Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Karoline Leavitt announces resignation as White House press secretary — Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that Karoline Leavitt, his press secretary since January 2025, would depart at the end of August 2026 after 20 months in the role. Leavitt, 28, had served as Trump's most prominent spokesperson and won regular praise from the president for her unflinching defense of his agenda, but faced frequent criticism for amplifying misinformation, curbing press freedom, attacking reporters, and controlling media access to the White House briefing room.
• Trump announced White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is leaving — Trump announced on Truth Social that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is leaving her post by the end of August but will remain as one of the president's "top outside advisors." Leavitt, the youngest press secretary ever, welcomed far-right content creators into press briefings, lashed out at reporters, and argued that Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists who covered Russian interference should be stripped of their awards.
• Karoline Leavitt prepares to step down as Trump's fifth White House press secretary — Karoline Leavitt, 28, announced her resignation as White House press secretary effective end of August 2026, citing desire to spend more time with her family after returning from maternity leave in May. Trump announced the departure on Truth Social, saying Leavitt would become "one of my top outside advisors." Leavitt had served as the youngest White House press secretary since Trump's return to office in January 2025. No successor was named.
• White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announces resignation — Karoline Leavitt, Donald Trump's fifth White House press secretary, is preparing to step down from her role after approximately 20 months of service. The Guardian analysis examines her tenure alongside her four predecessors, documenting a pattern in which each press secretary told significant falsehoods while representing the president. Leavitt's tenure began with a false claim about Biden administration plans to send condoms to Gaza, contradicted by USAID records. The article traces similar patterns across all five press secretaries, suggesting Trump prioritizes willingness to lie above other qualifications.
• — White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced her resignation, stating she could not be "the best mom my two young children deserve" while holding the role. According to sources, Trump repeatedly called Leavitt during her brief maternity leave asking when she would return. Insiders reported the decision had been building for months due to the stress of the job and lack of sleep. Early contenders to replace her include Alina Habba, Breitbart DC Bureau Chief Matthew Boyle, former deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich, communications director Steven Cheung, Katie Miller, Scott Jennings, and Kari Lake.

Supporting reports

• Complaint filed: Intercept Media, Inc. v. Trump (S.D.N.Y. 1:26-cv-06867) — Intercept Media, Inc. and Freedom of the Press Foundation filed a complaint in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York challenging President Trump's use of Truth Social to announce official government business and Trump Media & Technology Group's "Truth API," a subscription service charging up to $100,000 per month for early access to presidential posts. Plaintiffs allege they cannot subscribe for financial and editorial-independence reasons and thus face delayed access to official announcements relative to paying subscribers. The complaint asserts violations of the First Amendment right to receive public officials' statements on equal terms, First Amendment limits on government restriction of access to designated public forums, First and Fifth Amendment unconstitutional-conditions doctrine, and Fifth Amendment equal protection. Plaintiffs seek declaratory judgment and an injunction barring defendants from posting official government information exclusively on Truth Social through the paid early-access API.
• Trump sued over Truth API subscription service selling early access to market-sensitive posts — The Intercept and Freedom of the Press Foundation filed suit in US District Court for the Southern District of New York against Trump, two aides, and the Executive Office of the President, challenging "Truth API," a paid data feed launched August 1 by Trump Media & Technology Group. The service charges $100,000/month (or $60,000/month for three-year commitments) for early access to posts from Trump and nine other senior officials' accounts on Truth Social. The complaint alleges the arrangement is corrupt and unconstitutional, allowing Trump—who remains Truth Media's largest shareholder—to personally profit from selling privileged access to information generated in his official capacity. The suit seeks to declare the service unlawful and bar the administration from using Truth Social as an exclusive venue for official announcements while selling preferential access.

Supporting reports

• Trump concealed location during NATO summit departure via aircraft deception operation — The Washington Post reported that Trump abandoned Air Force One in Turkey after the NATO summit and hid in a catering truck to transfer to a different aircraft. Security officials devised an elaborate "deception operation" in response to an Iranian assassination threat, involving a decoy flight with reporters and staff unaware Trump was not aboard. Trump boarded a C-32A under the call sign "Reach 18" with flight-tracking systems reportedly disabled, flew to Britain, then transferred back to the legacy Air Force One before returning to Washington. Reporters were instructed to close window shades and remained unknowing participants in the ruse.
• Trump secretly used decoy plane to flee Turkey for Britain — Trump secretly used a small plane to leave Turkey for Britain after credible Iranian threats of assassination, leaving journalists and White House staffers to act as a decoy on a separate aircraft. The decision revealed Trump's prioritization of personal loyalists over government officials: he left Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the decoy plane but took White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino, executive assistant Natalie Harp, and director of Oval Office operations Walt Nauta. Nauta had been indicted on six felony counts, including conspiracy to obstruct justice, for allegedly helping Trump hide classified documents. The incident demonstrated Trump's willingness to endanger others to protect himself.
• Trump, Scavino, Harp, and Nauta evacuated in catering truck during Iranian threat — Washington Post reporter Dan Lamothe reported that Trump, along with Dan Scavino, Natalie Harp, and Walt Nauta, were secretly transferred in a catering truck during a potential Iranian attack on Air Force One. A separate report indicates Secretary of Defense Hegseth may also have been in the vehicle. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Rubio, other officials, and the entire press pool were used as decoys on a separate aircraft.

Supporting reports

• Polymarket promoted false vaccine injection claim on X — On August 10, Polymarket's official X account posted a graphic falsely claiming U.S. babies receive 72 injections, attributing this to Trump policy. Fact-checkers including PolitiFact, FactCheck.org, STAT News, and CNN determined the claim false; babies actually receive 12–30 shots by age two depending on vaccine combinations. The White House had previously posted the same false graphic in January 2026. Polymarket did not respond to requests for comment.
• New York Times documented hundreds of false Polymarket posts — In a March 2026 review, the New York Times identified hundreds of posts on Polymarket's social media accounts (which have millions of combined followers) containing false or misleading information. The review documented a pattern of misinformation, frequently targeting opponents of the Trump administration. Polymarket is connected to Trump through Donald Trump Jr., who has invested in the company and serves as an unpaid advisor.
• Polymarket falsely attributed quote to Jeff Bezos — In January 2026, Polymarket posted on X that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos advised young people to work at McDonald's or Palantir before starting their own companies. Bezos replied directly, stating "Nope. Not sure why [P]olymarket made this up." The claim distorted an earlier interview answer in which Bezos advised working at "best-practices companies" to learn fundamentals; he did not mention McDonald's or Palantir.
• Polymarket posted false claim about Ilhan Omar's net worth — In December 2025, Polymarket posted conspiracy theories about how Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's net worth increased since 2019, without disclosing that her net worth now includes assets of her husband, whom she married in 2020. The omission was material to understanding the increase and fueled unfounded speculation about financial impropriety.

Supporting reports

• Kevin Hassett disputed economic data on CNN — White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett appeared on CNN and disputed the host's economic statistics, claiming the economy is "really booming" despite evidence of job losses in one-third of months during Trump's second term, 800,000 jobs created versus 2 million under Biden, and Federal Reserve warnings about tariff-driven inflation.

Supporting reports

• Trump posts AI-generated images attacking Abdul El-Sayed with Islamophobic framing — Trump posted multiple AI-generated meme images on social media, including one juxtaposing himself and Melania with Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and his wife, captioned "Two VERY DIFFERENT America's." Republicans, including Trump, have repeatedly used El-Sayed's full name (Abdulrahman) instead of his preferred name (Abdul) to invoke religious fear, mirroring tactics previously used against President Obama.

Supporting reports

• Trump orders investigations into weapons shortage leakers — According to Wall Street Journal reporting by Alexander Ward, Josh Dawsey, Lara Seligman, and Meridith McGraw, Trump ordered investigations into who has been leaking information about weapons shortages. Trump also called Deputy Secretary Feinberg to discuss speeding up production, with Hegseth joining the call. Vice President J.D. Vance separately contacted Republican senators to defend the administration's handling of the Iran war.
• Trump denies missile shortage reports and threatens leakers — On Thursday morning at 12:34 a.m., President Trump posted on social media denying the Reuters report, claiming the U.S. has "massive amounts" of munitions and that large quantities are being manufactured and shipped. Trump stated that "leakers" of what he called "treasonous statements" are "being hunted down" and that "long term jail sentences will be sought."

Supporting reports

• ICE body camera policy allows agency discretion to withhold footage of officer-involved deaths — ICE announced that every field officer nationwide will have a body camera by the end of September. However, the agency's policy states that video of shootings and encounters where officers cause death or serious injury is released "promptly" only after ICE determines that doing so "is in the best interests of the agency." The ICE director can block or indefinitely delay release if "specific and compelling circumstances" justify withholding. Released footage will have officers' faces, names, and badge numbers redacted. ICE spent $30.9 million on body camera equipment in July, one day after an ICE officer fatally shot a 25-year-old motorist in Maine; days later, another officer shot and killed a Houston homebuilder, neither shooting recorded on body camera.
• ICE adopts body-camera policy with director discretion to withhold footage — US Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced deployment of body cameras to officers by end of August 2026, following deaths and serious injuries in encounters with immigration agents. However, the policy grants the ICE director authority to restrict public release of footage unless "it is in the best interests of the agency." A review committee including ICE officials and lawyers will determine whether to release video of shootings and serious confrontations, with the director able to indefinitely delay release if "specific and compelling circumstances" justify withholding. The policy was first established in February 2025 but funding was delayed by government shutdown.

Supporting reports

• Trump threatens prosecution of leakers over munitions shortage reports — President Trump publicly attacked media reports of US munitions shortages in the Iran conflict, threatening "long term jail sentences" for officials leaking information about weapons stockpiles. The reports alleged Trump had confronted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over alleged shortages at a Camp David meeting. Trump denied the shortages, claimed massive ammunition supplies, and ordered investigations into the disclosures. The White House and Pentagon rejected the accounts as false.
• U.S. Munitions Stockpile Depletion Reported — Reports have emerged that the United States has depleted its stockpile of long-range precision missiles due to the ongoing conflict with Iran. President Trump has dismissed these reports as "fake news" while simultaneously calling for the prosecution of those who leaked the information. The depletion has reportedly led to a crisis meeting at the Pentagon and a confrontation between Trump and Pete Hegseth at Camp David.

Supporting reports

• CBS News New York corrects false reporting on 9/11 families and Mamdani attendance — CBS News New York initially published a false report claiming "thousands of 9/11 victims' families" opposed Mayor Zohran Mamdani's attendance at the 25th anniversary 9/11 remembrance ceremony, apparently based on misinformation from the New York Post. After inquiries from Popular Information, CBS News corrected the story but did not publish an editor's note. The network's main social media accounts quietly removed posts based on the inaccurate reporting. This week, CBS News New York aired a new segment highlighting that many 9/11 family members actually support Mamdani's attendance, featuring an interview with Elizabeth Miller of September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, which represents 250 individuals who lost family members in the attack.

Supporting reports

• One Nation nonprofit spent $1.7 million on false attack ad against Senator Ossoff in Georgia — One Nation, an opaque nonprofit affiliated with Senate Republicans, spent $1.7 million in five days to deliver 78 million impressions of an attack ad against Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) across Georgia. The ad falsely claims Ossoff voted to "gut" the child tax credit, supported a "$2,100 tax increase," and voted for higher taxes on Social Security recipients earning under $75,000. In fact, Ossoff voted to expand the child tax credit to its largest level in history and voted against the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" that Republicans supported. One Nation does not disclose its donors, making the funding source opaque.
• One Nation spent $1.7 million on dishonest attack ad against Senator Ossoff — One Nation, an opaque nonprofit affiliated with Senate Republicans, spent $1.7 million in less than a week on an attack ad against Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA). The ad received 78 million impressions across Georgia but contained false claims, attacking Ossoff for positions actually pursued by Republicans, including cutting the child tax credit, according to Popular Information's analysis.

Supporting reports

• Complaint filed: Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington v. U.S. Department of the Treasury — Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed a complaint in D.D.C. alleging that the Department of the Treasury unlawfully withholds names of claimants, their counsel, and factual bases for settlements paid from the Judgment Fund, citing the Privacy Act as justification. CREW contends the policy prevents identification of recipients—including pardoned January 6 defendants and Trump allies—and verification of settlement facts, impairing transparency of federal spending. CREW argues the policy violates the Administrative Procedure Act, the Judgment Fund statute's 30-day disclosure requirement, and the Paperwork Reduction Act. CREW seeks a declaration that the policy is unlawful, an order vacating it, and an order requiring Treasury to publish required disclosures going forward and retroactively since January 20, 2025.

Supporting reports

• Trump Media Launches 'Truth API' Data Service — Trump Media has launched a new paid data service called 'Truth API,' which provides firms with a real-time feed of Truth Social posts from Trump. The service is reportedly priced at up to $100,000 per month. Senators Adam Schiff and Elizabeth Warren have urged the SEC to investigate whether the service violates the law, suggesting it may be an abuse of the President's office for personal gain.
• Trump's media company launches premium Truth Social tier selling early access to presidential posts for up to $100,000 monthly — Trump's media company launched a premium version of Truth Social featuring a "Truth API" that grants subscribers early access to the president's posts—which often include market-moving announcements—for monthly fees up to $100,000. An anonymous Wall Street executive told NPR the arrangement would be "considered criminal" in a different administration. The move directly monetizes the presidency by selling advance access to information that could provide traders with financial advantage.
• Trump sells access to social media posts for insider trading — Donald Trump began offering Wall Street trading firms early access to his social media posts, allowing them to trade on information before it becomes public. This service reportedly costs up to $100,000 a month and raises ethical concerns regarding the exploitation of government power for personal financial gain.

Supporting reports

• New York Post publishes unverified 9/11 petition story targeting Mamdani — The New York Post published a story headlined "STAY AWAY: Thousands of 9/11 families demand Mamdani be banned from 25th-Anniversary," citing a Change.org petition started by Giovanni Galante, whose wife died in the 9/11 attacks. However, in an interview with Popular Information, Galante acknowledged that no actual list of family members had signed the petition. The story presented an unverified claim as fact, amplifying a viral petition without substantiation.
• New York Post published false headline about 9/11 families opposing Mamdani — The New York Post published a headline falsely claiming "Thousands of 9/11 families demand Mamdani be banned from 25th-Anniversary," according to Popular Information's investigation. An interview with the petition organizer revealed no actual list of family members had signed the petition. Multiple media outlets, including CBS News New York, initially amplified the false narrative before later attempting to correct course.

Supporting reports

• Newsmax agrees to allow Meta to train AI on its reporting — Newsmax announced a deal permitting Meta to train its artificial intelligence products on Newsmax's news reporting. Newsmax's CEO maintains close ties to Trump, and the outlet has a documented history of promoting misinformation, including false claims about the 2020 election being stolen. The agreement raises concerns about the amplification of misinformation through AI training.

Supporting reports

• Trump posts AI-generated image to Truth Social — On Sunday, Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself wearing a Trump 2028 hat to his Truth Social account. The post represents the use of artificial imagery in political messaging.

Supporting reports

• FBI requested voter's IP address as part of voter fraud investigation — Axios reported that Trump's FBI requested and received the IP address of an individual who registered online to vote in South Carolina as part of a new strategy by the administration to investigate alleged voter fraud. A former senior Justice Department official said it is both "not typical" and "not appropriate" for the FBI to conduct a "fishing expedition to see private voter data."

Supporting reports

• White House issues fact sheet on declassified intelligence regarding Chinese election interference — The White House Government Transparency Task Force issued a fact sheet on July 30, 2026, presenting declassified intelligence documents approved by the directors of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, NSA, CIA, and DHS. The fact sheet claims that China and proxies acquired voter registration data on as many as 220 million Americans, including non-public data, and cites declassified Intelligence Community definitions of election interference and potential malign uses of such data. The White House states it coordinated with intelligence agencies in preparing the President's July 16 speech on the matter.

Supporting reports

• Trump amplified false petition narrative to national audience — On July 29, Washington Times reporter Kerry Picket asked Trump about the petition, stating that "a good number of 9-11 families have called on New York Mayor Zoran Mamdani to not attend a number of these memorial services." Trump responded that "anybody having to do with 9-11 right now on the victim side, and there are a lot of them. They're very unhappy with what's going on in New York, and they're very unhappy with the mayor." Trump's response was featured on CBS News' X account, which has 9.7 million followers, amplifying the false narrative to a national audience.

Supporting reports

• FCC receives petitions to deny ABC license renewals; ex-officials warn of constitutional violation — The FCC, led by Chairman Brendan Carr, received petitions from conservative groups (Media Research Center and Center for American Rights) to deny license renewals for eight ABC-owned television stations. The petitions followed an "extremely unusual" early renewal order issued by the FCC in late April after criticism of ABC by Donald Trump. A coalition of former FCC chairs and senior officials from both parties filed a response warning the proceeding is "unprecedented" and violates the Communications Act and Constitution by seeking to censor speech and send a "chilling message" to broadcasters based on editorial content the administration dislikes.

Supporting reports

• Washington Times conflated total petition signatures with family members — In a July 28 editorial, the Washington Times claimed that "[m]ore than 1,100 family members of 9/11 victims have asked organizers of a ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of the World Trade Center attack to exclude New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani." The publication appears to have conflated the total number of petition signatures with the unverified claim that those signers were family members, perpetuating the false narrative despite the lack of evidence for the family-member count.

Supporting reports

• Trump falsely claims tariffs stopped eight wars — President Trump claimed that his tariffs have "stopped eight wars," including a conflict between India and Pakistan. The claim was made without evidence and misrepresented the causes of international disputes and the effects of trade policy.
• Trump claimed he stopped multiple wars through tariff threats — Trump claimed during a Fox & Friends interview that he "stopped 8 wars" and attributed five of them to tariff threats, including a claim that tariff threats prevented a nuclear war between India and Pakistan. The claim lacks substantiation and contradicts the timeline of actual geopolitical events.

Supporting reports

• Trump claims personal control of Strait of Hormuz — President Trump called into Fox News and falsely claimed he personally controls the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping chokepoint. The claim was made during a period of escalating tensions with Iran and Saudi refinery attacks, and contradicted established international law and geopolitical reality.
• Iran's IRGC threatens to bar countries from Strait of Hormuz — Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a warning that any country that touches Iran's frozen assets will be barred from access to the Strait of Hormuz. The threat was made during escalating tensions and represented a potential blockade of global shipping.
• Saudi refineries burning; Jazan refinery shut down — Saudi Arabian refineries were reported burning on July 28, 2026, including a total shutdown of the Jazan refinery. The damage to critical energy infrastructure occurred during the escalating Iran conflict and threatened global oil supply.
• Trump posts "head for an eye" quote on Iran policy — President Trump posted a message quoting Secretary of State Rubio stating Iran is "begging" for a deal, while using the phrase "head for an eye" in reference to Iran policy. The post occurred during escalating military tensions with Iran and signaled an aggressive posture toward potential Iranian retaliation or negotiation.
• Trump threatened destruction of Iranian infrastructure including bridges and power plants — Trump stated in a Fox & Friends interview that if Iran does not make a deal, he will destroy Iranian bridges and power plants, claiming he could eliminate "most of the major bridges" in less than two hours and power plants in one day. He also threatened to destroy a site called "Pickaxe Mountain," claiming he had already destroyed Iranian nuclear sites previously.
• Trump threatens to level Iran's bridges and power plants — President Trump reiterated threats to destroy Iran's bridges and power plants during the escalating conflict. The threat targeted civilian infrastructure and was made publicly, signaling intent to conduct strikes that would harm non-combatants and critical services.
• White House issues release on Trump's Fox & Friends remarks on Iran strategy — The White House published a release documenting President Trump's July 28, 2026 appearance on Fox & Friends, in which he described U.S. military posture toward Iran. Trump stated the U.S. maintains naval control of the Strait of Hormuz, possesses intelligence on Iranian nuclear sites including "Pickaxe Mountain," and has imposed a blockade preventing Iranian shipping. He asserted readiness to conduct strikes on Iranian infrastructure if negotiations fail, stating he could destroy bridges and power plants, and contrasted his approach with prior administrations' policies.

Supporting reports

• CBS News New York republished false petition claims without verification — On July 27, CBS News New York published an article stating "Thousands of 9/11 victims' families are asking New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani not to attend this year's solemn remembrance ceremony," directly echoing the New York Post's unverified claims. After Popular Information contacted the author, the headline and opening were changed that evening to "Petition asking NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani not to attend 9/11 remembrance ceremony purportedly draws thousands of signatures," then changed again on July 28 to "Petition from 9/11 families asks NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani not to attend remembrance ceremony"—a version that falsely suggests the petition represents 9/11 families as a group. No editor's note disclosed the corrections.
• CBS News initially reports false claim, then corrects after inquiry — CBS News New York initially reported that "thousands of 9/11 victims' families are asking New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani not to attend" the 9/11 ceremony, directly echoing the false New York Post headline. After Popular Information contacted CBS for comment, the network removed the false claim and revised the article to state the petition had "purportedly drawn thousands of signatures, including some victims' families"—a more cautious formulation that acknowledged the unverified nature of the claim.
• CBS News removed social media posts about petition without public explanation — On July 28 at 3:08 p.m., the CBS News main Instagram account (3.3 million followers) posted the CBS News New York story about the petition. On the evening of July 29, the video was removed without explanation. CBS News also removed an X post from CBS News New York linking to the story. A CBS News source told Popular Information that the posts were removed after being told "CBS News New York's reporting was inaccurate," but the underlying article remained online. CBS News cited organizational separation between CBS News and CBS News New York to explain why the article was not corrected or removed.

Supporting reports

• Fox Business falsely reported petition signature count as 15,000 — On the July 27 edition of The Evening Edit on Fox Business, anchor Elizabeth MacDonald reported that "9/11 families, more than 15,000 want Mamdani banned from 9/11 ceremonies." This figure was not supported by any version of the petition's actual signature count (which ranged from 1,100 to 3,515 depending on the source's claim) and represented a further distortion of already-inflated numbers as the story spread through right-wing media outlets.
• Fox News amplifies unsubstantiated petition story with editorial commentary — Fox News, owned by Rupert Murdoch (same owner as the New York Post), featured the petition story on air within hours of publication. Fox News pundits Tomi Lahren and Rich Edson offered editorial commentary suggesting Mamdani should not attend the 9/11 ceremony, while Fox Business host Cheryl Casone made unsubstantiated claims that Mamdani "does not have much sorrow about 9/11" and would have supported the 9/11 attackers. These statements were made without verification of the petition's claims or Mamdani's actual positions.