Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• FBI to cease investigating ICE confrontations — According to a New York Times report, FBI agents will no longer investigate confrontations with ICE agents. Written notice of this decision was sent on Thursday (July 17). Previously, FBI investigations of ICE violent encounters could yield evidence used to prosecute ICE agents involved in such incidents. The change removes an independent oversight mechanism for federal immigration enforcement.

Supporting reports

• ICE arrests asylum-seeking Chinese human rights lawyer Wu Shaoping in Pennsylvania — Wu Shaoping, a Chinese human rights lawyer who fled persecution in 2019 and filed for asylum in 2020, was arrested by ICE officers on July 17 while working as an Amazon courier in Mount Holly Springs, Pennsylvania. Despite presenting proof of his pending asylum application and legal entry, ICE detained him at a Pennsylvania facility. Wu remains at risk of deportation to China, where he could face imprisonment or persecution for his human rights advocacy. His immigration hearing is scheduled for July 27.

Supporting reports

• Off-duty ICE facility employee arrested for shooting protester in Aurora, Colorado — Brandon Booth, 42, an off-duty employee of Geo Group (which operates an ICE detention facility in Aurora, Colorado), shot and injured a woman on Thursday evening after she participated in a protest at the facility. Police say the women had blocked the entrance and initiated a verbal confrontation with employees waiting in cars. Booth fired a single shot, striking one woman in the lower body with non-life-threatening injuries, then fled. He was arrested and charged with attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, attempted first-degree assault, felony menacing, and unlawful carrying of a concealed weapon. Geo Group placed him on unpaid administrative leave.

Supporting reports

• FCC commissioners accept expensive tickets from companies under regulatory review — Federal Communications Commission commissioners have accepted expensive tickets to the Kennedy Center Honors Gala from CBS and Paramount, CBS' parent company, as they considered whether to approve Paramount's merger with Skydance Media. The acceptance of these gifts from a company whose merger they were evaluating creates an apparent conflict of interest and raises questions about the integrity of the regulatory review process.

Supporting reports

• Todd Blanche confirmed as attorney general despite judicial concerns about fitness — Todd Blanche, Trump's former criminal defense attorney, held his confirmation hearing for attorney general. During the hearing, Blanche slipped when asked if he and Trump were friends, initially answering "I'm his lawyer" before correcting himself. The New York Times editorial board and U.S. District Court Judge Kathleen Williams raised concerns about Blanche's fitness to practice law, noting that he had signed off on a "slush fund/immunity deal" with Trump and associates designed to avoid judicial review. Blanche has openly used the Department of Justice to pursue Trump's political opponents.

Supporting reports

• Secretary of State Rubio convened State Department meeting framing left-wing activism as terrorism equivalent to jihadism — Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a State Department meeting billed as examining "transnational" far-left terrorism, but officials focused primarily on domestic "antifa" and assassination attempts against Trump. The White House declared that "far-left extremism will be treated with the same seriousness and ferocity the world has long reserved for jihadist terrorism," despite a 2025 Center for Strategic and International Studies analysis showing left-wing political violence in the U.S. remains much lower than historical levels of right-wing and jihadist violence.

Supporting reports

• DHS Secretary Mullin repeats baseless 2020 election claims at press conference — Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin held a press conference on Friday repeating unsubstantiated claims about noncitizen voter registration and voting machine vulnerabilities. Mullin cited a DHS review claiming 250,000 noncitizens registered to vote in four states and 28,000 on rolls in 20+ states, despite election experts noting lack of transparency in methodology and that noncitizen voting is extremely rare. He also repeated conspiracy theories about foreign adversaries controlling voting machine components and threatened to withhold federal grant funding from states refusing to "secure" elections by providing voter roll data.

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• Trump makes false claims about control of Strait of Hormuz — Since the United States attacked Iran on February 28, 2026, Iran has closed or restricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has claimed on at least two dozen occasions since the start of the war that the Strait of Hormuz was "open" or controlled by the U.S., according to a Popular Information analysis. These claims are demonstrably false, contradicting the actual geopolitical reality of Iranian control over the waterway.

Supporting reports

• White House issues "What They Are Saying" release on Trump's declassification address regarding election interference — The White House published a compilation of statements from administration officials, Republican lawmakers, and conservative commentators responding to President Trump's primetime address in which he released newly declassified documents. The release claims the documents reveal foreign election interference (specifically Chinese hacking of 220 million voter files), vulnerabilities in U.S. election infrastructure, and alleged suppression of this information by intelligence officials. The statements promote passage of the SAVE America Act, which the release characterizes as requiring voter ID and proof of citizenship.
• White House issues fact sheet on declassified election intelligence and foreign interference claims — The White House published a fact sheet titled "Setting the Record Straight" asserting that President Trump declassified intelligence revealing foreign adversaries (China, Russia, Iran, North Korea) compromised U.S. voter data and election infrastructure. The document claims China obtained personal data on 220 million American voters in 2020, that intelligence officials deliberately withheld this information from the President, and that the Biden administration covered up the breach while responding to similar incidents involving other nations. The fact sheet also references alleged voter registration fraud in Michigan and non-citizen voter registrations. Trump directed the Director of National Intelligence, DOJ, FBI, and CIA to investigate how the intelligence was hidden and to pursue potential criminal charges.

Supporting reports

• Trump demanded Congress pass SAVE America voter suppression act — President Trump demanded that Congress pass the SAVE America voter suppression act, stating that "the only reason you wouldn't do it is you want to cheat because your policies are so bad and your candidates are so pathetic that you can't get elected in any other way." Trump framed the legislation as urgently needed to prevent election fraud and called on Americans to pressure lawmakers to pass it.

Supporting reports

• Federal judges appoint Roger Rogoff as U.S. attorney in Seattle; Trump fires him within the hour — A panel of federal judges appointed by five presidents unanimously appointed Roger Rogoff, a former judge and longtime prosecutor, as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington to replace a Trump appointee whose 120-day interim term had ended in February. Rogoff took the oath of office at 8:00 a.m. Within one hour, he received an email informing him he was fired. Trump has attempted to circumvent the 120-day statutory limit on interim U.S. attorneys by relabeling appointees as assistant U.S. attorneys while leaving the top position vacant. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche defended Trump's action on social media, stating that district court judges can appoint a temporary U.S. attorney but the president can fire them.

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• Defense Secretary Hegseth announces testosterone deficiency screening program for military personnel — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a new Department of Defense screening program for testosterone deficiency targeting service members aged 30 and older. The program will conduct annual testosterone tests as part of health assessments, with voluntary treatment including testosterone replacement therapy available. Hegseth framed the initiative as supporting "maximum psychological and mental readiness" and "lethality" on the modern battlefield. The announcement did not address the 231,000 women serving as active duty service members.
• Hegseth announced mandatory testosterone screening program for service members — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a new mandatory annual screening program to test all service members age 30 and older, including women, for testosterone deficiency. Hormone treatment for troops with low testosterone will be voluntary. Troops under 30 can volunteer for screening. Hegseth framed the initiative as restoring "natural capability" and maintaining tactical advantage, calling it a "High-T Department of War."
• Pete Hegseth announced testosterone screening program for service members — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that the Department of Defense will offer testosterone deficiency screenings to service members age 30 and older, with treatment available for those who want it. The Atlantic reported that the program is not medically necessary and has no connection to military readiness, but rather serves to project a particular image of masculinity.

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• Trump publicly criticizes New York datacenter moratorium and demands immediate reversal — On July 16, 2026, President Trump posted on Truth Social criticizing Governor Hochul's datacenter moratorium, calling it a "terrible decision" and demanding she scrap the policy "IMMEDIATELY." Trump characterized the ban as politically motivated and argued datacenters are economic engines and "Money Machines" for states. He claimed the moratorium would cause the U.S. to lose datacenters and AI development to China, and suggested the "radical left democrats" were responsible for the policy failure.

Supporting reports

• One Big Beautiful Bill Act tax and spending framework enacted without Democratic support — The Republican-controlled Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) in July 2025, extending or expanding more than $4.5 trillion in tax breaks for wealthy individuals and corporations while cutting more than $1 trillion from social welfare programs. The measure reduced the child tax credit increase below inflation-adjusted levels, with benefits concentrated among the richest fifth of Americans. The law cut $187 billion in federal SNAP funding, resulting in more than 4 million people losing food assistance between July 2025 and March 2026, including at least one million children.

Supporting reports

• Wildfires and smoke create hazardous air quality across North America — More than 800 wildfires in Canada and at least a dozen in northern Minnesota, driven by extreme weather caused by climate change, are producing smoke that exposes Americans from the Midwest to the Northeast to hazardous levels of air pollution. Detroit, Minneapolis, and Chicago rank in the top five most polluted cities in the world. New York City officials are distributing N95-type masks to commuters. More than 115 million people are in the plume of unhealthy to hazardous air quality, with conditions expected to worsen. The Trump administration has dismissed addressing climate change as a "scam."
• Canadian wildfire smoke degraded air quality in Northeast before World Cup final — Smoke from more than 100 uncontrolled fires in Canada blanketed the Northeast and Midwest with unhealthy air quality, occurring just as New Jersey prepared to host the World Cup final outdoors on July 20, 2026. The environmental degradation affects public health and major international sporting events.

Supporting reports

• White House teleprompter operator placed on administrative leave over alleged insider trading on prediction market — Gabriel Perez, Donald Trump's teleprompter operator since 2016, was placed on unpaid administrative leave after reports he used advance knowledge of the president's speeches to place bets on the Kalshi prediction market, generating over $100,000 in winnings. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the conduct "deeply unfortunate and frankly a disgrace." The CFTC is investigating the matter after Kalshi detected unusual betting patterns and referred the trades to federal regulators. Perez earned $175,000 annually as deputy assistant to the president.
• Trump's teleprompter operator investigated for betting on presidential speech content — Gabriel Perez, Trump's longtime teleprompter operator, is under federal investigation for allegedly making over $100,000 in bets on the prediction market Kalshi, wagering on which words Trump would say in his own speeches, including the February State of the Union. Investigators found that Perez allegedly withdrew from certain bets mid-speech if Trump skipped a wagered word. Kalshi froze a portion of the winnings after flagging the activity as suspicious.
• Trump's teleprompter operator placed bets on presidential speeches — Gabriel Perez, Trump's technical assistant and teleprompter operator since 2016, is in settlement talks with federal regulators after allegedly using inside knowledge of the president's speeches to place bets on prediction market Kalshi. CFTC investigators found Perez placed bets on more than a dozen Trump speeches over a three-month period, including the State of the Union address, a World Economic Forum speech in Davos, and remarks at a Medal of Honor ceremony, winning over $100,000. Perez continues to serve as one of Trump's teleprompter operators and typically has final eyes on nearly all prepared remarks.
• Truth Social announces new profit mechanism tied to Trump's office — Truth Social announced a new way for Trump to profit directly from his position as president. The announcement suggests a direct monetization of the presidency through the social media platform.

Supporting reports

• House defeats amendment to halt $3.3bn military aid to Israel; 103 Democrats vote yes — The House voted 314–104 to reject Republican Thomas Massie's amendment to a spending measure that would have halted $3.3 billion in planned military aid to Israel. Over 100 House Democrats voted in favor, signaling a significant shift in party sentiment toward Israel and Prime Minister Netanyahu's government following accusations of genocide in Gaza. House Democratic leaders were split: Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries opposed it, while Whip Katherine Clark and Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar supported it. The vote reflects deepening Democratic primary pressure on Israel policy ahead of November midterms.
• House votes on amendment to cut military aid to Israel; 103 Democrats support measure — The House voted on an amendment by Republican Thomas Massie to eliminate $3.3 billion in security assistance to Israel from the state department appropriations bill. The amendment failed 314-104, but 103 House Democrats—nearly half the caucus—voted in favor, including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries had urged Democrats to reject the amendment, but Minority Whip Katherine Clark publicly broke ranks and voted for it, signaling a significant fracture in the traditional bipartisan consensus on Israel aid.

Supporting reports

• House Republicans pass Save America Act linked to spending bill — On Wednesday, July 16, 2026, the House of Representatives passed a combined measure linking the Save America Act—which would ban mail-in ballots and impose voter identification requirements—to an unrelated State Department spending authorization bill. The vote was 217–209, largely along party lines. The bill faces certain opposition in the Senate, where Democrats control enough votes to filibuster. Trump administration officials framed the measure as necessary to prevent non-citizen voting; voting rights advocates warn it could disenfranchise eligible voters ahead of November midterm elections.

Supporting reports

• Jay Clayton refuses to answer whether Trump won the 2020 election during DNI confirmation hearing — During his Senate confirmation hearing for director of national intelligence, Jay Clayton, Trump's nominee, repeatedly refused to answer Senator Jon Ossoff's direct question about who won the 2020 presidential election. When pressed multiple times and reminded of his obligation to be honest with the committee, Clayton declined to engage, sat in silence, and claimed he had already answered despite providing no substantive response. The exchange highlighted the dilemma of Trump loyalists forced to choose between acknowledging factual reality and maintaining Trump's favor.

Supporting reports

• White House conducted leak investigation with FBI director and chief of staff — White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and FBI Director Kash Patel personally orchestrated a sprawling investigation aimed at identifying who leaked information about security deficiencies in a Qatari-gifted airplane intended as Air Force One. Investigators asked officials to turn over their phones on White House grounds. Patel was diverted from travel to Chicago to take a hands-on role, establishing a "war room" with Wiles in the West Wing for approximately seven hours. The investigation reflects significant breach of DOJ's historic independence.

Supporting reports

• FCC Chair suggested broadcasters could lose licenses for not airing Trump speech — FCC Chair Brendan Carr suggested on NewsNation that television stations that do not air President Trump's primetime speech could lose their broadcast licenses. When asked whether broadcasters have a responsibility to air the speech given their TV licenses, Carr responded that "broadcasters have an obligation to operate in the public interest," implying license revocation as a consequence of non-compliance.

Supporting reports

• Trump announced election security speech with unverified claims — President Trump announced he will deliver a primetime speech on election security, promising to reveal "really big news." The speech will touch on previously unreported Chinese meddling in U.S. elections, with Cabinet officials including heads of CIA, FBI, ODNI, and DHS invited to attend. However, Senate Intelligence Committee staff noted the information about Chinese access to voter data is not new—China gained access to publicly available voter files in several states that can be purchased for $485 from state election offices. Republican officials expressed concern Trump will repeat debunked conspiracy theories or make baseless claims about the 2020 election.
• Trump announced primetime speech claiming China accessed 2020 election data with CIA cover-up — President Trump scheduled a primetime address for July 16, 2026, claiming that China accessed U.S. voter data during the 2020 election and that the CIA knew about it and concealed the information during his first term. The speech is framed as laying groundwork to question the legitimacy of Democratic electoral wins in states like Georgia, months before the midterm elections. Trump has simultaneously posted photographs with Xi Jinping, the person he is accusing of orchestrating the alleged plot.

Supporting reports

• Trump delivered speech claiming foreign election interference while releasing heavily redacted documents — Trump held a major speech claiming Venezuela and China tampered with U.S. elections, citing declassified intelligence documents. The documents showed Russia attempted to help Trump in 2020—information Trump omitted from his remarks. Trump announced immediate declassification of election-related intelligence and called on DNI, DOJ, FBI, and CIA to investigate alleged coverups and file criminal charges. Trump also called for revocation of NBC and ABC broadcast licenses, claiming they refused to cover the speech and were "part of a plot."
• Trump releases declassified intelligence documents during primetime address — During a primetime address, the Trump administration released a batch of declassified intelligence documents. According to reporting, the documents appear to prove the opposite of what Trump intended them to demonstrate, raising questions about the selective declassification and use of intelligence for political purposes.
• White House issues "What They Are Saying" release on Trump's declassification address regarding election interference — The White House published a compilation of statements from administration officials, Republican lawmakers, and conservative commentators responding to President Trump's primetime address in which he released newly declassified documents. The release claims the documents reveal foreign election interference (specifically Chinese hacking of 220 million voter files), vulnerabilities in U.S. election infrastructure, and alleged suppression of this information by intelligence officials. The statements promote passage of the SAVE America Act, which the release characterizes as requiring voter ID and proof of citizenship.
• White House issues fact sheet on declassified election intelligence and foreign interference claims — The White House published a fact sheet titled "Setting the Record Straight" asserting that President Trump declassified intelligence revealing foreign adversaries (China, Russia, Iran, North Korea) compromised U.S. voter data and election infrastructure. The document claims China obtained personal data on 220 million American voters in 2020, that intelligence officials deliberately withheld this information from the President, and that the Biden administration covered up the breach while responding to similar incidents involving other nations. The fact sheet also references alleged voter registration fraud in Michigan and non-citizen voter registrations. Trump directed the Director of National Intelligence, DOJ, FBI, and CIA to investigate how the intelligence was hidden and to pursue potential criminal charges.

Supporting reports

• Trump called for revocation of NBC and ABC broadcast licenses — During his speech, Trump stated that NBC and ABC refused to cover his remarks and accused them of being "part of a plot" to continue election fraud. He called for revocation of their broadcast licenses as punishment for their editorial decision not to air the speech live.

Supporting reports

• Fox News limited coverage of Trump's election speech to 3 minutes — Fox News covered Trump's speech for only the first 3 minutes before cutting away and spent zero programming time discussing it afterward. When breaking away, Fox stated: "Fox News has not seen the evidence yet and is not in a position to evaluate the accuracy of the president's statement and claims." This contrasted with CBS being the only national network to cover the speech live.