Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Health Secretary RFK Jr. reduces flu vaccine promotion amid early seasonal surge — The article reports an early and unusually severe flu season on the US west coast, with California's test positivity rate at 9.65% (versus normal 1% in early October) and Utah recording 242 cases (up from 10 last year). A new H1N1 mutation is credited for the early onset. The FDA-approved 2026-27 vaccine targets H1N1, H3N2, and influenza B. However, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist, has reduced promotion of flu shots and engineered an overhaul of childhood vaccine schedules.

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• Trump dismisses AI safety concerns and calls regulation a hoax — Trump has repeatedly characterized concerns about artificial intelligence dangers as a "hoax" and a "scam," arguing that government already possesses sufficient regulatory authority over tech companies. This stance contradicts positions held by his own party members, AI company leaders, and the broader scientific community calling for AI safety measures and oversight.

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• Trump made public statements dismissing AI safety concerns as a hoax — The president made multiple social media posts characterizing concerns about artificial intelligence as a "hoax" perpetrated by Democrats, comparing AI safety warnings to climate change denial and the Russia investigation. He stated he is the "Hoax Buster" and called for complete deregulation of the AI industry.

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• 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.

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• HHS releases report linking gender ideology to left-wing authoritarianism without peer review — The US Department of Health and Human Services released a report claiming to link "gender ideology" and support for transgender people to left-wing authoritarianism and political violence. The report was not peer-reviewed, did not undergo scientific journal publication, and experts say it contains severe methodological flaws. Legal scholars note it may violate the Information Quality Bulletin, a federal regulation requiring peer review for influential scientific information from government agencies.

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• Kennedy suggests measles deaths in Pennsylvania were fabricated — As the U.S. faces a measles outbreak that has killed two unvaccinated people in Pennsylvania—including a newborn too young for vaccination—HHS Secretary Kennedy suggested that Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro's announcement of the deaths might have been "altogether fabricated by one of the Governor's hopeful staffers." The claim contradicts documented public health data.
• HHS Secretary RFK Jr. testified falsely about 2019 Samoa visit, documents show — According to the Associated Press, HHS Secretary RFK Jr. repeatedly told lawmakers who held the key to his confirmation last year that a 2019 visit to Samoa before a deadly measles outbreak had "nothing to do with vaccines." New documents refute that testimony. Kennedy, then a prominent anti-vaccine activist, preceded the visit with a letter to the Samoan Prime Minister requesting to study the Pacific island nation's measles, mumps and rubella vaccines after the deaths of two children who had received them.
• RFK Jr. praised low vaccine uptake in Lancaster County in 2021, preceding measles deaths — The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced that two unvaccinated people in Lancaster County died from measles. In 2021, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., then chair of the Children's Health Defense, spoke at an Amish country fair in Lancaster County where he praised the low childhood vaccine uptake and downplayed the severity of measles. The timing and location of Kennedy's remarks preceded the recent measles deaths in the same community.
• RFK Jr. falsely testified to Congress about Samoa vaccine visit — Documents obtained by the press reveal that RFK Jr., now HHS Secretary, made false statements during his 2025 Senate confirmation hearings when he claimed his 2019 Samoa visit had "nothing to do with vaccines." Letters show Kennedy explicitly told the Samoan prime minister he intended to investigate the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine. Kennedy's visit is reported to have empowered anti-vaccine activists; a measles epidemic followed that killed 83 people. Knowingly lying to Congress is a federal crime, though rarely prosecuted.

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• Dr. Mehmet Oz declines to clarify Trump's claim that MMR vaccine may be lethal — Dr. Mehmet Oz appeared on CBS and was asked to clarify Trump's statement that the MMR shot may be lethal. Oz responded that "We want parents to have the autonomy to decide what their kids receive." When pressed again to clarify Trump's use of the term "lethal," Oz stated "The MMR vaccine is not a lethal vaccine" but did not directly address or repudiate Trump's original claim.

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• Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promoted alternative health approaches over vaccines — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has promoted the belief that health depends on strong immune systems fortified through "healthy living, clean water, and good nutrition" rather than reliance on vaccines proven to prevent infectious diseases. Kennedy has made unsubstantiated claims about measles deaths in Texas being caused by malnutrition and has associated with anti-vaccine movements, while promising to explore alternative treatments for measles including vitamins rather than promoting vaccination.

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• Trump administration opens public comment period on vaccine recommendation categories — The Trump administration's Health and Human Services (HHS) department published a Federal Register notice on Friday seeking public feedback on vaccine recommendation categories (routine, risk-based, shared clinical decision-making) and whether new categories should be adopted. The notice, tied to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s task force on safer childhood vaccines, invites 30 days of public comment on the categorization structure and evidence-evaluation standards. Public health experts warn the process bypasses CDC and ACIP expertise, risks confusion about vaccine access, and may be designed to limit vaccination uptake.

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• RFK Jr. and Trump made false claims about vaccine safety at press conference — At a press conference, Trump and RFK Jr. claimed that childhood vaccines cause autism and that the combined MMR vaccine is lethal and the size of a soda bottle. RFK Jr. stated the CDC website is "outdated" when confronted with CDC data showing no scientific evidence for separating the MMR vaccine. When asked about the soda-bottle claim, RFK Jr. deflected by saying "people make their own assessment." These claims contradict established scientific consensus and CDC guidance.

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• Polymarket spread false vaccine misinformation on social media — Polymarket, a prediction market platform that has marketed itself as a "global truth machine," spread misinformation through its official X accounts. Most recently, a Polymarket account posted a false graphic claiming that babies in the U.S. receive 72 vaccine injections, a claim contradicted by multiple independent fact checkers.

Supporting reports

• Polymarket promoted false vaccine injection claim on X — On August 10, Polymarket's official X account posted a graphic falsely claiming U.S. babies receive 72 injections, attributing this to Trump policy. Fact-checkers including PolitiFact, FactCheck.org, STAT News, and CNN determined the claim false; babies actually receive 12–30 shots by age two depending on vaccine combinations. The White House had previously posted the same false graphic in January 2026. Polymarket did not respond to requests for comment.
• New York Times documented hundreds of false Polymarket posts — In a March 2026 review, the New York Times identified hundreds of posts on Polymarket's social media accounts (which have millions of combined followers) containing false or misleading information. The review documented a pattern of misinformation, frequently targeting opponents of the Trump administration. Polymarket is connected to Trump through Donald Trump Jr., who has invested in the company and serves as an unpaid advisor.
• Polymarket falsely attributed quote to Jeff Bezos — In January 2026, Polymarket posted on X that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos advised young people to work at McDonald's or Palantir before starting their own companies. Bezos replied directly, stating "Nope. Not sure why [P]olymarket made this up." The claim distorted an earlier interview answer in which Bezos advised working at "best-practices companies" to learn fundamentals; he did not mention McDonald's or Palantir.
• Polymarket posted false claim about Ilhan Omar's net worth — In December 2025, Polymarket posted conspiracy theories about how Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's net worth increased since 2019, without disclosing that her net worth now includes assets of her husband, whom she married in 2020. The omission was material to understanding the increase and fueled unfounded speculation about financial impropriety.

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• Trump signs executive order redefining U.S. childhood vaccine recommendations and directing legal challenges to state vaccine mandates. — President Trump signed Executive Order 14420 establishing "Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations" aligned with peer nations' practices, reducing the number of recommended vaccines and doses. The order directs the Attorney General to challenge state vaccine-mandate laws on constitutional grounds (parental authority, religious freedom, disability accommodations, equal protection) and instructs federal agencies to ensure contractors and grantees comply with religious and medical exemptions. It also establishes an HHS Task Force to develop single-dose vaccine alternatives and reassess vaccine safety and timing.
• Trump signs executive order restructuring childhood vaccination schedule — Donald Trump signed an executive order directing sweeping changes to the CDC childhood vaccination schedule, including breaking the MMR vaccine into three separate shots, reducing recommended vaccines from 18 to 11 diseases, and moving several vaccines to "shared clinical decision-making." The order bypasses the CDC—the federal agency tasked with vaccine recommendations—and attempts to reinstate changes halted by a federal judge in March for violating federal law. Trump and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. repeatedly invoked an unproven autism-vaccine link during the signing.
• Trump issued executive order mandating split MMR vaccine and separate childhood immunizations — Trump signed an executive order requiring the combined MMR vaccine to be administered as three separate single-disease shots and mandating that childhood immunizations be given at separate medical visits, once domestically available. The order reflects a decades-long personal belief that vaccines cause autism, a claim contradicted by scientific evidence. Sen. Bill Cassidy, a physician who confirmed RFK Jr. as health secretary, publicly opposed the order, stating vaccines are safe, effective, and do not cause autism, and that splitting vaccines will increase hesitancy and make children less safe.
• Trump issues executive order realigning U.S. childhood vaccine recommendations with peer-developed-nation standards — President Trump signed an executive order on August 10, 2026, directing the Department of Health and Human Services to implement "Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations" aligned with practices in peer developed countries. The order identifies three vaccine categories (universal, high-risk, and shared clinical decision-making), directs HHS to develop single-dose vaccine alternatives to combination products, and instructs the Attorney General to challenge state vaccine mandate laws on constitutional grounds. The order emphasizes parental choice and religious exemptions while maintaining vaccine availability.
• Trump signed Executive Order 14420 establishing "Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations" and directing federal agencies to challenge state vaccine mandate laws. — President Trump signed Executive Order 14420 on August 10, 2026, declaring a new set of "Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations" based on a HHS scientific assessment. The order categorizes vaccines into three tiers: those recommended for all children (measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type B, pneumococcal disease, HPV, varicella); those for high-risk groups; and those based on shared clinical decision-making. The order directs the Attorney General to challenge state vaccine mandate laws and directs federal agencies to ensure contractors comply with parental choice and religious exemption obligations. It also establishes an HHS Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines to develop single-dose vaccine options and reassess vaccine schedules.
• White House issued fact sheet on executive order revising childhood vaccine recommendations — The White House published a fact sheet on August 10, 2026, describing an executive order signed by President Trump that revises U.S. childhood vaccine recommendations. The order reduces recommended routine childhood vaccines from 18 diseases to 11, recommends separating the combined MMR vaccine into three single-disease shots, and advises spacing vaccines across separate medical visits. The order directs HHS to present plans for vaccine research and directs federal agencies to advance the new recommendations. States with school vaccine requirements are advised to consider updating their laws accordingly.
• Trump issues executive order on vaccines attempting to reinstate vaccine schedule changes — Donald Trump issued an executive order attempting to reinstate sweeping changes to the US vaccine schedule previously made by Robert F Kennedy Jr, the health secretary, which had been halted by a federal judge. The order cannot change CDC recommendations or federal law, but experts warn it creates confusion and undermines public trust in vaccines. The order invokes religious freedom, potentially pressuring states to reduce vaccination mandates for school attendance.
• Trump issues executive order on childhood vaccine schedule — On Monday, Trump issued an executive order directing states to revise their recommendations on childhood vaccinations. The order calls for separating the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three single-disease shots administered at separate appointments, despite such separate vaccinations not being available in the United States. Trump falsely claimed the vaccines could be "quite lethal" in combination, contradicting scientific evidence of the MMR vaccine's safety and effectiveness. Separating vaccines would require multiple doctor visits, reducing vaccination rates among poor families and leaving communities more vulnerable to disease.

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• Sen. Bill Cassidy stated CDC vaccine page contains misinformation — Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) stated on CNN that the CDC's vaccine webpage, which states "the claim vaccines do not cause autism is not an evidence-based claim," does not represent a good-faith attempt to stop spreading misinformation. Cassidy had previously pledged support for Dr. Schwartz and cited the CDC's agreement to modify its website as a sign of good faith, but stated the current language fails that standard.

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• Trump appoints climate science denier Matthew Wielicki to lead US Global Change Research Program — The Trump administration appointed Matthew Wielicki, a former geochemist who publicly denies established climate science and lacks formal training in climate science, to lead the US Global Change Research Program and oversee the National Climate Assessment. Wielicki has criticized "climate alarmism" online and cast doubt on climate science conclusions. The appointment occurs as the Trump administration has gutted climate research programs, shuttered data-collection offices, and previously shut down the online portal providing access to five editions of the congressionally mandated National Climate Assessment published since 2000.

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• White House releases 162-page report attacking Smithsonian Institution's historical interpretation — The White House Domestic Policy Council released a 162-page report on July 4, 2026, arguing that the Smithsonian Institution and the National Museum of American History "cannot be trusted to tell America's story honestly." The report criticizes the museum for "extreme political activism," "anti-White activism," "transgender activism," and supporting illegal immigration. It accuses the museum of presenting slavery too negatively and failing to adequately credit Christian moral philosophy in the founding. The report recommends exhibits be altered to reflect its findings.

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• USDA confirms New World Screwworm cases in Texas — The USDA confirmed two new New World Screwworm cases in the United States: a calf in La Salle County, Texas, and a dog in Andrews County, Texas. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Senator Roger Marshall blamed the Biden administration and migrants, claiming migrants brought the screwworm through Central America during Biden's "open borders" era.

Supporting reports

• Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins blamed the Biden administration for screwworm infestation despite timeline inconsistencies. — Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins appeared on CNBC and attributed the recent screwworm infestation to Biden-era immigration policy, claiming migrants brought the disease across the border. However, the screwworms are appearing 17 months after Biden left office, while the average screwworm lifecycle is approximately three weeks, making the causal claim scientifically implausible. Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH) countered that the Trump administration cut screwworm detection funding and fired 25% of tracking staff.
• USDA confirms New World Screwworm cases in Texas — The USDA confirmed two new New World Screwworm cases in the United States: a calf in La Salle County, Texas, and a dog in Andrews County, Texas. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Senator Roger Marshall blamed the Biden administration and migrants, claiming migrants brought the screwworm through Central America during Biden's "open borders" era.
• DOGE cuts eliminated screwworm prevention program; disease outbreak occurred in Texas — The Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cut the USAID program designed to prevent screwworm from crossing the U.S.-Mexico border and cut USDA animal disease control and prevention funding that had supported 180+ outbreak investigations in 22 countries and capacity-building in 160+ laboratories. The screwworm monitoring and response program at the border was eliminated. In June 2026, screwworm appeared in Texas cattle, prompting Governor Greg Abbott to declare a disaster for Zavala and Uvalde counties. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins blamed the Biden administration on CNBC, despite the cuts occurring under her watch in March 2025, after she took office in February 2025. The screwworm had been eradicated from the U.S. in the 1960s using a sterile fly program that was defunded.

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• FDA suppresses publication of vaccine safety research — FDA officials stopped publication of research on the safety of shingles and Covid vaccines. Research on Covid vaccine safety was withdrawn by authors after being accepted by the journal Vaccine following intervention by Vinay Prasad, then the top US vaccines regulator, who decided to pull the study showing that "the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks." This represents top-level interference with peer-reviewed scientific publication.
• FDA halts publication of vaccine safety research — The FDA reportedly stopped the publication of research on the safety of vaccines against shingles and Covid, according to former acting FDA commissioner Janet Woodcock, who characterized this as part of a "pattern" of "not letting information out that might support the general safety of vaccines." The Trump administration has also avoided discussing unpopular changes to routine vaccine recommendations before midterm elections.

Supporting reports

• FDA blocked publication of vaccine safety studies, HHS official confirms — The FDA blocked publication of multiple peer-reviewed studies funded by U.S. taxpayer money that found COVID-19 and shingles vaccines to be safe, according to HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon. Studies analyzing millions of patient records found serious side effects were rare. One COVID-19 study examined 7.5 million Medicare beneficiaries over 65; another reviewed 4.2 million people aged six months to 64. Both had been accepted by peer-reviewed journals. The FDA also prevented submission of two Shingrix studies to a drug safety conference in February. Nixon cited methodological concerns; former FDA official Janet Woodcock alleged a pattern of suppressing information supporting vaccine safety.

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• Kevin Hassett apologized for calling for Fed economists to be "disciplined" — White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett appeared on CNBC and apologized for his widely condemned comment from the previous week in which he said economists at the Federal Reserve should be "disciplined" for finding that 86% of tariff burdens fall on American businesses and consumers. Hassett stated he "got a little emotional" and regretted if the researchers felt personally attacked, though he claimed that was not his intent.

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• White House issued promotional release claiming administration achievements — The White House published a promotional release titled "Don't Be a Panican. We're Winning — and We're Not Slowing Down." The document claims multiple policy achievements including stock market gains, ICE immigration enforcement actions, halting gender-affirming care for minors, court victories on immigration detention, crime reductions, falling rents and mortgage rates, and zero illegal border crossings for nine consecutive months. The release frames these as evidence of successful implementation of the "America First agenda."
• White House issued fact sheet claiming violent crime plummets under Trump administration — The White House published a fact sheet titled "Violent Crime Plummets Across Major U.S. Cities," citing Axios reporting and claiming steep declines in violent crime in 2025 compared to 2024. The document states murders fell 19%, robberies 20%, and aggravated assaults nearly 10%, and asserts the murder rate in major cities reached its lowest level in at least 125 years. The fact sheet attributes these declines to President Trump's "aggressive, no-nonsense approach to public safety," including federal resource deployment and immigration enforcement.
• White House issues fact sheet claiming inflation victory and real wage gains — The White House published a fact sheet asserting that President Trump has "defeated" inflation, citing a January 2026 Consumer Price Index report showing year-over-year inflation at 2.4% and claiming real average hourly earnings rose 1.2% over the past year, with cumulative real wage gains of $1,400 in Trump's first year. The document attributes price declines in beef, eggs, coffee, energy, and gasoline to Trump's policies and references drug pricing reforms and a "Great Healthcare Plan."
• White House issues fact sheet announcing EPA revocation of 2009 Endangerment Finding — The White House issued a fact sheet announcing that President Trump has revoked the EPA's 2009 "Endangerment Finding" that classified greenhouse gases as harmful to human health under the Clean Air Act. The document claims this action eliminates the regulatory foundation for vehicle emissions standards, fuel economy mandates, and power plant regulations. The fact sheet asserts the revocation will save American families an average of $2,400 on vehicle purchases and reduce overall regulatory costs by $1.3 trillion. The announcement includes statements from industry groups, conservative organizations, and Republican officials supporting the action.

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• NIH ends funding for research using human fetal tissue from elective abortions — The National Institutes of Health announced it will no longer fund research using human fetal tissue obtained from elective abortions, effective immediately. NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya framed the ban as advancing science through modernization and alignment with American values. The policy reverses Biden-era guidance that had lifted Trump's first-term restrictions. In fiscal year 2024, the NIH had directed approximately $60 million to 77 projects involving fetal tissue. Fetal tissue research has contributed to advances in diabetes, Alzheimer's, infertility, and vaccine development.

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• Trump administration promotes medical misinformation on pregnancy and vaccines; ACOG leadership responds publicly — The Trump administration has made unsupported claims about Tylenol causing autism in pregnant women and prompted the FDA to convene an unbalanced panel on antidepressants in pregnancy. The CDC stopped recommending Covid vaccines for pregnant women. ACOG president Steven Fleischman publicly criticized these moves as departing from scientific evidence. The administration's executive orders on DEI also prompted ACOG to reject federal funding in summer 2025 to preserve research independence and health equity work.

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• Trump administration officials cast doubt on flu vaccine effectiveness amid record illness rates — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Mehmet Oz, administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, publicly questioned the necessity and effectiveness of flu vaccines despite record-breaking illness rates, hospitalizations, and deaths. The administration changed flu vaccine recommendations for children to "shared clinical decision-making" in early January, and the CDC halted its "Wild to Mild" vaccination campaign. Kennedy claimed no scientific evidence supports flu vaccine effectiveness in children, contradicting CDC studies. Vaccination rates have fallen to 42.5% in children and 43.5% in adults.