Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Rep. Massie introduced discharge petition to force Epstein files release vote — Republican Rep. Thomas Massie introduced what's known as a discharge petition in an effort to force a vote on the release of the Epstein files. The measure must receive 218 signatures to succeed. A White House official later told NBC News in an email that Republicans deciding to sign on to the "attention-seeking" petition "would be viewed as a very hostile act to the administration."

Supporting reports

• Trump sought Supreme Court review of E. Jean Carroll verdict — AP reported that Trump is expected to ask the Supreme Court to overturn a jury decision in a civil lawsuit that found him liable for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll, along with defamation, according to a filing last week that saw his lawyers ask the Supreme Court to extend a deadline for challenging the verdict to mid-November as Trump "intends to seek review" of "significant issues" related to the trial and an appeals court upholding the decision. In response, Carroll's lawyer said, "We do not believe that President Trump will be able to present any legal issues in the Carroll cases that merit review" by the Supreme Court.

Supporting reports

• Amy Coney Barrett discusses Supreme Court methodology and same-sex marriage petition in CBS interview — Justice Amy Coney Barrett gave her first television interview since joining the Supreme Court in 2020, promoting her new book "Listening to the Law." She stated that Supreme Court rulings are "not just an opinion poll" and that the court should not impose its own values on Americans. Barrett defended the 2022 abortion ruling as respecting American choice, while the Court faces a petition to overturn the 2015 same-sex marriage decision (Obergefell v. Hodges), which 68% of Americans support according to a May 2025 Gallup poll.
• Amy Coney Barrett publishes memoir defending Dobbs abortion ruling — Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett released her memoir "Listening to the Law," for which she received a $2 million advance. In the book, Barrett defends the June 2022 Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, arguing the ruling "respected the choice" of the American people by returning abortion regulation to the states. She characterizes abortion as a "complicated moral debate" distinct from other fundamental rights. The memoir was published September 9, 2025, though extracts were released by CNN on September 3.

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• Justice Department sought to keep Epstein associates' names secret — Lawyers for the Justice Department asked a federal judge to keep the names of two Epstein associates who received large payments ($100,000 and $250,000) in 2018 secret. The payments occurred days before the Miami Herald began examining Epstein's 2008 sweetheart plea deal. As part of that deal, Epstein received a guarantee that the associates would not be prosecuted.
• — Lawyers for the Justice Department asked a federal judge to keep the names of two Epstein associates who received large payments in 2018 secret. One associate received $100,000 and the second $250,000. As part of his plea deal, Epstein received a guarantee that these associates would not be prosecuted.

Supporting reports

• White House warned Republicans against releasing Epstein files — The White House warned Republican members of Congress that voting to release the Epstein files "would be viewed as a very hostile act to the administration." Trump subsequently claimed the agitation for release is a "Democrat HOAX" intended to distract from Republican success. The warning represents an attempt to suppress disclosure of documents potentially implicating the president.

Supporting reports

• DOJ official caught on hidden camera discussing Epstein file redactions — The acting deputy chief of a Justice Department unit was caught on a hidden camera by the far-right O'Keefe Media Group saying that the government will "redact every Republican" from a list of Epstein associates and "leave all the liberal, Democratic people in those files." He also said Ghislaine Maxwell was transferred to a minimum-security prison in an effort to offer "her something to keep her mouth shut." In a statement, the official said his comments were based on "what I've learned in the media and not from anything I've done at or learned via work." On Twitter, a DOJ spokesperson said the official's comments "have absolutely zero bearing with reality and reflect a total lack of knowledge of the DOJ's review process."

Supporting reports

• Trump posts threat to Chicago referencing "Department of War" and deportations — Trump posted on Truth Social that Chicago was about to discover "why it's called the Department of War," referencing a recent executive order renaming the Department of Defense. The post also stated "I love the smell of deportations in the morning," alluding to the film Apocalypse Now. Governor Pritzker responded by stating the president was "threatening to go to war with an American city" and that "This is not a joke. This is not normal." The rhetoric escalates the administration's framing of immigration enforcement as military action against a domestic city.
• Trump posted AI-generated image threatening military action against Chicago — President Trump's social media account posted an AI-generated image depicting him as a Vietnam War character in front of Chicago's skyline with military helicopters and flames, captioned "Chipocalypse Now" with text reading "I love the smell of deportations in the morning… Chicago about to find out why it's called the Department of WAR." The post included helicopter emojis associated with Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet's extrajudicial killings. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker responded by calling the threat abnormal and warning against intimidation.
• Trump shared "Chipocalypse Now" meme threatening deportations and war on Chicago — On Truth Social, Trump posted a meme depicting himself as an officer from "Apocalypse Now" with the caption "I love the smell of deportations in the morning" and "Chicago about to find out why it's called the Department of War." Illinois Governor JB Pritzker responded by calling Trump a "wannabe dictator" and stating he is "threatening to go to war with an American city," characterizing the rhetoric as abnormal and dangerous.
• Trump posted apocalyptic threat against Chicago on Truth Social — Trump posted on Truth Social depicting himself as the character from Apocalypse Now with the caption "I love the smell of deportations in the morning. Chicago about to find out why it's called the Department of WAR." The post threatened military action against a major U.S. city. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, and California Governor Gavin Newsom responded by characterizing the threat as authoritarian and unconstitutional. Senator Tammy Duckworth called it a declaration of war on an American city.

Supporting reports

• President Trump signs executive order to rename Department of Defense — President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order to rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War. This change requires Congressional approval and is estimated to cost billions of dollars. The new name reflects a shift in military strategy towards a more offensive posture, as articulated by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Nameplates and signage with the new name were installed in government offices, and the department's website URL was changed to war.gov.
• Trump administration renamed Department of Defense to Department of War — The Trump administration renamed the Department of Defense to the Department of War. The article notes that despite the name change, the administration's primary focus appears to be immigration enforcement rather than traditional military conflict, with the rebranding reflecting the administration's framing of immigration as an existential threat requiring military-scale response.
• Trump announces plan to rename Department of Defense to Department of War — Trump announced a move to change the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War, a change that requires passage by Congress to become official. Sen. Rand Paul stated he plans to lead opposition to the name change, arguing it sends a bad signal to the world and glorifies war in an era of nuclear weapons.

Supporting reports

• Trump announced federal law enforcement deployment to Chicago and Baltimore — Speaking to reporters, Trump said he will be sending federal law enforcement to both Chicago and Baltimore, but didn't specify a timeline for the deployment. Trump also said that many of the people arrested as part of his DC crackdown on crime were "born to be criminals."
• Trump suggested National Guard deployment to New Orleans — Trump suggested that he may deploy National Guard troops to New Orleans, a blue city in the red state of Louisiana.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration deploys federal immigration agents to Chicago amid Mexican Independence Day events — The Trump administration announced plans to deploy 230 federal immigration agents (primarily Customs and Border Protection) to Chicago as part of an intensified immigration enforcement effort. The deployment, combined with Trump's inflammatory rhetoric describing Chicago as "the most dangerous city in the world," prompted organizers to cancel or postpone multiple Mexican Independence Day celebrations, including El Grito Chicago (which drew 24,000 attendees in 2024). Governor JB Pritzker alleged the timing targeted Mexican community events. Thousands protested peacefully on Saturday against the deployment and broader administration policies.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration launches "Patriot 2.0" ICE operation targeting immigrants in Massachusetts — The Department of Homeland Security and ICE announced a new enforcement operation called "Patriot 2.0" in Massachusetts, expected to last several weeks. The operation targets immigrants released from custody despite ICE pickup attempts from local jails. DHS officials blamed Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's sanctuary policies, claiming they harbor criminals. The action follows Wu's March congressional testimony defending sanctuary city laws that limit local law enforcement cooperation with ICE.

Supporting reports

• Trump threatens Chicago with federal military intervention over sanctuary policies — President Trump posted on Truth Social on Saturday that "Chicago about to find out why it's called the Department of WAR," threatening federal intervention in the city. He later walked back the statement on Sunday. Trump has stated plans to deploy the National Guard to Chicago to combat crime, similar to deployments in Los Angeles and Washington DC, citing the city's sanctuary immigration policies.