Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Secretary of State Rubio convened State Department meeting framing left-wing activism as terrorism equivalent to jihadism — Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a State Department meeting billed as examining "transnational" far-left terrorism, but officials focused primarily on domestic "antifa" and assassination attempts against Trump. The White House declared that "far-left extremism will be treated with the same seriousness and ferocity the world has long reserved for jihadist terrorism," despite a 2025 Center for Strategic and International Studies analysis showing left-wing political violence in the U.S. remains much lower than historical levels of right-wing and jihadist violence.

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• DHS Secretary Mullin repeats baseless 2020 election claims at press conference — Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin held a press conference on Friday repeating unsubstantiated claims about noncitizen voter registration and voting machine vulnerabilities. Mullin cited a DHS review claiming 250,000 noncitizens registered to vote in four states and 28,000 on rolls in 20+ states, despite election experts noting lack of transparency in methodology and that noncitizen voting is extremely rare. He also repeated conspiracy theories about foreign adversaries controlling voting machine components and threatened to withhold federal grant funding from states refusing to "secure" elections by providing voter roll data.

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• Trump makes false claims about control of Strait of Hormuz — Since the United States attacked Iran on February 28, 2026, Iran has closed or restricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has claimed on at least two dozen occasions since the start of the war that the Strait of Hormuz was "open" or controlled by the U.S., according to a Popular Information analysis. These claims are demonstrably false, contradicting the actual geopolitical reality of Iranian control over the waterway.

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• White House issues "What They Are Saying" release on Trump's declassification address regarding election interference — The White House published a compilation of statements from administration officials, Republican lawmakers, and conservative commentators responding to President Trump's primetime address in which he released newly declassified documents. The release claims the documents reveal foreign election interference (specifically Chinese hacking of 220 million voter files), vulnerabilities in U.S. election infrastructure, and alleged suppression of this information by intelligence officials. The statements promote passage of the SAVE America Act, which the release characterizes as requiring voter ID and proof of citizenship.
• White House issues fact sheet on declassified election intelligence and foreign interference claims — The White House published a fact sheet titled "Setting the Record Straight" asserting that President Trump declassified intelligence revealing foreign adversaries (China, Russia, Iran, North Korea) compromised U.S. voter data and election infrastructure. The document claims China obtained personal data on 220 million American voters in 2020, that intelligence officials deliberately withheld this information from the President, and that the Biden administration covered up the breach while responding to similar incidents involving other nations. The fact sheet also references alleged voter registration fraud in Michigan and non-citizen voter registrations. Trump directed the Director of National Intelligence, DOJ, FBI, and CIA to investigate how the intelligence was hidden and to pursue potential criminal charges.

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• Jay Clayton refuses to answer whether Trump won the 2020 election during DNI confirmation hearing — During his Senate confirmation hearing for director of national intelligence, Jay Clayton, Trump's nominee, repeatedly refused to answer Senator Jon Ossoff's direct question about who won the 2020 presidential election. When pressed multiple times and reminded of his obligation to be honest with the committee, Clayton declined to engage, sat in silence, and claimed he had already answered despite providing no substantive response. The exchange highlighted the dilemma of Trump loyalists forced to choose between acknowledging factual reality and maintaining Trump's favor.

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• Trump announced election security speech with unverified claims — President Trump announced he will deliver a primetime speech on election security, promising to reveal "really big news." The speech will touch on previously unreported Chinese meddling in U.S. elections, with Cabinet officials including heads of CIA, FBI, ODNI, and DHS invited to attend. However, Senate Intelligence Committee staff noted the information about Chinese access to voter data is not new—China gained access to publicly available voter files in several states that can be purchased for $485 from state election offices. Republican officials expressed concern Trump will repeat debunked conspiracy theories or make baseless claims about the 2020 election.
• Trump announced primetime speech claiming China accessed 2020 election data with CIA cover-up — President Trump scheduled a primetime address for July 16, 2026, claiming that China accessed U.S. voter data during the 2020 election and that the CIA knew about it and concealed the information during his first term. The speech is framed as laying groundwork to question the legitimacy of Democratic electoral wins in states like Georgia, months before the midterm elections. Trump has simultaneously posted photographs with Xi Jinping, the person he is accusing of orchestrating the alleged plot.

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• Trump delivered speech claiming foreign election interference while releasing heavily redacted documents — Trump held a major speech claiming Venezuela and China tampered with U.S. elections, citing declassified intelligence documents. The documents showed Russia attempted to help Trump in 2020—information Trump omitted from his remarks. Trump announced immediate declassification of election-related intelligence and called on DNI, DOJ, FBI, and CIA to investigate alleged coverups and file criminal charges. Trump also called for revocation of NBC and ABC broadcast licenses, claiming they refused to cover the speech and were "part of a plot."
• Trump releases declassified intelligence documents during primetime address — During a primetime address, the Trump administration released a batch of declassified intelligence documents. According to reporting, the documents appear to prove the opposite of what Trump intended them to demonstrate, raising questions about the selective declassification and use of intelligence for political purposes.
• White House issues "What They Are Saying" release on Trump's declassification address regarding election interference — The White House published a compilation of statements from administration officials, Republican lawmakers, and conservative commentators responding to President Trump's primetime address in which he released newly declassified documents. The release claims the documents reveal foreign election interference (specifically Chinese hacking of 220 million voter files), vulnerabilities in U.S. election infrastructure, and alleged suppression of this information by intelligence officials. The statements promote passage of the SAVE America Act, which the release characterizes as requiring voter ID and proof of citizenship.
• White House issues fact sheet on declassified election intelligence and foreign interference claims — The White House published a fact sheet titled "Setting the Record Straight" asserting that President Trump declassified intelligence revealing foreign adversaries (China, Russia, Iran, North Korea) compromised U.S. voter data and election infrastructure. The document claims China obtained personal data on 220 million American voters in 2020, that intelligence officials deliberately withheld this information from the President, and that the Biden administration covered up the breach while responding to similar incidents involving other nations. The fact sheet also references alleged voter registration fraud in Michigan and non-citizen voter registrations. Trump directed the Director of National Intelligence, DOJ, FBI, and CIA to investigate how the intelligence was hidden and to pursue potential criminal charges.

Supporting reports

• Trump called for revocation of NBC and ABC broadcast licenses — During his speech, Trump stated that NBC and ABC refused to cover his remarks and accused them of being "part of a plot" to continue election fraud. He called for revocation of their broadcast licenses as punishment for their editorial decision not to air the speech live.

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• CNN debunked Trump's specific election interference claims — CNN fact-checked Trump's speech claims, reporting that voter files can be purchased online (not requiring hacking), that CIA assessments showed Venezuela could not conduct election interference abroad despite domestic capability, and that DHS claims of 250,000 noncitizens on voter rolls were based on unreliable sources—the actual number from reliable government sources was approximately 28,000.
• Rep. Thomas Massie stated voter data is readily available for purchase in Kentucky — Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) stated on the record: "This is absurd. Every piece of voter data Trump mentions here, as well as which elections each voter voted in, is readily available in Kentucky for a small fee." Massie's statement contradicted Trump's framing of voter data access as evidence of foreign interference.
• Sen. Mark Warner criticized networks for covering Trump's election claims as news — Sen. Mark Warner appeared on CBS immediately after Trump's speech and criticized the network for covering the speech as news rather than as "a rehash of falsehoods." Warner stated: "I was embarrassed that the president went before our country and networks like yours carried this as news as opposed to a rehash of falsehoods. It is incumbent upon you and any responsible journalist to pushback on this." Warner later appeared on MSNBC to debunk specific claims about voter file access and noncitizen voter rolls.

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• Stephen Miller Launches Global Campaign Against "Radical Left Terrorism" — White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller delivered a speech launching the Trump administration's global campaign against so-called "radical left terrorism." The speech was characterized as "characteristically apocalyptic and authoritarian" and served to advance Miller's ideological agenda against perceived political opponents.
• Deputy White House Chief of Staff Miller delivered speech dehumanizing political opponents based on appearance — Stephen Miller addressed State Department attendees and claimed that antifa demonstrators are uniformly "deformed" in appearance, dress, and mannerism, stating "not one of the people that is demonstrating looks like a normal person" and attributing their appearance to inner hatred. Miller's rhetoric directly paralleled language from the "Unhumans" book introduction, which describes left-wing opponents as "ugly deformed freaks."

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• Trump announced declassification and criminal investigation of alleged election intelligence coverup — Trump announced immediate declassification of critical election intelligence and directed the DNI, DOJ, FBI, and CIA to investigate how and why information was allegedly hidden from presidential briefings, to fire those involved in a coverup, and to file criminal charges if appropriate. The directive targeted intelligence officials over alleged withholding of reports about foreign election targeting.
• Trump announced election security speech with unverified claims — President Trump announced he will deliver a primetime speech on election security, promising to reveal "really big news." The speech will touch on previously unreported Chinese meddling in U.S. elections, with Cabinet officials including heads of CIA, FBI, ODNI, and DHS invited to attend. However, Senate Intelligence Committee staff noted the information about Chinese access to voter data is not new—China gained access to publicly available voter files in several states that can be purchased for $485 from state election offices. Republican officials expressed concern Trump will repeat debunked conspiracy theories or make baseless claims about the 2020 election.
• Trump announced primetime speech claiming China accessed 2020 election data with CIA cover-up — President Trump scheduled a primetime address for July 16, 2026, claiming that China accessed U.S. voter data during the 2020 election and that the CIA knew about it and concealed the information during his first term. The speech is framed as laying groundwork to question the legitimacy of Democratic electoral wins in states like Georgia, months before the midterm elections. Trump has simultaneously posted photographs with Xi Jinping, the person he is accusing of orchestrating the alleged plot.

Supporting reports

• Blanche accused of withholding additional Epstein-related information — Todd Blanche is accused of illegally withholding various categories of information related to Jeffrey Epstein. These include redacted identities in emails, names of co-conspirators, non-English documents, and a log of redactions. Judge Emmet Sullivan sided with journalist Katie Phang, who argues Blanche's actions violate the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Blanche claims privacy concerns and impracticality as reasons for withholding information, but Phang contends these reasons are unfounded and defy court orders.
• Todd Blanche accused of withholding Epstein-related documents — Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche is accused of failing to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act by withholding documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. Journalist Katie Phang sued Blanche, alleging he withheld FBI interview notes with a victim who claimed Epstein introduced her to Trump, who then assaulted her. Judge Emmet Sullivan ruled against Blanche, ordering him to release the documents by July 2. Blanche did not comply, arguing the notes were duplicative and complicated to redact. Phang is now seeking daily fines until compliance is achieved.
• Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche withholds documents required under Epstein Files Transparency Act — Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who is seeking Senate confirmation, is under scrutiny for withholding documents he is required to release under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, according to a lawsuit by journalist Katie Phang. Even after a federal judge ruled in Phang's favor, Blanche has not released the additional material. Blanche testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday regarding his confirmation, but the document withholding remains unresolved.

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• Trump directs ICE to resume vehicle stops within 24 hours — Within 24 hours of Homan's announcement of a temporary suspension of ICE vehicle stops, President Donald Trump directed federal immigration agents to resume them. The rapid reversal undercut the agency's stated intention to review procedures following the two fatal shootings.
• White House overturns DHS halt to ICE traffic stops after two fatal shootings — The White House reversed a one-day-old Department of Homeland Security memo halting ICE traffic stops following the fatal shootings of two unarmed men—Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston on July 7 and Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Maine on July 14. Both men were shot by federal officers without body cameras and were not the intended targets. President Trump, via Truth Social, insisted ICE continue traffic stops, framing the DHS pause as capitulation to criminals and crediting ICE with crime reduction. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin subsequently aligned with Trump's position, announcing deportation enforcement and a $2,600 payment offer to undocumented immigrants to leave voluntarily.
• Trump overruled ICE vehicle-stop suspension order — President Trump overruled his own administration's order suspending most ICE vehicle stops after receiving intense pushback from his MAGA base. White House officials reported Trump heard complaints from hard-line allies including MAGA influencer Tomi Lahren, former Border Patrol official Greg Bovino, and podcaster Steve Bannon. Trump concluded that ICE abandoning traffic stops would "make them all look weak," and reversed the policy based on cable-news segments he watched.
• Trump directed ICE to continue traffic stops despite deaths — At 6:45 a.m. on July 16, Trump issued a statement insisting that ICE agents continue traffic stops as a "Crime Fighting tool," overriding an ICE memo issued the previous day that had ordered agents to prioritize tactics other than traffic stops. The directive came after two immigrants were killed in separate ICE operations six days apart, neither of whom was the intended target. Trump's statement falsely characterized undocumented immigrants as "Criminals" and rejected calls from Senator Susan Collins and others to cease non-urgent vehicle stops.

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• Khalil v. The Heritage Foundation et al., complaint filed (S.D.N.Y. 1:26-cv-05929) — Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student detained by ICE for 104 days, filed a federal complaint alleging a conspiracy by the Heritage Foundation, its leaders, and Trump administration officials (including Stephen Miller and Marco Rubio) to identify and deport non-citizen pro-Palestinian activists under a coordinated plan called Project Esther. Khalil invokes the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871 (42 U.S.C. § 1985(3)) to challenge interference with his rights to free speech, equal protection, and freedom from punitive detention, and alleges an unconstitutional Bill of Attainder. He seeks compensatory and punitive damages, declaratory judgment, and an injunction against continued detention or removal on pretextual grounds.
• Mahmoud Khalil Sues Trump Administration Under KKK Act of 1871 — Mahmoud Khalil, detained by ICE for over 100 days last year and currently challenging a deportation order, sued the Trump administration and pro-Israel groups including Canary Mission, Betar, and the Heritage Foundation under the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871. The lawsuit alleges that the Trump administration conspired with these organizations to "terrorize and make an example of" Khalil to "intimidate and silence the growing movement for Palestinian rights and political freedom."
• Mahmoud Khalil files civil conspiracy lawsuit against Trump officials and pro-Israel groups — Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian-born Palestinian rights advocate and permanent US resident, filed a lawsuit in Manhattan federal court against Trump administration officials (Stephen Miller, Marco Rubio, Kristi Noem) and pro-Israel groups (Heritage Foundation, Canary Mission, Betar US), alleging a coordinated conspiracy to target and silence pro-Palestine speech. The suit, brought under the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, claims the defendants worked as a "public-private partnership" to identify, arrest, and deport pro-Palestinian activists. Khalil was detained for 104 days in 2025 after his arrest by ICE over his advocacy.

Supporting reports

• ICE pepper-sprays New Jersey Senator Andy Kim at Delaney Hall detention center protest — During a protest outside Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey, in solidarity with detained immigrants on hunger strike, ICE officials pepper-sprayed New Jersey Senator Andy Kim, drawing national attention. The incident occurred as tensions escalated between protesters and a line of masked ICE officials guarding the facility. Following the incident, local and state officers deployed teargas, used batons and shields, and arrested dozens of protesters, many of whom sustained injuries from crowd-control weapons.
• Physicians for Human Rights report documents 412 verified incidents of crowd-control weapon misuse on ICE protesters, June 2025–May 2026 — Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) and the University of California Berkeley Human Rights Center released a report documenting 412 verified incidents of "misuse" of crowd-control weapons—teargas, rubber bullets, pepper spray, stun grenades, and water cannons—deployed by federal, state, and local law enforcement against protesters at ICE detention centers and immigration enforcement operations between June 2025 and May 2026. The report identified 203 injuries including blindings, traumatic brain injuries, lacerations, fractures, and contusions. DHS officials were responsible for 64% of documented misuse incidents. Researchers noted the true injury count is likely far greater due to difficulty documenting invisible injuries.
• Law enforcement misuses less-lethal weapons against ICE detention facility protesters — A report released this week identified 412 instances in which law enforcement officers have misused "less-lethal weapons," such as tear gas and rubber bullets, against protesters at Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities. The report, covering the period from June 2025 to May 2026, also found 203 instances of injuries resulting from this misuse. The widespread pattern of weapon misuse against protesters raises serious concerns about excessive force and violation of constitutional rights.

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• Trump made false claim about opposing 2003 Iraq invasion — During a press event in the Oval Office, Trump claimed he had publicly warned against the 2003 invasion of Iraq, stating "I used to say, don't go into Iraq, don't attack Iraq." CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale documented that this claim was false and had been debunked a decade earlier. In reality, when asked six months before the invasion if he supported it, Trump said "Yeah, I guess so," and in early 2003 he said Bush "has either got to do something or not do something."

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• ICE falsely claims body camera delays were caused by Democratic government shutdowns — The Department of Homeland Security and White House Border Czar Tom Homan publicly stated that Democratic government shutdowns prevented ICE from purchasing body cameras for officers. However, government contracting documents obtained by Popular Information show that between April 30, 2026 (when Trump signed the DHS appropriations bill with $20 million for body cameras) and July 17, 2026, ICE spent only $75,000 on new body cameras. ICE did not issue purchase orders for the remaining $30.9 million in body cameras until July 17 and July 20—days after Homan's statements. Additionally, ICE had access to $75 billion in unrestricted funding since July 4, 2025, and contracting authority to purchase up to $100 million in body cameras from Axon Enterprise since 2023, making the shutdown claim factually inaccurate.
• ICE falsely claims body camera purchases were completed before July — White House Border Czar Tom Homan defended ICE after two fatal shootings by agents not wearing body cameras, claiming Democrats had blocked purchases and that ICE bought them "as soon as [they] had funding" in April. Documents obtained by Popular Information show ICE did not spend over $30 million on body cameras until July 17 and 20—days after Homan's statement. The false claim was made in the context of defending the agency after fatal incidents.

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• Senator Ron Johnson expressed skepticism of McConnell hospital photo — Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) told Real America's Voice host Eric Bolling that he heard from a source the McConnell hospital photo was an older image, expressing doubt about its authenticity. Other Republicans, including Laura Loomer, publicly questioned whether McConnell's staff used an AI-altered photo, citing blurred details and AI-generated text on a newspaper visible in the image.
• Sen. Ron Johnson retracted claim about McConnell photo — Senator Ron Johnson appeared on NewsNation and retracted his previous day's claim that a source had told him a photograph of Mitch McConnell was old. Johnson stated "I have no idea. Discount all that. I wish Leader McConnell well," effectively walking back his earlier assertion without explanation.

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• Trump made false claim about Walmart beef price cuts — Trump claimed on social media on Monday that Walmart would be "dropping the price of ground beef by almost 15 percent" "at my Administration's request." Catherine Rampell of The Bulwark reported that a Walmart spokesperson told her the price cuts were part of usual summer rollbacks that had begun the week before Trump took credit for them. Rampell noted that Trump regularly seeks to claim credit for corporate actions that companies were already planning to undertake.

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• Trump reposted poll claiming support for voter suppression legislation — At 6:07 PM, Trump reposted what purported to be a poll from right-wing loyalist Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) claiming that 97.2% of supporters want the Senate to take up the voter suppression SAVE America Act when it returns to session the following week, while only 2.8% want the Senate to address "Anything else." The repost continued Trump's calls for the Senate to pass restrictive voting legislation.

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• Trump attacked journalists and made claims about cognitive testing — At 12:23 PM, Trump posted on social media attacking New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman, calling her "Maggot Hagerman," in response to her commentary on his reference in Türkiye to the "Islamic State of Japan." He claimed he had just finished a perfect physical at Walter Reed, requested another cognitive test, and "aced them all—Got every question right," asserting that few people in Washington could do so. The White House later clarified that Trump was referring to a physical he underwent in May.
• Trump posted lengthy attack on media and Democrats — At 3:16 PM, Trump's account posted a screed of almost 450 words complaining that he won the election in a landslide against the Democratic Party and the press, yet received no compliments on his successes. He attacked journalists including Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, called Democrats "stupid people" and accused them of going "communist," and demanded that media outlets concede defeat and stop reporting on his failures and poor poll numbers. He insisted that if the election were held again, he would win by even more.

Supporting reports

• Department of Justice subpoenaed New York Times reporters over Air Force One security reporting — The Department of Justice, through U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton, issued subpoenas to New York Times reporters Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager, and Eric Schmitt. The subpoenas order the reporters to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan on Wednesday regarding an alleged violation of federal criminal law related to leaking national security information. The reporters had published a story on Wednesday reporting that the Secret Service had security concerns about the new Air Force One Boeing 747-8 and recommended the president use an older plane during his return from the NATO summit in Türkiye due to escalating Iran tensions. FBI Director Kash Patel conducted an 8-hour investigation from the White House to identify the anonymous sources.
• DOJ subpoenaed New York Times journalists over Air Force One reporting — The Trump administration issued subpoenas on Friday to several journalists at the New York Times after the outlet reported on security concerns involving Trump's new Qatari-donated Air Force One. The subpoenas seek to force the reporters to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan on Wednesday. NYT General Counsel David McCraw called the action "an attempt to prevent the public from knowing what is happening in their country by intimidating journalists from doing their jobs." Fox chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin posted that the action "should alarm every American."
• New York Times Journalists Subpoenaed Over Trump Air Force One Coverage — The Trump administration subpoenaed several New York Times journalists to testify before a federal grand jury about their reporting on security concerns surrounding Trump's new Air Force One, which was donated by Qatar. The subpoenas followed a White House meeting where FBI Director Kash Patel was directed to lead a leak investigation into the newspaper's reporting. The Times' top newsroom lawyer called the move a violation of press freedom protections in the Constitution.
• DOJ subpoenas New York Times reporters — The Department of Justice issued subpoenas to reporters from the New York Times regarding a story about security concerns related to the new Air Force One plane. The subpoenas require the reporters to testify before a federal grand jury about an alleged violation of federal criminal law concerning the leaking of national security information. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, nominated by Trump to be the next director of national intelligence, is overseeing the subpoenas. The DOJ stated that the reporters are not targets, but the act of subpoenaing journalists raises concerns about press freedom.
• DOJ issues subpoenas to New York Times journalists — The Trump administration, through the Department of Justice, issued subpoenas to multiple New York Times journalists seeking to compel their testimony before a federal grand jury in Manhattan. The subpoenas followed the Times' reporting on security concerns regarding Trump's new Qatari-gifted aircraft, which cited anonymous sources. An FBI official had previously contacted the Times requesting the article be withheld on national security grounds and demanded disclosure of sources, which the Times refused. The Times' legal counsel condemned the subpoenas as threatening constitutional press freedom.
• DOJ issued subpoenas to New York Times journalists — The Department of Justice issued subpoenas to four New York Times journalists—Julian Barnes, Eric Lipton, and Eric Schmitt—demanding they appear before a grand jury and disclose confidential sources. The subpoenas relate to the Times' reporting on security concerns surrounding the new Air Force One aircraft. The New York Times filed a motion to quash the subpoenas, arguing they were intended to punish the newspaper for its coverage and violated journalists' constitutional rights.

Supporting reports

• CNBC's Undisclosed Financial Conflict with Kalshi — An investigation by Popular Information and Public Notice revealed that CNBC has published 58 articles since December promoting the prediction market Kalshi. In at least 22 instances, CNBC failed to disclose its financial relationship with Kalshi, raising concerns about transparency and potential conflicts of interest in media reporting. This lack of disclosure may mislead viewers about the impartiality of the coverage, as the financial ties between the network and the prediction market are not consistently made clear to the audience.