Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• DOJ established controlled in-person review system for congressional Epstein files access — The Department of Justice opened an in-person review facility in Washington on February 9, 2026, allowing members of Congress to search unredacted Epstein records under tight controls on access and note-taking. This was the sole mechanism established for congressional review of unredacted files following passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act in late 2025, which required DOJ to release unclassified Epstein-related records. The DOJ controlled all variables of the review process, including which files could be accessed, how searches were conducted, and what records were kept of congressional activity.
• DOJ tracked congressional searches in Epstein files review system — Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared at a House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on February 11, 2026, carrying a printed document labeled "Jayapal Pramila Search History" that detailed Rep. Pramila Jayapal's searches within the DOJ's controlled, members-only review system for unredacted Epstein records. A Reuters photographer captured the document. The DOJ had established the in-person review system on February 9, 2026, as the sole mechanism for congressional access to unredacted Epstein files under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The revelation suggests the DOJ monitored lawmakers' investigative activity and used that intelligence during the oversight hearing itself.
• DOJ surveilled House member's access to Epstein files — During Attorney General Bondi's testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, a photograph captured by Reuters showed a page of Bondi's briefing book with a printout titled "Jayapal Pramila Search History," appearing to be files showing what Representative Pramila Jayapal accessed after the DOJ made some Epstein files available at DOJ offices. This represents executive branch surveillance of a legislative branch member's document access. Representative Jamie Raskin, top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, said he will ask for an investigation of this "outrageous abuse of power."
• Ranking Member Raskin requested DOJ Inspector General investigation into congressional surveillance — House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin formally requested that the DOJ Inspector General investigate the DOJ's apparent surveillance of lawmakers' searches in the Epstein files review system. Raskin stated he had "reason to believe that it was happening to everyone," not just Rep. Jayapal. He also called for the DOJ to immediately stop tracking member searches, open Epstein file review to senior congressional staff, and publicly release all remaining files with only survivor information properly redacted.
• Rep. Jayapal organized formal congressional letter demanding investigation into surveillance — Rep. Pramila Jayapal organized a formal congressional letter demanding an investigation into what she characterized as improper surveillance of Congress by the DOJ. Jayapal also raised the question of whether the DOJ's decision to open the Epstein files to congressional review two days early was intended to allow the DOJ to surveil members' searches and anticipate their questions for the oversight hearing.
• DOJ tracked congressional members' Epstein files research and displayed search records at hearing — During a House oversight hearing on Wednesday, US Attorney General Pam Bondi displayed a document titled "Jayapal Pramila Search History" showing which Epstein files Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal had accessed. The DOJ confirmed it monitors all Epstein file searches by lawmakers on its systems. Congressional members, including Jamie Raskin and Jayapal, alleged the tracking violates separation of powers and constitutes surveillance designed to anticipate questions and gather intelligence on their investigative activities.
• DOJ surveilled Congress members' search history of Epstein files — Multiple members of Congress confirmed that the Department of Justice tracked and monitored which Epstein documents members of Congress searched, opened, and reviewed, including timestamps. Rep. Pramila Jayapal reported that AG Bondi presented her with a printed search history of her email searches. Rep. Nancy Mace confirmed the DOJ was tagging all documents searched by members and that timestamps were associated with the tracking. Speaker Mike Johnson stated he was investigating the allegations.
• DOJ monitored congressional search history in Epstein files review system — Attorney General Pam Bondi carried a printed document labeled "Jayapal Pramila Search History" into a House Judiciary oversight hearing, revealing that the Department of Justice had tracked which Epstein-related files Rep. Pramila Jayapal searched within DOJ's controlled, members-only review system. The executive branch collected intelligence on the legislative branch's investigation of the executive branch. Rep. Jamie Raskin called the practice Orwellian and requested a DOJ Inspector General investigation; Rep. Jayapal is organizing a congressional letter demanding answers.
• Racist video of Obamas posted on Trump's Truth Social account — A racist video depicting the Obamas as apes appeared on President Trump's official Truth Social account. The video was removed, but Trump refused to apologize and claimed a staffer posted it without review. The incident occurred on an official presidential account.

Supporting reports

• Trump signed Executive Order 14385 authorizing DHS to access DOJ criminal history records and share felony conviction data with foreign governments for border security and immigration screening. — President Trump signed Executive Order 14385 on February 6, 2026, directing the Attorney General to provide the Department of Homeland Security maximum access to criminal history record information (CHRI) maintained by the Department of Justice. The order further authorizes DHS to exchange felony conviction records with Visa Waiver Program countries, countries with serious crime agreements with the U.S., and other trusted allies, on a reciprocal basis under bilateral or multilateral agreements with privacy safeguards. The stated purpose is to enhance border security and immigration screening by identifying foreign nationals with criminal histories.
• Trump issues executive order on criminal alien screening and felony record sharing with foreign governments — President Trump issued an executive order on February 6, 2026, directing the Department of Homeland Security to access criminal history records maintained by the Department of Justice for immigration screening purposes, and authorizing DHS to exchange felony conviction records with Visa Waiver Program countries and other trusted allies under bilateral or multilateral agreements with privacy safeguards. The order frames the policy as protecting national security and public safety from criminal actors, including foreign nationals with criminal histories who have entered or remained in the United States in violation of immigration law.
• Executive Order 14385: Criminal History Record Information Sharing with DHS and Foreign Governments — The White House issued Executive Order 14385 on February 6, 2026, directing the Attorney General to provide the Department of Homeland Security with access to criminal history record information (CHRI) maintained by the Department of Justice to the maximum extent permitted by law. The order also authorizes DHS to exchange felony conviction records with Visa Waiver Program countries, countries with serious crime agreements with the U.S., and other trusted allies, on a reciprocal basis under bilateral or multilateral agreements with privacy safeguards.

Supporting reports

• US Supreme Court Allows Doge Access to Social Security Data — The US Supreme Court lifted an injunction, allowing the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) to access sensitive records from the Social Security Administration during ongoing legal challenges. The decision, supported by the conservative majority, permits Doge, a team led by Elon Musk, to access data to target alleged waste and fraud. The ruling faced dissent from the court's liberal justices and opposition from labor unions and advocacy groups concerned about privacy violations. The case continues as opponents argue the access could lead to misuse of personal data.
• Motion granted — American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO v. Social Security Administration (D. Md.) 1:25-cv-00596 — The Supreme Court granted a stay while the case is on appeal.
• Supreme Court Grants Stay in Social Security Administration v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees — The Supreme Court granted a stay in the case of Social Security Administration v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees. This decision allows the Social Security Administration to proceed with its actions that were previously challenged by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees. The stay was granted despite dissent from Justices Kagan, Sotomayor, and Jackson, indicating a division within the Court on this matter. The stay effectively pauses the lower court's ruling against the Social Security Administration, pending further litigation.

Supporting reports

• Social Security Administration appoints DOGE operative as CIO following federal court order blocking DOGE database access — The Trump administration appointed Scott Coulter, a DOGE operative previously assigned to the SSA, as the agency's new Chief Information Officer on March 25, 2025, one day after the SSA submitted a status report certifying compliance with a federal court order. On March 21, Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander issued a Temporary Restraining Order prohibiting the SSA from granting DOGE members access to systems containing personally identifiable information of millions of Americans. The appointment appears designed to circumvent the court order by reclassifying Coulter from a DOGE team member to a regular SSA employee, potentially allowing continued access to sensitive data and continuation of DOGE projects.

Supporting reports

• Judge blocks Doge from accessing social security records — A federal judge has blocked Elon Musk's "department of government efficiency" (Doge) from accessing social security records. The judge described the effort as a "fishing expedition" in its search for fraud and waste. This ruling represents a judicial check on the Trump administration's attempts to scrutinize social security data.
• Federal judge blocked DOGE access to Social Security systems — A federal judge temporarily blocked DOGE from accessing Social Security systems, calling their efforts a "fishing expedition" and ordered the so-called agency to delete any personally identifiable data they may have.
• Judge blocks access to Social Security data — District Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander blocked the Department of Government Efficiency from accessing data at the Social Security Administration and ordered the destruction of any personal information already accessed. The judge criticized the department's actions as a fishing expedition without concrete evidence of fraud.
• Judge blocks Department of Government Efficiency from accessing Social Security data — District Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander issued a ruling blocking the Department of Government Efficiency from accessing data at the Social Security Administration and ordered the destruction of any personal information they had already accessed. The judge criticized the department's actions as a fishing expedition without concrete evidence of fraud.
• U.S. District Court Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander issued temporary restraining order against Department of Government Efficiency access to Social Security Administration records — U.S. District Court Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting Social Security Administration officials from sharing personally identifiable information (PII) with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Hollander found that DOGE was "essentially engaged in a fishing expedition at SSA, in search of a fraud epidemic, based on little more than suspicion" and had "never identified or articulated even a single reason for which the DOGE Team needs unlimited access to SSA's entire record systems." The order restricted DOGE's access to sensitive records while protecting the privacy of nearly 70 million Social Security beneficiaries.
• Federal court issues Temporary Restraining Order blocking DOGE access to Social Security Administration databases — On March 21, 2025, Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander granted a Temporary Restraining Order in a lawsuit filed by labor unions (AFSCME, AFL-CIO, and AFT) on February 21. The order prohibited the SSA, Acting Commissioner Dudek, and then-CIO Russo from granting DOGE members or "any person assigned to SSA to fulfill the DOGE agenda" access to SSA systems containing personally identifiable information of millions of Americans. The lawsuit alleged that DOGE officials were accessing sensitive personal data in violation of the Privacy Act and federal law.

Supporting reports

• Judge blocks Musk agency access to personal data — U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman issued a temporary restraining order preventing Elon Musk's "department of government efficiency" (Doge) from accessing sensitive personal information of millions of Americans. The ruling stops the Department of Education and the Office of Personnel Management from sharing federal employees' and student borrowers' data with Doge, citing potential violations of federal privacy laws. This decision follows a lawsuit by federal employee unions, student loan recipients, and veterans, and represents a significant judicial check on Doge's activities since its establishment by a January executive order.
• Federal court issues injunction against DOGE — On February 24, 2025, a federal court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), preventing it from disclosing personally identifiable information of federal employees to the DOGE team. This decision followed a lawsuit filed by a coalition of labor unions, which cited a report by Popular Information and Musk Watch. The court found that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed in their claim that OPM's actions violated the Privacy Act. The TRO is set to expire on March 10, 2025, pending further court determination.
• Judge blocks data sharing with Musk's department — A federal judge temporarily blocked the Department of Education and Office of Personnel Management from sharing sensitive data with Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. This decision addresses concerns about data privacy and security.
• Federal judge blocks Doge from accessing personal data — A federal judge temporarily blocked Elon Musk's "department of government efficiency" (Doge) from accessing sensitive personal information of millions of Americans. This decision challenges the Trump administration's efforts to downsize the federal government by limiting Doge's access to data maintained by the US education department and the US office of personnel management.

Supporting reports

• Federal judges block DOGE from accessing Treasury data — At least two federal judges have blocked Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing sensitive data from the Department of the Treasury. This action follows a lawsuit filed by Public Citizen on behalf of federal unions and a nonprofit organization, which argued that DOGE's access to such information would violate privacy rights. The Department of Justice agreed to restrict DOGE's access to Treasury data, except for two special employees who were granted limited access. One of these employees resigned after past racist social media posts were discovered.
• Preliminary injunction ruling — New York et al v. Donald J. Trump (S.D.N.Y.) 1:25-cv-01144 — Judge Vargas granted a limited preliminary injunction, enjoining the Treasury Department from granting access to DOGE-affiliated individuals to any payment record, payment systems, or any other data systems maintained by the Treasury Department containing personally identifiable information and/or confidential financial information of payees. The court noted that “a real possibility exists that sensitive information has already been shared outside of the Treasury Department, in potential violation of federal law.” The court ordered the Treasury Department to submit a report by March 24 including several forms of information and certifications including “the vetting and security clearances processes that members of the Treasury DOGE Team have undergone;” ”setting forth the legal authority pursuant to which each DOGE Team member was employed by or detailed to the Treasury Department;” and “explaining the reporting chains that govern the relationship between the DOGE Team members, USDS/DOGE, and Treasury leadership.”