Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Trump threatens tariffs on UK over digital services tax — President Trump threatened to impose "a big tariff" on the UK if it does not drop its 2% digital services tax on US technology companies. Speaking from the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump said the tax unfairly targets American tech giants and that the US would "reciprocate by putting something on that's equal or greater than what they're doing." The UK government responded Friday that it does not intend to scrap the tax, calling it "hugely important" to ensure large businesses pay their fair share.

Supporting reports

• Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation donated $2 million to Trump Super PAC amid Interior Department influence effort — The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, a California tribe, made a $2 million donation to MAGA Inc., Trump's Super PAC, in March 2026. According to internal Trump administration documents obtained by Popular Information, the donation appears designed to influence the Interior Department's regulatory decisions affecting the tribe's casino business. The donation represents a potential quid pro quo arrangement linking tribal financial support to federal policy outcomes.

Supporting reports

• Deputy Defense Secretary Feinberg consolidates control over Pentagon shipbuilding and acquisitions — Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg, a private-equity billionaire and close ally of Defense Secretary Hegseth, is consolidating control over shipbuilding and Navy acquisitions—roles traditionally held by the Secretary of the Navy. Feinberg is simultaneously overseeing the newly created Economic Defense Unit (EDU), which directs government investment in private defense contractors and has negotiated deals for the government to take equity stakes in those businesses.

Supporting reports

• CDC blocked publication of report demonstrating COVID-19 vaccine efficacy — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention blocked publication of a scientific report in its own journal showing the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to reporting by The Washington Post. The blocked report found that the COVID-19 vaccine reduced hospitalizations and emergency room visits among healthy adults during winter 2025–2026. The suppression of peer-reviewed vaccine efficacy data represents a departure from standard scientific publication practices and raises questions about political interference in public health communication.

Supporting reports

• U.S. military munitions stockpiles depleted by Iran war — The New York Times reported that the U.S. has burned through approximately 1,100 long-range stealth cruise missiles (close to total remaining stockpile), over 1,000 Tomahawk cruise missiles (10 times annual procurement), more than 1,200 Patriot interceptor missiles at $4 million each, and over 1,000 ATACMS ground-based missiles in the Iran war. The Pentagon has been forced to rush munitions from Asia and Europe commands, leaving those regions less prepared to confront Russia and China, and forcing urgent scaling up of production.

Supporting reports

• Senate Republicans advance $140bn budget resolution for ICE and CBP funding — The Republican-controlled Senate approved a budget resolution on a 50–48 party-line vote (with two Republican defections) to allocate up to $140 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. The measure advances the budget reconciliation process, allowing Republicans to bypass a Democratic filibuster and fund Trump's mass deportation agenda. The resolution now moves to the House before committees can draft legislation formally unlocking the funding for agencies that have operated without appropriations since mid-February.

Supporting reports

• House approved $70 billion immigration enforcement budget resolution — The House of Representatives approved a budget resolution on Wednesday evening by a vote of 215–211 that creates a pathway for approximately $70 billion in additional funding for ICE and Border Patrol. Speaker Mike Johnson held the vote open for more than five hours to secure holdouts. The vote was strictly along party lines. The Senate had already approved the plan on April 23. This budget resolution enables Republicans to use the reconciliation process to bypass a Democratic filibuster in the Senate and advance the detailed funding bill in May.

Supporting reports

• Justice Department expanded federal execution methods — On April 24, the Justice Department announced plans to expand federal execution methods to include firing squads, electrocution, and nitrogen gas asphyxiation, citing difficulties obtaining lethal-injection drugs. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche authorized seeking death sentences against 44 defendants and directed the Bureau of Prisons to examine relocating, expanding, or constructing federal death-row facilities. Before Trump's first term, the federal government had largely abstained from capital punishment for roughly 17 years.
• Department of Justice announces policy actions to expand federal death penalty authority and execution methods — The Department of Justice announced a comprehensive policy shift to prioritize capital prosecution and execution. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced rescission of the prior administration's moratorium on federal executions, authorization to seek death sentences against 44 defendants, reinstatement of lethal injection protocols using pentobarbital, expansion to include firing squad executions, and streamlined internal processes. The department released a report concluding pentobarbital use complies with the Eighth Amendment and announced plans to propose rules restricting habeas review and clemency petitions in capital cases.
• DOJ announces firing squad authorization and lethal injection protocol for federal executions — The US Department of Justice announced Friday that it is taking steps to "strengthen the federal death penalty" by readopting the lethal injection protocol from Trump's first administration (using pentobarbital), expanding execution methods to include firing squads, streamlining internal processes to expedite death penalty cases, rescinding the Biden-era moratorium on federal executions, and authorizing the pursuit of death sentences against 44 defendants. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has already authorized seeking death sentences against nine of these defendants.
• DOJ expanded death penalty protocols to include firing squads — The Department of Justice directed the Bureau of Prisons to expand capital punishment methods beyond current protocols to include firing squads and other execution methods, and to streamline internal processes to expedite death penalty cases. The DOJ stated it was acting to "restore its solemn duty to seek, obtain, and implement lawful capital sentences." This represents a significant expansion of federal execution capabilities.

Supporting reports

• DOJ Inspector General launches audit of Epstein Files Transparency Act compliance — The Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General announced an audit of the DOJ's compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which mandates release of all files related to Jeffrey Epstein with limited exceptions. The audit will examine the department's processes for identifying, redacting, and releasing records. This follows criticism over missed deadlines (the DOJ failed to meet a December 19 deadline, releasing files on January 31), improper exposure of victims' personal information, and excessive redactions. The OIG will evaluate identification, collection, production, redaction guidance, and post-release publication processes.

Supporting reports

• US House and Senate passed Epstein Files Transparency Act; Trump signed into law — The US House of Representatives passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which the Senate unanimously approved. President Donald Trump signed the bill into law the following day. The legislation resulted in the release of millions of documents, images, videos, and emails detailing Epstein's activities, including evidence from criminal cases against him and his associates, beginning in December 2025.

Supporting reports

• Board of Immigration Appeals ruling expands deportation pathway for DACA recipients — On April 24, the Board of Immigration Appeals, an administrative court within the Justice Department, issued a precedent-setting decision in the case of Catalina Santiago, a DACA recipient detained at El Paso airport. The ruling holds that DACA status is insufficient to terminate removal proceedings, potentially enabling DHS to advance deportation cases against more than 500,000 DACA recipients. The BIA sided with government lawyers in 97 percent of publicly posted cases last year, significantly above historical averages.
• Board of Immigration Appeals ruling on DACA deportations — On April 24, the Board of Immigration Appeals issued a precedent-setting decision stating that DACA status alone is insufficient to terminate removal proceedings. This ruling could facilitate the Department of Homeland Security's efforts to advance deportation cases against DACA recipients, affecting over 500,000 individuals. The decision aligns with the government's stance in 97% of cases last year, marking a significant shift in the legal landscape for DACA recipients, many of whom have lived in the U.S. for most of their lives.

Supporting reports

• Trump weighed in on SPLC indictment with election conspiracy claim — Trump posted that the SPLC indictment proved the organization was "one of the greatest political scams in American History" and grouped it with other alleged "Democrat Hoaxes" including Act Blue. Trump then made an extraordinary claim that if the SPLC allegations were true, the 2020 Presidential Election should be "permanently wiped from the books and be of no further force or effect."

Supporting reports

• Trump administration directs DOJ to pursue mass denaturalization cases against 384 foreign-born citizens — The Trump administration is directing the Department of Justice to pursue denaturalization cases against 384 foreign-born US citizens, with civil litigators in 39 regional offices assigned to file cases in coming weeks. A DOJ official characterized this as "the first wave" of a "White House initiative" to strip citizenship from naturalized Americans. Historically rare due to cost and manpower, denaturalization has been used to target political activists and immigrants on broad grounds including alleged "nexus to terrorism" or gang affiliation, with experts warning the criteria are overly broad.
• Justice Department assigns prosecutors to file denaturalization cases against 384 naturalized citizens — The Justice Department announced it is assigning civil litigators to file denaturalization cases against 384 naturalized citizens as part of an effort to pursue "the highest volume of denaturalization referrals in history." The cases will be distributed across dozens of U.S. attorney's offices nationwide. Denaturalization requires proving material fraud in the naturalization process before a federal judge.

Supporting reports

• Federal immigration agent charged with assault and criminal mischief in Colorado — Nicholas Rice, a US Customs and Border Protection officer, was charged by Colorado District Attorney Sean Murray with assault in the third degree and criminal mischief following an incident in Durango on an unknown date in late 2025. Video evidence showed Rice grabbing protester Francis Stagi by the hair, placing her in a chokehold, and shoving her to the ground during a protest outside an ICE facility over the detention of a Colombian asylum-seeking family. Rice was summoned to appear in court on 27 May 2026.

Supporting reports

• Kristi Noem falsely claimed protester Alex Pretti was brandishing gun before killing by immigration officers — Former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem wrongly claimed that protester Alex Pretti was "brandishing" his gun before he was killed by immigration officers in Minnesota. She called him a domestic terrorist. Markwayne Mullin, her replacement, initially called Pretti "deranged" at his confirmation hearing but later said he regretted the comment. The false characterization of a killed protester by a cabinet secretary represents a weaponization of official authority to justify lethal force.

Supporting reports

• Congress members protest Ellison dinner for Trump amid $110bn media merger review — Dozens of protesters, including U.S. Representatives Jamie Raskin and Becca Balint, gathered on the National Mall on Thursday to protest an "intimate" dinner hosted by Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison honoring the Trump White House. The protest occurred as the Trump administration weighs approval of Paramount's $110 billion merger with CNN parent WarnerBros Discovery. Raskin characterized the event as a "lavish oligarch's dinner" designed to cement the Ellisons' relationship with Trump during a critical regulatory review. WBD shareholders had voted to approve the merger earlier that day, with DOJ approval still pending.

Supporting reports

• Howard Lutnick admits only one person approved for Gold Card visa program — Howard Lutnick, a Trump administration official, admitted that only one person has been approved for the Gold Card visa program he promised to sell 200,000 of. The admission reveals that a major promised initiative has failed to materialize, representing either fraud or gross incompetence in program administration.
• Trump administration's "Gold Card" visa program approved only one applicant — Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced that only one person has been approved for Trump's "Gold Card" visa program, which grants U.S. residency to foreigners for a $1 million fee. At a February 2025 press conference, Lutnick stated the administration planned to sell 200,000 gold cards and Trump claimed the program would help balance the budget.

Supporting reports

• House Democrats demand FBI director Kash Patel submit to alcohol abuse screening — House Judiciary Committee Democrats, led by Rep. Jamie Raskin, sent a formal letter to FBI Director Kash Patel on Tuesday demanding he complete the WHO's Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and submit results to Congress, along with all security clearance questionnaires since his appointment. The letter cited alleged patterns of conduct—including unavailability during terror-related decisions and public dissemination of inaccurate information in high-profile investigations—that Democrats claimed compromised national security. Patel denied the allegations and filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the Atlantic.

Supporting reports

• House Oversight Committee subpoena of former AG Bondi withdrawn after her removal from office — The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee subpoenaed former Attorney General Pam Bondi in March to testify about the DOJ's handling of the Epstein investigation and compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. After Trump ousted Bondi from her role in April, the DOJ's assistant attorney general Patrick Davis sent a letter arguing the subpoena no longer applies because Bondi no longer holds the office to which it was issued. The DOJ requested the committee withdraw the subpoena. As of April 8, the committee had not formally withdrawn it, but the DOJ's position effectively blocked her appearance scheduled for April 14.

Supporting reports

• Trump reposts racist segment calling for ban on birthright citizenship — Trump reposted on Truth Social a transcript of a racist segment from right-wing Newsmax that referred to China and India as "hellhole[s]" and immigrants from those countries as "gangsters with laptops" who have "stepped on our flag." The segment called for a national referendum on banning birthright citizenship rather than leaving the matter to the Supreme Court.

Supporting reports

• Pentagon fired Stars and Stripes ombudsman Jacqueline Smith — The Pentagon terminated Jacqueline Smith, the ombudsman for Stars and Stripes, the independent military newspaper. Smith had publicly criticized Defense Secretary Hegseth's restrictions on press freedom within the military. Congress had established the ombudsman position specifically to protect the newspaper's editorial independence from Pentagon control. Smith's farewell column warned that Pentagon leadership has placed "more and more restrictions on the mainstream media" and urged Americans to prevent Stars and Stripes from being "controlled by Pentagon brass."
• Stars and Stripes editor fired for warning about Pentagon editorial control — Tim Richardson with PEN America reported that Jacqueline Smith, an editor at Stars and Stripes (the official Department of Defense newspaper), has been fired after spending months warning readers, the public, and Congress about Pentagon efforts to shift editorial decision-making away from the newsroom and into the hands of political appointees. Smith was terminated for raising these concerns publicly.

Supporting reports

• Trump declines to seek congressional authorization for Iran military operations — Trump has refused to seek congressional approval for military operations against Iran, claiming Iran posed an "imminent threat" under the War Powers Act. Trump's own intelligence agencies contradicted the imminent threat claim. The War Powers Act requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours and cease military action within 60 days unless Congress declares war or authorizes the specific military action. The 60-day window closes on May 1, 2026. Trump stated he has "all the time in the world" and told reporters not to rush him, comparing the conflict to Vietnam, Iraq, and World War II. Trump previously claimed in January that the War Powers Act is unconstitutional.

Supporting reports

• Trump orders Navy to shoot Iranian boats near Strait of Hormuz based on nonexistent minesweeping operation — President Trump ordered the U.S. Navy to shoot Iranian boats near the Strait of Hormuz, citing a minesweeping operation that does not exist. The order represents a direct military command based on a false premise, escalating tensions in a critical international waterway and potentially violating rules of engagement and international law governing naval operations in contested waters.

Supporting reports

• Veterans arrested during Iran war protest in Washington DC — Sixty-six veterans, including elderly and disabled participants, were arrested during a protest against the ongoing Iran war in Washington DC. Mike Prysner, Executive Director of the Center on Conscience and War, was among those arrested. Prysner stated that the war has claimed thousands of American lives and over a million Iraqi lives, and called on active service members to refuse deployment. The protest occurred as the U.S. continues military operations in Iran at an estimated cost of $1–2 billion per day.

Supporting reports

• White House negotiates $500m financing package for Spirit Airlines with potential equity stake — The Trump administration is finalizing a financing package of up to $500m in loans to rescue Spirit Airlines, which has faced repeated bankruptcy filings and financial distress exacerbated by rising fuel costs from the Iran conflict. In exchange for federal funds, the government would receive warrants for a potential equity stake in the airline. Trump publicly stated support for federal aid to preserve the carrier's 14,000 jobs. White House spokesperson Kush Desai blamed the Biden administration for blocking Spirit's 2024 merger with JetBlue on antitrust grounds.
• Trump administration negotiates $500 million Spirit Airlines bailout — The Trump administration is reportedly close to a $500 million loan deal to bail out Spirit Airlines, which faces bankruptcy due to elevated fuel costs from Trump's own military campaign. In return, the government would receive warrants for a significant equity stake in the airline—as much as 90% according to early reports. This follows the administration taking stakes in Intel and various rare earth companies.
• Trump administration entered advanced talks for Spirit Airlines financing package — The Trump administration engaged in advanced negotiations for a financing package to prevent Spirit Airlines from liquidating. The deal could include $500 million in government financing and potentially grant the government an equity stake in the carrier. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the architect of the deal, argued to Trump it could save jobs and boost GOP prospects in midterms. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy raised concerns that a bailout could be a political nightmare and questioned what the government would gain. Senators Ted Cruz and Tom Cotton publicly opposed the deal as poor use of taxpayer dollars.