Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• State Department refused to answer about sanctions on Israeli human rights organizations — State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce refused to answer a reporter's question about whether the US would sanction Israeli human rights organizations, B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel, after they concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, but challenged their findings as "outrageous allegations."

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• Trump attacked Jessica Tarlov for gun control comments — On Truth Social, Trump lashed out at Jessica Tarlov, one of the few regular Democratic Party-supporting personalities on Fox, saying he "can't stand" her, and calling her a "real loser!!!" after she suggested on 'The Five' that stricter gun control laws could have prevented Monday's deadly mass shooting in New York City.

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• Trump's special assistant ordered removal of interim U.S. Attorney Leigh Grace — An email from Trump's special assistant to First Assistant U.S. Attorney Leigh Grace claimed that district court judges lacked authority to appoint her as interim New Jersey U.S. Attorney because Alina Habba had resigned before her appointment. The email stated that even if the court had such authority, "the president hereby removes you from office" and declared Habba the acting U.S. Attorney. This action directly contradicted the court's appointment of Grace.

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• ICE detainee with prosthetic legs placed in solitary confinement for refusing flooded cell — Rodney Taylor, a Liberian-born double amputee detained by ICE at Stewart detention center in Georgia, was placed in a "restrictive housing unit" (solitary confinement) for three days after refusing to enter his cell due to flooding caused by faulty air conditioning. The water posed a danger to his battery-powered prosthetic legs. During confinement, he received no drinking water and could not charge his prosthetics. He was released on Tuesday by the assistant warden.

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• Congresswoman Ramirez requests hearing on federal funding of alleged human rights abuses at El Salvador's Cecot prison — Congresswoman Delia Ramirez (D-Illinois), a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, sent a letter to committee chair Andrew Garbarino requesting an urgent congressional hearing into the Trump administration's use of federal funds to pay El Salvador to detain approximately 300 Venezuelan and Salvadoran immigrants at the Cecot terrorism prison. Ramirez cited reports of torture, beatings, sexual assault, and denial of food. The request follows a July 18 prisoner swap that released 252 Venezuelan men from the facility after months of detention.

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• Senator Durbin demands DOJ produce Epstein-Maxwell meeting records and commits against pardon — Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, demanded that the Department of Justice produce all recordings and transcripts of July 24 and 25 meetings between DOJ officials and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. He also demanded that the DOJ commit it would not offer a pardon or sentence commutation to Maxwell in exchange for information she provided.
• Senator Durbin demanded DOJ recordings and transcripts from Ghislaine Maxwell interviews — Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche demanding all recordings and transcripts from his interviews with Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, which took place the previous week. He also demanded that the DOJ commit to offering no pardon or commutation for Maxwell, writing that there are "serious questions about the potential for a corrupt bargain" between her and Trump.

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• DOJ indictment against Christian Cerna-Camacho names wrong defendant — The U.S. Department of Justice filed a one-paragraph indictment against protester Christian Cerna-Camacho that erroneously named Brayan Ramos-Brito as the defendant instead. The error was discovered only when Cerna-Camacho appeared for arraignment and the government attorney was forced to admit the mistake in court. Cerna-Camacho's lawyers have argued the government's 30-day window to indict had passed and the case must be dismissed. This represents one of the government's most high-profile cases, as Cerna-Camacho was arrested four days after the protest when unmarked vehicles rammed his car while his toddler and infant were inside.

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• Ghislaine Maxwell files petition to US Supreme Court to overturn conviction — Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted in 2022 and sentenced to 20 years for sex trafficking, filed a petition with the US Supreme Court on Monday seeking to overturn her conviction. Her legal team argues that a 2007 plea deal negotiated by Jeffrey Epstein should have protected her from prosecution under a clause barring charges against "potential co-conspirators." The Justice Department previously argued the Florida plea deal did not extend to other federal districts, including New York where Maxwell was tried. The filing comes as Maxwell met with DOJ officials to discuss potential cooperation.
• Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyer issued statement on Supreme Court petition — Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyer David Markus issued a statement regarding her pending petition to the Supreme Court, arguing that the government made a deal and must honor it, stating the U.S. cannot promise immunity in Florida while prosecuting in New York. Markus referenced Trump's legacy on the power of deals.
• Ghislaine Maxwell filed emergency Supreme Court appeal claiming prosecutorial immunity — Ghislaine Maxwell filed an emergency appeal with the Supreme Court to hear her pending appeal to overturn her sex-trafficking conviction, claiming she should have been shielded from prosecution due to an agreement Epstein made with federal authorities. In the filing, Maxwell's lawyers wrote that they are "appealing not only to the Supreme Court but to the president himself to recognize how profoundly unjust it is to scapegoat Ghislaine Maxwell for Epstein's crimes."

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• Trump filed motion for expedited deposition of Rupert Murdoch — Trump filed a motion in his lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal over their publication of his birthday card to Epstein, seeking to take an immediate deposition of Rupert Murdoch on an expedited basis before other discovery takes place. Trump cited Murdoch's age of 94 and claimed he has suffered from multiple mental health issues.
• Trump's lawyers requested expedited deposition of Rupert Murdoch in libel lawsuit — In a court filing, lawyers for Trump requested that Rupert Murdoch be deposed within 15 days in the president's $10 billion libel lawsuit against him and the Wall Street Journal. The lawyers argue that the deposition should take place as soon as possible because Murdoch is 94 and "has suffered, but thankfully overcome, multiple health issues throughout his life," and that it would be unlikely that he could appear in person at a trial.
• Trump files $10 billion defamation lawsuit against Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch — Trump filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and its owners, including billionaire Rupert Murdoch, over a mid-July article reporting that Trump wrote a "bawdy" birthday note to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. Trump's attorneys submitted a court filing in Florida describing an interaction in which Trump allegedly told Murdoch before publication that the note was "fake" and Murdoch said he would "take care of it." A federal judge ordered Murdoch to respond by August 4. The Journal was subsequently banned from Trump's press pool for an upcoming Scotland trip.

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• Freedom of the Press Foundation v. U.S. Department of Justice, complaint filed (D.D.C. 1:25-cv-02432) — Freedom of the Press Foundation filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on July 28, 2025, alleging that the Department of Justice failed to respond to a FOIA request submitted on May 15, 2025, seeking a memorandum from Attorney General Pam Bondi regarding the Trump Administration's acceptance of a $400 million aircraft from Qatar. FPF seeks declaratory and injunctive relief to compel DOJ compliance with FOIA's statutory response deadlines.
• Freedom of the Press Foundation sues DOJ over Qatar jet gift legal memo — The Freedom of the Press Foundation, represented by American Oversight, filed a federal FOIA lawsuit in Washington DC district court against the Department of Justice for refusing to release a legal memorandum signed by Attorney General Pam Bondi in May 2025 that cleared Trump's acceptance of a $400 million luxury Boeing 747-8 aircraft from Qatar's government. The DOJ granted expedited processing but estimated over 600 days to fulfill the request, with no documents released after more than two months. The memo's contents and the gift itself have drawn criticism from Republican senators and Democratic lawmakers over constitutional emoluments concerns and national security risks.

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• Trump claimed Epstein files are a hoax run by Comey, Garland, and Biden — During a press conference with UK PM Starmer, Trump responded to questions about his name appearing in the Epstein files by claiming the files are a hoax run by "the worst scum on earth" including former FBI Director Comey, former AG Garland, and President Biden. He claimed files could easily contain phony or fake information planted by bad people.
• Trump claims Epstein files are hoax and suggests Democratic tampering — At a press event in Scotland, President Trump told reporters he has not been "overly interested" in the Epstein case, calling it "a hoax that's been built up way beyond proportion." He claimed the files were "run by the worst scum on Earth"—naming former FBI director James Comey, former attorney general Merrick Garland, and former president Joe Biden—and suggested Democrats have doctored the Epstein files with fake information to smear him.

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• Attorney General Bondi filed misconduct complaint against Judge Boasberg — On Twitter, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that her office filed a misconduct complaint against Judge James Boasberg, who oversees the lawsuit against the Trump administration's removal of Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador's megaprison. Bondi accused Boasberg of making "improper public comments about President Trump and his Administration," after he allegedly suggested at a meeting of judges in March that the Trump administration might "disregard rulings of federal courts" and trigger "a constitutional crisis."
• — Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the DOJ filed a misconduct complaint against U.S. District Court Chief Judge James Boasberg, claiming he made "improper public comments" about President Trump and his administration that "undermined the integrity of the judiciary." According to reporting, Boasberg's actual comments were expressing concern that the Trump administration was liable to "disregard rulings of federal courts leading to a constitutional crisis" at a judicial conference. The complaint appears to target Boasberg for expressing professional judicial concerns.

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• Nancy Mace endorses ICE courthouse detentions and proposes defunding sanctuary cities — Republican congresswoman Nancy Mace stated on Fox Report Weekend that she watches YouTube videos of ICE agents detaining immigrants and called such enforcement "nothing more American." She characterized detainees as "violent criminals" despite data showing most had no violent convictions. Mace also announced support for legislation to defund and remove tax breaks from cities that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, citing ICE's increased detainer activity in New York City under Trump's second presidency.

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• Trump announced EU trade deal with 15% tariffs on most goods — Trump announced a broad trade agreement with the EU setting 15% tariffs on most EU goods including cars and pharmaceuticals, while the EU agreed to purchase $750 billion of American energy over three years. The deal avoids immediate trade war but retains a 50% tariff on steel and aluminum globally. Multiple analysts noted the agreement lacks specifics, contains unrealistic energy purchase commitments, and will likely increase costs for U.S. consumers through tariff pass-through.
• Trump announced trade agreement with European Union — Trump announced a trade deal with the European Union. Economist Justin Wolfers characterized the agreement as raising taxes on Americans across a wide range of goods while the EU announced tax cuts for Europeans across a narrow range of goods, suggesting an asymmetrical arrangement favoring the EU.
• White House issues fact sheet announcing U.S.-EU trade agreement — The White House published a fact sheet on July 28, 2025, announcing a trade deal between the United States and the European Union. According to the document, the agreement includes EU tariff reductions on U.S. industrial goods, a 15% tariff rate on EU goods including autos and pharmaceuticals, $600 billion in EU investment in the U.S. through 2028, and $750 billion in U.S. energy purchases by the EU through 2028. The fact sheet characterizes the deal as historic and claims it will benefit American workers, farmers, and manufacturers.
• Trump administration implements escalating tariff regime on EU, Japan, UK, and other trading partners — The Trump administration has implemented a 15% tariff on European Union exports to the US, 15% on Japanese exports, and 10% on British exports, with additional tariffs set to take effect Friday on countries including Brazil, Canada, and South Korea. A blanket 10% levy on all US imports remains in place, with threats to raise it to 15–20%. The Budget Lab at Yale estimates these tariffs have driven the average effective US tariff rate to 18.2%—the highest in nearly a century—and projects a 1.8% rise in US consumer prices, equivalent to an average household income loss of $2,400. Trump has suggested distributing tariff-funded "rebate" checks to consumers.
• White House issued promotional release on U.S.-EU trade deal — The White House published a compilation of statements from trade experts, business leaders, and industry representatives praising a U.S.-EU trade framework announced by President Trump. The release aggregates third-party commentary characterizing the deal as expanding market access, cutting non-tariff barriers, and benefiting sectors including agriculture, aviation, and energy. No operative details of the agreement itself are disclosed in this document.
• EU clarified inability to guarantee $600 billion investment pledge to U.S. — The European Union admitted it does not have the power to deliver on a $600 billion investment pledge in the U.S. economy announced hours earlier at trade talks in Scotland with Trump. EU President Ursula von der Leyen had struck a deal with Trump, but officials clarified the money would come exclusively from private European companies over which Brussels has no authority or control. The Commission stated it cannot guarantee the target and has not introduced incentives to ensure private sector compliance.
• White House issues promotional release on EU trade deal — The White House published a promotional release on July 31, 2025, titled "ICYMI: 'Trump nailed the biggest trade deal in American history and proved everyone wrong – again!'" The release claims President Trump's trade deal with the European Union is "among the most consequential trade deals in history," asserting it secured "massive investments," addressed a "lopsided trade deficit," and provided "new market access." The release quotes a New York Post op-ed by Miranda Devine characterizing critics' predictions of economic harm as wrong. No operative directive or policy change is announced; the document is promotional framing of a separately published trade agreement.

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• Ten Republican senators urge OMB director to release appropriated education funds — Ten Republican senators wrote to Russell Vought, OMB director, requesting release of nearly $7 billion in education funding Congress appropriated in March. The administration had announced on June 30 it would withhold the funds pending a "review," citing concerns about "radical left-wing" use. The funds included teacher recruitment and training, arts and music education in low-income areas, English-language learner support, and migrant farm worker family assistance. The senators acknowledged concerns about misuse but stated they did not believe such misuse was occurring with these funds.

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• Representative Thomas Massie proposes pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell in exchange for testimony — Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, stated on Meet the Press that a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell should be considered if she provides testimony about Jeffrey Epstein's crimes. Massie said that if Maxwell has information that could help investigations, she should testify, and "whatever they need to do to compel that testimony, as long as it's truthful," he would support. This position contrasts with Speaker Johnson's opposition and reflects Republican divisions over how to extract information from Maxwell.

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• Speaker Johnson declined to commit on Ghislaine Maxwell pardon — Speaker Mike Johnson was asked on Meet the Press whether he would support a pardon or sentence reduction for Ghislaine Maxwell if Trump requested it. Johnson responded that it was "a decision of the president" and "not my lane," declining to take a position. When asked about releasing all Epstein files, Johnson stated that only "credible" evidence should be released to "protect innocent people's names," effectively giving Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche—Trump's former criminal defense lawyer—discretion to determine what evidence is released.

Supporting reports

• Mike Johnson expresses opposition to Ghislaine Maxwell pardon — House Speaker Mike Johnson stated on NBC's Meet the Press that he would have "great pause" about granting a pardon or commutation to Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. Johnson said Maxwell's crimes were "unforgivable" and that 20 years was insufficient punishment. However, he deferred the final decision to President Trump. The statement came after Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Maxwell over two days the previous week, amid pressure on Trump to disclose more information about Jeffrey Epstein's crimes.

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• Trump accused Black entertainers and Democratic figures of illegal campaign payments — Trump posted accusations that Democratic figures and Black entertainers—including Beyoncé, Oprah, and Al Sharpton—broke the law by receiving payments for campaign endorsements. He claimed Beyoncé received $11 million for an endorsement without performing, Oprah received $3 million for "expenses," and Sharpton received $600,000. Trump called for prosecution of all recipients, stating "They should all be prosecuted." The bulletin notes these claims are false.
• Trump calls for prosecution of Beyoncé and Harris over alleged $11 million endorsement payment — President Trump called for musician Beyoncé to be prosecuted for breaking the law by accepting $11 million from Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign for a Democratic endorsement in October 2024, and demanded Harris also face prosecution. CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale reported the claim originated from social media and is false; the Harris campaign covered only $165,000 in appearance costs as required by law and did not pay celebrity endorsers.

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• DOGE staff use AI to eliminate half of government regulations — Staff associated with the "Department of Government Efficiency" are using artificial intelligence to eliminate half of the government's regulations by January 2026. James Burnham, former chief attorney for DOGE, described this as a "creative deployment of artificial intelligence to advance the president's regulatory agenda" as a strategy to make significant progress during Trump's term.

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• Trump suggests he may pardon Ghislaine Maxwell — President Trump told reporters that he is "allowed" to pardon Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for conspiring with Jeffrey Epstein to sexually abuse children. This statement came amid the administration's refusal to release the Epstein files and ongoing DOJ meetings with Maxwell.
• Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche meets with Ghislaine Maxwell — Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking, over two days in the week prior to July 27, 2025. The meetings occurred amid pressure on the Trump administration to disclose more information about Jeffrey Epstein's crimes and raised questions about the purpose and nature of the meetings, particularly given Maxwell's potential value as a witness or source of information.

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• ICE agents arrest asylum seeker in immigration courtroom immediately after judge grants her case continuance — Jenny, a 25-year-old Cuban asylum seeker who entered the US legally under the Biden-era CBP One program, attended her immigration hearing in San Antonio, Texas on an unspecified date in July 2025. The immigration judge granted her asylum claim a continuance to August 2026—a favorable outcome. However, as Jenny left the courtroom and approached the elevator, ICE agents in masks converged on her, detained her, and removed her from the courthouse. Her case was subsequently transferred to a judge with a lower asylum approval rate, and her next hearing was rescheduled to the following month. The incident is part of a documented pattern of ICE arrests occurring inside immigration courthouses across the country.

Supporting reports

• ICE implements pattern of courthouse arrests targeting migrants with ongoing cases and longer US tenure — ICE agents have conducted arrests at immigration courthouses across multiple states (Texas, Illinois) targeting migrants whose cases remain ongoing and have not been dismissed by judges. The Guardian's reporting documents that ICE is arresting individuals who have been in the US longer than two years—exceeding the legal threshold for expedited removal—and those with legal pathways to remain in the country. After apprehension, detainees are transferred to often overcrowded, privately run detention facilities sometimes far from their homes and families, where they face limited access to attorneys and high-stakes deportation proceedings. The pattern is occurring under Trump administration pressure for ICE to achieve 3,000 daily arrests, a tenfold increase from Biden's final year.

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• Chicago immigration court attendance plummets as ICE arrests deter migrants from appearing — ICE plainclothes officers have been documented attending immigration court in Chicago with target lists, apprehending court attendees regardless of whether their cases are dismissed. Detainees are transported to detention facilities in Missouri, Florida, and Texas—often far from family and support networks. The lag in ICE's online detainee locator has caused some detainees to effectively disappear from public tracking. As word of these arrests has spread through immigrant communities, court attendance has dropped dramatically, creating a secondary enforcement effect: migrants now avoid court appearances entirely, risking automatic deportation orders for no-shows.

Supporting reports

• Government attorney moves to dismiss asylum cases in San Antonio court; judge grants one dismissal without stated reason — At San Antonio immigration court, a government attorney moved to dismiss the cases of two single adults—a man and a woman—both seeking asylum or other relief. The judge granted the man's case dismissal even before the government attorney provided a reason. The judge then informed the man, using a Turkish interpreter, that he would likely be placed in expedited removal despite having entered the US more than two years earlier—beyond the legal threshold for expedited removal. The woman, who had been in the country for nearly four years and was applying for a visa for victims of serious crimes, was not represented by counsel. The judge threatened to order her repatriation but the government attorney "saved" her by requesting dismissal instead. Both individuals were apprehended by ICE agents immediately after leaving the courtroom.