Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• White House press secretary Katie Zacharia repeatedly claims to be a licensed attorney without evidence of bar admission — Katie Zacharia, appointed as Trump's press secretary, has publicly identified herself as a lawyer in multiple media appearances (Fox News, CNN, podcasts) since at least February 2026. Popular Information searched all 50 states and D.C. and found no evidence she has ever been admitted to practice law or passed a bar exam. She is not listed with the State Bar of California (where she claims to have worked as General Counsel), Texas, or D.C. When asked by Popular Information, the White House declined to provide evidence of her legal credentials, referring only to a Trump social media post calling her an attorney. In California, falsely holding oneself out as a lawyer while not admitted to the bar is a misdemeanor.
• White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia's false claims about legal credentials exposed — Popular Information reported that White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia, appointed by President Trump, has publicly claimed for years to be a lawyer and held positions as "outside counsel" to the World Bank and "general counsel" to a California non-profit, but has no evidence of ever being licensed to practice law in any U.S. state. When confronted by reporters on the White House South Lawn on October 13, Zacharia gave incoherent responses about passing a bar exam in China—a jurisdiction where U.S. citizens cannot take bar exams and where states do not administer exams. Georgetown Law professor Mark Jia confirmed that even her claimed work as a "foreign legal consultant" at a Chinese law firm from 2011–2013 would not constitute being a licensed attorney, and questioned whether she held that position at all.
• White House declines to provide evidence of press secretary's legal credentials — Popular Information sent detailed questions to White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly asking whether Katie Zacharia was ever admitted to practice law in any state. The White House declined to answer substantively, responding only: "Refer you to the President's TRUTH on Katie," directing the inquiry to a Trump social media post that calls Zacharia an attorney. The White House provided no documentation, bar admission records, or other evidence supporting her claimed legal credentials.
• Katie Zacharia's bar exam failure revealed; investigation requested — White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia, whom Trump has described as an "attorney," failed the California bar exam and is not licensed to practice law in any state. After Judd Legum of Popular Information noted the absence of evidence that Zacharia had passed the bar, the Wall Street Journal confirmed she failed the California bar exam. Democracy Defenders Fund, a nonpartisan organization led by attorney Norm Eisen, requested that the California State Bar and California Attorney General Rob Bonta investigate whether Zacharia practiced law without a license, which is a crime in California.

Supporting reports

• White House airs taxpayer-funded campaign ad celebrating Trump's war on Iran — The Trump administration aired a one-minute television advertisement on Fox News using federal funds to promote the president's February 2026 declaration of war against Iran. The ad features Trump's audio declaring major combat operations and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's statements about killing adversaries, interspersed with images of Iranian Americans celebrating U.S. strikes in New York on March 1, 2026. The ad explicitly states "Paid for by the US Government" and was purchased by Medium Buying, a Republican ad firm. Critics argue that using taxpayer money for campaign ads violates federal law.

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• Trump banned CNN, MSNBC, and Politico reporters from White House campus — The Trump administration banned reporters from CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from the White House campus, leaving Trump without television coverage for a day. The action prompted the creation of the Trump-branded "TRUMP TV" streaming channel as an alternative media outlet.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration aired taxpayer-funded campaign ad — New York Times reporter Bayliss Wagner reported that the Trump administration is airing another taxpayer-funded political advertisement, this time from his 2024 campaign. In the ad, Trump states: "We will demolish the deep state, expel the warmongers from our government... We will rout the fake news media." The bulletin notes this represents use of public funds for campaign promotion during the midterms.
• Trump administration airs government-funded political advertisement — The Trump administration aired a black-and-white political advertisement on television stations nationwide, including Fox News Sunday, Saturday Night Live, and college and NFL football games, funded with taxpayer dollars. The ad features Trump walking down a hallway while audio from a rally speech plays, with Trump declaring "This is the final battle" and vowing to "demolish the deep state" and "expel the warmongers." The White House defended the ads as "public service announcements," but ethics experts and lawmakers have argued the use of federal funds for political advertising violates federal law banning taxpayer-funded propaganda. The ad cost approximately $319,000. This is the second such government-funded pro-Trump political ad in recent days; the first used a song by artist JMSN without his permission.
• Trump administration aired political advertisement funded by U.S. government during NFL and college football broadcasts — The Trump administration aired an advertisement during NFL games, Fox News Sunday, Saturday Night Live, and college football games that was labeled "Paid for by the U.S. Government." The ad featured Trump's "Final Battle" rhetoric attacking the deep state, warmongers, globalists, communists, and the media. The White House characterized it as a "public service announcement," but ethics experts and lawmakers questioned the legality of using federal funds for what appeared to be campaign propaganda.

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• Trump trade advisor Navarro attacks Fed Chair Warsh as "Make Recessions Great Again" — White House trade advisor Peter Navarro publicly criticized Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh on Steve Bannon's podcast while standing in front of the White House. Navarro stated he is "not a Warsh guy," accused him of being "not MAGA," and claimed Warsh represents "Make Recessions Great Again" or "Make Stagflation Great Again." Navarro alleged Warsh is "selling us out" and called the appointment "a monumental mistake" that will "come back to haunt us."

Supporting reports

• Corey Lewandowski allegedly sold government services for personal gain at DHS — On September 8, 2026, the Wall Street Journal published an investigation reporting that Corey Lewandowski, Trump's former 2016 campaign manager, appeared to offer aid to foreign countries navigating U.S. bureaucracy in the Department of Homeland Security for a fee, selling government services for his own gain. Lewandowski may have also been involved in awarding government contracts improperly. Congress had given DHS an additional $75 billion during Trump's term for deportations, detention facilities, and technology, creating opportunities for corruption.
• Lewandowski may have improperly awarded government contracts — The Wall Street Journal and ProPublica investigations report that Corey Lewandowski may have been involved in awarding government contracts improperly while serving in the Department of Homeland Security. A ProPublica article from November 14, 2025, covered similar accusations of improper contract awards.
• Lewandowski expects presidential pardon for potential criminal case — According to the Wall Street Journal investigation, Corey Lewandowski has told people close to him that he expects President Trump would pardon him in the event of a criminal case. This statement reflects an expectation of immunity from prosecution based on personal loyalty to the president.

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• Lonnie Bunch III announces retirement as Smithsonian secretary amid Trump pressure campaign — Lonnie Bunch III, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution since 2019 and the first African American to lead the institution, announced his retirement effective end of year. Bunch cited personal reasons but acknowledged stress from Trump administration attacks on the museum's content and independence, including a March 2025 executive order accusing the Smithsonian of "divisive, race-centered ideology" and attempts to remove the National Portrait Gallery director. Bunch's replacement will be selected by the Smithsonian's 17-member board of regents.

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• Trump threatens media companies over poll coverage and FCC action — Trump posted multiple messages threatening media companies while watching Sunday morning talk shows. He declared "THE FAKE POLLS USED BY OUR CROOKED MEDIA ARE OUT OF CONTROL, AND SOMETHING MUST BE DONE ABOUT IT. FCC TO THE RESCUE!" and specifically targeted NBC's Kristen Welker, stating she would be "reported to the FCC for rebuke or punishment" for saying Trump has "mixed results" on candidate endorsements. Trump characterized the press as "a Disgrace to our Nation" and called on FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to "take this Threat to our Country very seriously."

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• Trump criticized Fox News host Shannon Bream — Trump posted a lengthy attack on Fox News host Shannon Bream on Truth Social, claiming she always picks "negative" guests and polls, and comparing her unfavorably to Chris Wallace. Trump criticized her for interviewing "hostile guests" and mentioned Juan Williams and Jessica Tarlov negatively. Trump predicted her ratings would fall due to MAGA's rejection of her show.

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• White House releases declassified FBI memos on "Oxferd Comma" investigation into Trump — The White House published declassified FBI internal memos on its website describing a criminal investigation opened in May 2017 targeting President Trump, alleging he may have been a Russian asset when he fired FBI Director James Comey. The memos, released by the White House Government Transparency Task Force, show the FBI opened the probe despite its own agents having largely dismissed collusion allegations. The article, written by John Solomon (identified as chairman of the Transparency Task Force), frames the investigation as unfounded and cites subsequent inquiries concluding no basis existed for the original probe.

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• Vice President Vance delays board nominations to allow Trump to substitute conservative candidates — Vice President JD Vance, a member of the Smithsonian's Board of Regents, has delayed action on board nominations because President Trump hoped to substitute more ideologically aligned candidates. Three board vacancies currently exist, with three more opening in October. The board nominates its own members and sends names to Congress for approval. Trump and Congressional Republicans are focused on stacking the board with conservatives to gain control over museum leadership.

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• Sean Hannity delivered eulogy at Senator Lindsey Graham's funeral focused on Trump — At Senator Lindsey Graham's funeral service, Fox News host Sean Hannity delivered the eulogy, which centered on praising Trump and comparing Graham's heavenly mansion to Trump's Mar-a-Lago, including references to gold and ballrooms. The eulogy was criticized for turning a memorial service into a tribute to the president rather than focusing on Graham's life and legacy.
• Trump fell asleep during Senator Graham's funeral service — During the funeral service for Senator Lindsey Graham, Trump fell asleep in public while another speaker was addressing the audience about Graham rather than about Trump. This occurred in the middle of the day during the formal proceedings.

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• White House officials deleted aerial images of sparse crowds from Trump's National Mall speech — CNN reported that White House officials deleted aerial images of crowds from Trump's rally at the National Mall the previous week after the president became infuriated by the crowd size. Officials expressed concern about turnout for the July 4th address, fearing high temperatures, tight security, and late hour could depress attendance again.

Supporting reports

• White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt's prior statement on housing bill contradicted by Trump — Six days prior, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted that Trump would sign the Housing Act "tomorrow," calling it "one of the most significant pieces of housing affordability legislation in American history." On June 29, Trump indicated he had not yet decided whether to sign the bill and called it "a big yawn."
• White House Press Secretary contradicted housing bill signing announcement — White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted hours before Trump's refusal to sign the housing bill, announcing that "Trump will sign into law the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, one of the most significant pieces of housing affordability legislation in American history," touting it as a bipartisan achievement and "promise made, promise kept." Trump then canceled the signing.

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• Trump posted images of gilded horse statues being regilded — On June 13, 2026, Trump posted images on social media of horse statues behind the Lincoln Memorial being freshly gilded. Trump wrote that the "Arts of War sculptures, located between The Lincoln Memorial and site of The Triumphal Arch" would be "fully regilded by July 3" and that "The Gilders' Studio has flown in Gilders from around the Country to perform this work."
• Trump posts series of images on social media ahead of 80th birthday — On the eve of his 80th birthday, Trump posted multiple images to his social media account, including a photograph of the Obama Presidential Center depicted as a garbage can surrounded by a homeless encampment; an image from his 2024 Manhattan criminal trial showing him leaving court after a jury found him guilty of 34 felony counts; a 2018 photograph with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un; a 2020 campaign photograph at Air Force One; an AI-generated image of himself as "Commander in Chief" on a ship with military vessels and fighter jets; a December 1986 Fortune magazine cover featuring himself; and a black-and-white photograph of himself from the 1980s with a caption claiming credit for fixing the Wollman Skating Rink and Washington, D.C. crime.

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• Trump posted social media screed attacking Kennedy Center ruling — President Trump responded to Judge Cooper's order to remove his name from the Kennedy Center with a lengthy social media post in which he claimed he alone was "saving a dying Performing Arts Center" and stated he would "transfer this failing Institution back to" Congress. Trump also complained that the New York Times was criticizing the "magnificent restoration of the Reflecting Pool" and asserted that no president had been treated as unfairly by the courts as he had been.

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• White House Communications Director attacks former Secretary of State Pompeo in official statement — White House Communications Director Steve Cheung issued an official statement attacking former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's criticism of the Iran deal negotiations, using profanity and dismissive language. Cheung stated Pompeo "has no idea what the fuck he's talking about" and should "shut his stupid mouth," characterizing Pompeo as uninformed about ongoing negotiations.

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• Trump posted fifty-five times on social media accusing political opponents of treason and demanding indictments — Over three hours on the evening of May 12, the president posted fifty-five times on social media, accusing former president Barack Obama, and others he considers enemies, of treason in connection with investigations of his 2016 campaign's ties to Russian operatives and the 2020 election. He reposted a false quotation attributed to Senator John Kennedy, labeled Obama and others "traitors," and demanded that acting attorney general Todd Blanche indict them. The posts also attacked the New York Times, Democratic leaders, and House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries.
• Trump posted 55 times on Truth Social over three hours in a meltdown containing conspiracy theories and false accusations — Trump posted 55 times between approximately 10:15 PM and 1:13 AM, making numerous false and conspiracy-theory-based accusations including claims that Obama attempted a coup in 2016, worked with the CIA to overthrow him, that Dominion voting systems switched votes in 2020, that Obama made $120 million from Obamacare, and that Obama, Clinton, and Comey committed treason. Posts included reposting fake accounts, fabricated quotes, and demands for arrests of political opponents. CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale noted the posts were "detached from reality" and included a completely fabricated quote falsely attributed to GOP Senator John Kennedy that originated from a satire/fakery website.

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• Trump posted images of renovated Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool — President Trump's social media account posted five images of the Washington, D.C., reflecting pool colored electric blue over the weekend of May 10-11, 2026, with one post claiming Trump had renovated it in a week for just $2 million. The account also posted multiple images of a proposed ballroom on the site where Trump bulldozed the East Wing of the White House, championing the project as part of his legacy.
• Trump posted self-promotional content on social media — Over the weekend of May 10-11, 2026, President Trump's social media account posted extensive self-promotional content, including posts declaring "Excellent Poll Numbers. Thank you!" and reposting stories claiming he had delivered "remarkable leadership," is "Master of the Deal," ranks among the top three presidents in U.S. history, or is "WITHOUT A DOUBT THE GREATEST PRESIDENT WE HAVE EVER KNOWN." Multiple posts called him "The Greatest of All Time." By far the most frequent postings on the president's social media account over the weekend were praise for Trump himself.

Supporting reports

• Trump ranted about Bill Maher on Fox News. — Trump posted on Truth Social expressing hatred for Fox and other conservative outlets for making Bill Maher "relevant" to the Republican Party. Trump called for Fox to stop putting Maher on air, stating "You look weak, stupid, and ineffective" and "DON'T USE BILL MAHER ANY LONGER AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF YOU!" Trump called Maher a "MORON, though slightly more talented than Jimmy Kimmel."

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• White House social media posted image of Trump and King Charles with "TWO KINGS" caption — On the afternoon of April 28, 2026, at approximately 3:30 p.m., the official White House social media account posted a photograph of President Trump and King Charles III, who was visiting the United States on a state visit, with the caption "TWO KINGS."
• White House social media posts caption "TWO KINGS" alongside Trump and King Charles photograph — The official White House social media account posted a photograph of President Trump and King Charles III with the caption "TWO KINGS" at approximately the time King Charles finished his address to Congress. The article characterizes this as appearing to miss the substantive point of King Charles's speech, which emphasized democratic principles, rule of law, and diversity over nationalist bloodline ideology.

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• State Department issues limited-edition 'America250' passports featuring Trump's portrait — The U.S. State Department announced it will issue limited-edition passports commemorating the nation's 250th anniversary of independence. The passports will display a large photograph of President Donald Trump on the inside cover, surrounded by Declaration of Independence text, the U.S. flag, and his gold-rendered signature. The initiative is part of the broader "America250" celebration program. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott confirmed the passports retain existing security features while adding "customized artwork and enhanced imagery."
• State Department finalized plan to place Trump image on U.S. passports — According to reporting by Benjamin Parker of The Bulwark on April 28, 2026, the State Department is finalizing plans to place an image of President Trump's face on U.S. passports issued from the Washington, D.C. Passport Agency. This follows the administration's earlier decisions to mint a $1 coin with Trump's face, issue a gold commemorative coin with his image, and place Trump's face on national park passes.
• State Department announced commemorative Trump passports for 250th anniversary — The State Department confirmed it is preparing a limited release of commemorative U.S. passports featuring Donald Trump's portrait on the inside cover with his signature in gold, as part of the country's 250th anniversary celebrations. Between 25,000 and 30,000 passports will be available through the Washington, D.C., passport office beginning around July 4. Trump would be the first living president featured on a U.S. passport. The article notes that public documents belong to the public and are not meant to become personal branding.

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• Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard sent criminal referral to DOJ targeting Inspector General Michael Atkinson — Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard sent a second criminal referral to the Department of Justice targeting Michael Atkinson, the intelligence community inspector general who found the 2019 Ukraine whistleblower complaint "credible" and "urgent" and initiated the process of sharing it with congressional intelligence committees, which led to Trump's first impeachment. The referral is intended to criminalize the inspector general's lawful performance of his oversight duties.
• Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard sent criminal referrals to DOJ targeting 2019 Ukraine whistleblower — Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard sent a criminal referral to the Department of Justice targeting the former government official who was the whistleblower in the July 2019 phone call in which Trump pressured Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden in exchange for congressionally appropriated defense funds. The whistleblower had reported to the intelligence community inspector general that Trump was using his office to solicit foreign interference in the 2020 election. The referral is viewed as an attempt to criminalize whistleblowing and chill future complaints.
• DNI Gabbard issues criminal referrals against whistleblower and former IG — Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard issued criminal referrals to the Justice Department against a whistleblower whose complaint contributed to Trump's first impeachment and former Inspector General Michael Atkinson, who handled the complaint. The specific crimes alleged in the referrals were not disclosed.

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• Trump posts mocking content about Iran during active negotiations — While peace talks were underway in Pakistan, Trump posted on social media declaring Iran's military completely destroyed, their navy gone, air force gone, and radar dead. He wrote "praise be to Allah" mockingly, referencing deaths of Iranian leaders, during live negotiations while U.S. officials sat across from Iranian counterparts. He also posted about fertilizer prices, called the war a "fight for freedom," and posted about oil tankers and the Strait of Hormuz, contradicting his earlier statement that the waterway was "somebody else's problem."

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• Trump posted AI-generated video of future presidential library — On the evening of March 30, Trump's social media account posted an AI-generated video depicting a future Donald J. Trump Presidential Library. The video featured a gleaming skyscraper containing what appeared to be an airplane the president had pressured Qatar into giving him, a replica of the Oval Office, and a model of his anticipated ballroom.