Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot resigned after three months under Hegseth — John Ullyot, who served as chief spokesman for the Pentagon, left his position after three months working under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Ullyot criticized Hegseth's involvement of his wife in sensitive official duties, including sharing details of impending military operations, stating that the defense secretary faced no consequences for this conduct.

Supporting reports

• Complaint filed: Democratic National Committee v. U.S. Department of Justice (D.D.C. 1:26-cv-02928) — The Democratic National Committee filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that the Department of Justice, FBI, and Criminal Division violated the Freedom of Information Act by failing to respond to February 2026 FOIA requests seeking records on any planned inspection or seizure of ballots, voting machines, and voting system components ahead of federal election certification. The DNC filed the requests after President Trump's January 2026 statements regretting not seizing voting machines after the 2020 election and an FBI raid that month seizing archived ballots from a Georgia county election office. The DNC seeks an order compelling production of non-exempt responsive records, a detailed Vaughn index of withheld material, and an injunction against further withholding.

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• Trump appealed to Supreme Court to override lower courts' rulings on ballroom construction authority — Trump appealed to the Supreme Court seeking to override lower courts' rulings that he lacks the authority to build a ballroom structure without congressional permission. The ballroom project has become a point of controversy, with Trump spending significant time and resources on Washington, D.C. renovation and beautification projects while the administration faces other pressing issues.
• Supreme Court deadline set for Trump ballroom construction intervention — Tomorrow (August 21, 2026) is the deadline for the Supreme Court to intervene on Trump's ballroom construction project. If the Court chooses not to take the case, construction must be halted based on a prior court order.
• Supreme Court temporarily halts lower court order blocking White House ballroom construction — Chief Justice John Roberts signed a temporary order on Friday permitting construction of Trump's controversial White House ballroom to continue while the Supreme Court considers an emergency appeal from the administration. An appeals court had ordered work to stop pending legal review, concluding the project likely requires congressional approval. The administration argued the 90,000-square-foot ballroom and underground military facility are critical to presidential security. Democrats criticized the decision as "rubber stamping Trump's vanity-driven, gilded corruption." The project, already 65% complete after 10 months, is expected to cost over $400 million.

Supporting reports

• Senator Chris Coons criticized Hegseth's handling of classified information — Senator Chris Coons, a senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, stated that Defense Secretary Hegseth's involvement of his wife in classified matters is "not normal." Coons noted that Hegseth has one of the highest levels of classification access and cannot simply hand that access to his wife.

Supporting reports

• Senator Jon Ossoff criticized White House dysfunction and military decisions — Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) appeared on MSNBC to criticize the White House, stating that staffers are adults and public officials paid by taxpayers with immense power in positions of public trust. Ossoff criticized Natalie Harp for printing Trump's "daily dose of delusion and flattery," Peter Navarro for steering taxpayer-funded loans to Trump family investments, and Pete Hegseth for "deluding the president daily into deepening this quagmire in the Middle East." Ossoff stated that sailors on the USS Lincoln are fighting a war based on lies while Trump plays with his ballroom and retreats into a circle of sycophantic aides.

Supporting reports

• Federal appeals court restricted immigration enforcement at places of worship — A three-judge panel of the Fourth Circuit upheld an order limiting federal immigration enforcement at eight houses of worship affiliated with Quaker, Sikh, and Cooperative Baptist Fellowship groups. The court concluded that the groups were likely to succeed in their argument that the Trump administration's policy violated the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, keeping the restriction in place.

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• Minnesota sues Texas governor to force extradition of ICE agent charged with shooting and perjury — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a federal lawsuit against Texas Governor Greg Abbott seeking to compel the extradition of ICE agent Christian Castro, who was arrested in Texas in May and charged with four counts of second-degree assault and falsely reporting a crime in connection with a January 14 shooting of a Venezuelan immigrant in Minneapolis. Castro allegedly fired through a home's front door, wounding Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg, then falsely accused Sosa-Celis of attacking an officer. Ellison warned that Castro could be released under Texas law within 90 days of detention and posed a flight risk to Mexico.

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• Trump DOJ appeals dismissal of charges against wrongfully deported Kilmar Ábrego García — The Trump administration's Department of Justice filed an appeal with the US Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals seeking to reinstate criminal human smuggling charges against Kilmar Ábrego García. A federal district judge had dismissed the charges in May, finding the prosecution "vindictive in nature" and tainted by statements from Attorney General Todd Blanche and other DOJ officials. The DOJ argues the charges were based on evidence and law, not retaliation, and claims the judge's dismissal represents an unwarranted intrusion into executive power.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration files proposal to rescind 25-year-old roadless rule protecting national forests — The U.S. Forest Service, under Trump's Department of Agriculture, formally filed a proposal on Tuesday to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which has protected approximately 45 million acres of old-growth national forests from road construction, drilling, and logging for 25 years. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins framed the move as removing "outdated restrictions" to enable forest management and wildfire mitigation. Environmental groups immediately opposed the plan, warning it would open iconic forests including Alaska's Tongass and California's Tahoe to industrial logging and development. A public comment period runs until September 21.

Supporting reports

• US sanctions ICC president and prosecutor over Gaza investigations — Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against Tomoko Akane, president of the International Criminal Court, and Abdoulaye Seye, an ICC senior trial lawyer, for investigating crimes in Gaza and pursuing cases without state consent. Rubio characterized the ICC as "corrupt and fatally politicized" and stated the US goal is to "disable the ICC's ability to operate." This follows Trump's 2025 executive order sanctioning the court and prior sanctions on prosecutor Karim Khan, who had sought arrest warrants for Israeli officials.

Supporting reports

• US Supreme Court rejects Trump's petition for rehearing in E. Jean Carroll sexual abuse case — The US Supreme Court issued an unsigned order on Monday denying Donald Trump's petition for rehearing in the E. Jean Carroll civil case. The decision leaves intact a $5 million jury verdict from 2023 finding Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation. Trump had previously petitioned the Court in 2025 to review and overturn the verdict; the Court declined in June 2026, and Trump then requested reconsideration. The $5.6 million judgment, including interest, was released to Carroll in July 2026.
• Supreme Court declined Trump's E. Jean Carroll appeal — The Supreme Court declined on Monday to reconsider Trump's appeal of the $5 million verdict awarded to E. Jean Carroll in a civil defamation case. The refusal to hear the appeal left the lower court judgment intact.

Supporting reports

• Complaint filed — Doddamani v. Blanche (D.D.C. 1:26-cv-02885) — Sunita Doddamani, an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Michigan, filed a federal complaint challenging her termination by then-Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on April 13, 2026. Doddamani alleges the stated rationale for her firing—misconduct—was pretextual and that she was actually removed in retaliation for her perceived political affiliation and beliefs. She had served on the prosecution team in a Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act case brought during the Biden administration; the DOJ announced the same day it had terminated personnel "responsible for weaponizing the FACE Act." Doddamani seeks reinstatement, declaratory relief, backpay, and attorney fees under the Civil Service Reform Act, Administrative Procedure Act, and First and Fifth Amendments.

Supporting reports

• ABC files First Amendment lawsuit against FCC, alleging retaliatory campaign by Trump administration — ABC filed an unprecedented First Amendment lawsuit in federal court in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday against the FCC, alleging that the agency and its chairman Brendan Carr are conducting a retaliatory campaign to curb the network's free speech. The lawsuit seeks to halt an FCC proceeding demanding that ABC put its eight stations up for early license renewal. The action follows Trump's public attacks on the network, including criticism of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, and ABC News coverage the administration disapproved of.
• ABC sues FCC over early license renewal demand, alleging content-based retaliation — ABC filed a federal lawsuit in the District of Columbia against the FCC, challenging an order by FCC Chair Brendan Carr requiring the network to apply early to renew licenses for eight local television stations it owns. ABC alleges the demand is retaliatory punishment for editorial content the Trump administration disapproves of, and warns the action threatens press independence. The network faces potential license denial or prolonged costly litigation, and conservative groups have filed petitions urging the FCC to deny renewals based on alleged political bias in ABC's journalism.
• ABC and Disney sued the FCC alleging First Amendment violations and government censorship — ABC and its parent corporation The Walt Disney Company launched a federal lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission, alleging that the Trump administration violated their free speech rights. The lawsuit claims that administration officials attempted to launch investigations and challenge broadcast licenses because Trump objected to the network's talk show opinions, news coverage, and late-night comedians. The lawsuit begins with the statement: "Government censorship is deeply un-American."
• Complaint filed — American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission — ABC, The Walt Disney Company, and eight ABC-owned television stations filed a federal complaint in D.D.C. challenging an April 28, 2026 FCC order requiring early broadcast license renewal applications. The plaintiffs allege the order and related investigations constitute First Amendment retaliation for editorial decisions, including coverage of a presidential address and personnel decisions regarding late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. The complaint cites over 600 document requests and 13,000 pages of production demands, and alleges the regulatory pressure has chilled editorial discretion, including candidate bookings on The View. Plaintiffs seek declaratory judgment, preliminary injunction, and permanent injunction barring further FCC action on the renewal applications and any coercive conduct aimed at altering editorial decisions.
• ABC sues Trump administration over FCC retaliation — ABC News filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration alleging that the Federal Communications Commission retaliated against the network. The lawsuit represents a legal challenge to alleged government action targeting a news organization.
• Disney and ABC sued Trump's FCC over license renewal — Disney and ABC sued the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday to stop an early review of broadcast licenses for eight ABC-owned television stations. Disney alleged that the government is attempting to punish the network over its programming and editorial decisions. Reuters reported this is the first time in more than 50 years that a major television broadcaster has been ordered into early license-renewal process.

Supporting reports

• White House Communications Director Steve Cheung attacked Senator Ossoff — White House Communications Director Steve Cheung responded to Ossoff's criticism by calling him a "cuck loser" and stating he should "look deep into his soul and ask himself why he's a miserable person who hates this country," characterizing him as a "radical, extremist Dumocrat."
• White House communications director attacks senator with vulgar insults on social media — Steven Cheung, Trump's director of communications, posted a vulgar attack on Senator Jon Ossoff on X (formerly Twitter) after Ossoff criticized Trump at a campaign rally in Georgia. Cheung misspelled Ossoff's name as "Jon Jackoff" and called him a "cuck loser," accusing him of hating the country. Trump followed with his own insults, calling Ossoff a "Pee-wee Herman lookalike." The White House Rapid Response account also attacked a CNN reporter who had asked Trump about Ossoff, invoking her children in the attack.

Supporting reports

• Trump held press conference in Oval Office addressing Iran, Oman, North Korea, and USS Abraham Lincoln conditions — Trump held a press conference in the Oval Office where he stated Iran should "raise the white flag of surrender," threatened to "bomb the shit out of" Oman if it interfered with reopening the Strait of Hormuz, declared his intent to declare the Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory, dismissed reports of poor conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln as "fake news," and defended his relationship with North Korea's Kim Jong Un while suggesting reduced military exercises with South Korea. He also dismissed criticism from Senator Jon Ossoff regarding his aide Natalie Harp.
• Trump threatens military action against Oman over Iran peace talks — On Monday 17 August, Donald Trump threatened to bomb Oman, a key US strategic partner and historical backchannel to Iran, if it "gets in the way" of his demands in stalled US-Iran peace negotiations. Trump also signaled he was not pressing for the war to end without Iran meeting his conditions, telling Fox News "I have no time schedule. I'm not in a hurry." The US and Iran missed their 60-day diplomatic deadline the same day, failing to reach agreement on Iran's nuclear program.
• Trump stated intent to declare Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory — Trump stated he believes declaring the Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory is "a great idea" because "we control it with a blockade" and "we have total control over the strait." He indicated he would pursue this declaration.
• Trump threatened military action against Oman — Trump stated that if Oman interferes with reopening the Strait of Hormuz, "we'll bomb the shit out of them," and later told a reporter that Oman "didn't behave very well" but "we'll handle them very easily just like we do other things."
• Trump threatened to bomb Oman if it interferes with Iran negotiations — In an interview with Fox News Channel's Trey Yingst on the morning of August 18, Trump threatened military action against Oman, a key U.S. ally in the Middle East. When asked about talks between Iran and Oman over control of the Strait of Hormuz, Trump stated: "If Oman gets in the way, we'll bomb the sh*t out of them."
• AP reports Trump threatened to bomb Oman — The Associated Press reported new details regarding President Trump's recent threat to bomb Oman, a U.S. ally in the Middle East. The threat represents an escalation in rhetoric toward a country that has historically maintained diplomatic relations with the United States.

Supporting reports

• Treasury Department ends shell company beneficial ownership registry and destroys collected data — This week, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) in the Treasury Department ended the beneficial ownership registry established by Congress in 2021 through the Corporate Transparency Act—legislation passed over Trump's veto—and destroyed all data already collected. The registry required owners of shell companies to file reports identifying beneficial owners and persons exercising substantial control, with information including name, birthdate, address, and identifying number. Congress enacted the measure on a bipartisan basis after 2020 leaked documents revealed that between 1999 and 2017, banks flagged over $2 trillion in potentially laundered money moved through shell companies by criminals from Russia, China, Iran, and Syria.

Supporting reports

• Office of the Comptroller of the Currency approved bank charter for World Liberty Financial — Late Friday night, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency approved a preliminary charter for World Liberty Financial (WLF), a cryptocurrency venture launched by the Trump family and close allies the Witkoff family, to become a bank. The charter permits WLF to issue USD1, a stablecoin, and to manage customer assets and settle payments. Reuters reports WLF had funneled more than $1.6 billion to Trump and his family as of April 2026.
• Office of the Comptroller of the Currency approved Trump family crypto business banking charter — The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, led by Trump appointee Jonathan Gould, announced conditional approval for World Liberty Financial—a crypto venture controlled by the Trump family—to receive a banking charter. This will allow WLF to issue stablecoin tokens inside the U.S. without an intermediary. Trump made $65 million in 2025 selling WLF shares and nearly $600 million selling stablecoins through the venture, according to financial disclosures.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration claimed Iran military destroyed and all objectives achieved — Secretary of War Pete Hegseth made escalating false claims about the Iran war: on day 9 claiming Iranian surrender was guaranteed, on day 14 claiming Iran's military had been destroyed, and on day 40 claiming every objective had been achieved. These claims were made four months ago and have proven false, with the war continuing. Sen. Ossoff characterized this as systematic lying about the war.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration promoted "Freedom Cities" concept — The Trump administration promoted the creation of 10 new "Freedom Cities" in the U.S. that would be built free of all government regulations, a concept the bulletin suggests originated from Silicon Valley tech billionaire networks and their "TESCREALism" ideology. The bulletin notes this was based on Project 2025 and represents an effort to create regulation-free polities controlled by tech elites.

Supporting reports

• Trump instructed reduction of joint military exercises with South Korea — President Trump posted that he instructed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to substantially reduce joint military exercises with South Korea, citing cost concerns and claiming the exercises send an inappropriate signal to North Korea. Trump stated he has a "very good relationship" with Kim Jong Un and framed the exercises as unnecessary given North Korea's purported non-threatening stance during his presidency. This marks the first time in U.S. history the country has reduced military commitments to South Korea, a 75-year ally.
• Trump orders Pentagon to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea — President Trump abruptly ordered the Pentagon to scale back Ulchi Freedom Shield, an 11-day joint military exercise with South Korea scheduled for August 17–27, involving approximately 18,000 South Korean troops. Trump announced the decision via social media, citing his "very good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and framing the drills as "inappropriate and hostile." The move came days after North Korea test-fired ballistic missiles. Congressional Democrats criticized the decision as punishing an ally and handing propaganda to a dictator.
• Trump defended relationship with North Korea and suggested reducing military exercises with South Korea — Trump stated that Kim Jong Un "has always treated me with great respect" and that he "understands" the North Korean leader better than previous presidents. He indicated that South Korea declined his request for assistance with Iran and suggested that the U.S. cannot "go around and protect all of these countries, especially when they're not there to help us," implying reduced commitment to South Korean defense.
• Trump ordered reduction of U.S.–South Korea military exercises — On Sunday evening, Trump declared that he had ordered Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to "substantially reduce" joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his relationship with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. The drills were scheduled to begin the following day. Trump claimed the exercises sent an inappropriate signal to North Korea, though the decision coincided with North Korea deploying 50,000 troops to support Russia's war in Ukraine.

Supporting reports

• Trump offered paid subscriptions to presidential announcements — Trump is offering paid subscriptions to presidential announcements on war, peace, and economic policy, with paying customers receiving information first. Sen. Ossoff characterized this as selling access to presidential pronouncements on matters of national importance.
• Trump sold early access to Truth Social posts for up to $100,000 per month — Trump has been selling early access to his Truth Social posts for as much as $100,000 a month. Investors appear to be making substantial profits by anticipating Trump's posts, which move financial markets. The arrangement has been widely reported and discussed as a potential form of insider trading.

Supporting reports

• Trump purchased stock before canceling tariffs and profited from market rebound — Sen. Jon Ossoff reported that Trump announced tariffs on April 2, which crashed markets for a week. Six days into the crash, Trump purchased millions in stock (Amazon, Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, Berkshire Hathaway). The next morning, Trump posted on Truth Social "This is a great time to buy" with three exclamation marks. Three hours and 41 minutes after that post, Trump canceled the tariffs, triggering one of the biggest same-day market rebound rallies in history, allowing Trump to profit from the price recovery.

Supporting reports

• ICE agents conducting arrests in immigration courthouses despite prior judicial recognition of chilling effect — ICE agents have conducted high-profile mass arrests in immigration courthouses, stalking hallways and detaining immigrants. This practice reverses a shared understanding since at least 1996 between immigration judges and DHS that enforcement presence in courts creates a "chilling effect" on respondents' ability to present their cases. EOIR officials dismissed this concern as "contrary to logic." A federal judge has since blocked the policy, but the arrests have already created fear and distrust, causing many immigrants to avoid attending hearings.

Supporting reports

• Todd Blanche declines to pledge DOJ independence from White House — US Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump's former personal lawyer, declined on NBC's Meet the Press to pledge that the Department of Justice would act independently of the White House, stating "no attorney general should ever pledge that." Blanche asserted Trump would never ask him to do something unethical or illegal, dismissing concerns about politicization as a "false narrative." His comments came days after his narrow 50-49 Senate confirmation and amid Trump's dismissal of his predecessor Pam Bondi over insufficient action against Trump's political opponents.
• Attorney General Todd Blanche refused to pledge DOJ independence from White House — On NBC's Meet the Press, Attorney General Todd Blanche refused to pledge that the DOJ will always act independently of the White House, stating "No, I'm not going to pledge that, and no AG ever should." When asked if he would comply with a presidential directive that crosses ethical or legal lines, Blanche responded that the president "would never do that" and "never has" and "never will," without committing to refuse unlawful orders.

Supporting reports

• ICE and TSA coordinate to arrest individuals with expired visas — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has partnered with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to enable ICE officers to arrest individuals with expired visas at airports and transportation hubs. The policy targets people waiting for visa extensions or green cards who hold valid work permits. Historically, such individuals were detained only if they had committed crimes, but the Trump administration classifies all visa overstays as criminal. DHS aims to arrest approximately 2,000 immigrants daily under this expanded enforcement.