after Trump began his second term, the administration gutted the teams responsible for investigating public corruption, effectively halting the inquiry.

Supporting reports

• Guardian publishes explainer on 145 statewide ballot measures across 39 states in midterm elections — The Guardian reports on 145 statewide referendum measures voters will face in 39 states during the upcoming midterm elections. Key ballot initiatives include California's proposed billionaire wealth tax (Proposition 40), property tax measures in Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Tennessee, trans athlete and medical care restrictions in five states, noncitizen voting requirements in six states, and abortion rights protections in Idaho, Nevada, and Virginia. The article notes the long-run passage rate for referendums is approximately 41%.

Supporting reports

• FDA announces final guidance on mandatory cosmetics recalls — The Food and Drug Administration published final guidance titled "Questions and Answers Regarding Mandatory Cosmetics Recalls: Guidance for Industry" on October 23, 2026. The guidance implements section 611 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, added by the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022, and addresses FDA's mandatory recall authority for cosmetics. FDA received seven comments on the draft guidance (published December 18, 2025), which were broadly supportive; the final guidance was published with no substantive changes.
• FDA corrects regulatory review period calculations for six pharmaceutical patents — The Food and Drug Administration issued a correction notice to previously published determinations of regulatory review periods for patent extension purposes affecting six drugs: BRINSUPRI, DAYVIGO, BIZENGRI, ANKTIVA, ANZUPGO, and ANDEMBRY. The original notices, published in August and September 2026, correctly identified testing and approval phase dates but contained calculation errors in determining total regulatory review period lengths. FDA corrected the day counts for each product without altering submission deadlines or other procedural dates.
• FDA submits Accreditation Scheme for Conformity Assessment Program information collection to OMB for review and clearance — The Food and Drug Administration announced submission of a proposed information collection to the Office of Management and Budget under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The collection covers the Accreditation Scheme for Conformity Assessment (ASCA) Program, which allows accreditation bodies and testing laboratories to participate in FDA's voluntary scheme for assessing medical device conformity with FDA-recognized consensus standards. The submission reflects program maturation with adjusted burden estimates totaling 795 annual reporting responses, 181 recordkeeping activities, and 1,206 third-party disclosures. Public comment period closes November 23, 2026.
• FDA solicits public comment on information collection for product jurisdiction and combination products regulations — The Food and Drug Administration published a notice requesting 60 days of public comment on a proposed extension of an existing information collection (OMB Control Number 0910-0523) related to product jurisdiction determinations and combination product regulations under 21 CFR Parts 3 and 4. The collection supports FDA's statutory mandate to classify products and assign them to appropriate regulatory components. Comment deadline is December 22, 2026. FDA estimates 149 annual respondents and 3,579 total burden hours.

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• Attorney General Blanche would not rule out challenging votes — Attorney General Todd Blanche declined to rule out the possibility of challenging some votes, leaving open the option of legal action to contest election results. The refusal to foreclose vote challenges raises questions about the DOJ's commitment to accepting electoral outcomes.

Supporting reports

• Trump claimed ignorance of Starshield restrictions and refused accountability — When pressed by reporters about who ordered the restriction of Ukraine's Starlink access, Trump stated "I have no idea" and refused to provide information, saying "I wouldn't tell you if I did know." When asked whether it was appropriate for the world's richest person to have such power over a Russia-Ukraine conflict, Trump defended Musk, calling him "a very good person" and asserting "Elon will never do anything wrong." This response came despite reporting that Trump had ordered the change and despite ongoing Ukrainian reports that Starshield remained non-functional.

Supporting reports

• Health Secretary RFK Jr. reduces flu vaccine promotion amid early seasonal surge — The article reports an early and unusually severe flu season on the US west coast, with California's test positivity rate at 9.65% (versus normal 1% in early October) and Utah recording 242 cases (up from 10 last year). A new H1N1 mutation is credited for the early onset. The FDA-approved 2026-27 vaccine targets H1N1, H3N2, and influenza B. However, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist, has reduced promotion of flu shots and engineered an overhaul of childhood vaccine schedules.

Supporting reports

• Leaked AfD documents reveal decade-long courtship of Trump and MAGA figures — A data breach of Germany's far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has exposed over 420,000 emails and documents spanning from 2013 to present, revealing systematic efforts to cultivate relationships with Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, and other MAGA-aligned figures. The leak shows AfD officials crafting obsequious messages to Trump after his 2016 election, requesting political favors (including removal of UN "enemy state" clauses), and coordinating with Trump administration officials during his second term, including meetings with State Department representatives and Vice President JD Vance with party co-leader Alice Weidel in February 2025.

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• Hillary Clinton suggested Putin has leverage over Trump — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton suggested that Vladimir Putin possesses compromising information on Trump. The statement was made in the context of Trump's reported request to restrict Ukrainian communications networks during active Russian military operations.
• Hillary Clinton alleged Trump's Russia alignment stems from financial interests and potential blackmail — Hillary Clinton publicly stated three reasons for Trump's alignment with Russia: first, his admiration for authoritarian leaders who can kill opponents and his desire to become a dictator; second, financial motivation through oil, gas, and critical minerals deals with Russia and carving up Ukrainian assets involving Trump and his family; and third, her belief that Putin possesses compromising material on Trump (photos, videos) similar to Epstein files, which Trump has fought to keep sealed. Clinton suggested that public release of Epstein files would shock even Trump supporters about his conduct.

Supporting reports

• Billionaire banker receives presidential pardon after hiring Trump's former lawyer — Julio Herrera Velutini, a billionaire banker who faced felony bribery charges, struck a plea deal and sought a presidential pardon. His family hired Alina Habba, one of Trump's former personal lawyers, and guaranteed her compensation of "more than $50 million over four years." Weeks after Habba began her position, President Trump granted Herrera a full and unconditional pardon. The sequence suggests a direct connection between the hiring of Trump's lawyer and the subsequent pardon.

Supporting reports

• Justice Department Secures Settlement of Lawsuit Against Oklahoma Landlord for Refusing to Rent to a Family with a Child — The Department of Justice announced this on 2026-10-22 through Civil Rights Division. The recorded stage is settlement executed. The department's own account of it reads: "The Justice Department announced today that the owners of a residential rental property in Oklahoma City have agreed to pay $52,500 to resolve a lawsuit alleging that they refused to rent a one-bedroom apartment to a single mother upon learning that she would be living with her child, in violation of the Fair Housing Act."

Supporting reports

• Conservative journalist Pedro Gonzalez criticized Vice President JD Vance's defense of the ad — Conservative journalist Pedro Gonzalez published a statement characterizing Vice President JD Vance's willingness to downplay child sexual abuse as a betrayal of principle. Gonzalez recounted his earlier interactions with Vance and described Vance's evolution from a "softer populist" attempting to "humanize" Trumpism to someone willing to defend content that could discourage abuse victims from coming forward. Gonzalez concluded that Vance would be remembered as a footnote in MAGA history as someone who "sold his soul for a crumb of power."

Supporting reports

• Elon Musk threatens members of Congress on social media — In response to reports that Democrats intend to investigate his role in cutting Ukraine's Starlink access, Elon Musk posted on social media: "Live by the sword, die by the sword. Those who pick fights with me should understand that I will find out who is really pulling the strings and come for them, not just their puppets." The statement was characterized as a shocking threat against members of Congress.
• Elon Musk posted threatening statement in response to criticism — Elon Musk posted on social media: "Live by the sword, die by the sword. Those who pick fights with me should understand that I will find out who is really pulling the strings and come for them, not just their puppets." The statement was made in response to congressional criticism of his Starlink decisions.

Supporting reports

• James Talarico campaign spokesman responded to disinformation attack — JT Ennis, spokesman for the Talarico campaign, stated: "The most powerful people in the world know they can't beat James Talarico with the truth, so they're slandering him with AI deepfakes, foreign bots and conspiracy theories to protect their broken, corrupt political system." The statement characterized the disinformation campaign as a coordinated attack by powerful actors.

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• Trump endorsed Ramaswamy's ad attacking Acton using estranged mother's allegations — Trump publicly endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy's Ohio gubernatorial campaign ad featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother making negative claims about her. At an Iowa rally, Trump stated he wished he could have run such an ad. When confronted by NBC reporter Monica Alba about the ad's use of allegations involving Acton's stepfather's rape charges and 50-year estrangement, Trump dismissed the context, refused to acknowledge the abuse allegations' relevance, and called Alba "a horrible little reporter." Ramaswamy defended the ad as addressing "lying" rather than abuse. The exchange highlighted Trump's willingness to amplify personal attacks regardless of underlying trauma or factual complexity.

Supporting reports

• Vice President JD Vance made inflammatory statement at Nebraska campaign rally — Vice President JD Vance stated at a campaign rally in Nebraska that "This Democrat Party needs an ass kicking." The remark represents escalated partisan rhetoric during the final weeks of the midterm election campaign.

Supporting reports

• Utah Man Charged with Attempted Hate Crime, and other Crimes After Allegedly Making Online Threats to “blow up” a Synagogue — The Department of Justice announced this on 2026-10-22 through Civil Rights Division. The recorded stage is an indictment returned. The allegations are unadjudicated; this documents the announcement, not the truth of any allegation. The department's own account of it reads: "A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment charging a Utah man with multiple federal crimes including possession of an unregistered destructive device, threat to kill and injure persons and to destroy a building with an explosive, and attempting to commit a hate crime, among other charges, after threats were allegedly made online relating to a Utah synagogue in December 2025."

Supporting reports

• Marine Le Pen's political fortunes rise amid civil unrest — As rioting and disorder began in France, the political prospects of anti-immigration right-wing candidate Marine Le Pen improved significantly, as measured by prediction markets. In contrast, left-wing candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon's chances remained unchanged despite his promises of increased social spending. The public shift reflects growing attribution of disorder to immigration and migration issues.

Supporting reports

• Department of War and Lockheed Martin Finalize Landmark 10-Year F-35 Deal, Securing $7B in Private Investment — The Department of War published a release on 2026-10-22 through its releases channel. The department's own account of it reads: "The War Department and Lockheed Martin finalized a landmark 10-year framework agreement to strengthen the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter fleet."

Supporting reports

• EPA approves Virginia's partial coal combustion residuals permit program under RCRA — The Environmental Protection Agency approved Virginia's partial coal combustion residuals (CCR) permit program on October 22, 2026, effective November 23, 2026. The program regulates disposal of coal ash from electric utilities and independent power producers at 25 CCR units (7 landfills and 18 surface impoundments) across 8 facilities. Virginia's regulations incorporate federal requirements from 40 CFR Part 257, Subpart D, as amended through December 14, 2020. The approval is partial; certain federal provisions not adopted by Virginia remain directly enforceable, including requirements for vegetative cover, groundwater monitoring suspension, and legacy CCR surface impoundments. Previously issued permits do not receive federal permit shield protection until modified under the approved program.
• EPA codifies Nevada's approved underground storage tank program — The Environmental Protection Agency issued a direct final rule codifying Nevada's revised Underground Storage Tank Program approved September 30, 2021. The rule incorporates by reference Nevada Administrative Code provisions regulating underground storage tanks, effective December 21, 2026, unless adverse comment is received by November 23, 2026. The codification clarifies which state provisions are enforceable under federal RCRA authority and which exceed federal scope.

Supporting reports

• Trump issues executive order on housing costs, directing mortgage insurance cancellation and regulatory streamlining — President Trump signed an executive order on October 22, 2026, directing the Federal Housing Finance Agency to establish a pilot program for proactive cancellation of mortgage insurance on mortgages owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, using automated valuation models to assess current property values. The order also establishes a Task Force on Manufactured Housing Innovation to recommend ways to reduce regulatory barriers to affordable home construction, standardize permitting across federal programs, and promote factory-built housing. Additionally, it directs the FHFA to expand title insurance acceptance programs for refinances and instructs the Departments of Agriculture and Veterans Affairs to reduce interest rates on direct home loans.
• DECREASING HOUSING COSTS FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE — The White House published this executive order on 2026-10-22 through its executive-orders channel.
• Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Decreases Housing Costs for Americans — The White House published this fact sheet on 2026-10-22 through its fact-sheets channel.

Supporting reports

• Corporate PACs and executives funded Ramaswamy campaign ad attacking abuse survivor — Popular Information's analysis of campaign finance records reveals that Ramaswamy's campaign, which produced and aired the attack ad featuring abuse survivor Amy Acton's mother, received funding from corporate PACs and top executives of major American corporations including Bank of America, Deloitte, DraftKings, Kroger, and Nationwide. When contacted, DraftKings declined comment and other companies did not respond to inquiries about whether they found the ad acceptable.

Supporting reports

• Department of Defense requests additional $200 billion for Iran war — The Department of Defense has requested an additional $200 billion to fund the ongoing war with Iran. The administration acknowledges that fuel and munitions costs alone have reached approximately $45 billion, with actual costs running far higher when accounting for destruction of U.S. bases in the Middle East. The president has requested $1.5 trillion for military funding in 2027, a 44% increase from pre-war levels.