Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Twenty-five states and D.C. sued federal government over conditional disaster and homeland security funding — Twenty-five states and the District of Columbia filed a federal lawsuit in Rhode Island challenging FEMA and DHS conditions on billions of dollars in annual disaster relief and homeland security grants. The conditions require states to convert to paper ballots, conduct manual audits, reconcile voter registration lists, verify citizenship of all registered voters, assist DHS in immigration enforcement, and accept DHS authority to withdraw all grants at will. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha characterized the conditions as "unlawfully withholding billions in critical funding" to coerce election and immigration policy changes.

Supporting reports

• Trump signed executive order directing DHS to create federal citizen list for voter eligibility using flawed SAVE database — President Trump signed an executive order last week directing the Department of Homeland Security to use the SAVE database and other sources to create, for each state, a list of confirmed U.S. citizens eligible to vote in federal elections. The order then directs the Department of Justice to prosecute individuals and entities involved in printing, producing, or distributing ballots to anyone not on the list. SAVE is an incomplete database designed for benefits eligibility, not citizenship verification, and has produced error rates exceeding 80% in pilot deployments. The order effectively coerces states to purge voters or face federal criminal charges.

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• Justice Department sues Idaho over voter-roll production — The Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division announced a federal lawsuit against Idaho for failing to produce its full voter registration lists upon request. The DOJ characterized the action as part of its election-integrity oversight authority under the Civil Rights Act of 1960, which permits the Attorney General to demand production, inspection, and analysis of statewide voter rolls. This lawsuit brings the DOJ's total to 30 states and the District of Columbia facing similar suits.
• DOJ sues Idaho for refusing to release voter roll data — Trump's Justice Department sued Idaho on April 2 for refusing to turn over sensitive data from its voter rolls. The DOJ has now sued at least 30 states and DC to obtain unredacted voter rolls, including other red states such as Utah, Kentucky, and West Virginia. The pattern of federal coercion to access voter data raises concerns about centralized control of election administration.

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• Trump administration executive order restricting mail-in voting challenged in federal court — A coalition of civil rights groups filed a lawsuit in federal court in Massachusetts on Thursday challenging an executive order Trump signed on Tuesday that restricts mail-in voting. The order instructs the federal government to create a list of eligible voters in each state and directs the US Postal Service to transmit mail-in ballots only to people on that list. The plaintiffs argue the order violates the Constitution's separation of powers, Article I Section 4 (state control of elections), the Voting Rights Act, and the Privacy Act. This is Trump's second attempt to unilaterally alter voting procedures; a previous order was largely blocked by a federal judge last year.
• Senate Democrats and election officials condemned Trump's mail-in voting order — Senate Rules Committee top Democrat Alex Padilla (D-CA) called Trump's mail-in voting executive order a "blatant, unconstitutional abuse of power," stating Trump has "no authority to commandeer federal elections or direct the Postal Service to undermine mail and absentee voting." Representative Joe Morelle (D-NY), top-ranking Democrat on the House Administration Committee, said the order is "illegal, dangerous and subversive" and that "Donald Trump fears the American people and is willing to violate the Constitution to stop them from voting." Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) posted "See you in court. You will lose." Election law expert David Becker told Democracy Docket that "This is unconstitutional on its face. The Constitution clearly gives the president no power over elections."
• Trump issues executive order restricting mail-in voting — On Tuesday, April 2, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order directing the US Postal Service to restrict mail-in and absentee ballot distribution to individuals on a pre-approved list of eligible citizens. The order tasked the Department of Homeland Security with creating the list using federal citizenship records, defining eligibility by age 18+ and US citizenship. States and localities refusing compliance face loss of federal funding and investigations. The order prompted immediate legal challenges.

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• Peter Ticktin promotes draft emergency executive order to overhaul voting rules and restrict voting access — Peter Ticktin, an 80-year-old Florida lawyer with ties to Trump, has been actively promoting a draft executive order that would fundamentally alter U.S. voting procedures. The 17-page draft, dated April 2025, proposes requiring voter re-registration with proof of citizenship, ending machine and mail-in voting, mandating hand-counting of all ballots by midnight on election day, and other restrictive measures. Ticktin claims to have emailed Trump urging action on the order and states he is in contact with other Trump administration officials, though he declines to name them. Election experts warn the proposals are legally dubious, infeasible, and would sharply restrict voting rights and turnout.
• Trump requests congressional ban on state-issued driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants — At the State of the Union address, President Trump asked lawmakers to ban states from granting new driving licenses to immigrants in the country illegally. This legislative request seeks to expand federal restrictions beyond commercial licenses to all state-issued driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants, further limiting mobility and work capacity.

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• Peter Ticktin promotes draft emergency executive order to overhaul voting rules and restrict voting access — Peter Ticktin, an 80-year-old Florida lawyer with ties to Trump, has been actively promoting a draft executive order that would fundamentally alter U.S. voting procedures. The 17-page draft, dated April 2025, proposes requiring voter re-registration with proof of citizenship, ending machine and mail-in voting, mandating hand-counting of all ballots by midnight on election day, and other restrictive measures. Ticktin claims to have emailed Trump urging action on the order and states he is in contact with other Trump administration officials, though he declines to name them. Election experts warn the proposals are legally dubious, infeasible, and would sharply restrict voting rights and turnout.

Supporting reports

• Trump demands SAVE America Act as condition for DHS funding — Trump posted on Sunday that he would not agree to any DHS funding proposal unless Democrats also supported the SAVE America Act, which would require voters to show proof of citizenship in addition to ID, end mail-in voting, and attack transgender rights. The act is characterized as a voter suppression measure; voting by undocumented immigrants is already virtually nonexistent and illegal, and mail fraud occurs in only approximately 0.000043% of mail-in ballots. Republicans plan to use budget reconciliation to pass the measure without Democratic support, potentially removing more than 21 million Americans from voter rolls.
• Trump signed executive order imposing proof-of-citizenship voting requirement — On March 25, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order titled "Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections" instructing the Election Assistance Commission to add a proof-of-citizenship requirement to the federal voter registration form and requiring the Secretary of Defense to impose the same requirement on military and overseas voter forms. The order lists passport, military ID, or government-issued ID indicating citizenship as valid proof, effectively requiring most people to use a passport—which only about half of Americans possess. The order also directs the Attorney General to challenge states that count mail-in ballots received after Election Day and instructs federal agencies to review state voter rolls for fraud.
• Trump Advocates for the SAVE America Act — Trump publicly supported the SAVE America Act, which aims to impose stricter voting requirements, including proof of citizenship and the elimination of mail-in voting. This act is seen as a voter suppression measure, despite the low incidence of mail-in voting fraud.
• Trump Demands Changes to DHS Funding Negotiations — Trump pressured Senate Republicans to eliminate the filibuster to pass legislation funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) without Democratic support, while also insisting on the inclusion of the SAVE America Act, which would impose stricter voting requirements and limit mail-in voting.
• Trump demanded Senate add SAVE America Act to DHS funding — On Sunday, March 27, President Trump demanded that the Senate add the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act to the DHS funding measure. The act would require proof of citizenship to register and vote, severely restrict mail-in voting, and require states to surrender voting lists to a federal database (the SAVE system) used to screen for noncitizens. The Brennan Center estimated the act would remove at least 21 million Americans from voting rolls, with the SAVE database showing false-positive rates as high as 14%.

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• Sen. Murkowski opposes SAVE Act — Sen. Lisa Murkowski became the first Republican senator to publicly oppose the SAVE Act, a Trump-backed sweeping election bill requiring proof of citizenship to vote nationwide. Murkowski noted that Republicans unanimously opposed similar federal election reform under Biden, citing constitutional authority of states to regulate elections and warning that one-size-fits-all DC mandates do not work in states like Alaska.

Supporting reports

• DOJ demands sensitive voter information from 43 states — The Trump Department of Justice is conducting an unprecedented effort to collect comprehensive voter information from at least 43 states, including last four digits of social security numbers, full dates of birth, and addresses. Eight states have voluntarily complied; the DOJ has sued 23 states and D.C. for refusing to provide the data, citing state privacy laws. The DOJ has not disclosed its intended use beyond general voter roll maintenance, but is sharing information with the Department of Homeland Security's immigration database. Critics argue the effort violates the National Voter Registration Act, the Privacy Act, and state law, and may be designed to sow doubt about election integrity.
• DOJ compiles database of voter registration and ballot-casting data; sues states that object — Trump's Department of Justice is building a centralized database containing sensitive voting records on every American citizen who has registered to vote or cast a ballot. States that have objected to the data collection have been sued by the DOJ to compel compliance. The effort represents an unprecedented federal assertion of control over state-administered voter data and election administration.
• Justice Department sued Virginia over voter roll production — The Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division announced it filed a federal lawsuit against Virginia for failing to produce voter registration lists upon request. Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated this brings the total number of states sued to 24, plus the District of Columbia. The department invoked the National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, and Civil Rights Act of 1960 as legal bases for demanding production and inspection of statewide voter registration lists.

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• Department of Justice sues six states to force release of voter rolls and voter identification information — The Department of Justice sued six states—California, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania—to force them to hand over their voter rolls and information identifying individual voters. The lawsuit follows a nearly identical lawsuit the DOJ filed the previous week against Maine and Oregon. State officials from both Democratic and Republican governments have questioned why the federal government wants the information. Oregon's Democratic secretary of state Tobias Read characterized the lawsuits as an attempt by Trump to use the DOJ to target political opponents and undermine elections.
• Justice Department sues six states over voter registration list production — The Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division announced federal lawsuits against California, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania for failure to produce statewide voter registration lists upon request. Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated that clean voter rolls are foundational to free and fair elections and that states have a responsibility to comply with federal elections law. The suits invoke the National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, and Civil Rights Act of 1960.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration demands voting data from 19 states — Trump's appointees at the Department of Justice demanded voting data from at least 19 states in an apparent attempt to identify ineligible voters. This action follows Trump's earlier executive order requiring documented proof of citizenship to register to vote, much of which has been blocked by courts. The demand represents a coordinated federal effort to scrutinize voter rolls ahead of the 2026 midterms.

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• Greg Abbott announces plan to redraw Texas congressional districts — Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced a plan to redraw the state's congressional districts as part of his legislative priorities for the upcoming session beginning July 21. The move, reportedly made in response to Trump administration pressure for additional Republican seats, would constitute a mid-decade gerrymander. Democrats and voting-rights advocates condemned the action as an attack on democracy, particularly given its timing during a state emergency following deadly flooding. The Texas legislature, with Republican majorities in both chambers, is expected to approve Abbott's conservative agenda.

Supporting reports

• Trump signs executive order requiring documentary proof of citizenship for federal voter registration — President Trump signed an executive order on March 25 requiring documentary proof of citizenship to be added to federal voter registration forms. States that do not comply face federal funding cuts. White House staff secretary Will Scharf characterized the order as "the farthest-reaching executive action taken" in the country's history. Multiple states have announced they will challenge the order as an unconstitutional federal overreach. The order targets the same nonexistent problem of noncitizen voting that the Save Act addresses.
• Trump executive order directs EAC to amend federal voter registration form — President Trump's March 25 executive order "Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections" instructs the Election Assistance Commission to amend the federal voter registration form to require proof of citizenship documentation, such as a passport. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, 21.3 million eligible Americans lack readily available proof of citizenship, meaning the requirement could disenfranchise millions of voters despite noncitizen voting being extremely rare.
• Trump executive order threatens to withhold federal election funding from states — Trump's March 25 executive order threatens to withhold federal election funding from states that count mail-in ballots received after Election Day, even if those ballots were mailed before Election Day. Over a dozen states allow this practice. The order also instructs the Secretary of Defense to add proof-of-citizenship requirements to military and overseas voter registration forms and directs the EAC to decertify all previously certified voting machines.
• White House issued fact sheet on executive order directing election integrity measures — The White House published a fact sheet on March 25, 2025, describing an executive order signed by President Trump that day. The order directs federal agencies to require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration, mandates state access to federal databases for citizenship verification, prioritizes prosecution of non-citizen voting, conditions federal election funding on state compliance with citizenship verification and paper ballot requirements, and directs the Attorney General to enforce voter-list maintenance and prevent non-citizens from election administration roles.
• White House signed Executive Order 14248 on election integrity requirements — The White House signed Executive Order 14248 on March 25, 2025, directing federal agencies to enforce citizenship verification in voter registration, require paper ballots with voter-verifiable records, enforce Election Day ballot receipt deadlines, prevent non-citizen voting, coordinate with states on voter list maintenance, prosecute election crimes, and secure voting systems. The order mandates the Election Assistance Commission amend voting system guidelines within 180 days and condition federal funding on state compliance with citizenship documentation and ballot receipt requirements.
• Trump signed Executive Order 14248 requiring documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration, enforcing Election Day ballot receipt deadlines, and directing federal agencies to verify voter eligibility and prosecute election crimes. — President Trump signed Executive Order 14248 on March 25, 2025, establishing federal election-integrity policies. The order mandates documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration; requires states to reject ballots received after Election Day; directs DHS, DOJ, and SSA to share citizenship and eligibility databases with election officials; authorizes DOJ to withhold federal funds from non-compliant states; requires voting systems to produce voter-verifiable paper records; and directs cessation of prior administration voting-access initiatives. The order invokes federal statutes governing election administration and citizenship verification.
• Trump signed executive order on election integrity requiring citizenship documentation and voter list maintenance — President Donald Trump issued an executive order on March 25, 2025, titled "Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections." The order directs federal agencies to enforce existing election laws, including requiring documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration, mandating states maintain accurate voter rolls, restricting mail-in ballot counting to Election Day, and requiring paper ballots with voter-verifiable records. It tasks the Election Assistance Commission, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, and Social Security Administration with implementing citizenship verification, voter list audits, and prosecution of election crimes.
• Trump signed executive order on election laws — Trump signed an executive order making changes to election laws, including requiring proof of US citizenship on voter registration forms. States that don't comply with the directive could lose federal funding. The order also directs the attorney general to take action against states that count ballots received after election day in federal elections. The order also gives DOGE access to state voter lists, which could result in voter purges.
• Trump signs executive order requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration — Donald Trump signed a far-reaching executive order on March 26, 2025, that fundamentally alters U.S. voter registration processes by requiring documentary proof of citizenship (such as a passport) to vote in federal elections. The order amends the federal voter registration form, empowers federal agencies to cut funding to non-compliant states, instructs the DOJ to prosecute alleged "election crimes," and seeks to block states from accepting mail-in ballots after election day. Legal experts and voting rights advocates warn the order could disenfranchise tens of millions of eligible voters and faces constitutional challenges.
• Trump signed executive order on voter citizenship requirements — President Trump signed an executive order that would, if enforceable, dramatically change U.S. elections and restrict voting rights for tens of millions of Americans by imposing new citizenship verification requirements. Legal analyst Marc Elias of Democracy Docket characterized the order as "confused, rhetorical and—in places—nonsensical. It asserts facts that are not true and claims authority he does not possess. It is not meant to be taken seriously or literally. Rather, it is the empty threat of a weak man desperate to appear strong."
• Trump issues executive order on election integrity titled "Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections" — President Trump issued an executive order titled "Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections" that asserts presidential powers over election administration, including restricting which ballots states can count and granting DOGE unspecified authority to review state voter rolls. The order lacks constitutional or statutory basis, as election regulation authority rests with state legislatures and Congress, not the president. Election law advocates announced plans to challenge the order in court.
• Trump issues executive order on voting rules and mail ballot administration — President Donald Trump issued an executive order on voting on Tuesday, March 26, 2025, that directs states to change rules for accepting mail ballots and empowers the Department of Government Efficiency to subpoena state records to investigate voter fraud claims. The order represents a direct federal intervention in state election administration that exceeds the scope of Biden's 2021 voter registration executive order, which Republicans had challenged as unconstitutional federal overreach.
• Trump signed an executive order affecting U.S. elections — President Trump signed an executive order that aims to change U.S. elections by requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote. This order has been criticized as confusing and nonsensical, with experts suggesting it is not meant to be taken seriously. The order could potentially disenfranchise millions of Americans and raises concerns about voter access and election integrity.