Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• ICE arrests reach record high of 1,474 per day in early July — Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests in early July hit 1,474 per day, a record high for the Trump administration. For months, ICE had not released data about arrests. Immigration enforcement scholar Austin Kocher noted that new records show this unprecedented arrest rate. In recent months, ICE has recruited thousands of new agents, many of whom did not have requisite qualifications and were not properly vetted.
• ICE arrests surge to pace exceeding 1.4 million annually under Trump crackdown — According to Washington Post reporting, ICE arrests through the first 12 days of July are on pace to arrest the most people in a single month during Trump's second administration. Daily arrests have surged to more than 1,400 people as the White House pushes for increased enforcement. June arrests totaled more than 39,500, surpassing the previous high from December. At the current pace, July arrests would exceed June's total. Trump is seeking to deport 1 million undocumented immigrants per year.

Supporting reports

• Congressional investigation found Trump administration misused 250th anniversary celebration — A congressional investigation titled "From Vanity to Insanity: How the WH Cheated the American People Out of Their 250th Birthday" found that Trump staged a hostile takeover of the United States' 250th anniversary celebration to enrich political allies, harvest voter data, and promote Christian nationalist ideology. The report outlined a web of alleged corruption, wire fraud, and pay-to-play schemes orchestrated through a shadow corporation embedded within the National Park Service.
• House Democratic subcommittee releases report alleging Trump administration hijacked US 250th anniversary celebration for corruption, partisan gain, and ideological purposes — A House Democratic natural resources subcommittee released an interim report titled "From Vanity to Insanity" alleging that the Trump administration orchestrated a hostile takeover of the US semiquincentennial (250th anniversary) celebration. The report documents alleged corruption, wire fraud, pay-to-play schemes, and misuse of the National Park Foundation (NPF) through a shadow corporation called Freedom 250. The administration allegedly diverted resources from the non-partisan America250 Foundation, installed campaign operatives on the NPF board, misled donors, steered federal contracts to Trump loyalists, harvested voter data through event registration, and replaced civic programming with Christian nationalist content while erasing historical narratives about slavery and Indigenous removal from national parks.
• House Democrats released report on Freedom 250 corruption allegations — Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee, led by Rep. Jared Huffman, released a report titled "From Vanity to Insanity" accusing Trump's allies of turning the nation's 250th birthday into a "hotbed of corruption and self-enrichment." The report alleges that when the bipartisan America250 commission would not bend to Trump, the White House created a rival group, Freedom 250, and placed it inside the National Park Foundation to avoid transparency rules. The report describes alleged wire fraud (donors directed to Freedom 250 instead of America250), selling presidential access through sponsorship packages, soliciting foreign money, and steering contracts to Trump allies. Freedom 250 denies the allegations.

Supporting reports

• National Design Studio installs undisclosed visitor-tracking software on federal websites — The National Design Studio (NDS), a White House office led by Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia and staffed by Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) veterans, rebuilt sensitive federal websites for passport applications, voter registration, prescription-drug pricing, and children's savings accounts. The NDS installed commercial visitor-tracking software (PostHog) configured to evade privacy tools on four public federal websites without publishing required privacy impact assessments or system-of-records notices mandated by the Privacy Act of 1974 and E-Government Act of 2002. The NDS removed the tracking software after Guardian inquiry on 4 June; White House responded 17 June claiming compliance with legal requirements.

Supporting reports

• National Design Studio installs undisclosed visitor-tracking software on federal websites — The National Design Studio (NDS), a White House office led by Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia and staffed by Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) veterans, rebuilt sensitive federal websites for passport applications, voter registration, prescription-drug pricing, and children's savings accounts. The NDS installed commercial visitor-tracking software (PostHog) configured to evade privacy tools on four public federal websites without publishing required privacy impact assessments or system-of-records notices mandated by the Privacy Act of 1974 and E-Government Act of 2002. The NDS removed the tracking software after Guardian inquiry on 4 June; White House responded 17 June claiming compliance with legal requirements.
• White House National Design Studio rebuilt federal websites outside normal oversight — An investigation by The Guardian found that an opaque White House office called the National Design Studio, staffed largely by veterans of Elon Musk's DOGE and led by Trump-aligned Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia, has quietly rebuilt some of the federal government's most sensitive websites for passport applications, voter registration, prescription-drug pricing, and children's savings accounts. The office, established by Trump executive order in August 2025, has built and operates four public federal websites: ndstudio.gov, trumprx.gov, realfood.gov, and trumpaccounts.gov. All four sites run commercial visitor-tracking software configured to evade privacy tools, and none carry the public filings required under the Privacy Act of 1974 and the E-Government Act of 2002. The sites route sensitive interactions between Americans and their government through infrastructure apparently controlled by the White House and outside normal reporting and accountability systems.

Supporting reports

• Preliminary injunction ruling — Phang v. Blanche (D.D.C.) 1:26-cv-01417 — In an order and opinion , Judge Sullivan granted Phang's motion for a preliminary injunction. The court rejected the Attorney General's threshold objections, including that the Epstein Act lacks a private right of action, that Phang lacked Article III standing, and that the Freedom of Information Act provided an adequate alternative remedy. It held that Phang has a private right of action under the APA and likely has standing based on informational and redressable economic injuries. The court further found Phang likely to succeed on the merits, treating the Attorney General's failure to respond substantively to her five asserted Epstein Act violations as a concession, and that irreparable harm, the balance of equities, and the public interest favored relief. The court ordered the Attorney General to either publicly produce specified emails, DOJ documents, and underlying FBI interview notes, or to show cause as to why those materials should not be produced or the redactions removed by July 2, 2026. The court also ordered the Attorney General to review and produce potentially responsive foreign-language materials and either to publish the Act's required Federal Register redaction log, with concurrent updates for future redacted releases, or show cause as to why he cannot do so.
• Judge Sullivan ordered Trump administration to advance Epstein Files transparency — Judge Emmet Sullivan granted Katie Phang's motion for preliminary injunction in Phang v. Blanche, ordering the Trump administration to move forward on key transparency measures in the Epstein Files case, including defending redactions, producing additional records, and publishing the required disclosure log. Sullivan set a July 2 deadline for Todd Blanche to either produce unredacted files or show cause why he cannot.

Supporting reports

• Federal judge orders Trump administration to explain tarp obscuring Kennedy Center facade — US District Judge Christopher Cooper ordered the Trump administration to report by 31 July on the purpose and status of a tarp and scaffolding installed at the Kennedy Center after workers removed Donald Trump's name from the building's facade in a predawn operation. The tarp was placed following Cooper's court order requiring removal of Trump's name, which had been unlawfully added in December. The administration faces scrutiny for what critics characterize as obstruction of the restoration of the Kennedy Center's original name.

Supporting reports

• ODNI withheld report on voting machine vulnerabilities — Reuters reported that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence is sitting on a report identifying vulnerabilities in the nation's voting machines. The machines' software is outdated, leaving exploitable vulnerabilities. Former DNI Gabbard initiated the report to investigate Trump's claim that the 2020 election was rigged, but the investigation found no evidence of such fraud. A second report by government contractor Mojave Research, which investigated voting machines in Puerto Rico, also recommended immediate updates to software systems, but those plans have not been implemented.

Supporting reports

• Complaint filed: Center for Biological Diversity v. U.S. Department of Agriculture (FOIA violation) — The Center for Biological Diversity filed a complaint in D.D.C. alleging that the U.S. Department of Agriculture violated the Freedom of Information Act by failing to meet the statutory deadline to determine a FOIA request submitted on February 26, 2026, concerning Executive Order 14387 (which delegated Defense Production Act authority over elemental phosphorus and glyphosate-based herbicides to the Secretary of Agriculture). CBD seeks declaratory judgment, an order requiring immediate determination and production of nonexempt records, a Vaughn index of withheld records, and an injunction against further unlawful withholding.

Supporting reports

• White House East Wing renovation costs balloon to $600 million with taxpayer funding — The Washington Post obtained internal contractor documents showing Trump's White House East Wing renovation, including a new ballroom, underground bunker, and security facilities, has grown from the $200 million Trump promised to an estimated $600 million. More than half is expected to come from taxpayers through the Secret Service, White House Military Office, and Executive Residence. Tens of millions in taxpayer funds were approved before Trump stated in March that "We have no taxpayer putting up 10 cents." The White House responded that Trump and donors are paying for the ballroom itself, ignoring other project costs.
• Trump administration approved tens of millions in taxpayer funds for White House ballroom addition — The Washington Post reported that while Trump assured the public that private donors would pay for a White House ballroom addition, the White House had already approved tens of millions of taxpayer dollars for the contractor building the addition. Internal cost estimates were significantly higher than administration officials had acknowledged in public comments or court filings. Project summaries showed the work was projected to rely heavily on taxpayer dollars from the moment it was announced.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration's Iran deal text remains unpublished and signing ceremony details unclear — The Trump administration has not released the text of the Iran Memorandum of Understanding to the public, Congress, or reporters. Trump stated the text would be released "pretty soon," then walked that back, saying it would come out "sometime after Friday"—after the signing ceremony itself. Trump indicated he may not attend the signing ceremony, telling reporters "JD is coming in for it. I'll probably be gone by then." The agreement is described as a statement of intent to negotiate, with actual technical talks and a final deal still pending.
• Iran MOU text withheld from Congress, press, and Israel — The text of the U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding remains classified and has not been released to the public, Congress, or Israel, despite Trump's promises to eventually hold a press conference and read it word by word. Israeli officials specifically requested to see the MOU text and were denied by U.S. counterparts, despite prior American assurances that certain preconditions were included in the agreement.

Supporting reports

• ICE ended policy requiring reporting of deaths within 30 days of release — ICE quietly ended the policy requiring it to report deaths of people who die within 30 days of release from custody. Under the new policy, individuals detained, neglected, and released in crisis will not appear in the public record, and deaths will continue but remain invisible to oversight and the public.
• Deaths continue in ICE custody — The article reports that on average one person in ICE detention dies every single week, and references ongoing deaths in ICE custody.

Supporting reports

• Interior Department withheld death information from Grand Canyon heat fatality — On June 12, 2026, a 72-year-old man died of extreme heat on a popular Grand Canyon trail. National Park Service employees wanted to warn other visitors of the danger, but the Interior Department's communications office did not release the information. Four days later, on June 16, a couple aged 67 and 68 died of extreme heat on the same trail. The delayed disclosure prevented timely public warning of the hazard.

Supporting reports

• Department of Government Efficiency officials planned to falsely declare 2.7 million immigrants dead — According to a whistleblower report from former Social Security Administration senior executive Jeremiah Schofield, officials from the Department of Government Efficiency devised a plan to force immigrant self-deportation by falsely declaring approximately 2.7 million individuals dead in federal records. The list included U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. Placement on the Death Master File cuts off access to wages, banking, and government services. While the full plan was not implemented, officials did move approximately 6,100 mostly Latino immigrants into the Death Master File database.

Supporting reports

• DHS denies substandard conditions at Delaney Hall despite congressional findings and detainee documentation — The Department of Homeland Security has repeatedly denied allegations of substandard conditions at Delaney Hall, claiming detainees are "criminals" and the "worst of the worst." However, data analysis by Syracuse University researcher Austin Kocher found that 88% of detainees had no criminal conviction and over 70% had no criminal history. DHS has similarly denied allegations about other ICE detention facilities. Detainees released multiple letters documenting conditions unfit for human habitation and demanding a meeting with New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill.

Supporting reports

• ICE eliminated guideline requiring reporting of deaths within 30 days of release — The Washington Post reported that ICE acting director David Venturella sent a memo to employees announcing the elimination of a guideline that required the agency to report deaths occurring less than 30 days after people are released from ICE custody. The policy had been designed to ensure the agency does not release people in an effort to avoid deaths in custody.
• ICE director rescinds reporting requirement for detainee deaths within 30 days of release — Acting ICE Director David Venturella issued a memo rescinding a 2021 Biden-era policy that required the agency to report to Congress and investigate deaths of detainees occurring within 30 days of their release. The policy had been implemented to prevent ICE from avoiding accountability by releasing severely ill detainees. Venturella's memo narrows reporting to deaths occurring only while individuals remain in ICE custody, eliminating oversight of post-release mortality that may result from conditions during detention.

Supporting reports

• White House proposes NDAs for federal workers to suppress leaks to journalists — The Office of Personnel Management released a draft nondisclosure agreement for federal agencies to impose on new and existing employees, designed to prevent them from sharing information with journalists. The agreement would allow the administration to pursue civil and criminal penalties against violators and claim "royalties" from any disclosures. Former employees would need written permission from agency officials to speak to journalists about information deemed "confidential." The move is part of a broader Trump administration campaign to control information flow and suppress dissent within the federal workforce.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration proposed federal employee nondisclosure agreement requirement — The Trump administration proposed sweeping language requiring federal employees to sign nondisclosure agreements. According to Don Moynihan's analysis, the new requirement would make it impossible for the American people to know what government officials are doing. The tool has been relied upon heavily by Trump to protect himself from potential exposure for wrongdoing.

Supporting reports

• ICE removes tablets from detainee units to limit outside communication — Following the announcement of the hunger strike, Delaney Hall staff reportedly removed tablets from detainee units, restricting detainees' ability to communicate with the outside world. DHS subsequently announced that all visits to the facility were "currently suspended due to riots outside the facility," further isolating detainees from family, legal counsel, and advocates during an active protest and strike.

Supporting reports

• DOJ opinion claims Presidential Records Act unconstitutional — Assistant Attorney General T. Elliot Gaiser published an opinion stating that the Presidential Records Act is unconstitutional, arguing it infringes on presidential autonomy. This opinion could significantly impact the handling of presidential records and accountability.
• Office of Legal Counsel published opinion declaring Presidential Records Act unconstitutional — Assistant Attorney General T. Elliot Gaiser of the Office of Legal Counsel published a legal opinion for the White House arguing that the Presidential Records Act (PRA), which requires presidents to keep records of official business and transfer them at the end of their term, is unconstitutional. The memo claims the PRA "unconstitutionally intrudes on the independence and autonomy of the President guaranteed by Article II" and states "the President need not further comply with its dictates."

Supporting reports

• Wyden accuses Deputy Attorney General Blanche of blocking Epstein document release — Senator Wyden sent a letter to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on March 19, 2026, alleging that Blanche intervened to prevent the DEA from complying with Wyden's request for an unredacted copy of the Epstein investigation memo. According to a confidential tip to Wyden's staff, DEA Administrator Terry Cole was prepared to provide the unredacted document, but Blanche stepped in to block it. Wyden noted the document is marked "unclassified" on every page and demanded immediate authorization for its release. Wyden also highlighted Blanche's role in Ghislaine Maxwell's transfer to a minimum-security facility and suggested the interference reflects a coverup to protect individuals in the Trump administration.
• Wyden posts on social media alleging Blanche coverup — Senator Wyden posted on social media on March 19, 2026, publicly accusing Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche of intervening to block the DEA from providing details of the Epstein investigation to the Senate Finance Committee. Wyden characterized the interference as "stunning" and noted that the document is marked "unclassified" and the investigation is closed. Wyden stated that given Blanche's close personal ties to Donald Trump, the action "reeks of a continued coverup to protect key names in the Trump administration."
• Todd Blanche blocked release of DEA task force document on Epstein — A 69-page target profile prepared for the DEA by a now-defunct Department of Justice task force details money laundering and drug trafficking schemes linked to Jeffrey Epstein. Todd Blanche, Trump's former criminal defense attorney now serving in the Department of Justice, is blocking the release of this document. The document relates to financial machinery connected to a child sex trafficking network.

Supporting reports

• Department of Justice released Epstein documents concerning Trump rape allegation — Under pressure regarding the Epstein files, the Department of Justice released documents concerning an allegation from an Epstein survivor that Trump raped her when she was thirteen or fourteen. The release included four separate FBI interview summaries (FD-302 forms). The DOJ's initial document drop included only the interview discussing abuse at Epstein's hands; the other three interviews discuss Trump. Some files related to the accusation and interviews remain missing.
• DOJ releases Epstein documents related to Trump — The Department of Justice released documents concerning an allegation from an Epstein survivor that Donald Trump raped her when she was a minor. The documents included four FBI interview summaries, known as 302 reports, detailing the survivor's accounts of abuse, including interactions with Trump. Some files related to the accusation remain missing.
• DOJ continues to withhold 37 pages of documents related to Trump sexual assault allegations — According to NPR reporting cited in the article, 53 pages of materials related to Trump's alleged sexual assault of a minor were excluded from the DOJ's January 30, 2026 release of Epstein documents. As of March 10, only 16 pages have been disclosed, leaving 37 pages still withheld by the Trump administration. The missing documents include notes from interviews, a law enforcement report, and license records. The DOJ has not provided an explanation for the continued withholding.

Supporting reports

• White House blocked intelligence agencies from warning public about Iran-related threats — The FBI, DHS, and National Counterterrorism Center prepared a joint intelligence bulletin to alert state and local law enforcement about elevated threats to the homeland tied to the Iran War, including threats to military personnel, government facilities, Jewish and Israeli institutions, and Iranian dissidents. The White House ordered the bulletin placed on "hold" before release, blocking the public safety warning.

Supporting reports

• DOJ proposes rule requiring state bars to defer ethics investigations into DOJ attorneys — The Department of Justice published a proposed rule requiring state bar authorities to suspend parallel investigations into DOJ attorneys' conduct and wait while DOJ conducts its own internal review first. The rule would also direct DOJ personnel not to share non-public information with state bar proceedings until DOJ completes its review. State bars would retain final disciplinary authority but would face procedural delays in investigating allegations tied to DOJ attorneys' official federal duties. The rule is open for public comment for 30 days via Regulations.gov under Docket No. OAG199.
• Department of Justice proposed rule to shield its own attorneys from state bar ethics investigations — The Department of Justice published a proposed rule requiring DOJ to review state bar complaints against its attorneys first and request that state bar authorities suspend their investigations until DOJ completes its own review. The rule would also direct DOJ personnel not to share non-public information with parallel state bar proceedings. Attorney General Pam Bondi signed the draft rule. State bar discipline is described as one of the few accountability mechanisms that follows attorneys across jobs and administrations.

Supporting reports

• DOJ releases documents describing Trump's alleged sexual assault of a minor — The Department of Justice released documents on March 5, 2026, containing summaries of FBI interviews with a woman who alleges that President Trump sexually assaulted her when she was 13 years old and had been trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein. The victim told the FBI that Trump forced her to perform oral sex and struck her when she resisted. The DOJ initially withheld these three interview summaries in its January 30 release, claiming they were "incorrectly labeled as duplicative," but released them only after public outcry and reporting by independent journalist Roger Sollenberger.
• DOJ releases additional Epstein files containing uncorroborated allegations against Trump — The US Department of Justice released 20 additional documents related to Jeffrey Epstein on Thursday, March 6, 2026, including FBI memos describing interviews with a woman who made uncorroborated allegations of sexual assault against Epstein and Donald Trump in the 1980s. The DOJ stated the files were initially withheld because they were mistakenly categorized as duplicates. The woman's allegations have not been verified, and the FBI never brought charges. Trump has denied wrongdoing, and the White House called the allegations "completely baseless."
• DOJ releases 3 million Epstein investigative documents — The US Department of Justice released more than 3 million investigative documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. Legal experts note the DOJ has possessed these materials for years and already made charging decisions regarding potential co-conspirators. The release prompted public and international scrutiny but has not yet resulted in new federal arrests or prosecutions in the United States.

Supporting reports

• DOJ withheld Epstein files related to Trump sexual abuse allegations — An NPR investigation found that the Department of Justice withheld some Epstein files related to allegations that Trump sexually abused a minor. The DOJ also removed some documents from the public database where accusations against Epstein mention Trump. Files that should have been made public under law were not released, including more than 50 pages of FBI interviews and notes from conversations with a woman who accused Trump of sexual abuse decades ago when she was a minor. NPR's investigation identified dozens of pages catalogued by DOJ but not shared publicly by examining serial numbers on documents.
• Justice Department withheld Epstein documents referencing Trump allegations — NPR reported that the Justice Department removed documents from the public Epstein database that contained accusations against Donald Trump, including allegations of sexual abuse of a minor. More than 50 pages of FBI interviews and notes from a woman who accused Trump of sexual abuse decades ago when she was a minor were not made public. Some documents mentioning Trump were briefly available and later removed from the database. The gaps were identified by reviewing Bates numbers, the serial identifiers used in legal document production.
• DOJ claims withheld Epstein files fall within legal exemptions despite contradictory evidence — The Department of Justice released a statement claiming that withheld documents fall within categories of duplicates, privileged materials, or ongoing federal investigations. However, the article documents that these justifications do not withstand scrutiny. The interviews about Trump allegations are not duplicates; Deputy Attorney General Blanche stated in July that the DOJ determined "there was nothing in there that allowed us to prosecute anybody," contradicting the ongoing investigation claim. The DOJ also claimed the documents were withheld pursuant to a protective order in Ghislaine Maxwell's criminal case, but the DOJ itself acknowledged in a court filing that those documents were not subject to the protective order.
• DOJ removed photo of Commerce Secretary Lutnick from Epstein Files — The DOJ was caught removing a photo of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick from the Epstein Files that showed him alongside Epstein on Epstein's island. Months earlier, Lutnick had insisted he thought Epstein was disgusting upon first meeting and never associated with him afterward. The removal of the photograph contradicts Lutnick's public statements.
• DOJ withheld FBI interview summaries related to Trump accuser in Epstein case — The New York Times reported that the DOJ failed to include key materials related to a woman who accused both Trump and Epstein of sexual assault decades earlier when she was a minor. An index of investigative materials indicated that the FBI conducted four interviews in connection with her claims and wrote summaries about each. However, only one summary—describing her accusations against Epstein—was released by DOJ. The other three summaries and underlying interview notes were missing. DOJ stated that withheld materials were either privileged or duplicates, or were withheld due to an ongoing federal investigation. On Wednesday, DOJ announced it would review which documents were released and publish any documents "found to have been improperly tagged in the review process."
• Missing FBI interview memos in Epstein investigation identified — During the Clinton depositions, it was revealed that FBI 302 interview memos tied to a survivor who accused Donald Trump of sexual assault as a minor are missing from the Department of Justice's released Epstein materials. Rep. Robert Garcia, Ranking Member on the Oversight Committee, stated that the Department of Justice continues to lead a White House cover-up and noted that missing materials extend beyond a single survivor's account, with a significant portion of Epstein investigation files remaining unreleased.
• Rep. Robert Garcia demands release of missing Epstein files related to Trump accuser — House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Robert Garcia announced that the committee will demand release of remaining Epstein files, including newly discovered files from a survivor who made serious accusations against Trump. Garcia stated that an archive manifest shows that interviews and information related to this survivor have been removed and are missing. He demanded answers about the location of the files and who removed them, stating: "Where are these files? Who removed them? Those questions have to be answered."
• DOJ appears to have illegally withheld material from Epstein files — NPR reporter Stephen Fowler reported on Tuesday morning that the Department of Justice appears to have illegally withheld material from the Epstein files. The withheld material relates to allegations that Trump sexually assaulted two girls when they were approximately thirteen years old. The DOJ also removed from published files documents mentioning Trump among allegations against convicted sexual abuser Epstein. On February 14, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told Congress they had not withheld or redacted records "on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity." The Epstein Files Transparency Act, which required release of all files by December 19, 2025, prohibits such redactions except to protect victims and survivors.