Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• 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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• US lawmakers urge UK investigatory powers tribunal to open Apple encrypted-data case proceedings — Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Congressman Warren Davidson (R-OH) sent a letter to Britain's investigatory powers tribunal (IPT) demanding transparency in Apple's legal challenge to a UK Home Office demand for encrypted-data access. The dispute stems from a January 2025 technical capability notice requiring Apple to break encryption on iCloud backups; Apple withdrew its Advanced Data Protection feature from UK users in response. The lawmakers argue the UK's use of secrecy directives violates US constitutional separation of powers and prevents Congress from exercising legislative oversight. An IPT case-management hearing is scheduled for September 2026.

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• Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals denies stay blocking Trump-backed Missouri redistricting map — On September 10, 2026, a federal appeals court panel (Eighth US Circuit Court of Appeals) declined to block the temporary restraining order issued by Judge Stephen Clark, allowing Missouri to proceed with using the Trump-backed congressional map in November's midterm elections. The decision came after the conservative group People Not Politicians filed an emergency stay request. The ruling left state election officials without legal clarity and prompted an immediate appeal to the US Supreme Court.

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• US Supreme Court receives emergency appeal challenging Missouri redistricting map — On September 10, 2026, opponents of Missouri's Trump-backed congressional redistricting map filed an emergency appeal to the US Supreme Court after the Eighth Circuit declined to block the map's use in November's midterm elections. The appeal follows a series of conflicting rulings across four courts, including a unanimous Missouri Supreme Court decision blocking the map and a federal judge's TRO ordering its use. The Supreme Court must act within weeks before the November elections.

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• Complaint filed: League of United Latin American Citizens v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security — LULAC, Common Cause, UnidosUS, and the City and County of Denver filed a complaint in D.D.C. challenging the Trump administration's policy authorizing ICE agents at polling places during the 2026 general election. Plaintiffs allege the policy violates the Administrative Procedure Act as arbitrary and capricious and exceeds DHS statutory authority under 18 U.S.C. § 592, which bars armed federal personnel at polling places except to repel armed enemies. Plaintiffs seek declaratory judgment and an injunction barring armed officers from polling places, drop boxes, and curbside voting locations.

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• Former House Freedom Caucus Chair Good questions Trump's constitutional authority for dividend scheme — Former House Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good posted that most conservatives do not know or care that the president lacks constitutional authority to spend money or send dividend checks without Congress. He criticized Trump's statement that "only I can do it" and called the $5,000 dividend scheme a "socialist vote-buying scheme" that would cost $1 trillion.

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• Rep. Chip Roy questions financing of dividend scheme — Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) was asked if he supported Trump's $5,000 dividend scheme and responded by asking how it would be financed, noting the cost would be "well over $1 trillion," implying skepticism about the proposal's feasibility.

Supporting reports

• Trump campaign promises $5,000 dividend checks to every adult U.S. citizen if Republicans win midterm elections — At a Republican midterm convention in Dallas on September 9, Trump promised to distribute $5,000 checks to every adult U.S. citizen if Republicans win control of Congress, calling it the "Trump Dividend." The payout would cost approximately $1.2–1.3 trillion and would require congressional approval. Trump did not explain funding mechanisms. Multiple Republican lawmakers and observers noted the promise contradicts constitutional authority and echoes unfulfilled prior pledges (DOGE dividend, tariff rebates, stimulus checks).
• Trump suggests renaming geographic features after himself at convention speech — During the Dallas convention speech on September 9, Trump proposed renaming the Hormuz Strait the "Trump Strait," Lake Michigan "Lake America," and New Mexico "New America." He stated "I should get something out of it" regarding the strait naming and joked about personal financial benefit from geographic rebranding.
• VP Vance interviewed on Fox about $5,000 dividend promise — Fox host Bret Baier interviewed VP JD Vance after Trump's convention speech on September 9. When asked how a $1.3 trillion dividend payout would be funded without bankrupting the country, Vance claimed tariffs had generated substantial revenue and that the president was offering to share wealth created by his policies. A Community Note fact-check on X noted that annual tariff revenue (under $300 billion) cannot fund a $1.3 trillion payout and that previous cash dividend promises were never delivered.
• Trump claimed Iran war will end after midterm elections — Trump told reporters that Iran is prolonging the war to influence U.S. midterm elections and that he expects the conflict to end and gas prices to decline once the elections conclude. He stated, "They can't hold out any longer" and characterized Iran as "desperate to try and affect the election." However, Wall Street Journal reporting revealed that Trump's top advisors, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, have warned him the Iran war could continue through the remainder of his term. Hegseth has already extended troop deployments in the Middle East and planned additional extensions.
• Trump promised $5,000 checks to all adults if Republicans win midterms — At the "Trumpapaloosa" midterm convention in Dallas, Trump promised that if Republicans win the midterm elections, his administration will distribute $5,000 checks to all adult Americans. Trump branded the proposal the "Trump Dividend" and attributed it to "our tremendous strength and success economically." The plan would cost more than a trillion dollars and would require congressional approval, which Trump did not acknowledge.
• Trump pledges $5,000 payment to voters if Republicans win midterms — At the Republican National Convention in Dallas on September 10, President Trump promised a $5,000 check to every U.S. adult citizen if Republicans win the midterm elections. The pledge is widely understood within Trump's own circle as non-credible; no similar payments have been distributed during his second term despite prior promises. The announcement occurred during a lengthy speech that included incoherent remarks and calls for audience loyalty pledges.
• Trump Dividend: America Is Winning — and Americans Should Win With It — The White House published this release on 2026-09-10 through its releases channel.
• FDA announces priority review voucher fee rate for fiscal year 2027 — The Food and Drug Administration published a notice establishing the fiscal year 2027 fee rate for using priority review vouchers at $1,798,596. This fee applies to applications for tropical disease, rare pediatric disease, or material threat medical countermeasure products submitted with a priority review voucher, in addition to standard Prescription Drug User Fee Act fees. The rate is effective October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027, and was calculated based on the difference between average costs of priority and standard drug application reviews in fiscal year 2025, adjusted for cost increases.
• Trump gave cash gifts to executive assistant and staff — Trump gave his executive assistant Natalie Harp and two other young female employees gifts totaling $45,000 in cash last year, approximately one-third of their $150,000 annual salary. He also gave $20,000 to Walt Nauta, his co-defendant in the classified documents case. Richard Painter, chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, stated the gifts appear to violate federal law prohibiting federal employees from receiving salary supplements from outside sources. Don Fox, acting director of the Office of Government Ethics under Obama, said the legality was unclear because such payments were not previously envisioned by OGE.
• Trump claimed he may not need congressional approval for $5,000 checks — During a backstage Fox News interview at the RNC convention, Trump was asked about the $5,000 dividend proposal. He responded that "there are a lot of people who think I don't even need congressional approval because we've made so much money," suggesting he might implement the policy unilaterally without legislative authorization.
• Trump claimed oil prices would drop after military conflict — Trump told reporters at the RNC convention that oil prices would drop "very rapidly" once the U.S. wins "the military conflict or war," and that he was "pretty sure" this would happen shortly after the election. The bulletin notes he has made similar claims for seven months while oil prices have continued to rise.
• Ron DeSantis criticized Trump's $5,000 check proposal — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis publicly denounced Trump's proposal to deliver $5,000 checks to Americans if Republicans hold their ground in the midterm elections. DeSantis warned that the infusion of cash would stir more inflation and expressed concern about borrowing an additional $1.5 trillion and flooding it into the economy.
• Trump claimed $5,000 checks would be funded by growth — During a press availability at the RNC convention in Dallas on September 11, Trump was asked how he would pay for proposed $5,000 checks to Americans. He responded that the checks would be funded by economic growth, and when asked about deficit impact, he said he was not worried about it. Economic data cited in the bulletin indicates GDP growth is weak.

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• Missouri state supreme court rules Trump-backed congressional maps must go to voter referendum — The Missouri state supreme court ruled that the newly redrawn congressional maps, backed by President Trump and designed to favor Republicans, cannot be used in the November election without voter approval via referendum. The court's decision triggered fierce opposition from Trump, state Republicans, and the state attorney general, who claimed it would disenfranchise voters and create a constitutional crisis. This ruling preceded the conflicting federal court orders issued the same day.

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• Missouri federal judge issues temporary restraining order requiring use of Trump-backed congressional maps in November elections — US District Judge Stephen Clark issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) on September 8, 2026, ordering Missouri to use newly drawn congressional districts favoring Republicans in the November general election, overriding the state supreme court's ruling that the maps must go to voters for approval. The TRO cited voter confusion and fairness concerns from using different maps in the primary versus general election. The order was immediately appealed to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, creating conflicting legal directives days before the election.
• Missouri federal judge orders use of Trump-backed congressional map despite state supreme court block — On September 9, 2026, federal district judge Stephen Clark (Eastern District of Missouri) issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) requiring Missouri to use newly drawn congressional districts favoring Republicans in the November midterm elections, overriding a unanimous Missouri Supreme Court ruling that had blocked the same maps. The TRO cited potential voter confusion if different maps were used for the general election versus the August primary. The decision triggered immediate appeals to the Eighth Circuit and US Supreme Court, leaving state election officials without legal clarity weeks before the election.

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• Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh denies emergency request to use Trump-backed Missouri congressional maps — Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh denied an emergency request from Missouri officials to use the newly redrawn congressional map favoring Republicans in the November elections. This denial occurred hours before the federal judge's contradictory TRO ordering use of those same maps. The conflicting rulings created immediate legal chaos regarding which map would govern Missouri's congressional elections.
• Justice Brett Kavanaugh denies Missouri officials' request to use Republican-favored House map — On September 9, 2026, US Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh denied an emergency request from Missouri officials to use the House map favored by Republicans, leaving in place a unanimous Missouri Supreme Court ruling that had blocked the newer maps drawn to create an additional Republican-friendly seat. Kavanaugh's denial occurred hours before a federal district judge issued a contradictory TRO ordering use of the same Republican-backed map, creating legal chaos.

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• President continues national emergency declaration for terrorist threat — The President issued a notice continuing the national emergency previously declared on September 14, 2001, in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the continuing threat of further attacks on the United States. The continuation extends the emergency powers and authorities for an additional year beyond September 14, 2026, consistent with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act. The notice was transmitted to Congress as required by law.

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• Trump signs Executive Order 14427 adjusting Defense Production Act delegations to Interior and Energy secretaries — President Trump signed Executive Order 14427 on September 8, 2026, amending Executive Order 13603 to redistribute Defense Production Act authorities. The order grants the Secretary of the Interior independent authority alongside the Secretary of Energy over energy resources and production. Disputes between the two secretaries over energy matters are to be referred to the National Energy Dominance Council, or to both that council and the National Security Council if national defense or military operations are implicated. The order also expands delegated authorities under section 101(c) of the Defense Production Act to include the Secretaries of Interior, Commerce, and Energy, each exercising authority independently.
• Trump issued executive order adjusting Defense Production Act delegations to expand Interior Secretary authority over energy resources — President Trump signed an executive order on September 8, 2026, amending Executive Order 13603 to redistribute delegated authorities under the Defense Production Act. The order grants the Secretary of the Interior independent authority (alongside the Secretary of Energy) over energy production, construction, distribution, and use. It establishes the National Energy Dominance Council as the first-instance dispute-resolution body for energy-related conflicts between the two Secretaries, with escalation to the National Security Council if national defense or military operations are implicated. The order also expands Interior's authority over materials procurement under section 101(c) of the Act.
• Adjusting Certain Delegations Under the Defense Production Act — The White House published this executive order on 2026-09-08 through its executive-orders channel.

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• Representative Pingree called for Congress to exercise constitutional powers regarding Trump's fitness — Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME) posted on social media calling out Republicans for refusing to exercise their constitutional powers to protect the country, stating that Congress, the Cabinet, and those around Trump have a responsibility to stop enabling his behavior and to question whether he is fit to hold office. Her statement was made in response to Trump's social media posts.

Supporting reports

• DOJ solicitor general appeals mail voting injunction to Supreme Court — John Sauer, the DOJ's solicitor general, filed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court on September 6 seeking to lift Judge Talwani's permanent injunction and permit Trump's USPS rules restricting mail voting to take effect. Sauer argued the freeze would cause "serious, irreparable harm" and claimed the order merely imposes "reasonable preparation requirements" rather than seizing control of state election administration, contradicting the judge's findings.
• Trump administration appeals to Supreme Court to restrict mail-in voting ahead of midterms — The Trump administration filed an emergency appeal to the US Supreme Court on Sunday seeking to overturn a federal judge's injunction blocking enforcement of an executive order restricting mail-in voting. US District Judge Indira Talwani had extended the court order on Friday preventing the USPS from enforcing Trump's March executive order, which would limit ballot delivery to voters on a federal DHS-approved list. Solicitor General John Sauer argued that ballots already mailing in multiple states risked "confusion and chaos" if the injunction remained in place. This marks the third Supreme Court appeal on the matter.

Supporting reports

• Federal judge extends preliminary injunction blocking Trump mail-in voting executive order — US District Court Judge Indira Talwani extended a preliminary injunction blocking President Trump's March 2026 executive order restricting mail-in voting. The order would have created a nationwide verified voter list and limited ballot delivery to those on the list. Talwani cited the tight election timeline and risk of disenfranchisement, noting states cannot pivot ballot-mailing procedures weeks before the November midterms. The Trump administration immediately appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court.