Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• FCC Chair Brendan Carr threatens broadcaster license revocation over Iran war coverage — FCC Chair Brendan Carr warned broadcasters on March 14 that they could lose their licenses if they continue "running hoaxes and news distortions," specifically referencing coverage of Trump's Iran war policy. Carr stated broadcasters "have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up." Senator Elizabeth Warren responded by calling the threat "straight out of the authoritarian playbook" and noting it violates constitutional protections for free speech.

Supporting reports

• FCC Chair Brendan Carr threatened broadcast licenses of media stations — Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr posted a threat to the broadcast licenses of media stations, stating that "Broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions—also known as the fake news—have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up." Carr claimed "The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not." Carr also falsely claimed Trump won "a landslide election victory" when Trump received less than 50% of the vote.
• Defense Secretary Hegseth complained about war coverage at press briefing — On March 14, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth held a press briefing at the Defense Department in which he spent significant time complaining about headlines reporting that the war is widening and that the administration underestimated Iran's ability to close the Strait of Hormuz. He called for a "patriotic press" that would report Iran is weakening, criticized CNN's reporting, and stated "The sooner [right-wing Trump ally] David Ellison takes over that network, the better." He claimed the Strait of Hormuz is open and that Iran can "barely communicate, let alone coordinate."

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• Administration officials conducted classified briefing on Iran war to Senate Armed Services Committee — Administration officials provided a classified briefing to the Senate Armed Services Committee regarding ongoing military operations in Iran. Democratic senators emerged expressing significant frustration with the lack of transparency and unanswered questions about war costs, troop deployment risks, foreign adversary involvement, and strategic objectives. Senators called for declassification of information to enable public and constituent communication about the conflict.
• Senator Blumenthal expressed dissatisfaction with Iran war briefing and demanded transparency — Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) told reporters he was deeply dissatisfied with the classified briefing, stating he had more questions than answers, particularly regarding war costs. He expressed concern about potential ground troop deployment in Iran, Russian and Chinese military aid to Iran, and characterized the conflict as a "war of choice" made by the president without American public consent, demanding the administration provide answers to the American people.
• Senator Murphy criticized administration's lack of war strategy — Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) posted on social media that the administration appears to have no objectives for the war beyond continued bombing and no plan for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, indicating a lack of coherent strategic planning for military operations.
• Senator Rosen called for declassification of Iran war information — Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) expressed frustration that the administration restricts war information to classified briefings, preventing elected officials from communicating with constituents about the conflict. She asserted that Trump uses the word "war" publicly while the administration avoids formal war declaration, and called on Trump to seek congressional authorization and public debate before further escalation. She stated the administration has provided no post-conflict plan.
• Senator Blumenthal warned of potential ground troop deployment and Russian aid to Iran — Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), after receiving an intelligence briefing on Iran, stated that the U.S. appears to be on a path toward deploying American troops on the ground in Iran. He also warned of the specter of active Russian aid to Iran and potential Chinese assistance, both of which could endanger American lives.

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• White House press secretary defends Trump's false Tomahawk claim — On Tuesday, March 10, when a reporter asked why Trump said Iran had Tomahawks when only three other U.S. allies and the U.S. possess them, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt answered: "The president has a right to share his opinions with the American public, but he has said he'll accept the conclusion of that investigation, and frankly, we're not going to be harassed by the New York Times, who's been putting out a lot of articles on this making claims that have just not been verified by the Department of War, to quickly wrap up this investigation because the New York Times is calling on us to do so."
• White House Press Secretary Leavitt defended Trump's false claim as "opinion" — White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Trump's factually false claim that Iran may possess Tomahawk missiles by characterizing it as the president's right to "share his opinions with the American public." She also attacked the New York Times for reporting on the school bombing and accused the outlet of harassment.

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• Energy Secretary Wright falsely claimed Navy escorted oil tanker, then deleted tweet — Energy Secretary Chris Wright tweeted that the U.S. Navy escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, a claim that was widely distributed across wire services. Wright subsequently deleted the tweet after Fox News national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin reported from military sources that no such escort had occurred.
• Energy Secretary Chris Wright falsely claimed U.S. Navy escorted tanker through Strait of Hormuz — On March 10, 2026, Energy Secretary Chris Wright posted on social media that "the U.S. Navy had successfully escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz." Wright later admitted this claim was false. As of one week after the false statement, there were no documented cases of a tanker traversing the strait with a military escort, despite Trump's March 3 promise that the U.S. Navy would begin escorting tankers "as soon as possible."

Supporting reports

• Trump claims Iran possesses Tomahawk missiles — On Monday, March 9, when a reporter noted that a Tomahawk missile likely hit the school and asked if the U.S. would accept responsibility, Trump responded that "the Tomahawk…is sold and used by other countries" and suggested that Iran "also has some Tomahawks." Trump's claim contradicts the fact that only three U.S. allies and the U.S. possess Tomahawk missiles, a point raised by a reporter on Tuesday.
• Trump deflects responsibility for girls school strike — When asked whether the U.S. would accept responsibility for the girls school bombing, Trump stated that Tomahawk missiles are "sold and used by other countries" and suggested Iran or "somebody else" may have fired the weapon, despite the U.S. being the only party to the conflict known to possess Tomahawks. He characterized the matter as "being investigated" without acknowledging U.S. responsibility or committing to accountability.
• Trump urged oil tankers to transit Strait of Hormuz despite military threat — Trump stated there is "no reason why oil tankers shouldn't try to run the Straits of Hormuz," claiming "There's nothing to be afraid of! They have no Navy, we sunk all their ships!" Fox & Friends host Brian Kilmeade echoed the message, urging tanker captains to "show some guts and go through that Strait" to diminish the Iranian threat. The statements encourage commercial shipping to navigate a militarily contested waterway during active conflict.
• Trump claimed Iran may possess Tomahawk missiles despite limited distribution — When asked about video evidence showing a U.S. Tomahawk missile destroyed an Iranian girls school, President Trump claimed that Tomahawk missiles are "very generic" and that Iran may possess them, despite only three U.S. allies plus the U.S. having access to the weapon system. Trump stated the matter was "being investigated" without accepting responsibility.

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• White House posted QAnon-aligned image with caption "PATRIOTS ARE IN CONTROL" — The White House posted an image appearing to show a pilot in an aircraft under the caption "PATRIOTS ARE IN CONTROL." According to the Steady State, a group of former national security officials, this phrase in QAnon circles refers to the long-standing conspiracy theory belief that Trump and a hidden network inside government have been secretly running things the entire time.

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• Kari Lake announced partnership between Voice of America and One America News — While serving as de facto head of Voice of America, Kari Lake announced a partnership between the government-funded international broadcaster and One America News, a pro-Trump outlet known for spreading misinformation. Press freedom advocates characterized the move as an attempt to replace independent journalism with political programming within an institution specifically created to provide fact-based reporting to audiences in countries with state-controlled media. This partnership was announced before the federal court ruling that voided Lake's authority.

Supporting reports

• Federal judge voided actions taken by Kari Lake at Voice of America — U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ruled on Saturday that Kari Lake, a Trump-appointed official, lacked lawful authority to serve as acting CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees Voice of America. Lake had exercised approximately 95 percent of the CEO's duties despite not being employed by USAGM when the former CEO resigned in January 2025 and lacking Senate confirmation. The court voided her actions, including layoffs of over 1,000 journalists and staffers, funding cuts, and restructuring that reduced VOA broadcasting from 49 languages to four. The ruling reaffirms that administrations must follow legal procedures when installing control over public institutions.
• Appeals court voids Kari Lake's tenure as head of US Agency for Global Media for lack of Senate confirmation — Senior judge Royce C Lamberth of the US District Court for the District of Columbia voided the tenure of Kari Lake, a Republican former gubernatorial candidate, who unlawfully led the US Agency for Global Media for several months in 2025 without Senate confirmation. The court voided mass layoffs and other actions Lake took to dismantle the agency overseeing Voice of America and related international news broadcasters, finding her appointment violated constitutional requirements.
• Federal judge voids Kari Lake's unlawful tenure at USAGM, invalidating mass layoffs — US District Judge Royce C. Lamberth ruled that Kari Lake unlawfully served as head of the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent agency of Voice of America, after Trump appointed her without Senate confirmation on 31 July 2025. During her tenure through 19 November 2025, Lake cut over 1,000 staff positions and terminated contracts. The judge voided all actions taken during her unlawful service, citing violations of the Appointments Clause and the Vacancies Act. The ruling relied on precedent from the Third Circuit's invalidation of Alina Habba's appointment to lead the US attorney's office in New Jersey.
• Federal judge ruled Kari Lake acted unlawfully in running Voice of America — U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth ruled that Kari Lake, head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, acted unlawfully in running the Voice of America and its parent agency. The judge declared all of Lake's actions over the past year null and void, including the layoffs of more than 1,000 journalists and staffers. Lake announced she would appeal the ruling.
• Federal judge voided Kari Lake's authority over Voice of America — A federal judge ruled that Kari Lake had been unlawfully running Voice of America without proper legal authority and voided her actions. Lake had previously laid off more than 1,000 journalists and reduced Voice of America's language broadcasts from 49 to four. The ruling invalidated these personnel and operational decisions made without lawful authorization to hold the position.

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• White House launched propaganda campaign targeting young men with war videos — The White House and Trump administration officials shared a series of hype videos on social media mixing combat footage from strikes on Iran with clips from action movies and video game footage, designed to appeal to young right-wing men. One video captioned "JUSTICE THE AMERICAN WAY" mixed footage from Braveheart, Gladiator, and Iron Man with real footage of American ordnance striking Iranian targets, set to electronic dance music.
• White House social media portrayed Iran military operations as entertainment — The official White House social media account depicted U.S. military strikes against Iran using imagery spliced with clips from entertainment media including the video game Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto. White House communications director Steven Cheung encouraged supporters to express enthusiasm for the videos in comments. The portrayal drew criticism for trivializing military conflict and loss of life.

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• Guardian publishes analysis of ICE officer fatalities and threat claims — The Guardian examined ICE's own records of fallen officers and recent violent incidents targeting immigration enforcement personnel. The analysis found that no deportation officer has died violently in the line of duty since ICE's creation in 2003. Of 15 Enforcement and Removal Operations officers who died in service, all but two died of Covid; one died of a heart attack, one of kidney failure. The White House and DHS have claimed unprecedented threats, but the data does not support escalating danger to deportation officers specifically.

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• Trump posts about pardons and ballroom project while war escalates — While military operations escalate in the Middle East and economic conditions deteriorate, President Trump spent much of the day posting on social media about pardons for former NFL players, promoting his ballroom project, and sharing weeks-old articles claiming economic success. One article celebrating falling mortgage rates was from February 19, more than two weeks old. Another post promoted a supposed $18 trillion wave of foreign investment into the United States, described as a completely fabricated figure.

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• DOJ releases documents describing Trump's alleged sexual assault of a minor — The Department of Justice released documents on March 5, 2026, containing summaries of FBI interviews with a woman who alleges that President Trump sexually assaulted her when she was 13 years old and had been trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein. The victim told the FBI that Trump forced her to perform oral sex and struck her when she resisted. The DOJ initially withheld these three interview summaries in its January 30 release, claiming they were "incorrectly labeled as duplicative," but released them only after public outcry and reporting by independent journalist Roger Sollenberger.
• DOJ releases additional Epstein files containing uncorroborated allegations against Trump — The US Department of Justice released 20 additional documents related to Jeffrey Epstein on Thursday, March 6, 2026, including FBI memos describing interviews with a woman who made uncorroborated allegations of sexual assault against Epstein and Donald Trump in the 1980s. The DOJ stated the files were initially withheld because they were mistakenly categorized as duplicates. The woman's allegations have not been verified, and the FBI never brought charges. Trump has denied wrongdoing, and the White House called the allegations "completely baseless."
• DOJ releases 3 million Epstein investigative documents — The US Department of Justice released more than 3 million investigative documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. Legal experts note the DOJ has possessed these materials for years and already made charging decisions regarding potential co-conspirators. The release prompted public and international scrutiny but has not yet resulted in new federal arrests or prosecutions in the United States.

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• Trump reposts over 40 social media posts praising State of the Union address — During the military operation and while conducting multiple calls with reporters, Trump took to social media to repost more than 40 social media posts containing over-the-top praise for his State of the Union address. The posts appeared to be curated, suggesting that someone was feeding him praise.

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• Alethea documented coordinated Iranian AI-generated military disinformation campaign on TikTok — Threat-intelligence firm Alethea documented a coordinated TikTok network of AI-generated videos depicting fake Iranian female fighter pilots, designed to project military strength and co-opt dissident hashtags. The campaign accumulated over 25 million views within days. Iran bans women from combat roles, making the fabrication identifiable but effective at scale. The campaign represents a state-level disinformation operation using synthetic media.

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• Washington Post reported AI-generated "Jessica Foster" military influencer account — In March 2026, The Washington Post reported on "Jessica Foster," an AI-generated persona presented as a U.S. Army soldier and Trump supporter. The account accumulated over one million followers in four months by posting fabricated images of the character in combat gear, alongside F-22 fighter jets, and with President Trump. The account directed followers to an OnlyFans page and has since been removed. Fast Company reported the creator posted fake images of Foster at a White House reception.

Supporting reports

• Iran's internet connectivity plunged to approximately 4% of normal during military strikes — As U.S. and Israeli strikes began on February 28, Iran's internet connectivity dropped to approximately 4% of normal capacity and continued declining, according to NetBlocks, a respected internet monitoring organization. NetBlocks' CEO described the blackout as "flatlining" even lower and characterized it as "straight out of Iran's wartime playbook," consistent with shutdowns during the June 2025 war and January 2026 protest crackdowns. The Washington Post described it as a "near-total internet blackout." Foreign Policy reported Iran's shift toward a "two-tiered" or "class-based" internet system where regime insiders retain broader access through tools like "white SIM" privileges and network-level whitelisting, while the general public is throttled or cut off entirely. The blackout severely limited independent verification of casualty figures and events on the ground.

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• Iranian prayer-timing app reportedly hacked to send defection messages to security forces — WIRED reported that a widely used Iranian prayer-timing app appeared to have been hacked, sending push notifications to users urging security forces to surrender and defect, timed to coincide with the military strikes on February 28. No party has claimed responsibility, and analysts could not identify the source. The incident represents an information warfare operation targeting Iranian military personnel during active hostilities.

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• CNN contributor Scott Jennings promoted unverified claim about Iranian threat — CNN contributor Scott Jennings reported on Saturday that "senior Trump Admin officials" had told him that "credible intelligence indicated Iran planned preemptive missile strikes against US military targets in the region, and against civilian targets as well," and that "failure to act would've resulted in mass US casualties." The bulletin notes that no other journalist reported this claim, Trump did not make this assertion, and the claim was not corroborated by any other source. The article characterizes this as CNN paying Jennings to "push the lie to their shrinking audience."

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• Trump posted demands to imprison political opponents over 2020 election — Trump posted demands that political opponents be imprisoned over the 2020 election, shared fabricated electoral maps to claim a victory that did not occur, amplified calls to prosecute investigators like Jack Smith, and circulated communications suggesting federal regulators should pressure private companies like Apple to alter its News app in ways favorable to him.

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• Brady Tkachuk denied authenticity of White House deepfake video — Brady Tkachuk publicly stated that the White House's AI-doctored video was "clearly fake, because it's not my voice, not my lips moving." Tkachuk emphasized "I'm not in control of any of those accounts. I know that those words would never come out of my mouth... It's not my voice. It's not what I was saying. I would never say that. That's not who I am."
• White House released AI-doctored video of Brady Tkachuk disparaging Canadians — The White House's official TikTok account released an AI-doctored video on Sunday that made it appear Ottawa Senators captain and Team USA gold medalist Brady Tkachuk was disparaging Canadians. The fabricated video featured doctored footage from a Tkachuk brothers' news conference at the 4 Nations Face-Off, with Tkachuk made to appear to say "They booed our national anthem, so I had to come out and teach those maple syrup eating fuckers a lesson" while "Free Bird," Team USA's goal song, played in the background. The video accumulated 11.1 million views on TikTok and spread widely across social media platforms.

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• Committee Chair Comer mischaracterizes Clinton testimony to reporters — During a break in Clinton's deposition, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer told reporters that Clinton said Trump had never said anything to make him think Trump was involved with Epstein. However, Ranking Democrat Robert Garcia later told reporters that Comer's characterization did not accurately reflect Clinton's actual answer. Garcia called for release of the full transcript so the public could see what Clinton actually said, noting that Republicans have repeatedly broken the rules regarding disclosure of closed-door hearing content.
• James Comer mischaracterized Clinton deposition testimony on Trump-Epstein relationship — House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer told media that former President Bill Clinton had exonerated Trump regarding his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, stating Clinton said Trump "has never said anything to me to make me think he was involved." Democratic oversight members immediately contradicted this account, releasing the full deposition context showing Clinton had confirmed Trump and Epstein had a "close relationship" and that Trump reported having "great times" with Epstein. Rep. Maxwell Frost clarified that Clinton said Trump cited a land dispute as the reason for their falling out.

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• Trump claimed full exoneration regarding Epstein files — When asked about references to him in the Epstein files, Trump stated "I don't know anything about the Epstein files. I've been fully exonerated." This claim came as reporting indicated that DOJ had temporarily removed documents from its public website, and as questions about Trump's documented associations with Epstein remained unresolved in the released materials.

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• Trump circulated communications directing federal regulators to pressure Apple News app — Trump circulated communications suggesting federal regulators should pressure private companies like Apple to alter its News app in ways favorable to him. This reflects a broader pattern of using government authority to reshape media environments and influence public perception.

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• Federal lawsuit alleges DHS agents labeled observers "domestic terrorists" — Legal nonprofit Protect Democracy filed a federal class-action lawsuit alleging that DHS agents are retaliating against people who lawfully observe and record federal immigration enforcement. The lawsuit references a viral video from Portland, Maine, in which an agent told an observer: "Cause we have a nice little database. And now you're considered a domestic terrorist." DHS denied the database exists but acknowledged it "monitors and investigates" threats. In Minnesota, dozens of people submitted sworn declarations to the ACLU stating federal agents told them filming enforcement operations was illegal or constituted interference.
• Federal judge documented immigration agents disregarding judicial directives — A Bush-appointed federal judge compiled nearly one hundred documented instances in which immigration agents disregarded judicial directives within a single month, noting the list was almost certainly incomplete. A separate judge stated publicly that the vast majority of people brought before his court had lawful status. A government attorney was held in civil contempt, and another described arriving with no training and no guidance. Hundreds of agents remain in operation, with on-the-ground observers reporting operations shifting toward communities with less visibility.
• Legal observers classified using language associated with violent extremism — A new federal lawsuit alleges that legal observers monitoring immigration enforcement operations are being classified using language associated with violent extremism. A former agency attorney testified that officer training was cut by over 40%, including constitutional law and use-of-force instruction.