Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• White House issues promotional release on D.C. crime enforcement one year after task force launch — The White House published a promotional release claiming that the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force, a partnership of more than 20 federal and local agencies backed by the National Guard, has achieved significant crime reductions in Washington, D.C. The release states the task force has made over 16,000 arrests, removed 35 homicide suspects, cleared homeless encampments, and seized nearly 2,000 illegal firearms. It attributes drops in homicides, carjackings, robberies, and overall crime to President Trump's leadership.

Supporting reports

• North Carolina legislature added Republicans to Judicial Standards Commission — The North Carolina legislature added more Republicans to the Judicial Standards Commission a couple of years prior to August 2026. This action concentrated partisan control over the body responsible for investigating ethics complaints against judges, further enabling the targeting of Democratic justices.
• North Carolina legislature created new Family Court with judges appointed by Chief Justice — The North Carolina legislature's recent budget bill created a new "special" Family Court whose judges will be appointed directly by Chief Justice Paul Newby. These judges can serve until age 78, the highest mandatory judicial retirement age in the country, concentrating judicial appointment power in the chief justice.
• Chief Justice Newby given power over new business court with wide jurisdiction — Chief Justice Paul Newby was previously given power over a new business court with exceptionally wide jurisdiction, further concentrating judicial authority in his hands and enabling him to shape outcomes in commercial disputes.
• Chief Justice Paul Newby previously pushed investigation into Democratic Justice Anita Earls — In 2023, North Carolina Chief Justice Paul Newby initiated an investigation into Democratic Justice Anita Earls for ethics charges related to her discussing bias and lack of diversity on the state Supreme Court. The Judicial Standards Commission backed down after Earls filed a First Amendment lawsuit. This prior action demonstrates a pattern of using ethics complaints as a tool against Democratic justices.
• Democratic Justice Allison Riggs faced baseless ethics complaint before 2024 reelection — Democratic Justice Allison Riggs faced a baseless ethics complaint in the weeks before her 2024 reelection campaign. The complaint was filed as part of a pattern of using ethics processes to target Democratic justices on the North Carolina Supreme Court.
• GOP Supreme Court majority refused to sanction Republican judges who admitted ethics violations — In 2024, ProPublica revealed that the GOP-controlled North Carolina Supreme Court majority refused to sanction two Republican judges who admitted to violating ethics rules with serious consequences. This demonstrates a double standard in ethics enforcement, with Democratic judges targeted while Republican judges face no consequences.
• North Carolina legislature passes bill allowing GOP Supreme Court justices to remove Democratic judges — The North Carolina Republican-controlled legislature passed a bill that grants the state Supreme Court majority power to remove judges without the recommendation of the Judicial Standards Commission. The bill would allow GOP justices to unilaterally determine ethics violations and remove Democratic justices, circumventing the votes of millions of voters who elected them. The measure faces a likely veto from Democratic Governor Josh Stein, though two former Democrats in the legislature have recently voted to override vetoes.

Supporting reports

• Department of Justice expands executive privilege to shield private advisers — On taking office, Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a memo dramatically expanding executive privilege. The new definition allows the president to shield "presidential communications with private advisers" where advisers include "anyone the President consults outside the Executive Branch." This expansion would enable the White House to defy congressional subpoenas for testimony from private citizens, companies, and college officials—a tactic Democrats had planned to use in investigations if they regained control of Congress.
• DOJ Office of Legal Counsel issued opinion extending executive privilege to private advisors — The DOJ Office of Legal Counsel issued an opinion allowing the president to claim executive privilege over communications between the president and "private advisors," extending to direct advisors' communications with outside advisers. The opinion was characterized as having broad implications for congressional oversight, particularly if Democrats gain control of the House and attempt to investigate Trump through subpoenas.

Supporting reports

• Trump DOJ announces $300m "Model Cities" policing grants with ideological conditions — The Trump administration's Department of Justice announced a "Model Cities Initiative" offering up to $300 million in federal policing grants to two to four cities with populations exceeding 100,000 residents. In exchange for funding, recipient cities must comply with federal immigration enforcement, adopt conservative anti-homelessness policies, and agree to reimburse the federal government for costs of future federal law enforcement interventions or national guard deployments. The initiative cites Memphis and Washington DC as models, despite documented officer-involved deaths in Memphis. Several Democratic-led cities have declined to apply.

Supporting reports

• Jared Kushner purchased disputed Albanian property — A Kushner-backed development group purchased a Mediterranean resort property in Albania for over $120 million from Artur Shehu, a suspected gangster who fled to Miami after a gunfight at his bar. Local villagers had written to Kushner contending the property was stolen from them in the 2000s and that they were locked in nearly two decades of court disputes with Shehu. Two months after the purchase, Albanian prosecutors sought Shehu's arrest for allegedly playing a lead role in an international drug-smuggling operation and money laundering through stolen property, including the peninsula in question.
• Kushner's Albania resort development faces corruption investigation — Kushner's 2024 plan to develop Sazan Island and a nearby peninsula in Albania into a luxury resort with 10,000 hotel rooms has faced ongoing protests and investigation by Albania's corruption watchdog. In June 2026, Albanian prosecutors accused the man from whom Kushner's development group purchased the land—Artur Shehu—of leading an international drug-smuggling operation and using forged ownership documents to acquire the peninsula property, which he then sold to Kushner's group for $120 million.

Supporting reports

• Pentagon issues 21-day ultimatum to defense contractors on weapons production — The Pentagon reportedly issued a 21-day ultimatum to defense companies to produce a plan for building new weapons, citing near-zero munitions depletion. The administration is attempting to shift responsibility to private contractors rather than address its own military planning failures.

Supporting reports

• Senator Paul bypasses Senate to refer Fauci contempt to U.S. Attorney Pirro — According to Wall Street Journal reporting by Sabrina Siddiqui and Sadie Gurman, Senator Rand Paul, knowing that a contempt measure would not secure the 60 votes required in the full Senate, is bypassing the Senate and asking Vice President J.D. Vance to certify the contempt report and refer it directly to U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro for potential prosecution.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration deploys bulldozers in Big Bend National Park for border wall construction — The Trump administration has begun bulldozing ground at Big Bend National Park in Texas to construct border security infrastructure, including patrol roads and vehicle barriers, as part of a multibillion-dollar "smart wall" expansion. The Department of Homeland Security waived dozens of federal environmental and cultural protection laws to expedite construction. CBP initially denied the bulldozers were related to its plans, then claimed they were conducting survey work, though opponents say construction has clearly begun. The region experiences only 100–125 unlawful crossings annually.

Supporting reports

• Trump attacks U.S. Attorney Pirro and demands she reverse decision to drop indictment — President Trump posted that "U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro should re-visit her hastily made decision" to drop the indictment against David Hearn, attacking Hearn as "a big player in ActBlue" and describing Hearn's attorney as a "TRUMP DERANGED SLEAZEBAG" and "Political Hack Lawyer." Trump's post pressures the U.S. Attorney to reverse her prosecutorial decision based on political considerations rather than legal merit.
• Trump demands U.S. Attorney Pirro prosecute David Hearn for reflecting pool damage — President Trump continues to insist that vandals, not poor installation, caused damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and demands that U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro prosecute the alleged wrongdoers. Trump specifically demands prosecution of Olympian David Hearn, whom the Department of Justice indicted, despite Pirro's decision to drop the indictment after determining the damage resulted from installation problems rather than vandalism.
• White House requests DOJ revive charges against former Olympian David Hearn — The White House requested that the Department of Justice weigh new charges against former Olympian David Hearn after US Attorney Jeanine Pirro dropped vandalism charges on 31 July 2026, citing insufficient evidence and a contractor's flawed pool installation. Pirro's office determined damage predated Hearn's visit. Trump publicly criticized Pirro's decision. The request to Main Justice headquarters marks an extraordinary instance of White House pressure on DOJ prosecutorial decisions, departing from traditional arm's-length separation.
• White House directed Justice Department to reconsider Reflecting Pool vandalism prosecution — Trump's White House asked the Justice Department to examine whether prosecutors could bring new charges related to alleged vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The DOJ had previously prosecuted former Olympic canoeist David Hearn over damage to the pool liner, but prosecutors dropped the case after reviewing evidence showing that rushed and flawed renovation work, not vandalism, caused the problems. Trump repeatedly blamed vandals for the damage and, despite new evidence, criticized the decision to drop the case and urged U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro to reconsider it.

Supporting reports

• Senate confirms Todd Blanche as attorney general — The US Senate voted 50-49 to confirm Todd Blanche, Trump's former personal attorney, as attorney general. Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana cast the deciding vote after two Republicans (Collins, Murkowski) opposed the nomination. Blanche had been serving in an acting capacity and faced pushback over a proposed $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund" and tax immunity provisions for Trump, his sons, and businesses. Cornyn and Tillis secured written assurances the fund would not proceed, enabling narrow confirmation.
• Todd Blanche confirmed as US Attorney General — The Republican-controlled Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as US Attorney General. Legal scholar Sherrilyn Ifill characterized the confirmation as signaling the collapse of the rule of law and the beginning of an accelerated program to suppress dissent. The confirmation occurred amid ongoing concerns about the use of the Justice Department as a political instrument.
• Senate confirmed Trump's former criminal defense lawyer Todd Blanche as attorney general — The Senate narrowly voted to confirm Todd Blanche, Trump's former criminal defense lawyer, as attorney general on August 8. As acting attorney general, Blanche greenlit the second indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, reauthorized the use of firing squads for death penalty executions, and signed off on a $1.776 billion "anti-weaponization fund" (now supposedly rescinded). The confirmation marks a significant shift in DOJ leadership toward Trump's personal interests.
• Senate Republicans confirm Todd Blanche as Attorney General — At 4:00 a.m. on August 9, 2026, just before a five-week recess, Senate Republicans confirmed Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to the permanent position of Attorney General of the United States. Blanche, who served as President Trump's personal criminal lawyer, becomes the top law enforcement officer of the country. Some Republicans, including 92-year-old Senate Judiciary Committee chair Chuck Grassley, expressed enthusiasm for the nomination. Others expressed skepticism but stated they believed confirming Blanche was preferable to allowing Trump to select an alternative candidate.
• Todd Blanche sworn in as attorney general by Trump defense lawyer Emil Bove — On August 10, Todd Blanche took the oath of office as attorney general, administered by federal appeals court judge Emil Bove, a Trump defense lawyer who later became deputy at the Department of Justice. The ceremony excluded the press but included FBI director Kash Patel and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller. Retired conservative judge J. Michael Luttig characterized Blanche as "the symbol of Donald Trump's corruption of the rule of law" and called his confirmation "a shameful act of acquiescence" by Senate Republicans.
• Todd Blanche sworn in as US attorney general — Todd Blanche, Trump's former personal criminal defense lawyer, was sworn in as US attorney general on Monday following a narrow 50-49 Senate confirmation vote on Saturday. Blanche had been serving as acting attorney general since April. He previously represented Trump in criminal cases before joining the administration as deputy attorney general in early 2025. His tenure has included the departure of over 200 prosecutors and agents who worked on Trump-related investigations.

Supporting reports

• ICE arrests reach 43,000 in July 2026; 238,000 detained in first seven months of year — ICE arrested and sent over 43,000 people into detention in July 2026, the highest monthly total of Trump's second term, according to agency detention data provided to Congress and reviewed by the Washington Post. ICE averaged approximately 1,432 arrests per day through July 12 and 1,450 per day from July 13 through month's end. The pace did not slow after the Houston shooting on July 7 or the Maine shooting on July 13. More than 238,000 people were sent into detention in the first seven months of 2026. CBS News reported more than 46,000 July book-ins using a broader measure that includes people first arrested by other agencies.

Supporting reports

• At least 52 military family members detained since Trump took office — An Associated Press investigation identified 52 parents and spouses of active-duty service members detained since Trump returned to office in 2025. At least 6 were deported, 1 self-deported, and 8 remained in federal custody at publication. A policy implemented in April 2025 eliminated the longstanding bipartisan exemption shielding military families from deportation. DHS does not track these cases; AP compiled the count from federal court records, existing coverage, and direct family verification, noting the actual number is likely much higher. The average wait for military parole-in-place has more than than doubled under Trump.
• More than 50 military family members detained by immigration agents; at least 6 deported — The Associated Press reported that more than 50 parents and spouses of active-duty military members have been detained by immigration agents since Trump returned to office in 2025. At least six of these family members were deported, while another eight remain in federal custody.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration demands TANF recipient data from 24 states for immigration enforcement — Twenty-four states sued to block the Trump administration from obtaining personal records of families enrolled in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), a $16 billion annual program providing food, rent, and child care assistance. The administration seeks citizenship and immigration status verification data; California Attorney General Rob Bonta characterized the effort as exploiting a child-welfare program to fuel government surveillance. The administration argues the data collection is necessary to verify program eligibility.

Supporting reports

• FBI declines to conduct civil rights probe into ICE officer's fatal shooting — CBS News reported that the FBI is not conducting a civil rights investigation into the death of Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, who was killed by an ICE officer in Maine in July 2026. Such fatal shootings by law enforcement are typically investigated by the FBI's civil rights division.

Supporting reports

• Senators delay hemp product ban at administration request benefiting Wiles family — Trump signed a ban on intoxicating hemp products into law last year. Senators are now working at the administration's request to delay the ban's implementation. The son-in-law of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, who is the CEO of companies selling such hemp products, stands to benefit from the delay, according to the New York Times.

Supporting reports

• Judges rule against Trump administration in 75 First Amendment cases — Reuters analysis found that federal judges ruled against the Trump administration on First Amendment grounds in 75 of 93 cases where such arguments were raised, compared to 13 rulings against the Biden administration in 27 cases. The rulings covered retaliation against law firms, journalist restrictions, university funding cuts, actions against pro-Palestinian students and faculty, and excessive force at protests. Ten decisions came from Republican-appointed judges. The administration appealed approximately two-thirds of the rulings and persuaded appeals courts to pause or overturn 15 decisions.

Supporting reports

• Federal judge approves Trump administration termination of South Sudan TPS protections — U.S. District Judge Patti Saris of Massachusetts ruled on August 7, 2026, that the Trump administration may proceed with stripping Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from South Sudanese nationals in the United States. The decision rejected arguments by immigrant rights organizations including African Communities Together. Saris concluded that the Department of Homeland Security possessed authority to terminate TPS designations, following a June 2026 Supreme Court ruling (6-3) that had already allowed termination of TPS for Haitians and Syrians. Approximately 232 South Sudanese TPS holders and 73 with pending applications face loss of legal work and residency protections.
• Motion denied — African Communities Together v. Noem (D. Mass.) 1:25-cv-13939 — Judge Saris denied Plaintiffs' motion to amend their complaint to add two additional claims and their renewed motion to postpone the termination of South Sudan's TPS designation, concluding that Plaintiffs' two proposed claims - that only the Attorney General, not the Secretary of Homeland Security, may terminate a TPS designation, and that the termination violated procedural due process - “would be futile” and are unlikely to succeed on the merits.

Supporting reports

• Federal judge temporarily halts financial records disclosure order in Trump v. BBC libel case — US District Judge Roy Altman issued a temporary stay of a discovery order requiring Donald Trump to produce detailed financial records to the BBC in an ongoing libel lawsuit. Trump's legal team sought the suspension, arguing the BBC's demand for information about his business empire was "shockingly broad" and politically motivated. The judge indicated that if Trump successfully narrows his claims to reputational harm alone, the BBC's need for financial records might diminish. The BBC countered that Trump's business value remains relevant and that his $10 billion damages claim would be difficult to justify without financial evidence.

Supporting reports

• Complaint filed — Rosenzweig v. Blanche (S.D. Fla.) — Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Rosenzweig filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida challenging his removal by the Department of Justice on September 23, 2025. Rosenzweig alleges the removal was retaliation for First Amendment-protected speech critical of President Trump, a violation of the Civil Service Reform Act's restrictions on removing career employees, a Privacy Act violation for compiling records of his protected activity, and a due process violation. He seeks reinstatement, backpay, declaratory relief, and damages.

Supporting reports

• Justice Department Office of Professional Responsibility gutted; 1,666 misconduct complaints filed in 2025 — The Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility received 1,666 misconduct complaints in 2025, the highest number since 2005. Simultaneously, OPR staffing fell from 29 to 16 employees, and its director was fired with no replacement named. The inspector general's office lost 99 employees since the end of the Biden administration. Judge Kathleen Williams recently accused senior officials including acting Attorney General Todd Blanche of reaching a settlement in Trump's suit against the IRS, and a pattern of errors has recurred in the first Comey prosecution.

Supporting reports

• ICE body camera policy allows agency discretion to withhold footage of officer-involved deaths — ICE announced that every field officer nationwide will have a body camera by the end of September. However, the agency's policy states that video of shootings and encounters where officers cause death or serious injury is released "promptly" only after ICE determines that doing so "is in the best interests of the agency." The ICE director can block or indefinitely delay release if "specific and compelling circumstances" justify withholding. Released footage will have officers' faces, names, and badge numbers redacted. ICE spent $30.9 million on body camera equipment in July, one day after an ICE officer fatally shot a 25-year-old motorist in Maine; days later, another officer shot and killed a Houston homebuilder, neither shooting recorded on body camera.
• ICE adopts body-camera policy with director discretion to withhold footage — US Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced deployment of body cameras to officers by end of August 2026, following deaths and serious injuries in encounters with immigration agents. However, the policy grants the ICE director authority to restrict public release of footage unless "it is in the best interests of the agency." A review committee including ICE officials and lawyers will determine whether to release video of shootings and serious confrontations, with the director able to indefinitely delay release if "specific and compelling circumstances" justify withholding. The policy was first established in February 2025 but funding was delayed by government shutdown.

Supporting reports

• DOJ official encouraged prosecutors to "go big" and "go loud" in prosecuting protesters — A top Justice Department official encouraged prosecutors to "go big" and "go loud" when pursuing criminal charges against people who protested against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, according to reporting. The Minneapolis case is one of several the DOJ has brought across the U.S. leveling charges against wide swaths of protesters, including cases in Texas where prosecutors secured decades-long sentences for nine people protesting outside an ICE facility.

Supporting reports

• ICE and TSA expand airport immigration enforcement targeting visa overstayers and asylum seekers — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have dramatically expanded collaboration at US airports, conducting as many as three dozen daily arrests in July with a stated goal of 2,000 daily immigration arrests. Targets include people with pending visa, asylum, and green card applications, former au pairs, and asylum seekers with serious medical conditions. Airline workers have reportedly declined to assist federal agents, and Southwest Airlines gate agents refused to allow an ICE officer to board a plane without a judicial warrant. The airline industry has expressed workplace safety and legal concerns.

Supporting reports

• Democratic senators demand DOJ investigation into deaths of US citizens in West Bank — Nineteen Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to the Trump administration demanding that the Department of Justice independently investigate the deaths of nine US citizens killed in the West Bank since 2022 by Israeli settlers or security forces. The letter states that the DOJ "has reportedly not opened investigations into any of the killings since 2025" and that Israel has not indicted anyone involved. The Democrats also urge action on the detention of US citizens by Israeli military, including 20-year-old Sama Safi and 15-year-old Mohammed Ibrahim, demanding their release and an end to arbitrary detentions.

Supporting reports

• Trump proclaimed minimum import prices and tariffs on polysilicon and derivatives to protect domestic supply chains. — President Trump issued Proclamation 11052 under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, establishing minimum import prices (MIP) for polysilicon and polysilicon derivatives effective December 4, 2026. The proclamation imposes a 15 percent ad valorem tariff on polysilicon derivatives, creates an onshoring incentive program for domestic production facilities, and authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to monitor compliance and adjust prices. The action targets foreign government policies that have eroded U.S. polysilicon production capacity from 50 percent of global output in 2005 to less than 2 percent by 2024, citing national security and semiconductor/solar supply chain vulnerabilities.
• Trump signed proclamation imposing minimum import prices and 15% tariff on polysilicon and derivatives — President Trump signed Proclamation 11XXX on August 6, 2026, establishing a minimum import price (MIP) program for polysilicon and polysilicon derivatives, effective December 4, 2026. The proclamation imposes a 15% ad valorem tariff on polysilicon derivatives and authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to establish an onshoring incentive program offering tariff exemptions to companies committing to U.S. production facilities. The action invokes Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, citing national security threats from foreign polysilicon imports that have eroded U.S. production capacity from 50% of global output in 2005 to less than 2% in 2024.
• White House issued fact sheet promoting polysilicon tariff proclamation — The White House issued a fact sheet on August 6, 2026, promoting a proclamation signed by President Trump that day imposing tariffs on polysilicon and its derivatives. The fact sheet states the proclamation establishes a minimum import price program on polysilicon imports, imposes a 15% ad valorem tariff on downstream derivative products, and authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to create an incentive program for domestic producers. The fact sheet claims the U.S. share of global polysilicon production capacity fell from 50% in 2005 to less than 2% in 2024, and asserts the tariffs will protect national security and defense-adjacent industries.
• Trump orders 15% tariff on polysilicon products for semiconductors and solar panels — President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday evening imposing a new 15% tariff on imported products made with polysilicon, a key material for microchip and solar panel manufacturing primarily sourced from China. The tariff takes effect December 4, 2026. The order also sets minimum import prices for polysilicon, ingots, wafers, solar cells, and modules, and authorizes the Commerce Department to create incentive programs for domestic production. The administration framed the measure as protecting U.S. supply chains and national security in AI and energy sectors.
• White House issues fact sheet announcing mining investments and industry roundtable — The White House issued a fact sheet on August 7, 2026, announcing that President Trump held a roundtable with mining industry leaders and announced over $2 billion in mining and mining-related projects, plus $180 million in mining school investments. The fact sheet states the Department of War invested $85 million in Strategic Bauxite, $150 million in Niron Magnetics, $1.4 billion in Sila Nanotechnologies, and $400 million in Sunrise Energy Metals. Additional investments were made through the Export-Import Bank, Development Finance Corporation, and Department of Energy. The fact sheet claims the administration has signed or approved 160 minerals deals totaling almost $40 billion since January 2025.