Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• National park entrance fees diverted to Trump D.C. renovation projects — The New York Times reported that the Trump administration has diverted at least $67 million in entrance fees paid by the American people to national parks to fund Trump's renovation projects in Washington, D.C. The diverted funds include a multi-million dollar contract to repaint the Reflecting Pool, awarded to a MAGA-connected contractor. The diversion represents a misappropriation of public funds collected for park maintenance and operations.
• National Park Service diverts $67 million in entrance fees for DC beautification — The National Park Service is using at least $67 million in park entrance fees to fund beautification projects in Washington, D.C., ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary celebration. The projects were directed by Trump and include a $7 million paint job on the Reflecting Pool. The Interior Department is spending at least $95 million in total taxpayer funds on DC beautification projects, all initiated between December 2025 and April 2026. The funds come from entrance fees that would normally support park operations and maintenance nationwide.

Supporting reports

• White House proposes legislation to place Trump's image on new $250 currency bill — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced at a White House press conference that the administration is pushing Congress to approve legislation permitting a living person—Donald Trump—to appear on a new $250 bill, ostensibly to celebrate the nation's 250th anniversary. The proposal would require changing a federal law enacted in 1866 that prohibits any living person from appearing on U.S. currency. Bessent stated the treasury has already begun preparing prototypes. House Democrats, led by Hakeem Jeffries, immediately opposed the measure, calling it a "hard no."
• Trump administration pushed to place Trump's face on $250 bill — The Washington Post reported that Trump's political appointees pressured the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to design a proposed $250 bill featuring Trump's portrait. Federal law has prohibited living people from appearing on U.S. currency since 1866, and a $250 denomination does not exist and would require an act of Congress. The bureau's director informed the appointees the proposal was illegal and would take years to implement. The director was subsequently reassigned and effectively demoted, and the political appointee who led the push became the acting director.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration pushed to place Trump's face on $250 bill — The Washington Post reported that Trump's political appointees pressured the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to design a proposed $250 bill featuring Trump's portrait. Federal law has prohibited living people from appearing on U.S. currency since 1866, and a $250 denomination does not exist and would require an act of Congress. The bureau's director informed the appointees the proposal was illegal and would take years to implement. The director was subsequently reassigned and effectively demoted, and the political appointee who led the push became the acting director.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration redirected national park entrance fees to White House projects — The Trump administration is using $7 million in entrance fees collected from visitors to national parks across the country to pay for repairs to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The administration is also using nearly $60 million in national park fees to repair nine ornamental fountains in the capital. The reflecting pool contractor was awarded a no-bid contract and is being paid an inflated and excessive profit margin; the government is paying $13.1 million for the work, seven times Trump's initial stated cost.
• National park entrance fees diverted to Trump D.C. renovation projects — The New York Times reported that the Trump administration has diverted at least $67 million in entrance fees paid by the American people to national parks to fund Trump's renovation projects in Washington, D.C. The diverted funds include a multi-million dollar contract to repaint the Reflecting Pool, awarded to a MAGA-connected contractor. The diversion represents a misappropriation of public funds collected for park maintenance and operations.
• National Park Service diverts $67 million in entrance fees for DC beautification — The National Park Service is using at least $67 million in park entrance fees to fund beautification projects in Washington, D.C., ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary celebration. The projects were directed by Trump and include a $7 million paint job on the Reflecting Pool. The Interior Department is spending at least $95 million in total taxpayer funds on DC beautification projects, all initiated between December 2025 and April 2026. The funds come from entrance fees that would normally support park operations and maintenance nationwide.
• Interior Department contracts $5 million to gild Lincoln Memorial horses — The Interior Department awarded a $5 million contract to a Maryland gilding studio to restore and cover four bronze horse statues surrounding the Lincoln Memorial with 23.75-karat gold leaf in preparation for the nation's 250th anniversary on July 4. The horses, which have retained their original patina since restoration in the 1970s, will be gilded at Trump's direction. The project is part of the broader $95 million DC beautification initiative.

Supporting reports

• White House began construction of UFC stadium on south lawn for Trump's birthday event — Construction commenced on the south lawn of the White House for a stadium to host a UFC fight scheduled for Trump's birthday on June 14. The White House released a photo of the expected event layout.
• UFC arena construction on White House lawn for Trump's 80th birthday celebration — Construction began on the White House lawn for a temporary 5,000-seat UFC arena to host mixed martial arts fights on 14 June, coinciding with Donald Trump's 80th birthday and the US's 250th anniversary. The event will feature two title fights: a lightweight championship between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje, and an interim heavyweight title fight between Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane. Trump announced the plan last year and has scaled back initial expectations from 20-25,000 attendees and eight or nine fights to the current configuration.
• UFC arena constructed on White House grounds for Trump birthday event — Workers are constructing a massive 90-foot-tall structure called "The Claw" on the White House lawn to frame a temporary octagon fighting arena for Ultimate Fighting Championship fights that Trump will host on his birthday, June 14. The structure is designed to frame the White House and Washington Monument for television during the event. This follows Trump's destruction of the East Wing and paving of the Rose Garden to create a patio resembling the one at Mar-a-Lago.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration proposes triumphal arch at Arlington Memorial Bridge — The Trump administration has proposed constructing a triumphal arch at a rotary on the Virginia side of the Arlington Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C., positioned between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial. The arch's placement would obscure the Lincoln Memorial while framing Arlington House, the mansion built by enslaved Americans and formerly owned by Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The structure does not frame the nation's honored dead but instead frames the home of the Confederate general whose armies killed them.

Supporting reports

• Trump exploits White House shooting to promote $1 billion ballroom project — Following a shooting incident near the White House involving a 21-year-old with documented mental health issues, Trump used the incident to push for his $1 billion taxpayer-funded gold ballroom project. Kevin Hassett appeared on television claiming the ballroom would not cost taxpayers anything because Trump and donors are covering it, but when pressed on the billion-dollar price tag, said that figure was only for "security," not the ballroom itself. Senator Ron Johnson said he "supports the national security component."