Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Trump campaign promises $5,000 dividend checks to every adult U.S. citizen if Republicans win midterm elections — At a Republican midterm convention in Dallas on September 9, Trump promised to distribute $5,000 checks to every adult U.S. citizen if Republicans win control of Congress, calling it the "Trump Dividend." The payout would cost approximately $1.2–1.3 trillion and would require congressional approval. Trump did not explain funding mechanisms. Multiple Republican lawmakers and observers noted the promise contradicts constitutional authority and echoes unfulfilled prior pledges (DOGE dividend, tariff rebates, stimulus checks).
• Trump suggests renaming geographic features after himself at convention speech — During the Dallas convention speech on September 9, Trump proposed renaming the Hormuz Strait the "Trump Strait," Lake Michigan "Lake America," and New Mexico "New America." He stated "I should get something out of it" regarding the strait naming and joked about personal financial benefit from geographic rebranding.
• VP Vance interviewed on Fox about $5,000 dividend promise — Fox host Bret Baier interviewed VP JD Vance after Trump's convention speech on September 9. When asked how a $1.3 trillion dividend payout would be funded without bankrupting the country, Vance claimed tariffs had generated substantial revenue and that the president was offering to share wealth created by his policies. A Community Note fact-check on X noted that annual tariff revenue (under $300 billion) cannot fund a $1.3 trillion payout and that previous cash dividend promises were never delivered.
• Trump claimed Iran war will end after midterm elections — Trump told reporters that Iran is prolonging the war to influence U.S. midterm elections and that he expects the conflict to end and gas prices to decline once the elections conclude. He stated, "They can't hold out any longer" and characterized Iran as "desperate to try and affect the election." However, Wall Street Journal reporting revealed that Trump's top advisors, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, have warned him the Iran war could continue through the remainder of his term. Hegseth has already extended troop deployments in the Middle East and planned additional extensions.
• Trump promised $5,000 checks to all adults if Republicans win midterms — At the "Trumpapaloosa" midterm convention in Dallas, Trump promised that if Republicans win the midterm elections, his administration will distribute $5,000 checks to all adult Americans. Trump branded the proposal the "Trump Dividend" and attributed it to "our tremendous strength and success economically." The plan would cost more than a trillion dollars and would require congressional approval, which Trump did not acknowledge.
• Trump pledges $5,000 payment to voters if Republicans win midterms — At the Republican National Convention in Dallas on September 10, President Trump promised a $5,000 check to every U.S. adult citizen if Republicans win the midterm elections. The pledge is widely understood within Trump's own circle as non-credible; no similar payments have been distributed during his second term despite prior promises. The announcement occurred during a lengthy speech that included incoherent remarks and calls for audience loyalty pledges.
• Trump Dividend: America Is Winning — and Americans Should Win With It — The White House published this release on 2026-09-10 through its releases channel.
• FDA announces priority review voucher fee rate for fiscal year 2027 — The Food and Drug Administration published a notice establishing the fiscal year 2027 fee rate for using priority review vouchers at $1,798,596. This fee applies to applications for tropical disease, rare pediatric disease, or material threat medical countermeasure products submitted with a priority review voucher, in addition to standard Prescription Drug User Fee Act fees. The rate is effective October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027, and was calculated based on the difference between average costs of priority and standard drug application reviews in fiscal year 2025, adjusted for cost increases.
• Trump gave cash gifts to executive assistant and staff — Trump gave his executive assistant Natalie Harp and two other young female employees gifts totaling $45,000 in cash last year, approximately one-third of their $150,000 annual salary. He also gave $20,000 to Walt Nauta, his co-defendant in the classified documents case. Richard Painter, chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, stated the gifts appear to violate federal law prohibiting federal employees from receiving salary supplements from outside sources. Don Fox, acting director of the Office of Government Ethics under Obama, said the legality was unclear because such payments were not previously envisioned by OGE.
• Trump claimed he may not need congressional approval for $5,000 checks — During a backstage Fox News interview at the RNC convention, Trump was asked about the $5,000 dividend proposal. He responded that "there are a lot of people who think I don't even need congressional approval because we've made so much money," suggesting he might implement the policy unilaterally without legislative authorization.
• Trump claimed oil prices would drop after military conflict — Trump told reporters at the RNC convention that oil prices would drop "very rapidly" once the U.S. wins "the military conflict or war," and that he was "pretty sure" this would happen shortly after the election. The bulletin notes he has made similar claims for seven months while oil prices have continued to rise.
• Ron DeSantis criticized Trump's $5,000 check proposal — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis publicly denounced Trump's proposal to deliver $5,000 checks to Americans if Republicans hold their ground in the midterm elections. DeSantis warned that the infusion of cash would stir more inflation and expressed concern about borrowing an additional $1.5 trillion and flooding it into the economy.
• Trump claimed $5,000 checks would be funded by growth — During a press availability at the RNC convention in Dallas on September 11, Trump was asked how he would pay for proposed $5,000 checks to Americans. He responded that the checks would be funded by economic growth, and when asked about deficit impact, he said he was not worried about it. Economic data cited in the bulletin indicates GDP growth is weak.

Supporting reports

• Trump fired commissioner of labor statistics for announcing job growth slowdown — President Trump fired the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday after the agency released a jobs report showing dramatic slowdown in job growth. The firing occurred after the commissioner announced official economic data that contradicted Trump's claims about the strength of the economy. Trump had alleged the commissioner rigged the numbers to make him look bad, a claim former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and other economists rejected as implausible given the statistical procedures involved.
• Trump administration fires BLS commissioner Erika McEntarfer over disputed job statistics — The Trump administration fired Erika McEntarfer, commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, following the release of July employment data showing only 73,000 jobs added—far below expectations—and downward revisions of 285,000 jobs for prior months. White House officials defended the dismissal on Sunday political shows, with Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stating the president had concerns about data reliability. Former BLS Commissioner William Beach warned the firing would undermine confidence in U.S. economic data, while economist Larry Summers compared it to authoritarian tactics.
• White House issues fact sheet attacking BLS credibility and former Biden-appointed commissioner — The White House published a fact sheet titled "BLS Has Lengthy History of Inaccuracies, Incompetence" on August 1, 2025, attacking the Bureau of Labor Statistics and its former Commissioner Erika McEntarfer. The document compiles allegations of overstated jobs numbers, technical errors, and data leaks, citing news reports and congressional correspondence. It asserts that BLS revisions totaling over 800,000 jobs influenced Federal Reserve policy and that financial firms received advance access to sensitive employment data. The fact sheet frames these claims as evidence of institutional failure eroding public trust.
• July jobs report shows 73,000 jobs added; May and June figures revised downward by 258,000 combined — The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the July employment report showing only 73,000 jobs added, well below estimates. Prior months were revised sharply lower: June fell from 147,000 to a lower figure, and May was revised down by 125,000, for a combined downward revision of 258,000 jobs. The unemployment rate rose to 4.2%. Health care and social assistance accounted for approximately 94% of job growth, with most other sectors showing weakness or contraction.
• Trump fired Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer — President Trump dismissed Dr. Erika McEntarfer, commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, after the agency released a jobs report showing only 73,000 new jobs added in July—far below the 115,000 economists predicted—and revealing that May and June job figures had been significantly overestimated (May revised down 87% from 144,000 to 19,000; June revised down 90% from 147,000 to 14,000). Trump claimed on Truth Social that the report was "RIGGED" to make Republicans and himself "look bad," despite U.S. economic statistics being widely regarded as a nonpartisan gold standard. McEntarfer had served in various roles under multiple administrations.
• Trump claims jobs report was rigged and announces firing of Labor Statistics Commissioner — Trump posted on social media that the jobs report was "rigged" to make Republicans look bad. He then announced he was firing Dr. Erika McEntarfer, the Commissioner of Labor Statistics, whom he identified as a Biden appointee, and stated he would replace her with someone "much more competent and qualified." Trump directed his team to remove her "immediately."

Supporting reports

• Trump declares national emergency to justify tariff authority — Trump declared a national emergency under the National Emergencies Act to justify imposing tariffs, citing the need to "increase our competitive edge, protect our sovereignty, and strengthen our national and economic security." This invocation of emergency powers allows him to bypass the constitutional requirement that Congress hold the power to impose tariffs. The declaration relies on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to grant the president tariff authority during a declared emergency.
• Trump signed Executive Order 14257 imposing reciprocal tariffs on all imports, starting at 10 percent globally and escalating to country-specific rates on April 9, 2025, citing trade deficits as a national emergency. — President Trump signed Executive Order 14257 on April 2, 2025, declaring a national emergency based on persistent U.S. goods trade deficits and invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and National Emergencies Act. The order imposes an initial 10 percent ad valorem duty on all imports effective April 5, 2025, escalating to country-specific rates (detailed in Annex I) on April 9, 2025, for designated trading partners. Exemptions include certain steel, aluminum, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and critical minerals. The order authorizes the Secretary of Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative to modify duties based on trading partner retaliation or compliance with reciprocal trade alignment.
• Trump announces 10% universal tariff with higher rates on 60 countries — President Trump announced a 10% tariff on all U.S. imports, with higher rates on approximately 60 countries including China, Japan, Vietnam, South Korea, and the European Union. He made the announcement in a Rose Garden speech after stock market close. The announcement caused immediate market turmoil: Dow Jones futures fell over 1,000 points (2.5%) and S&P 500 futures dropped 3.6%. Trump framed the tariffs as addressing decades of unfair trade practices and promised they would create "the golden age of America."
• Trump signs reciprocal tariff executive order imposing 10% baseline duty on all imports — President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14206 on April 2, 2025, declaring a national emergency based on persistent U.S. goods trade deficits and imposing a 10% ad valorem duty on all imports effective April 5, 2025, with country-specific rates (ranging up to 60% for certain trading partners) taking effect April 9, 2025. The order cites the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and invokes national security and economic grounds, targeting what Trump characterizes as non-reciprocal trade practices, tariff asymmetries, and non-tariff barriers by trading partners.
• Trump signed Executive Order 14257 imposing reciprocal tariffs on all imports — President Trump signed Executive Order 14257 on April 2, 2025, declaring a national emergency based on persistent U.S. goods trade deficits and imposing reciprocal tariffs. The order establishes a 10 percent baseline ad valorem duty on all imports effective April 5, 2025, with country-specific higher rates for designated trading partners effective April 9, 2025, as detailed in Annex I. The order exempts certain goods including steel, aluminum, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and energy products, and includes carve-outs for USMCA-qualifying goods from Canada and Mexico. The order invokes the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and National Emergencies Act, citing trade deficits as a threat to national security and manufacturing capacity.
• Trump announces reciprocal tariff plan using simplified trade-deficit formula — President Trump announced a sweeping tariff plan calculated by dividing each country's 2024 goods trade deficit by total imports, then halving the result, with a 10% baseline for countries without large deficits. The White House confirmed the approach was simplistic, based solely on bilateral trade imbalances rather than the promised multi-factor analysis of tariff and non-tariff barriers. Economists criticized the methodology as economically flawed and strategically incoherent, with rates reaching 50% for Lesotho and 49% for Cambodia—countries with low purchasing power, not discriminatory trade practices.
• Trump administration implemented tariffs using an undocumented formula without standard economic methodology. — Trump's tariff policy applied tariffs to entire nations rather than specific products, using a formula that economists identified as nonsensical and potentially AI-generated. Economist Paul Krugman identified the formula as likely AI-derived. CNBC's Steve Liesman stated that "nobody ever heard of this formula" and concluded "the president kind of made this up as he went along." Former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers characterized the approach as "to economics what creationism is to biology, astrology is to astronomy, or RFK thought is to vaccine science." The administration provided no coherent policy rationale or analysis supporting the tariff structure.
• Trump declares national tariff emergency and claims foreign trade practices constitute national emergency — In April 2025, Trump declared a national emergency, asserting that "foreign trade and economic practices have created a national emergency" to justify sweeping tariffs. Two courts rejected this claim, though an appeals court temporarily halted the more expansive ruling. The administration bypassed Congress and normal legislative procedures to impose tariffs unilaterally under emergency authority.
• Trump announced universal tariffs on all countries — Trump stated that tariffs he will announce on Wednesday will apply to all countries, not just 10-15 specific nations previously mentioned. When asked whether tariff rates would be universal or differentiated by country, Trump declined to specify, saying "you're gonna see in two days."

Supporting reports

• Trump administration officials deeply concerned about April 2 tariff implementation — Politico reported that behind the scenes, several members of Trump's inner circle are deeply concerned about massive tariffs taking effect on April 2. Officials including J.D. Vance, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have pushed for a smaller, more targeted tariff plan or a structured rollout. With less than a week to go, basic details including which countries will be hit, at what rates, and for which goods remain undecided or constantly shifting. Trump's staff was blindsided when he suddenly announced a 25% tariff on auto imports.
• Trump warns automakers against raising prices — President Trump has warned CEOs of major automakers not to raise car prices in response to the new tariffs. During a call with these executives, Trump indicated that the White House would view price increases unfavorably, suggesting potential punitive measures against companies that do not comply. This warning reflects Trump's willingness to use executive power to influence corporate pricing decisions.
• Trump claimed he never told auto CEOs not to raise prices despite tariffs — Trump was asked by NBC about a Wall Street Journal report that he told auto company CEOs not to raise prices despite the tariffs. Trump denied the report, stating "No, I never said that. I couldn't care less if they raise prices" and expressed hope that they would raise prices so consumers would buy American-made cars instead.
• Trump warned auto manufacturers against raising prices in response to tariffs — According to reporting by the Wall Street Journal on Thursday, Trump warned chief executives of major auto manufacturers not to raise prices in response to the 25% tariffs he had imposed on cars and car parts, claiming the tariffs were beneficial to them. On Saturday, Trump denied making such a request to NBC News, then contradicted himself by stating he hoped manufacturers would raise prices because consumers would buy American-made cars instead.
• Sen. Tim Sheehy acknowledged that Trump's tariffs would cause "short-term pain" to his state. — Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) acknowledged on CNN that Trump's tariff policies would cause "short-term pain" to Montana, comparing the disruption to remodeling a house. He framed the pain as a necessary cost of long-term economic improvement.
• White House sources reported internal conflict over Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's tariff advocacy. — Politico reported that multiple White House sources expressed frustration with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who has been the primary advocate for Trump's aggressive tariff policies. Sources stated that Lutnick is "constantly hanging around the Oval Office" promoting tariffs, which they believe will damage the economy. One source called Lutnick "a new voice at the table pushing crazy shit," while another said people would "take special pleasure in blaming him" for economic damage. However, Trump reportedly enjoys the disruption caused by tariffs and wants foreign leaders to "panic and call" to negotiate deals.