Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Florida college Republicans group chat with racist, antisemitic, and homophobic messages leaked to media — Leaked WhatsApp conversations from a Florida International University College Republicans group chat, created by Abel Alexander Carvajal in September 2025, revealed racist slurs (N-word used 400+ times), antisemitic remarks, homophobic comments, and calls for violence against Black people. Participants included William Bejerano, Dariel Gonzalez, and Ian Valdes. The chat referenced Nazi ideology and white supremacist concepts. Republican party officials, including Miami-Dade GOP chair Kevin Cooper and state senators, called for resignations and expulsions from party leadership.

Supporting reports

• Federal Trade Commission settles with Amazon over dark-pattern enrollment practices — The Federal Trade Commission announced a $2.5 billion settlement with Amazon to resolve allegations that the company used deceptive user interfaces to enroll millions of consumers in Prime subscriptions without their consent and made cancellation deliberately difficult. FTC documents obtained in trial preparation showed Amazon executives and employees knowingly discussed these unlawful practices. As part of the settlement, Amazon must end specific dark-pattern tactics, including requiring consumers to click "No, I don't want free shipping" to opt out of Prime enrollment. The settlement allocates $1.5 billion in refunds to affected consumers.

Supporting reports

• White House issues fact sheet claiming labor market gains and worker-focused policies — The White House published a fact sheet on Labor Day asserting that President Trump has created over half a million private-sector jobs, driven native-born employment gains of 2.4+ million, reduced regulations, achieved trade deals covering over half global GDP, issued guidance restricting illegal immigrants' access to federal workforce development resources, signed an executive order modernizing workforce programs, and enacted tax legislation the administration characterizes as delivering over $10,000 in annual take-home pay increases for typical families and creating nearly one million jobs.
• White House issued promotional release on tariffs, border enforcement, and federal workforce policy — The White House published a promotional release claiming record tariff revenues ($31 billion in August, $158 billion year-to-date), citing a Congressional Budget Office projection of $4 trillion deficit reduction over ten years. The release also claims a federal return-to-office order increased in-office work by 30 percentage points, reports a 97% decline in northward migration from Central America and 93% decline in unaccompanied migrant crossings, and announces a partnership between D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Trump Administration on crime reduction.

Supporting reports

• Federal class-action lawsuit filed alleging Amazon Prime Day uses fraudulent pricing tactics — Two customers filed a federal class-action lawsuit in Washington State against Amazon in late September, alleging the company deploys deceptive pricing practices during Prime Day sales. The complaint cites specific examples—such as the Ninja Air Fryer Pro XL listed at a "33% discount" from a price ($179.99) it had never actually sold at before Prime Day—and claims Amazon violates Washington consumer protection laws by making false "percent off" claims and featuring products at artificially inflated baseline prices. The lawsuit alleges "fraudulent advertising" and "unfair or deceptive acts or practices."

Supporting reports

• American Oversight files lawsuit to compel Epstein files disclosure — The non-partisan watchdog organization American Oversight filed suit in September 2025 to compel the Trump administration's disclosure of records related to its review of Epstein files. The organization sought an emergency order to force the release of these records in advance of Bondi's congressional testimony, citing the Justice Department's repeated failure to meet EFTA deadlines and allegations of document withholding.

Supporting reports

• Trump Truth Social account posts misleading statement on India trade — Trump's Truth Social account posted a statement claiming India does "very little business" with the United States while selling "massive amounts of goods" to America, and asserting India "buys most of its oil and military products from Russia, very little from the US." The bulletin notes the statement was posted by someone on Trump's account, not written by Trump himself, and characterizes it as an attempt to reframe the India tariff dispute.

Supporting reports

• White House claims tariffs generated $8 trillion in revenue — The White House issued a Labor Day statement asserting that Trump's tariffs have brought in $8 trillion in revenue. Economist Justin Wolfers and European economist Anders Aslund disputed the claim; Aslund stated the actual tariff revenue was approximately $115 billion, not $8 trillion, and characterized Trump's statement as a lie exceeding the dishonesty of authoritarian leaders.

Supporting reports

• Disney suspended Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show following FCC pressure — In September 2025, Disney suspended Jimmy Kimmel's late-night talk show on ABC following pressure from Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr over Kimmel's comments made after the murder of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. The suspension triggered significant subscriber cancellations: Disney+ lost approximately three million subscribers and Hulu lost 4.1 million in September, compared to previous monthly averages of 1.2 million and 1.9 million respectively. Kimmel returned to the air after five days.
• FCC Chairman Carr threatened ABC over Kimmel's commentary on Charlie Kirk — In September 2025, FCC Chairman Carr appeared on a podcast with MAGA influencer Benny Johnson and implied that ABC could face punishment after Jimmy Kimmel made a comment about the murder of Charlie Kirk. Carr stated, "These companies can find ways to change conduct and take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there's going to be additional work for the FCC ahead." Within hours, ABC suspended Kimmel; the suspension was reinstated about a week later.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration's "Operation Midway Blitz" immigration raid in Chicago targets immigrants without criminal records — Federal agents conducted "Operation Midway Blitz" in Chicago's Brighton Park neighborhood beginning in September 2025, detaining 614 immigrants. Federal court records show 97% of those arrested had no criminal conviction, contradicting the Trump administration's public claims that sweeps target the "worst of the worst" criminals. Only 16 detainees had significant criminal histories; the rest faced no criminal charges. The data was submitted to federal court in a lawsuit alleging DHS violated a 2022 consent decree limiting warrantless arrests of migrants.

Supporting reports

• US trade deficit widens sharply despite tariff promises — Reuters reported that the US trade deficit in goods widened sharply in July as imports surged, suggesting trade could be a major drag on economic growth in Q3. The goods trade gap soared 22.1% to $103.6 billion in July, far exceeding economist forecasts of $89.45 billion. This contradicts Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's claims about tariff effectiveness.

Supporting reports

• Appeals court judges stay closure order for Florida's "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention facility — Two Trump-appointed judges on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay of Miami District Judge Kathleen Williams's preliminary injunction ordering closure of "Alligator Alcatraz," a 3,000-capacity immigration detention camp in the Florida Everglades. Williams had ruled the facility's hasty construction breached federal environmental laws. The appeals panel found 2-1 that because Florida initially funded construction with state money, no environmental impact study was required. The stay allowed the facility to resume operations and rapidly refill with detainees after a brief shutdown period in late August.
• Appeals court judge stays closure of "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention facility — Barbara Lagoa, a judge on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, authored a 2-1 majority ruling in September 2025 that stayed (paused) a Miami district judge's order to close "Alligator Alcatraz," a state-run detention camp for undocumented migrants in the Florida Everglades. The ruling reversed the lower court's finding that the DeSantis administration must comply with federal environmental regulations. The facility, criticized for harsh conditions, remains operational. Lagoa's husband, Paul Huck, is a senior attorney at a law firm that has received over $10 million in state contracts from the DeSantis administration, raising conflict-of-interest concerns.
• Eleventh Circuit stays federal judge's order to close "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention facility — A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit voted 2–1 on September 4, 2025, to stay (suspend) a federal district judge's order requiring closure of the "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention center in Florida's Everglades within 60 days. The stay allows construction and operation to continue while Florida's appeal proceeds. The facility, built by Florida at a cost of approximately $250 million and operated on behalf of ICE, has faced criticism for harsh conditions, abuse allegations, denial of due process, and environmental damage.

Supporting reports

• DHS Secretary Noem claims LA would have "burned down" without Trump intervention — DHS Secretary Kristi Noem claimed on CBS that Los Angeles would have "burned down" if President Trump had not taken action. CNN's Edward-Isaac Dovere characterized the claim as "preposterous," noting that Noem was claiming one of America's largest cities would have completely collapsed without Trump's limited intervention over a few square blocks of downtown.

Supporting reports

• FBI accessed private Signal group chat of immigration court-watch activists — The FBI gained access to encrypted Signal conversations of New York immigration activists organizing "courtwatch" efforts to monitor public federal immigration court proceedings. An August 2025 joint FBI-NYPD report quoted from the private chat and characterized court watchers as "anarchist violent extremist actors," despite the courtwatch activities being non-violent legal observation of public hearings. The report was distributed to law enforcement agencies nationwide. The method of access to the encrypted platform remains unclear.

Supporting reports

• DOGE official placed Social Security database on unsecure server — A whistleblower identified as Social Security Administration chief data officer Charles Borges alleged that a former senior DOGE official copied a key Social Security database containing the names, birthdays, and Social Security numbers of more than 300 million Americans to an unsecure cloud server accessible to other former DOGE employees. Borges alleged the copy constitutes violations of laws, rules, and regulations, abuse of authority, gross mismanagement, and creation of a substantial and specific threat to public health and safety. As of late June, there were no verified audit or oversight mechanisms in place to oversee where DOGE was sharing the data or what it was using it for. The agency assessed that a breach would be "catastrophic" for Social Security beneficiaries, making them susceptible to identity theft and loss of benefits.

Supporting reports

• Trump accuses Soros of funding violent protests — On Truth Social, Trump said George Soros and his "Radical Left" son should face RICO charges, baselessly accusing them of funding "Violent Protests" across the country and adding, "Be careful, we're watching you!"

Supporting reports

• Trump administration officials justified military occupation of Washington, D.C. — Trump administration officials, including DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Stephen Miller, publicly justified the military occupation of Washington, D.C., claiming residents were living under "oppression" and are now "feeling freedom again." Miller stated residents can now "wear watches again" and visit parks and restaurants. Trump claimed "half the restaurants closed" due to safety concerns and are now reopening due to his "crackdown on crime." Chef José Andrés contradicted these claims, stating he has lived in D.C. for 33 years and that the safety claims are "a flat out lie," and that military presence and federal agents are actually making people afraid to go out.

Supporting reports

• ICE detains Kilmar Ábrego García after voluntary reporting to Baltimore field office — Kilmar Ábrego García reported to ICE agents in Baltimore on Monday as required and was immediately taken into detention. His attorney characterized the detention as punitive retaliation for exercising constitutional rights. Ábrego had been released from criminal custody in Tennessee only three days prior and was facing charges related to human smuggling, which his legal team contests as baseless.
• ICE detains Ábrego during scheduled immigration check-in — On Monday 25 August, Kilmar Ábrego García was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement during a scheduled immigration check-in in Baltimore, which was a condition of his release from criminal custody. He was subsequently held in a detention center in Virginia. His legal team filed a lawsuit the same day challenging both his detention and planned deportation, arguing the government was retaliating against him for exercising constitutional rights.
• Kilmar Abrego Garcia arrested at ICE facility after mandatory check-in — Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an undocumented immigrant previously unlawfully deported to El Salvador and later returned to the U.S. by court order, was arrested on August 25 at an ICE facility in Baltimore, Maryland, during a mandatory check-in. He faces charges in Tennessee stemming from a 2022 traffic stop for which he was not originally charged. The government has offered to send him to Costa Rica if he pleads guilty to human trafficking, but threatened to deport him to Uganda if he does not. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis issued a temporary bar on his deportation.
• Homeland Security Secretary Noem announces ICE arrest and deportation processing of Ábrego — U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on social media that ICE had arrested Kilmar Ábrego García and was processing him for deportation. Noem characterized Ábrego as an "illegal alien," MS-13 gang member, human trafficker, serial domestic abuser, and child predator, stating that President Trump would not allow him to "terrorize American citizens any longer."
• Trump administration attempted deportation of El Salvador prison victim to Uganda — The Trump administration initiated deportation proceedings against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man who had been illegally sent to a prison in El Salvador and subsequently returned to the United States. The administration attempted to deport him to Uganda, a country with no documented connection to Garcia. A federal judge blocked the deportation.
• Department of Homeland Security posted mocking social media message about Abrego Garcia — The official social media account of the Department of Homeland Security, a cabinet-level department of the U.S. government, posted a mocking message about Kilmar Abrego Garcia, referring to him as "Uganda Man" in reference to threatened deportation to Uganda, after media outlets had identified him as a "Maryland man."

Supporting reports

• Trump signs executive order directing prosecution of flag burning as incitement or fighting words — President Trump signed Executive Order 14341 on August 25, 2025, directing the Attorney General to prioritize enforcement of federal, state, and local criminal laws against flag desecration, framing such acts as potential incitement to violence or fighting words. The order instructs the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security to deny or revoke immigration benefits for foreign nationals engaged in flag desecration. The order acknowledges Supreme Court precedent (Texas v. Johnson) protecting flag burning as speech but asserts the administration will prosecute flag desecration under content-neutral laws and pursue litigation to clarify First Amendment exceptions.
• Trump ordered DOJ to prosecute flag burning — Trump ordered the Department of Justice to prosecute anyone who burns an American flag, claiming such individuals would automatically face one year in prison. This order contradicts the 1989 Supreme Court ruling in Texas v. Johnson, which established flag burning as protected First Amendment speech.
• Trump announced executive order directing DOJ to prosecute flag burning — Trump held a press event in the Oval Office and announced an executive order instructing the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute instances of flag burning. Trump claimed burning a flag would result in one year in jail and a criminal record. White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf clarified that the order directs DOJ to prosecute flag burning only where it constitutes criminal activity (such as burning someone else's property) and does not violate First Amendment protections, since the Supreme Court previously ruled flag burning as political speech is constitutionally protected.
• Trump issues executive order directing prosecution of flag burning — President Trump issued an executive order on August 25, 2025, directing the Attorney General to prioritize enforcement of federal, state, and local laws against flag desecration. The order instructs the DOJ to prosecute flag burning as a crime where it violates content-neutral laws (disorderly conduct, open burning, property destruction) and authorizes the State Department, Attorney General, and DHS to deny or revoke visas, residence permits, and immigration benefits for foreign nationals engaged in flag desecration. The order acknowledges Supreme Court precedent in Texas v. Johnson but asserts authority to prosecute flag burning that incites imminent lawless action or constitutes "fighting words."
• White House signed executive order directing prosecution of flag desecration — The White House signed Executive Order 14341 on August 25, 2025, directing the Attorney General to prioritize enforcement of criminal and civil laws against flag desecration, including violent crimes, hate crimes, and property crimes. The order instructs the Secretary of State, Attorney General, and Secretary of Homeland Security to deny or revoke visas, residence permits, and immigration benefits for foreign nationals engaged in flag desecration. The order acknowledges Supreme Court precedent in Texas v. Johnson but asserts authority to prosecute flag burning that incites imminent lawless action or constitutes "fighting words."
• Trump signs flag-burning criminalization order — Trump signed an executive order to criminalize the burning of a US flag, an action the Supreme Court ruled was protected under the First Amendment in 1989. The order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to prioritize prosecuting flag desecration cases and allows officials to deny or revoke visas and residence permits for immigrants who burn flags.
• White House issues fact sheet on executive order prosecuting flag desecration — The White House published a fact sheet on August 25, 2025, describing an executive order signed by President Trump directing the Attorney General to prosecute flag desecration "to the fullest extent permissible" and to "pursue litigation to clarify the scope of First Amendment in this area." The order also directs the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security and the Attorney General to deny, prohibit, terminate, or revoke visas, residence permits, naturalization proceedings, and other immigration benefits for foreign nationals determined to have desecrated the flag, or to seek their removal from the United States.
• Trump signs executive order directing prosecution of flag burning as protest — On Monday, August 26, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order instructing U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to pursue criminal charges against individuals who burn American flags during protests. The order directs prosecutors to explore alternative charges such as disturbing the peace or environmental violations. This action attempts to circumvent the 1989 Supreme Court ruling in Texas v. Johnson, which established that flag burning constitutes protected political speech under the First Amendment.
• Trump signed executive order banning flag burning — Trump issued an executive order criminalizing flag burning. The order drew immediate criticism from conservative legal scholars and right-wing media figures who noted that the Supreme Court had settled in Texas v. Johnson that flag burning constitutes protected free speech under the First Amendment. Multiple conservative commentators, including Justice Antonin Scalia's son, cited the constitutional prohibition on such restrictions.
• Trump issued executive order criminalizing flag burning — President Trump issued an executive order directing arrest and prosecution of Americans for burning the American flag, despite a standing Supreme Court ruling protecting flag-burning as free speech under the First Amendment. Although Trump's order acknowledged the SCOTUS ruling, the Secret Service arrested one man who burned a flag near the White House in protest of the order.

Supporting reports

• White House issued fact sheet on Chicago crime statistics and resident complaints — The White House published a fact sheet asserting that Chicago has experienced elevated crime rates, citing statistics including 13 consecutive years as the city with the most murders, a 2024 murder rate three times higher than Los Angeles, and a 16.2% arrest rate for reported crimes. The document includes resident testimonies about crime concerns and recent crime headlines, framing the release as a response to what it characterizes as Democratic politicians' resistance to federal assistance.

Supporting reports

• Trump contradicts administration policy on international students — Trump told reporters he would let 600,000 international students from China attend colleges and universities in the US, saying that "our college system would go to hell very quickly" if international students couldn't study in the US. His comments contradict his administration's policies, which have stripped students of their visas and made it more difficult for them to enter and study in the US.

Supporting reports

• Trump normalizes dictatorship rhetoric — While claiming he is "not a dictator," Trump told reporters that there are a lot of people saying, "Maybe we like a dictator," and stated, "The line is that I'm a dictator, but I stop crime. So a lot of people say, 'You know, if that's the case, I'd rather have a dictator.'"
• Trump stated preference for dictatorship over crime — Trump stated: "The line is that I'm a dictator, but I stop crime. So a lot of people say, 'You know, if that's the case, I'd rather have a dictator.'" The statement was made in the context of defending the military occupation of Washington, D.C.

Supporting reports

• Trump claimed inflated poll numbers — Trump posted on social media that he now has "the highest poll numbers I've ever had, some in the 60's and even 70's," contradicting publicly available polling data showing his job approval in the low 40s and underwater on every policy. The post explicitly dismissed actual polling as "Fake News."

Supporting reports

• Trump attacked Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Truth Social — President Trump posted on Truth Social attacking Maryland Governor Wes Moore, suggesting Moore should "clean up" Baltimore's crime before inviting Trump to walk the streets, and threatening to reconsider federal bridge-repair funding Trump claimed to have provided. Trump's post contained a factual error: the Baltimore bridge funding was passed in 2024 as part of a continuing resolution signed by President Biden, not provided by Trump.
• Trump questioned Maryland Gov. Moore's Bronze Star award — President Trump posted on Truth Social asking "Did Wes Moore, the Governor of Maryland, lie about getting a Bronze Star?" The post received a Community Note fact-check on X indicating that Moore never lied about his Bronze Star; he was legitimately awarded one for meritorious service in Afghanistan.
• Stephen Miller made false claims about crime reduction in Washington DC — Stephen Miller, present in the Oval Office, claimed that the military occupation of Washington DC has allowed residents to use parks and walk streets safely without fear of robbery or mugging, and that people are "wearing their watches again." CNN's Daniel Dale fact-checked these claims, noting that Trump falsely claimed DC had been crime-free for "years" before the occupation (it had a 16-day murder-free stretch earlier in 2025), that crime was not "at its all-time worst" under Biden (it had been far worse in the 1990s), and that 79% of DC residents oppose the federal takeover (not 95% support as Trump claimed).
• Trump claimed European leaders call him "president of Europe" — During an Oval Office press event, Trump claimed that European leaders respect him and refer to him as "the president of Europe," stating "Our nation now is the most respected nation anywhere in the world. Europeans respect your president. They call me the president of Europe which is an honor."
• Trump claimed Maryland Governor Wes Moore privately praised him — Trump claimed that Maryland Governor Wes Moore once privately told him "Sir, you're the greatest president of my lifetime." Governor Moore responded on X (formerly Twitter) with a single word: "lol". Moore's response received 5.5 million views and 125,000 likes.
• Trump made false claims about crime in Los Angeles — Trump claimed that residents of Beverly Hills leave their car trunks and doors open to prevent theft and vandalism, stating "Beverly Hills - I have friends, they leave their trunk open for their car because they know they're going to be vandalized. They don't want the trunk ripped off in order for them to steal what's in their bag. They leave their doors open so when they go in to steal the radio or whatever they take, they don't rip off the door." The bulletin notes this is "another BS story he has told for years."
• Trump made unsubstantiated claim about reducing drug prices by 1,400–1,500 percent — Trump claimed he would reduce drug prices by 1,400 to 1,500 percent, stating "I'm going to be reducing drugs prices by 1,400, 1,500 percent." He provided no specifics, timeline, or mechanism for achieving this mathematically implausible reduction.

Supporting reports

• Fox News hosted Rep. Jim Jordan to defend Ghislaine Maxwell's credibility in Epstein case — Fox News brought Rep. Jim Jordan on air to vouch for the credibility of convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, with Jordan stating that a Maxwell interview transcript "confirms that" President Trump "didn't do anything wrong." Jordan, who faced allegations during his time as a wrestling coach at Ohio State that he downplayed sexual abuse by a team doctor and discouraged victims from reporting it, was presented as a character witness on government handling of Trump's Epstein connections.

Supporting reports

• NPR reports sensitive State Department documents left on public printer at Alaskan hotel near Trump-Putin summit — NPR reported that government documents containing sensitive information from the State Department, including details about Trump's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, precise meeting locations and times, and phone numbers of US government employees, were left behind on a public printer at an Alaskan hotel. A White House spokesperson falsely claimed the documents were merely a "multi-page lunch menu" and denied the incident constituted a security breach.