Trump Action Archive

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• Governor Hochul appoints Attorney General James as special prosecutor in Cornell alleged gang-rape case — New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed state Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor to investigate an alleged 2024 gang-rape at Cornell University. The appointment followed questions about the Tompkins County District Attorney's decision not to prosecute and concerns over the Cornell police investigation. James will oversee the investigation and, if warranted, present evidence to a grand jury. The alleged victim filed a civil lawsuit in September naming seven men and the university as defendants.
• New York Attorney General appointed special prosecutor in Cornell alleged gang-rape case — New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that state Attorney General Letitia James would assume control of the entire investigation into an alleged 2024 gang-rape at Cornell University's Chi Phi fraternity as a special prosecutor. Hochul criticized Cornell police, the local district attorney, and the handling of the case, stating the victim was "failed" by the system. James will oversee the investigation and, if warranted, present evidence to a grand jury for potential criminal charges. Hochul also criticized a gap in state law regarding voluntary intoxication and sexual assault.

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• Senators Sanders and Merkley and Representative Ocasio-Cortez introduce Ban Flock Act — Senators Bernie Sanders and Jeff Merkley, along with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, introduced the Ban Flock Act on Friday. If passed, the legislation will prevent federal agencies from using automated license-plate readers. State and local governments that continue using the technology could lose federal grant funding. The bill would also allow individuals to sue the federal government over violations. The legislation responds to documented cases of officers misusing license-plate databases, including searches involving former romantic partners.

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• Trump administration redirects $20 million in DHS funds to pay for pro-Trump midterm campaign advertisements — The Trump administration diverted $20 million from funds Congress appropriated for the Department of Homeland Security to finance advertisements boosting Trump before the midterm elections. This represents a second instance of the administration redirecting congressionally appropriated funds away from their intended purpose to serve administration political objectives.

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• DNC files lawsuit challenging Pentagon's FPCA modifications — The Democratic National Committee filed a federal lawsuit in Washington DC on October 2, 2026, seeking to overturn the Pentagon's August modifications to the Federal Post Card Application. The DNC argues the government violated the Administrative Procedure Act by bypassing standard rulemaking procedures, failing to allow public comment, and implementing changes without proper deliberation. The lawsuit requests a judicial declaration that the government violated the APA and asks the court to set aside the form modifications before the 2026 midterm elections.
• Trump administration initially planned more restrictive mail-in voting requirements — ProPublica reported that Trump's mail-in voting restrictions were initially far more expansive than the final executive order. The administration had wanted to require all ballots be delivered through certified mail, which would have resulted in undelivered ballots if voters were not home to sign for them. Postal Service officials were excluded from important discussions as the Trump administration finalized its executive order on mail-in voting.
• Trump administration removed voter registration option for citizens born abroad — The Democratic National Committee sued the Trump administration after it changed a federal voter form to remove the option for U.S. citizens born abroad who have never lived in the U.S. to register to vote and request a mail ballot. The lawsuit also revealed that the Trump administration removed information from a federal voter assistance guide about which states allow "never resided" voters to register.

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• Trump defies congressional authority in TIME magazine interview — The President of the United States openly defied Congress during a TIME magazine interview, according to the article. The specific nature of the defiance is not detailed in the text provided, but the article characterizes the President's statements as demonstrating "no grasp on reality at all" and notes the defiance as part of a pattern of constitutional violations occurring under the current administration.

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• Big Tech executives donated $227 million to Trump while meeting on AI regulation — Public Citizen analysis revealed that the CEOs who gathered for a White House meeting with Trump about AI threats donated more than $227 million to Trump's SuperPAC and various Trump pet projects over the past two years. The meeting produced a nonbinding agreement among tech leaders to adopt unenforceable, self-regulatory standards. Public Citizen president Robert Weissman stated: "Big Tech executives have effectively bought themselves a seat at the AI regulatory table. Actually, they have bought the table." The $227 million total includes campaign contributions, White House ballroom and inaugural donations, and settlements agreed that benefit Trump, including donations by individuals, spouses, and affiliated corporations.

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• Judge dismisses reflecting pool case against David Hearn with prejudice — Judge Todd Edelman of DC Superior Court dismissed charges against former Olympic canoeist David Hearn over alleged damage to the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, ruling the case could not be refiled. The US Attorney's office, led by Trump ally Jeanine Pirro, had already conceded the damage resulted from flawed installation, not Hearn's actions. Trump had publicly pressured for prosecution in August, calling Pirro's decision to drop charges a failure. The court found prosecutors lacked factual support and acted under political pressure.
• Judge dismisses DOJ vandalism case against David Hearn with prejudice — A judge dismissed with prejudice the Department of Justice's Reflecting Pool vandalism case against former Olympian David Hearn. The judge warned that leaving the door open could expose Hearn to a "meritless, politically motivated prosecution" and what would "objectively" be harassment.
• Judge dismisses case against David Hearn with prejudice — Judge Todd E. Edelman dismissed the government's case against Olympian David Hearn with prejudice, meaning it cannot be resurrected. The government had accused Hearn of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, although the contractors themselves acknowledged they were responsible for its torn lining. After the government acknowledged there was no merit in the prosecution, Trump continued to insist Hearn should be prosecuted. The judge stated the dismissal was necessary to protect Hearn from "what, objectively, would be harassment" from his own government and from the "extraordinary possibility that Mr. Hearn will nonetheless face a meritless, politically motivated prosecution."

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• Trump administration pursues "grand conspiracy" investigation targeting perceived political enemies without sufficient evidence — Trump's Justice Department has spent nearly a year investigating an alleged "grand conspiracy" involving the "deep state" and Obama-era officials, issuing subpoenas to former CIA director John Brennan and ex-FBI director James Comey. The investigation, led by Trump-allied election denialists Joe diGenova and Kurt Olsen, has struggled to find evidence. DiGenova resigned on 10 September after five months; another prosecutor, Maria Medetis Long, resigned in April citing concerns about the investigation's direction. Former DOJ Inspector General Michael Bromwich criticized the inquiry for "starting with designated targets" and "searching for facts to support the theory."

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• FBI Director Kash Patel promises arrests for alleged 2020 election conspiracy — FBI Director Kash Patel vowed before Fox Nation and Trump that he would punish the "deep state" for its alleged transgressions, especially the "actually nonexistent" conspiracy to steal the 2020 election. In an interview with Maria Bartiromo five months ago, Patel announced: "We've got all the information we need. We're working with our prosecutors at DOJ under AG Todd Blanche, and we are going to be making arrests, and it's coming, and I promise you, it's coming soon." However, Patel has not yet delivered on his promise. According to interviews with more than 40 current and former administration officials, FBI employees, and members of Congress, Patel has been desperate to help DOJ indict alleged malefactors and stimulate headlines to please the president. In recent months, Patel has been briefed on the FBI's "election integrity" investigations in Arizona, Florida, New Jersey, Ohio, and beyond, many initiated with White House instruction that "this is a big deal for the president." Despite this attention, no new findings have yielded results, and Patel has expressed frustration, instructing staff to "look harder" or "look again."

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• White House airs taxpayer-funded campaign ad celebrating Trump's war on Iran — The Trump administration aired a one-minute television advertisement on Fox News using federal funds to promote the president's February 2026 declaration of war against Iran. The ad features Trump's audio declaring major combat operations and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's statements about killing adversaries, interspersed with images of Iranian Americans celebrating U.S. strikes in New York on March 1, 2026. The ad explicitly states "Paid for by the US Government" and was purchased by Medium Buying, a Republican ad firm. Critics argue that using taxpayer money for campaign ads violates federal law.

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• Trump administration runs taxpayer-funded ads on CNN and MSNBC despite network bans — The Trump administration bought advertising space on CNN and MSNBC to run what it calls "public service announcements" promoting Trump, even as the president barred both networks from White House grounds (bans that have been paused by a federal judge). The administration has spent at least $2.87 million running three ads, with the bulk of spending on CBS, FOX, NBC, and ABC. However, the inclusion of MSNBC (38 ads) and CNN (10 ads) is notable given Trump's ongoing battle to exclude these networks from the White House. Democrats and former ethics officials have claimed the ads could violate government ethics laws because of their political nature.

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• South Korea contradicts White House Alaska LNG announcement — The Trump administration announced a $350 billion investment package with South Korea that included the Alaska LNG project. However, South Korea's government stated it would only begin reviewing the project and that "no decision has been made" on whether to invest or the size of any investment. South Korea's industry minister expressed regret to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, saying the White House announcement exceeded what had been agreed.
• Trump falsely claims South Korea agreed to $50 billion Alaska LNG investment — Trump announced that the South Korean government had agreed to invest $50 billion in a liquefied natural gas pipeline in Alaska, with Senator Dan Sullivan present. In reality, the Commerce Department and South Korea's Industry Ministry had only agreed to "commence working" on such a project. South Korea's industry minister Kim Jung-kwan stated that "putting out figures, or using definitive language, goes far beyond what was agreed," and South Korea's president Lee Jae Myung emphasized the plan would proceed only if financially viable and meeting legal requirements in South Korea.

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• Trump administration diverts $52 million in military aid from Ukraine to Latin America despite congressional hold — The Trump administration announced it is defying a congressional hold placed by Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Representative Gregory Meeks and will redirect $52 million in military assistance appropriated by Congress for European and Middle Eastern countries affected by Russia's war on Ukraine to right-wing governments in Panama, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. The State Department stated the funds would be better spent in Latin America than where Congress intended them. This action directly contradicts the constitutional requirement that only Congress controls appropriations and the president must execute laws as passed.

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• Trump refuses to rule out declaring state of emergency before midterm elections — In a Time magazine interview, President Trump declined to rule out declaring a state of emergency before the November midterm elections, stating "I don't rule anything out or in. We'll see." He also said he "could use" the Insurrection Act to deploy military troops domestically, noting that "a lot of people think I should use it sometimes." Trump dismissed low approval ratings as "fake numbers" and blamed media for misrepresenting his earlier statements about the Iran war's duration.
• Trump expresses regret over Supreme Court appointments and discusses using Insurrection Act — In a 75-minute TIME magazine interview, Trump stated he regretted appointing Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett because they ruled against him on tariffs, mail ballots, and birthright citizenship. He expressed unapologetic expectations of judicial loyalty, stating "I do like loyalty, yeah." When asked whether he would rule out declaring a state of emergency before the midterms unless there was widespread violence, Trump said "I don't rule anything out or in" and indicated he could use the Insurrection Act, saying "A lot of people think I should use it sometimes."
• Trump defies congressional authority in TIME magazine interview — The President of the United States openly defied Congress during a TIME magazine interview, according to the article. The specific nature of the defiance is not detailed in the text provided, but the article characterizes the President's statements as demonstrating "no grasp on reality at all" and notes the defiance as part of a pattern of constitutional violations occurring under the current administration.

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• Time magazine releases transcript of Trump interview revealing cognitive impairment — Time magazine released a lightly edited transcript of an interview conducted by senior political correspondent Eric Cortellessa and editor-in-chief Sam Jacobs with Trump at the White House on September 28. The transcript reveals a president unable to answer questions coherently, obsessed with personal architectural projects, consumed by fantasy, and angry at media criticism. Trump claimed Supreme Court justices he appointed "voted against me too often" and suggested he expects loyalty from them, refused to rule out using the Insurrection Act before midterms or annihilating Iran, and made false claims about his cognitive abilities and poll numbers.

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• Trump discusses annihilating Iran in TIME interview — In the TIME interview, Trump stated that he would annihilate Iran, saying "Yeah, I would do that. It's possible." When asked how a "president of peace" could call for annihilation of an entire people, Trump responded that "by annihilating Iran, we've created peace in the world" and asserted "With Iran, I don't think you could ever have peace."
• Trump threatens Iran with annihilation — As Trump departed for a rally in Oklahoma, he told reporters about Iran: "Now I have to make a decision. They'll either sign a very fair deal, or they won't exist any longer." Later in Texas, he told the crowd the U.S. would "win very easily…right after the election," in reference to potential military action against Iran.

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• Trump administration classifies Taiwan military aid accounting — The Trump administration has classified its accounting of what happened to $300 million in military aid Congress provided for Taiwan, leaving lawmakers without a public answer about whether the money was ultimately committed after a September 30 deadline. The classification obscures the administration's handling of the Taiwan aid money just days after Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House. Lawmakers in both parties have previously expressed concerns that Trump could use U.S. security assistance for Taiwan as leverage in talks with Beijing. The money was not obligated by the deadline, and because the status of the funding is classified, it remains unclear whether officials preserved it through another mechanism or allowed it to expire.

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• Immigration judge rules Wisconsin mosque president Salah Sarsour removable under Cold War-era law — An immigration judge ruled that Salah Sarsour, president of Wisconsin's largest mosque and a US permanent resident for nearly three decades, is "removable" under a Cold War-era statute. Sarsour was detained by ICE in March 2026; a federal judge had found his detention likely retaliatory for his Palestinian rights advocacy. Despite that ruling, the Trump administration fast-tracked his immigration case on a separate legal track. Judge Jayme Salinardi, brought in from out of state, issued the removal ruling and announced his retirement shortly after.

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• Republican senator criticizes Trump immigration enforcement agenda — Senator Jim Justice of West Virginia, a Trump ally, publicly criticized the administration's aggressive immigration enforcement agenda, urging it to "step back" and reassess. His comments followed condemnation from three rancher associations citing ICE operations' negative impact on agricultural communities, and an ACLU investigation finding that approximately 75% of 593 people arrested by ICE in West Virginia during "Operation Country Roads" in January had no criminal record. Justice stated the administration may be "doing something wrong" and dragging away long-term residents.

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• Family of Renee Good files wrongful death lawsuits against ICE agent and Trump officials — The family of Renee Good, a U.S. citizen and mother of three killed by an ICE agent on January 7, 2026, during Minneapolis immigration protests, filed two federal lawsuits on September 30, 2026. The suits name the agent who shot her, Jonathan Ross, and senior Trump administration officials including former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. The lawsuits allege wrongful death, civil rights violations, and conspiracy, claiming Good was shot while steering her vehicle away from the agent, contradicting DHS claims of self-defense and domestic terrorism.
• Lawsuits filed over death of Renee Good during Operation Metro Surge — The family and partner of Renee Good, killed during a federal immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota, filed two lawsuits—one against ICE agent Jonathan Ross and senior Trump administration officials, the other against the federal government. The complaint alleges Operation Metro Surge was a "violent and discriminatory campaign" targeting Minnesotans based on race and national origin, resulting in two deaths, one shooting, one death in detention, and over $200 million in economic damage. The lawsuit documents that federal officials immediately blamed Good for her own death without investigation, with DHS and the President calling her a "domestic terrorist" and "professional agitator," while the Deputy AG announced no investigation would occur and the FBI was pressured to abandon a civil rights inquiry into the shooter.

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• Judge Aileen Cannon blocked release of Jack Smith's classified documents report — Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee overseeing the classified documents case, blocked the release of Special Counsel Jack Smith's final report on the investigation. This action departed from standard practice, as special counsels routinely release final reports upon conclusion of their work. The report's suppression prevents public disclosure of the factual findings and legal analysis underlying the investigation into Trump's retention of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.

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• Senate blocks Republican congressional stock-trading restriction bill — The US Senate voted 53–47 on Wednesday to block the Stop Insider Trading Act, a Republican bill that would have barred members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from buying individual stocks. Democrats opposed the measure, arguing it did not go far enough because lawmakers could retain existing holdings and reinvest dividends, and objected to bundled voter ID requirements they characterized as a "poison pill." The vote fell seven votes short of the 60 needed to advance debate.

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• US Senate rejects resolution demanding State Department accountability report on Israeli violence in West Bank — The US Senate voted 47–51 to reject a Democratic resolution led by Senator Chris Van Hollen that would have required the State Department to report to Congress within 30 days on violence in the occupied West Bank, including the deaths of nine American citizens killed by Israeli settlers or security forces since 2022, and on broader human rights conditions including Israel's detention of Palestinian children. The resolution invoked Section 502B of the Foreign Assistance Act. One Democrat (John Fetterman) voted with Republicans; one Republican (Rand Paul) voted with Democrats.

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• Complaint filed: State of New York v. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development — The State of New York filed suit in federal district court challenging HUD's decision not to obligate $56.1 million in congressionally appropriated funds for the Housing Counseling program. Trump announced a "pocket rescission" of the funds on September 25, 2026, citing alleged failure to reduce delinquencies and claiming grantees pursued "DEI-centric discriminatory agendas." New York alleges HUD exceeded its statutory authority, violated the Administrative Procedure Act, and breached the mandatory obligation requirement in 12 U.S.C. § 1701x(a)(4)(A). The state seeks declaratory relief, vacatur of HUD's decisions, and an order compelling full obligation of the appropriation.

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• Trump administration obligates $175m in human rights funds to far-right causes before fiscal deadline — With hours remaining before fiscal year-end, the Trump State Department obligated more than $175 million from the Human Rights and Democracy Fund (HRDF) to 43 awards, including a $40 million anti-communism grant, support for white Afrikaner rights groups in South Africa, campaigns against Brazil's supreme court, and programs in Europe promoting "western civilizational norms" and opposing "gender ideology." Secretary of State Marco Rubio personally signed a memo to disregard 10 congressional holds totaling $22 million. The action bypassed bipartisan congressional concerns and redefines human rights funding toward ideological allies rather than traditional human rights defenders.