Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Pentagon appoints tech billionaires Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey to advisory roles — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth appointed tech billionaires Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey to advisory roles in a Pentagon project about the future of warfare, dubbed "Project Meridian." Both men are significant MAGA campaign donors and own companies that benefit from federal defense contracting. The project will be led by Pentagon official Emil Michael, a former Uber executive who made millions in profits from non-public Musk company AI stock while in federal office and while guiding the Department of Defense's AI efforts.
• Secretary of Defense places military decisions under control of AI megadonors — Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense, is putting decisions about the future of the U.S. military into the hands of AI megadonors, according to the article. The specific decisions or mechanisms are not detailed, but the article frames this as a threat to military independence and civilian control.

Supporting reports

• Defense Secretary Hegseth narrowly avoided impeachment vote — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth narrowly avoided becoming the first civilian defense chief to face an impeachment vote in the House since William Belknap was impeached in 1876. An impeachment resolution introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie was not taken up after Speaker Mike Johnson sent House lawmakers home early, ensuring the vote would not occur until after the midterm elections. Johnson defended Hegseth and insisted the move had nothing to do with the defense secretary, but the controversy underscored slipping support for Hegseth in Congress and mounting criticism that he is politicizing the military through his ousting of top generals and crusade against "woke ideology" while directing an increasingly unpopular war lacking a clear exit strategy.

Supporting reports

• Senate Armed Services Committee opposed Hegseth's pick for Army secretary — The Republican-led Senate Armed Services Committee expressed firm opposition to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's top pick for Army secretary, Sean Parnell, who is Hegseth's chief spokesman. The opposition indicates declining support for Hegseth's leadership and his personnel choices.

Supporting reports

• U.S. military advisors deployed to Saudi Arabia as part of joint forces command — More than 100 U.S. military advisors are stationed in Saudi Arabia as part of a new joint forces command, providing intelligence to Saudi forces and assisting in identifying Houthi targets. U.S. officials stated the advisors are not participating directly in strikes nor providing operational support, though the U.S. routinely shares intelligence with Saudi Arabia.

Supporting reports

• Federal judge declines to block Pentagon from firing Stars and Stripes journalists — US District Judge Trevor McFadden ruled that the Pentagon may proceed with firing Stars and Stripes journalists Max Lederer, Erik Slavin, and Lara Korte without legal impediment. The journalists had sued to challenge their terminations, arguing the Pentagon violated their First Amendment rights after they spoke about the publication's need for editorial independence. McFadden concluded the firings were lawful because the journalists gave pre-approved interviews in their official capacity, not as private citizens, and found no clear First Amendment violation.

Supporting reports

• Senator Thom Tillis criticized Pentagon management — Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) issued a public statement criticizing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's management of the Pentagon, stating he had "never witnessed more inept management" and accusing Hegseth of being "intimidated by competence" and retreating to "culture wars" instead of attending to national defense and military welfare. Tillis called for the president to replace Hegseth.

Supporting reports

• Trump posted statements about Iran war ammunition — Trump posted multiple statements on social media regarding the Iran military operation, claiming the U.S. has "virtually unlimited amounts of Mid to High Grade Ammunition" and is "producing Munitions at levels never seen before." Trump characterized media outlets and people reporting ammunition shortages as "treasonous" and stated they would "rather see the United States LOSE a War that we're easily WINNING, than see me WIN."

Supporting reports

• Pentagon rescinded testosterone screening guidance — The Pentagon temporarily rescinded recently published guidance on "Clinical Guidance for Health and Human Performance Optimization" that had been posted to its website. By Thursday, the memo and an accompanying statement from Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell had been removed, with "Page Not Found" appearing on the links.

Supporting reports

• Howard Nutnick issued statement on Iran military deaths — A senior administration official, Howard Nutnick, made a statement at a G20 innovation summit characterizing the Iran conflict as "an economic choke-out" with no American deaths. After public backlash, Nutnick issued a correction acknowledging that 18 members of the U.S. military have died and apologizing to their families, claiming he had confused the Iran operation with a Venezuelan military operation.

Supporting reports

• Multiple House Democrats called for impeachment of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth — Meidas reporter Pablo Manriquez asked several House Democrats whether Hegseth should be impeached. Oversight ranking member Robert Garcia stated Hegseth "has committed multiple offenses" and cited corruption at DOD, reports of pay-to-play, treatment of soldiers, and an illegal war. Rep. Adelita Grijalva said it is "past time" for impeachment, citing Hegseth's disregard for military personnel and unwillingness to work with qualified individuals. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove called for impeachment and jail time. Rep. Becca Balint cited lack of confidence from Vermont Guard members and their families. Rep. Sarah McBride stated Hegseth has fomented culture wars and started forever wars, pursuing ideology at the cost of national security.

Supporting reports

• Complaint filed — Trainor v. United States of America (D.D.C. 1:26-cv-03029) — Avery A. Trainor, a transgender Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel, filed a federal complaint challenging the Trump administration's ban on transgender military service and a May 2026 military action that allegedly accelerated her retirement, reduced her rank and pay from Lieutenant Colonel to Major, and imposed stigmatizing conditions. Trainor alleges violations of Fifth Amendment equal protection and due process rights and claims the military action is arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to the Administrative Procedure Act. She seeks declaratory relief, injunctions blocking enforcement of the ban and the military action, reinstatement of her original retirement date and rank, and relief from male-only uniform and grooming standards.

Supporting reports

• Pentagon secretly hired military veterans as paid right-wing influencers to promote Pete Hegseth — The Washington Post reported that the Pentagon has secretly hired military veterans with large social media followings to act as paid right-wing influencers to push Pete Hegseth's propaganda. Although these individuals are now government employees, the Pentagon refuses to provide details on their assignments. Their taxpayer-funded job is to "amplify Pete Hegseth's" messaging.
• Pentagon hires right-wing social media influencers as government employees — The Pentagon has hired right-wing social media influencers as special government employees using taxpayer money to amplify Defense Secretary Hegseth's viewpoints and attack critics of the Trump administration. Reported hires include Rob Maness, Kurt Schlichter, and Thomas Anderson. A Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment on their job content, salaries, or employment duration.
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hired right-wing social media influencers as Pentagon employees — Washington Post Pentagon reporter Dan Lamothe reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hired right-wing social media influencers to work at the Department of Defense as Special Government Employees (SGEs) to promote him on social media platform X. Retired Colonels Rob Maness, Kurt Schlichter, and Tom Anderson acknowledged being SGE employees for the Pentagon after the article's publication. The Pentagon had previously declined to comment on the issue and withheld information about the SGEs' status for days, including after speculation on social media.

Supporting reports

• Navy transfers payroll funds to combat operations amid Iran war costs — The U.S. Navy, bearing the brunt of Trump's military operations against Iran, is transferring money from payroll to combat operations, creating personnel pay shortfalls that officials are covering by raiding other accounts. The issue was raised in a July Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, where Defense Secretary Hegseth blamed the Biden administration rather than address the spending mechanism. A conservative defense analyst speculated the shortages reflect a deliberate political decision to avoid appearing to damage military readiness over an increasingly unpopular war.

Supporting reports

• Army sergeant's wife deported to Honduras — Cristy Maryori Villafranca-Trejo, wife of active-duty Army Sgt. Hedar Leonel Turcios Juarez stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, was deported to Honduras on Monday. She has no known criminal record and entered the U.S. in 2016. She received a removal order in 2017 after missing an immigration hearing, though her husband states she never received notice of the hearing. The Associated Press identified over 50 cases of immediate family members of active-duty troops placed in federal immigration detention after the Trump administration rolled back military-family protections. Villafranca-Trejo is at least the seventh spouse or parent of an active-duty service member to be deported.

Supporting reports

• Pentagon fires publisher, editor, and reporter of Stars and Stripes military news outlet — The Pentagon terminated Max Lederer (publisher), Erik Slavin (editor), and Lara Korte (reporter) from Stars and Stripes, citing insubordination. The firings followed the outlet's reporting on crew conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and statements by staff defending editorial independence from Pentagon control. Lederer, who had served 19 years, was set to retire in September. All three received termination notices with five-day appeal periods. The dismissals reflect escalating conflict between the Trump administration's Pentagon and the military news outlet over press freedom and editorial autonomy.

Supporting reports

• Senator Jon Ossoff criticized White House dysfunction and military decisions — Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) appeared on MSNBC to criticize the White House, stating that staffers are adults and public officials paid by taxpayers with immense power in positions of public trust. Ossoff criticized Natalie Harp for printing Trump's "daily dose of delusion and flattery," Peter Navarro for steering taxpayer-funded loans to Trump family investments, and Pete Hegseth for "deluding the president daily into deepening this quagmire in the Middle East." Ossoff stated that sailors on the USS Lincoln are fighting a war based on lies while Trump plays with his ballroom and retreats into a circle of sycophantic aides.

Supporting reports

• Trump dismissed USS Abraham Lincoln crew conditions report as fake news — When asked about conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, Trump called the reporter "fake news" and refused to answer. When another reporter asked the same question, Trump claimed a retired admiral told him the ship was "beautifully maintained and taken care of," dismissing the original report as false without providing substantive evidence.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration claimed Iran military destroyed and all objectives achieved — Secretary of War Pete Hegseth made escalating false claims about the Iran war: on day 9 claiming Iranian surrender was guaranteed, on day 14 claiming Iran's military had been destroyed, and on day 40 claiming every objective had been achieved. These claims were made four months ago and have proven false, with the war continuing. Sen. Ossoff characterized this as systematic lying about the war.

Supporting reports

• Trump issued national security memorandum to revert aircraft carrier catapults — Trump issued a national security memorandum directing the Navy to develop a plan to revert to older steam-powered catapults on future aircraft carriers, scrapping the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) currently employed on the USS Gerald R. Ford. This represents the second major design change prompted by Trump's personal preferences, following his earlier concerns about the location of the carrier's command island.
• Trump proposed redesign of aircraft carriers based on aesthetic preferences — The Washington Post reported that the U.S. Navy is considering a major redesign of its new aircraft carriers to match Trump's aesthetic preferences. Trump expressed concerns about the location of the "island" (command center) on Ford-class carriers, preferring it be moved to the middle of the flight deck like WWII-era carriers, rather than its current location toward the rear of the vessel.
• Navy considering redesign of aircraft carrier fleet to match Trump preferences — The Navy is considering redesigning the aircraft carrier fleet to reflect Trump's preference for ships resembling those from World War II, according to reporting by Noah Robertson and Tara Copp of the Washington Post on Sunday. The redesign could cost billions of dollars.
• Trump ordered Navy to replace electromagnetic catapult system on USS Doris Miller — Trump ordered the U.S. Navy to alter construction of the aircraft carrier USS Doris Miller, replacing the modern electromagnetic launch system for planes with an older, steam-powered catapult system. CNN reports the change will delay production of the carrier for several years and could cost billions of dollars.

Supporting reports

• Trump instructed reduction of joint military exercises with South Korea — President Trump posted that he instructed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to substantially reduce joint military exercises with South Korea, citing cost concerns and claiming the exercises send an inappropriate signal to North Korea. Trump stated he has a "very good relationship" with Kim Jong Un and framed the exercises as unnecessary given North Korea's purported non-threatening stance during his presidency. This marks the first time in U.S. history the country has reduced military commitments to South Korea, a 75-year ally.
• Trump orders Pentagon to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea — President Trump abruptly ordered the Pentagon to scale back Ulchi Freedom Shield, an 11-day joint military exercise with South Korea scheduled for August 17–27, involving approximately 18,000 South Korean troops. Trump announced the decision via social media, citing his "very good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and framing the drills as "inappropriate and hostile." The move came days after North Korea test-fired ballistic missiles. Congressional Democrats criticized the decision as punishing an ally and handing propaganda to a dictator.
• Trump defended relationship with North Korea and suggested reducing military exercises with South Korea — Trump stated that Kim Jong Un "has always treated me with great respect" and that he "understands" the North Korean leader better than previous presidents. He indicated that South Korea declined his request for assistance with Iran and suggested that the U.S. cannot "go around and protect all of these countries, especially when they're not there to help us," implying reduced commitment to South Korean defense.
• Trump ordered reduction of U.S.–South Korea military exercises — On Sunday evening, Trump declared that he had ordered Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to "substantially reduce" joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his relationship with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. The drills were scheduled to begin the following day. Trump claimed the exercises sent an inappropriate signal to North Korea, though the decision coincided with North Korea deploying 50,000 troops to support Russia's war in Ukraine.

Supporting reports

• White House issues promotional release on D.C. crime enforcement one year after task force launch — The White House published a promotional release claiming that the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force, a partnership of more than 20 federal and local agencies backed by the National Guard, has achieved significant crime reductions in Washington, D.C. The release states the task force has made over 16,000 arrests, removed 35 homicide suspects, cleared homeless encampments, and seized nearly 2,000 illegal firearms. It attributes drops in homicides, carjackings, robberies, and overall crime to President Trump's leadership.

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

• New York Times investigation found Air Force One retrofit compromised safety features — A New York Times investigation found that the Trump administration's push to quickly retrofit a donated luxury Boeing 747-8 aircraft for use as Air Force One led to ballooning costs and trade-offs in critical safety features. Trump was personally engaged in approving features and security measures. Key security and safety features standard on current Air Force One planes—including a lower-level exit for high-risk situations, additional backup power capacity, and an advanced antimissile system—are absent from the upgraded jet. The 8-month compressed timeline for a retrofit that experts said would normally require several years resulted in the Pentagon spending hundreds of millions of dollars on pilot training equipment on top of approximately $400 million in acknowledged upgrade costs. The Pentagon masked the total price tag, including from Congress, by drawing funds from a classified budget for nuclear modernization.

Supporting reports

• Federal judge orders Pentagon to explain testosterone policy discrepancy for transgender troops — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a policy requiring male service members aged 30 and over to be screened for testosterone levels, with voluntary testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) offered to those below normal. Federal Judge Ana Reyes ordered the Trump administration to explain why the Pentagon promotes TRT for cisgender soldiers while arguing that hormone treatment disqualifies transgender troops from service. The judge demanded answers before an August 7 hearing on lawsuits challenging the transgender military ban.

Supporting reports

• Pentagon removes four recently killed service members from official casualty list — The Pentagon's official Defense Casualty Analysis System website reduced its count of US military personnel killed in Operation Epic Fury (the Iran war) from 18 to 14 on Thursday, removing four soldiers killed over the weekend despite their names appearing in a Pentagon press release on Wednesday announcing the transfer of their remains. Military officials told the New York Times the Trump administration removed them because their deaths occurred after Trump declared a ceasefire in April; a Pentagon spokesperson attributed the change to "temporary data disruptions."
• Pentagon altered casualty figures to exclude deaths after declared ceasefire — The Pentagon reported 18 American service members killed in the Iran war on Wednesday, then reduced the figure to 14 on Thursday. Military officials stated the Trump administration removed four service members killed the previous weekend—three in Jordan and one in northern Iraq—from official casualty counts because their deaths occurred after Trump declared a ceasefire in April. The alteration raised questions about the accuracy of casualty reporting and the administration's characterization of the conflict's status.
• Pentagon removes four service members from Iran conflict death toll — The Pentagon removed the names of four Americans killed in Jordan and Iraq from its official count of personnel killed in the Iran conflict, reducing the total from 18 to 14. Three military officials told reporters the revision occurred because the four deaths happened after Trump announced a ceasefire in April 2026. Pentagon acting press secretary Joel Valdez attributed the removal to "temporary data disruptions." The revision supports the administration's argument that congressional approval is not required for continued operations against Iran because the April ceasefire declaration ended the initial operation.
• Pentagon revises U.S. death toll downward — The Pentagon quietly reduced the reported U.S. death toll from military operations from 18 to 14. The bulletin does not explain the reason for the revision or provide context on when the original figure was released.