Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• House Speaker Johnson warns of Democratic impeachment if Republicans lose majority — At a Turning Point USA event over the weekend, House Speaker Mike Johnson warned attendees that if Republicans lose their House majority, Democrats will move to impeach the president and "create absolute chaos." Johnson's statement was framed as a cautionary message intended to mobilize Republican voters, though observers characterized it as reflecting internal anxiety within the administration about its political standing and vulnerability to oversight.

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• Rep. Robert Garcia called for whistleblowers to contact House Oversight Committee regarding hidden Epstein files — Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) appeared on MSNBC and called on whistleblowers within the FBI and DOJ who worked on compiling the Epstein files to contact the House Oversight Committee. Garcia stated that the committee has whistleblower protections and wants to ensure "the truth gets out" and that "survivors are protected." Garcia indicated the committee is "hearing from folks across our govt who have seen or know what are in these files," suggesting internal awareness of withheld information.

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• Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie announced drafting articles of impeachment and inherent contempt against Attorney General Pam Bondi — Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) stated on CNN that he and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) are drafting articles of impeachment and inherent contempt against Attorney General Pam Bondi for her failure to comply with the Epstein Files Release Act. Khanna indicated the decision to move forward has not been made but noted that the question is not whether Democrats would support it, but how many Republicans would. Massie separately stated on CBS that bringing inherent contempt against Bondi is "the quickest way and most expeditious way to get justice for these victims" and does not require going through the courts.

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• Jury found LA tow truck driver not guilty of federal charges for towing ICE vehicle — A jury found Bobby Nuñez, an LA tow truck driver, not guilty of federal charges of theft of government property after he was accused of towing a government vehicle used by ICE during an immigration arrest in August. Nuñez had faced up to 10 years in prison. The DOJ had released a video in September showing the tow truck driver taking the immigration agent's SUV during a raid in downtown LA, and prosecutor Bill Essayli had posted the video with the caption: "Apparently he thought it would be funny to interfere with our immigration enforcement operations. Now he can laugh behind bars while he faces justice." Stephen Miller characterized the verdict as "blatant jury nullification in a blue city" and criticized the jury system, stating that "the justice system depends on a jury of peers with a shared system of interests and values."

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• Career prosecutor Erik Siebert resigns after refusing baseless prosecutions — Career prosecutor Erik Siebert resigned from the Department of Justice after refusing to pursue what he characterized as baseless prosecutions of New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey. He was replaced by Trump-aligned attorney Lindsey Halligan, whose appointment was later ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge.

Supporting reports

• Ghislaine Maxwell transferred to minimum-security facility after Blanche interview — After Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche interviewed Ghislaine Maxwell in federal custody, Maxwell was transferred from a high-security facility to a minimum-security prison camp. When questioned about the move, Blanche declined to answer direct questions, citing "security issues," while simultaneously acknowledging that all such decisions ultimately fall under his authority.
• Deputy Attorney General Blanche acknowledges approving Ghislaine Maxwell's prison transfer — Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, when asked on Meet the Press about Ghislaine Maxwell's transfer to a lower-security prison facility days after an interview, seemingly acknowledged he approved the transfer, stating that "every decision" made by the Bureau of Prisons "lands on my desk." The timing and circumstances of the transfer raised questions about potential preferential treatment.

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• Gov. Ron DeSantis designated CAIR as foreign terrorist organization; CAIR filed lawsuit — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order designating CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations), a Muslim civil rights nonprofit organization with over 20 chapters nationwide, as a "foreign terrorist organization." The order directed Florida's state and local agencies to deny contracts, employment, funding, benefits, and privileges to CAIR. CAIR filed a lawsuit arguing the executive order violated the Constitution's guarantee of due process and was discriminatory. CAIR's attorney Omar Saleh stated: "It's clearly retaliatory. After over 25 years of being in FL, all of a sudden, we're illegal?" CAIR noted that its advocacy for Palestinian human rights and criticism of Israel's government stand in direct opposition to the governor's viewpoints.

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• Vice President JD Vance announced list of judges and prosecutors for "swifter justice" — Vice President JD Vance stated at the TPUSA event: "Greatness awaits every single one of you in the America First movement we are building together, but we need your help to get there. Do you want more prosecutions? Great. So do we. Trump and I have a list of better judges and prosecutors to enact swifter justice." The statement indicates the administration is preparing to appoint judges and prosecutors based on loyalty to the "America First" movement rather than judicial independence.

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• CBS News editor Bari Weiss pulls 60 Minutes segment on immigrant detention — CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss pulled a 60 Minutes segment investigating the Trump administration's practice of sending immigrants to El Salvador's megaprison CECOT, where Human Rights Watch documented inhumane conditions, torture, and sexual violence without due process. The segment's suppression prevented public disclosure of alleged human rights violations.
• 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi stated story was pulled for political reasons — 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi wrote in an email to colleagues that the pulled story had been screened five times and cleared by CBS attorneys and Standards and Practices, and was factually correct. Alfonsi stated that pulling the story after all rigorous internal checks had been met was "not an editorial decision, it is a political one." She noted that journalists had repeatedly requested interviews with administration officials who did not respond, and that allowing government refusal to participate to become a reason to spike stories would effectively give the administration a "kill switch" for inconvenient reporting.
• 60 Minutes segment on CECOT renditions leaked and circulated in United States — The 60 Minutes segment on migrant renditions to CECOT, which had been pulled from broadcast, had already been distributed in Canada and copies appeared in the United States on the afternoon of December 22. Legal analyst Asha Rangappa noted that the segment "debunks the fundamental claim used by [the] Trump admin[istration] that the detainees it sent there are 'terrorists' and corroborates torture using clips from El Salvadorean influencers Bukele uses internally." The leaked segment subsequently went viral.
• Bari Weiss pulled 60 Minutes story on migrant renditions to CECOT prison hours before air — Bari Weiss, the new editor-in-chief of CBS News, pulled a 60 Minutes story about the Trump administration's renditions of 252 migrants to CECOT, a notorious terrorist prison in El Salvador, just hours before it was scheduled to air. The story had undergone standard vetting, fact-checking, and legal review. Weiss stated in an email that she pulled the story because it did not present the administration's justification for the renditions, despite the story focusing on documented torture of prisoners.
• CBS pulled 60 Minutes segment on Trump-era deportations to CECOT hours before air — CBS postponed a completed 60 Minutes investigation into Trump administration deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador's CECOT mega-prison, citing need for "additional reporting." Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi publicly objected, characterizing the decision as political rather than editorial, despite the segment having cleared legal and standards review. The episode subsequently aired via Canadian broadcaster distribution and circulated online. The segment included interviews with former detainees, Human Rights Watch leadership, and UC Berkeley's Human Rights Center; DHS declined to participate.
• CBS Pulls 60 Minutes Segment on Trump-Era Deportations — CBS postponed a scheduled 60 Minutes segment investigating the Trump administration's deportation of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador's CECOT mega-prison, citing the need for "additional reporting." The segment, which included allegations of abuse and interviews with former detainees and human rights experts, was reportedly pulled for political reasons, according to correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi. Despite the postponement, the segment aired in Canada and circulated online. The delay has been criticized as a form of "soft censorship," potentially diminishing the segment's impact on public accountability.
• CBS pulled 60 Minutes investigation hours before broadcast — CBS pulled a completed 60 Minutes investigation examining Trump-era deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador's CECOT mega-prison hours before broadcast. The segment had cleared legal and standards review. Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi stated the decision was political, not editorial. CBS cited a need for "additional reporting." The segment later aired through a Canadian broadcaster and circulated online.

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• Vice President J.D. Vance declares United States a Christian nation at AmericaFest conference — Vice President J.D. Vance stated at Turning Point USA's AmericaFest conference that "The only thing that has truly served as an anchor of the United States of America is that we have been, and by the grace of God we always will be, a Christian nation." The statement contradicts the First Amendment's Establishment Clause and the historical record of church-state separation established by the Founders, including James Madison's Virginia Declaration of Rights (1776) and Thomas Jefferson's "wall of separation between Church & State" (1802).

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• Trump claimed each boat strike saves 25,000 American lives; Atlantic fact-checked claim as false — Trump claimed that each of his boat strikes against vessels off Venezuela saves 25,000 American lives. The Atlantic reported that this claim is false. Although Trump and officials stated the goal is combating fentanyl trafficking, fentanyl does not come from South America but primarily enters the U.S. across the Mexico border and is produced using precursor chemicals from China. Venezuela is primarily a transit country for cocaine bound for Europe. A former senior Coast Guard official stated he was unaware of any intercepted load in the Caribbean or eastern Pacific containing fentanyl in over 30 years of service. The Atlantic calculated that if each of 28 destroyed boats saved 25,000 lives, the operation would have saved 700,000 lives—more than 9 times the total U.S. drug overdose deaths in a year.

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• Tulsi Gabbard claimed U.S. intelligence community supports NATO/EU viewpoint on Russia — Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence, spoke at the TPUSA event and stated: "Deep State warmongers and their Propaganda Media are again trying to undermine Trump's efforts to bring peace to Ukraine—and indeed Europe—by falsely claiming that the 'US intelligence community' agrees to and supports EU/NATO viewpoint that Russia's aim is to invade/conquer Europe in order to gin up support for their pro-war policies." Gabbard characterized the intelligence community's assessment of Russian intentions as false propaganda designed to support war.

Supporting reports

• US Justice Department temporarily removes then restores Trump photo from Epstein files release — The US Justice Department removed a photograph containing images of Donald Trump from the public Epstein investigative files on Saturday, citing potential victim exposure concerns flagged by federal prosecutors in New York. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated the removal was precautionary and unrelated to Trump. After review, the department determined no Epstein victims were depicted and restored the image on Sunday without redaction. Democrats accused the administration of political interference, while the department defended the action as necessary to protect victims during ongoing document review.
• Deputy Attorney General Blanche provides inconsistent explanations for removal of Trump photographs from Epstein files — When NBC's Kristen Welker pressed Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche about photographs showing Trump in Epstein-related materials that were removed from the DOJ website, Blanche's explanations shifted repeatedly. He insisted the removal had nothing to do with Trump while conceding that no victim had been identified in the images that prompted their takedown, creating an apparent contradiction in his account.

Supporting reports

• Deputy Attorney General Blanche provides inconsistent explanations for removal of Trump photographs from Epstein files — When NBC's Kristen Welker pressed Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche about photographs showing Trump in Epstein-related materials that were removed from the DOJ website, Blanche's explanations shifted repeatedly. He insisted the removal had nothing to do with Trump while conceding that no victim had been identified in the images that prompted their takedown, creating an apparent contradiction in his account.

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• Trump administration suspends offshore wind leases citing national security — Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced that the Trump administration is suspending leases for five large offshore wind projects under construction, citing national security concerns and alleged radar interference. Burgum stated the Department of Defense concluded the wind programs create radar clutter that impairs military ability to distinguish friend from foe in airspace. Critics, including foreign policy journalist Kevin Baron and energy policy experts, characterized the stated rationale as false and attributed the action to Trump's long-standing ideological opposition to wind energy stemming from disputes over turbines near his Scottish golf course.
• Trump administration suspends offshore wind project leases citing national security concerns — The administration suspended leases for major offshore wind projects, citing "national security concerns." The stated rationale was framed as protecting radar systems, though the underlying motivation was to protect fossil fuel interests and prevent lower energy prices for consumers.
• Department of the Interior suspends offshore wind projects — The Department of the Interior announced the suspension of five offshore wind projects, citing national security concerns. The decision affects billions in investments and thousands of jobs, with the projects intended to provide electricity to millions of households. The justification referenced the "Department of War," a defunct entity, raising questions about the validity of the reasoning. A federal judge had previously ruled a related suspension effort as "arbitrary and capricious."
• Department of Interior suspends five offshore wind projects citing national security — The Department of Interior announced suspension of five offshore wind projects, citing national security concerns and referencing a non-existent "Department of War." The projects represent billions in investment, thousands of jobs, and electricity generation capacity for millions of households. A federal judge had previously ruled a related suspension effort "arbitrary and capricious" and contrary to law. The suspension was announced three days before Christmas.
• Interior Department suspended offshore wind projects on national security grounds — The Interior Department suspended five offshore wind projects, citing national security concerns and referencing "the Department of War," an agency that has not existed since 1947. A federal judge had recently declared a similar suspension "arbitrary and capricious."

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• Mass power outages disrupt San Francisco; Waymo suspends robotaxi service — A widespread power failure on December 20 affected approximately 130,000 PG&E customers across San Francisco, causing traffic signals to fail citywide. Waymo robotaxis became immobilized at intersections, blocking traffic and creating hazardous conditions. Waymo suspended its driverless ride-hailing service in the San Francisco Bay Area in response. Mayor Daniel Lurie urged residents to avoid roads and dispatched police to major intersections. The outage exposed infrastructure vulnerabilities affecting autonomous vehicle operations.

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• Mitt Romney published op-ed calling for higher taxes on the wealthy — Former senator Mitt Romney published an op-ed in the New York Times acknowledging that the political ideology of the past forty-five years has failed. He called for addressing economic inequalities in the United States by placing higher taxes on the rich, a reversal of the Reagan-era economic ideology he had previously embraced.

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• House Oversight Committee schedules Clinton depositions on Epstein ties — The House Oversight Committee, chaired by James Comer, has scheduled depositions for Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton on January 13 and 14 to address their ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The depositions were originally scheduled for the previous week but were postponed. Comer has threatened contempt proceedings if the Clintons do not appear on the rescheduled dates.

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• Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie announce legal options against justice department non-compliance — Representatives Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, co-authors of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, announced they are "exploring all options" in response to the justice department's non-compliant release, including possible impeachment of justice department officials, contempt of Congress findings, and referral for prosecution of those obstructing justice. Massie noted that the Epstein Files Transparency Act, unlike a congressional subpoena, does not expire at the end of each Congress, potentially exposing current officials to future prosecution.

Supporting reports

• Senate and House Democrats announce investigation and legal action — Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House oversight committee Democrats, including Robert Garcia and Jamie Raskin, announced they are examining legal options and pursuing accountability for the justice department's violation of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Schumer characterized the handling as "one of the biggest cover ups in American history" and stated Senate Democrats would "pursue every option to make sure the truth comes out." House Democrats stated they are "examining all legal options in the face of this violation of federal law."
• Representatives Garcia and Raskin issued statement accusing Trump administration of violating federal law on Epstein files — On December 20, 2025, Representative Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, and Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland issued a joint statement accusing the Trump administration and Department of Justice of violating federal law by continuing to cover up facts and evidence about Epstein's trafficking ring. They noted that Attorney General Pam Bondi had denied survivors transparency and defied the Oversight Committee's subpoena, and that the Department of Justice was defying Congress itself while giving "star treatment" to Epstein's convicted co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell. They announced they were examining all legal options in response to the violation.

Supporting reports

• Four House Republicans joined Democrats to force vote on Affordable Care Act premium tax credits — Four Republicans in the House of Representatives joined all Democrats to force Speaker Mike Johnson to hold a vote on extending premium tax credits for purchasing healthcare insurance on the Affordable Care Act markets. This indicated Johnson's weakening power and that Republican lawmakers felt pressure from public concerns about the economy.

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• Luigi Mangione's lawyers file motion challenging AG Pam Bondi's impartiality and seeking to block death penalty — Lawyers for Luigi Mangione filed court documents arguing that Attorney General Pam Bondi has a "profound conflict of interest" because her former employer, Ballard Partners lobbying firm, represents UnitedHealth Group—the parent company of UnitedHealthcare, whose CEO Mangione is accused of killing. The filing seeks to remove the death penalty option, dismiss two federal charges, and exclude certain evidence, citing Bondi's prior lobbying ties and public statements about the case. A hearing is scheduled for 9 January 2025 in Manhattan federal court.

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• Jack Smith testified before House Judiciary Committee on Trump's criminal scheme to overturn 2020 election — Former special counsel Jack Smith testified before the House Judiciary Committee in a closed session, stating that he and his team found "proof beyond a reasonable doubt" that Trump engaged in a "criminal scheme" to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Smith had requested public testimony, which Committee chair Jim Jordan rejected.
• New York Times reported Trump's 2020 phone call to Georgia House Speaker pressuring election overturn — The New York Times published an article by Richard Fausset and Danny Hakim recounting a phone call Trump made in late 2020 pressing David Ralston, then speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives, to hold a special session to overturn Trump's loss in the election. The article reinforced Jack Smith's testimony about Trump's efforts to overturn the election.
• Jack Smith requested public release of his testimony on Trump's election scheme — Former special counsel Jack Smith asked the House Judiciary Committee to release his testimony about Trump's participation in the attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election to the public. Smith stated that the American people should hear the facts of the criminal cases against Trump.

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• Court granted summary judgment for Enbridge, blocking Michigan's shutdown of Line 5 pipeline — The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan granted Enbridge Energy's motion for summary judgment, blocking Michigan's effort to shut down the Line 5 international pipeline. The Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division and Civil Division had filed a statement of interest in September. The court held that federal law preempts Michigan's action on two grounds: the Pipeline Safety Act grants exclusive authority to the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the pipeline is subject to a U.S.-Canada treaty with express federal policy favoring uninterrupted oil flow.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration resists Epstein file disclosures despite campaign promise — President Trump signed legislation mandating Epstein file disclosures after months of hesitation, despite having promised on the campaign trail to release the files. The White House and DOJ repeatedly delayed and obstructed the release, with the DOJ claiming in July that no further disclosure was warranted. Trump's name appeared multiple times in the withheld files, according to reporting. The administration's resistance to transparency, combined with the incomplete release, suggests deliberate obstruction of accountability.