Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Trump threatened to prosecute reporters for leaking intelligence — Trump was asked about his post demanding that Democrats be prosecuted for allegedly leaking an intelligence report showing Trump was lying about Iran. When asked who specifically leaked it and what proof he had it was Democrats, Trump responded: "We can find out. You go up and tell the reporter, 'national security, who gave it to you?' You have to do that. And I suspect we'll be doing things like that." Trump indicated he would threaten to jail reporters citing "national security" if they do not reveal their sources.
• Trump suggested forcing reporters to identify anonymous sources on national security grounds — In a Fox interview, Trump suggested his administration will compel reporters who broke stories about early intelligence assessments on Iran to identify anonymous sources, citing national security. Trump stated, "You go up and tell the reporter: National security. Who gave it? You have to do that, and I suspect we'll be doing things like that." The statement signals intent to use national security claims to suppress press freedom and whistleblowing.

Supporting reports

• DOJ leader allegedly suggested defying court orders on deportations — Emil Bove, the Department of Justice's principal associate deputy attorney general and Trump nominee for the US Court of Appeals, reportedly told staff the department "would need to consider telling the courts 'fuck you'" regarding orders blocking deportations of undocumented people. Former DOJ attorney Erez Reuveni, in a whistleblower letter to Congress, alleged Bove made these comments in mid-March during discussions about invoking the Alien Enemies Act. Reuveni further claimed he witnessed DOJ officials systematically undermining court orders through lack of candor, deliberate delay, and disinformation, and that he was fired on April 11 after refusing to misrepresent facts in court filings.
• DOJ official Emil Bove stated DOJ would ignore court orders on deportations — DOJ lawyer Erez Reuveni, who was subsequently fired, came forward as a whistleblower to Congress and the DOJ inspector general. Reuveni stated that senior DOJ official Emil Bove announced plans to invoke the Alien Enemies Act for swift deportations and, when asked about potential judicial intervention, said the DOJ might have to tell courts "fuck you" and proceed with deportations regardless of legal injunctions. Reuveni reported that the statement was met with stunned silence among senior DOJ officials present.
• New York Times reported DOJ official Emil Bove told subordinates to ignore court orders — On June 24, the New York Times reported on a whistleblower complaint alleging that senior Justice Department official Emil Bove told his subordinates he would ignore court orders to further Trump's mass deportation efforts. Bove, who once served as Trump's criminal defense attorney and was recently nominated to serve as a federal appeals judge, later denied the comments during his confirmation hearing, saying "I have never advised a Department of Justice attorney to violate a court order."
• DOJ whistleblower Erez Reuveni filed complaint about defying court orders — On June 24, 2025, Erez Reuveni, a former Department of Justice lawyer, filed an official whistleblower complaint alleging that DOJ leaders and the White House deliberately defied court orders and "engaged in unlawful activity, abused their authority, created substantial and specific threat to health and safety." Reuveni was fired after telling a court that the administration had made an error when it rendered Maryland man Kilmar Abrego Garcia to CECOT despite a court order not to do so. In the complaint, Reuveni alleged that Emil Bove insisted planes carrying men to El Salvador must take off and said DOJ "would need to consider telling the courts 'f*ck you' and ignore any such court order."
• Bove fired DOJ prosecutors who investigated January 6 Capitol attack — Emil Bove issued a memo terminating dozens of DOJ prosecutors who had worked on cases related to the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack, characterizing their prosecutions as a "grave national injustice." Bove justified the firings by claiming the prosecutors had been hired as temporary employees under the Biden administration and converted to permanent status, and that they were preventing a particular U.S. attorney from fully staffing his office. The terminations were carried out in furtherance of a Trump executive order.
• Whistleblower complaint filed alleging DOJ official directed defiance of court orders — Former DOJ attorney Erez Reuveni filed a whistleblower complaint alleging that Emil Bove, principal associate deputy attorney general, instructed prosecutors to disregard judicial rulings against Trump's immigration policies. The complaint surfaced hours before Bove's Senate confirmation hearing for a federal appeals court judgeship. Bove denied the allegations under oath, stating he has "never advised a Department of Justice attorney to violate a court order."
• Emil Bove denies whistleblower allegations of directing DOJ staff to defy court orders on immigration — Emil Bove, principal associate deputy attorney general and Trump's nominee for federal appeals court judge, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on June 25, 2025, denying a whistleblower complaint filed by former DOJ attorney Erez Reuveni. Reuveni alleged Bove instructed prosecutors to tell courts "fuck you" when ruling against Trump's immigration policies. Bove also denied Democratic allegations that he dropped corruption charges against NYC Mayor Eric Adams to secure his cooperation with immigration enforcement. Republicans signaled support for his nomination while Democrats characterized him as weaponizing the DOJ against Trump's political opponents.

Supporting reports

• Trump orders DOJ to investigate Chris Krebs for election security statements — President Trump signed a presidential memorandum on April 9, 2025, ordering the Department of Justice to investigate Chris Krebs, former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Krebs coordinated efforts to secure the 2020 presidential election and publicly countered false claims of voter fraud. Trump accused Krebs of weaponizing his position against free speech and stripped him of his security clearance. Trump repeated debunked claims of a "badly rigged election" and suggested Krebs would "have a big price to pay" if the election was found to be unsafe.
• Trump orders DOJ to investigate Miles Taylor for alleged classified leaks and defiance — President Trump signed a presidential memorandum on April 9, 2025, ordering the Department of Justice to investigate Miles Taylor, a former Department of Homeland Security official who served as chief of staff to Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Taylor, who wrote an anonymous 2018 New York Times op-ed criticizing Trump and later published a book under the pseudonym "Anonymous," was accused of leaking classified information. Trump stripped Taylor of his security clearance and stated he believed Taylor was guilty of treason. Taylor responded that Trump had proven his point by weaponizing the justice department for revenge against dissent.
• Trump stripped security clearances from Christopher Krebs and Miles Taylor — On April 9, Trump revoked security clearances from Christopher Krebs, former head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and Miles Taylor, a former Department of Homeland Security staffer. Trump claimed Krebs censored Trump loyalists by affirming the 2020 election was not stolen, and that Taylor's anonymous op-ed and book were treasonous and violated the Espionage Act. Trump also ordered government officials to investigate both men and recommend "appropriate remedial or preventative actions." CISA employees reported the attack on Krebs had disheartened staff and compounded staffing cuts that had "already severely degraded our capacity to defend critical infrastructure."
• White House issued fact sheet on presidential memorandum revoking Chris Krebs' security clearance — The White House published a fact sheet on April 9, 2025, describing a Presidential Memorandum signed by President Trump that revokes any active security clearance held by Chris Krebs and associates, including individuals at SentinelOne. The memorandum directs federal agencies to immediately revoke such clearances and calls for a comprehensive review of Krebs' activities as former head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), including evaluation of CISA's conduct over six years. The fact sheet characterizes Krebs as having "weaponized" government authority to suppress conservative viewpoints, coerce social media platforms, and censor election information.
• White House issued memorandum directing revocation of Christopher Krebs' security clearance and review of CISA activities — The White House issued a presidential memorandum on April 9, 2025, directing executive agencies to revoke the security clearance of Christopher Krebs, former head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). The memorandum alleges that Krebs engaged in censorship of speech related to the 2020 election and COVID-19, and directed coercion of social media platforms. It further directs the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security to review Krebs' conduct as a federal employee and CISA's activities over the preceding six years, with a joint report to follow.
• Immigration judge rules Palestinian organizer Mahmoud Khalil eligible for deportation based on Secretary of State memo regarding his political views — An immigration judge in Louisiana ruled that Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and Palestinian organizer, is eligible for deportation. The ruling accepted a memo from Secretary of State Marco Rubio stating that Khalil's "beliefs, statements or associations" are counter to U.S. foreign policy interests as sufficient evidence for removal of a lawful permanent resident. The judge determined she had no authority to rule on free speech concerns. Khalil, arrested by ICE in March, has been detained in Louisiana for over a month. His legal team plans to appeal and pursue an asylum case.

Supporting reports

• Trump admits Musk's conflict of interest — President Donald Trump admitted that plans for a potential war with China should not be shared with Elon Musk due to his business interests in China. This acknowledgment highlights concerns about Musk's conflicts of interest as a senior adviser to the US president. Trump stated that Musk visited the Pentagon to discuss reducing costs through the "department of government efficiency" but denied that Musk would be briefed on military plans involving China. The admission marks a rare acknowledgment of the potential conflicts Musk faces balancing his corporate and government roles.
• Musk calls for prosecution of Pentagon leakers — Elon Musk expressed anger over leaks regarding his Pentagon briefing, calling for the prosecution of those responsible. He labeled the New York Times' reporting as propaganda and demanded accountability for the leaks. This reaction highlights tensions between private individuals and government transparency, as well as the potential chilling effect on whistleblowers.
• Trump denies Pentagon briefing on China war plans — Following reports of Elon Musk's scheduled Pentagon briefing, Trump and others issued denials, claiming the meeting was not about "top secret China war plans" but rather about innovation and production efficiencies. The denials came after public backlash and concerns about Musk's ties to China. The incident underscores the tension between transparency and national security.
• Elon Musk scheduled for Pentagon briefing — Elon Musk was reportedly scheduled to receive a briefing at the Pentagon about potential military plans involving China. Concerns were raised due to Musk's business ties with China. The Pentagon and White House initially refused to comment, but after the story broke, denials were issued, and the meeting's nature was downplayed. The situation raises questions about national security and the influence of private individuals on military matters.

Supporting reports

• Commerce Secretary encouraged Tesla stock purchase — On Fox, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick encouraged viewers to buy Tesla stock, which would benefit shadow president and top Trump donor Musk and is against federal ethics regulations.
• Musk calls for prosecution of Pentagon leakers — Elon Musk expressed anger over leaks regarding his Pentagon briefing, calling for the prosecution of those responsible. He labeled the New York Times' reporting as propaganda and demanded accountability for the leaks. This reaction highlights tensions between private individuals and government transparency, as well as the potential chilling effect on whistleblowers.
• Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick endorsed Tesla stock on Fox News, violating federal ethics rules — Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick urged the Fox News Channel audience to buy Tesla stock on Wednesday, an endorsement that violated federal ethics rules. The endorsement failed to prop up the stock price. This followed Trump's sales pitch for Teslas at the White House on March 11.
• Record number of Teslas traded in March — Reuters reported a record number of Tesla vehicles being traded in March, with data showing 1.4% of all vehicles traded were Teslas, up from 0.4% the previous year. This increase reflects growing consumer dissatisfaction with Tesla, potentially linked to Elon Musk's political involvement and public statements. The trend may impact Tesla's market position and brand perception.