Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Trump claimed jobs report was rigged and promised to replace Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner — President Trump posted on Truth Social that the jobs report released the previous week was "RIGGED" and that prior employment numbers were fabricated by "Radical Left Democrats" to make Republican success "look less stellar." Trump promised to appoint a replacement for the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner. Trump's claims contradicted his own economic advisors' later acknowledgment that revisions were normal and reflected more complete data.

Supporting reports

• Jobs report shows significant job losses and revisions — The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that only 73,000 jobs were added in July 2025, significantly below the predicted 115,000. Additionally, the job numbers for May and June were revised down drastically, indicating a weakening economy. This report has raised concerns about the accuracy of economic statistics under the Trump administration due to staff cuts at data-collecting agencies.

Supporting reports

• Republican-controlled Senate confirmed Jeanine Pirro as US attorney for the District of Columbia — The Republican-controlled Senate voted to confirm Jeanine Pirro, a former Fox News personality and judge, as US attorney for the District of Columbia. Pirro has a history of calling for the "cleansing" of the FBI and DOJ, spreading conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, and making xenophobic and Islamophobic comments about Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, for which she was suspended from Fox News.
• Senate confirms Jeanine Pirro as US Attorney for Washington DC — The US Senate confirmed Jeanine Pirro, a former Fox News host and Trump ally who promoted false claims about the 2020 election, as the top federal prosecutor for Washington DC in a 50-45 party-line vote on Saturday. Pirro, a former New York district attorney and county judge, has been serving as interim US attorney since May. She was nominated after Trump withdrew his initial choice, conservative activist Ed Martin, due to opposition from Republican Senator Thom Tillis. Pirro's confirmation raises concerns about prosecutorial independence given her documented promotion of election fraud falsehoods and her close alignment with Trump.
• Senate confirms Jeanine Pirro as U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C. — The Senate confirmed former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia by a vote of 50–45. No Democratic senator voted in favor of her confirmation. Pirro, a partisan media figure, will oversee federal prosecutions in the nation's capital, including cases involving federal crimes and matters arising from the Capitol.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration denies daily arrest quota for immigration enforcement in court filing — The Trump administration filed court documents denying the existence of a daily quota for immigration arrests, contradicting earlier public statements by White House adviser Stephen Miller and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. In May 2025, reports revealed that Miller and Noem had demanded ICE agents arrest 3,000 people per day; Miller later confirmed this goal on Fox News. However, in a Friday court filing responding to a lawsuit by immigrant advocacy groups in California, DOJ attorneys claimed no such directive or policy had been issued. The filing states DHS and ICE leadership have not been directed to meet numerical targets for arrests or removals.

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

• White House issues fact sheet attacking BLS credibility and former Biden-appointed commissioner — The White House published a fact sheet titled "BLS Has Lengthy History of Inaccuracies, Incompetence" on August 1, 2025, attacking the Bureau of Labor Statistics and its former Commissioner Erika McEntarfer. The document compiles allegations of overstated jobs numbers, technical errors, and data leaks, citing news reports and congressional correspondence. It asserts that BLS revisions totaling over 800,000 jobs influenced Federal Reserve policy and that financial firms received advance access to sensitive employment data. The fact sheet frames these claims as evidence of institutional failure eroding public trust.

Supporting reports

• White House document identifies seven museums with "overly negative portrayals of US history" — In August 2025, the White House compiled a document detailing examples at seven Smithsonian museums deemed to contain "overly negative portrayals of US history." The targeted museums included the National Museum of American History, National Museum of the American Latino, National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of African Art, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum, and National Museum of Asian Art. The document served as a basis for ideological scrutiny of federal cultural institutions.

Supporting reports

• DHS denies drug smuggling in ICE section of Cibola despite detainee accounts — The Department of Homeland Security's assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement categorically denying that drug smuggling is occurring in the ICE section of the Cibola County Correctional Center, stating "there has not been a single report of drugs within the ICE section of the facility." This denial contradicts accounts from two immigrant men in ICE custody who told the Guardian they observed drugs being introduced, sold, and consumed in their unit as recently as May 2025, including an incident in which a detainee threatened them with violence over a misdirected drug shipment. DHS also denied allegations of subprime conditions at ICE detention centers.

Supporting reports

• Trump fired commissioner of labor statistics for announcing job growth slowdown — President Trump fired the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday after the agency released a jobs report showing dramatic slowdown in job growth. The firing occurred after the commissioner announced official economic data that contradicted Trump's claims about the strength of the economy. Trump had alleged the commissioner rigged the numbers to make him look bad, a claim former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and other economists rejected as implausible given the statistical procedures involved.
• Trump administration fires BLS commissioner Erika McEntarfer over disputed job statistics — The Trump administration fired Erika McEntarfer, commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, following the release of July employment data showing only 73,000 jobs added—far below expectations—and downward revisions of 285,000 jobs for prior months. White House officials defended the dismissal on Sunday political shows, with Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stating the president had concerns about data reliability. Former BLS Commissioner William Beach warned the firing would undermine confidence in U.S. economic data, while economist Larry Summers compared it to authoritarian tactics.
• White House issues fact sheet attacking BLS credibility and former Biden-appointed commissioner — The White House published a fact sheet titled "BLS Has Lengthy History of Inaccuracies, Incompetence" on August 1, 2025, attacking the Bureau of Labor Statistics and its former Commissioner Erika McEntarfer. The document compiles allegations of overstated jobs numbers, technical errors, and data leaks, citing news reports and congressional correspondence. It asserts that BLS revisions totaling over 800,000 jobs influenced Federal Reserve policy and that financial firms received advance access to sensitive employment data. The fact sheet frames these claims as evidence of institutional failure eroding public trust.
• July jobs report shows 73,000 jobs added; May and June figures revised downward by 258,000 combined — The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the July employment report showing only 73,000 jobs added, well below estimates. Prior months were revised sharply lower: June fell from 147,000 to a lower figure, and May was revised down by 125,000, for a combined downward revision of 258,000 jobs. The unemployment rate rose to 4.2%. Health care and social assistance accounted for approximately 94% of job growth, with most other sectors showing weakness or contraction.
• Trump fired Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer — President Trump dismissed Dr. Erika McEntarfer, commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, after the agency released a jobs report showing only 73,000 new jobs added in July—far below the 115,000 economists predicted—and revealing that May and June job figures had been significantly overestimated (May revised down 87% from 144,000 to 19,000; June revised down 90% from 147,000 to 14,000). Trump claimed on Truth Social that the report was "RIGGED" to make Republicans and himself "look bad," despite U.S. economic statistics being widely regarded as a nonpartisan gold standard. McEntarfer had served in various roles under multiple administrations.
• Trump claims jobs report was rigged and announces firing of Labor Statistics Commissioner — Trump posted on social media that the jobs report was "rigged" to make Republicans look bad. He then announced he was firing Dr. Erika McEntarfer, the Commissioner of Labor Statistics, whom he identified as a Biden appointee, and stated he would replace her with someone "much more competent and qualified." Trump directed his team to remove her "immediately."

Supporting reports

• Trump issues executive order declaring crime emergency in Washington DC — In August 2025, Trump issued an executive order declaring a crime emergency in Washington DC, despite the Department of Justice reporting that violent crime in the district was at a 30-year low. Within a month, more than 2,300 national guard troops from eight states and the district were deployed to patrol under the army secretary's command, with hundreds of federal agents also deployed to assist them.
• Trump administration deploys National Guard to clear Washington DC homeless camps — In August 2025, the Trump administration sent the National Guard into Washington DC, in part to clear homeless encampments as part of a broader crackdown on visible homelessness. Local reports indicate unhoused people are being moved around rather than housed, at an estimated cost of $1 million per day, with no tracking of outcomes.
• Trump declares public safety emergency in Washington DC and deploys National Guard — Trump held a press conference flanked by cabinet members to declare a "public safety emergency" in Washington DC, despite data showing violent crime in the capital was at a 30-year low. He placed DC police under temporary federal control and deployed 800 National Guard troops to the city, contradicting factual crime statistics.

Supporting reports

• Trump fires head of Bureau of Labor Statistics — President Trump dismissed the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, accusing her of manipulating employment numbers to portray the economy negatively. This action follows the release of poor employment figures, which Trump claims were intentionally skewed. The firing raises concerns about the independence of statistical agencies and the potential politicization of economic data reporting. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is responsible for collecting and analyzing essential economic data, including employment statistics, which are crucial for policy-making and public understanding of economic conditions.
• Trump administration fires Bureau of Labor Statistics chief after unfavorable jobs report — Trump fired the chief of the Bureau of Labor Statistics hours after the agency reported weak job numbers for the final three months of his administration. White House economic advisors, including Kevin Hassett, claimed downward revisions in employment data constituted evidence of incompetence or rigging, despite economists and former BLS officials explaining that revisions are standard statistical practice and that hundreds of career professionals, not political appointees, construct the numbers. Lawrence Summers stated that firing a government agency head for disliking reported data is characteristic of authoritarian, not democratic, governance.
• Trump fires head of Bureau of Labor Statistics on day of poor economic data — On the same day that the Bureau of Labor Statistics released numbers showing a dramatic slowdown in the economy, Trump fired the head of the bureau. Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook subsequently expressed concern about the jobs numbers, suggesting the revisions "are somewhat typical of turning points" in the economy. The action appears to have alarmed businesspeople previously willing to support Trump, awakening them to the reality that his policies are pulling down the economy.
• Trump fires head of Bureau of Labor Statistics amid economic slowdown — On the same day that the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a significant slowdown in the economy, President Trump fired its head. This action has raised concerns among business leaders about the administration's economic management and its implications for future economic stability.

Supporting reports

• Department of Education investigates at least 60 universities under Title VI for alleged antisemitism violations — The U.S. Department of Education has opened Title VI investigations against at least 60 universities, including Columbia, CUNY, Harvard, and Barnard, for alleged violations related to antisemitism. These investigations, conducted under Trump administration pressure, have prompted universities to adopt antisemitism trainings that critics argue conflate legitimate criticism of Israel with antisemitism and chill free speech on campus.

Supporting reports

• UCLA settles lawsuit with Jewish students over antisemitic discrimination during pro-Palestinian protests — UCLA agreed to pay $6.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by Jewish students and a professor alleging the university allowed antisemitic discrimination during pro-Palestinian campus protests. The settlement includes $2.33 million to eight Jewish community support groups, $320,000 to an antisemitism initiative, and $50,000 to each plaintiff. The Department of Justice's civil rights division simultaneously announced findings that UCLA violated the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by acting with deliberate indifference in creating a hostile environment for Jewish and Israeli students.
• Department of Education investigates at least 60 universities under Title VI for alleged antisemitism violations — The U.S. Department of Education has opened Title VI investigations against at least 60 universities, including Columbia, CUNY, Harvard, and Barnard, for alleged violations related to antisemitism. These investigations, conducted under Trump administration pressure, have prompted universities to adopt antisemitism trainings that critics argue conflate legitimate criticism of Israel with antisemitism and chill free speech on campus.

Supporting reports

• EPA head announced revocation of 2009 endangerment finding on greenhouse gases — EPA head Lee Zeldin announced that the Trump administration would revoke the 2009 "endangerment finding," a declaration that found that greenhouse gas emissions lead to global warming and threaten public health. Zeldin called the move, which would remove the federal government's authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, the "largest deregulatory action in the history" of the US, if finalized.
• Environmental groups and former EPA leaders condemned endangerment finding revocation — Zeldin's announcement prompted widespread backlash from environmental groups, the scientific community, and three former EPA leaders. The executive director of the Natural Resources Defense Council told AP that the move "boggles the mind and endangers the nation's safety and welfare" as the US faces deadly floods and heat waves, adding that the council will sue the EPA if "this illegal and cynical approach" is finalized.
• EPA moves to rescind 2009 endangerment finding on greenhouse gases — Trump loyalists at the Environmental Protection Agency moved in August to rescind the agency's 2009 endangerment finding that has underpinned climate change regulatory efforts since the Obama administration. The move rejects widely accepted scientific consensus on climate change despite increased scientific evidence supporting the original finding.

Supporting reports

• DOJ files motion to unseal Epstein and Maxwell grand jury transcripts — The Trump administration's Department of Justice filed a motion in federal court urging judges Richard Berman and Paul Engelmayer to release grand jury transcripts from the criminal investigations of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. The filing, signed by US Attorney Jay Clayton and including names of Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, disclosed that only two law enforcement witnesses testified across the separate grand juries. The motion comes amid pressure from Trump's political base over the administration's earlier decision not to release additional Epstein files, despite prior public statements by Trump and Bondi suggesting such releases would occur.

Supporting reports

• Trump characterizes Virginia Giuffre as employee "stolen" by Epstein from Mar-a-Lago — President Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that Jeffrey Epstein "stole" Virginia Giuffre and other young female staffers from Mar-a-Lago, claiming they worked in the spa. Trump stated Giuffre "had no complaints about us." The account contradicts his earlier claim that he broke with Epstein over inappropriate sexual behavior, instead framing the split as motivated by employee poaching. Giuffre, an Epstein accuser, died in April 2025.
• Trump acknowledged personal connection to Virginia Giuffre and Epstein recruitment from his properties — On Air Force One returning from Scotland, Trump stated that Jeffrey Epstein had recruited employees from his spa, including Virginia Giuffre, whom Trump said Epstein "stole" from his property. Trump claimed he had told Epstein to stop taking his employees and ended their friendship over this conduct. This marks the first time Trump has publicly acknowledged a direct connection between Giuffre, his properties, and Epstein's recruitment activities, contradicting his earlier denials of involvement.
• Trump offers new explanation for Epstein rift citing alleged recruitment of young women from Mar-a-Lago spa — President Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on July 29, 2025, that he ended his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein because Epstein "stole" young women, including Virginia Giuffre, who worked at Trump's Mar-a-Lago spa. Trump stated Epstein recruited spa workers and that when Trump learned of this, he told Epstein to stop; when it happened again, Trump said he expelled him. Giuffre, one of Epstein's most prominent trafficking victims, died by suicide in April 2025. Trump's account contradicts his prior public statements praising Epstein in 2002 and 2003, and his attorney's 2019 claim that Epstein was not banned until 2007 in response to criminal charges.
• Trump claimed Epstein fell out over "stolen" female employees — Aboard Air Force One, Trump told reporters that his falling out with Epstein happened after the sex trafficker "stole" young female employees from the Mar-a-Lago spa, including the late Virginia Giuffre. In response, Giuffre's family issued a statement saying Trump's comments were "shocking," and adding that "Ghislaine Maxwell is a monster who deserves to rot in prison for the rest of her life."
• Trump claims Epstein "stole" young women employees from Mar-a-Lago spa — Trump attempted to cast himself as a protector of women by claiming he turned against Epstein because Epstein "stole people that worked for me." When asked if those employees were young women, Trump answered "yes" and stated they were hired "out of the spa" he ran. Trump identified one of those girls as Virginia Giuffre, who was sex trafficked as a teenager by Ghislaine Maxwell and died by suicide earlier in 2025. Trump's timeline did not align with documented facts—Giuffre left her job at Mar-a-Lago in 2000 and Trump's friendship with Epstein continued for several more years afterward.
• Trump invoked Virginia Giuffre in connection with Jeffrey Epstein — Trump stated that he was aware Virginia Giuffre had been "stolen" from Mar-a-Lago by Jeffrey Epstein around 2000, positioning himself as a protector of girls from Epstein. However, public records show Trump told New York Magazine in 2002 that Epstein was a "terrific guy" who "likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side." Giuffre's family issued a statement questioning whether Trump was aware of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's criminal actions and calling for answers.

Supporting reports

• Senator Mullin falsely attributes Epstein plea deal to Obama administration — Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) appeared on CNN's State of the Union and repeatedly claimed the Obama administration in 2009 allowed sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to avoid serious federal charges through a "sweetheart plea deal." CNN's Jake Tapper corrected him, noting the agreement was drafted in 2007 and signed in 2008 under President George W. Bush, and that Trump later appointed the U.S. attorney who backed the leniency as secretary of labor.

Supporting reports

• Vice President Vance disputes Congressional Budget Office health insurance projection — Vice President J.D. Vance told an Ohio audience that the Congressional Budget Office was wrong in predicting that cuts in the budget reconciliation measure signed into law on July 4 would push 10 million people off health insurance. He urged the audience not to "believe every false media report" and asserted the Trump administration's "explicit goal" is to "protect people's healthcare."

Supporting reports

• White House issues press release attacking Star Tribune coverage of immigration enforcement — The White House published a press release on its official website attacking the Minnesota Star Tribune for its reporting on immigration enforcement cases. The release characterizes the newspaper's coverage as "shameful interference" for illegal immigrants, citing a specific case of a Honduran national charged with drunk driving that resulted in deaths. The release accuses the Star Tribune of defending "criminal illegal immigrants" and sympathizes with Governor Tim Walz's sanctuary policies, framing the newspaper's editorial approach as enabling dangerous criminals.

Supporting reports

• Trump filed motion for expedited deposition of Rupert Murdoch — Trump filed a motion in his lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal over their publication of his birthday card to Epstein, seeking to take an immediate deposition of Rupert Murdoch on an expedited basis before other discovery takes place. Trump cited Murdoch's age of 94 and claimed he has suffered from multiple mental health issues.
• Trump's lawyers requested expedited deposition of Rupert Murdoch in libel lawsuit — In a court filing, lawyers for Trump requested that Rupert Murdoch be deposed within 15 days in the president's $10 billion libel lawsuit against him and the Wall Street Journal. The lawyers argue that the deposition should take place as soon as possible because Murdoch is 94 and "has suffered, but thankfully overcome, multiple health issues throughout his life," and that it would be unlikely that he could appear in person at a trial.
• Trump files $10 billion defamation lawsuit against Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch — Trump filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and its owners, including billionaire Rupert Murdoch, over a mid-July article reporting that Trump wrote a "bawdy" birthday note to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. Trump's attorneys submitted a court filing in Florida describing an interaction in which Trump allegedly told Murdoch before publication that the note was "fake" and Murdoch said he would "take care of it." A federal judge ordered Murdoch to respond by August 4. The Journal was subsequently banned from Trump's press pool for an upcoming Scotland trip.

Supporting reports

• Department of Homeland Security posts controversial image — On July 23, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security's X account shared an image of the 1872 painting "American Progress" by John Gast, accompanied by a caption that suggested a proud heritage and a homeland worth defending. The post was interpreted by many as an endorsement of the ideology of manifest destiny, which historically justified territorial expansion and the subjugation of Indigenous peoples. This action has drawn criticism for its implications regarding contemporary citizenship and national identity.

Supporting reports

• Trump claimed Epstein files are a hoax run by Comey, Garland, and Biden — During a press conference with UK PM Starmer, Trump responded to questions about his name appearing in the Epstein files by claiming the files are a hoax run by "the worst scum on earth" including former FBI Director Comey, former AG Garland, and President Biden. He claimed files could easily contain phony or fake information planted by bad people.
• Trump claims Epstein files are hoax and suggests Democratic tampering — At a press event in Scotland, President Trump told reporters he has not been "overly interested" in the Epstein case, calling it "a hoax that's been built up way beyond proportion." He claimed the files were "run by the worst scum on Earth"—naming former FBI director James Comey, former attorney general Merrick Garland, and former president Joe Biden—and suggested Democrats have doctored the Epstein files with fake information to smear him.

Supporting reports

• Trump claimed poll numbers up 4.5 points since Epstein story — Trump claimed that his poll numbers have increased 4.5 points since the Epstein story emerged, stating the story is actually helping him politically despite his private frustration with the distraction.

Supporting reports

• Trump provided new cover story for Epstein relationship — Trump provided a new version of why he ended his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, stating that Epstein hired people who worked for Trump, Trump warned him not to do it again, Epstein did it again, and Trump threw him out as "persona non grata." This contradicts his spokesman's previous claim that Trump ended the relationship because Epstein hit on a young girl at Mar-a-Lago.

Supporting reports

• Commerce Secretary Lutnick contradicted by reporting on tariff extension negotiations — Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated on Fox News that Trump's tariff grace periods are ending and tariffs will be implemented on August 1 with "no extensions" and "no more grace periods." However, the South China Morning Post reported that Beijing and Washington are expected to extend their tariff truce by another three months at trade talks in Stockholm beginning Monday, with both nations committing not to impose additional tariffs during the extension period.