Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Trump administration charges 40 people for voter fraud nationwide — The Trump administration has charged approximately 40 people across the United States for voter fraud in recent weeks, with approximately 170 people charged for illegal voting since the start of Trump's second term. These charges occur amid a broader administration effort to create the impression that voter fraud is rampant, despite multiple studies showing it is exceedingly rare. The charges are being pursued ahead of midterm elections, representing a significant departure from historical DOJ practice of avoiding politically sensitive enforcement actions during campaign season.

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• DOJ sues California over alleged noncitizen voters — The Department of Justice sued the state of California, alleging that 20,000 noncitizens remain on the state's voter rolls and demanding the state be blocked from tabulating certain ballots the DOJ claimed might belong to noncitizens. California state officials rejected the federal claims, stating the DOJ had wrongly flagged U.S. citizens and people whose voter registrations had already been cancelled as potential ineligible voters. The 20,000 alleged noncitizens represent a tiny fraction of California's 23 million registered voters.

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• DOJ abandons 60-day pre-election neutrality rule and conducts politically sensitive enforcement actions — For decades, the Department of Justice has followed an unwritten rule to avoid activities that could influence elections during the 60 days preceding election day. In 2026, this rule has been abandoned. Recent DOJ actions include suing California for refusing to investigate voters' citizenship, federal agents raiding the home of Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN), and Attorney General Todd Blanche campaigning for Republican candidates. These actions occurred within the pre-election window.

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• FBI investigation into defense contractor corruption halted after Trump administration takes office — A defense contractor allegedly engaged in "campaign cash-for-contracts" dealings with former South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham and Congressman James Clyburn (D-SC). The FBI was actively investigating these interactions, but after Trump began his second term, the administration gutted the teams responsible for investigating public corruption, effectively halting the inquiry.

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• Attorney General Blanche would not rule out challenging votes — Attorney General Todd Blanche declined to rule out the possibility of challenging some votes, leaving open the option of legal action to contest election results. The refusal to foreclose vote challenges raises questions about the DOJ's commitment to accepting electoral outcomes.

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• Trump claimed ignorance of Starshield restrictions and refused accountability — When pressed by reporters about who ordered the restriction of Ukraine's Starlink access, Trump stated "I have no idea" and refused to provide information, saying "I wouldn't tell you if I did know." When asked whether it was appropriate for the world's richest person to have such power over a Russia-Ukraine conflict, Trump defended Musk, calling him "a very good person" and asserting "Elon will never do anything wrong." This response came despite reporting that Trump had ordered the change and despite ongoing Ukrainian reports that Starshield remained non-functional.

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• Hillary Clinton suggested Putin has leverage over Trump — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton suggested that Vladimir Putin possesses compromising information on Trump. The statement was made in the context of Trump's reported request to restrict Ukrainian communications networks during active Russian military operations.
• Hillary Clinton alleged Trump's Russia alignment stems from financial interests and potential blackmail — Hillary Clinton publicly stated three reasons for Trump's alignment with Russia: first, his admiration for authoritarian leaders who can kill opponents and his desire to become a dictator; second, financial motivation through oil, gas, and critical minerals deals with Russia and carving up Ukrainian assets involving Trump and his family; and third, her belief that Putin possesses compromising material on Trump (photos, videos) similar to Epstein files, which Trump has fought to keep sealed. Clinton suggested that public release of Epstein files would shock even Trump supporters about his conduct.

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• Billionaire banker receives presidential pardon after hiring Trump's former lawyer — Julio Herrera Velutini, a billionaire banker who faced felony bribery charges, struck a plea deal and sought a presidential pardon. His family hired Alina Habba, one of Trump's former personal lawyers, and guaranteed her compensation of "more than $50 million over four years." Weeks after Habba began her position, President Trump granted Herrera a full and unconditional pardon. The sequence suggests a direct connection between the hiring of Trump's lawyer and the subsequent pardon.

Supporting reports

• Elon Musk threatens members of Congress on social media — In response to reports that Democrats intend to investigate his role in cutting Ukraine's Starlink access, Elon Musk posted on social media: "Live by the sword, die by the sword. Those who pick fights with me should understand that I will find out who is really pulling the strings and come for them, not just their puppets." The statement was characterized as a shocking threat against members of Congress.
• Elon Musk posted threatening statement in response to criticism — Elon Musk posted on social media: "Live by the sword, die by the sword. Those who pick fights with me should understand that I will find out who is really pulling the strings and come for them, not just their puppets." The statement was made in response to congressional criticism of his Starlink decisions.

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• Trump administration suspended Russia sanctions — The Trump administration suspended Russia sanctions that Trump had recently signed into law, representing a reversal of its own policy and a unilateral easing of economic pressure on Russia.

Supporting reports

• Kash Patel declined to confirm or deny plans to visit Moscow — Kash Patel, when asked whether he was planning to go to Moscow and for what purpose, declined to provide specifics, stating: "We're not going to announce where we're gonna go and when we're gonna go, except to tell you that this DOJ is going to go wherever we need to go to mete out justice for the American people." The response avoided direct confirmation or denial of Moscow travel plans.
• Vice President Vance defended Musk's Starlink decisions — Vice President JD Vance was asked whether he agreed with Republicans calling for an investigation into Musk's Starlink decisions. Vance responded that Musk "runs a private corporation" and that it is "completely understandable that he doesn't want to get in the middle of a war without the US govt directing him on what to do," and stated "I don't think this is about Elon."
• Sen. Kevin Cramer expressed concerns about Musk's influence over national security — Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) stated that he had concerns about Elon Musk's influence over national security matters following Ukraine's disruption of Starlink access. Cramer said that "one individual and one company has control over America's ability to protect the domain of space, which is a war-fighting domain," and expressed discomfort with "vendor lock-in" in space assets.
• SpaceX investor Ross Gerber criticized Musk's Starlink decisions on CNN — SpaceX investor Ross Gerber stated on CNN that he is "disgusted" with Elon Musk's decisions regarding Starlink, characterizing them as "strategically horrendous" and "horrible" from a humanitarian perspective. Gerber expressed concern that Musk could restrict Starlink access to the United States if he disagreed with a sitting president, and called for development of competitors to Starlink to ensure national security independence.

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• DOJ releases promotional video of Muñoz arrest — The Department of Justice posted a promotional video to its X account depicting Omar Muñoz's arrest, edited with upbeat rock music and captioned "OPERATION PROTECT THE VOTE." The video showed officers escorting the elderly, shackled defendant and included clips of neighbors observing the arrest. Legal experts and former DOJ officials characterized the video as a departure from historical departmental norms, describing it as a "disgusting" partisan political campaign designed to create a false impression of voter fraud prevalence ahead of midterm elections.

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• Secretary of State Rubio and Ambassador Whitaker characterized Starshield slowdown as private business decision — Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker publicly defended the Starshield slowdown as a private business decision within Musk's authority. Whitaker told Fox News Channel that Starlink is a private company applying terms of service to all customers, including Ukraine, framing the matter as a commercial dispute rather than an administration policy. This characterization contradicted the fact that Trump had to call Musk to request restoration of the system.

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• Trump attacks Ohio governor DeWine over criticism of Ramaswamy campaign ad — Donald Trump issued a public rebuke of Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine on Truth Social after DeWine called on gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to withdraw an ad featuring the estranged mother of Democratic rival Amy Acton. DeWine said the ad was "deeply, deeply troubling" and violated the norm that family members should be "off limits" in campaigns. Trump accused DeWine of disloyalty to the Republican Party and urged Ramaswamy to continue airing the ad, characterizing Acton as a "DISASTER."

Supporting reports

• DHS arrests Omar Muñoz in high-profile operation for alleged unlawful voter registration — Department of Homeland Security agents arrested Omar Muñoz, a 72-year-old lawful permanent resident, at his Commerce, California home in an early morning operation on October 21, 2026. Muñoz was one of 28 green card holders charged in California with allegedly registering to vote unlawfully. The arrest was conducted with significant law enforcement presence, including a helicopter, and was subsequently publicized by the Department of Justice in a promotional video. Muñoz, who is frail from recent surgeries, was handcuffed and shackled despite his physical condition. The operation occurred two weeks before midterm elections.

Supporting reports

• Justice Department deploys 1,000 federal election monitors nationwide — On October 21, the Justice Department announced plans to deploy approximately 1,000 federal election monitors across the country for the midterm elections, roughly triple the number deployed during the previous midterm cycle.

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• Congress members vow investigation into Starlink service cuts to Ukraine — Multiple Congress members, including Republicans, announced they will investigate and hold accountable whoever was responsible for cutting Starlink service to Ukraine. Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) stated those limiting Starshield "will be fully investigated and will be held fully accountable" and promised "immediate harsh and punitive budget cuts" to responsible agencies.
• Bipartisan lawmakers called for investigation into Elon Musk's Starlink restrictions on Ukraine — The Wall Street Journal reported that bipartisan lawmakers are calling for an investigation into Elon Musk after SpaceX restricted Ukraine's access to the Starlink satellite network. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) told CNN that Congress must compel Musk to testify and could block federal funding for agencies that played a role in throttling the network. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) stated that national security decisions should be made in the national interest, not based on "the personal whim of an unstable executive."
• Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick stated Congress could block federal funding over Starlink throttling — Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) told CNN that Congress must investigate the Starlink network restrictions, call witnesses under oath, and get to the bottom of the matter because it is "a very, very serious matter." Fitzpatrick indicated that Congress could block funding for federal agencies or agency heads that played any role in throttling the network.
• Sen. Adam Schiff called for Musk to testify under oath — Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) stated that the Senate must put Elon Musk under oath regarding the Starlink restrictions. Schiff emphasized that national security decisions should be made in the national interest and not based on "the personal whim of an unstable executive."
• Sen. Cramer received briefing on Starshield and called for competition in space — Sen. Kevin Cramer received a briefing from Air Force Secretary Troy Meink on Starshield and told reporters that he wanted Congress and the Pentagon to "pour a lot of resources into making sure there's lots of competition both for satellite production and satellite launch." Cramer stated he was "uncomfortable with the potential vendor lock in space" and that recent events had demonstrated greater concern than cost alone.

Supporting reports

• Preliminary injunction ruling — California Nurses Association v. Mullin (N.D. Cal.) 4:26-cv-10680 — Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín granted a preliminary injunction for the California Nurses Association and National Nurses United (CNA/NNU). The court found they are likely to succeed on their claim that the Unlawful Voter Initiative and Surge violate Section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Act, which bars intimidating people for urging or aiding others to vote. It reasoned that the use of admittedly flawed data that sweeps in U.S. citizens, rushed reviews, and publicized deployments of armed officers before the midterms created a fear among voter-outreach members the court found “objectively reasonable,” and it rejected Defendants' arguments that federal officers fall outside the statute or that their investigative authority overrides it. CNA/NNU were determined to be the only Plaintiffs with standing and only on that claim. The court found their members' fear of being wrongly targeted showed a cognizable harm to their voter-assistance and mobilization work, but not to their own voting, so it did not reach the constitutional right-to-vote claim or the § 11(b) claim on intimidation of voters themselves. It also did not reach the APA claims because CNA/NNU had not, at this stage, shown a discrete “final agency action.” In California, Connecticut, Georgia, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wisconsin, Defendants are enjoined, through Nov. 3, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. (or poll closing), from conducting election-related field operations and interviews involving people they know, suspect, or should reasonably know or suspect are U.S. citizens, and from conducting such operations against those individuals based wholly on TECS records (entries in a DHS law enforcement database) generated by the Voter Eligibility Matching Policy. The order is stayed until 5:00 p.m. on Oct. 23, 2026.
• Federal judge restricts DHS voter investigations in 9 states — On October 22, a federal judge restricted certain Department of Homeland Security investigations into suspected noncitizen voting across nine states, finding that unreliable government data could cause citizens to be wrongly investigated. The judge paused her order until 5 p.m. Eastern time on Friday to allow the administration time to appeal.

Supporting reports

• Vivek Ramaswamy launches attack ad featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother — Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican candidate for Ohio governor, released a campaign advertisement featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother claiming Acton is a liar about her childhood. Acton has publicly documented severe childhood trauma, including living in a tent during winter while her stepfather—who had prior accusations of molestation—sexually abused her between ages 9 and 12. Her mother lost custody as a result. The ad drew immediate condemnation from Republicans, Democrats, strategists, and commentators across the political spectrum as exploitative and cruel.
• Ramaswamy campaign airs attack ad featuring abuse survivor's mother, funded partly by corporate PAC contributions — Vivek Ramaswamy's Ohio gubernatorial campaign aired a television advertisement featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother, Donna Arthur, attacking Acton's account of childhood sexual abuse. The ad, which began circulating Monday and was aired statewide Tuesday after $4 million spending commitment, has been condemned by Democratic and Republican officials as exploitative and morally indefensible. A Popular Information analysis of campaign finance records shows the ad was funded in part by corporate PAC contributions and executive donations from Bank of America, Deloitte, DraftKings, Kroger, and Nationwide.
• Vivek Ramaswamy releases attack ad using opponent's childhood trauma — Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy released a political advertisement featuring the biological mother of his opponent, Dr. Amy Acton, claiming Acton lied about living in a tent as a child. Acton, who has not seen her biological mother since age 12 after being removed from her home following her mother's husband's indictment for rape, has documented evidence of her childhood homelessness. Court records confirm Acton's account. Vice President J.D. Vance defended the ad, while others, including former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, condemned it as morally corrupt.

Supporting reports

• Trump announced $8 billion Agriculture Department program for farmers — Trump announced that the Agriculture Department would provide $8 billion to help farmers affected by high diesel costs. The announcement was made at an event for Republican Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas, whose reelection campaign faces a strong Democratic challenge. Payment rates will be announced next month, with funds available no sooner than late November or early December—after the midterm election. Trump officials acknowledged that the designated fund lacks sufficient money and that Congress would need to appropriate additional funds or the administration would redirect money from another program.
• Trump announced $8 billion in farmer payments with delayed rate disclosure — Trump announced $8 billion in payments to farmers, but stated that payment rates would not be announced until after the election. The withholding of rate information until after voting occurs raises questions about the timing and political motivation of the announcement.

Supporting reports

• Trump arranged U.S. purchase of Russian diesel — Trump made a deal for the United States to purchase Russian diesel fuel, providing an economic lifeline to Russia during its ongoing military conflict with Ukraine. The transaction occurred as part of Trump's broader policy alignment with Russian President Vladimir Putin and was cited alongside other actions demonstrating Trump's support for Russia.
• Ukraine's Sanctions Commissioner analyzed economic impact of Russian diesel purchase — Vladyslav Vlasiuk, Ukraine's Presidential Commissioner for Sanctions Policy, published a mathematical analysis of the Trump administration's announced purchase of Russian diesel. Vlasiuk calculated that a single 40,000-ton tanker covers less than two hours of U.S. diesel consumption, while the U.S. exports 1.5 million barrels of diesel daily—meaning the Russian shipment is equivalent to just 4.5 hours of U.S. exports. Vlasiuk questioned why "one of the world's largest diesel exporters is buying diesel from an aggressor state just to cover two hours of domestic consumption," characterizing the purchase as economically irrational and politically motivated.

Supporting reports

• Elon Musk announces plan to donate SpaceX stock to American children via Trump Accounts — Elon Musk announced on X that he will donate one share of SpaceX stock to every child in America, valued at approximately $10.5 billion based on current stock prices and the 72 million children in the U.S. The shares would be distributed through Trump Accounts, savings accounts for children launched on July 4, 2026. President Trump publicly celebrated the announcement. SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell separately announced she and her husband would donate shares to approximately two million children with Trump Accounts.
• Elon Musk announces SpaceX share giveaway to American children — Elon Musk announced on X (formerly Twitter) on October 20, 2026, that he plans to distribute one share of SpaceX to every child in America. At current market prices, the giveaway would be valued at approximately $10.5 billion. Popular Information reports skepticism about Musk's motivations for the announcement, though the article does not detail specific concerns in the excerpt provided.

Supporting reports

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth characterized Starlink slowdown as a business decision — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in remarks to CBS News, attempted to frame SpaceX's slowdown of Starlink service to Ukraine as a routine business decision governed by terms of service, stating "We haven't pulled anything back" and "nothing's changed from our view." He added that the administration had not issued directives on the matter, while expressing wishes for Ukrainian success.

Supporting reports

• Trump conditioned ethanol fuel policy on electoral outcome in Kansas — At the Kansas event announcing the farmer assistance program, Trump told the audience that if they reelect Senator Roger Marshall, he will allow year-round sales of gasoline containing 15% ethanol, a significant benefit for corn growers. He explicitly stated that if Democrat Adam Hamilton wins, "I'm not doing it," directly conditioning a federal regulatory decision on the electoral outcome in that race.

Supporting reports

• Mississippi attorney general rules fatal police shooting of one-year-old as "justified" — On June 14, 2026, officers in Senatobia, Mississippi, responding to an alleged shoplifting call, fired into a vehicle occupied by Vellesiya Wiley, her one-year-old son Kohen, and Latoya Ferrell. Sergeant Hunter Foster killed the child and wounded Ferrell. On October 19, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch's office announced the shooting was "justified." An independent autopsy contradicted police claims that the vehicle drove toward officers, indicating the child was shot from the side. Neither woman has been charged; no evidence of shoplifting has been released.
• Mississippi attorney general declares police shooting of one-year-old Kohen Wiley "justified" — Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced on Monday, October 21, that the police shooting death of Kohen Wiley, a one-year-old child in Senatobia, was "justified." Officers with guns drawn responded to a shoplifting call (alleged theft of diapers) and fired on a vehicle containing the child, his mother Vellesiya Wiley, and a friend. Video footage was subsequently released. The child's family and their attorneys, Ben Crump and Van Turner, held a press conference expressing shock at the ruling and calling for a federal investigation.