Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Palestinian American beaten to death by Israeli settlers in West Bank — Sayfollah 'Saif' Musallet, a 20-year-old Palestinian American ice-cream shop owner from Tampa Bay, Florida, was beaten to death by Israeli settlers on his family's farm in Baten al-Hawa, West Bank, on an unspecified date in summer 2025. Witnesses report settlers attacked him with clubs and bats after a confrontation over land; ambulances were blocked by Israeli forces for three hours. A second young man, Razek Hussein al-Shalabi, 23, was shot and killed in the same attack. The Israeli military claimed stones were thrown first and said it was investigating.
• Family of US citizen killed by Israeli settlers calls on Trump administration for prosecution — Relatives of Sayfollah Musallet, a 20-year-old US citizen from Tampa beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, held a press conference in Florida calling on the Trump administration to arrest and prosecute those responsible. The family criticized US government indifference to the killing. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee subsequently posted on X acknowledging Musallet's death and stating Israel must investigate, but no formal prosecution action has been announced.

Supporting reports

• Senate considers $9.4 billion spending rescission package — The Senate considered a White House request for Congress to approve $9.4 billion in spending cuts the Trump administration made unilaterally to congressionally appropriated funds. The package includes ending federal support for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR, PBS, and local stations. The House had already passed it. Congress must approve by Friday or the funds revert to original appropriations. Senate Republicans expressed frustration that the White House had not specified which programs would be cut.
• Senate Republicans and White House reverse PEPFAR funding cut — Senate Republicans and the White House reached an agreement to reverse a proposed $400 million cut to PEPFAR, the global HIV and AIDS relief program, as part of Trump's $9 billion recissions package. The reversal preserved funding for the international health initiative.
• Trump administration announces plan to defund public broadcasting — The Trump administration included in its rescission package a request to end federal support for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR, PBS, and local public broadcasting stations. The administration stated that NPR and PBS "fuel…partisanship and left-wing propaganda." The cuts are part of the broader $9.4 billion rescission request before Congress.
• Senate Republicans advance rescissions bill cutting $9bn in public broadcasting and foreign aid — Senate Republicans moved to pass a rescissions package slashing up to $9bn in previously appropriated funds, targeting $1.1bn for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (which funds NPR and PBS) and approximately $8bn in foreign assistance. The GOP is racing to meet a Friday legal deadline. Vice President JD Vance broke a tie on a procedural vote after three Republican senators joined all Democrats in opposition. The Senate began a vote-a-rama on Wednesday afternoon. Senate Majority Leader John Thune announced a compromise to preserve $400m in PEPFAR funding, requiring a second House vote.
• Senate passes Trump rescissions package to claw back $9bn in spending — Congressional Republicans advanced legislation requested by President Trump to rescind $9 billion in previously appropriated federal funding, including $1.1 billion for public broadcasting (NPR/PBS) and approximately $8 billion in foreign aid. The Senate passed the bill 51–48 on July 17, 2025, with Republican senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins voting against it. The measure now returns to the House for final approval before the 45-day rescission window expires on July 18.
• US Senate passes Trump-requested rescissions package cutting $9bn in foreign aid and public broadcasting — The Republican-controlled Senate voted 51–48 to approve a rescissions bill that claws back $9 billion in previously appropriated spending, including $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (which funds NPR and PBS) and approximately $8 billion in foreign assistance. All Democrats and two Republicans (Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins) opposed the measure. Senate Majority Leader John Thune framed it as "fiscal sanity," while Democrats condemned it as an unconstitutional surrender of Congress's spending authority to the executive branch. The bill now proceeds to the House for final approval before a Friday deadline.

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• House Oversight Committee chairman uses digital signatures on investigation letters while investigating Biden's autopen use — James Comer, a Kentucky Republican leading the Trump administration's investigation into Joe Biden's use of an automatic signature machine (autopen), has been shown by NBC to have used digital signatures on at least 16 letters and subpoena notices sent to former Biden White House officials requesting interviews and testimony. Metadata analysis revealed all letters bore digitally inserted signatures. A committee spokesperson acknowledged Comer uses digital signatures for correspondence as standard practice but stated legally binding subpoenas always bear wet signatures. The discovery threatens to complicate Republican efforts to portray Biden's autopen use as improper.

Supporting reports

• Former judges urge Senate to reject Emil Bove nomination — A group of more than 75 former federal and state judges urged the Senate Judiciary Committee to reject Trump's nomination of Emil Bove to serve as a federal appeals court judge, writing that his "egregious record of mistreating law enforcement officers, abusing power, and disregarding the law itself disqualifies him for this position."
• Senate confirms Anthony Tata as Pentagon undersecretary — The Senate voted to confirm Anthony Tata to serve as the Pentagon's undersecretary for personnel and readiness. Tata, a former Fox commentator, once called Barack Obama a "terrorist leader" and spread conspiracy theories that a former CIA director tried to overthrow Trump during his first term and even have him assassinated.
• Senate Judiciary Committee advances Emil Bove nomination to federal appeals court despite Democratic walkout — The Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance Emil Bove's nomination to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals on July 18, 2025, clearing the way for a full Senate confirmation vote. Bove, a former Trump defense attorney and DOJ official, faced opposition from Democrats over allegations by whistleblower Erez Reuveni that Bove advocated ignoring court orders, and over his role in firing January 6 prosecutors. Democrats walked out in protest after Republicans refused to call Reuveni as a witness and rejected a motion to delay the vote.

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• House Rules Committee blocked amendment to release Epstein files — Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) introduced an amendment in the Rules Committee to release the Epstein files. The amendment was rejected, with only Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) voting in favor. Seven Republicans voted to block release: Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), Erin Houchin (R-IN), Nick Langworthy (R-NY), Austin Scott (R-GA), Morgan Griffith (R-VA), and Brian Jack (R-GA). Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) skipped the vote.

Supporting reports

• Trump denied knowledge of his appearance in Epstein files during July 15 press interaction — On July 15, when an ABC News reporter asked Trump what Attorney General Bondi had told him about the Epstein files review, Trump denied any knowledge that he was in the files. When the reporter specifically asked "did she tell you at all that your name appeared in the files?" Trump responded "No, no, she's—she's given us just a very quick briefing" and then claimed the files were created by Democrats.

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• Texas AG Ken Paxton threatened to arrest Democratic legislators for breaking quorum — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, in response to Democratic legislators' plan to break quorum to prevent a special redistricting session, threatened arrest. Paxton stated: "If Democrats ignore their duty to their constituents by breaking quorum, they should be found and arrested no matter where they go" and pledged his office would assist in "hunting down and compelling the attendance of anyone who abandons their office."

Supporting reports

• Trump directed Texas Republicans to redraw congressional map for partisan gain — Trump told Texas Republicans on a call that the GOP should seek to gain 5 new red seats through mid-decade redistricting. Trump later confirmed the directive, stating "we pick up 5 seats. And then a couple of other states where we will pick up seats also." The effort represents executive direction of partisan gerrymandering to alter electoral outcomes.
• Trump calls for "simple redraw" of Texas congressional map — Trump called for a "simple redraw" of the Texas congressional map that would likely result in House Republicans picking up five seats in the 2026 midterm elections. He also said there are "a couple of other states where we will pick up seats also" due to redistricting.
• Texas Republicans prepare to redraw congressional map at Trump's direction — At Donald Trump's behest, Texas Republicans are preparing to redraw the state's congressional map in a special legislative session to gain as many as five additional congressional seats. The effort targets Democratic-held districts, particularly in south Texas and Houston, and would further dilute the political influence of the state's fast-growing non-white population. The Justice Department issued a July 7 letter claiming unconstitutional racial sorting in four districts, which Governor Greg Abbott cited to justify the special session. Democrats are considering a legislative walkout to deny Republicans a quorum, and Attorney General Ken Paxton has threatened to "hunt down" members who walk out.

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• Democratic state lawmakers denied access to detention facility despite statutory right — Democratic Florida state lawmakers filed a lawsuit Thursday after being denied entry to the "Alligator Alcatraz" facility despite their statutory right under Florida law to make unannounced visits to state and local detention facilities. State Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith noted that Trump and Fox News were granted access 48 hours earlier for a promotional visit. Florida emergency management officials claimed lawmakers had no entitlement to visit because they were acting as individuals, not a legislative committee, and the facility was not under corrections department jurisdiction.

Supporting reports

• Environmental lawsuit filed to halt "Alligator Alcatraz" operations — The Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Everglades filed a federal lawsuit in U.S. Southern District Court seeking a restraining order against the detention facility. The lawsuit names Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, ICE acting director Todd Lyons, and Florida emergency management director Kevin Guthrie as defendants. Environmental groups cite irreparable damage to fragile wildlife habitat from new paved roads and light pollution visible 15 miles away. Construction and operation activities continue despite the pending case.

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• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services granted ICE access to Medicaid records — The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services signed an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security enabling Immigration and Customs Enforcement to access Medicaid recipients' personal data, including name, ethnicity, race, birthdate, home address, and social security number. The agreement was signed on Monday, July 14, 2025. Undocumented immigrants are ineligible for Medicaid but may use it for emergency lifesaving services. Senator Adam Schiff warned the data transfer would harm families and discourage people from seeking healthcare.
• DHS and CMS establish data-sharing agreement granting ICE access to Medicaid database — The Department of Homeland Security and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services entered into a data-sharing agreement permitting Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to access Medicaid records containing personal information—home addresses, Social Security numbers, ethnicities—of 79 million beneficiaries to locate undocumented immigrants. Trump administration officials overrode career civil servants' warnings that the arrangement violated federal statutes. The administration justified the agreement as preventing fraud and waste, though critics warn it will deter vulnerable populations from seeking medical care.

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• ICE Director Todd Lyons issued memo authorizing deportations to third countries with minimal notice — ICE Director Todd Lyons issued a memo to immigration officials authorizing deportation of immigrants to third countries they are not from, with as little as 6 hours' notice and no guarantees of safety from persecution or torture. In cases where receiving countries have not provided "diplomatic assurances" of safety, ICE must give 24 hours' notice. If a country has offered assurances deemed credible by the State Department, deportation may proceed with no notice at all.
• DHS announces deportation of immigrants to Eswatini — On Twitter, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin announced that the Trump administration deported five immigrants to the small landlocked African country of Eswatini, a nation none of them have ties to. The deportation to a country with no connection to the deportees raises humanitarian and due-process concerns.

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• Trump administration appeals racial profiling ruling — The Trump administration filed an appeal to overturn a federal judge's ruling that blocks the Department of Homeland Security from arresting people based on factors related to racial profiling, such as race, accent, and type of work. The ruling applies only to Los Angeles and surrounding areas and was issued following discriminatory ICE raids in California.

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• DOJ announces guidance limiting multilingual services — Attorney General Pam Bondi announced new Justice Department guidance to limit "non-essential multilingual services [and] redirect resources toward English-language education and assimilation" in an effort to comply with Trump's executive order designating English as the official language of the US.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration proposes alternative Medicare rule for skin substitutes more favorable to industry than Biden rule — On July 14, 2025, the Trump administration announced a new proposed Medicare rule for skin substitute products that would cap payments at $806 per square inch. While lower than current charges by Extremity Care and Legacy, the new rule would not restrict coverage to scientifically proven products, unlike the Biden rule. The proposal would allow doctors to continue receiving reimbursement for products from Extremity Care and Legacy. Both the Biden and Trump rules are now delayed until January 2026.
• Trump administration proposes new Medicare skin substitute payment cap — On July 14, 2025, the Trump administration announced a proposed Medicare rule capping payments for skin substitutes at $806 per square inch. While lower than current charges by Extremity Care and competitors, the proposal does not restrict coverage to scientifically proven products and remains significantly higher than proven alternatives (e.g., $75–$195 per square inch). The skin substitute industry, represented by the Medicare Access to Skin Substitutes Coalition (MASS Coalition), opposes the cap and proposes an alternative of up to $6,277.41 per square inch plus additional payments for "innovative" products.

Supporting reports

• Supreme Court grants stay on Education Department layoff order — The Supreme Court's right-wing majority granted a stay on a lower court order blocking the Trump administration from gutting the Department of Education while litigation proceeds. Federal Judge Myong Joun had ordered reinstatement of 1,378 fired workers after nineteen states and D.C. sued to stop the layoffs. The stay permits the layoffs to continue. Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson dissented, arguing the majority enabled executive defiance of law and violated separation of powers.
• Preliminary injunction ruling — Somerville Public Schools v. Trump (D. Mass.) 1:25-cv-10677 — The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to grant a stay of a preliminary injunction that had blocked the administration's plans to dismantle the Department of Education and fire thousands of department employees. The majority did not provide any reasoning. In dissent , Justice Sotomayor, joined by Justices Kagan and Jackson, warned that the Court's order enables the executive branch to functionally “abolish” an entire department “by executive fiat.”
• Preliminary injunction ruling — State of New York v. McMahon (D. Mass.) 1:25-cv-10601 — The Supreme Court granted the federal government's request for a stay in the case of McMahon v. New York. This decision temporarily allows the Department of Education to proceed with a reduction in force that impacts nearly 50% of its workforce, approximately 1,378 employees. The stay was granted in a 6-3 decision, with Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissenting. The case was initially brought by twenty states and the District of Columbia, challenging the reduction in force as unlawful.
• Supreme Court Grants Stay in McMahon v. New York — The Supreme Court granted an emergency appeal from the Trump administration, allowing it to move forward with gutting the Department of Education by firing nearly half of the agency's workforce. The decision bypassed lower-court review and normal appellate procedures.
• Supreme Court grants emergency appeal allowing Department of Education workforce cuts

Supporting reports

• House blocks release of Epstein files — Republican lawmakers in the US House of Representatives voted to block a Democratic effort aimed at forcing the release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein. The amendment, proposed by Democratic members, sought to allow Congress to vote on whether the FBI's evidence, which includes various media and documents, should be made public. This decision reflects ongoing partisan divisions regarding transparency in high-profile cases.
• Republican House members block Democratic effort to release Epstein files — On July 14, 2025, Republican members of the U.S. House Rules Committee voted down a Democratic-led amendment that would have allowed Congress to vote on whether the FBI's Epstein evidence—including micro cassettes, computer hard drives, DVDs, and CDs—should be released to the public. The action blocked a procedural path to force disclosure of materials potentially relevant to the president.
• House Republicans vote down amendment to release Epstein files — House Republicans voted down an amendment introduced by Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna to force the Justice Department to release the Epstein files. The vote blocked a transparency measure despite public pressure.
• House floor vote rejected amendment to release Epstein files 211-210 — Rep. Khanna brought the amendment to release Epstein files to the House floor. The amendment was defeated 211-210, with Republicans voting to block release. The narrow margin indicated significant Democratic support and some Republican dissent, but the majority blocked transparency on the matter.
• House Rules Committee blocked amendment to release Epstein files — Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) introduced an amendment in the Rules Committee to release the Epstein files. The amendment was rejected, with only Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) voting in favor. Seven Republicans voted to block release: Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), Erin Houchin (R-IN), Nick Langworthy (R-NY), Austin Scott (R-GA), Morgan Griffith (R-VA), and Brian Jack (R-GA). Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) skipped the vote.
• House Republicans block Epstein amendments to prevent floor votes — Republican members of the House Rules Committee met with Speaker Johnson and planned to vote down Democratic amendments on the Epstein situation to prevent them from reaching the House floor, a move that exposes Republicans to criticism of protecting Epstein.
• House Republicans block Democratic motion to release Epstein files — House Republicans voted twice during the week of July 14–18 to block Democratic attempts to force public release of all Epstein-related files within 30 days. Only one Republican, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, voted in favor of the release. The votes occurred amid growing bipartisan and public pressure for transparency regarding Epstein's associates and clients.

Supporting reports

• Democratic state lawmakers denied access to detention facility despite statutory right — Democratic Florida state lawmakers filed a lawsuit Thursday after being denied entry to the "Alligator Alcatraz" facility despite their statutory right under Florida law to make unannounced visits to state and local detention facilities. State Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith noted that Trump and Fox News were granted access 48 hours earlier for a promotional visit. Florida emergency management officials claimed lawmakers had no entitlement to visit because they were acting as individuals, not a legislative committee, and the facility was not under corrections department jurisdiction.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration fires 15 immigration judges — NPR reported that the Trump administration fired 15 immigration judges last week and two more on Monday, July 14, despite the GOP tax and spending bill allocating an additional $3 billion in immigration-related funding to the Justice Department, including funds to hire about 100 more immigration judges.

Supporting reports

• Two-thirds of DOJ Federal Programs lawyers resign — Nearly two-thirds of the lawyers in the Department of Justice's Federal Programs unit, responsible for defending Trump administration policies in court, have quit. One departing lawyer told Reuters that many joined the unit to defend constitutional systems but could not participate in "the project of tearing it down." The resignations reflect internal DOJ opposition to the administration's legal positions.

Supporting reports

• DHS Secretary Kristi Noem denied FEMA response delays in Texas flood disaster — DHS Secretary Kristi Noem denied multiple media reports that she delayed FEMA search and rescue team deployment in response to a Texas flood disaster. When asked whether she approved deployment of FEMA search and rescue teams until Monday—72 hours after the flood—Noem claimed teams were deployed immediately upon request, contradicting reports that FEMA search and rescue teams did not arrive until three days after the storm. Noem also denied implementing a new policy requiring her sign-off on contracts exceeding $100,000, characterizing it as not "extra red tape," and denied that thousands of calls from flood victims to FEMA call centers went unanswered due to non-renewed contracts, calling the reports "false reporting, fake news." However, FEMA data showed that on July 7, only 15.9% of calls were answered.

Supporting reports

• DOJ drops charges against Utah doctor Michael Kirk Moore for vaccine fraud and saline substitution — US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the dismissal of charges against Dr. Michael Kirk Moore, a Utah physician accused of destroying over $28,000 in government Covid-19 vaccines and administering saline injections to children instead. Moore had been indicted in 2023 on charges including conspiracy to defraud the United States, distributing 1,937 fraudulent vaccination cards, and converting government property. Bondi stated Moore "gave his patients a choice when the federal government refused to do so." The dismissal reflects the Trump administration's embrace of vaccine skeptics and represents a reversal of Biden-era prosecution.
• AG Pam Bondi dismissed charges against Michael Kirk Moore mid-trial — Attorney General Pam Bondi dismissed charges against Michael Kirk Moore, a MAGA favorite who had been charged with discarding hundreds of COVID vaccines and distributing 2,000 fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards in exchange for cash or donations. Moore had administered saline shots to children, deceiving them into believing they were receiving the vaccine. Bondi's dismissal occurred mid-trial in an apparent attempt to divert attention from the Epstein files controversy.

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• Noem diverted HHS disaster funds to immigration enforcement and advertising — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem spent $200 million on an advertising campaign promoting Trump's agenda and $21 million to transport approximately 400 migrants to Guantanamo Bay, many of whom were subsequently transferred out. Senator Chris Murphy warned in May 2025 that Noem was on track to violate the Anti-Deficiency Act by spending more money than Congress allocated, leaving the agency "broke by July, over two months before the end of the fiscal year." Noem justified the spending as fulfilling a mandate from voters for border security.

Supporting reports

• DOJ and FBI jointly decide to withhold further Epstein files from public release — US Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel jointly concluded a systematic review of Jeffrey Epstein materials and decided not to release further information, including a purported "client list." The memo stated no credible evidence of blackmail or basis for investigation of uncharged third parties was found. The decision triggered backlash from MAGA hardliners, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Steve Bannon, who questioned the Epstein autopsy conclusion and demanded disclosure.
• Justice Department announced no "incriminating client list" exists for Jeffrey Epstein; withheld evidence — The Department of Justice announced that deceased sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein did not maintain an "incriminating 'client list'" and stated it would not release additional evidence accumulated by investigators, including photographs and more than 10,000 videos. In February 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi had told Fox News that a list was "sitting on her desk awaiting review." The announcement reversed that position. MAGA influencers and media figures had previously demanded release of the files, claiming the Biden administration was covering up Democratic involvement. Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino, who had promoted the conspiracy theory, reportedly threatened to resign over Bondi's reversal.
• DOJ releases memo concluding no Epstein client list exists and death was suicide — The Department of Justice released a memo stating that a systematic review of evidence regarding convicted sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein found no incriminating client list and no credible evidence of blackmail. The memo concluded that Epstein died by suicide and that no further disclosure would be appropriate. This announcement contradicted years of claims by Trump and MAGA figures that Epstein was murdered to protect powerful men and that a client list existed naming prominent individuals involved in child trafficking.

Supporting reports

• Rep. Ro Khanna introduced amendment demanding release of full Epstein files — Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) announced that on Tuesday he would introduce an amendment to force a vote demanding the full Epstein files be released to the public. Khanna asked why the Epstein files remain hidden and who among the rich and powerful are being protected, calling for the Speaker to put every Congress member on record regarding the release.
• Sen. Jon Ossoff questioned Trump's commitment to releasing Epstein files — Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) stated at a campaign rally that it was unrealistic to expect Trump to release the Epstein files, given Trump's past association with Jeffrey Epstein and their social relationship.
• Rep. Marc Veasey introduced resolution demanding Epstein files release — Rep. Marc Veasey (D-TX) announced that on Monday he would introduce a resolution demanding the Trump administration release all files related to the Epstein case. Veasey stated that either Trump and his allies fueled rumors about the significance of the Epstein files to help his campaign, or something substantive is contained in the files, and called on Trump to "put up or shut up."
• Massie and Khanna launch discharge petition on Epstein files — Reps. Massie (R-KY) and Khanna (D-CA) launched a discharge petition to force a House vote on publicizing Epstein-related records, with a possible floor vote expected as soon as the following week. GOP lawmakers fear being cornered by the petition.
• Rep. Khanna reports Republican support for Epstein files release — Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) reported that efforts to secure Republican signatures on a bill to release Epstein files had secured support from Reps. Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene, bringing the total to seven Republicans.
• Rep. Van Drew cosponsors bill to release Epstein files — Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) announced he cosponsored Rep. Thomas Massie's (R-KY) bill to release the Epstein files, stating the American people deserve full transparency.
• Sen. Wyden investigates Epstein financial network — Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, has been investigating Epstein's financial network for three years. Staff members have viewed confidential files revealing large sums moved through the banking system to fuel the sex-trafficking operation. Four major banks flagged over $1.5 billion in transactions, including wire transfers for artwork purchases, fees paid by wealthy individuals, and payments to numerous women.