Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Trump administration arrests journalist Don Lemon and searches reporter Hannah Natanson's home — The Trump administration arrested former CNN anchor Don Lemon in January 2026 and conducted an FBI search of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson's home, seizing electronic devices. Nancy Pelosi characterized these actions as "an affront to press freedom meant to scare, chill and silence." The arrests and searches occurred amid broader concerns about press freedom and were cited by Pelosi as evidence that the First Amendment is "under siege."

Supporting reports

• White House announced 700-agent drawdown from Minnesota — White House border czar Tom Homan announced on February 4 that 700 immigration agents would leave Minnesota immediately. However, as of the article date, fewer than 1,000 agents remain in the state, not zero. Court filings confirm thousands of federal agents were assigned to Operation Metro Surge at various points, described by DHS as its largest enforcement operation ever. Legal observers continue reporting enforcement activity in suburbs despite the announced drawdown.
• White House border czar announces partial withdrawal of federal agents from Minnesota — Tom Homan, White House border czar, announced that approximately 700 federal immigration agents would be withdrawn from Minnesota, reducing the surge but leaving roughly 2,000 agents in the state—far above historical levels. The reduction is contingent on county jails agreeing to hold immigrants for up to 48 hours after their release dates to facilitate federal pickup. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey stated the drawdown is insufficient and called for complete withdrawal of Operation Metro Surge, citing two killings of U.S. citizens by federal agents in January and widespread community fear.
• Tom Homan replaces Gregory Bovino as federal immigration enforcement lead in Minnesota — Trump's "border czar" Tom Homan announced a drawdown of 700 federal immigration officers in Minnesota while maintaining roughly 2,000 officers in the state—far above the typical 150. Homan, replacing Gregory Bovino following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti and mounting local backlash, stated the operation remains focused on deporting all undocumented immigrants regardless of criminal history. He emphasized "unprecedented collaboration" with county sheriffs to access local jails for ICE notifications, though major Minnesota counties have not confirmed participation.

Supporting reports

• Federal judge rules ICE arrests in Oregon unlawful and issues preliminary restrictions — US District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai issued a preliminary decision in a class-action lawsuit challenging ICE arrest tactics in Oregon. The judge found officers engaged in "misconduct," made false statements in reports (including falsely claiming a detainee entered unlawfully when she arrived on a valid visa), and improperly used inaccurate facial recognition technology. Kasubhai broadly restricted ICE agents in Oregon from arresting people without warrants and criticized the facial recognition app for relying on data that "can be inaccurate."
• Federal judge issues preliminary injunction blocking ICE warrantless arrests in Oregon — U.S. District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai issued a preliminary injunction halting ICE's warrantless arrest operations in Oregon, ruling that agents may only detain people without warrants if they produce individualized narratives documenting probable cause established before arrest. The judge found ICE's conduct "brutal and violent" and in systematic violation of federal law and constitutional rights. The ruling applies to Operation Black Rose, a DHS enforcement initiative that resulted in over 1,200 arrests through mid-December 2025. Oregon becomes the third jurisdiction with such protections, following similar orders in Colorado and Washington DC.

Supporting reports

• Congressional questioning of DHS over Minneapolis killings and enforcement tactics — In February 2026, lawmakers questioned DHS leadership before Congress regarding the Minneapolis killings, agency oversight, and alleged obstruction of investigations. Several members of Congress publicly called for Noem's resignation or removal. The hearings reflected escalating bipartisan scrutiny over immigration enforcement tactics and departmental accountability.

Supporting reports

• Federal magistrate judge previously rejected arrest warrant for Don Lemon — A federal magistrate judge took the unusual step of declining to sign off on an arrest warrant for Don Lemon, finding there was "no evidence" of criminal behavior in his journalistic work at the Minnesota church protest. The decision reportedly enraged Attorney General Pam Bondi. Despite this judicial rejection, the DOJ proceeded to arrest and charge Lemon anyway.
• Don Lemon Arrested for Violating FACE Act — Federal agents arrested independent journalist Don Lemon in Minneapolis, charging him with violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act and conspiring to hurt the exercise of rights. The charges stem from Lemon's filming of a protest at a church service. Previous attempts by federal prosecutors to charge him were blocked by a magistrate judge and a federal judge. The administration's actions are seen as an attempt to intimidate independent journalists and suppress coverage of federal authority.
• Don Lemon arrested; Trump had made 10 posts attacking him — Don Lemon was arrested. Deputy AG Todd Blanche claimed the president had "never even thought of Don Lemon" when asked if the arrest was intended to make an example of someone the president had sparred with. However, a search of Trump's Truth Social account revealed Trump made 10 nasty posts about Lemon over the past three years, with several recent posts calling him a "sleazebag."

Supporting reports

• Federal agents shot Alex Pretti repeatedly and government labeled him terrorist without evidence — Federal agents shot Alex Pretti repeatedly. The government subsequently labeled him a terrorist without providing evidence to support the designation. The killing and labeling prompted growing outrage over state violence and abuse of power, with former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg noting the incident was galvanizing Americans across party lines.
• Two federal agents identified in fatal shooting of Alex Pretti — Government documents identified Jesus Ochoa (border patrol agent) and Raymundo Gutierrez (CBP officer) as the federal agents who fatally shot Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, during a confrontation in Minneapolis on an unspecified date in late January 2026. The shooting occurred during Operation Metro Surge, a large-scale immigration enforcement initiative. CBP initially withheld the agents' names; the Department of Homeland Security placed both on leave. The Justice Department's civil rights division opened an investigation following days of protests and congressional pressure.

Supporting reports

• Seizure of 2020 Ballots in Georgia — Ballots from the 2020 election in Georgia were seized, raising concerns about election integrity and the potential for undermining public trust in electoral processes. The seizure has been linked to ongoing disputes and investigations related to the 2020 election results. This action has prompted criticism from civil rights groups and calls for transparency in the handling of election materials.
• FBI executes search warrant on Fulton County Georgia elections facility — In early 2026, the FBI executed a search warrant on an elections facility in Fulton County, Georgia, and seized approximately 700 boxes of 2020 election records, including original ballots. Trump appeared to have advance knowledge of the raid and directed then-Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to participate. After the raid, Trump personally thanked some of the agents involved. The raid was allegedly part of a criminal investigation into record retention violations but relied largely on debunked conspiracy theories.
• FBI raids Fulton County elections office and seizes 2020 election documents — FBI agents executed a criminal warrant at Fulton County's elections offices, seizing approximately 700 boxes of 2020 election documents. The raid was authorized by U.S. Attorney Thomas Albus (St. Louis-based), designated by the Trump administration as its point person on election integrity cases. Fulton County Commission Chair Robb Pitts reported receiving a warning call two days prior that he and other Georgia officials faced imminent arrest. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard's presence at the raid raised questions about political interference and national security involvement.
• FBI Raids Election Office in Fulton County, Georgia — FBI agents executed a raid on an election office in Fulton County, Georgia, seizing 700 boxes of ballots and other election-related materials from the 2020 election. The warrant for the raid was issued by U.S. Attorney Thomas Albus, who was appointed by Trump and given special authority to operate across the nation. The involvement of the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, during the raid raised concerns about the politicization of law enforcement.

Supporting reports

• US government partial shutdown over DHS funding and immigration enforcement restrictions — On January 31, 2026, a partial US government shutdown took effect after Democratic senators blocked a Department of Homeland Security funding bill in response to federal agents killing two US citizens (Alex Pretti and Renee Good) during immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis. Democrats demanded new restrictions on federal agents—including mask bans, body camera requirements, code of conduct provisions, independent investigation of violations, and prohibition of roving patrols. The Senate passed a broader five-department funding package and a two-week DHS extension, but House passage remained uncertain due to Republican demands to couple appropriations with voter ID requirements.
• US Senate approves government funding package with ICE restrictions negotiations — The US Senate voted 71-29 on Friday to approve a major government funding package after two US citizens were killed by federal ICE agents in Minneapolis. The deal includes five spending bills funding defense, labor, and health departments through September, while DHS funding is addressed via a two-week stopgap to allow negotiations on Democratic demands for ICE reforms including body cameras, conduct codes, and restrictions on masked agents and roving patrols. A partial government shutdown was expected to begin at midnight Friday pending House approval.
• Partial government shutdown began affecting federal workforce — A partial government shutdown commenced as Congress remained deadlocked over funding and immigration enforcement restrictions. Federal employees began experiencing immediate impacts including delayed paychecks and service disruptions while lawmakers negotiated shutdown resolution.

Supporting reports

• National Review editor McCarthy said DOJ should be defunded if partisan — National Review editor and Fox legal analyst Andy McCarthy stated: "If support for the president is now a condition of enforcing federal law, Congress should defund DOJ. DOJ should only exist if it's nonpartisan. Too dangerous to liberty otherwise. If AG Garland's office had posted this, MAGA and GOP would be calling for impeachment."

Supporting reports

• Tulsi Gabbard attended FBI raid of Fulton County elections office — Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard attended an FBI raid of the Fulton County elections office. When Deputy AG Todd Blanche was asked by CNN whether this was appropriate, he defended the presence of a politically appointed official at an election-related law enforcement operation, drawing a comparison to classified documents cases.
• Tulsi Gabbard attends FBI raid on Fulton County elections office — Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was present during the FBI raid on Fulton County's elections office. Her presence at the operation raised questions about national security involvement and potential political interference in the investigation. Gabbard is conducting a separate review of the matter, independent from the FBI investigation. The Guardian reported that Trump called Gabbard and agents during the operation.
• Tulsi Gabbard launches parallel ODNI review of 2020 election, participates in FBI raid on Georgia election center — Tulsi Gabbard, director of national intelligence, is conducting her own review of the 2020 election with Trump's approval, separate from the DOJ criminal investigation. Trump directed her to observe an FBI raid on Fulton County, Georgia's election center on February 3, where agents seized ballots, voting machine data, and voter rolls. The ODNI review, authorized under election-integrity authority, has focused on voting machine vulnerabilities and alleged foreign interference. Georgia Democratic lawmakers have requested an inquiry into Gabbard's presence at the raid, questioning whether a legitimate foreign intelligence nexus exists.
• Trump offers contradictory accounts of Tulsi Gabbard's presence at FBI raid in Georgia — At the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, President Trump stated that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard attended an FBI raid of a Georgia election center at Attorney General Pam Bondi's urging to examine votes. This contradicted Trump's statement the previous day that he did not know why Gabbard was present, and diverged from Gabbard's own account to lawmakers that she attended at Trump's express direction. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed Trump's earlier remarks were taken out of context, but the shifting explanations intensified scrutiny of Gabbard's unusual role in a domestic law enforcement operation outside her formal authority.

Supporting reports

• DOJ releases 3 million Epstein pages but withholds approximately 50% of records despite legal mandate — The Trump administration's Department of Justice released 3 million pages of documents from the Epstein investigation on Friday, January 31, 2026, more than a month past the December 19, 2025 legal deadline set by the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche declared the release "marks the end" of compliance efforts. Democrats, survivors, and bipartisan bill sponsors accused the DOJ of withholding roughly 50% of identified records, selectively redacting materials, and shielding powerful figures while exposing survivors to renewed harm and re-traumatization.
• US Justice Department releases 3+ million pages of Epstein investigation files — Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the release of more than 3 million pages of documents from the Justice Department's investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, including over 2,000 videos and 180,000 images, with extensive redactions. The release was mandated by the Epstein Files Transparency Act signed by Trump in November 2025. Documents reveal previously unknown financial and social ties between Epstein and prominent figures including Elon Musk, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and others. Approximately 200,000 pages were redacted or withheld based on legal privileges and investigative concerns.
• DOJ Releases Epstein Files Amid Controversy — The Department of Justice announced the release of additional files related to Jeffrey Epstein, claiming it marks the end of a comprehensive document review process. However, the release has been criticized for exposing the identities of survivors, which advocates argue is a betrayal of their rights. The DOJ continues to withhold millions of pages of documents, raising questions about transparency and accountability.

Supporting reports

• US Justice Department releases 3 million Epstein files with redaction errors exposing survivors' identities — The US Justice Department released approximately 3 million documents related to Jeffrey Epstein on Friday, 31 January 2026, as required by the congressionally mandated Epstein Files Transparency Act. However, attorneys for sex-trafficking survivors reported thousands of redaction errors that exposed victims' identities despite legal protections. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that certain categories—including victims' personally identifying information, medical files, and child sexual abuse images—were withheld, but victims' attorneys contradicted this, citing constant calls from survivors whose names were publicly released without their consent.
• DOJ withheld 3 million Epstein documents from release — Rep. Dan Goldman reported that the DOJ withheld approximately 3 million documents from the Epstein file release based on exceptions to the law, without explanation. Goldman noted that Trump's name appears throughout the withheld material and questioned why the DOJ was permitted to decide unilaterally which documents to withhold.
• Epstein survivors reported re-traumatization and online harassment from leaked names — Epstein survivors reported that the exposure of their names in DOJ-released files has been re-traumatizing, forcing them to relive abuse while racing to prevent spread of their identities online. Media outlets and influencers on X have begun publishing women's names. Victims reported receiving online harassment since the documents became public. Survivor Anouska de Georgiou stated: "I cooperated with the US govt when it asked for my help, and now it has failed me—and other survivors—by demonstrating a profound disregard for the safety, protection, and well-being of victims."
• DOJ failed to redact Epstein victims' names in public release — The DOJ released Epstein files on Friday with the names of dozens of victims unredacted, including minors. A review of 47 victims found 43 had full names left unredacted in publicly available files. More than two dozen minor victims' names were exposed along with personally identifying details including home addresses. The DOJ was required by law to redact all victims' names prior to release. Victims' attorneys had provided a list of 350 names to DOJ on December 4 to ensure redaction, but the agency failed to perform a basic keyword search to verify the redaction process succeeded.

Supporting reports

• Trump DOJ briefly removed Epstein document containing allegations involving underage girls and Trump — A document from the Epstein files containing allegations involving underage girls and Donald Trump was briefly removed by Trump's Department of Justice after it went viral on social media. The document was later restored. The removal and restoration raised questions about which allegations were corroborated and how they were handled. Millions of Epstein-related documents remain hidden under dubious claims of privilege, with only about three million of the total documents released so far.

Supporting reports

• Chicago mayor orders police investigation of alleged illegal ICE activity — Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order titled "ICE on Notice" directing the city's police department to investigate and document alleged illegal activity by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents operating within the city. The order establishes procedures for preserving body-camera footage, identifying federal supervisory officers, and referring evidence of violations to city prosecutors. Johnson stated the measure responds to ICE operations that have "violated constitutionally protected rights, destabilized communities, and provoked life-threatening confrontations."