Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Bill Clinton testified in Epstein deposition — Bill Clinton appeared for a closed-door deposition before the House Oversight Committee regarding his knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein. The deposition was interrupted when Rep. Lauren Boebert photographed Hillary Clinton's testimony and leaked it to media. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam noted that no Republicans were present to question Les Wexner, who bankrolled Epstein's fortune.
• Clinton depositions held before House Oversight Committee amid photo leak and transparency dispute — Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were scheduled for depositions before the House Oversight Committee in Chappaqua, New York. During Hillary Clinton's closed-door deposition, Rep. Lauren Boebert shared an unauthorized photograph from the hearing with Benny Johnson, who posted it on social media. The deposition was paused following the leak. Hillary Clinton subsequently demanded press access for the remainder of the proceeding, but House Oversight Chair James Comer refused, despite Boebert's unauthorized photography. The central focus of the depositions concerned missing FBI 302 interview memos related to a survivor who accused Donald Trump of sexual assault as a minor.
• Hillary Clinton testified in Epstein deposition — Hillary Clinton appeared for a closed-door deposition before the House Oversight Committee regarding her knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein. Clinton maintained that she did not recall meeting Epstein, never visited his island, and never visited his homes or offices. She also reported being asked questions about UFOs and the "Pizzagate" conspiracy theory, which she characterized as "one of the most vile bogus conspiracy theories that was propagated on the internet." Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA) noted the absence of Republicans who could have questioned Les Wexner, who bankrolled Epstein's fortune.
• Representative Lauren Boebert shared closed deposition photo with right-wing podcaster — Representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO) shared a photograph from the closed Hillary Clinton deposition with right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson, who posted it on social media with the caption: "This is the first time Hillary has had to answer real questions about Epstein. Clinton does not look happy." The sharing of material from a closed proceeding violated the confidentiality of the deposition and appeared designed to generate partisan social media content rather than advance the stated investigative purpose.
• Rep. Lauren Boebert leaked unauthorized photograph from House deposition — During Hillary Clinton's deposition before the House Oversight Committee, Rep. Lauren Boebert photographed the closed-door hearing and shared the unauthorized image with Benny Johnson, a right-wing media figure, who subsequently posted it on social media. The leak prompted a pause in the deposition proceedings.
• Lauren Boebert photographed Hillary Clinton testimony and leaked to media — During a closed-door House Oversight Committee deposition of Bill and Hillary Clinton regarding Jeffrey Epstein, Rep. Lauren Boebert photographed Hillary Clinton testifying and sent the image to right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson, who posted it on social media. The deposition rules strictly prohibited photography. Clinton's legal team halted the deposition to address the breach. The deposition resumed later. The incident violated the explicit terms governing the confidential proceeding.
• 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.
• Hillary Clinton testifies before House Oversight Committee — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified via video before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee regarding her knowledge of investigations into Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Clinton criticized the committee for its lack of transparency and for not hearing from key witnesses involved in the investigation, asserting that her testimony was a distraction from President Trump's actions.
• House Oversight Committee compels Hillary Clinton to testify on Epstein — The Republican majority on the House Oversight Committee, led by Chair James Comer (R-KY), required former first lady Hillary Clinton to testify before the committee regarding the Epstein investigation. Clinton testified under oath that she had never met Epstein and knew Maxwell only as an acquaintance. Clinton is not mentioned in the Epstein files. The compelled testimony occurred despite Clinton's prior sworn statements denying knowledge of Epstein's crimes.
• House Oversight Republicans held closed-door deposition of former President Bill Clinton on Epstein investigation — House Oversight Republicans convened a closed-door deposition of former President Bill Clinton related to the Epstein investigation. Democrats participated and questioned why Trump, whose name appears repeatedly in released materials, was not being sought for testimony. Large portions of the Epstein files remain withheld or heavily redacted, and some survivor accounts have not been fully released. Republicans characterized the deposition as a political spectacle rather than a genuine accountability exercise.
• Representative James Comer spoke to press to ensure Trump not implicated in Epstein crimes — Representative James Comer left the Bill Clinton deposition during a break to speak with the press, with the stated goal of ensuring everyone that Trump is not implicated in Epstein's crimes. This action characterized the Republican investigation as functioning as Trump's personal crisis law firm rather than a legitimate fact-seeking inquiry.
• DOJ removed and restored Epstein-related photograph from public website — The Department of Justice removed a photograph from its Epstein files website showing Trump appointee Howard Lutnick with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Epstein's island. The photo had been archived by the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine on January 31 and was later removed, returning a "Page not found" error. Within hours of CBS News publishing a story about the removal, DOJ restored the photograph. DOJ later stated the removal was due to the image being "part of a batch of files that had been flagged for nudity."
• 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.

Supporting reports

• Representative Lauren Boebert shared closed deposition photo with right-wing podcaster — Representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO) shared a photograph from the closed Hillary Clinton deposition with right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson, who posted it on social media with the caption: "This is the first time Hillary has had to answer real questions about Epstein. Clinton does not look happy." The sharing of material from a closed proceeding violated the confidentiality of the deposition and appeared designed to generate partisan social media content rather than advance the stated investigative purpose.
• Rep. Lauren Boebert leaked unauthorized photograph from House deposition — During Hillary Clinton's deposition before the House Oversight Committee, Rep. Lauren Boebert photographed the closed-door hearing and shared the unauthorized image with Benny Johnson, a right-wing media figure, who subsequently posted it on social media. The leak prompted a pause in the deposition proceedings.
• Lauren Boebert photographed Hillary Clinton testimony and leaked to media — During a closed-door House Oversight Committee deposition of Bill and Hillary Clinton regarding Jeffrey Epstein, Rep. Lauren Boebert photographed Hillary Clinton testifying and sent the image to right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson, who posted it on social media. The deposition rules strictly prohibited photography. Clinton's legal team halted the deposition to address the breach. The deposition resumed later. The incident violated the explicit terms governing the confidential proceeding.

Supporting reports

• House Democrats launch investigation into alleged DOJ withholding of Epstein files containing Trump abuse allegations — House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Democrats, led by ranking member Robert Garcia, announced an investigation into whether the Department of Justice withheld materials from the public release of Epstein files. The investigation focuses on allegations that the DOJ concealed FBI interviews with a woman who accused President Trump of sexually abusing her as a minor decades ago. An NPR investigation published the same day reported the DOJ withheld over 50 pages of FBI interviews and removed documents mentioning Trump from the public database. The White House denied wrongdoing, claiming documents were temporarily pulled only for victim redactions or PII removal.
• House Oversight Democrat Robert Garcia confirmed DOJ illegal withholding — Robert Garcia, top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, released a statement confirming that after reviewing unredacted evidence logs at the Department of Justice, "Oversight Democrats can confirm that the DOJ appears to have illegally withheld FBI interviews with this survivor who accused President Trump of heinous crimes." The statement corroborates NPR's reporting that material related to sexual assault allegations against Trump was removed from the publicly released Epstein files.

Supporting reports

• Senate Democrats launch investigation into CBS/FCC over blocked Colbert interview — Senator Richard Blumenthal, ranking Democrat on the Senate's permanent subcommittee on investigations, initiated a formal inquiry into whether the FCC and CBS parent company Paramount suppressed a Stephen Colbert interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico. Blumenthal sent letters to the FCC's enforcement bureau and Paramount CEO David Ellison demanding documents and communications with the Trump White House, alleging a "partisan censorship scheme" by FCC Chair Brendan Carr and suggesting Paramount silenced speech to secure federal approval for its $108 billion Warner Brothers Discovery acquisition.

Supporting reports

• Judge Aileen Cannon blocked release of Special Counsel Jack Smith's classified documents report — U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon issued an order permanently blocking the release of Volume Two of Special Counsel Jack Smith's report on classified documents. Cannon ruled that releasing the report would be "unfair" to Trump and his co-defendants, citing her prior conclusion that the Special Counsel lacked lawful authority. The Department of Justice did not oppose the motion, allowing Cannon to write that "all parties agree" disclosure would violate the court's dismissal order. The decision shields the report from public scrutiny.
• Judge Cannon permanently blocks release of Jack Smith's classified documents report — US District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, issued a permanent injunction barring the Department of Justice from releasing Special Counsel Jack Smith's report on the classified documents case (Volume II). Cannon condemned Smith's compilation of the report after she had dismissed the underlying case in 2024 on grounds of unlawful appointment, calling it a "brazen stratagem" and a breach of her dismissal order. She ruled that release would expose grand jury material and cause irreparable harm to Trump, distinguishing the case from prior special counsel reports (Mueller) that were publicly released.
• Judge Aileen Cannon blocked release of Jack Smith's classified documents report — Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, blocked the release of Special Counsel Jack Smith's report on his investigation of Trump's retention of classified documents after leaving office in 2021. It is standard procedure for a special counsel's report to be made public. Legal analyst Joyce White Vance noted that Cannon has consistently worked to suppress Smith's report and that Trump's fierce fight to keep it under wraps has led to speculation about surprising contents.
• Judge blocks release of Jack Smith’s report on Trump — Judge Aileen Cannon blocked the release of special counsel Jack Smith's report regarding Trump's retention of classified documents. This decision is notable as it deviates from the usual procedure of making such reports public, raising concerns about transparency and accountability.

Supporting reports

• Marco Rubio issues directive restricting US diplomatic commentary on Iran negotiations — Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued an unclassified cable to US ambassadors in the Middle East ordering them to refrain from public statements, interviews, or social media activity that could inflame regional tensions or complicate US relationships, particularly regarding Iran nuclear negotiations. The directive, circulated on February 23, was widely interpreted as a rebuke of US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee following his remarks on a podcast claiming Israel had a biblical right to Middle Eastern territory. White House officials expressed concern that Huckabee's comments could harden Iran's negotiating position ahead of talks with Trump envoys.

Supporting reports

• Trump demanded Netflix fire Susan Rice — Trump posted on Truth Social demanding that Netflix immediately fire Susan Rice, calling her a "racist, Trump Deranged" political hack with "no talent or skills" and threatening consequences if the company did not comply. Trump questioned her compensation and role at the company.
• Trump threatens Netflix over Susan Rice board membership — On Truth Social, Trump warned Netflix that if it does not fire board member and former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice—who had cautioned corporations and news organizations against capitulating to the current administration—the streaming service will "pay the consequences." The threat came as Netflix was negotiating to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, a deal requiring FCC approval. Netflix subsequently withdrew from the acquisition.

Supporting reports

• Trump illegally previewed GDP data before official release — Before the official release of GDP data, Trump illegally previewed the numbers and attempted to shift blame for disappointing results. Senior economic adviser Kevin Hassett later attributed the slowdown to Democrats, claiming the government shutdown shaved two points off growth and suggesting the true trajectory was closer to 3 percent.

Supporting reports

• Trump directed release of government files on aliens and UFOs — Trump posted a directive stating he would order the Secretary of War and other relevant departments to begin identifying and releasing government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and "any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters." The directive came after Fox reporter Pete Doocy asked Trump about Barack Obama's comments on aliens, which Trump characterized as improper disclosure of classified information.

Supporting reports

• ICE Agents Conduct Raids to Confiscate Letters from Detained Children — Federal ICE agents conducted raids inside dormitories at the Dilley, Texas detention facility to confiscate letters written by detained children. The letters, which described hunger, illness, and fear, had been published by ProPublica. The timing followed immediately after the publication of excerpts, suggesting a coordinated effort to suppress documentation of detention conditions.

Supporting reports

• FCC Chairman Brendan Carr signals enforcement of equal-time rule against talk shows — FCC Chairman Brendan Carr issued new guidance signaling that late-night and daytime talk shows can no longer assume they fall under the "bonafide news" exemption from the equal-time rule. Carr indicated that exemption determinations would depend on multiple factors, including whether there was "partisan motivation" in featuring political candidates as guests. The guidance prompted stations to seek pre-approval before booking candidates, effectively making the FCC a de facto guest-booking authority.
• FCC Chair Carr opened investigation of The View — FCC chair Brendan Carr opened an investigation of the morning talk show The View after Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico appeared on the show earlier this month. Carr changed the FCC's enforcement of the Equal Time Rule to apply to non-news talk shows that appear to be "motivated by partisan purposes," requiring networks to give equal time to all candidates for an office if they interview one candidate.
• FCC chair investigates talk show for Equal Time Rule violation — FCC chair Brendan Carr opened an investigation into the talk show "The View" after it featured Democratic candidate James Talarico, suggesting that the show may have violated the Equal Time Rule by not providing equal airtime to other candidates.
• FCC launches investigation into ABC's interview with Democratic candidate — After ABC's The View interviewed Texas State Representative James Talarico on February 2, 2026, an anonymous FCC source leaked to Fox News that the Commission had launched an investigation into the interview. The FCC source stated, "Fake news is not getting a free pass anymore," signaling that the investigation was retaliatory and politically motivated.
• FCC investigated San Francisco radio station over ICE coverage — Early in Trump's second term, the FCC launched an investigation into San Francisco radio station KCBS over its coverage of ICE operations in San Jose. According to the Associated Press, the station's news directors told employees to ensure that the station's coverage did not anger the FCC, demonstrating that regulatory threat had a chilling effect on editorial independence.

Supporting reports

• Rep. Randy Fine falsely attributes dog-ban statement to AOC and calls for Muslim deportation — Representative Randy Fine (R-FL) took a comment from an unidentified Muslim activist in New York City regarding a ban on dogs as pets and used it to argue that Muslims in the United States should be deported. Fine later repeated the claim on Newsmax, stating that "Democrats like AOC are saying 'we are going to get rid of your dogs'" and urged Americans to remember this when voting in November. AOC made no such statement. Fine attributed the position of one unknown individual to the entire Democratic Party.

Supporting reports

• Preliminary injunction ruling — State of Minnesota v. Noem (D. Minn.) 0:26-cv-00190 — A magistrate judge denied Minnesota's motion for expedited discovery, holding that despite the “far-reaching and deeply traumatizing effects” of Operation Metro Surge, Plaintiffs had not shown good cause because they had not yet filed the contemplated preliminary injunction motion or narrowly targeted their request to support specific and necessary ends.
• Stay motion decided — Lesly Miot v. Trump (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-02471 — A coalition of 17 states and the District of Columbia filed an amicus brief in opposition to the emergency motion to stay pending appeal.
• Case update — Democracy Forward Foundation v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-04424 — Defendant answered Plaintiff's complaint and included the defense that its actions did not violate FOIA or other statutory provisions.
• Case update — State of Washington v. Federal Emergency Management Agency (D. Mass.) 1:25-cv-12006 — Plaintiff States filed a Motion to Enforce Judgment.
• Motion to dismiss decided — State of New York v. Department of Education (D. Mass.) 1:25-cv-11116 — Judge Young granted parties' joint motion to dismiss the complaint without prejudice after the administration withdrew its appeal in American Federation of Teachers v. Department of Education of a court order vacating the same challenged agency action.
• Ruling vacated — Lazaro Maldonado Bautista v. Ernesto Santacruz Jr. (C.D. Cal.) 5:25-cv-01873 — Judge Sykes granted Plaintiffs' motion to enforce judgment, finding that the government violated her prior order by continuing to detain noncitizens without a bond hearing. Judge Sykes vacated a Board of Immigration Appeals decision that conflicted with her order, finding that the administration's continued reliance on that decision “far crossed the boundaries of constitutional conduct.” Judge Sykes also ordered the government to provide notice to a nationwide class of detained noncitizens of their ability to seek bond hearings under her order.
• Stay motion decided — U.H.A. et al v. Bondi et al (D. Minn.) 0:26-cv-00417 — Judge Tunheim granted the motion to stay consideration of Plaintiffs' contempt motion for seven days.
• Case update — Center for Constitutional Rights v. United States Department of State (S.D.N.Y.) 1:25-cv-06879 — Defendants filed a status report which indicates that USAID had begun its production of priority documents to Plaintiff and that the parties would continue to confer on narrowing the scope of Defendants' searches in light of USAID initially locating over 17 million potentially responsive records and DOS initially locating over 900,000 pages of responsive records.
• Case update — Vizguerra-Ramirez v. Choate et al (D. Colo.) 1:25-cv-00881 — In a minute order , Judge Wang directed that the case be administratively closed.
• Complaint filed — Lemmon v. Trump (D.D.C. 1:26-cv-00544) — Private plaintiffs, including Vietnam War veterans, diplomats, and a historic preservation expert, filed a complaint in D.D.C. challenging President Trump's proposed 25-story "Independence Arch" on Memorial Circle between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. Plaintiffs allege the administration violated the Commemorative Works Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and National Environmental Policy Act by proceeding without required legislative approval and environmental review on an accelerated schedule ahead of July 4, 2026. They seek declaratory and injunctive relief to bar construction and have filed a motion for preliminary injunction.
• Complaint filed: Williams v. National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Two scientists and an association of engineers and scientists at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center filed suit in D.D.C. against NASA and the Archivist of the United States, challenging the September 2025 reversal of NASA's records-preservation framework and the closure of the Goddard Information and Collaboration Center and NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. Plaintiffs allege the decisions violated the Administrative Procedure Act as arbitrary and capricious and seek vacatur, rescission, and an order requiring preservation of the database and records.
• Motion granted — Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance v. United States Department of the Interior (D. Utah) 2:25-cv-00657 — Judge Barlow granted a motion allowing Peak Minerals, the owner of mineral leases at stake in Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance's lawsuit against the government, to intervene in the case.
• Preliminary injunction ruling — Citizens For Responsibility And Ethics In Washington v. Department Of Justice (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-04426 — Judge Kollar-Kotelly issued an order which granted in part and denied in part Plaintiff's preliminary injunction motion . The DOJ was ordered to expedite its processing of CREW's FOIA requests, however Judge Kollar-Kotelly declined to direct the DOJ to process its requests at a specific rate, instead opting to direct the parties to develop a proposal for the expedited processing and production of the most urgent records.
• Preliminary injunction ruling — Tincher v. Noem (D. Minn.) 0:25-cv-04669 — The Eight Circuit stayed the appeal proceedings pending an indicative ruling by the district court on a motion to dissolve the preliminary injunction, following the reported end of Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis.
• Appeal filed — State of Illinois v. Noem (D.R.I.) 1:25-cv-00495 — The government appealed Judge McElroy's Dec. 22, 2025 order granting summary judgment to Plaintiffs to the First Circuit (Case No. 26-1182 ).
• Case update — Jorge Lujan v. FMCSA (D.C. Cir.) 25-1215 — The court severed Lujan v. FMCSA , 26-1032 from Lujan v. FMCSA , 25-1215. The court ordered Lujan v. FMCSA , 25-1215 remain in abeyance pending further order of the court following the disposition of Lujan v. FMCSA , 26-1032.
• Case update — Jorge Lujan v. FMCSA (D.C. Cir.) 26-1032 — Plaintiffs filed an amended complaint alleging they have exhausted administrative remedies under FOIA and are now entitled to an injunction.
• Case update — Protect Democracy Project v. U.S. Department of the Treasury (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-04101 — The court consolidated American Public Health Association v. EPA , 26-1037 with Elena Venner v. EPA , 26-1038. These cases will proceed under American Public Health Association v. EPA .
• Cases consolidated — American Public Health Association v. EPA (D.C. Cir.) 26-1037

Supporting reports

• Stephen Colbert reports CBS blocked Talarico interview — The Trump administration issued new guidance in January 2026 reinterpreting the "equal-time rule" to apply to daytime and late-night talk shows, reversing the longstanding assumption that interviews with politicians conducted by talk show hosts would be exempt from the rule. This guidance became the legal basis cited by CBS for blocking the Colbert-Talarico interview.
• Texas Democratic Senate primary between Talarico and Crockett — James Talarico and Jasmine Crockett are competing in the Texas Democratic primary for a U.S. Senate seat scheduled for March 3, 2026. On February 16, CBS refused to air Stephen Colbert's interview with Talarico, citing Trump administration FCC guidance concerns. The incident generated widespread censorship allegations and boosted Talarico's campaign through viral YouTube views and fundraising. Both candidates present contrasting strategies: Crockett emphasizes partisan confrontation of Trump; Talarico pursues cross-partisan economic messaging to appeal to disaffected Trump voters and independents.
• Stephen Colbert reports network legal censorship of Texas state representative — Late-night host Stephen Colbert announced on air that his network's legal team had prohibited him from interviewing Texas state Representative James Talarico, who was scheduled as a guest. Colbert stated he was told "in no uncertain terms" that he could not have Talarico on the broadcast and was further instructed not to mention the prohibition itself. Colbert then proceeded to discuss the censorship on air, citing the network's apparent unwillingness to address the matter.
• CBS refused to air Colbert interview with Democratic candidate over FCC equal-time rule — Late-night host Stephen Colbert reported that CBS refused to broadcast an interview he conducted with Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, citing legal concerns about FCC chair Brendan Carr's regulatory guidance issued in January requiring equal airtime for political candidates on daytime and late-night talk shows. CBS claimed the broadcast "could trigger" the equal-time rule, though the network stated the program was not prohibited. Colbert's team found no historical enforcement of the rule on late-night shows dating to the 1960s. The interview was uploaded to YouTube instead.
• CBS Blocks Stephen Colbert Interview with Texas State Representative — CBS network legal counsel blocked Stephen Colbert from airing an interview with Texas State Representative James Talarico and instructed him not to mention the cancellation. The network cited concerns about retaliation from FCC Chair Brendan Carr. Colbert disclosed the censorship on-air and subsequently released the interview independently online, revealing the chilling effect of government pressure on editorial decisions.
• CBS prohibits Colbert interview with Democratic candidate under FCC pressure — CBS forbade Late Show host Stephen Colbert from interviewing Texas State Representative James Talarico, a Democrat running for U.S. Senate, citing the FCC's January 21 "equal time rule" reinterpretation. The FCC declared that talk-show interviews with political candidates would no longer have blanket news exemptions and would be evaluated case-by-case for "bona fide" news purposes versus "partisan purposes." CBS also instructed Colbert's lawyers to prevent him from discussing the censorship decision. Colbert aired the incident anyway on his February 17 show, calling it an effort to silence Trump critics on television.
• Colbert's interview with Talarico received 3.8 million YouTube views — As of 10:00 p.m. on February 18, Colbert's 15-minute interview with Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico had been viewed on YouTube 3.8 million times. Forbes reported it is Colbert's most watched interview in months, indicating significant public interest in Talarico's message criticizing Republican use of Christianity as a political weapon.
• CBS blocked interview with Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico — Late-night talk show host Stephen Colbert told viewers he had been unable to air an interview he did with Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate from Texas James Talarico. Colbert stated: "I was told…that not only could I not have him on, I could not mention me not having him on." CBS chose not to challenge the FCC's reinterpreted Equal Time Rule, which FCC chair Brendan Carr had changed to apply to non-news talk shows deemed "motivated by partisan purposes."

Supporting reports

• Department of Homeland Security issued hundreds of subpoenas to tech companies for social media account data — The Department of Homeland Security sent Google, Meta, and other tech companies hundreds of administrative subpoenas seeking names, emails, phone numbers, and identifying data for social media accounts that criticize ICE or monitor its operations. Google, Meta, Reddit, and Discord reportedly complied with some subpoenas. These were administrative subpoenas not signed by a judge but issued directly by DHS.

Supporting reports

• Epstein survivors condemn partial file release — A group of 20 Epstein survivors issued a joint statement condemning the Bondi/Blanche letter claiming transparency. The survivors stated that the release exposes them while protecting Epstein's enablers, with survivors' names and identifying information disclosed while the men who abused them remain hidden and protected.

Supporting reports

• Garcia calls for Commerce Secretary Lutnick investigation — House Oversight ranking member Robert Garcia called on House Oversight Committee chair James Comer to bring in Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick for questioning. Garcia stated that Lutnick visited Epstein's island and had extensive communications with Epstein after it was known Epstein was preying on children, and argued Lutnick should not hold office.
• House Oversight demands full Epstein file release — House Oversight ranking member Robert Garcia stated that Trump's DOJ intends to withhold approximately 50% of Epstein files while claiming full compliance with law. Garcia announced the committee will demand release of all files to the committee while protecting survivors, and will investigate the names of Epstein's co-conspirators and men who abused women and girls.
• Rep. Mace challenges DOJ privilege claims on Epstein files — Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) stated that DOJ's invocation of "Work Product Privilege" will not withstand legal challenge for withholding Epstein files. Mace argued that federal agencies have already waived privileges by disclosing redacted and unredacted information, and that privilege claims cannot apply when investigations are concluded and no prosecutions are planned.

Supporting reports

• DOJ claims full compliance with Epstein Transparency Act — Attorney General Pam Bondi and Todd Blanche issued a letter asserting that the Department of Justice has completely fulfilled its obligations under the Epstein Transparency Act, claiming release of all records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in DOJ's possession relating to Epstein. House Oversight ranking member Robert Garcia disputed this claim, stating that approximately 50% of Epstein files remain withheld.
• Rep. Massie alleges DOJ removed Epstein documents — Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) stated that the DOJ took down significant Epstein documents before Congress could review unredacted versions. Massie said the DOJ cannot keep documents down after already producing them, indicating potential destruction or concealment of evidence.
• Sen. Schumer accuses DOJ of Epstein file cover-up — Sen. Chuck Schumer stated that the Epstein Transparency Act required all files to be released by December 19, 2025. Schumer alleged that DOJ delayed release for 43 days, cherry-picked documents with heavy redactions, and admitted to releasing less than 1% of all documents until recently. Schumer accused Attorney General Bondi of attempting to deceive the American people.
• Trump administration declares Epstein files case closed despite evidence of undisclosed material — Reporting indicates the Epstein files are substantially larger than previously disclosed, with researchers estimating as much as 50 terabytes of material, with only a fraction produced publicly. The Trump administration has declared the case "closed" and insisted there is nothing more to see, despite evidence to the contrary. Millions of documents reportedly remain undisclosed.
• DOJ withholds approximately 3 million Epstein files despite congressional mandate — The Trump administration's Department of Justice continues to withhold approximately 3 million documents related to Jeffrey Epstein's crimes, despite Congress mandating their release in late 2025. Hillary Clinton, speaking at the Munich Security Conference, accused the DOJ of "slow-walking" the release and urged the administration to "get the files out." Periodic document dumps have occurred, but the vast majority remain unreleased.

Supporting reports

• Kristi Noem calls for SAVE America Act passage — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told reporters in Arizona that Congress must pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act to secure U.S. elections. She claimed noncitizens are voting for Democrats and enabling them to win elections, but when asked for an example of noncitizen voting, she said she could not point to a case but assumed it happened. The bill would require voters to show either a passport or birth certificate with matching names to register and would require states to purge voting rolls every month.
• Kristi Noem held press conference on election integrity with unsubstantiated claims — DHS Secretary Kristi Noem held a press conference in Arizona regarding "election integrity" and DHS's potential role in elections if the SAVE Act passes. When asked for examples of voter fraud in Arizona, she responded "I'm sure there's many of them" without providing any. She also addressed a question about CBP shooting down a party balloon it mistook for a drone with a laser, citing a "joint agency task force" but providing no substantive explanation for the lack of FAA coordination.

Supporting reports

• White House deletes JD Vance's social media post acknowledging Armenian genocide — Vice President JD Vance posted on X that he was visiting an Armenian genocide memorial to honor "the victims of the Armenian genocide" during a trip to Armenia. The White House subsequently deleted the post, citing staff error. This marked the first time the Trump administration used the word "genocide" to describe the historical atrocities. The deletion prompted anger from Armenian diaspora groups and opposition lawmakers, who viewed it as capitulation to Turkish pressure and a reversal of Biden-era recognition.

Supporting reports

• DHS claims ICE agents face surge in violence without evidence — The Department of Homeland Security asserted that ICE agents are experiencing a dramatic surge in violence and justified the use of masks and concealment as necessary for agent protection. However, the article notes that DHS made these claims "without providing evidence." This justification has been disputed by critics who argue the concealment serves other purposes, such as avoiding public accountability and community exclusion.

Supporting reports

• Jamie Raskin accuses DOJ of improper redactions in Epstein files — Rep. Jamie Raskin, House Judiciary ranking member, reviewed unredacted Epstein files at a DOJ facility in Washington DC on February 9 and publicly accused the Justice Department of making "mysterious redactions" that obscured names of alleged abusers while failing to redact victims' identities. Raskin stated the redactions were either "spectacular incompetence" or a deliberate threat to survivors. He said he reviewed approximately 30–40 unredacted files and identified unnecessary redactions of public figures including Les Wexner and references to Trump. Raskin announced he would raise the issue with Attorney General Pam Bondi at her scheduled House Judiciary Committee testimony.
• House members reviewed unredacted Epstein documents revealing child victims as young as nine years old and multiple co-conspirators — Representatives including Jamie Raskin, Jared Moskowitz, and Jasmine Crockett reviewed previously redacted Epstein documents at the Department of Justice. The documents revealed evidence of victims as young as nine years old and identified numerous co-conspirators in the international child sex trafficking operation. Raskin noted unnecessary redactions beyond victim name protection and stated that a billion-dollar trafficking ring could not operate with only two perpetrators. The documents also contained references to Trump's relationship with Epstein at Mar-a-Lago that had been redacted.
• Rep. James Walkinshaw identified improperly redacted Epstein email involving Trump — Rep. James Walkinshaw reported that he reviewed Epstein file redactions and found an email from Epstein's attorneys recounting a 2009 conversation with Trump that contained no mention of victims and should not have been redacted. Walkinshaw noted there were many other inexplicable redactions in the files.
• Rep. Jamie Raskin documented severe restrictions on congressional access to Epstein files — Rep. Jamie Raskin stated that the DOJ is providing Congress with only four computers in a satellite office to review more than 3 million unredacted Epstein documents. Raskin calculated that working 40 hours per week on nothing else, it would take more than 7 years for the 217 House members who signed the discharge petition to read only the documents the DOJ has decided to release, with 3 million additional documents still being withheld.
• Rep. Ro Khanna criticized DOJ redactions of Epstein files — Rep. Ro Khanna stated on MSNBC that the Epstein files released by the DOJ had already been scrubbed by Trump's FBI in March 2025 before being provided to Congress. Khanna alleged that the DOJ is protecting powerful people by maintaining redactions and that the vast majority of documents containing survivor statements remain unredacted, preventing full accountability for crimes.
• Rep. Thomas Massie revealed DOJ unredacted co-conspirator identities in Epstein files — Rep. Thomas Massie reported that in response to his social media posts, the DOJ unredacted FBI files labeling two individuals as co-conspirators in child sex trafficking, unredacted files listing men who might be implicated, and tacitly admitted that Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem sent a torture video to Epstein. Massie noted that FBI's own 2019 document listed Wexner as a coconspirator, information not previously unredacted, and that no one knew the sender of the torture video until he obtained the unredacted email.
• Attorney General Bondi refused to release Epstein files to public as required by law — Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared before the House Judiciary Committee but refused to release all Epstein files to the public as Congress required when it passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Bondi did not acknowledge survivors of Epstein's sexual assaults and sex trafficking who were present in the audience. When Representative Pramila Jayapal urged her to apologize to survivors for the sloppiness of the release that left many survivors' names, identifying information, and sexually explicit photos unredacted while covering perpetrators' names, Bondi accused Jayapal of theatrics and dragging the hearing "into the gutter."
• National Parks Foundation agreed to keep Freedom 250 donors anonymous — A representative for the National Parks Foundation, which is serving as the legal vehicle for Freedom 250, told a Congressional committee that it would keep donors anonymous upon request. This arrangement allows major corporations to fund partisan political advocacy through a nonprofit structure while maintaining donor confidentiality.

Supporting reports

• Republican organization TPUSA created "All-American" halftime show alternative featuring pre-recorded, lip-synched performance with artificially inflated viewership — Turning Point USA organized an "All-American Halftime Show" featuring Kid Rock as a counter-programming alternative to Bad Bunny's Super Bowl performance. The TPUSA event was pre-recorded in Atlanta with much of the performance lip-synched, with Kid Rock raising the microphone to his mouth for only about half the lyrics. Organizers used viewbotting software to artificially manipulate view counts to make the event appear more popular than it actually was. The show drew approximately 6 million views compared to Bad Bunny's 135 million viewers. The event had no corporate sponsors and generated minimal advertising revenue. Trump and his associates at Mar-a-Lago watched Bad Bunny's performance instead of the TPUSA alternative.
• Trump posted criticism of Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime performance using language attacking the performer and the show — During the Super Bowl halftime show, Trump posted a pre-written message criticizing Bad Bunny's performance as "absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER" and "an affront to the Greatness of America." Trump's post characterized the performance as disgusting, especially for children, called it a "slap in the face" to the country, and dismissed the performer's message of unity. The post appeared designed to promote the Republican alternative "All-American Halftime Show" featuring Kid Rock, which was pre-recorded, lip-synched, and used viewbotting software to artificially inflate view counts. Bad Bunny's actual performance drew approximately 135 million viewers compared to the TPUSA event's 6 million.

Supporting reports

• White House issued promotional release claiming administration achievements — The White House published a promotional release titled "Don't Be a Panican. We're Winning — and We're Not Slowing Down." The document claims multiple policy achievements including stock market gains, ICE immigration enforcement actions, halting gender-affirming care for minors, court victories on immigration detention, crime reductions, falling rents and mortgage rates, and zero illegal border crossings for nine consecutive months. The release frames these as evidence of successful implementation of the "America First agenda."
• White House issued fact sheet claiming violent crime plummets under Trump administration — The White House published a fact sheet titled "Violent Crime Plummets Across Major U.S. Cities," citing Axios reporting and claiming steep declines in violent crime in 2025 compared to 2024. The document states murders fell 19%, robberies 20%, and aggravated assaults nearly 10%, and asserts the murder rate in major cities reached its lowest level in at least 125 years. The fact sheet attributes these declines to President Trump's "aggressive, no-nonsense approach to public safety," including federal resource deployment and immigration enforcement.
• White House issues fact sheet claiming inflation victory and real wage gains — The White House published a fact sheet asserting that President Trump has "defeated" inflation, citing a January 2026 Consumer Price Index report showing year-over-year inflation at 2.4% and claiming real average hourly earnings rose 1.2% over the past year, with cumulative real wage gains of $1,400 in Trump's first year. The document attributes price declines in beef, eggs, coffee, energy, and gasoline to Trump's policies and references drug pricing reforms and a "Great Healthcare Plan."
• White House issues fact sheet announcing EPA revocation of 2009 Endangerment Finding — The White House issued a fact sheet announcing that President Trump has revoked the EPA's 2009 "Endangerment Finding" that classified greenhouse gases as harmful to human health under the Clean Air Act. The document claims this action eliminates the regulatory foundation for vehicle emissions standards, fuel economy mandates, and power plant regulations. The fact sheet asserts the revocation will save American families an average of $2,400 on vehicle purchases and reduce overall regulatory costs by $1.3 trillion. The announcement includes statements from industry groups, conservative organizations, and Republican officials supporting the action.

Supporting reports

• FCC launches investigation into ABC's The View — The Federal Communications Commission is launching an investigation into ABC's "The View" amid the agency's crackdown on equal time for political candidates. The FCC announced it will require broadcast networks to adhere to the "statutory equal opportunities requirement" under the Communications Act of 1934, including their airing of late-night and daytime talk shows. An FCC source stated that Monday's appearance by Senate candidate James Talarico triggered the probe, and noted that equal airtime would be required for Republican candidates on the ballot as well as lesser-known Democratic primary candidates.