Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Trump administration secured tungsten deal with Kazakhstan involving family financial interests — In September 2025, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trump secured access to one of the world's largest untapped tungsten reserves from Kazakhstan's president. An obscure U.S. company, Kaz Resources, won the access. Before the deal, Trump administration officials advanced applications for as much as $1.6 billion in federal funding for the company. An investment firm partly owned by Trump's sons Don Jr. and Eric took a 20% stake in a related entity. Lutnick's sons' firm, Cantor Fitzgerald, raised $210 million for a related entity. The deal was signed November 6, 2025.

Supporting reports

• Novo Nordisk executive faints during Trump administration event — Novo Nordisk executive Gordon Findlay fainted in the Oval Office during a lengthy series of speeches by Trump, RFK Jr., Dr. Oz, and other Trump administration officials and drug company CEOs. Fox reported he is fine. After the executive was removed, Trump told the Novo Nordisk CEO: "Maybe you should give us a piece of the company like I've been asking for."

Supporting reports

• Trump threatened federal funding retaliation against New York City over mayoral election — Trump posted on social media that if New York City voters elected Democrat Zohran Mamdani as mayor, he would restrict federal funding to the city to the bare minimum required by law. The threat was made before Election Day and constituted an attempt to influence voters through coercive use of federal spending power.
• Trump endorsed Andrew Cuomo and threatened to withhold federal funds from New York — President Trump posted on Truth Social endorsing Andrew Cuomo for New York City mayor and threatened to withhold federal funds from New York if communist candidate Zohran Mamdani wins, stating he would contribute only "the very minimum as required" if Mamdani is elected because "as a Communist, this once great City has ZERO chance of success."

Supporting reports

• Public Citizen reports corporate donors received $279 billion in contracts — Non-profit organization Public Citizen published a report finding that two-thirds of the 24 known corporate donors to Trump's White House ballroom have received a total of $279 billion in government contracts over the past five years. Additionally, 14 of them are either facing federal enforcement actions or have had them suspended by the Trump administration. The corporate and billionaire donors have also spent $1.6 billion on lobbying and campaign contributions over the last five years.

Supporting reports

• Trump threatens to cut federal funds if Mamdani wins mayoral election — On the eve of the New York mayoral election, President Donald Trump threatened to withhold federal funds from the city if Zohran Mamdani, the "communist" candidate, wins. Trump stated that he would only provide the minimum required federal funding, claiming that sending money to a city led by a communist would be a waste. This statement raises concerns about the legality of using federal funding as a political tool, as Congress controls appropriations.
• Trump endorses Cuomo and threatens to withhold federal funds from NYC — On Truth Social, Trump endorsed Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayoral election, saying, "Whether you personally like [him] or not, you really have no choice." He once again threatened to withhold federal funds "other than the very minimum as required" to the city if Zohran Mamdani is elected, whom he called a "Communist" multiple times.

Supporting reports

• DraftKings creates Win For America PAC and donates $2 million — DraftKings donated $2 million to Win For America, a newly created PAC established on November 2, 2025, making DraftKings the sole initial donor. Win For America subsequently funneled $500,000 to the American Conservative Fund (a dark money group supporting Senate Republicans) and $450,000 to American Future PAC, a newly formed group likely to support Democratic candidates. This structure allows DraftKings to channel funds to both parties while maintaining strategic distance from direct donations.

Supporting reports

• Trump travels to Mar-a-Lago for golf outing; taxpayer cost reaches $60.7 million for 76 outings — President Trump departed for his thirteenth visit to the Trump Organization's Mar-a-Lago property in Florida, his seventy-sixth golf outing in his second term. The $3.4 million trip brought the total taxpayer expenditure on the president's golf outings to $60.7 million, occurring while federal employees worked without pay, furloughed workers took out bank loans, healthcare premiums skyrocketed, and SNAP benefits faced elimination.

Supporting reports

• Paul Singer acquired Citgo at discounted price following Venezuela embargo — Investor Paul Singer, a Trump donor who contributed $5 million to Trump's Super PAC in 2024 and tens of millions more to Republican candidates and Trump's transition, acquired Citgo (the U.S.-based subsidiary of Venezuela's state oil company) in November 2025 for $5.9 billion. Citgo owns three major Gulf Coast refineries, 43 oil terminals, and over 4,000 gas stations. The acquisition occurred at a major discount due to the Venezuela embargo, which limited Citgo's ability to source its preferred Venezuelan crude and forced reliance on more expensive Canadian and Colombian oil.
• Paul Singer acquired Citgo, Venezuelan state oil subsidiary, at discounted price — In November 2025, billionaire investor Paul Singer, through his firm Elliott Investment Management, purchased Citgo—the U.S.-based subsidiary of Venezuela's state-run oil company—for $5.9 billion. Court advisors valued Citgo at $13 billion; Venezuelan officials claimed it was worth $18 billion. The discount was largely attributable to the U.S. embargo on Venezuelan oil, which forced Citgo's refineries to source more expensive crude from Canada and Colombia. Singer is a major Trump donor who contributed $5 million to Trump's Super PAC in 2024.

Supporting reports

• Binance enables trading of Trump-linked cryptocurrencies days after CZ pardon — On October 29, 2025, Binance's U.S. exchange announced it would begin allowing trading of USD1 and WLFI, two cryptocurrencies issued by World Liberty Financial, a company co-founded by Trump and his sons. Trump reportedly owns 15.7 billion WLFI tokens (over 15% of total supply). USD1 is a stablecoin whose reserve assets generate profit for Trump and other owners. The move expands the pool of American investors and directly benefits Trump financially by increasing demand and token value.
• Binance invested $2 billion in Trump-owned stablecoin — Earlier in 2025, Binance accepted a $2 billion investment from an Abu Dhabi investment fund in USD1, a stablecoin issued by World Liberty Financial and owned in part by Trump. The transaction immediately gave USD1 legitimacy and liquidity, and has likely already generated tens of millions for Trump and other World Liberty Financial owners. Binance also wrote the basic code to power USD1 for World Liberty Financial, further deepening the financial relationship.

Supporting reports

• Indiana governor calls special legislative session to redraw congressional districts — Indiana Governor Mike Braun announced a special legislative session to redraw the state's congressional districts ahead of 2026. The move follows pressure from the Trump administration on Republican-led states to undertake mid-decade redistricting to favor Republicans. Braun stated the session aims to "protect Hoosiers" from efforts in other states, though Democratic leaders alleged the decision resulted from federal pressure, including threats to cut funding and direct calls from President Trump and Vice President Vance.

Supporting reports

• Amazon donated to Trump ballroom project after pledging not to support election deniers — Amazon, which in January 2021 publicly pledged to suspend PAC contributions to any Member of Congress who voted to overturn the 2020 election results, has now donated to Trump's White House ballroom project. The company also donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund in 2025, reversing its stated position on supporting those who undermine democratic processes.
• Comcast donated to Trump ballroom project after pledging not to support election deniers — Comcast, which pledged in January 2021 to suspend political contributions to elected officials who voted against certification of electoral college votes, has now donated to Trump's White House ballroom project. The company also donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund, reversing its stated commitment to withhold support from those who sought to overturn the election.
• Google donated to Trump ballroom project after pledging not to support election deniers — Google, which in January 2021 stated that its NetPAC would not make contributions to any member of Congress who voted against certification of election results, has now donated to Trump's White House ballroom project. The company also donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund, reversing its stated position on supporting election deniers.
• Microsoft donated to Trump ballroom project after pledging not to support election deniers — Microsoft, which in January 2021 pledged to suspend contributions to members of Congress who voted against certification of electors and to state officials who supported overturning the election, has now donated to Trump's White House ballroom project. The company also donated $750,000 to Trump's inaugural fund, reversing its stated commitment to withhold support from election deniers.
• Multiple corporations donated to Trump ballroom after pledging not to support election deniers — Altria, Booz Allen Hamilton, Lockheed Martin, Meta, Union Pacific, and HP Inc.—all of which pledged in January 2021 to halt political giving following the Capitol insurrection—have now donated to Trump's White House ballroom project. Several also donated to Trump's inaugural fund: Altria ($1 million), Meta ($1 million), and HP ($50,000), reversing their stated commitments to withhold support from those who undermined democratic processes.

Supporting reports

• FCC adopts revised interim rate caps for incarcerated people's communications services under Martha Wright-Reed Act — The Federal Communications Commission issued a final rule modifying incarcerated people's communications services (IPCS) rate caps effective immediately, with compliance required 120 days after Federal Register publication. The revised interim rates exclude unbilled minutes from calculations, create a new tier for extremely small jails (0–49 average daily population), include all reported safety and security costs, and establish a separate $0.02-per-minute facility cost additive. Audio rates range from $0.08–$0.17 per minute; video rates from $0.17–$0.42 per minute, depending on facility size.
• FCC permanently raises rate caps for inmate phone calls and video calls — The Federal Communications Commission voted to permanently repeal 2024 rate caps on inmate phone calls and video calls, raising the maximum allowable charges from $0.06–$0.07 per minute to $0.10–$0.18 per minute for calls, and from $0.11–$0.25 to $0.18–$0.41 per minute for video calls. The FCC justified the increase by citing unspecified safety risks and citing one example of a jail ending phone services, though the jail operator attributed the closure to a ban on kickbacks rather than rate caps. The change will cost incarcerated people and their families approximately $1 billion annually compared to the 2024 caps.
• FCC reinstates allowance for prison operators to receive per-minute payments from inmate phone calls — The FCC's new rule permits prison and jail operators to receive 2 cents per minute from phone companies regardless of whether they incur costs, replacing the previous kickback system. While the FCC has formally banned kickbacks and ancillary fees, the rule notes the commission is "seeking further comment" on reinstating those bans, signaling openness to removing protections in the future. Private prison operators like The GEO Group and CoreCivic, both major political donors to President Trump, stand to benefit from continued revenue generation from inmate communications.

Supporting reports

• Trump admitted to U.S. interference in Argentine election — Trump publicly stated that "the United States successfully interfered in the Argentinian election" and claimed the U.S. "made a lot of money" from the outcome, citing improvements in bond values and debt ratings. The statement constituted an explicit admission of electoral interference in a foreign nation's democratic process.

Supporting reports

• Treasury Secretary Bessent falsely claimed to be a soybean farmer while defending Trump's tariffs — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appeared on ABC and claimed to be a soybean farmer experiencing tariff pain alongside struggling farmers. In reality, Bessent owns $25 million in North Dakota corn and soybean farmland that he leases to actual farmers for over $1 million annually in income. With a net worth of $521 million, Bessent has delayed divesting his farm holdings as required by his ethics agreement, though he stated he would do so by year-end. The false claim was made while defending policies harming the farmers he profits from as a landlord.

Supporting reports

• Trump fired National Capital Planning Commission board members and installed loyalists — Trump fired board members of the National Capital Planning Commission and replaced them with his own loyalists, giving Republicans control of the little-known body that has outsized influence over the White House complex. The NCPC raised no public objections to his plans to remodel the White House, allowing Trump to proceed with his ballroom construction project by circumventing normal zoning, permitting, and regulatory structures that govern most real-estate projects in the country.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration demolishes White House East Wing without National Capital Planning Commission approval — The Trump administration completed demolition of the historic White House East Wing to make way for a $300 million privately funded ballroom. The demolition reversed Trump's July promise that no existing infrastructure would be torn down. Construction began without approval from the National Capital Planning Commission, the federal agency with jurisdiction over such projects. The 90,000-square-foot ballroom, designed to accommodate 999 people, is funded by major tech companies, defense contractors, and other corporations seeking government access.
• Trump plans to bulldoze East Wing of the White House for personal use — Trump reportedly plans to bulldoze the East Wing of the White House to construct a personal ballroom, a decision defended by Bessent as a "judgment call" by the president.
• White House demolishes East Wing to construct ballroom — The Trump administration demolished the East Wing of the White House to construct a ballroom. The action was cited as an example of constitutional violations and institutional degradation occurring during the administration's tenure.

Supporting reports

• Unusual Machines, backed by Trump Jr., wins major Pentagon drone contract — Unusual Machines, a Florida-based drone company in which Donald Trump Jr. holds a $4 million stake, secured a contract from the U.S. Army to manufacture 3,500 drone motors and various drone parts. The company's CEO Allan Evans indicated the Army signaled plans to order an additional 20,000 components next year. Trump Jr. joined the company as an adviser in November 2024. Stock in Unusual Machines jumped 13% following the announcement. Financial Times reporting earlier in 2025 found the company's share price nearly tripled in the weeks before Trump Jr.'s appointment was disclosed.

Supporting reports

• House Democrats accuse Trump of orchestrating illegal scheme to direct $230m in Treasury funds to himself — Representatives Jamie Raskin and Robert Garcia sent a letter to President Trump on Thursday condemning his plan to use a confidential Department of Justice administrative process to direct Treasury funds to himself personally. Trump claimed the government owes him "a lot of money" for past DOJ investigations, including the Mar-a-Lago search and the 2016 Russian interference probe. The arrangement would allow Trump as president to decide whether Trump as claimant receives taxpayer funds, with potential months of delay before public disclosure.

Supporting reports

• Trump commutes sentence of former Representative George Santos — Trump commuted the sentence of former Representative George Santos (R-NY), ending his seven-year sentence for fraud after only three months served and removing his obligation to pay $373,749.97 in restitution to his victims. Trump has pardoned or commuted sentences for more than 1,600 people, far exceeding typical presidential clemency. Trump's social media post stated: "Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!"

Supporting reports

• Trump pardoned cryptocurrency executive Changpeng Zhao — President Trump pardoned Changpeng Zhao, co-founder and former CEO of Binance, on October 23. Zhao had pleaded guilty in 2023 to money laundering, resigned from Binance, paid a $50 million fine, and served a four-month prison sentence. The U.S. government had stated Zhao "caused significant harm to U.S. national security" by allowing terrorist groups like Hamas to move millions of dollars. Trump stated he knew little about Zhao and believed the prosecution was a "Biden witch hunt," citing his support for the cryptocurrency industry.
• Trump pardons Binance founder Changpeng Zhao — Trump announced a full and unconditional pardon for Changpeng Zhao, founder of Binance cryptocurrency exchange, who pleaded guilty in 2023 to money laundering, paid a $50 million fine, and served nearly four months in prison. Binance paid a $4.3 billion penalty. In May 2025, Binance accepted USD1 stablecoin from the Trump family's World Liberty Financial crypto venture as payment for a $2 billion investment, enabling World Liberty Financial to retain tens of millions in annual profits. The pardon enables Zhao to return to business operations.
• Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao — Trump pardoned Changpeng Zhao, the convicted founder of cryptocurrency exchange Binance, following months of lobbying efforts by Zhao to boost the Trump family's own crypto company. The DOJ had argued Zhao's company undermined U.S. sanctions against Iran. Zhao hired Teresa Guillen, who also represents special envoy Steve Witkoff's son, and co-counsel Ches McDowell, a hunting companion of Donald Trump Jr. When asked why he pardoned Zhao, Trump said he did not know which person that was and that Zhao was "recommended by a lot of people."
• Trump pardons Binance founder convicted of money laundering — Donald Trump has pardoned Changpeng Zhao, the founder of Binance, who was convicted of laundering money for terrorist organizations. This action raises ethical concerns regarding the influence of personal interests in presidential pardons.
• Trump pardons Binance founder CZ, convicted of anti-money laundering violations — President Trump pardoned Changpeng Zhao (CZ), founder of Binance, on October 23, 2025. Zhao had pleaded guilty to violating anti-money laundering laws; the Department of Justice stated his conduct "allowed money to flow to terrorists, cybercriminals, and child abusers" through Binance. Zhao served four months in prison and agreed to step down as CEO. The pardon was announced publicly on October 23.
• Binance founder receives pardon after $2 billion transaction with Trump-linked cryptocurrency project — Changpeng Zhao (CZ), Binance founder and CEO, pleaded guilty in November 2023 to willfully failing to maintain anti-money laundering programs, allowing funds to flow to terrorists and cybercriminals. After serving four months in prison, Binance conducted a $2 billion transaction in May 2025 with a UAE investment fund using USD1, a stablecoin created by World Liberty Financial (WLF), in which Trump and family own approximately 38%. Binance provided technical infrastructure and promotion. On October 24, Trump pardoned CZ, who had hired a Trump Jr. associate for $450,000 to lobby for executive relief.

Supporting reports

• Banks demand U.S. government guarantee for $20 billion Argentina lending facility — Banks assembled by Treasury Secretary Bessent—including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, and Goldman Sachs—are demanding that the U.S. government backstop a $20 billion lending facility to Argentina, effectively requiring taxpayers to absorb losses while banks retain profits. The arrangement emerged after private lenders had ceased lending to Argentina due to its heavy debt burden and low repayment likelihood. The Treasury Department confirmed talks remain ongoing but did not dispute the Wall Street Journal's reporting of the guarantee demand.

Supporting reports

• United States signs economic stabilization agreement with Argentina, commits $20 billion currency swap — The United States signed an "economic stabilization agreement" with Argentina's central bank, committing to swap $20 billion in currency to prop up the Argentine peso, in addition to at least two previous direct purchases of pesos. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated the government is arranging for private lenders or sovereign wealth funds to contribute another $20 billion into the Argentine economy. Banks have requested security from the United States that they will recover their money if the Argentine economy continues to decline.
• Trump Announces $40 Billion Aid to Argentina — President Trump has announced a $40 billion aid package to Argentina, intended to stabilize the country's currency. However, the move has been criticized for benefiting Trump-aligned investors while failing to address economic challenges faced by Americans. The aid has not succeeded in stabilizing Argentina's currency as intended.
• U.S. Treasury peso purchases fail to stabilize Argentine currency — The Argentine peso fell below levels reached before the U.S. Treasury began purchasing pesos earlier in October, indicating that the Trump administration's financial support has failed to halt the currency's decline ahead of crucial midterm elections for President Milei. The Treasury has made approximately three purchases totaling roughly $400 million since October 9, and a $20 billion currency swap line was announced, but the peso continued to slide.
• Trump’s $40 billion bailout of Argentina fails — Donald Trump’s $40 billion taxpayer-funded bailout of Argentina has failed, with the Argentine peso losing 10% of its value in the first two weeks of October. The economic situation in Argentina has worsened, with interest rates soaring to 157% and inflation rising. Trump's intervention has not stabilized the economy and has drained U.S. resources.
• Trump administration approves $40 billion bailout of Argentina — The Trump administration approved a $40 billion bailout of Argentina. Representative Hakeem Jeffries criticized the expenditure during a government shutdown, stating Trump had "found time to bail out a right-wing wannabe dictator in Argentina with $40b" while refusing to negotiate with Democrats on reopening the government. Senator Rand Paul also criticized the bailout as inconsistent with "America First" policy, noting the funds are borrowed and the country faces a $2 trillion deficit. The National Cattlemen's Beef Association opposed the bailout, stating it undermines family farmers and ranchers by allowing importation of Argentine beef.

Supporting reports

• Trump offered $230 million settlement in DOJ malicious prosecution lawsuit with conflict of interest — Trump proposed settling his lawsuit against the DOJ for $230 million, claiming malicious prosecution. The DOJ supervisors tasked with approving the settlement are Trump's former lawyers, creating a direct conflict of interest. Trump stated he would need to decide how much to pay himself in damages, acknowledging the unusual nature of the arrangement.
• Trump demanded Justice Department pay him $230 million for federal investigations — The New York Times reported that Trump is demanding that the Justice Department pay him roughly $230 million in compensation for its federal investigations into him. The settlement could ultimately be approved by senior department officials who defended him. The demand represents an unprecedented attempt to use the Justice Department to extract personal financial benefit from the presidency.
• Trump demands DOJ pay $230 million for "pain and suffering" from investigations — Trump demanded that the Department of Justice pay him $230 million in taxpayer money as compensation for his "pain and suffering" from federal investigations. Trump claimed he would donate the money to charity.
• Trump demands DOJ pay him $230 million for investigations and Mar-a-Lago search — President Trump is demanding that the Department of Justice hand over approximately $230 million to compensate him for the investigation into ties between his 2016 campaign and Russian operatives and for the 2022 search of Mar-a-Lago for classified documents. Trump filed the claims in 2023 and 2024. Trump's own appointees will now decide whether American taxpayers should pay the compensation Trump is demanding. When asked about the demand, Trump stated that media outlets had paid him settlements and claimed that any money he received would be given to charity, while acknowledging the unusual nature of deciding how much to pay himself in damages.
• Trump accused of using DOJ funds for personal settlement — Trump is accused of using Department of Justice funds to pay himself a $230 million settlement, raising concerns about the misuse of government resources for personal gain.

Supporting reports

• Trump solicits corporate donations for $300m White House ballroom project — Donald Trump announced a $300m ballroom project at the White House, funded by corporate and billionaire donors including Apple, Google, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, Palantir, and others. Demolition of the entire East Wing began without prior public announcement or approval from the National Capital Planning Commission. Trump initially stated the project would cost $200m but increased the figure to $300m on Wednesday. House Democrats condemned the lack of transparency and secretive decision-making process.
• Trump raised $350 million in corporate donations for White House ballroom — Trump announced he has raised $350 million from corporate donors to fund the White House ballroom renovation, up from his initial estimate of $200 million, then $250 million, then $300 million. When asked how much he personally would contribute, Trump declined to provide a specific number. The project cost estimates have escalated repeatedly.
• White House releases list of donors to Trump ballroom project — The White House released a list of major corporations and individuals donating to Trump's ballroom project intended to replace the demolished East Wing of the White House. Donors include Google (whose CEO thanked Trump for resolving an antitrust case), Palantir (which holds lucrative ICE contracts), Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Coinbase, Ripple, and numerous others. Economist Robert Reich characterized the arrangement as "pay-to-play," noting that donors include companies with direct regulatory or contractual interests in Trump administration decisions.

Supporting reports

• Department of Homeland Security purchases two Gulfstream jets for $172 million during shutdown — Despite the ongoing government shutdown, the Department of Homeland Security has purchased two Gulfstream private jets for $172 million for use by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and other DHS officials. The initial departmental request was for $50 million for a single new plane. The Department of Homeland Security characterized the purchase as "a matter of safety."
• Kristi Noem claimed Coast Guard jets were for agency mission — Secretary Kristi Noem defended her acquisition of two new Gulfstream jets financed through the Coast Guard budget, stating they were necessary replacements for 25-year-old aircraft and that Congress had appropriated the funds. The source material indicates Noem personally uses the aircraft and that they represent taxpayer-funded government jets for her use, similar to her taxpayer-funded waterfront Coast Guard Commandant residence.