Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• House Rules Committee advances bill expanding Trump's tariff authority over Russia sanctions — The House Rules Committee voted Monday to advance the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026, which would grant President Trump broad authority to impose 100% tariffs on countries purchasing Russian oil, including China and India. The bill targets Russia's energy, defense, and "shadow fleet" sectors. A House floor rule vote was scheduled for Tuesday, with a general vote Wednesday. The legislation has sparked internal Democratic division, with prominent Democrats opposing it as an unwarranted expansion of presidential tariff power that could harm US allies, while Ukraine advocates and some Democrats argue it is essential to pressure Russia's economy during the war.

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• FBI Director Kash Patel testified before Senate on bureau policies and investigations — FBI Director Kash Patel appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee and responded to questions from Democratic and Republican senators regarding FBI hiring standards, election integrity operations, investigations into Trump-related matters, and allegations of misuse of agency resources. Patel defended the removal of bestiality as a disqualification for FBI agent hires, stated the FBI maintains election crisis coordinators at all 56 field offices, declined to comment on ongoing investigations into the 2020 election, and denied knowledge of allegations that agents interviewed a reporter's source in connection with reporting on his personal security detail.

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• Senate Clarity Act released with grandfathered exemption for Trump's existing crypto holdings — Senator Cynthia Lummis released a revised version of the Clarity Act on September 15, 2026, claiming it imposed meaningful ethics restrictions on President Trump's cryptocurrency activities. The 635-page bill prohibits "covered individuals" (including the President) from issuing or sponsoring new digital assets. However, an "Application" provision on the final page exempts all digital assets issued or sponsored before the legislation's effective date—including Trump's meme coin, World Liberty Financial token, and USD1 stablecoin—from the prohibition. The effective date can be delayed up to 360 days after enactment, potentially allowing Trump to issue additional grandfathered assets into 2027.

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• Trump threatens to block Kennedy Center renovation unless his name is added to building — President Trump threatened to block a $257 million renovation of the Kennedy Center unless federal courts allow his name to be inscribed on the building's exterior. Trump's board voted to close the performing arts center citing safety concerns. A federal judge had previously ruled that only Congress can authorize renaming the Kennedy Center, and ordered Trump's name removed from the facade in June. Trump conditioned the renovation on overturning the court decision, stating the project "will not take place" if courts rule against adding his name.
• Commerce Secretary Lutnick posts security video of Kennedy Center debris to justify Trump renovation — U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick posted a security video on Monday appearing to show debris falling in the Kennedy Center's grand foyer, claiming "the entire building is in this kind of shape" and asserting that only Trump "can deliver the renovation on time and on budget." Trump then shared the post on Truth Social. Lutnick's wife, Allison, is a member of Trump's appointed board at the Kennedy Center.

Supporting reports

• Trump's board votes to close Kennedy Center performing arts building — Trump's handpicked Kennedy Center board voted to close the institution's main performing arts building, citing safety and financial concerns. The closure followed a federal court ruling blocking the addition of Trump's name to the building. Board members claimed structural emergencies and deferred maintenance justified the closure, though Democratic congresswoman Joyce Beatty's legal team disputed the safety characterization, arguing consultants had "expressly disclaimed" such opinions.
• Kennedy Center board voted to close venue for two-year renovation period — Following Judge Cooper's ruling, the Kennedy Center board voted to close the venue for two years for renovations. Trump subsequently posted on social media that renovations could not proceed unless the court approved adding his name to the building, stating the building was "destined to doom" without his name.

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• Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia University over alleged anti-Palestinian discrimination and retaliation — Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian-American graduate student at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, filed a 60-page complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on September 14, 2026, accusing the university, its board, and dean Keren Yarhi-Milo of "deliberate indifference" to years of anti-Palestinian harassment and discrimination. Khalil, detained by federal immigration agents in March 2025 after pro-Palestinian advocacy, alleges Columbia failed to protect him and other students from doxing campaigns, threats, and coordinated harassment, and instead subjected them to disciplinary proceedings and restrictions, including suspending the Palestine Working Group.

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• Complaint filed — City of New York v. United States Department of Homeland Security — Six local governments—New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Santa Clara County, Seattle, and King County—filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York challenging a July 2026 DHS final rule that rescinded the 2022 "public charge" definition and replaced it with a broader, discretionary standard tied to any means-tested public benefit use. The complaint also challenges an August 2026 USCIS implementing policy guidance. Plaintiffs allege violations of the Administrative Procedure Act, claiming the rule is contrary to law, in excess of statutory authority, arbitrary and capricious, and (as to the USCIS guidance) adopted without notice-and-comment rulemaking. Plaintiffs seek vacatur, declaratory relief, and injunctive relief.

Supporting reports

• Complaint filed: State of New York v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security — New York, 21 other states, the District of Columbia, and the Governor of Pennsylvania filed a complaint in the Southern District of New York challenging a July 20, 2026 DHS final rule that rescinded the 2022 regulatory definition of "public charge" and replaced it with a broader, undefined standard tied to likely use of any means-tested public benefit. The complaint alleges the rule and accompanying USCIS implementing guidance are contrary to law, in excess of statutory authority, and arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act, and that the guidance constitutes an unlawful legislative rule issued without notice-and-comment procedures. Plaintiffs seek vacatur, declaratory and injunctive relief, and attorney fees, estimating the rule will cost them $2.2 billion in reduced federal payments and create added public health and administrative burdens.
• Trump administration implements expanded "public charge" rule restricting green card eligibility based on public benefits use — The Trump administration issued a new policy expanding the "public charge" rule to allow immigration officers to deny green cards to applicants who use public benefits including Medicaid, food stamps, and housing vouchers. The rule is more expansive than a similar first-term attempt, now permitting officers to consider benefits applied for on behalf of family members, including U.S. citizen children. A coalition of 22 states and D.C., led by New York, filed suit Monday challenging the policy as unlawful and economically harmful to states and families.

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• North Carolina Chief Justice election decided by 401 votes; fair maps overturned — A Republican Chief Justice won election in North Carolina by 401 votes out of 5.4 million cast. The Chief Justice was responsible for overturning fair electoral maps that had been in place in 2022. Approximately 154,000 voters skipped the judicial race entirely. The narrow margin and high rate of ballot-skipping in the race is cited as evidence that voter mobilization and ballot completion could have altered the outcome and prevented the maps' reversal.

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• Ankle bracelet monitoring imposed on Haitian TPS holders in Springfield — Following immigration check-ins required under TPS termination, Haitian nationals in Springfield, including Pierre Damas Bel, were ordered to wear ankle bracelet monitors. Bel reported the device as humiliating and stated it prevented him from participating in school sports. The monitoring requirement contributed to his psychological distress in the weeks before his death on 31 August.

Supporting reports

• ICE enforcement operations in Springfield, Ohio result in mass detentions and deportations of Haitian immigrants — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have been active in Springfield for approximately one month, conducting enforcement operations that have resulted in thousands of Haitian immigrants fleeing the city or being detained and deported. Hundreds remain in jail awaiting processing. The enforcement campaign has created a climate of fear among the Haitian community, including students who declined interviews with media outlets for fear of detention and deportation. An ICE spokesperson stated the agency is not responsible for Pierre Damas Bel's death.

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• Speaker Mike Johnson defended Trump's proposed $5,000 voter payments as "creative." — Speaker Mike Johnson appeared on CNN and Meet the Press to discuss Trump's proposal to give $5,000 checks to voters. On CNN, Johnson defended the proposal as "a new creative idea" and said Republicans "applaud the president for thinking outside the box." On Meet the Press, when asked why he would support adding to the national debt when he has called it the largest threat facing the country, Johnson responded dismissively: "Uh, I don't want to. I guess we're gonna spend the whole segment talking about this one issue. You and I are wasting a lot of time this morning."

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• Bernie Sanders drafted bill to ban AI superintelligence — Senator Bernie Sanders drafted legislation to ban AI superintelligence development, including criminal penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment for anyone working on the technology, in response to escalating AI safety concerns.

Supporting reports

• USPS rejected mail-in ballots from Leon County, Florida over spacing technicality — The United States Postal Service rejected mailed ballots from Leon County, Florida because the words "return service requested" were only 0.236 inches from the election office's return address instead of the required quarter-inch apart—a difference of 0.014 inches. Leon County Supervisor of Elections Mark Earley called the rejection "ridiculous." The incident demonstrates how Trump's March executive order directing USPS interference in mail-in voting could be implemented if the Supreme Court lifts an injunction blocking the new postal rules.

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• Judge Michael Luttig warned Republicans are planning to steal midterm elections. — Judge Michael Luttig wrote an opinion piece in The New Republic warning that Republicans are planning to steal the midterm elections. Luttig stated that congressional Republicans "took a blood oath 6 years ago not just to put their party before their country, but to put Trump before their country." He warned that "only weeks before the midterm elections, House Republicans have already sworn their allegiance to Trump and doomed the US to another January 6 next January 3." Luttig asserted that House Republicans are "poised to claim that the midterm elections were stolen from them when they meet on January 3 to decide which members-elect will be seated in the 120th Congress." He stated that Trump has "exploited every conceivable unlawful means possible to rig the midterm elections in favor of the Republicans, and the federal courts have struck down as unconstitutional every one of these unlawful attempts." Luttig concluded: "Everyone knows that the greatest threat to the upcoming midterm elections is not the Democrats or the Chinese, noncitizen voting, or electronic voting machines, but the president of the United States and his servile Republican Congress."

Supporting reports

• LULAC, Common Cause, UnidosUS, and Denver file federal lawsuit challenging armed ICE enforcement at polling places — LULAC, Common Cause, UnidosUS, and the City and County of Denver filed a federal lawsuit in Washington, D.C., on Thursday challenging a Trump administration policy permitting armed ICE officers to enter polling places to conduct immigration enforcement. The lawsuit was prompted by comments from Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stating that ICE officers could enter polling locations to serve warrants or conduct immigration and customs enforcement. Plaintiffs cited an 1865 federal law generally prohibiting armed federal personnel at election sites except to repel armed enemies, and argued that armed immigration enforcement could intimidate voters and interfere with local election administration.

Supporting reports

• Justice Department directs 29 states to preserve 2024 election records — The Justice Department directed election officials in 29 states and Washington, D.C., to preserve records from the 2024 election as it continues litigation seeking access to detailed voter-registration information. The information sought can include addresses, dates of birth, driver's-license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers. The DOJ characterized preservation notices as standard during litigation, but state officials questioned the scope of the administration's requests and raised privacy concerns. Federal judges have repeatedly dismissed some of the department's lawsuits seeking detailed voter information.

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• House Speaker Mike Johnson declared Republicans will not allow Democrats to take the majority — House Speaker Mike Johnson told attendees at Trump's convention in Dallas on Thursday that "We cannot and will not allow them to take the majority in the Congress. We're not gonna do it." The statement came as Judge Luttig warned of Republican plans to refuse seating elected Democrats after a potential Democratic victory in the 2026 midterm elections.

Supporting reports

• Judge J. Michael Luttig published warning of Republican plan to refuse seating elected Democrats — Conservative judge J. Michael Luttig published an article in The New Republic warning that House Speaker Mike Johnson could remove the House clerk and replace him with a MAGA loyalist who would refuse to list elected Democrats on the roll for the 120th Congress. Luttig outlined how this scenario could paralyze the United States government and create a constitutional crisis, comparing it to Trump's 2021 attempt to overturn the election that was thwarted by Vice President Mike Pence.

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• Trump announces $5,000 "Trump dividend" conditional on Republican congressional control — At the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, Trump announced a $5,000 "Trump dividend" payment to every adult U.S. citizen if Republicans maintain control of both the House and Senate after the November 3 election. Reuters estimated the cost at approximately $1.2 trillion for roughly 240 million adult citizens. Trump and JD Vance suggested tariff revenue could help fund the plan, but the Congressional Budget Office reported only $167 billion in tariff revenue collected in the current fiscal year, far short of the estimated cost. Congress would need to authorize any such spending.

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• Missouri Republican legislators threatened impeachment of state Supreme Court justices over redistricting ruling — Missouri Republican lawmakers sent a letter threatening impeachment of state Supreme Court justices if they held Secretary of State Hoskins in contempt for defying a court order on redistricting. The letter, sent before the U.S. Supreme Court intervened, insisted that Hoskins comply with the federal judge's order and questioned whether the state Supreme Court understood that federal law is "supreme." The impeachment threat was ultimately not carried out.

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• Utah Republicans threatened to impeach judge over gerrymandering enforcement — Utah Republicans threatened to impeach a state judge for enforcing a constitutional ban on gerrymandering. When the impeachment threat did not succeed in stopping the judge's rulings, Republicans subsequently packed the state Supreme Court to overturn the judge's decisions and allow gerrymandered districts.
• Utah Republicans packed state Supreme Court to overturn redistricting protections — After their impeachment threat against a judge enforcing a constitutional ban on gerrymandering failed, Utah Republicans packed the state Supreme Court. This court-packing effort was designed to overturn judicial protections against gerrymandered districts and allow partisan redistricting to proceed.

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• Trump ally Joe diGenova resigns from DOJ investigation into alleged conspiracy against president — Joe diGenova, a longtime Trump ally appointed in April 2026 to lead a Department of Justice investigation into alleged conspiracy by former law enforcement and intelligence officials against Trump, resigned from the post after five months. DiGenova cited the time required to build solid cases. The investigation, based in Florida and targeting officials involved in Trump-related probes including the 2016 Russian interference assessment, had shown recent activity with grand jury subpoenas but produced no charges. His departure signals internal disagreement over the pace and viability of retribution cases.

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• Department of Justice Removes Alien Terrorist in First Use of United States Alien Terrorist Removal Court — The Department of Justice announced this on 2026-09-11 through Office of the Attorney General. The recorded stage is a conviction after trial. The department's own account of it reads: "In the first-ever case before the United States Alien Terrorist Removal Court (ATRC), Nazira Haji Zada, 47, an Afghan national previously residing in Fort Worth, Texas, was removed from the United States after conceding that she is an alien terrorist."
• First deportation through Alien Terrorist Removal Court using secret evidence — Trump's Justice Department announced the first-ever deportation of an individual through the Alien Terrorist Removal Court, a specialized tribunal that has existed since 1996 but had never been used. The court's procedures permit the use of secret evidence that deportation targets never see, a practice that legal scholars have flagged as raising constitutional concerns regarding due process and the right to confront evidence.

Supporting reports

• DOJ investigates virus scientists including former COVID czar Fauci — Trump's Justice Department has been investigating several virus scientists, including former COVID czar Anthony Fauci, seeking phone, email, grant, payment records, and grand jury testimony. The investigation's status and scope remain unclear. Fauci is protected from federal prosecution for his official actions from 2014 to 2025 by a preemptive pardon issued by former President Joe Biden.