Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Treasury Secretary Bessent dismissed recession concerns — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated on CNN that the U.S. is in a "transition period" and that while he believes the country is "in good shape," certain sectors of the economy are in recession. On Fox News, Bessent characterized Canada's spending on U.S. public opinion campaigns as "foreign interference in US public policy" and stated "a price has got to be paid for this." When asked about Obama's criticism of Trump's spending priorities while SNAP benefits are set to run out, Bessent deflected by noting that Obama played golf frequently as president, a claim that is factually inaccurate.

Supporting reports

• Trump's 60 Minutes interview aired with significant portions edited out — CBS aired 28 minutes of a 73-minute Trump interview on 60 Minutes. Trump claimed CBS paid him $16 million to settle a lawsuit over editing of Kamala Harris's interview, contingent on government approval of CBS's Skydance merger, which was subsequently granted. The edited-out segment included Trump discussing CBS's payment to him and praising the network's new leadership.
• CBS News edits Trump interview, cutting significant remarks — CBS News aired a heavily edited version of Donald Trump's first 60 Minutes interview in five years, reducing a 90-minute conversation to about 28 minutes. The edits are notable as they follow a $16 million settlement from a previous lawsuit Trump filed against CBS over alleged deceptive editing of a prior interview. During the un-aired portions, Trump made claims about the integrity of the 2020 election and praised CBS's new ownership. The settlement included an agreement to release transcripts of future presidential candidate interviews.

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• White House banned reporters and cited security concerns — White House Communications Director Steve Cheung announced new bans on reporters' access to the White House, citing security concerns. Cheung claimed that "some reporters have been caught secretly recording video and audio of our offices, along with pictures of sensitive info, without permission" and that "some reporters have wandered into restricted areas." Longtime White House correspondent Brian Karem disputed these claims, stating that it is impossible to wander into restricted areas due to Secret Service presence, and that approaching cabinet secretaries after meetings is standard journalistic practice. Karem characterized Cheung's statements as lies and noted that the administration wants to restrict press access to officials who might provide truthful information.

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• Turning Point USA doxxed teachers with false claim — Andrew Kolvet, the number-two official at Charlie Kirk's organization Turning Point USA, posted photos and personal information of math teachers from Vail Unified School District in Arizona to millions of social media followers, falsely claiming they had mocked Kirk's death by wearing "Problem Solved" and blood-stained costumes on Halloween. Kolvet's viral post generated over 3,000 death threats against the teachers. However, the school's Facebook page revealed that the teachers had worn identical costumes in 2024, predating Kirk's death. Kolvet later issued a brief update acknowledging the teachers had worn the same costume the previous year but did not apologize for the doxxing or the death threats it generated. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) amplified the false claim to his followers before it was debunked.

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• Polymarket CEO previously stated that insider trading on prediction markets is beneficial — In a November 2025 interview with 60 Minutes, Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan stated that "people going and having an edge to the market is a good thing" and characterized insider trading as "an inevitability that this will happen, and there's a lot of benefits from it," while acknowledging the need to be "clear and stringent on where the line is drawn."

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• Leavitt defended Trump's ties to Jeffrey Epstein during press briefing — In November 2025, an email emerged in which disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein described Trump as the "dog that hasn't barked." When asked during a press briefing whether the president had spent hours at Epstein's house with a victim, Leavitt replied that the emails "prove absolutely nothing other than the fact that President Trump did nothing wrong." She argued the Trump administration "has done more with respect to transparency when it comes to Jeffrey Epstein than any administration ever" amid growing pressure for transparency over documents tied to Epstein.

Supporting reports

• Labor Department released inflation figure with methodological irregularities — The Labor Department announced a surprisingly low inflation figure of 2.7% for November. Economists immediately noted methodological irregularities that could have artificially lowered the rate: prices were not gathered until the second half of November when Thanksgiving discounts kicked in, and no increase was shown in housing costs despite clear evidence that they rose. The Washington Post reported that the issue raises questions about data integrity.

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• Miller directs visa revocations targeting pro-Palestinian academics and Gaza war critics — John Armstrong, senior bureau official for consular affairs, testified in court that Stephen Miller personally held "at least a dozen" conversations directing visa revocations for pro-Palestinian academics, often identified by the website Canary Mission. Miller also lobbied for visa revocations targeting critics of Israel's Gaza war and conservative pundit Charlie Kirk. These actions use visa authority as a tool for political retaliation and suppression of dissent.

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• Heritage Foundation director defended Tucker Carlson's platforming of white nationalist — Heritage Foundation director Kevin Roberts posted a video with over 17 million views defending Tucker Carlson against criticism for interviewing white nationalist leader Nick Fuentes. Roberts stated: "The Heritage Foundation didn't become the backbone of the conservative movement by canceling our own people or policing the consciences of christians, and we won't start doing that now. We will always defend our friends against the slander of bad actors who serve some else's agenda. That includes Tucker Carlson." Roberts said he disagreed with Fuentes but that "canceling him is not the answer."

Supporting reports

• Trump acknowledged limited knowledge of pardoned crypto executive during 60 Minutes interview — During a 60 Minutes interview recorded October 31 and aired November 3, Trump stated "I don't know who he is" regarding Changpeng Zhao, the crypto executive he had pardoned. When pressed about the appearance of pay-to-play corruption—noting that Binance facilitated a $2 billion purchase of Trump family's World Liberty Financial stablecoin before the pardon—Trump said "I know nothing about it" and "I know nothing about the guy." He attributed the prosecution to "weaponization by government" under Biden.

Supporting reports

• Trump DOJ requests 2020 election records from Fulton County, Georgia — On October 30, the Trump administration's Department of Justice, through its Civil Rights Division led by Harmeet Dhillon, sent a letter to Fulton County, Georgia election officials demanding they turn over records related to the 2020 election within 15 days. The request targets documents previously subpoenaed by the state election board, including voter lists, ballot images, and chain-of-custody forms. The DOJ justified the request under the Civil Rights Act and federal voting statutes, though legal experts note the letter lacks a required statutory basis for the demand.

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• UK newspaper publishes false interview with Bill de Blasio — The Times published an article featuring quotes attributed to former New York City mayor Bill de Blasio, which he later declared to be entirely false and fabricated. De Blasio demanded a retraction, stating he never spoke to the reporter and fully supports Zohran Mamdani, the candidate in question. The Times apologized, revealing they were misled by an individual impersonating de Blasio. This incident highlights the importance of journalistic verification, especially in the age of AI.
• Times reporter attributes false quotes to Bill de Blasio in published article — The Times (London) published an article in which reporter Bevan Hurley attributed critical quotes about New York City politician Zohran Mamdani to former NYC mayor Bill de Blasio. The quotes were actually from a different person named Bill DeBlasio (a Long Island wine importer), not the former mayor. The Times apologized, deleted the article, and Times associate editor Ian Brunskill sent an internal email acknowledging the "humiliating" error and "serious damage" to the paper's reputation, citing failures in basic verification procedures.

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• Trump posted that criticism of his trip constitutes treason. — Trump posted on Truth Social that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's characterization of Trump's China trip as "a total dud" was "almost treasonous," stating "If you hurt Trump's feelings it is now treason." The post equates political criticism with the constitutional crime of treason.
• Trump posted that Joe Biden should be locked up and called him a criminal. — Trump posted on Truth Social that former President Joe Biden "is a CRIMINAL AND SHOULD BE IN JAIL. A MAJOR LOWLIFE AND FAILURE. An ugly person, both inside and out!" and stated "I beat him badly." The post represents a continuation of Trump's rhetoric calling for criminal prosecution of a political opponent.

Supporting reports

• Trump falsely claimed Toyota committed to a $10 billion U.S. investment. — Trump announced that Toyota would build $10 billion in new U.S. plants as part of recent economic gains. A senior Toyota executive subsequently stated that the company had not made an explicit promise of an investment of that size, contradicting Trump's claim.

Supporting reports

• Trump directs Pentagon to begin nuclear weapons testing matching Russia and China — Donald Trump posted on Truth Social instructing the Department of War to immediately begin testing nuclear weapons on an equal basis with Russia and China, citing their testing programs as justification. The announcement came less than an hour before Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea to discuss a trade war truce. Trump falsely claimed the US has more nuclear weapons than any other country. Pentagon officials did not immediately respond. Nevada Congresswoman Dina Titus announced plans to introduce legislation to stop the testing.
• Russia denies nuclear weapons testing and warns of retaliation — Russia issued a statement denying that it has tested nuclear weapons, contradicting claims made by Trump. Russia warned that it will begin nuclear weapons testing if the United States does so, escalating nuclear rhetoric and raising the stakes for potential weapons testing by either power.
• Trump orders Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing — Minutes before his meeting with Xi Jinping, Trump posted on Truth Social that he had instructed the Department of War to begin nuclear weapons testing "on an equal basis" with China and Russia, citing other countries' testing programs as justification. He did not respond to reporter questions about the decision during the summit.
• Trump announced resumption of nuclear weapons testing for the first time in 33 years. — Trump announced that the United States will resume testing nuclear weapons, instructing the Department of War to begin testing on an "equal basis" with other nations. Trump claimed Russia and China are conducting nuclear tests and that the U.S. must respond in kind. A nuclear proliferation expert stated that no nation except North Korea has tested nuclear weapons since the 1990s and that Trump's characterization of U.S. and Russian stockpile sizes was factually incorrect.
• Trump administration announced plans to resume nuclear weapons testing — Trump announced that the administration plans to resume nuclear weapons testing. When questioned about the announcement, Trump stated that the Pentagon should conduct the testing, though the Department of Energy is the actual agency responsible for nuclear weapons testing operations.

Supporting reports

• USDA removes contingency funding plan from website and denies legal authority to use emergency reserves for SNAP — The USDA removed its late-September contingency funding plan from its website while simultaneously issuing a memo claiming emergency reserve funds are "not legally available" to cover SNAP benefits during the shutdown. The removed plan had previously stated Congress's "evident" intent was for SNAP operations to continue during closures and identified "multi-year contingency funds" available for that purpose. The agency's current position contradicts its own earlier legal analysis and denies access to approximately $6 billion in reserves despite having authority to use them.
• USDA removes guidance authorizing contingency funds for SNAP benefits — The USDA issued guidance on September 30, 2025, explicitly stating that multi-year contingency funds could be used to fund SNAP participant benefits during a lapse in appropriations. The guidance cited Congressional intent and the plain language of appropriations bills (2024 and 2025) reserving funds "to carry out program operations." The Trump administration has since removed this guidance from the USDA website, now asserting that the $6 billion contingency reserve "are not legally available to cover regular benefits" and can only be used for disaster response. The removal occurred after the administration determined that withholding funds was "politically advantageous."

Supporting reports

• USDA posts partisan messaging on food assistance homepage blaming Democrats for shutdown — The USDA's food and nutrition homepage displays a banner with a "strikingly partisan message" falsely accusing Senate Democrats of shutting down the government to provide healthcare to undocumented immigrants and transgender Americans. The notice states "the well has run dry" and announces no benefits will be issued November 1. The messaging conflates the shutdown with unrelated policy disputes and uses federal infrastructure to spread misinformation about the cause of the fiscal crisis.
• USDA falsely claims SNAP will run out of funding on November 1 — The USDA's official website asserts that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will exhaust funding on November 1, 2025, and attributes the shortfall to Democratic opposition to funding for "health care for illegal immigrants" and "gender mutilation procedures." According to Popular Information's investigation, both claims are false. SNAP has a $6 billion contingency reserve sufficient to fund the program for several additional weeks. The USDA previously issued guidance (September 30) explicitly authorizing use of contingency funds for regular benefits, but has since removed that guidance from its website. Democrats are not blocking SNAP funding over immigration or transgender healthcare; they are seeking extension of health insurance subsidies for U.S. citizens.
• Government websites display partisan political content blaming vulnerable groups — Multiple U.S. government websites, including those of the USDA and Department of Homeland Security, published content attributing the government shutdown to transgender people and undocumented immigrants rather than to policy decisions. The websites functioned as platforms for partisan messaging rather than neutral information dissemination.

Supporting reports

• Trump called for investigation and imprisonment of Jack Smith — On Truth Social, Trump called for former special counsel Jack Smith, who investigated the president's handling of classified documents and efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, to be "investigated and put in prison," and referred to Smith as a "criminal!!!"
• Trump called for investigation of multiple political opponents — In another post on Truth Social, Trump rattled off a list of political targets he believes should also be investigated, including former FBI Special Agent Walter Giardina and former Assistant US Attorney Andrew Weissmann, who both worked on the Mueller investigation into ties between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia. He also named former Attorney General Merrick Garland; former Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, attorney Norm Eisen and his watchdog organization, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington; former DOJ national security prosecutor Jay Bratt; prosecutor Thomas Windom; and former FBI Director Christopher Wray.

Supporting reports

• Vice President Vance revived baseless conspiracy theory about Haitian immigrants — While appearing on the New York Post's podcast, Vice President JD Vance revived the baseless racist conspiracy theory Trump pushed during the 2024 presidential debate that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were "eating cats and dogs."

Supporting reports

• Washington Post reported misleading footage used in immigration operation videos — The Washington Post reported that misleading footage was used in at least six videos over the past three months to promote the successes of recent immigration operations, including using footage that was months or even years old and videos that supposedly showed unrest in cities targeted by Trump that included footage from completely different states.
• Department of Homeland Security publishes doctored videos of crime enforcement — The Department of Homeland Security has been publishing videos to demonstrate the administration's success in combating crime in U.S. cities, claiming agents work "day and night to arrest, detain and deport vicious criminals." However, the Washington Post reported on October 29 that these videos have been doctored and do not represent current actions but rather combine footage from different states and different time periods. When asked about the misleading footage, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson stated the administration will "continue to highlight the many successes of the president's agenda through engaging content and banger memes on social media."

Supporting reports

• Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sues Tylenol makers over alleged deceptive marketing to pregnant people — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit in Texas state court against Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue, alleging they deceptively marketed Tylenol to pregnant people despite alleged risks of autism and ADHD in children. Paxton claims both companies violated Texas consumer protection laws by failing to warn buyers and alleges Johnson & Johnson fraudulently transferred liabilities to Kenvue. The suit follows Trump administration claims that acetaminophen carries autism risk despite no new scientific evidence. Texas is the first state to file such a suit.

Supporting reports

• CNN chief Mark Thompson met with Trump administration and subsequently directed editorial softening of coverage. — CNN chief Mark Thompson visited the White House, ostensibly to introduce the network's new streaming product to administration officials. The following morning, Thompson directed CNN's editorial staff during the daily editorial call to ease coverage of Trump's East Wing demolition project, claiming viewership was not interested in the story. Staff found the directive suspicious given the timing of the White House visit and Trump's known animosity toward CNN, particularly as the administration sought to keep the demolition project out of public view despite polling showing most Americans disapprove of it.

Supporting reports

• Trump made false claim about Ronald Reagan and tariffs — Trump accused Canada of airing "fake ads" after Ontario ran a Ronald Reagan clip condemning tariffs. Trump stated "Ronald Reagan loved tariffs," which contradicts historical record. Reagan actually said tariffs "caused and deepened the Great Depression."

Supporting reports

• Tennessee Secretary of State orders public libraries to remove LGBTQ-themed children's books — Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett (R) sent two letters to 181 public libraries in the Tennessee Regional Library System demanding they review and remove children's books with LGBTQ themes or characters, citing compliance with state DEI law and Trump's executive order on "gender ideology." Hargett claimed libraries receiving state and federal grants must comply with these directives. At least one county closed multiple library branches for up to a week to conduct the purge. Legal experts note the removals likely violate First Amendment protections established in Island Tree School District v. Pico and Equal Protection guarantees.

Supporting reports

• Trump continues to make false claims about 2020 election being stolen — President Trump posted on Truth Social on October 27, 2025, baselessly claiming the 2020 presidential election was "Rigged and Stolen" and calling it "the biggest SCANDAL in American history." Trump also made similar claims aimed at undermining confidence in the 2026 midterms, calling for restrictions on mail-in voting and early voting while promoting voter ID requirements.