Under our leadership, the United States will be respected again. No nation will question our power. No enemy will doubt our might. Our borders will be totally secure. Our economy will soar. We will return law and order to our streets, patriotism to our schools, and importantly, we will restore peace, stability and harmony all throughout the world.[1]
Donald Trump (R) was the 45th president of the United States. He is the projected winner of the 2024 presidential election.
Trump officially announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election on November 15, 2022.[3] Trump became the Republican nominee after receiving a majority of convention delegate votes at the Republican National Convention on July 15, 2024. Trump selected U.S. Senator J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) as his running mate on July 15, 2024.
Trump framed his campaign as a return to his America First agenda, contrasting his administration against the Biden-Harris administration. In his campaign announcement, Trump said, "America's comeback starts right now. When I left office, the United States stood ready for its golden age. [...] Now we are a nation in decline. We are a failing nation. For millions of Americans, the past two years under Joe Biden have been a time of pain, hardship, anxiety, and despair."[4]
This section features up to five recent news stories about Trump and his presidential campaign. For a complete timeline of Trump's campaign activity, click here.
Trump was born in Queens, New York, in 1946.[22] He attended Fordham University before transferring to the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania, where he received a B.S. in economics in 1968.[23]
After graduation, Trump joined his family's company, Elizabeth Trump & Son. He took control of the company in 1971 and later renamed it the Trump Organization.[24] He was involved in a variety of real estate and other business ventures in the following years. From 2004 until 2015, Trump hosted and served as executive producer of The Apprentice on NBC.[25][26]
In 1999, Trump ran as a Reform Party presidential candidate; he withdrew from the race in February 2000.[23][27] Between 1987 and 2012, he changed his official party affiliation five times, registering most recently as a Republican in April 2012.[28]
Trump assumed office on January 20, 2017, and filed to run for re-election on the same day. He crossed the delegate threshold necessary to win the Republican nomination—1,276 delegates—on March 17, 2020. He was formally nominated at the Republican National Convention on August 24, 2020. President Joe Biden defeated Trump in the 2020 presidential election on November 3, 2020. Biden received 306 electoral votes, while Trump received 232.
The following chart displays noteworthy general election presidential candidates' overall fundraising over time through the Post-General campaign finance reports. Note that the chart only displays data for principal campaign committees, not candidate-affiliated PACs or joint fundraising committees. Hover over each line for more specific figures.
The following chart displays noteworthy general election presidential candidates' overall spending over time through the Post-General campaign finance reports. Note that the chart only displays data for principal campaign committees, not candidate-affiliated PACs or joint fundraising committees. Hover over each line for more specific figures.
The following chart displays cash on hand—a measurement of how much money a campaign has currently available in its campaign accounts—for noteworthy general election presidential candidates as of each reporting deadline during the 2024 campaign cycle. Note that the chart only displays data for principal campaign committees, not candidate-affiliated PACs or joint fundraising committees.
See below for a summary of Trump's highlights from the second general election debate on September 10, 2024, with a focus on policy. The following paraphrased statements were compiled from debate transcripts. A candidate's opponents are generally not mentioned in his or her summary unless there was a significant exchange between them.
Donald Trump discussed the economy, trade, abortion, immigration, his indictments, Harris’ 2020 policy positions, the 2020 election results, foreign policy, healthcare, and manufacturing. Trump said the economy during his administration had no inflation, and he would cut taxes if re-elected. Trump said he did a wonderful job handling the pandemic, rebuilt the military, and the stock market at the end of his term was higher than before the pandemic. Trump said the Biden-Harris administration did not create jobs. Trump said he would implement tariffs because China and other countries were ripping America off with high prices, and said America would take in hundreds of billions of dollars. Trump said his Supreme Court appointments resulted in abortion no longer being tied up in the federal government, and that people in states could vote on it. He said he supported in vitro fertilization, and he would not have to veto a national abortion ban because Congress would not have the votes to pass it. Trump said illegal immigrants were destroying the country. He said the Biden-Harris administration was allowing millions of criminals, terrorists, and drug dealers across the border, which was driving up crime. Trump said the indictments against him were the weaponization of the Justice Department, and that the Biden-Harris administration was using them to try and win the election. Trump said Harris changed her policy positions, and said she previously expressed support for fracking bans, defund the police, and confiscating guns. Trump said he did not lose the 2020 presidential election. He said the two most important policies for America were having a strong border and having good elections. On the Israel-Hamas War, Trump said it would not have started if he was president. He said the Biden-Harris administration lifted sanctions against Iran, which allowed Iran to fund terrorist organizations. On the Russia-Ukraine War, Trump said he would negotiate an end to the war, and that Europe should be paying more money to support Ukraine. Trump said the war might lead to a world war. Trump said the Afghanistan withdrawal was incompetently handled and led to Russia attacking Ukraine. Trump said the Affordable Care Act was lousy healthcare, which he would make better until he replaced it with a better plan. Trump said manufacturing was leaving the United States, and that he would implement tariffs to prevent foreign-made cars from being sold in America.
Expand the sections below to read more about Trump's participation in previous debates.
See below for a summary of Trump's highlights from the first general election debate on June 27, 2024, with a focus on policy. The following paraphrased statements were compiled from debate transcripts. A candidate's opponents are generally not mentioned in his or her summary unless there was a significant exchange between them.
Donald Trump discussed the economy, tariffs, abortion, immigration, foreign policy, policies for Black Americans, the environment, Social Security, his age, and the 2020 election results. Trump said during the pandemic he spent money to prevent a Great Depression and left Biden a stock market higher than before the pandemic. He said Biden caused inflation through excessive spending and only created jobs that would have returned anyway after the coronavirus pandemic. Trump said a 10% tariff would force countries to pay the U.S. a lot of money, reduce the deficit, and give the U.S. power. Trump said cutting taxes and regulations under his administration helped spur the greatest economy in history. He highlighted his administration’s work on coronavirus therapeutics, and criticized Biden administration vaccine mandates. Trump said everyone wanted legal authority on abortion returned to the states, and that he supported exceptions for rape, incest, and life of the mother. Trump said Biden supported late-term abortions and abortions after birth. Trump said he had the safest border in history, and that Biden wanted open borders. Trump said illegal immigrants are committing crimes and he would get a lot of illegal immigrants out of the country. Trump said Biden’s Afghanistan withdrawal was the most embarrassing moment in the history of America, and Putin would not have invaded Ukraine if the U.S. had a respected president. He said Europe should be paying more to support Ukraine, and the U.S. shouldn’t be funding Ukraine. Trump said Israel should be allowed to finish the job. In response to his legal cases, Trump said he did nothing wrong and his retribution will be success. Trump said Biden could be a convicted felon for things he did related to Hunter Biden’s business dealings in Ukraine. Trump said immigrants are taking Black and Hispanic jobs, and that he supported criminal justice reform, opportunity zones, and HBCUs. Trump said he supported clean air and water, and using all forms of energy production. Trump said illegal immigrants were draining resources from Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and hospitals. On his age, Trump said he aced cognitive tests and physical exams. Trump said he would accept the results of the 2024 election if there is no fraud, and said the fraud in the 2020 election was ridiculous.
The following table provides an overview of the date, location, and host in each scheduled 2024 general election debate. Click a link in the Debate column to read more about each debate.
Trump did not participated in any Republican presidential primary debates.
The following table provides an overview of the date, location, host, and number of participants in each scheduled 2024 Republican presidential primary debate.
The section below lists noteworthy endorsements for Donald Trump. This list captures endorsements from current or former presidents and vice presidents, members of Congress, governors, attorneys general, and secretaries of state. This list may also include endorsements from current and former party leaders, other state executives, mayors of large cities, and state legislative majority and minority leaders issued before March 12, 2024, when Trump became the presumptive Republican nominee. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.
This section includes a selection of up to three campaign advertisements supporting this candidate, as well as links to other ads. If you know of other links that should be included, please email us.
The following policy positions were compiled from the candidate's official campaign website, editorials, speeches, and debates.
Immigration
Trump's campaign website said, "President Trump will shut down Biden’s border disaster. He will again end catch-and-release, restore Remain in Mexico, and eliminate asylum fraud. In cooperative states, President Trump will deputize the National Guard and local law enforcement to assist with rapidly removing illegal alien gang members and criminals. He will also deliver a merit-based immigration system that protects American labor and promotes American values."
[source, as of 2023-12-21]
Healthcare
Trump's campaign website said, "President Donald J. Trump empowered American patients by greatly expanding healthcare choice, transparency, and affordability. He increased competition in the health insurance market, eliminated the Obamacare individual mandate, and signed Right to Try that gives terminally ill patients access to lifesaving cures. President Trump lowered drug prices for the first time in over 50 years and finalized the Most Favored Nation Rule to ensure that pharmaceutical companies offer the same discounts to the United States as they do to other nations."
[source, as of 2023-12-21]
Energy and environmental issues
Trump's campaign website said, "Joe Biden reversed the Trump Energy Revolution and is now enriching foreign adversaries abroad. President Trump will unleash the production of domestic energy resources, reduce the soaring price of gasoline, diesel and natural gas, promote energy security for our friends around the world, eliminate the socialist Green New Deal and ensure the United States is never again at the mercy of a foreign supplier of energy."
[source, as of 2023-12-21]
Trade
Trump's campaign website said, "The heart of my vision is a sweeping pro-American overhaul of our tax and trade policy to move from the Biden system that punishes domestic producers and rewards outsourcers, to a system that REWARDS domestic production and taxes FOREIGN companies and those who export American Jobs. They will be rewarded and rewarded greatly. And our country will benefit. To achieve this goal, we will phase in a system of universal, baseline tariffs on most foreign products. On top of this, higher tariffs will increase incrementally depending on how much individual foreign countries devalue their currency."
[source, as of 2023-12-21]
Economy
Trump's campaign website said, "President Donald J. Trump passed record-setting tax relief for the middle class, doubled the child tax credit, and slashed more job-killing regulations than any administration had ever done before. Real wages quickly increased as a result, and median household income reached the highest level in the history of our country, while poverty reached a record low. President Trump created nearly 9,000 Opportunity Zones to revitalize neglected communities. President Trump produced a booming economic recovery, and record low unemployment for African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, and women. Joe Biden is the destroyer of America’s jobs and continues to fuel runaway inflation with reckless big government spending. President Trump’s vision for America’s economic revival is lower taxes, bigger paychecks, and more jobs for American workers."
[source, as of 2023-12-21]
Education
Trump's campaign website said, "President Trump believes that we owe our children great schools that lead to great jobs, which will lead to an even greater country than we're living in right now. To that end, President Trump will work to ensure that a top priority of every school is to prepare students for jobs. In connection with totally refocusing schools on succeeding in the world of work, President Trump pledges to close the Department of Education in Washington, D.C. and to send all education work and needs back to the States."
[source, as of 2023-12-21]
Gun regulation
Trump's campaign website said, "He will also always defend your Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms."
[source, as of 2023-12-21]
Criminal justice
Trump's campaign website said, "There is no higher priority than quickly restoring law and order and public safety in America. President Trump stands with the heroes of law enforcement. Joe Biden and the radical left politicians have defunded, defamed, and dismantled police forces across America. Murders spiked to all-time highs in Democrat-run cities and radical prosecutors and District Attorneys have given free rein to violent criminals who threaten our citizens. The streets of our once-great cities are now controlled by gangs and cartels, and plagued with mentally ill and drug-addicted homeless."
[source, as of 2023-12-21]
Foreign policy
Trump's campaign website said, "President Donald J. Trump replaced the failed policy of never-ending war, regime change and nation-building with a bold vision to pursue peace through strength. [...] Joe Biden has undermined our military readiness and surrendered our strength to the Taliban. President Trump will defend America against all threats, protect America against all dangers, and keep America out of unnecessary foreign wars. He will also get Biden’s radical left ideology out of our military and rehire every patriot who was unjustly fired. To protect our people from the threat of nuclear weapons and hypersonic missiles, President Trump will also build a state-of-the-art next-generation missile defense shield."
[source, as of 2023-12-21]
Abortion
Trump said in a statement, "I was proudly the person responsible for the ending of something that all legal scholars, both sides, wanted and, in fact, demanded be ended: Roe v. Wade. They wanted it ended. [...] My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land, in this case the law of the state. Many states will be different, many will have a different number of weeks or some will have more conservative [laws] than others, and that’s what they will be. At the end of the day, this is all about the will of the people."
[source, as of 2024-04-08]
Administrative state
Trump's campaign website listed the following policies, "On Day One, re-issue 2020 executive order restoring the president’s authority to fire rogue bureaucrats. Overhaul federal departments and agencies, firing all of the corrupt actors in our National Security and Intelligence apparatus. [...] Launch a major crackdown on government leakers who collude with the media to create false narratives, pressing criminal charges when appropriate. Make every Inspector General’s Office independent from the departments they oversee, so that they do not become protectors of the deep state." Trump's campaign website also listed, "Continue Trump administration effort to move parts of the federal bureaucracy outside of the Washington Swamp, just like President Trump moved the Bureau of Land Management to Colorado. Up to 100,000 government positions could be moved out of Washington. Ban federal bureaucrats from taking jobs at the companies they deal with and regulate, such as Big Pharma."
[source, as of 2023-12-21]
Coronavirus response
Trump's campaign website said, "To save lives from the China virus, President Trump organized the production of the world’s largest supply of ventilators and the development of treatments and vaccines. He will stop all COVID mandates and restore medical freedom."
[source, as of 2023-12-21]
Election policy
Trump's campaign website said, "President Donald J. Trump is committed to the honesty of our elections and the integrity of our Republic. We will reform our election laws to verify the identity and eligibility of all voters to ensure faith and confidence in all future elections. We will pass a bold range of critical election integrity measures that include banning unsecure drop boxes and ballot harvesting. State and local officials cannot be permitted to make illegal and unconstitutional changes to election procedures without the required approvals by the state legislatures. Very importantly, we must ban private money from pouring into local election offices."
[source, as of 2023-12-21]
Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG)
Trump's campaign website said, "The entire ESG scheme is designed to funnel your retirement money to the maniacs on the radical left. The rule we issued under my leadership was the first ESG ban anywhere in the world. And I'm delighted that Republicans in Congress and across the country have been waking up to this threat and following my lead."
[source, as of 2023-12-21]
Government ethics
Trump's campaign website said, "President Donald J. Trump is committed to dismantling the deep state and restoring government by the People, just as he did during his administration. President Trump will conduct a top-to-bottom overhaul of the federal bureaucracies to clean out the rot and corruption of Washington D.C. President Trump will push for a constitutional amendment to impose term limits on members of Congress, a permanent ban on taxpayer funding of campaigns, a lifetime ban on lobbying by former members of Congress and cabinet members, and a ban on members of Congress trading stocks with insider information."
[source, as of 2023-12-21]
Sex and gender issues
Trump's campaign website said, "I will ask Congress to pass a bill establishing that the only genders recognized by the United States government are male and female—and they are assigned at birth. The bill will also make clear that Title Nine prohibits men from participating in women’s sports. And we will protect the rights of parents from being forced to allow their minor child to assume a gender, which is new, and an identity without the parents’ consent. The identity will not be new. And it will not be without parental consent."
[source, as of 2023-12-21]
Infrastructure
Trump's campaign website said, "In other words, we’ll actually build new cities in our country again. These Freedom Cities will reopen the frontier, reignite American imagination, and give hundreds of thousands of young people and other people, all hardworking families, a new shot at home ownership and in fact, the American Dream. [...] I will challenge the governors of all 50 states to join me in a great modernization and beautification campaign—getting rid of ugly buildings, refurbishing our parks and our public spaces, making cities and towns more livable, ensuring a pristine environment, and building towering monuments to our true American heroes."
[source, as of 2023-12-21]
Opioids and drug issues
Trump's campaign website said, "President Donald J. Trump marshalled the full power of government to stop deadly drugs, opioids, and fentanyl from coming into our country. As a result, drug overdose deaths declined nationwide for the first time in nearly 30 years. Joe Biden has allowed drug cartels to wage war on America, steal innocent lives, and ravage our communities. President Trump will take down the drug cartels just as he took down ISIS."
[source, as of 2023-12-21]
Veterans
Trump's campaign website said, "President Donald J. Trump passed the largest reform of the Department of Veterans Affairs in a generation, including VA Accountability and VA Choice, and fired 11,500 federal workers who failed to give our wounded warriors the quality and timely care they so richly deserve. He secured record funding for mental health services, and expanded access to telehealth and suicide prevention resources. To secure the blessings of freedom for those who risked their lives to defend it, President Trump decreased veteran homelessness, increased educational benefits, and achieved record-low veteran unemployment."
[source, as of 2023-12-21]
Trump listed the following policy positions on his campaign website as of October 8, 2024.[37]
“
Rebuild the Greatest Economy in History
President Donald J. Trump passed record-setting tax relief for the middle class, doubled the child tax credit, and slashed more job-killing regulations than any administration had ever done before. Real wages quickly increased as a result, and median household income reached the highest level in the history of our country, while poverty reached a record low. President Trump created nearly 9,000 Opportunity Zones to revitalize neglected communities. President Trump produced a booming economic recovery, and record low unemployment for African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, and women. Joe Biden is the destroyer of America’s jobs and continues to fuel runaway inflation with reckless big government spending. President Trump’s vision for America’s economic revival is lower taxes, bigger paychecks, and more jobs for American workers.
Fair Trade for the American Worker
Donald Trump recognized long before he became president that we cannot have free and open trade if some countries exploit the system at the expense of others. President Trump replaced decades of calamitous multinational trade blunders with fair and reciprocal trade that returned jobs, wealth, and manufacturing to America. He cancelled the job-killing Trans-Pacific Partnership, replaced the NAFTA nightmare with the groundbreaking USMCA, and renegotiated the one-sided South Korea deal. President Trump confronted unfair trade practices, imposed tariffs on China that brought billions of dollars into the federal treasury, expanded American agriculture, and opened thousands of new factories. President Trump will implement a 4-year national reshoring plan so that the United States no longer needs to rely on China for essential medical and national security goods, and ban Chinese ownership of all critical infrastructure in the United States. We will bring back our supply chains, and build America into the manufacturing superpower of the world.
Unleash Energy Dominance
Under President Donald J. Trump’s leadership, the United States became the number one producer of oil and natural gas on earth, achieving American energy independence and delivering historically low costs for oil, gas, diesel, and electricity to consumers and businesses. President Trump unlocked our country’s God-given abundance of oil, natural gas, and clean coal. He approved the Keystone XL and Dakota Access, pipelines, opening federal lands and offshore areas for responsible oil and gas production, and ending the unfair and costly Paris Climate Accord. Joe Biden reversed the Trump Energy Revolution and is now enriching foreign adversaries abroad. President Trump will unleash the production of domestic energy resources, reduce the soaring price of gasoline, diesel and natural gas, promote energy security for our friends around the world, eliminate the socialist Green New Deal and ensure the United States is never again at the mercy of a foreign supplier of energy.
Secure Borders and Reclaim National Sovereignty
President Donald J. Trump created the most secure border in U.S. history. He ended catch-and-release, took down human traffickers, deported record numbers of illegal alien gang members, and built 450 miles of powerful new wall. Joe Biden turned our country into one giant sanctuary for dangerous criminal aliens when he suspended all immigration enforcement in the middle of a global pandemic and reversed landmark agreements that safely returned asylum-seekers to Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. The onslaught of illegal aliens invading our wide-open borders threatens public safety, drains the treasury, undermines U.S. workers, and burdens schools and hospitals. President Trump will shut down Biden’s border disaster. He will again end catch-and-release, restore Remain in Mexico, and eliminate asylum fraud. In cooperative states, President Trump will deputize the National Guard and local law enforcement to assist with rapidly removing illegal alien gang members and criminals. He will also deliver a merit-based immigration system that protects American labor and promotes American values.
War on the Drug Cartels
President Donald J. Trump marshalled the full power of government to stop deadly drugs, opioids, and fentanyl from coming into our country. As a result, drug overdose deaths declined nationwide for the first time in nearly 30 years. Joe Biden has allowed drug cartels to wage war on America, steal innocent lives, and ravage our communities. President Trump will take down the drug cartels just as he took down ISIS. He will impose a total naval embargo on cartels, order the Department of Defense to inflict maximum damage on cartel leadership and operations, designate cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, and choke off their access to the global financial system. President Trump will get the full cooperation of neighboring governments to dismantle the cartels, or else expose every bribe and kickback that allows these criminal networks to preserve their brutal reign. He will ask Congress to ensure that drug smugglers and traffickers can receive the Death Penalty. When President Trump is back in the White House, the drug kingpins and vicious traffickers will never sleep soundly again.
Stop Crime and Restore Safety
There is no higher priority than quickly restoring law and order and public safety in America. President Trump stands with the heroes of law enforcement. Joe Biden and the radical left politicians have defunded, defamed, and dismantled police forces across America. Murders spiked to all-time highs in Democrat-run cities and radical prosecutors and District Attorneys have given free rein to violent criminals who threaten our citizens. The streets of our once-great cities are now controlled by gangs and cartels, and plagued with mentally ill and drug-addicted homeless. President Trump will revitalize police departments and reclaim safety, dignity, and peace for law-abiding Americans. He will deliver record funding to hire and retrain police officers, strengthen qualified immunity and other protections for police officers, increase penalties for assaults on law enforcement, put violent offenders and career criminals behind bars, and surge federal prosecutors and the National Guard into high-crime communities.
Renew American Strength and Leadership
President Donald J. Trump replaced the failed policy of never-ending war, regime change and nation-building with a bold vision to pursue peace through strength. He fully rebuilt American military might, modernized our nuclear arsenal, and launched the Space Force. He obliterated 100 percent of the ISIS caliphate, killed its founder and leader Abu-Bakar Al Baghdadi, and eliminated the world's number one terrorist, Qasem Soleimani. President Trump kept America out of new wars and brought thousands of brave troops home from Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, and many other countries. Joe Biden has undermined our military readiness and surrendered our strength to the Taliban. President Trump will defend America against all threats, protect America against all dangers, and keep America out of unnecessary foreign wars. He will also get Biden’s radical left ideology out of our military and rehire every patriot who was unjustly fired. To protect our people from the threat of nuclear weapons and hypersonic missiles, President Trump will also build a state-of-the-art next-generation missile defense shield.
Reject Globalism and Embrace Patriotism
President Donald J. Trump forged international cooperation among strong, sovereign, and independent nations to create a future of peace, prosperity, and promise for the world. He combatted Radical Islamic terrorism, withdrew from the disastrous Iran Nuclear Deal, and suspended travel and refugee resettlement from the world’s most dangerous regions. He recognized Israel's true capital and moved the American Embassy to Jerusalem and acknowledged Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. As a result of his bold diplomacy and principled realism, President Trump brokered four Middle East peace deals, collectively called the Abraham Accords, and our NATO allies agreed to pay $400 billion more in defense spending. Joe Biden’s humiliating defeat in Afghanistan has emboldened rogue regimes, terrorist groups, and rivals like China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran that were in retreat. Under President Trump, we will restore our standing in the world and American leadership abroad.
Care For Our Veterans
While Washington politicians poured precious American blood and treasure into misguided military adventures overseas, those who proudly wore our nation’s uniform were dying waiting for medical care at home. President Donald J. Trump passed the largest reform of the Department of Veterans Affairs in a generation, including VA Accountability and VA Choice, and fired 11,500 federal workers who failed to give our wounded warriors the quality and timely care they so richly deserve. He secured record funding for mental health services, and expanded access to telehealth and suicide prevention resources. To secure the blessings of freedom for those who risked their lives to defend it, President Trump decreased veteran homelessness, increased educational benefits, and achieved record-low veteran unemployment. We will fight to serve our veterans with better care and benefits than ever before.
Protect Parents’ Rights
President Donald J. Trump fought tirelessly to expand charter schools and school choice for America’s children. He secured permanent funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and protected free speech on college campuses. Now, Joe Biden and the radical left are using the public school system to push their perverse sexual, racial, and political material on our youth. President Trump will cut federal funding for any school or program pushing Critical Race Theory or gender ideology on our children. His administration will open Civil Rights investigations into any school district that has engaged in race-based discrimination. President Trump will veto the sinister effort to weaponize civics education, keep men out of women’s sports, and create a credentialing body to certify teachers who embrace patriotic values. President Trump will reward states and school districts that abolish teacher tenure for grades K-12 and adopt Merit Pay, cut the number of school administrators, adopt a Parental Bill of Rights, and implement the direct election of school principals by the parents.
Defend Law and Liberty
President Donald J. Trump appointed nearly 300 federal judges to interpret the Constitution as written and preserve the extraordinary vision of our founding fathers. He confirmed three strong Constitutionalists to the United States Supreme Court who will ensure the law is upheld equally, fairly and without political prejudice for all of our citizens. President Trump’s three appointees delivered the biggest win for life in a generation in overturning Roe v. Wade and expanded the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. President Trump will continue to nominate highly qualified prosecutors, judges, and justices who believe in enforcing the law, not their own political agenda. He will also always defend your Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms, and uphold your religious liberty, including the Constitutional right to pray in public schools.
End Censorship and Reclaim Free Speech
President Trump is absolutely committed to dismantling and destroying the left-wing censorship regime. If we don’t have free speech in America, then we will no longer be a free country. President Trump’s plan includes firing any federal bureaucrat who has engaged in censoring the lawful speech of American citizens, banning taxpayer funds from being used to categorize lawful speech for purposes of illicit censorship, banning federal agencies from censoring speech, stopping federal funding for all non-profits and academic programs engaged in censorship, passing a digital bill of rights, and enacting landmark legislation to drastically limit the ability of big social media platforms to restrict free speech. By restoring free speech, we will begin to reclaim our democracy.
Free, Honest and Lawful Elections
President Donald J. Trump is committed to the honesty of our elections and the integrity of our Republic. We will reform our election laws to verify the identity and eligibility of all voters to ensure faith and confidence in all future elections. We will pass a bold range of critical election integrity measures that include banning unsecure drop boxes and ballot harvesting. State and local officials cannot be permitted to make illegal and unconstitutional changes to election procedures without the required approvals by the state legislatures. Very importantly, we must ban private money from pouring into local election offices.
Drain the Swamp of Washington Corruption
President Donald J. Trump is committed to dismantling the deep state and restoring government by the People, just as he did during his administration. President Trump will conduct a top-to-bottom overhaul of the federal bureaucracies to clean out the rot and corruption of Washington D.C. President Trump will push for a constitutional amendment to impose term limits on members of Congress, a permanent ban on taxpayer funding of campaigns, a lifetime ban on lobbying by former members of Congress and cabinet members, and a ban on members of Congress trading stocks with insider information.
Better Health Care Choices at Lower Costs
President Donald J. Trump empowered American patients by greatly expanding healthcare choice, transparency, and affordability. He increased competition in the health insurance market, eliminated the Obamacare individual mandate, and signed Right to Try that gives terminally ill patients access to lifesaving cures. President Trump lowered drug prices for the first time in over 50 years and finalized the Most Favored Nation Rule to ensure that pharmaceutical companies offer the same discounts to the United States as they do to other nations. To save lives from the China virus, President Trump organized the production of the world’s largest supply of ventilators and the development of treatments and vaccines. He will stop all COVID mandates and restore medical freedom, end surprise medical billing, increase fairness through price transparency, and further reduce the cost of prescription drugs and health insurance premiums. President Trump will always protect Medicare, Social Security, and patients with pre-existing conditions.[1]
The table below shows a partial list of national campaign staff members, including the campaign manager, senior advisors, political directors, communications directors, field directors, and the national press secretary. They are presented alongside their positions in the campaign, their most recent positions prior to the campaign, and their Twitter handles. To recommend additions, please email us at editor@ballotpedia.org.
The following section provides a timeline of Trump's campaign activity beginning in January 2023. The entries are sorted by month in reverse chronological order.
The Pre-General Federal Election Commission campaign finance reporting deadline passed. Trump raised $16 million and spent $100 million, with $36 million cash on hand as of October 16.[73]
The October monthly Federal Election Commission campaign finance reporting deadline passed. Trump raised $63 million and spent $78 million, with $120 million cash on hand as of September 30.[82]
October 12, 2024: Trump held a rally in Coachella, California, and participated in a Building America's Future roundtable with members of the Hispanic community about economic issues.[94][95]
September 20, 2024: The September monthly Federal Election Commission campaign finance reporting deadline passed. Trump raised $45 million and spent $61 million, with $135 million cash on hand as of August 31.[123]
September 19, 2024:
Trump spoke at a Fighting Anti-Semitism in America event with Miriam Adelson in Washington, D.C..[124]
Trump participated in a televised interview on Newsmax.[125]
September 15, 2024: While Trump was golfing at Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida, the Secret Service identified and fired upon a man in the shrubbery holding a firearm. The man fled the scene and was apprehended by Florida law enforcement. Nobody was injured.[128]Click here to read more.
Trump spoke about law enforcement, border security, and immigration at a campaign event in Howell, Michigan.[149]
The August monthly Federal Election Commission campaign finance reporting deadline passed. Trump raised $48 million and spent $24 million, with $151 million cash on hand as of July 31.[150]
August 19, 2024: Trump held a rally in York, Pennsylvania, where he spoke about the economy.[151]
August 8, 2024: Trump held a news conference at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, where he said he would participate in the Sept. 10 presidential debate.[158]
July 29, 2024: Axios reported that the Trump campaign made its largest television ad buy since the Republican presidential primaries. The Trump campaign spent about $12 million on television ads running in Arizona, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Nevada, Georgia, and Michigan through Aug. 12.[162]
July 21, 2024: Trump commented on Joe Biden's (D) withdrawal from the presidential race. Trump wrote, "Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve - And never was! He only attained the position of President by lies, Fake News, and not leaving his Basement. All those around him, including his Doctor and the Media, knew that he wasn’t capable of being President, and he wasn’t - And now, look what he’s done to our Country, with millions of people coming across our Border, totally unchecked and unvetted, many from prisons, mental institutions, and record numbers of terrorists. We will suffer greatly because of his presidency, but we will remedy the damage he has done very quickly. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"[168]
The July monthly Federal Election Commission campaign finance reporting deadline passed. Trump raised $21 million and spent $10 million, with $128 million cash on hand as of June 30.[170]
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley (R), who ran in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, endorsed Trump.[173]
July 15, 2024:
Trump attended the first day of the 2024 Republican National Convention. Convention delegates officially nominated Trump as the Republican presidential nominee.[174]
Trump selected U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) as his running mate. In a Truth Social post, Trump said, "After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio. J.D. honorably served our Country in the Marine Corps, graduated from Ohio State University in two years, Summa Cum Laude, and is a Yale Law School Graduate, where he was Editor of The Yale Law Journal, and President of the Yale Law Veterans Association. J.D.’s book, “Hillbilly Elegy,” became a Major Best Seller and Movie, as it championed the hardworking men and women of our Country. J.D. has had a very successful business career in Technology and Finance, and now, during the Campaign, will be strongly focused on the people he fought so brilliantly for, the American Workers and Farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and far beyond."[175]
Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed Trump's federal classified documents case, ruling that special counsel Jack Smith's appointment violated the Constitution's Appointments Clause and Appropriations Clause.[176] On Truth Social Trump said, "As we move forward in Uniting our Nation after the horrific events on Saturday, this dismissal of the Lawless Indictment in Florida should be just the first step, followed quickly by the dismissal of ALL the Witch Hunts — The January 6th Hoax in Washington, D.C., the Manhattan D.A.’s Zombie Case, the New York A.G. Scam, Fake Claims about a woman I never met (a decades old photo in a line with her then husband does not count), and the Georgia “Perfect” Phone Call charges. The Democrat Justice Department coordinated ALL of these Political Attacks, which are an Election Interference conspiracy against Joe Biden’s Political Opponent, ME. Let us come together to END all Weaponization of our Justice System, and Make America Great Again!"[177]
July 13, 2024: Trump held a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. While Trump was speaking, a shooter fired multiple shots toward the stage in an attempt to assassinate Trump. Trump was not seriously injured. The shooter killed one rally attendee and critically injured two others.[178] On Truth Social Trump said, "I want to thank The United States Secret Service, and all of Law Enforcement, for their rapid response on the shooting that just took place in Butler, Pennsylvania. Most importantly, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the person at the Rally who was killed, and also to the family of another person that was badly injured. It is incredible that such an act can take place in our Country. Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead. I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!"[179]
June 25, 2024: Judge Juan Merchan, who presided at Trump's criminal trial in New York, partially lifted the gag order in the case, allowing Trump to speak about trial witnesses and the jury.[182]
June 20, 2024: The June monthly Federal Election Commission campaign finance reporting deadline passed. Trump raised $75 million and spent $8 million, with $117 million cash on hand as of May 31.[186]
Trump held a press conference in New York City about his guilty verdict.[195]
Trump's campaign announced the launch of the Trump Force 47 program. The campaign described it as, a "grassroots organizing program to engage tens of thousands of new volunteers across the country to participate in a neighbor-to-neighbor organizing program hyper-focused on mobilizing highly-targeted voters in critical precincts across the battleground states and districts."[196]
May 30, 2024: A Manhattan jury found Trump guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records, making him the first U.S. president to be convicted of felony crimes after leaving office.[197] Trump responded to the verdict, saying, "This was a rigged, disgraceful trial. The real verdict is gonna be November 5th by the people."[198]
May 6, 2024: Trump attended his New York criminal trial. Judge Juan Merchan found that Trump had violated the court's gag order, and Merchan fined Trump $1,000.[219]
April 30, 2024: Trump attended his New York criminal trial. Judge Juan Merchan ruled that Trump had violated the court's gag order nine times, and Merchan fined Trump $9,000.[227]
April 16, 2024: Trump attended his New York criminal trial.[234] After the proceedings ended for the day, Trump visited a bodega where he spoke about public safety.[235]
April 8, 2024: Trump issued a statement about his abortion and reproductive healthcare policy. Trump said he supported the availability of in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. Trump also said, "I was proudly the person responsible for the ending of something that all legal scholars, both sides, wanted, and in fact demanded, be ended: Roe v. Wade. [...] My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land."[239]
April 1, 2024: In the New York criminal prosecution against Trump, Judge Juan Merchan expanded a gag order against Trump to now limit public statements Trump can make about District Attorney Alvin Bragg's (D) and Merchan's family.[242]
March 26, 2024: In the New York criminal prosecution against Trump, Judge Juan Merchan issued an order, also known as a gag order, limiting public statements Trump can make about court staff, jurors, witnesses, lawyers in the district attorney's office, and their families.[243]
March 23, 2024: The Louisiana Republican presidential primary took place. Trump won with 89.8% of the vote, followed by withdrawn candidate Nikki Haley (R) with 6.8% of the vote. No other candidate received more than 5% of the vote. Trump was awarded all 47 of Louisiana's delegates.[245]
Trump released a policy memo titled, "Agenda47: Rescuing America’s Auto Industry from Joe Biden’s Disastrous Job-Killing Policies." Trump said, "If Biden’s assault is not stopped, American auto-production will be totally DEAD. That’s why I am going to terminate these Green New Deal atrocities on Day One. In my first term, I fought for autoworkers like never before, canceling TPP, which was a disaster, ending the NAFTA nightmare, the NAFTA trade deal was the worst deal ever negotiated on trade, and renegotiating Obama’s horrendous Korea trade deal. Made it a great deal from a horrible deal."[248]
March 13, 2024: Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee struck three charges related to solicitation of violation of a public officer's oath of office from Trump's indictment in Georgia for lack of specificity.[249]
March 12, 2024:
Trump crossed the delegate threshold necessary to win the Republican nomination, making him the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.
March 5, 2024: Super Tuesday took place. Trump won 14 of the 15 Republican nominating events and was awarded at least 1,291 delegates. Nikki Haley (R) won Vermont, and was projected to receive at least 46 delegates. No other candidate was projected to receive delegates from Super Tuesday.[253]
March 4, 2024:
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Colorado, Maine, and Illinois could not remove Trump from their state primary ballots under the 14th Amendment.[254]
The North Dakota Republican caucus took place. Trump won with 84.6% of the vote, followed by Haley with 14.2%. No other candidate received more than 1% of the vote. Trump was allocated all 29 of North Dakota's delegates.[255]
March 3, 2024: The Washington, D.C. Republican primary took place. Nikki Haley (R) won with 62.8% of the vote, followed by Trump with 33.3%, and withdrawn candidate Ron DeSantis (R) with 1.9%. No other candidate received more than 1% of the vote. Trump was not awarded any delegates from this primary.[256]
The Michigan Republican convention and the Idaho and Missouri Republican caucuses took place. Trump won all three contests, and was awarded a total of 122 delegates. No other candidate received any delegates.[259]
February 27, 2024: The Michigan Republican primary took place. Trump won with 68.2% of the vote, followed by Nikki Haley (R) with 26.6%, the uncommitted ballot option with 3%, and withdrawn candidate Ron DeSantis (R) with 1.2%. No other candidate received more than 1% of the vote. Trump was awarded 12 of the 16 delegates available to win at the primary. Michigan's other 39 delegates will be allocated at a convention on March 2.[262]
February 25, 2024: Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) endorsed Trump.[263]
February 24, 2024: The South Carolina Republican primary took place. Trump won with 59.8% of the vote, followed by Nikki Haley (R) with 39.5%. No other candidate received more than 10% of the vote. Trump was allocated 47 of South Carolina's 50 delegates.[264]
February 15, 2024: Trump attended a hearing in the New York criminal prosecution against him. At the hearing, Judge Juan Merchan confirmed the trial would begin on March 25, 2024.[270]
The Nevada Republican caucus took place. Trump won with 99.1% of the vote, followed by Ryan Binkley (R) with 0.9%. Trump was allocated all 26 of Nevada's Republican delegates.[275]
January 24, 2024: U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) endorsed Trump.[279]
January 23, 2024: The New Hampshire Republican primary took place. Trump won with 54% of the vote, followed by Nikki Haley (R) with 43%. No other candidate received more than 1% of the vote. Trump was allocated 12 of the available 22 delegates in the state.[280]
January 15, 2024: The Iowa Republican caucuses took place. Trump won with 51% of the vote, followed by Ron DeSantis (R) with 21% and Nikki Haley (R) with 19%. No other candidate received more than 10% of the vote. Trump was allocated 20 of the available 40 delegates in the state.[293]
Trump asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the Colorado state Supreme Court decision disqualifying him from the state's presidential primary ballot.[307]
December 28, 2023: Maine Secretary of StateShenna Bellows ruled that Trump did not qualify for the state's primary ballot. Bellows said that Trump did not qualify for the state's ballot based on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which "prohibits people who have taken an oath 'to support' the U.S. Constitution from holding office if they have 'engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same,' or have 'given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.'"[310] Bellows wrote: "I am mindful that no secretary of state has ever deprived a presidential candidate of ballot access based on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. I am also mindful, however, that no presidential candidate has ever before engaged in insurrection."[310] Lawyers for Trump argued that Maine's secretary of state "lacked the authority to exclude him from the ballot."[310]
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled to disqualify Trump from the state's presidential primary ballot. The ruling was stayed until Jan. 4, 2024, to allow for appeals. Click here to read more. Trump's campaign said in a statement, "Unsurprisingly, the all-Democrat appointed Colorado Supreme Court has ruled against President Trump, supporting a Soros-funded, left-wing group’s scheme to interfere in an election on behalf of Crooked Joe Biden by removing President Trump’s name from the ballot and eliminating the rights of Colorado voters to vote for the candidate of their choice. [...] The Colorado Supreme Court issued a completely flawed decision tonight and we will swiftly file an appeal to the United States Supreme Court and a concurrent request for a stay of this deeply undemocratic decision."[312][313]
December 17, 2023: Trump held a Commit to Caucus event in Reno, Nevada.[314]
December 11, 2023: U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), three U.S. House Reps. from Mississippi, and five Mississippi state executive officeholders endorsed Trump.[317]
December 9, 2023: Trump spoke at the New York Young Republican Club's annual gala in New York City.[318]
December 6, 2023:
U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) endorsed Trump. Hoeven had previously endorsed Doug Burgum (R) in the presidential race.[319]
October 15, 2023: The October quarterly Federal Election Commission campaign finance reporting deadline passed. Trump raised $25 million and spent $10 million, with $38 million in cash on hand as of September 30.[348]
Trump issued a statement in response to Hamas' military attacks against Israel, and Israel's subsequent declaration of a state of war. Trump said, "These Hamas attacks are a disgrace and Israel has every right to defend itself with overwhelming force. Sadly, American taxpayer dollars helped fund these attacks, which many reports are saying came from the Biden Administration. We brought so much peace to the Middle East through the Abraham Accords, only to see Biden whittle it away at a far more rapid pace than anyone thought possible."[353]
October 1, 2023: Trump spoke at a Commit to Caucus event in Ottumwa, Iowa.[354]
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson (R), South Carolina Secretary of State Mark Hammond (R), and South Carolina State House Majority Leader Davey Hiott (R) endorsed Trump.[358]
September 20, 2023: Trump spoke at a Commit to Caucus event in Maquoketa, and held a rally in Dubuque, Iowa.[359]
September 18, 2023: U.S. Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) endorsed Trump.[360]
September 15, 2023: Trump spoke at the Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee leadership summit and the Family Research Council Pray, Vote, Stand summit in Washington, D.C..[361]Click here to view his remarks at the Concerned Women for America summit, and click here to view his remarks at the Family Research Council summit.
September 14, 2023: Trump released a policy memo titled "Agenda47: President Trump’s Pledge to Homeschool Families." The memo said, "President Trump pledged to allow homeschool parents to use 529 education savings accounts to spend up to $10,000 a year per child, completely tax-free to spend on costs associated with homeschool education. President Trump will also work to ensure that every homeschool family is entitled to full access to the benefits available to non-homeschooled students—including participating in athletic programs, clubs, after school activities, educational trips, and more."[362]
September 13, 2023: Trump released a policy memo titled "Agenda47: President Trump’s Ten Principles For Great Schools Leading To Great Jobs." Trump said, "Rather than indoctrinating young people with inappropriate racial, sexual, and political material, which is what we're doing now, our schools must be totally refocused to prepare our children to succeed in the world of work, and in life and the world of keeping our country strong, so they can grow up to be happy, prosperous, and independent citizens."[363]
September 10, 2023: Trump attended the Iowa vs. Iowa State football game in Ames, Iowa.[364]
September 8, 2023: Trump participated in the South Dakota Republican Party's Monumental Leaders Rally in Rapid City, South Dakota. During the event, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (R) endorsed Trump.[365][366]
September 7, 2023: Trump released a policy memo titled "Agenda47: America Must Have the #1 Lowest Cost Energy and Electricity on Earth." The memo said, "On Day One, President Trump will rescind every one of Joe Biden’s industry-killing, jobs-killing, pro-China and anti-American electricity regulations. To keep pace with the world economy that depends on fossil fuels for more than 80% of its energy, President Trump will DRILL, BABY, DRILL."[367]
August 14, 2023: A Georgia grand jury indicted Trump on 13 criminal counts related to interference in the state's 2020 presidential election results. In a statement, Trump's campaign said, "These activities by Democrat leaders constitute a grave threat to American democracy and are direct attempts to deprive the American people of their rightful choice to cast their vote for President. They are taking away President Trump’s First Amendment right to free speech, and the right to challenge a rigged and stolen election that the Democrats do all the time."[374]
August 12, 2023: Trump attended the Iowa State Fair.[375]
August 9, 2023: In an interview on Newsmax, Trump said he did not intend to sign the Republican National Committee loyalty pledge necessary to qualify for the first Republican primary debate. Trump said, "I wouldn’t sign the pledge. Why would I sign a pledge if there are people on there that I wouldn’t have? [...] So they want you to sign a pledge, but I can name three or four people that I wouldn’t support for President. So right there there’s a problem."[376]
August 3, 2023: Trump was arraigned in his federal indictment related to interference in the certification of the 2020 presidential election. He pleaded not guilty.[380]
August 1, 2023:
The Department of Justice released a second indictment against Trump related to interference in the certification of the 2020 presidential election.[381] In response, Trump said, "this is nothing more than the latest corrupt chapter in the continued pathetic attempt by the Biden Crime Family and their weaponized Department of Justice to interfere with the 2024 Presidential Election, in which President Trump in the undisputed frontrunner."[382]
July 27, 2023: The Department of Justice added three additional charges against Trump to the indictment related to Trump's handling of classified documents.[386]
July 25, 2023: Trump attended a fundraiser in Metairie, Louisiana. Businessmen Boysie Bollinger and Joseph Canizaro hosted the event.[387]
July 24, 2023:
Trump released a policy memo titled "Agenda47: Returning Production of Essential Medicines Back to America and Ending Biden’s Pharmaceutical Shortages." Trump said, "This is not just a public health crisis, it's a national security crisis. [...] As part of my plan to obtain total independence from China, we will phase in tariffs and import restrictions to bring back production of all essential medicines to the United States of America where they belong. I signed an executive order to begin this process in 2020 but Biden has shamefully failed to follow through."[388]
July 21, 2023: U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon set a date of May 20, 2024, for Trump's federal indictment trial. Trump said, "Today’s order by Judge Cannon is a major setback to the DOJ’s crusade to deny President Trump a fair legal process. The extensive schedule allows President Trump and his legal team to continue fighting this empty hoax."[390]
July 18, 2023:
Trump announced that he had received a letter from special counsel Jack Smith suggesting he could be indicted as part of investigations into the breach of the U.S. Capitol during the electoral vote count on January 6, 2021. According to his statement, Trump received this letter on July 16.[391]
Trump participated in a town hall with Fox News' Sean Hannity and spoke at a Linn County Republican Party meeting in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.[392]
July 15, 2023:
Trump spoke at the Turning Point Action Conference in West Palm Beach, Florida.[393]
The July quarterly Federal Election Commission campaign finance reporting deadline passed. Trump raised $18 million and spent $9 million with $23 million in cash on hand as of June 30.[394]
July 11, 2023: All six of the Republican members of Michigan's U.S. House delegation endorsed Trump.[395]
June 24, 2023: Trump spoke at the Faith and Freedom Coalition Conference in Washington, D.C..[402]
June 23, 2023:
North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson (R) endorsed Trump.[403]
Trump announced the membership of his campaign's Pennsylvania federal leadership team, which included six members of Pennsylvania's delegation to the U.S. House.[404]
June 22, 2023: Trump released a policy memo about pharmaceutical prices. Trump said, "Under my policy, the United States government will tell Big Pharma that we will only pay the best price they offer to foreign nations, who have been taking advantage of us for so long— the United States is tired of getting ripped off."[405]
June 21, 2023: Trump released a policy memo about trade policy. Trump said, "Under the Trump Reciprocal Trade Act, other countries will have two choices—they’ll get rid of their tariffs on us, or they will pay us hundreds of billions of dollars, and the United States will make an absolute FORTUNE."[406]
June 20, 2023:
Trump released a policy memo titled "Agenda47: Using Impoundment to Slash Waste, Stop Inflation, and Crush the Deep State." Trump said, "Very simply, this meant that if Congress provided more funding than was needed to run the government, the President could refuse to waste the extra funds, and instead return the money to the general treasury and maybe even lower your taxes, although we did give you the biggest tax reduction in history, and the biggest regulation reduction in history, two things I am very proud of."[407]
Trump released a digital ad criticizing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' (R) coronavirus policies.[408]
Trump gave a speech at the Georgia Republican Convention in Columbus, Georgia.[410] In his first public appearance after being federally indicted, he said, "This is a political hit job. Republicans are treated far different at the Justice Department than Democrats."[411][412]
June 8, 2023: Trump announced that a grand jury in Miami had indicted him on seven federal criminal charges for alleged mishandling of classified documents.[415] Trump's campaign released a statement that read, in part: "President Trump violated no laws and is being held to a different legal standard than other former Presidents and Vice Presidents. We are confident that no matter how crooked the Executive branch has become, the American justice system is resilient and will throw this case out in its entirety. If not, our cherished Constitution is in serious trouble.”[416]
June 7, 2023: Politico reported that 50 members of the West Virginia Legislature signed a letter endorsing Trump.[417]
June 6, 2023: Trump released a digital ad criticizing Biden, Democratic members of Congress, and other government officials.[418]
June 1, 2023:
Trump released a policy memo on drug policy, saying, "We will not rest until we have ended the drug addiction crisis. [...] For three decades before my election, drug overdose deaths increased every single year. Under my leadership, we took the drug and fentanyl crisis head on, and we achieved the first reduction in overdose deaths in more than thirty years."[419]
May 31, 2023: Trump released a policy memo on America's 250th anniversary, saying, "Once back in the White House, President Trump will work with America’s 50 governors to create the 'Great American State Fair' in Iowa, host major sporting events with American high school athletes, and sign an executive order to construct a National Garden of American Heroes."[421]
May 30, 2023: Trump issued a policy memo on immigration, saying, "As part of my plan to secure the border, on Day One of my new term in office, I will sign an executive order making clear to federal agencies that under the correct interpretation of the law, going forward, the future children of illegal aliens will not receive automatic U.S. citizenship."[422]
May 24, 2023: Trump released several online ads criticizing Republican presidential primary candidate Ron DeSantis (R). One ad criticized DeSantis' performance in elections and DeSantis' criticisms of Trump.[423]
May 18, 2023: Trump hired Austin McCubbin to serve as his campaign's South Carolina state director, former South Carolina Lieutenant Governor André Bauer as a senior advisor, and Justin Evans to serve as director of special projects.[424]
May 11, 2023: Trump issued a statement on the end of Title 42 and immigration policy. He said, "With today's termination of the final remnants of Title 42, Joe Biden has officially abolished what remained of America's borders and turned the United States into a dumping ground for illegal aliens from all over the world. On day one of my new administration, I will end this travesty and restore the sovereign borders of the United States of America. We will immediately resume expedited removals of people that are crossing illegally, our border."[425]
May 10, 2023: Trump participated in a televised CNN town hall at Saint Anselm College in Goffstown, New Hampshire. Click here to read a transcript of the event.[426]
May 9, 2023: After a New York jury found Trump liable in a civil case for sexual abuse and defamation of writer E. Jean Carroll, Trump said, "I have absolutely no idea who this woman is. This verdict is a disgrace - a continuation of the greatest witch hunt of all time!"[427]
May 8, 2023: Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over Trump's criminal indictment for falsifying business records in New York, issued a ruling saying parties to the case who receive evidence provided by the defense, including Trump, "shall not copy, disseminate, or disclose the Covered Materials, in any form or by any means, to any third party (except to those employed by counsel to assist in the defense of the above-captioned criminal proceeding) including, but not lirnited to, by disseminating ot posting the Covered Materials to any news or social media platforms, including, but not limited, to Truth Social, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Twitter, Snapchat, or YouTube, without prior approval from the Court."[428] Merchan said Trump could still speak generally about the case.[429]
Trump issued a statement about fellow 2024 presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy (R). Trump said, "The thing I like about Vivek is that he only has good things to say about “President Trump,” and all that the Trump Administration has so successfully done—This is the reason he is doing so well."[431]
May 3, 2023: Trump issued a press release on Title 42 and U.S.-Mexico border policy. He said, "We replaced catch and release with detain and deport. One of my most successful policies was Title 42, which allowed for instant expulsion of any illegal alien who crossed our borders— anybody, if they were bad, we got them out. We got them out fast. When I take the oath of office on January 20, 2025, we will immediately begin the process of fully securing the border and removing the illegal aliens Joe Biden has unlawfully allowed to break into our country."[432]
May 2, 2023:
Trump's PAC, Make America Great, Inc., released an ad in Iowa and New Hampshire saying Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) voted to reduce benefits for seniors and that Trump would "protect Medicare and Social Security." The PAC spent $836,000 in Iowa and $658,000 in New Hampshire on ads running from May 2 to May 11.[433]
Trump issued a press release on higher education, saying, "For many years, tuition costs at colleges and universities have been exploding ... while academics have been obsessed with indoctrinating America's youth ... The time has come to reclaim our once great educational institutions from the radical Left, and we will do that."[434]
Trump issued a statement responding to President Joe Biden's (D) re-election campaign announcement. Trump said, "When I stand on that debate stage and compare our records, it will be Radical Democrats’ worst nightmare because there’s never been a record as bad as they have, and our country has never been through so much. There has never been a greater contrast between two successive administrations in all of American history. Ours being greatness, and theirs being failure."[441]
Trump spoke at the annual National Rifle Association conference.[452]
Trump issued a press release about business regulation, saying, "As I work to quickly save America from Joe Biden’s economic disaster—and that’s what it is, one of the great economic disasters of all time—I will restore my famously successful executive order requiring that for every one NEW regulation, two OLD regulations must be eliminated—and I will ask Congress to make it permanent."[453]
Trump issued a press release on criminal justice. He said, "There is no more dire threat to the American Way of Life than the corruption and weaponization of our Justice System—and it’s happening all around us. [...] If we cannot restore the fair and impartial rule of law, we will not be a free country."[455]
April 10, 2023: Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) endorsed Trump.[456]
Trump was arraigned and pled not guilty to the New York grand jury indictment.[458][459] The unsealed indictment showed the grand jury had voted to indict Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree.[460] Trump held an event at Mar-a-Lago in the evening, where he said, "They can't beat us at the ballot box, so they try and beat us through the law."[461]
March 30, 2023: Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced that a grand jury had voted to indict Trump on criminal charges.[463] In a statement, Trump said, "This is Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history.[464]
March 29, 2023: Trump issued a press release on foreign policy, saying, "Under my administration, we were tough on Russia — tougher than any administration before — but we also demonstrated RESPECT for Russia and the Russian people. "[465]
March 28, 2023: Politico reported the Trump campaign hired Trevor Naglieri to serve as the campaign's New Hampshire state director. In 2016, Naglieri worked as field coordinator for Jeb Bush's (R) campaign, and later as national field director for Ted Cruz's (R) campaign.[466]
March 25, 2023: Trump held a rally in Waco, Texas. This was the first campaign rally Trump held in Texas during his 2024 presidential campaign.[467] Trump also announced members of his campaign's state leadership campaign, including Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick (R), Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), and eleven Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives.[468]
March 21, 2023: Trump issued a policy brief on government ethics. He said he would re-issue an executive order giving the president the authority to fire certain bureaucrats, move federal agencies outside of Washington, D.C., and support a constitutional amendment to create congressional term limits, among other things.[469]
March 20, 2023: Trump issued a policy brief on housing policy. He said, "The woke left is waging full scale war on the suburbs, and their Marxist crusade is coming for your neighborhood, your tax dollars, your public safety, and your home. When I get back into the Oval Office, one of my first acts will be to repeal Joe Biden's radical left attack on the suburban lifestyle."[470]
March 17, 2023: Trump issued a policy brief on bank failures. He said, "There should be no bailouts. But we need to get this economy straightened out as fast as possible. We're headed down a very dangerous path. When I'm back in the White House, I will immediately unleash energy production, slash regulations, like I did just three years ago, and repeal Biden's tax hikes to get inflation down as fast as possible, and it will go quickly, so that interest rates can get back under control."[471]
March 16, 2023: Trump issued a policy brief on the war in Ukraine. He said, "Every day this proxy battle in Ukraine continues, we risk global war. We must be absolutely clear that our objective is to immediately have a total cessation of hostilities. All shooting has to stop. This is the central issue. We need peace without delay."[472]
March 15, 2023: Trump's PAC, Make America Great, Inc., filed a complaint with the Florida Commission on Ethics against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R). The complaint said, "Certain activities related to Governor DeSantis' ascension to the national stage, insofar as they are funded by a vast network of political committees, non-profit organizations, and prominent political operatives are unlawful because they serve his personal political objectives, are in furtherance of his personal financial gain at the expense of Florida taxpayers, and are intended to influence his official decision to resign from office."[473]
March 13, 2023: Trump held a campaign event in Davenport, Iowa. He spoke about education policy, saying he supported universal school choice, electing school principals, and eliminating the Department of Education. He also said, "I said the other day I will bring back parental rights into our school system, and the place went crazy. As president, I’ll fight to expand that right to every single state in America."[474]
March 4, 2023: Trump issued a policy brief on his plan to "create a new American future and modernize communities across the country." He said he would build cities on federal land, invest in air mobility transportation, lower the cost of living for families, and increase manufacturing in the United States.[475]
March 3, 2023: Axios reported that Trump was planning to target Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), a possible presidential candidate, on subjects like DeSantis' stance on Social Security and Medicare, his loyalty to Trump and his likability, and on DeSantis' early response to the coronavirus pandemic.[476]
March 1, 2023: The Conservative Political Action Conference began. Trump was slated to speak at the conference on its final day, March 4. Politico's Natalie Allison and Meridith McGraw wrote, "If this weekend’s event mimics the conferences of recent years, Trump is preparing to bask in the glow. But that also raises the stakes for him. A poor showing in the crowd or in the CPAC straw poll could feed chatter that his grip on the GOP is failing."[478]Click here to watch Trump's full address at CPAC.
February 28, 2023: During a radio interview with Simon Conway, a Des Moines, Iowa based talk show host, Trump said he planned to make his first campaign stop in Iowa since delcaring his 2024 campaign. The following day, a Trump aide told the Associated Press the campaign was planning to visit the state in mid-March.[479]
February 27, 2023: Trump announced elements of his trade platform. He said he would, "replace the disastrous Biden system of punishing domestic producers and rewarding outsourcers with a new pro-America system of universal baseline tariffs on most foreign products that rewards domestic production while taxing foreign companies."[480]
February 24, 2023: In a video, Trump announced his policy on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investments. He said he would ban such investments by executive order, and seek a permanent ban through congressional action.[481]
February 23, 2023: Trump hosted an event for donors at Mar-a-Lago to raise money for his political action committee, MAGA Inc.[482]
February 22, 2023: Two weeks after a train derailed while carrying hazardous materials near East Palestine, Ohio, Trump visited the village. He delivered remarks at the East Palestine Fire Department where he criticized the Biden administration's response to the derailment and highlighted the way his administration responded to natural disasters.[483]
February 21, 2023: In a video, Trump outlined elements of his foreign policy platform, which he described as a "plan to defeat the America Last warmongers and globalists in the Deep State, the Pentagon, the State Department, and the national security industrial complex." Click here to watch the full video.[484]
February 3, 2023: Trump issued a policy statement on "Chinese Espionage and Increased Aggression That Threatens American Sovereignty," He said, "As President, I took the most dramatic action of any administration to curtail China’s ability to conduct espionage in the United States,” President Trump said. “And when I’m back in the White House, those efforts will be expanded in a very, very big way. Instead of hunting down Republicans, a reformed FBI and Justice Department will be hunting down Chinese spies."[489]
February 2, 2023: Trump issued a policy statement on healthcare related to gender transition. He said, "I will sign a new executive order instructing every federal agency to cease all programs that promote the concept of sex and gender transition at any age. I will then ask Congress to permanently stop federal taxpayer dollars from being used to promote or pay for these procedures."[490]
January 26, 2023: Trump issued a statement on his education policy. He said he would, "cut federal funding for any school or program pushing critical race theory, gender ideology, or other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content onto our children," among other things.[497]
January 25, 2023: Meta announced it would lift Trump's ban from Facebook and Instagram.[498]
January 20, 2023: Trump issued a video statement where he said he would not reduce Medicare or Social Security spending.[499]
January 18, 2023: In a video, Trump talked about his economic policy regarding Chinese ownership of American assets. He said, "China does not allow American companies to take over their critical infrastructure and America should not allow China to take over our critical infrastructure. [...] To protect our country, we need to enact aggressive new restrictions on Chinese ownership of any vital infrastructure in the United States, including energy, technology, telecommunications, farmland, natural resources, medical supplies and other strategic national assets."[501]
January 11, 2023: In a statement, Trump called for "an immediate investigation into the disturbing relationship between Big Tech platforms and government agencies, including the coordination of a massive censorship, surveillance, and propaganda campaign against the American people."[502]
January 5, 2023: Trump issued a policy brief on his crime policy. He said, "The drug cartels are waging war on America—and it's now time for America to wage war on the cartels. The drug cartels and their allies in the Biden administration have the blood of countless millions on their hands. Millions and millions of families and people are being destroyed. When I am back in the White House, the drug kingpins and vicious traffickers will never sleep soundly again."[503]
January 3, 2023: Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron (R) endorsed Trump.[504]
On September 15, 2024, while former President Donald Trump (R) was playing golf at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, the Secret Service identified a man hiding in the shrubbery with an AK-style rifle 300 to 500 yards away. A Secret Service agent fired on the man, who fled and was then apprehended by Florida law enforcement.[506][128]
Nobody was injured. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said it was investigating the incident as an assassination attempt on Trump.[507] The man in custody was identified as Ryan Routh.[128] On September 24, a grand jury in Miami voted to indict Routh on three firearms-related charges, one charge of assaulting a federal officer, and one charge of attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate.[508] Routh pleaded not guilty.[509] A trial is scheduled for February 10, 2024, with United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida Judge Aileen Cannon presiding.[510][511]
Campaign rally shooting and attempted assassination (2024)[edit]
Former President Donald Trump (R) held a presidential campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024.[512] At 6:15 p.m., a man fired multiple shots toward the stage where Trump was speaking.[513]
Trump was not seriously injured.[513] On Truth Social, he said he "was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of [his] right ear."[514][515] One rally attendee was killed and two were critically injured as of 10:30 a.m. on July 14.[513]
U.S. Supreme Court rules that Trump cannot be barred from Illinois' presidential primary ballot under the 14th Amendment (2024)[edit]
On March 4, 2024, the United States Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Illinois could not remove Donald Trump (R) from its presidential primary ballot. The Court wrote, "responsibility for enforcing Section 3 [of the 14th Amendment] against federal officeholders and candidates rests with Congress and not the States." The opinion said that 14th Amendment enforcement in federal elections was not specifically delegated to the states and that "an evolving electoral map could dramatically change the behavior of voters, parties, and States across the country, in different ways and at different times. The disruption would be all the more acute—and could nullify the votes of millions and change the election result—if Section 3 enforcement were attempted after the Nation has voted. Nothing in the Constitution requires that we endure such chaos—arriving at any time or different times, up to and perhaps beyond the Inauguration."[517]
On February 28, 2024, Illinois Cook Judicial Circuit Court Judge Tracie Porter (D) issued a ruling excluding Trump from the state's presidential primary ballot. Porter said that Trump falsely testified that he was legally qualified for the office because of evidence that he had violated Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment. This ruling overruled the Illinois Electoral Board, which had previously ruled on January 30, 2024, that Trump would appear on the state's primary ballot.[518] The ruling was stayed until March 1, 2024, to allow time for appeals.
Trump's campaign spokesman Steven Cheung responded to the ruling, saying in a statement, "The Soros-funded Democrat front-groups continue to attempt to interfere in the election and deny President Trump his rightful place on the ballot. Today, an activist Democrat judge in Illinois summarily overruled the state's board of elections and contradicted earlier decisions from dozens of other state and federal jurisdictions. This is an unconstitutional ruling that we will quickly appeal."[519] Trump filed an appeal on February 28.[520]
This ruling followed similar Fourteenth Amendment rulings on Trump's primary ballot placement in Colorado and Maine. The rulings in Colorado and Maine were stayed pending a United States Supreme Court ruling on the issue.
U.S. Supreme Court rules Trump cannot be barred from Maine's presidential primary ballot under the 14th Amendment (2023-2024)[edit]
On March 4, 2024, the United States Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Maine could not remove Donald Trump (R) from its presidential primary ballot. The Court wrote, "responsibility for enforcing Section 3 [of the 14th Amendment] against federal officeholders and candidates rests with Congress and not the States." The opinion said that 14th Amendment enforcement in federal elections was not specifically delegated to the states and that "an evolving electoral map could dramatically change the behavior of voters, parties, and States across the country, in different ways and at different times. The disruption would be all the more acute—and could nullify the votes of millions and change the election result—if Section 3 enforcement were attempted after the Nation has voted. Nothing in the Constitution requires that we endure such chaos—arriving at any time or different times, up to and perhaps beyond the Inauguration."[521]
On December 28, 2023, Maine Secretary of StateShenna Bellows ruled that Trump did not qualify for the state's primary ballot. Bellows said that Trump did not qualify for the state's ballot based on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which "prohibits people who have taken an oath 'to support' the U.S. Constitution from holding office if they have 'engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same,' or have 'given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.'"[522] Bellows wrote: "'I am mindful that no secretary of state has ever deprived a presidential candidate of ballot access based on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. I am also mindful, however, that no presidential candidate has ever before engaged in insurrection.'"[522] Lawyers for Trump argued that Maine's secretary of state "lacked the authority to exclude him from the ballot."[522] On January 17, 2024, Judge Michaela Murphy of the Kennebec County Superior Court ruled that Bellows' decision should remain on hold until the U.S. Supreme Court issues a ruling on whether Trump could be removed from the Colorado presidential ballot.[523]
Bellows' decision followed the Colorado Supreme Court's ruling that Trump was ineligible to appear on that state's primary ballot on December 19, 2023.[524] The Colorado Supreme Court was the first court in the country to determine that the 14th Amendment's disqualification clause applied to Trump. After Maine's ruling, Illinois also issued a ruling barring Trump from the state's ballot under the 14th Amendment.
U.S. Supreme Court rules Trump cannot be barred from Colorado's presidential primary ballot under the 14th Amendment (2023-2024)[edit]
On March 4, 2024, the United States Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Colorado could not remove Donald Trump (R) from its presidential primary ballot. The Court wrote, "responsibility for enforcing Section 3 [of the 14th Amendment] against federal officeholders and candidates rests with Congress and not the States." The opinion said that 14th Amendment enforcement in federal elections was not specifically delegated to the states and that "an evolving electoral map could dramatically change the behavior of voters, parties, and States across the country, in different ways and at different times. The disruption would be all the more acute—and could nullify the votes of millions and change the election result—if Section 3 enforcement were attempted after the Nation has voted. Nothing in the Constitution requires that we endure such chaos—arriving at any time or different times, up to and perhaps beyond the Inauguration."[525]
The Supreme Court overruled a December 19, 2023, ruling from the Colorado Supreme Court that excluded Trump from the state's primary ballot. The 4-3 ruling reversed a Denver district court's ruling that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which "disqualifies people who have engaged in insurrection against the Constitution after having taken an oath to support it from holding office," did not apply to the presidency.[522] The state supreme court said, "A majority of the court holds that President Trump is disqualified from holding the office of President under Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. Because he is disqualified, it would be a wrongful act under the Election Code for the Colorado Secretary of State to list him as a candidate on the presidential primary ballot."[526] On January 5, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision barring Trump from the state’s primary ballot. Oral arguments in the case took place on February 8, 2024.[527]
The Colorado Supreme Court was the first court in the country to determine that the 14th Amendment's disqualification clause applied to Trump. The decision was stayed until January 4, 2024, to allow for appeals. Trump's campaign said they would appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.[522] Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said, "Unsurprisingly, the all-Democrat appointed Colorado Supreme Court has ruled against President Trump, supporting a Soros-funded, left-wing group’s scheme to interfere in an election on behalf of Crooked Joe Biden by removing President Trump’s name from the ballot and eliminating the rights of Colorado voters to vote for the candidate of their choice. We have full confidence that the U.S. Supreme Court will quickly rule in our favor and finally put an end to these un-American lawsuits."[522]
Maine and Illinois also issued rulings attempting to remove Trump from the ballot before the U.S. Supreme Court issued an opinion on the matter.
Criminal indictment by Georgia grand jury (2023)[edit]
Former President Donald Trump (R) was indicted on 13 criminal charges related to interference in the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia. Trump pleaded not guilty on August 31.[528] Judge Scott McAfee struck three of these charges for lack of specificity on March 13, 2024, and struck an additional two charges based on the U.S. Constitution's Supremacy Clause on September 12, 2024.[249][529]
The indictment was unsealed on August 14, 2023, the same day it was announced that the grand jury had voted to issue an indictment.[531] It included the following charges against Trump:[531]
violation of Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act;
conspiracy to impersonate a public officer, to commit first degree forgery, to commit false statements and writings, and to file false documents;
filing false documents; and
issuing false statements and writings.
The indictment included a total of 41 criminal counts related to interference in Georgia's 2020 presidential election results against 19 defendants, including Trump, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R), former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, former Georgia Republican Party Chairman David Shafer, and Georgia State Senator Shawn Still (R), among others.[531] McAfee struck six of these counts in March 2024 due to lack of specificity.[249] To view a full list of defendants and the charges issued against each, click here.
Trump's campaign issued a statement shortly before the indictment was released, saying, "GA's radical Democrat District Attorney Fani Willis is a rabid partisan who is campaigning and fundraising on a platform of prosecuting President Trump through these bogus indictments. [...] They are taking away President Trump's First Amendment right to free speech, and the right to challenge a rigged and stolen election that the Democrats do all the time."[532]
In a press conference after the indictment was released, Willis said, "I remind everyone here that an indictment is only a series of allegations based on a grand jury's determination of probable cause to support the charges. It is now the duty of my office to prove these charges in the indictment beyond a reasonable doubt at trial."[533]
The indictment followed a special grand jury investigation into whether Trump and his allies attempted to change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. The grand jury convened in May 2022, and completed its investigation in January 2023.[534]
Criminal indictment by Washington, D.C., grand jury (2023)[edit]
Special counsel Jack Smith moved to dismiss the case without prejudice on November 25, 2024. The U.S. Constitution prohibits the criminal prosecution of a sitting president, and Donald Trump (R) won the 2024 presidential election on November 5. In his filing, Smith wrote "That prohibition is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government’s proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Government stands fully behind."[537]
In July 2024, the Supreme Courtruled on Trump's claim of presidential immunity in the case, saying in a 6-3 decision written by Chief Justice John Roberts that presidents have absolute immunity for core constitutional powers and no immunity for unofficial actions. The case was remanded to a lower court to determine which charges in the indictment could proceed.[538] Smith released a superseding indictment on August 27, 2024, which maintained the same charges against Trump with an adjusted presentation to adhere to the Supreme Court's ruling.[539]
conspiracy to defraud the United States "by using dishonesty, fraud and deceit to obstruct the nation’s process of collecting, counting, and certifying the results of the presidential election;"
conspiracy to obstruct the certification of the electoral vote on January 6, 2021;
obstruction of the certification of the electoral vote on January 6, 2021; and
conspiracy "to injure, oppress, threaten, and intimidate one or more persons in the free exercise and enjoyment of" the right to vote and have one's vote counted.[540]
In November 2022, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith to investigate whether any individual or entity "unlawfully interfered with the transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election or the certification of the Electoral College vote held on or about January 6, 2021."[541] Before this appointment, Smith served as a chief prosecutor for the special court in The Hague, Netherlands, where he investigated war crimes in Kosovo.[542]
Criminal indictment by Florida grand jury (2023)[edit]
A federal grand jury charged Former President Donald Trump (R) with 40 criminal counts related to his handling of classified documents in June and July 2023. Trump pleaded not guilty. This was the first federal indictment of a former U.S. president.[543][544]
The court unsealed the original indictment on June 9, 2023, which contained 37 criminal counts. A superseding indictment was released on July 27, 2023, and added three additional charges, resulting in a total of forty criminal counts. Thirty-two counts were on the willful retention of national defense information. The other counts included:[548][544]
conspiracy to obstruct justice;
withholding a document or record;
corruptly concealing a document or record;
concealing a document in a federal investigation;
scheme to conceal;
false statements and representations;
attempting to alter, destroy, or conceal evidence; and
compelling another individual to alter, destroy, or conceal evidence.
Criminal conviction by New York grand jury (2023-2024)[edit]
On May 30, 2024, a Manhattan jury found former President Donald Trump (R) guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, making Trump the first U.S. president to ever be indicted on and convicted of felony crimes after his time in office.[549] Trump's sentencing took place on January 10, 2025. Judge Juan Merchan sentenced Trump to an unconditional discharge, meaning Trump would have the conviction on his record, but the sentence carried no jail time, fines, or probation.[550][551][552][553][554]
Trump responded to the sentence, saying, "The Radical Democrats have lost another pathetic, unAmerican Witch Hunt."[555] Trump said he would appeal the ruling. Trump's legal team can file a notice of appeal within 30 days of his sentencing date, and the appeal would be heard by a New York Appellate Division court.[556]
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) announced the grand jury criminal indictment of Trump on March 30, 2023, .[557] The indictment was unsealed on April 4, showing that the grand jury had voted to charge Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree.[558] The trial began on April 15, 2024.[559][560][561][562] Judge Juan Merchan presided over the grand jury and the case.[563][564][565]
Republican presidential nominees, 2016-2024 Use the dropdown menu below to navigate Ballotpedia's historical coverage of Republican presidential nominees.
↑Electors officially voted in state capitals throughout the country on December 19, 2016. Congress officially counted the votes of the electors and declared a winner on January 6, 2017. Click here for more.