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.

Supporting reports

• 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.

Supporting reports

• 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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• 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.

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.

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.

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• 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.

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• Justice Department charges 28 permanent residents with voting violations — On October 19, the Justice Department charged 28 lawful permanent residents in California with alleged voting-related offenses, including registering or voting without U.S. citizenship. Eleven had been arrested on Monday. The charges remain unproven in court. The government has claimed approximately 20,000 California voters could be noncitizens, though these charges do not establish the accuracy of that claim.
• Justice Department Charges 28 Foreign Nationals in California for Election Crimes — The Department of Justice announced this on 2026-10-19 through Office of the Attorney General. The recorded stage is an arrest. The allegations are unadjudicated; this documents the announcement, not the truth of any allegation. The department's own account of it reads: "Federal law enforcement throughout California today arrested 11 foreign nationals living in the United States who are among 28 total charged in criminal complaints with federal crimes, including that they fraudulently registered to vote in U.S. elections, electoral contests in which most of them cast illegal and fraudulently obtained ballots."

Supporting reports

• White powder envelopes sent to 36+ Congressional offices and election centers nationwide — More than 36 members of the US Congress and election offices in at least 15 states received envelopes containing white powder in the weeks before the November 3, 2026 midterm elections. The FBI, Capitol Police, and US Postal Inspection Service are investigating. Over 100 letters thought to contain white powder were circulating in the mail system. Envelopes bore a "Thinking of You" postmark and were processed through a north Texas mail center. Most were intercepted before delivery. Targets included Democrats (Chuck Schumer, Alex Padilla, Hakeem Jeffries) and Republicans (Mike Rounds, Ted Cruz, Pete Ricketts) across multiple states. No suspect has been identified.

Supporting reports

• Harris County DA considers felony charges against ICE agent for running over man — Sean Teare, district attorney for Harris County, Texas, announced he is considering felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charges against an ICE officer who ran over Miguel Parra-Hernandez with an unmarked SUV during a traffic stop in west Houston on Saturday morning. Video evidence shows the officer's vehicle veering into Parra-Hernandez as he fled across a parking lot, breaking his leg in multiple places. Teare stated the incident appeared to be an intentional striking and that ICE is refusing to cooperate with the investigation, including denying access to vehicle data recorder information.

Supporting reports

• DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin responded to Mamdani — DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin held a press conference to respond to Mayor Mamdani's criticism of ICE. While flexing his fist on a rubber stress ball throughout, Mullin called Mamdani's words "dangerous and incite hostility" and called the shooting subject "a thug, an absolute worst of the worst." When asked whether it was clear to the subject that he was being stopped by ICE given that agents were in plain clothes and vehicles were unmarked, Mullin responded that undercover investigations necessarily involve unmarked cars and uniforms.

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• Trump made inflammatory statements targeting Somali immigrants in Minnesota — Trump accused Somali immigrants of taking over Minnesota and associated them with crime and violence. He repeatedly urged residents to "fight back" and mentioned that the federal government could intervene if requested by Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey. His statements followed reports of criminal investigations involving Somali American individuals, including an alleged plot against the Mall of America.

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• DOJ seeks criminal charges against Cassidy Hutchinson for alleged perjury before Congress — The Department of Justice's civil rights division is pursuing criminal charges against Cassidy Hutchinson, a former Trump White House aide who provided testimony to the House committee investigating the January 6 Capitol attack. Hutchinson testified that Trump attempted to commandeer his SUV to join supporters at the Capitol. The charges involve allegations of lying to Congress. The move is described as highly unusual, as such investigations are typically handled by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.
• DOJ seeks federal criminal indictment of Cassidy Hutchinson for perjury — The Department of Justice is pursuing a federal criminal indictment against former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson on charges of lying to Congress during her January 6 testimony. The DOJ's Civil Rights Division presented evidence to a federal grand jury on Tuesday and is expected to present additional evidence and witnesses later in October.

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• Pentagon announces livestreamed military execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan — Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that Nidal Hasan, an Army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009, will be executed by firing squad on December 3, 2026, at Fort Hood, Texas. Hegseth stated the execution will be public and livestreamed. A Defense Department official confirmed the livestream plan. This would be the first U.S. military execution in over 60 years. President Trump approved the sentence this week on Hegseth's recommendation after Hasan exhausted his appeals.
• Pentagon announced plan to livestream military execution — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that the Pentagon plans to livestream the December 3 execution of former Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan, who was convicted of killing 13 people and wounding 32 others in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting. The execution would be the first U.S. military execution since 1961, though further legal proceedings could delay it.

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• Texas executes Jamaal Howard by pentobarbital despite Pike execution complications — Texas executed Jamaal Howard on October 8, 2026, using pentobarbital, the same drug that failed in Christa Pike's execution. Howard was convicted in 2001 of fatally shooting convenience store clerk Vickie Swartout during a robbery. His legal team argued the execution should be halted given the documented problems with pentobarbital in Pike's case, but multiple courts refused to intervene.

Supporting reports

• HSI considered undercover operations against voter registration groups — According to internal documents, Homeland Security Investigations considered deploying undercover agents to investigate voter registration organizations, with Pennsylvania and New Jersey as priority targets. The stated goal was for undercover agents to engage with organizations to "substantiate recruitment methods and activities related to illegal alien voter registration," gather evidence, disrupt activities, trace financial backing, and ultimately "initiate prosecutions and dismantle illicit facilitation networks." It remains unclear whether undercover operations were actually conducted.
• HSI investigated over 150 voter registration organizations — Homeland Security Investigations conducted investigations into over 150 organizations suspected of facilitating unlawful noncitizen voter registration. For the vast majority, HSI found no derogatory information. Twenty-six organizations remain under review, and two were flagged for further investigation in Pennsylvania: the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and Zumiez, a skateboard and clothing retailer. HSI also investigated Black Fork Strategies, a progressive Ohio voter engagement firm, in coordination with the FBI.
• DHS documents reveal election denier Heather Honey's role in noncitizen voting investigation — Internal Department of Homeland Security documents obtained by Popular Information reveal that election denier Heather Honey is playing a prominent role in DHS efforts to find evidence of noncitizen voting ahead of midterm elections. The documents detail DHS investigations into nonprofit voter registration organizations and outline plans for potential undercover operations targeting these groups. The revelation raises questions about whether election-fraud investigations are being driven by ideological commitments rather than evidence of actual violations.

Supporting reports

• ICE collected tens of millions of voter records for deportation targeting — Immigration and Customs Enforcement, under direction of Deputy Assistant Secretary Heather Honey, collected approximately 48.4 million voter records through undisclosed "independent sources" and obtained an additional 50.6 million records from the Department of Justice. Records from ten states—Texas, Pennsylvania, California, New Jersey, Minnesota, Michigan, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, and Ohio—were prioritized. The data was sent to HSI's Innovation Lab and is pending entry into Palantir's ELITE system, used to identify and locate people for deportation. This effort targets noncitizen voters, though noncitizen voting is extremely rare.

Supporting reports

• Billionaires fund California Proposition 39 voter ID ballot measure — Multiple billionaires, including Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia, Richard Uihlein, and others, have donated over $36 million to support California's Proposition 39, a ballot measure requiring voters to show identification at polls and including ID numbers on mail ballots. The measure was authored by Republican lawmaker Carl DeMaio in response to Trump administration pressure. California currently requires ID only at voter registration, not at polling places. The yes campaign has vastly outraised opponents by approximately $13 million. Democratic groups, the ACLU, and the League of Women Voters oppose the measure.

Supporting reports

• ICE agents shot man in car with 5-year-old in Manhattan — ICE agents surrounded a vehicle in Marble Hill in northern Manhattan and fired multiple rounds into the vehicle, shooting a man in the neck. The vehicle also contained a 5-year-old child. The man was taken to a hospital, remained conscious, and was in stable condition as of Thursday night.
• ICE agent shoots man in New York City during enforcement operation with child in vehicle — An ICE agent shot and wounded a 28-year-old man during an enforcement operation in the Marble Hill neighborhood of Manhattan on Thursday afternoon. Early reports indicated agents surrounded the man and a five-year-old child in a car before firing multiple rounds. The child was physically unharmed. NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated he negotiated unsuccessfully with President Trump and DHS Secretary Mullin for the man's release and demanded ICE cease enforcement in the city. The shooting sparked immediate protests and clashes between demonstrators and NYPD at a nearby hospital.
• ICE officer shoots man in neck during arrest in Manhattan's Marble Hill neighborhood — On Thursday afternoon, a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot Oscar Belgal, 28, in the neck with an assault-style rifle during an arrest in Manhattan's Marble Hill neighborhood. Belgal's young child was in the back of his car at the time. Residents reported the officers were not clearly identified and expressed fear and anger. Belgal was detained and booked into the federal Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn. A federal judge ordered ICE to keep him in the area after his attorneys filed emergency motions requesting release.
• WIRED reported on ICE agent Brenden Cuni's history of unlawful arrests — WIRED reported that an ICE agent on the scene of the Manhattan shooting, identified as Brenden Cuni, has repeatedly been accused in federal court of unlawful arrests and using force during arrests in New York City and Minneapolis. Cuni was photographed at the scene in a high-visibility yellow construction vest brandishing a modified AR-15-style rifle. Federal court cases, social media, and public records reviewed by WIRED suggest Cuni has repeatedly been at the center of illegal ICE street arrests. Court filings accuse him of using a Taser on a handcuffed man, while activists allege he forced a pregnant woman to the ground during a Minneapolis operation. In recent months, federal judges have repeatedly found arrests involving Cuni unlawful, with one judge calling an arrest warrant he signed "fraudulent," another saying video evidence contradicts his sworn account, and a third case where the government withdrew his sworn statements as inaccurate.

Supporting reports

• NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani called for ICE removal from city — NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani held a press conference expressing anger at ICE following the shooting in Manhattan. Mamdani called for ICE to be removed from the city, schools, hospitals, and streets, stating that ICE operates with impunity, sows chaos and terror, and has killed more people than it has saved. He criticized the shooting tactics as having no explanation, particularly firing multiple rounds into a car with a 5-year-old. Mamdani noted that ICE agents in plain clothes and unmarked vehicles create confusion about whether they are law enforcement or attackers. He stated he made clear to the president and secretary that ICE agents should leave the scene and cease enforcement actions in NYC, arguing these actions make the city less safe and terrify New Yorkers.

Supporting reports

• Tennessee Governor Bill Lee suspends all executions and orders independent inquiry after failed lethal injection of Christa Pike — Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced Thursday that the state is suspending all executions until at least year-end and has ordered an independent inquiry following Wednesday night's failed execution of Christa Pike. Pike, 50, survived two doses of pentobarbital and remained alive 40 minutes after injection, snoring in the execution chamber. She was transported to an off-site medical facility in critical condition. Lee called the botched execution "deeply disturbing" and "a tragedy." The execution had proceeded only after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted a federal court stay late Wednesday.

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• Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles grants early parole to Amber Guyger — The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles approved early parole for Amber Guyger, a former Dallas police officer convicted of murdering Botham Jean, a 26-year-old Black accountant, in September 2018. Guyger had served seven of her ten-year sentence. The board approved her case despite objections from Jean's family, citing her satisfactory institutional adjustment and completion of prison programs. The timing of release remains to be determined by the state prison system.

Supporting reports

• Stephen Miller accelerates removal of undocumented children and plans ICE detention facility — Stephen Miller is accelerating the removal of undocumented children at what the article describes as a "mind-numbing rate" and planning an ICE detention facility designed to hold 3,000 children. The article notes that children are appearing in immigration court without legal representation and facing deportation alone.