Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Vice President Vance referred Minnesota Governor Walz and Attorney General Ellison to DOJ for fraud investigation — Vice President J.D. Vance announced he would refer Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison to the Department of Justice for investigation of criminal fraud. The referral was based on claims that Somali immigrants in Minnesota are engaging in social services fraud while Democrats overlook it. Governor Walz characterized Vance's attacks as a "campaign of retribution" meant to punish blue states, while Attorney General Ellison called the allegations "unfounded" and a "political stunt," stating that diverting official powers and public resources to pursue political adversaries "diminishes public trust in our institutions."

Supporting reports

• South Carolina Republicans propose redistricting to dismantle James Clyburn's congressional district — South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster called a special legislative session to consider a proposal to redraw the state's sixth congressional district, currently represented by Democrat James Clyburn, the state's only Black Democratic congressman since 1897. The effort follows Trump's urging of Republican lawmakers to redismantle the district after the U.S. Supreme Court gutted key protections in the Voting Rights Act. An earlier redistricting effort stalled on Tuesday, but the special session began Friday. Clyburn characterized the plan as "Jim Crow 2.0" and vowed to run regardless.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration withholds Medicaid funds from Minnesota over anti-Somali racism — Vice President JD Vance announced that the Trump administration will withhold $259 million in Medicaid payments to Minnesota as part of the administration's "war on fraud" initiative. The action is characterized as driven by anti-Somali racism, targeting a state with a significant Somali-American population.
• Trump administration froze $259.5 million in Minnesota Medicaid reimbursements — Vice President JD Vance announced that the Trump administration would "temporarily halt" $259.5 million in federal Medicaid reimbursements to Minnesota, citing fraud concerns in 14 Medicaid programs including autism care and non-medical transportation. CMS's review flagged $243.8 million in "potentially fraudulent" claims and $15.4 million in claims for individuals without satisfactory immigration status. Minnesota has 60 days to submit a corrective action plan. The administration warned similar freezes could hit other states. Governor Tim Walz called the freeze "political punishment."
• Vance and Oz announced withholding of $259 million in Medicaid funds from Minnesota — Vice President J.D. Vance and Dr. Mehmet Oz, who oversees Medicaid, announced the administration is withholding $259 million in Medicaid funds from Minnesota, claiming the state has not adequately protected taxpayers from fraud. The withholding is illegal; the executive branch lacks authority to withhold funds appropriated by Congress. A federal judge has already blocked a similar freeze on $10 billion in childcare funding for Illinois, California, Colorado, Minnesota, and New York pending litigation. The action targets a state with a Democratic governor and a large Somali-American population.
• Administration withholds Medicaid funds from Minnesota — The Trump administration announced it would withhold $259 million in Medicaid funds from Minnesota, claiming the state has not adequately protected taxpayers from fraud. This action is illegal as it violates the appropriations made by Congress, and a federal judge has previously blocked similar funding freezes. Minnesota's governor criticized the move as politically motivated retribution against blue states.
• Minnesota withheld $259.5 million in federal Medicaid reimbursements — The federal government announced the withholding of $259.5 million in federal healthcare reimbursements from Minnesota, a sum that serves one in four state residents. The announcement came the same day the state attorney general held a public event highlighting over a year of bipartisan anti-fraud work. The withholding follows months of immigration enforcement operations that have left families afraid to leave their homes for three months.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration deploys 3,000 federal ICE agents to Minnesota — The Trump administration mobilized approximately 3,000 federal ICE agents to Minnesota, a force that outnumbers the Minneapolis police department five to one. Armed, masked agents have been arresting people at morning commutes, grocery stores, churches, and schools. The Department of Homeland Security called it the largest operation in the agency's history. Agents have been operating since early December, with a major surge in January following fraud investigations and the killing of Renee Good.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration deploys ICE and threatens National Guard deployment to Chicago citing crime — The Trump administration has ramped up Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Chicago and threatened or sent National Guard deployments to the city, citing violent crime as justification. Chicago violence prevention workers and community organizers argue this approach exploits the city's crime narrative to normalize military force on streets and expand surveillance in already over-policed neighborhoods, rather than addressing root causes like poverty and lack of investment.
• Trump announces intention to deploy national guard to Chicago — During remarks at the White House on Monday, Trump stated that his administration would deploy national guard troops to Chicago "probably next" and indicated the deployment would proceed regardless of opposition from Illinois Democratic governor JB Pritzker. Trump also floated St. Louis, New Orleans, and Baltimore as potential future targets for similar deployments, stating "We want to save these places."
• Trump deploys national guard to Memphis; Democratic officials challenge deployment in state court — On September 15, 2025, President Trump signed a memo mobilizing the national guard to Memphis, Tennessee, citing the city's high murder rate. On November 4, 2025, a state chancery court in Nashville heard a legal challenge filed by Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, state representatives Gabby Salinas and GA Hardaway, and other Democratic officials, with ACLU support, arguing the deployment violates state law and lacks proper authorization. The city of Memphis declined to join the lawsuit. Judge Patricia Head Moskal appeared skeptical of the state's defense and indicated she would issue a written ruling after receiving briefs.
• Trump signs executive order deploying national guard to Memphis — Donald Trump signed a presidential memo on Monday establishing a "Memphis Safe Task Force" and authorizing the deployment of national guard troops to Memphis, Tennessee, in coordination with federal law enforcement agencies including the FBI, ATF, DEA, ICE, US Marshals, and DOJ. Tennessee Republican governor Bill Lee welcomed the deployment. Trump stated Chicago would "probably" be next and suggested potential future deployments to St. Louis, New Orleans, and Baltimore, while indicating he would proceed without Illinois governor JB Pritzker's cooperation if necessary.

Supporting reports

• DHS announces "Operation Midway Blitz" targeting predominantly Latino neighborhoods in Chicago — The Department of Homeland Security announced enforcement operations in Chicago designated "Operation Midway Blitz," focusing on predominantly Latino neighborhoods surrounding Midway airport. The operation resulted in multiple arrests and was conducted without advance notice to Chicago's municipal government. This follows Trump's rhetoric attacking Chicago's sanctuary policies and his stated plan to deploy the National Guard to the city.
• Trump administration threatens ICE deployment and National Guard mobilization to Chicago — The Trump administration announced "Operation Midway Blitz," a targeted immigration enforcement action in Chicago, following threats to deploy federal law enforcement and National Guard troops to the city. Evanston officials warned residents of likely ICE activity after receiving information from the governor's office. The operation invokes a Nazi-era military term and targets immigrants in a sanctuary jurisdiction. Chicago's mayor stated the city received no notice and opposes militarized enforcement without due process, citing ICE's history of detaining and deporting U.S. citizens.
• DHS announced Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago — The Department of Homeland Security announced it launched "Operation Midway Blitz" in Chicago, stating it aims to "target the criminal illegal aliens who flocked to Chicago and Illinois because they knew Governor Pritzker and his sanctuary policies would protect them and allow them to roam free on American streets." Governor Pritzker responded that the operation "isn't about fighting crime," but "scaring Illinoisians."

Supporting reports

• Trump threatens to deploy National Guard to Chicago and Baltimore, claims Chicago is "world's most dangerous city" — Donald Trump announced plans to deploy National Guard units to Chicago and Baltimore to address violent crime, calling Chicago "the most dangerous city in the world" and citing 20 killings over 2.5 weeks and 75 shootings. He also discussed sending troops to New Orleans. The claims are contradicted by FBI crime data showing Chicago ranks 14th among cities over 100,000 residents in homicide rate (17.5 per 100,000), while the four highest-murder-rate cities—Jackson, Birmingham, St. Louis, and Memphis—are all in Republican-led states with rates ranging from 40.6 to 78.7 per 100,000.
• Texas National Guard preparation to deploy to Chicago reported — According to Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, the Texas National Guard is preparing to deploy to Chicago. Texas Governor Greg Abbott denied the claim. The deployment threat occurs despite Chicago experiencing declining violent crime, with 2025 showing fewer shootings than any year since the mid-1960s according to crime data expert Jeff Asher. Five major Texas cities—Houston, Corpus Christi, Lubbock, Dallas, and San Antonio—had higher violent crime rates per 100,000 people than Chicago in 2024.
• Trump pledges military deployment to Chicago and Baltimore amid false crime claims — President Trump pledged on Truth Social to deploy the military to Chicago and Baltimore, characterizing both cities as exceptionally dangerous. Trump called Chicago "the worst and most dangerous city in the World, by far" and a "killing field," and described Baltimore as "so far gone," a "hellhole," and a "horrible deathbed." However, FBI data shows Chicago ranked 55th in violent crime among major U.S. cities in 2024 (540 per 100,000), with multiple red-state cities including Memphis, Kansas City, Tulsa, and Louisville recording significantly higher rates. Baltimore is experiencing a historic crime decline, with August 2025 recording the lowest homicide count for that month on record and 91 homicides through September 1—the fewest in over 50 years for that period.
• Trump threatens national guard deployment to Chicago; advance ICE team training underway — President Trump reaffirmed his commitment to deploying federal troops to Chicago to address crime and homelessness, calling the city a "hellhole" and stating deployment would proceed regardless of local leadership consent. An advance team of at least 30 agents is undergoing crowd control and flash grenade training at Naval Station Great Lakes; 230 Customs and Border Protection agents are being transferred from Los Angeles. Chicago would become the second city to receive national guard troops after Washington DC (August) and Los Angeles (June). Local officials and community groups are organizing resistance, including legal preparation and "know your rights" campaigns.

Supporting reports

• Trump threatens federal crackdown expansion to Chicago and New York — President Trump announced plans to expand federal crime-control operations to Chicago and New York, targeting Democratic-led cities with Black mayors. Simultaneously, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered that approximately 2,000 National Guard troops already deployed and patrolling Washington DC streets under federal control be armed with service weapons, reversing earlier Pentagon assurances that troops would remain unarmed. The armed deployment represents an escalation of federal intervention into DC policing.
• Trump threatens federal intervention in Chicago — Trump threatened to take over Chicago, claiming that he would send federal forces to address crime in the city. This statement was met with criticism from local officials, who labeled it an illegal abuse of power.
• Pentagon confirms planning for national guard deployment to Chicago; Jeffries accuses Trump of manufacturing crisis — Pentagon officials confirmed to ABC News that planning is underway to send national guard troops to Chicago. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries accused Trump of "manufacturing a crisis" to justify the deployment, stating the president was "playing games with the lives of Americans." Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson called any such deployment "the most flagrant violation of our constitution in the 21st century." Illinois Governor JB Pritzker stated the state had received no federal requests for assistance and that Trump was "abusing his power." The deployment would override state authority, as national guard is normally under state control and only federalized in national emergencies at a governor's request.
• Trump floats military deployment to Baltimore — Trump suggested sending military troops to Baltimore and threatened to "rethink" federal funding for bridge repair in the city, escalating rhetoric about using military force in domestic cities.
• Trump threatens to send troops to Baltimore — President Trump threatened to send troops to Baltimore after Maryland Governor Wes Moore invited him to walk through the city, which Trump interpreted as a provocation.
• Trump threatens to deploy national guard to Chicago; Illinois Democrats condemn as unconstitutional — Pentagon sources confirmed planning for national guard deployment to Chicago, though no final decision has been announced. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, and state Attorney General Kwame Raoul held a news conference condemning the threat as unconstitutional and an abuse of presidential power. Trump, at an Oval Office event, referred to Chicago as a "killing field" and signed executive orders on cashless bail and flag burning. Pritzker stated neither he nor the mayor had been contacted by the White House but said they were prepared to pursue legal action to prevent deployment.
• Trump announced plan to deploy military to Chicago — Trump announced plans to deploy armed military personnel to Chicago, framing the action as a response to crime. The deployment was not coordinated with Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker or Chicago's mayor, who learned of the plan through media reports rather than official communication from the White House.
• Trump threatens unilateral national guard deployment to Chicago against state objections — President Trump publicly considered deploying the national guard to Chicago without the governor's consent, citing crime concerns. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago leaders opposed the move as unnecessary overreach. Trump stated he might act unilaterally using emergency powers, framing it as a response to what he called a "killing field." Pritzker characterized the threatened action as a "dangerous power-grab" and military occupation to punish dissidents. Trump has already deployed the national guard to Los Angeles and Washington DC.

Supporting reports

• Trump threatens National Guard deployment to Chicago, Baltimore, Los Angeles, and Oakland — President Trump told reporters on Monday that he intends to deploy federal forces to other major Democratic-led cities, specifically naming Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Baltimore, and Oakland as cities "that are bad." All five cities are run by Black mayors. Trump's characterization of crime in these cities contradicts official statistics; Chicago's mayor Brandon Johnson, Baltimore's Brandon Scott, Oakland's Barbara Lee, and Los Angeles's Karen Bass all issued statements rejecting Trump's claims and warning against federal intervention as a "power grab" and destabilization tactic.

Supporting reports

• Trump directs White House lawyers to study legislation overturning DC Home Rule Act — Trump told reporters on Wednesday that White House lawyers were "already studying" the possibility of legislation to overturn the DC Home Rule Act of 1973, which grants Washington DC residents the right to elect their own mayor, council members, and neighborhood commissioners. This move would impose direct federal control over the capital's day-to-day governance, eliminating local democratic self-rule.