Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• DOJ delays full release of Epstein Files to House Oversight Committee — The Department of Justice announced it would provide selected Epstein Files documents incrementally over time rather than delivering the full set to the House Oversight Committee as scheduled. Ranking Member Robert Garcia (D-CA) stated the committee demanded complete compliance with its bipartisan subpoena and called partial, handpicked productions "wholly insufficient and potentially misleading." Garcia also disputed Chairman James Comer's characterization of former AG Bill Barr's deposition testimony regarding Trump's connection to Epstein.
• DOJ transmitted first batch of Epstein documents to House Oversight Committee — The Department of Justice handed over the initial batch of Epstein-related documents to the House Oversight Committee. The DOJ is employing a piecemeal approach to document transmission. The House Oversight Committee stated its intention to make records public after thorough review to redact victims' identities and child sexual abuse material, and to consult with DOJ to ensure released documents do not negatively impact ongoing criminal cases.
• House Oversight Committee received incomplete Epstein files from DOJ — The Department of Justice sent the House Oversight Committee its first tranche of Epstein-related files in response to a congressional subpoena on Friday. House Oversight Ranking Member Robert Garcia stated that only 3% of the 33,000 pages contained new information; the remainder were already in the public domain. Garcia alleged the White House, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Speaker Mike Johnson were engaged in a "massive cover-up" by withholding the full unredacted client list and information about those involved in Epstein's crimes, instead releasing documents in limited tranches.

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• California Republicans file suit to block Newsom's fast-track redistricting plan — Republican state legislators in California filed an emergency petition on Tuesday to block Governor Gavin Newsom's mid-year redistricting plan, which aims to counter Texas's redrawn congressional maps. The suit argues the legislative process violates a 30-day introduction-to-vote requirement and bypasses the state's independent citizens redistricting commission. Newsom announced the plan to use California's voting power to counteract Republican gains expected from Texas redistricting, framing it as a response to Trump's influence over mapmaking in Republican-led states.

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• Ed Martin demands New York AG Letitia James resign — The New York Times reported that Ed Martin, Trump's "weaponization czar" who was recently selected by the DOJ to investigate New York Attorney General Letitia James, sent a letter to her lawyer last week in which he said that her resignation would be considered an "act of good faith" and "best serve the good of the state and nation." While James' lawyer didn't directly respond to calls for her client to resign, she wrote a letter to the DOJ calling Martin's visit to James' apartment last week a "truly bizarre, made-for-media stunt" that is "outside the bounds of DOJ and ethics rules."

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• Jeanine Pirro's office issues policy protecting gun law violators from felony charges — The Washington Post reported that Pirro's office issued a new policy instructing federal prosecutors in DC not to seek felony charges against people who violate a district law prohibiting most individuals from carrying shotguns or rifles, no matter how strong the evidence against them may be. Meanwhile, Pirro directed staff to seek the toughest possible criminal charges against anyone arrested as part of Trump's federal takeover of the DC police force.
• Pirro directs prosecutors not to enforce DC rifle and shotgun prohibition — US Attorney Jeanine Pirro directed DC prosecutors not to pursue felony charges against individuals for possessing rifles or shotguns in Washington DC, despite a local law prohibiting such weapons. Pirro stated the policy does not apply to cases involving violent crimes or individuals barred from owning firearms, and attributed the change to guidance from the US Supreme Court and the Justice Department's solicitor general. This selective enforcement reverses prior enforcement of local gun laws.
• US Attorney Pirro directs prosecutors to pursue maximum charges in DC arrests — Jeanine Pirro, the District of Columbia's top federal prosecutor, issued a directive instructing prosecutors to pursue the most serious charges possible in cases stemming from recent arrests, narrowing prosecutorial discretion. The policy, issued this week as part of Trump's intensified law-enforcement push in the capital, could result in longer prison sentences for convicted defendants. Pirro stated prosecutors must "charge the highest crime that is supported by the law and the evidence."

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• Lawyers accuse prosecutors of vindictive prosecution of Kilmar Abrego Garcia — Lawyers for Kilmar Abrego Garcia accused federal prosecutors of "vindictive and selective prosecution" in a motion to dismiss the criminal charges against him. The lawyers also argued that Abrego Garcia was charged "because he refused to acquiesce in the government's violation of his due process rights."

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• Tulsi Gabbard revokes security clearances of 37 intelligence officials — Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced that, at Trump's direction, the agency is revoking the security clearances of 37 current and former intelligence officials, several of whom were involved in an assessment ordered by then-President Barack Obama involving Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Gabbard accused the officials of "abus[ing] the public trust by politicizing and manipulating intelligence, leaking classified intelligence without authorization, and/or committing intentional egregious violations of tradecraft standards."

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• USCIS announces policy to screen applicants for anti-American ideologies — USCIS announced an updated policy to screen immigration benefit applicants for "anti-American ideologies or activities."
• USCIS issues policy memo for subjective citizenship evaluation — The Washington Post reported that US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a new policy memo calling for a more "rigorous, holistic and comprehensive" approach to evaluating individuals applying to become citizens, which includes judging "on a case-by-case basis" whether applicants have "good moral character" defined by their "behavior, adherence to societal norms, and positive contributions." Legal experts say the move will allow immigration officers to make subjective judgments about who gets to become a citizen.

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• Trump administration implements multiple restrictions on international student visas and enrollment — The Trump administration has implemented a series of policies affecting international students, including halting and delaying visa processing, revoking and reinstating legal status of hundreds of students, expanding social media screenings for visa applicants, imposing travel bans (particularly affecting 12 countries including Iran), slashing university research funding, arresting and detaining international students involved in pro-Palestinian activism, and announcing plans to revoke visas of Chinese students. The administration also attempted to block Harvard from enrolling international students, triggering a legal challenge. A Nafsa analysis projects a 30–40% decline in new international enrollment this academic year.

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• Texas Democratic lawmakers end two-week walkout, face fines and arrest warrants — Democratic state lawmakers in Texas returned to the state, ending their two-week walkout in opposition to Republican efforts to introduce a mid-decade redistricted Congressional map that could net the GOP an additional five House seats in the 2026 midterm elections. The lawmakers faced $500 daily fines for their absences, had civil arrest warrants issued against them, and overcame threats by Texas Governor Greg Abbott to have them removed from office.

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• Senator Schiff requests FCC details on Trump-Paramount merger quid pro quo — Democratic Senator Adam Schiff sent a letter to FCC chair Brendan Carr requesting details to determine whether Trump tried to obtain programming or media coverage commitments in exchange for his administration approving Paramount's merger with Skydance. Schiff pointed to Paramount's $16 million settlement with Trump and the cancellation of 'The Late Night Show with Stephen Colbert' as a sequence of events raising concerns that the FCC has become a vehicle for Trump to exact personal retribution and undermine press freedom.

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• Democratic states sue Trump DOJ over Victims of Crime Act funding restrictions — A coalition of over 20 Democratic-led states and DC sued Trump's Justice Department over efforts to block a new policy that would prevent states from accessing federal funds under the Victims of Crime Act if they don't cooperate with the president's immigration crackdown, calling the move "unprecedented."

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• Trump DOJ investigates DC crime statistics under US Attorney Jeanine Pirro — Trump said DC was "under serious investigation," accusing the district of providing "Fake" statistics on crime "in order to create a false illusion of safety." Reports later confirmed that the Trump DOJ is investigating whether DC police manipulated data to make crime rates appear lower, led by US Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office. Violent crime in DC is at a 30-year low, and Trump's former US attorney for DC, Ed Martin, admitted in an April press release that violent crime had dropped 25% year-to-date.
• Federal prosecutors launch criminal investigation into DC police crime statistics manipulation — The US Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, under Jeanine Pirro, has opened a criminal investigation into allegations that Washington DC police systematically manipulated crime statistics to understate violent crime. The probe was triggered by the May suspension of Commander Michael Pulliam for allegedly altering crime data, including misclassifying stabbings and carjackings. Federal prosecutors are now examining potential wrongdoing by multiple police and city officials. Mayor Muriel Bowser has cited declining crime figures to oppose Trump's proposed federal takeover of DC policing, while the police union chief disputes the statistics and claims a directive exists to underreport crimes.

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• Trump blamed Zelensky for the war and repeated Putin talking points — Trump posted on Truth Social that President Zelensky could end the war "almost immediately" if he wanted to, and blamed Ukraine for not surrendering territory and joining NATO. Trump also repeated false Russian talking points about mail-in ballots after his meeting with Putin, claiming the U.S. is the only country using mail-in voting.
• Trump claims Ukraine started the war — Trump stated that the Ukraine-Russia war "is not a war that should've been started. You don't do that. You don't take on a nation that's 10 times your size," falsely implying Ukraine initiated the conflict. Ukrainian journalist Kateryna Zubkova responded: "We are basically getting blamed for existing next to Russia. This is getting ridiculous."

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• White House issued fact sheet attributing fatal traffic accident to California sanctuary policies — The White House published a fact sheet on August 18, 2025, linking a fatal multi-vehicle crash on the Florida Turnpike to California's policy of issuing commercial driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants. The document states that three people died when an undocumented Indian national truck driver attempted an illegal U-turn. The fact sheet characterizes California Governor Gavin Newsom's sanctuary policies as "reckless" and claims they "put the lives of American citizens at risk." It states the Trump Administration is "seeking to place the individual into removal proceedings."

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• Trump announces executive order to eliminate mail-in voting following Putin's election-rigging claims — During a US-Russia summit in Anchorage on 15 August, Vladimir Putin told Donald Trump that the 2020 US election was rigged through mail-in voting. Three days later, Trump announced that lawyers were drafting an executive order to eliminate mail-in balloting, a method used by nearly a third of Americans. The order would restrict a voting method that has not been credibly linked to election fraud, following validation from a foreign adversary.
• Trump announced intention to eliminate mail-in voting and voting machines via executive order — Trump's social media account posted that the president would "lead a movement to get rid of" mail-in ballots and voting machines and claimed he would sign an executive order "to help bring HONESTY to the 2026 Midterm Elections." The post falsely claimed the U.S. is the only country using mail-in voting and that it is rife with fraud, and asserted that Democrats "CHEAT AT LEVELS NEVER SEEN BEFORE."
• Trump claimed federal government has authority to dictate state election procedures — Trump's social media post asserted that "the States are merely an 'agent' for the Federal Government in counting and tabulating the votes. They must do what the Federal Government, as represented by the President of the United States, tells them, FOR THE GOOD OF OUR COUNTRY, to do." This claim directly contradicts the U.S. Constitution's allocation of election authority to states and Congress.
• Trump announced executive order campaign to eliminate mail-in voting and voting machines — Trump announced plans to sign an executive order to eliminate mail-in ballots and voting machines, claiming they result in fraud. He stated that states are merely "agents" of the federal government and must follow presidential directives on vote counting. The announcement came after a meeting with Putin, where Putin questioned mail-in ballot legitimacy. Trump falsely claimed the U.S. is the only country using mail-in voting.
• Trump proposes executive order to ban mail-in voting — President Trump announced on Truth Social on August 18 his intention to sign an executive order banning mail-in voting and eliminating voting machines for the 2026 midterm elections. Trump claimed states are merely "agents" of the federal government in counting votes and must follow federal directives. Election experts told WIRED this interpretation is "completely inaccurate and misleading" regarding the U.S. Constitution.
• Trump announces lawyers drafting executive order to eliminate mail-in voting — Donald Trump announced on Monday that his lawyers are drafting an executive order to end mail-in voting, claiming the method is "corrupt." The announcement came days after a meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where Putin allegedly told Trump the 2020 election was rigged due to postal ballots. Trump made false claims about Jimmy Carter's position on mail-in voting and asserted the US is the only country using it, contradictions contradicted by international data and Carter's own 2020 statements urging expansion of vote-by-mail access.

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• Texas judge issues restraining order blocking Beto O'Rourke's group from sending funds out of state — Tarrant County Judge Megan Fahey issued a restraining order against former congressman Beto O'Rourke and his political organization Powered by People, barring them from sending money out of Texas. The order, sought by Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, freezes funds and restricts financial institutions and platforms including ActBlue from removing property belonging to O'Rourke or his group from the state. Fahey found the fundraising for Democratic lawmakers who fled the state to block redistricting constituted deceptive trade practices under Texas law.

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• Trump administration attorney general threatens Democratic cities with arrest of local leaders — Trump's attorney general sent letters to multiple Democratic cities this week threatening to arrest local leaders if they do not cooperate with federal authorities on immigration enforcement. The letters represent an escalation of pressure on sanctuary cities and Democratic-run municipalities.

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• Trump administration sends National Guard to Los Angeles despite state opposition — Earlier in 2025, the Trump administration sent National Guard troops to Los Angeles amid protests despite California opposing the move. The deployment prompted a lawsuit from California. Governor Gavin Newsom sued Trump for using the military for domestic law enforcement in defiance of the Posse Comitatus Act. A judge heard the case this week.

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• Republican governors announced National Guard deployments to Washington, D.C. — On August 17, the Republican governors of West Virginia, South Carolina, and Ohio announced they would send National Guard troops to Washington, D.C. to support Trump's takeover of the city. The deployments will be funded by the federal government using taxpayer dollars. Analysis showed that 43 cities in the states sending troops to Washington, D.C. have higher rates of violent crime than the capital, undermining the stated rationale for the deployment.
• Republican Governors Support Troop Deployment to D.C. — On August 16, 2025, Republican governors from West Virginia, South Carolina, and Ohio announced plans to send National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., to support President Trump's federal control of the city. This action is funded by federal tax dollars and reflects a broader trend of militarization in response to perceived threats.
• Mississippi Governor announced deployment of National Guard to DC — Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves announced that he was sending Mississippi National Guard troops to Washington, D.C. to join troops already deployed there from South Carolina, Ohio, and West Virginia. This followed Trump's earlier invocation of the DC Home Rule Act to federalize the city's police department.
• Republican governors of Ohio, South Carolina, and West Virginia deployed state National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., in support of Trump's law enforcement operation. — Over the past few days, the governors of Ohio, South Carolina, and West Virginia committed state National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., to support Trump's law enforcement operation. This occurred despite the fact that 43 cities in those three states have higher violent crime rates than Washington, D.C. Today, the governors of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee also committed National Guard personnel to the operation.

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• US State Department halts medical visas for Gaza children following Laura Loomer campaign — The US State Department announced it would stop issuing temporary medical-humanitarian visas to children from Gaza requiring urgent medical care, following an online pressure campaign by far-right influencer Laura Loomer. Loomer shared videos of injured Palestinian children arriving in the US for treatment, falsely characterizing them as security threats and "Islamic invaders." The State Department stated it would conduct a "full and thorough review" of the visa process. The halt blocks access to medical evacuation for critically wounded children, including amputees needing prosthetics.
• State Department halts medical visas for injured Gaza children after far-right influencer pressure — The U.S. State Department, under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, stopped issuing visitor visas for injured Palestinian children from Gaza seeking medical treatment in the United States. The decision followed complaints from far-right influencer Laura Loomer, who claimed the medical program represented a threat of "Islamic invasion." Heal Palestine, the aid group coordinating the program, stated the children return home after treatment and emphasized this is a medical program, not refugee resettlement. Republican members of Congress praised the visa suspension.

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• Immigration authorities deported three US citizen children — NBC News reported that immigration authorities deported three children who are US citizens, including a 4-year-old boy with Stage 4 kidney cancer, to Honduras. According to a lawsuit filed on behalf of the children's families, the parents "were never given a choice as to whether their children should be deported with them and were prohibited from contacting their counsel or having meaningful contact with their families to arrange for the care of their children."

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• Immigration officers detained 15-year-old US citizen with disabilities at gunpoint — A 15-year-old boy living with disabilities in Los Angeles was pulled from a car, handcuffed, and detained by federal immigration officers outside a school at gunpoint. The boy is a US citizen and was released after school staff and LA police intervened. The school district superintendent called the incident "unacceptable."

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• Thousands participate in nationwide "Fight the Trump Takeover" protests against Republican redistricting plans — On Saturday, August 16, thousands of protesters gathered across 34 U.S. states to oppose Republican redistricting efforts, particularly in Texas. The main rally in Austin drew over 5,000 people at the state capitol, featuring speakers including labor activist Dolores Huerta, congressman Greg Casar, and former congressman Beto O'Rourke. Protesters opposed a mid-decade redistricting plan that would add five Republican House seats to Texas. The action was organized by major Democratic groups including Indivisible, MoveOn, and the Democratic National Committee, with concurrent demonstrations in Washington DC and other cities nationwide.

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• Harvard and Trump administration near $500 million settlement — The New York Times reported that Harvard University and the Trump administration are nearing a legal settlement in which Harvard would spend $500 million to restore billions in federal research funding. The framework would direct Harvard funds to vocational and educational programs, drop the proposed monitor, allow international student enrollment, and end investigations by the Justice and Commerce Departments.

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• New York Times reported on law firm deals with Trump — The New York Times reported that two law firms that made deals with Trump to prevent enforcement of executive orders targeting them were connected with the Commerce Department by Trump's personal lawyer Boris Epshteyn about assisting on trade deals as part of their pro bono work for the president's administration.
• Law firms reach agreements with Trump to quash executive orders — The New York Times reported that at least two prominent law firms that reached agreements with Trump to quash executive orders that targeted them have committed to doing pro bono legal work for the Commerce Department, including on trade deals.