Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• DOJ official encouraged prosecutors to "go big" and "go loud" in prosecuting protesters — A top Justice Department official encouraged prosecutors to "go big" and "go loud" when pursuing criminal charges against people who protested against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, according to reporting. The Minneapolis case is one of several the DOJ has brought across the U.S. leveling charges against wide swaths of protesters, including cases in Texas where prosecutors secured decades-long sentences for nine people protesting outside an ICE facility.
• Law enforcement provided false information in criminal case against journalist Georgia Fort — Federal law enforcement officials, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), provided false information to federal judges in at least 15 search warrant applications and to a grand jury in the case against independent journalist Georgia Fort, who was charged alongside nearly 40 others after interrupting a Minnesota church service to protest an ICE official serving as a pastor. The Justice Department later conceded the false claims. Fort's lawyers filed motions on Thursday seeking dismissal, arguing the prosecution violates the First Amendment, fails to state an actual crime, and is vindictive retaliation against her journalism.
• Prosecutors charged journalist Georgia Fort with conspiracy to interfere with religious rights for documenting anti-ICE protest — Journalist Georgia Fort was charged with conspiracy to interfere with the religious rights of parishioners after she entered and documented a protest at Cities church in St Paul, Minnesota, where demonstrators interrupted a service upon learning an ICE official was a pastor. Fort's lawyers argue the prosecution is vindictive retaliation targeting her for her journalism and for amplifying a message the government opposes, violating the First Amendment.
• Prosecutors made false claims in search warrant applications regarding protest conduct — In search warrant applications, prosecutors claimed a congregant had broken her arm during the protest when she had not, and made other false characterizations of Fort's conduct, including claims she conspired with others in advance when evidence showed she arrived late and was not present for planning discussions. Prosecutors also claimed Fort blocked a van from leaving when her own livestream showed the van left easily.
• Journalist Georgia Fort indicted for covering anti-ICE protest; seeks dismissal on First Amendment grounds — Attorneys for Twin Cities journalist Georgia Fort asked a federal judge to dismiss charges against her for covering an anti-ICE protest at a St. Paul church, arguing the indictment violates her First Amendment rights. Fort was indicted alongside former CNN host Don Lemon and dozens of protesters on charges of conspiring against the right of religious freedom at a place of worship. Her attorneys argue the 19-page indictment contains no allegation of physical force, threats, or blocking the church entrance, and that her role was to observe and document. Magistrate Judge John Docherty twice refused to sign search warrants for Fort's and Lemon's YouTube accounts, finding they violated the Privacy Protection Act of 1980. A government attorney acknowledged a mischaracterization in an affidavit at a July hearing.

Supporting reports

• Federal grand jury indicts Southern Poverty Law Center for wire fraud, false statements, and money laundering conspiracy — A federal grand jury in Montgomery, Alabama, returned an indictment charging the Southern Poverty Law Center with 11 counts of wire fraud, false statements to a federally insured bank, and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering. The indictment alleges that between 2014 and 2023, the SPLC funneled more than $3 million in donated funds to individuals associated with violent extremist groups including the Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, and National Socialist Party of America, while publicly claiming to oppose those groups. The DOJ alleges the organization used fictitious bank accounts to conceal the scheme and made false statements to financial institutions.
• Acting Attorney General Blanche announces 11-count indictment of Southern Poverty Law Center — Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche held a press conference announcing an 11-count federal indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center, charging the civil rights organization with wire fraud, making false statements to a bank, and conspiracy to launder money. The charges relate to a now-defunct program in which the SPLC paid informants to infiltrate extremist groups and shared information with law enforcement. Legal experts have characterized the charges as weak, and the SPLC has denied all wrongdoing. The indictment was widely viewed as an effort by Blanche to demonstrate to Trump his willingness to use the DOJ against political rivals.
• DOJ pressured prosecutors to indict Southern Poverty Law Center despite case-strength concerns, whistleblower alleges — A Department of Justice lawyer, Aakash Singh, reportedly pressured federal prosecutors in Alabama to rush an 11-count indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center despite serious concerns about the case's strength, according to a whistleblower account shared with House Democrats. Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the indictment on April 21, accusing the civil rights organization of wire fraud and money laundering related to an informant program. Democrats Jamie Raskin and Mary Gay Scanlon opened an investigation into the matter, citing Singh's directive to prosecutors to expedite charges. Legal experts have characterized the charges as weak, and the SPLC has denied all wrongdoing.
• Justice Department indicts Southern Poverty Law Center on federal fraud charges — Trump's Justice Department indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center on federal fraud charges, alleging the civil rights organization defrauded donors by secretly paying informants more than $3 million to infiltrate white supremacist and extremist groups, including the Ku Klux Klan. The tactic of using paid informants has been used by the FBI and other federal agencies for decades. Critics characterized the indictment as "nakedly political."
• DOJ indicts Southern Poverty Law Center on federal fraud charges — The Department of Justice, through Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, announced an 11-count federal indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) by an Alabama grand jury. The charges include wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, alleging the SPLC funneled over $3 million to confidential informants within extremist groups between 2014 and 2023 using fictitious entities, and misrepresented to donors and banks how funds were being used. The SPLC's CEO Bryan Fair disputed the allegations and stated the informant program "saved lives."
• Southern Poverty Law Center indicted on federal fraud charges by Trump administration DOJ — The Southern Poverty Law Center was indicted on federal fraud charges by acting attorney general Todd Blanche, alleging the organization improperly paid informants to infiltrate extremist groups without disclosing payments to donors. The indictment claims at least $3 million went to informants affiliated with the KKK, Aryan Nations, and other groups between 2014 and 2023. SPLC CEO Bryan Fair stated the payments were necessary to monitor violence threats and that information was shared with the FBI and law enforcement. Charges include wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
• DOJ indicted Southern Poverty Law Center for fraud — The Department of Justice indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center, alleging that SPLC used donor money to pay informants to infiltrate right-wing hate groups, but claiming the purpose was to create false flags to instigate violence and racist demonstrations. The indictment has refueled conspiracy theories that the January 6 insurrection was instigated by infiltrators paid by left-wing groups. Rep. Dan Goldman criticized the indictment as legally baseless, comparing it to prosecuting the FBI for funding drug trafficking through informants.

Supporting reports

• Nine activists convicted on terrorism charges in Texas ICE protest case — Nine activists were convicted in Texas federal court on terrorism and related charges stemming from a March 2025 protest outside an ICE facility near Fort Worth. Eight were convicted of riot, explosives, and material support to terrorists; one (Benjamin Song) was convicted of attempted murder after shooting a police officer; a ninth was convicted for moving zines days after the protest. The Trump administration framed the verdict as vindication of its campaign against "antifa," though legal experts and the trial judge noted the charges had no organizational nexus and the terrorism label was legally irrelevant to the convictions.

Supporting reports

• Stephen Miller calls Immergut ruling "legal insurrection" — White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller denounced Judge Immergut's ruling as "legal insurrection," using inflammatory language that analysts worry could incite violence against the judiciary.
• Trump attacks Judge Immergut and misidentifies her sex — After Judge Immergut's ruling blocking national guard deployment, Trump publicly attacked her, telling reporters "I wasn't served well by the people who pick judges" (despite having nominated her himself), and misidentified her sex, saying "That judge ought to be ashamed of himself." Trump falsely claimed Portland was "burning to the ground."

Supporting reports

• House Republicans held press conference dismissing No Kings protests as un-American — Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Whip Tom Emmer, and Rep. Chip Roy held a press conference during a shutdown to attack the No Kings Day protests held the previous weekend. They characterized the demonstrations as a "hate America rally," claimed protesters were celebrating the death of Republicans, and accused Democrats of promoting Marxists and Islamists. The statements were made despite the protests being peaceful and drawing an estimated 5.5 million participants.

Supporting reports

• Prosecutor Halligan obtains grand jury indictment of James Comey — Days after her appointment, prosecutor Lindsay Halligan obtained a grand jury indictment against former FBI Director James Comey for obstruction of justice and making false statements to Congress. Comey pleaded not guilty, with his lawyers arguing that the charges constitute vindictive prosecution by the president.
• DOJ announced indictment of former FBI Director James Comey on obstruction and false-statement charges — The Department of Justice announced that a federal grand jury indicted former FBI Director James Comey on charges of obstructing a congressional investigation into disclosure of sensitive information (18 USC 1505) and making a false statement (18 USC 1001). The indictment alleges Comey falsely stated he did not authorize an FBI employee to be an anonymous source. Attorney General Pamela Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel issued statements characterizing the indictment as reflecting DOJ's commitment to accountability and the FBI's effort to restore public trust.
• U.S. Attorney Halligan secured indictment against former FBI Director James Comey — Lindsey Halligan, a Trump-installed temporary U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia with minimal prosecutorial experience, secured an indictment against former FBI Director James Comey on charges of making false statements to a Senate committee in September 2020 and obstructing a congressional investigation. The indictment came over the objections of career prosecutors in the district and was presented by Halligan alone before a grand jury—a highly unusual procedure for such a high-profile, politically charged case. Comey is scheduled for arraignment on October 9, 2025, in Alexandria, Virginia.
• Federal grand jury indicts James Comey on false statement and obstruction charges — A federal grand jury in the eastern district of Virginia indicted former FBI director James Comey on September 25, 2025, on charges of making a false statement and obstructing a congressional investigation. The indictment relates to Comey's September 2020 testimony to Congress regarding whether he authorized FBI personnel to be anonymous sources in news stories. The indictment was presented by Lindsey Halligan, a White House aide with no prosecutorial experience who replaced a career prosecutor fired after refusing to bring charges against New York attorney general Letitia James.
• Indictment of James Comey on charges of lying to Congress — Former FBI director James Comey was indicted Thursday in the Eastern District of Virginia on one count of making a false statement to Congress and one count of obstruction of a congressional proceeding, related to testimony given five years prior during a hearing on the FBI's Russia investigation. The indictment followed the forced removal of US Attorney Erik Siebert, who reportedly found no grounds to indict Comey, and his replacement with Trump loyalist Lindsey Halligan with limited prosecutorial experience. Democrats and legal experts characterized the action as weaponization of the justice system for political retribution.
• James Comey indicted on false statements and obstruction charges — Former FBI director James Comey was indicted by a federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, on Thursday on two felony counts: making false statements to Congress and obstruction of a congressional proceeding. The charges relate to Comey's September 2020 testimony about the Russia investigation, specifically allegations that he falsely claimed he had never authorized FBI leaks to the media. The indictment followed Trump's directive to Attorney General Pam Bondi to "move now" against Comey and came after Trump fired the previous federal prosecutor who had declined to bring charges due to insufficient evidence.
• DOJ expected to indict James Comey before statute of limitations expires — Three sources told MSNBC that Lindsey Halligan is expected to attempt to get a grand jury to indict former FBI Director James Comey before the five-year statute of limitations on lying to Congress expires in six days. Bloomberg reported the Department of Justice is also pushing forward with the case against New York Attorney General Letitia James.
• Federal grand jury indicts former FBI director James Comey for allegedly lying to Congress and obstructing investigation — A federal grand jury indicted former FBI director James Comey for allegedly lying to Congress and obstructing an investigation. The indictment came days after Trump demanded that the Department of Justice prosecute those he perceives as enemies, and after Trump replaced acting U.S. attorney Erik Siebert—who had concluded there was insufficient evidence to charge Comey—with White House aide and Trump's former personal lawyer Lindsey Halligan. Sources indicated Halligan was expected to pursue the indictment before the five-year statute of limitations expired.
• Indictment of James Comey allegedly based on false evidence presented to grand jury — Ken Dilanian reported that the indictment of James Comey appears to attribute words to Comey that he never uttered. Comey testified to Senator Ted Cruz that he stood by his 2017 testimony but did not state in a 2020 hearing that he had not "authorized someone else at the FBI to be an anonymous source in news reports." Legal analysts including Andrew McCarthy stated the indictment appears premised on a false claim that Andrew McCabe said Comey authorized him to leak to the Wall Street Journal, which McCabe never said.
• DOJ indicts former FBI director James Comey on false statement charges — The Justice Department indicted former FBI director James Comey in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, on two counts of making false statements to Congress in September 2020. Prosecutors alleged Comey misled lawmakers by claiming he had never authorized anyone at the FBI to leak to reporters, when he had in fact authorized Columbia law professor Dan Richman to leak information about an investigation into Hillary Clinton. The case was considered weak by prosecutors and observers; the grand jury barely met the threshold to approve charges, with only 14 of 23 jurors voting for the false statement count.
• Trump-ordered indictment of former FBI Director James Comey filed by newly appointed US Attorney — Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted on two felony counts by a grand jury presented by newly appointed US Attorney Lindsey Halligan. Trump posted on Truth Social celebrating the indictment, calling Comey "one of the worst human beings this Country has ever been exposed to." Multiple legal analysts, including Fox contributors Andrew McCarthy and Kim Strassel, expressed skepticism that the charges would survive judicial scrutiny, with McCarthy stating he did not believe the case would reach trial. Ken Dilanian reported DOJ sources characterizing the indictment as "among the worst abuses in DOJ history."

Supporting reports

• DOJ impanels grand jury to investigate Obama officials on conspiracy charges — The Justice Department impaneled a grand jury in August to investigate a conspiracy charge by Trump's Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard that Obama and his aides engaged in "treasonous conspiracy" by launching inquiries into Russian election interference in 2016. The investigation proceeds despite bipartisan Senate findings confirming Russian efforts to boost Trump and despite Gabbard's release of classified materials that did not support the allegations.

Supporting reports

• Investigation Announced into Protest Funding Claims — Representative Anna Paulina Luna announced that her committee will investigate claims that the Chinese government is funding the 'No Kings' protests, urging people not to attend.

Supporting reports

• Elon Musk and Tom Cotton attack judge over DOGE records — Elon Musk and Senator Tom Cotton criticized a judge who temporarily blocked DOGE employees from accessing sensitive Treasury records. Cotton labeled the judge an "outlaw" and suggested he should be barred from hearing future cases against the Trump administration. This attack on the judiciary highlights ongoing tensions between the administration and the courts.
• Elon Musk calls for impeachment of federal judge blocking DOGE access to treasury records — On 9 February, after federal judge Paul Engelmayer blocked the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing millions of sensitive and personal treasury records, billionaire Elon Musk baselessly accused the judge of being a "corrupt judge protecting corruption" on X and called for his impeachment. Musk, who donated close to $300 million to Trump's campaign, has approximately 200 million followers on the platform. Trump subsequently echoed these attacks.