Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Trump posted digitally altered image on social media showing him with Xi Jinping — Trump posted an image on his social media account showing himself and Xi Jinping standing together on a red carpet in front of an airplane labeled Air China, with a military aircraft flying over a circle of stars and "Only Trump" superimposed in blackletter font. Journalist Aaron Rupar of Public Notice identified the image as digitally altered, with the chief officer of protocol Monica Crowley's image replaced by what appears to be Trump aide Natalie Harp.

Supporting reports

• Trump compares Fourth of July crowd to MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech — Trump compared the size of his Fourth of July crowd on the National Mall to the crowd at Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, claiming his was bigger.

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• Marjorie Taylor Greene questions authenticity of Butler rally shooting — Former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene responded to a post by MAGA activist Trisha Hope questioning the 2024 Butler, Pennsylvania shooting at a Trump rally, suggesting the shooting may have been staged or orchestrated. Greene stated that Corey Comperatore's family "deserves to know the truth" and questioned why Trump is not "leading the charge" to investigate, implying the incident may not have occurred as reported.

Supporting reports

• DOJ files motions to vacate January 6 seditious conspiracy convictions — The US Department of Justice, under Trump-appointed US Attorney Jeanine Pirro, filed motions on April 15, 2026, to overturn seditious conspiracy convictions of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers members convicted for their roles in the January 6, 2021 Capitol siege. The filing targets convictions of leaders including Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, and Stewart Rhodes. This action follows Trump's January 2025 mass pardons and commutations of roughly 1,600 Capitol-related defendants, including Enrique Tarrio, who had been sentenced to 22 years. The filing would erase convictions from defendants' records.
• Department of Justice moved to dismiss seditious conspiracy convictions of January 6 defendants — The Department of Justice filed a motion to vacate the seditious conspiracy convictions of Oath Keepers and Proud Boys members convicted for their roles in the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Lenerz wrote that "The United States has determined in its prosecutorial discretion that dismissal of this criminal case is in the interests of justice." This action follows Trump's January 2025 pardons and sentence commutations of January 6 participants, effectively erasing accountability for convictions related to the attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
• DOJ seeks to dismiss Oath Keepers and Proud Boys Jan. 6 convictions — Trump's Justice Department filed a motion with a federal appeals court to dismiss seditious conspiracy convictions of Oath Keepers and Proud Boys members charged for their roles in the January 6 insurrection. The defendants had previously received sentence commutations on Trump's first day in office but were not among the 1,200+ individuals pardoned for January 6-related crimes.

Supporting reports

• Claimed Civil Rights Act harmed white people — In a New York Times interview, Trump claimed that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 led to white people being "very badly treated."
• Trump announces expansion of defamation lawsuit against New York Times over unfavorable poll — President Donald Trump announced via Truth Social that he is expanding his existing defamation lawsuit against the New York Times to include claims related to a Times/Siena University poll showing his approval rating at 40%. Trump alleged the poll was "heavily skewed toward Democrats" and "fake results," and instructed his lawyers to demand the Times preserve records of how the poll was "computed." The Times responded by defending its polling methodology as rigorous and independent of political favorability.
• Trump threatened legal action against polling organizations over unfavorable poll — Following release of a New York Times/Siena poll showing Trump with 40% job approval and 56% disapproval across multiple policy areas, Trump posted three lengthy posts on Truth Social threatening to sue the Times and prosecute polling companies criminally. Trump claimed the polls were "fake" and "tremendously negative," and stated his lawyers had demanded the Times preserve records of how results were "computed."
• Trump delivers address at World Economic Forum in Davos with multiple false and exaggerated claims — Donald Trump addressed the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 22, 2026, making numerous claims about foreign policy achievements, technological leadership, renewable energy, NATO support, and budget matters. Fact-checkers found the claims ranged from exaggerated to provably false, including assertions about settling eight wars, leading China in AI, China's wind capacity, NATO allies' commitment, and the US ownership of Greenland. The speech exemplified a pattern of dubious assertions presented as fact to an international audience.
• Trump threatened to criminalize polling and sued New York Times — After the New York Times/Siena poll was released showing his approval at 40%, Trump's social media account posted that "Fake and Fraudulent Polling should be, virtually, a criminal offense" and claimed polls during the 2020 election were knowingly wrong and designed to influence the outcome. Trump announced he would add the Times/Siena poll to an existing lawsuit against the New York Times, threatening legal action against the news organization for publishing polling data.
• Trump threatened to sue New York Times over approval rating poll — Trump spent the morning lashing out at the press and threatened to sue The New York Times over its latest Siena poll, which shows his approval rating deeply underwater. Trump labeled the poll fake, accused the paper of fraud, and demanded internal records. The poll showed Trump with a net approval of minus sixteen and underwater on nearly every major issue, from the economy to foreign relations to immigration.
• Trump continues to repost conspiracy theories about 2020 election — Trump is still reposting conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, including content from QAnon-linked accounts. Many lawyers who pushed these lies lost their licenses, but the damage to the information environment remains.

Supporting reports

• Claimed Civil Rights Act harmed white people — In a New York Times interview, Trump claimed that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 led to white people being "very badly treated."
• Trump did not acknowledge Martin Luther King Jr. Day — President Trump did not acknowledge or issue any statement regarding Martin Luther King Jr. Day on the national holiday celebrating the civil rights leader who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his nonviolent struggle for Black civil rights in the United States.

Supporting reports

• Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery removed text from Trump's portrait referencing impeachments and 2020 election loss — Under pressure from the White House, the Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery removed text accompanying Trump's portrait that referred to his two impeachments and his loss to Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. The removal occurred in January 2026 and represented institutional capitulation to executive pressure to alter the historical record.

Supporting reports

• Trump claims he won Minnesota three times without evidence — When asked by CNN's Kaitlan Collins whether the FBI should share information about the Renee Good shooting with state officials, President Trump responded with unsubstantiated claims that Minnesota is corrupt and that he won the state in 2016, 2020, and 2024. Trump lost Minnesota in all three elections. He also made inflammatory statements about Somali-Americans, claiming they "buy their vote" and alleging widespread fraud without evidence.

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• Trump dismissed Russian interference in 2016 election as a hoax — Trump told reporters that the Russian interference in the 2016 election was a "made-up hoax" created by Hillary Clinton and Adam Schiff. He claimed that he and Putin had discussed the matter and agreed that "they made it all up." Trump stated that despite the alleged hoax, "we didn't get into wars, or we didn't get into problems," and lamented that trade with Russia had been restricted as a result.

Supporting reports

• Center for Biological Diversity sued to block Trump portrait on national park passes — The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration to prevent the replacement of national park images with Trump's portrait on the America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass, effective January 1, 2026. The lawsuit argues that federal law requires the main annual pass to feature the winning photo from the National Park Foundation's annual photo contest, which for the upcoming year is an image of Glacier National Park in Montana. The group's executive director Kieran Suckling stated that replacing park imagery with Trump's face is "Trump's crassest, most ego-driven action yet" and constitutes politicization of America's national parks.
• Department of Interior replaced national park images with Trump's face on annual passes — The Department of the Interior announced it would replace images of national parks on annual passes with an image of Trump's face alongside George Washington, effective January 1, 2026. The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit to prevent the change, arguing that federal law requires the main annual pass to feature the winning photo from the National Park Foundation's annual photo contest, which for the upcoming year is an image of Glacier National Park in Montana.

Supporting reports

• RFK Jr breaches promise to Senator Cassidy on CDC vaccine webpage — When the Senate voted to confirm Robert F Kennedy Jr as health secretary, Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy cast the deciding vote but extracted a concession: Kennedy promised to leave intact the CDC webpage stating that vaccines do not cause autism. Kennedy has since breached that promise by allowing the CDC to alter its website to reflect his vaccine-autism claim. Senator Cassidy expressed shock but has refused to directly challenge Kennedy on the broken commitment.
• CDC alters website to reflect RFK Jr's vaccine-autism claim — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention altered its website to reflect US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr's claim of a causal link between vaccines and autism, a position contradicted by dozens of scientific studies. The change prompted immediate responses from autism advocacy organizations, including the Autistic Self Advocacy Network and Association of University Centers on Disabilities, who demanded public health officials listen to autistic voices and directed communities to alternative, evidence-based sources of health information.

Supporting reports

• CDC website altered to undermine vaccine-autism consensus — The CDC website statement that vaccines do not cause autism was modified to include an asterisk and footnote indicating it had not been removed because of Kennedy's promise to Senator Cassidy, and the page text was changed to state that "studies supporting a link have been ignored by health authorities." This alteration, made at Kennedy's direction, effectively reframed the scientific consensus as disputed and suggested institutional suppression of contrary evidence.
• RFK Jr. personally ordered CDC to alter vaccine-autism guidance — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. personally directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to change information on the CDC website regarding the claim that vaccines do not cause autism. Kennedy acknowledged the order despite admitting that studies have shown no link between vaccines and autism. He stated he wanted the change because additional studies remain to be done, effectively reframing established scientific consensus as unproven. The change was made despite Kennedy's prior promise to Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) during his confirmation process that he would not remove the statement.

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• White House social media account posted images of Trump and Melania to counter Epstein narrative — Between November 13 and November 16, the White House social media account posted a series of images portraying Trump and First Lady Melania Trump as a happily married couple. On November 13, it posted an image of them listening to the Marine Band with the caption "The best president." On November 14, it posted an image of them embracing with the caption "I can't help falling in love with you." On November 16, it posted a picture of them holding hands with the caption "America's power couple." These posts appeared timed to counter negative coverage related to the Epstein files release debate.

Supporting reports

• Trump held antifa roundtable with conspiracy theorists — Trump held an "antifa" roundtable with right-wing commentators, including "Pizzagate" conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec. Talking about his effort to criminalize flag burning, a move protected by the First Amendment through the Supreme Court, Trump said, "We took freedom of speech away." Attorney General Pam Bondi noted that, "just like we did with cartels, we're going to take the same approach with antifa." Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem compared "antifa," which has no organized structure or leadership, to Tren de Aragua, MS-13, Hamas, and ISIS, saying they are "just as sophisticated" and "dangerous" as other "terrorist" organizations.
• White House issues release characterizing Portland protests as "Antifa-led" terrorism and promoting federal deployment — The White House published a release titled "PORTLAND: Fake News Ignores Antifa Violence, Residents' Pleas for Help" on October 8, 2025. The document characterizes years of Portland protests as an "Antifa-led hellfire" involving "firebombs, beatings, and brazen attacks," accuses news media of denial about "Radical Left's reign of terror," and frames federal resource mobilization as necessary to "safeguard lives and property." The release includes resident testimonies supporting National Guard deployment and a chronology of Portland incidents dating to 2016, attributing violence to "Antifa terrorists" and "Antifa militants."
• White House held "Antifa Roundtable" with far-right influencers to promote narrative of left-wing violence — Trump held an "Antifa Roundtable" at the White House with far-right influencers to promote the narrative that "antifa" is a real organized threat responsible for violence and destruction. Participants included Jack Posobiec, a proponent of the Pizzagate conspiracy theory. The White House used the event to advance claims about left-wing terrorism despite evidence that federal agents had characterized pre-deployment protests as "low energy."
• White House issued press release falsely characterizing Portland protests as "Antifa-led hellfire" — The White House issued a press release claiming that Portland has been consumed for years by an "Antifa-led hellfire" of firebombs, beatings, and attacks on federal officers and property, and accused the media of "shameful denial" about left-wing violence. The characterization contradicted federal agents' own descriptions of the protests as "low energy" before the administration ordered troops into the city.

Supporting reports

• Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem made false claims about Portland — Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem stated on Fox News that she is "saving Chicago and Portland," claiming "Portland, it's been dark and horrible for so many years. It been a train wreck." She asserted that "Gangs, cartel members, and known terrorist organizations have placed bounties on the heads of several of our law enforcement officers." The bulletin notes Noem has never visited Portland and bases her statements on Fox propaganda rather than direct knowledge or evidence.
• Illinois Governor Pritzker contradicted federal claims about Chicago — Illinois Governor JB Pritzker stated on CNN that Trump and Homeland Security claims that Chicago is a "war zone" are false. Pritzker said: "They're just making this up. And then what do they do? They fire tear gas and smoke grenades, and they make it look like it's a war zone." Pritzker also reported that ICE is "just picking up people who are brown and black and then checking their credentials," resulting in U.S. citizens being detained and arrested without proper documentation checks.
• Kristi Noem claimed Portland officials lied about city safety during her visit — During a cabinet meeting, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that during a visit to Portland on Tuesday, she met with the governor, mayor, and police chief, all of whom she characterized as "lying" and "dishonest." She claimed the mayor said Portland was safe and beautiful, but that streets were cleared and a four-block radius was secured for her visit. The Wall Street Journal reported that Portland police daily reports from the month prior painted a different picture, with one sergeant noting on September 5 that only 8 people were present at a demonstration and "couldn't even get one of them to flip me the bird. Very low energy."

Supporting reports

• White House sends letter to Smithsonian Institution directing cultural review — The Trump administration sent a letter to Dr. Lonnie Bunch, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, informing him of an intent to review museum exhibitions, curatorial processes, planning, use of collections, and artist grants to ensure alignment "with the president's directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions." The review will focus on eight museums including the National Museum of African-American History and Culture, the National Museum of the American Indian, and the Hirshhorn Museum. The review is being led by Trump's Florida criminal defense attorney, who joined from property law and convinced Trump to sign an executive order placing her in charge after she objected to certain exhibits. Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget and key Project 2025 author, is also on the three-person team.
• Trump's Smithsonian review team wrote to Smithsonian secretary demanding alignment with presidential directive — On August 12, 2025, Trump's three-person Smithsonian review team, including Florida criminal defense attorney Lindsey Halligan and Russell Vought (director of the Office of Management and Budget), wrote to Dr. Lonnie Bunch, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, informing him they intended to review museum exhibitions, curatorial processes, planning, use of collections, and artists' grants. The team stated they would ensure exhibitions align "with the president's directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions." The review targeted eight major Smithsonian museums including the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of the American Indian.

Supporting reports

• Hegseth orders Navy to rename USNS Harvey Milk — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered the Navy to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, a ship named after Harvey Milk, a gay rights activist and Korean War veteran. The order removes the name of a decorated service member and civil rights figure from a naval vessel.

Supporting reports

• Department of Homeland Security posted image of "American Progress" painting with caption evoking manifest destiny ideology — On July 23, the official X account of the Department of Homeland Security posted John Gast's 1872 oil painting "American Progress"—a canonical representation of manifest destiny depicting westward expansion, Indigenous displacement, and white settlement—with the caption "A Heritage to be proud of, a Homeland worth Defending." The post was interpreted by observers as the Trump administration's embrace of manifest destiny ideology and, more broadly, "blood and soil" citizenship doctrine that defines belonging by ancestry and racial continuity rather than civic principles.

Supporting reports

• Trump claims Epstein files are fabrications by political opponents and discourages public interest — On July 8, after sustained criticism from his MAGA base over the administration's handling of Epstein-related disclosures, Trump dismissed the controversy as a "desecration" of flood victims. When criticism persisted, Trump posted on Truth Social claiming that additional Epstein files exist but were "written by Obama, Crooked Hillary, Comey, Brennan, and the Losers and Criminals of the Biden Administration." He urged supporters to "not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about." This statement contradicted the administration's earlier promise to release such files and reframed legitimate investigative material as partisan fabrication.

Supporting reports

• Trump announces plan to end birthright citizenship via executive order — Following the Supreme Court's Trump v. CASA decision, President Trump announced to reporters his intention to use an executive order to end birthright citizenship, claiming the Fourteenth Amendment was based on a misinterpretation of law and rooted in a fabricated historical narrative about the Civil War ending in 1869 and a case filed on that exact day concerning "babies of slaves."

Supporting reports

• White House issues release claiming Iran's nuclear facilities have been obliterated by U.S. strikes — The White House published a release on June 25, 2025, asserting that precision U.S. strikes have obliterated Iran's nuclear facilities. The document compiles statements from President Trump, Israeli officials, U.S. military and intelligence leadership, and independent analysts claiming severe damage to enrichment sites at Fordo, Natanz, and Esfahan, and asserting that Iran's nuclear weapons capability has been set back by years. The release frames contrary reporting as "fake news."
• White House issues fact sheet claiming Iran's nuclear facilities have been obliterated — The White House published a fact sheet on June 26, 2025, asserting that U.S. military strikes have destroyed Iran's nuclear facilities. The document compiles statements from U.S. officials (CIA Director Ratcliffe, DNI Gabbard, Secretary Hegseth, Secretary Rubio, Chairman Caine), international figures (IAEA Director Grossi, Israeli officials), and outside experts claiming severe damage to Natanz, Fordow, and Esfahan sites. The fact sheet states that Iran's nuclear program has been "set back by years" and that centrifuges have been rendered inoperable, though it does not present independent verification or dissenting assessments.

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• Trump removed the bust of Martin Luther King, Jr. from the Oval Office — Trump removed the bust of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. from the Oval Office. A White House spokesperson stated that it was moved to the dining room but refused to provide photographic evidence of its new location.

Supporting reports

• Smithsonian Institution rebuffs Trump's attempt to fire Kim Sajet — The Smithsonian Institution's governing board rejected former President Donald Trump's attempt to fire Kim Sajet, the director of the National Portrait Gallery. Trump had announced on May 30 that he had fired Sajet, accusing her of being "highly partisan" and a supporter of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), which he deemed inappropriate for her position. The Smithsonian's board asserted its independence, stating that all personnel decisions are made by the secretary with board oversight, thus maintaining its governance structure against political interference.

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• Department of Defense bans books from Naval Academy — The Department of Defense ordered the removal of nearly 400 books from the U.S. Naval Academy library, targeting works related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Although some books have been returned, the action reflects a broader effort to control educational content in military institutions.
• Department of Defense bans DEI-related books and instruction — The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) instructed schools to remove books and cancel activities related to gender ideology and DEI. This directive, part of compliance with executive orders, has led to legal challenges from students claiming First Amendment violations.
• Departments of Veterans Affairs and State ban pride flags — The Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Department of State have banned the display of pride flags and similar symbols in employees' private offices and consular posts. This action reflects the administration's stance against LGBTQ+ visibility in government spaces.

Supporting reports

• US Navy plans to rename vessels named after civil rights icons — The US Navy is reportedly planning to rename vessels named after civil rights icons, including USNS Harvey Milk, as part of a broader DEI purge initiated by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.