Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Trump administration charges 40 people for voter fraud nationwide — The Trump administration has charged approximately 40 people across the United States for voter fraud in recent weeks, with approximately 170 people charged for illegal voting since the start of Trump's second term. These charges occur amid a broader administration effort to create the impression that voter fraud is rampant, despite multiple studies showing it is exceedingly rare. The charges are being pursued ahead of midterm elections, representing a significant departure from historical DOJ practice of avoiding politically sensitive enforcement actions during campaign season.

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• DOJ sues California over alleged noncitizen voters — The Department of Justice sued the state of California, alleging that 20,000 noncitizens remain on the state's voter rolls and demanding the state be blocked from tabulating certain ballots the DOJ claimed might belong to noncitizens. California state officials rejected the federal claims, stating the DOJ had wrongly flagged U.S. citizens and people whose voter registrations had already been cancelled as potential ineligible voters. The 20,000 alleged noncitizens represent a tiny fraction of California's 23 million registered voters.

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• DOJ abandons 60-day pre-election neutrality rule and conducts politically sensitive enforcement actions — For decades, the Department of Justice has followed an unwritten rule to avoid activities that could influence elections during the 60 days preceding election day. In 2026, this rule has been abandoned. Recent DOJ actions include suing California for refusing to investigate voters' citizenship, federal agents raiding the home of Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN), and Attorney General Todd Blanche campaigning for Republican candidates. These actions occurred within the pre-election window.

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• FBI investigation into defense contractor corruption halted after Trump administration takes office — A defense contractor allegedly engaged in "campaign cash-for-contracts" dealings with former South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham and Congressman James Clyburn (D-SC). The FBI was actively investigating these interactions, but after Trump began his second term, the administration gutted the teams responsible for investigating public corruption, effectively halting the inquiry.

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• Guardian publishes explainer on 145 statewide ballot measures across 39 states in midterm elections — The Guardian reports on 145 statewide referendum measures voters will face in 39 states during the upcoming midterm elections. Key ballot initiatives include California's proposed billionaire wealth tax (Proposition 40), property tax measures in Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Tennessee, trans athlete and medical care restrictions in five states, noncitizen voting requirements in six states, and abortion rights protections in Idaho, Nevada, and Virginia. The article notes the long-run passage rate for referendums is approximately 41%.

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• Justice Department Secures Settlement of Lawsuit Against Oklahoma Landlord for Refusing to Rent to a Family with a Child — The Department of Justice announced this on 2026-10-22 through Civil Rights Division. The recorded stage is settlement executed. The department's own account of it reads: "The Justice Department announced today that the owners of a residential rental property in Oklahoma City have agreed to pay $52,500 to resolve a lawsuit alleging that they refused to rent a one-bedroom apartment to a single mother upon learning that she would be living with her child, in violation of the Fair Housing Act."

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• Conservative journalist Pedro Gonzalez criticized Vice President JD Vance's defense of the ad — Conservative journalist Pedro Gonzalez published a statement characterizing Vice President JD Vance's willingness to downplay child sexual abuse as a betrayal of principle. Gonzalez recounted his earlier interactions with Vance and described Vance's evolution from a "softer populist" attempting to "humanize" Trumpism to someone willing to defend content that could discourage abuse victims from coming forward. Gonzalez concluded that Vance would be remembered as a footnote in MAGA history as someone who "sold his soul for a crumb of power."

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• Elon Musk threatens members of Congress on social media — In response to reports that Democrats intend to investigate his role in cutting Ukraine's Starlink access, Elon Musk posted on social media: "Live by the sword, die by the sword. Those who pick fights with me should understand that I will find out who is really pulling the strings and come for them, not just their puppets." The statement was characterized as a shocking threat against members of Congress.
• Elon Musk posted threatening statement in response to criticism — Elon Musk posted on social media: "Live by the sword, die by the sword. Those who pick fights with me should understand that I will find out who is really pulling the strings and come for them, not just their puppets." The statement was made in response to congressional criticism of his Starlink decisions.

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• James Talarico campaign spokesman responded to disinformation attack — JT Ennis, spokesman for the Talarico campaign, stated: "The most powerful people in the world know they can't beat James Talarico with the truth, so they're slandering him with AI deepfakes, foreign bots and conspiracy theories to protect their broken, corrupt political system." The statement characterized the disinformation campaign as a coordinated attack by powerful actors.

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• Trump endorsed Ramaswamy's ad attacking Acton using estranged mother's allegations — Trump publicly endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy's Ohio gubernatorial campaign ad featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother making negative claims about her. At an Iowa rally, Trump stated he wished he could have run such an ad. When confronted by NBC reporter Monica Alba about the ad's use of allegations involving Acton's stepfather's rape charges and 50-year estrangement, Trump dismissed the context, refused to acknowledge the abuse allegations' relevance, and called Alba "a horrible little reporter." Ramaswamy defended the ad as addressing "lying" rather than abuse. The exchange highlighted Trump's willingness to amplify personal attacks regardless of underlying trauma or factual complexity.

Supporting reports

• Vice President JD Vance made inflammatory statement at Nebraska campaign rally — Vice President JD Vance stated at a campaign rally in Nebraska that "This Democrat Party needs an ass kicking." The remark represents escalated partisan rhetoric during the final weeks of the midterm election campaign.

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• Utah Man Charged with Attempted Hate Crime, and other Crimes After Allegedly Making Online Threats to “blow up” a Synagogue — The Department of Justice announced this on 2026-10-22 through Civil Rights Division. The recorded stage is an indictment returned. The allegations are unadjudicated; this documents the announcement, not the truth of any allegation. The department's own account of it reads: "A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment charging a Utah man with multiple federal crimes including possession of an unregistered destructive device, threat to kill and injure persons and to destroy a building with an explosive, and attempting to commit a hate crime, among other charges, after threats were allegedly made online relating to a Utah synagogue in December 2025."

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• Marine Le Pen's political fortunes rise amid civil unrest — As rioting and disorder began in France, the political prospects of anti-immigration right-wing candidate Marine Le Pen improved significantly, as measured by prediction markets. In contrast, left-wing candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon's chances remained unchanged despite his promises of increased social spending. The public shift reflects growing attribution of disorder to immigration and migration issues.

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• DHS arrests Omar Muñoz in high-profile operation for alleged unlawful voter registration — Department of Homeland Security agents arrested Omar Muñoz, a 72-year-old lawful permanent resident, at his Commerce, California home in an early morning operation on October 21, 2026. Muñoz was one of 28 green card holders charged in California with allegedly registering to vote unlawfully. The arrest was conducted with significant law enforcement presence, including a helicopter, and was subsequently publicized by the Department of Justice in a promotional video. Muñoz, who is frail from recent surgeries, was handcuffed and shackled despite his physical condition. The operation occurred two weeks before midterm elections.

Supporting reports

• Justice Department deploys 1,000 federal election monitors nationwide — On October 21, the Justice Department announced plans to deploy approximately 1,000 federal election monitors across the country for the midterm elections, roughly triple the number deployed during the previous midterm cycle.

Supporting reports

• Trump Administration Denaturalizes Two People Who Gained U.S. Citizenship by Concealing Criminal Activity — The Department of Justice announced this on 2026-10-21 through Civil Division. The department's own account of it reads: "The Department of Justice announced today that it has secured the denaturalization of two individuals who illegally obtained U.S. citizenship by not disclosing their prior criminal activity."

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• Civil Rights Division and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Secure $5,000,000 Joint Settlement with Instacart for Discriminating Against U.S. Workers — The Department of Justice announced this on 2026-10-20 through Civil Rights Division. The recorded stage is settlement executed. The department's own account of it reads: "The United States Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, in partnership with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, announced they have secured a $5,000,000 settlement with Maplebear Inc., doing business as Instacart, a San Francisco, California-based online delivery service. The settlement addresses allegations that Instacart discriminated against U.S."

Supporting reports

• Vivek Ramaswamy launches attack ad featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother — Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican candidate for Ohio governor, released a campaign advertisement featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother claiming Acton is a liar about her childhood. Acton has publicly documented severe childhood trauma, including living in a tent during winter while her stepfather—who had prior accusations of molestation—sexually abused her between ages 9 and 12. Her mother lost custody as a result. The ad drew immediate condemnation from Republicans, Democrats, strategists, and commentators across the political spectrum as exploitative and cruel.
• Ramaswamy campaign airs attack ad featuring abuse survivor's mother, funded partly by corporate PAC contributions — Vivek Ramaswamy's Ohio gubernatorial campaign aired a television advertisement featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother, Donna Arthur, attacking Acton's account of childhood sexual abuse. The ad, which began circulating Monday and was aired statewide Tuesday after $4 million spending commitment, has been condemned by Democratic and Republican officials as exploitative and morally indefensible. A Popular Information analysis of campaign finance records shows the ad was funded in part by corporate PAC contributions and executive donations from Bank of America, Deloitte, DraftKings, Kroger, and Nationwide.
• Vivek Ramaswamy releases attack ad using opponent's childhood trauma — Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy released a political advertisement featuring the biological mother of his opponent, Dr. Amy Acton, claiming Acton lied about living in a tent as a child. Acton, who has not seen her biological mother since age 12 after being removed from her home following her mother's husband's indictment for rape, has documented evidence of her childhood homelessness. Court records confirm Acton's account. Vice President J.D. Vance defended the ad, while others, including former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, condemned it as morally corrupt.

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• Mississippi attorney general rules fatal police shooting of one-year-old as "justified" — On June 14, 2026, officers in Senatobia, Mississippi, responding to an alleged shoplifting call, fired into a vehicle occupied by Vellesiya Wiley, her one-year-old son Kohen, and Latoya Ferrell. Sergeant Hunter Foster killed the child and wounded Ferrell. On October 19, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch's office announced the shooting was "justified." An independent autopsy contradicted police claims that the vehicle drove toward officers, indicating the child was shot from the side. Neither woman has been charged; no evidence of shoplifting has been released.
• Mississippi attorney general declares police shooting of one-year-old Kohen Wiley "justified" — Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced on Monday, October 21, that the police shooting death of Kohen Wiley, a one-year-old child in Senatobia, was "justified." Officers with guns drawn responded to a shoplifting call (alleged theft of diapers) and fired on a vehicle containing the child, his mother Vellesiya Wiley, and a friend. Video footage was subsequently released. The child's family and their attorneys, Ben Crump and Van Turner, held a press conference expressing shock at the ruling and calling for a federal investigation.

Supporting reports

• Justice Department charges 28 permanent residents with voting violations — On October 19, the Justice Department charged 28 lawful permanent residents in California with alleged voting-related offenses, including registering or voting without U.S. citizenship. Eleven had been arrested on Monday. The charges remain unproven in court. The government has claimed approximately 20,000 California voters could be noncitizens, though these charges do not establish the accuracy of that claim.
• Justice Department Charges 28 Foreign Nationals in California for Election Crimes — The Department of Justice announced this on 2026-10-19 through Office of the Attorney General. The recorded stage is an arrest. The allegations are unadjudicated; this documents the announcement, not the truth of any allegation. The department's own account of it reads: "Federal law enforcement throughout California today arrested 11 foreign nationals living in the United States who are among 28 total charged in criminal complaints with federal crimes, including that they fraudulently registered to vote in U.S. elections, electoral contests in which most of them cast illegal and fraudulently obtained ballots."

Supporting reports

• White powder envelopes sent to 36+ Congressional offices and election centers nationwide — More than 36 members of the US Congress and election offices in at least 15 states received envelopes containing white powder in the weeks before the November 3, 2026 midterm elections. The FBI, Capitol Police, and US Postal Inspection Service are investigating. Over 100 letters thought to contain white powder were circulating in the mail system. Envelopes bore a "Thinking of You" postmark and were processed through a north Texas mail center. Most were intercepted before delivery. Targets included Democrats (Chuck Schumer, Alex Padilla, Hakeem Jeffries) and Republicans (Mike Rounds, Ted Cruz, Pete Ricketts) across multiple states. No suspect has been identified.

Supporting reports

• No Kings Vote Early events held across United States — On October 17, 2026, more than 3,000 No Kings Vote Early events took place across the country, with participants voting early and organizing marches and rallies to mobilize voters ahead of midterm elections scheduled for November 3, 2026. Events were documented in multiple cities including San Francisco, Sacramento, San Diego, Norristown (Pennsylvania), Warren (Ohio), and Yamhill County (Oregon). Organizers reported that the coordinated action represented the largest early-voting mobilization event in U.S. history and was designed to encourage early voting and prevent election fraud.

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• JD Vance campaigns against Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan — Vice President JD Vance campaigned in Michigan against Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed, calling him "a little weasel who should shut his mouth and show a little gratitude to the country that gave him everything." El-Sayed responded by defending his commitment to America, noting he was born in the country and criticizing Republican policies on healthcare, unions, and election integrity.

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• University of Maryland club tennis team suspended over distribution of KKK imagery — The University of Maryland indefinitely suspended its club tennis team after members distributed a graphic featuring altered Maryland state flag imagery incorporating Ku Klux Klan hoods to other universities participating in a regional tennis tournament. The offensive material was discovered by Howard University's club tennis team president in a shared Google document sent to tournament participants. UMD's president stated the team "distributed programming material with a graphic containing racist imagery directed at people who are Black or African American." The university's recreation and wellness department suspended the entire club pending investigation by the office of student conduct, with additional investigations launched by campus police and the office of civil rights and sexual misconduct.

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• Harris County DA considers felony charges against ICE agent for running over man — Sean Teare, district attorney for Harris County, Texas, announced he is considering felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charges against an ICE officer who ran over Miguel Parra-Hernandez with an unmarked SUV during a traffic stop in west Houston on Saturday morning. Video evidence shows the officer's vehicle veering into Parra-Hernandez as he fled across a parking lot, breaking his leg in multiple places. Teare stated the incident appeared to be an intentional striking and that ICE is refusing to cooperate with the investigation, including denying access to vehicle data recorder information.