First presidency of Donald Trump: Difference between revisions

During the first two years of his presidency, Trump repeatedly sought to influence the [[United States Department of Justice|Department of Justice]] to investigate Clinton,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/trumpometer/promise/1345/appoint-special-prosecutor-investigate-hillary-cli/ |access-date=November 10, 2021 |title=No special counsel was ever appointed to investigate Hillary Clinton |work=PolitiFact |first=Louis |last=Jacobson |date=July 15, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||access-date=November 10, 2021 |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/03/trump-doj-investigate-hillary-clinton-244505 |title=Trump ratchets up call for DOJ to investigate Hillary Clinton |first=Louis |last=Nelson |website=[[Politico]] |date=November 3, 2017}}</ref> the [[Democratic National Committee]],<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/358576-trump-calls-on-fbi-to-investigate-dems-after-revelations-about/|first1=Jordan|last1=Fabian|first2=Avery|last2=Anapol|title=Trump calls on FBI to investigate Clinton-DNC deal|work=The Hill|date=November 3, 2017|access-date=September 18, 2022}}</ref> and Comey.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-foes-james-comey-andrew-mccabe-reportedly-subjected-rare-rigorou-rcna37024|title=IRS asks for review of audits into Trump foes James Comey and Andrew McCabe|date=July 7, 2022|first1=Zoë|last1=Richards|first2=Dareh|last2=Gregorian|work=NBC News|access-date=September 19, 2022}}</ref> He persistently repeated a variety of allegations, at least some of which had already been investigated or debunked.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/03/trump-doj-investigate-hillary-clinton-244505 |first=Louis |last=Nelson |title=Trump ratchets up call for DOJ to investigate Hillary Clinton |work=[[Politico]] |access-date=November 21, 2018 |date=November 3, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/20/politics/donald-trump-justice-department-campaign/index.html|title=Trump demands Justice Department examine whether it or FBI spied on campaign |first1=Maegan |last1=Vazquez |first2=Laura |last2=Jarrett |first3=Dana |last3=Bash |date=May 20, 2018 |work=CNN|access-date=November 21, 2018}}</ref> In spring 2018, Trump told White House counsel [[Don McGahn]] he wanted to order the Department of Justice to prosecute Clinton and Comey, but McGahn advised Trump such action would constitute abuse of power and invite possible [[Federal impeachment in the United States|impeachment]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/20/us/politics/president-trump-justice-department.html |date=November 20, 2018 |first1=Michael S. |last1=Schmidt |first2=Maggie |last2=Haberman |title=Trump Wanted to Order Justice Dept. to Prosecute Comey and Clinton |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=November 21, 2018}}</ref> In May 2018, Trump demanded that the Department of Justice investigate "whether or not the FBI/DOJ infiltrated or surveilled the Trump Campaign for Political Purposes," which the Department of Justice referred to its [[United States Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General|inspector general]].<ref name="nytimes.com2">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/20/us/politics/trump-mueller.html |date=May 20, 2018 |first1=Julie Hirschfeld |last1=Davis |first2=Adam |last2=Goldman |title=Trump Demands Inquiry Into Whether Justice Dept. 'Infiltrated or Surveilled' His Campaign|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=November 21, 2018}}</ref> Although it is not unlawful for a president to exert influence on the Department of Justice to open an investigation, presidents have assiduously avoided doing so to prevent perceptions of political interference.<ref name="nytimes.com2" /><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-politics-north-america-ap-top-news-impeachments-060ca2399a744b4a9554dbd2ec276a90 |title=Trump Wanted to Prosecute Comey, Hillary Clinton|work=[[Associated Press]] |date=November 21, 2018 |first=Zeke |last=Miller |access-date=November 21, 2018}}</ref>

The administration reversed a [[Consumer Financial Protection Bureau]] (CFPB) rule that had made it easier for aggrieved consumers to pursue [[class action]]s against banks; the [[Associated Press]] characterized the reversal as a victory for Wall Street banks.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://apnews.com/9121c1b1e4b543aeb9213a60182eb857|title=Consumers lose chance to sue banks in win for Wall Street|last=Sweet|first=Ken|date=October 25, 2017|website=[[Associated Press]]|access-date=July 12, 2019}}</ref> Under [[Mick Mulvaney]]'s tenure, the CFPB reduced enforcement of rules that protected consumers from predatory [[Payday loan|payday lenders]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.propublica.org/article/consumer-financial-protection-bureau-drops-investigation-of-high-cost-lender|title=Newly Defanged, Top Consumer Protection Agency Drops Investigation of High-Cost Lender|date=January 23, 2018|website=ProPublica|first=Paul|last=Kiel|access-date=January 27, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://apnews.com/article/8ed9d74512e646ff8449732930323240 |first=Ken |last=Sweet |date=March 6, 2018 |title=Payday lenders, watchdog agency exhibit cozier relationship|access-date=March 6, 2018|work=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> Trump scrapped a proposed rule from the Obama administration that airlines disclose baggage fees.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/363956-trump-admin-scraps-obama-era-proposal-requiring-airlines-to-disclose |title=Trump admin scraps Obama-era proposal requiring airlines to disclose bag fees|last=Zanona|first=Melanie|date=December 8, 2017|work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |access-date=December 11, 2017}}</ref> Trump reduced enforcement of regulations against airlines; fines levied by the administration in 2017 were less than half of what the Obama administration did the year before.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/as-airline-rules-relax-under-trump-heres-a-survival-guide-to-flying-in-2018/2017/12/27/693795ee-e444-11e7-833f-155031558ff4_story.html|title=Perspective {{!}} As airline rules relax under Trump, here's a survival guide to flying in 2018|last=Elliott|first=Christopher|date=December 28, 2017|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=January 3, 2018|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>

In a May 2017 departure from the policy of the Department of Justice under Obama to reduce long jail sentencing for minor drug offenses and contrary to a growing bipartisan consensus, the administration ordered federal prosecutors to seek maximum sentencing for [[Drug offence|drug offenses]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/14/us/politics/jeff-sessions-criminal-sentencing.html|title=Bipartisan View Was Emerging on Sentencing. Then Came Jeff Sessions.|last=Hulse|first=Carl|date=May 14, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=May 14, 2017}}</ref> In a January 2018 move that created uncertainty regarding the legality of recreational and medical marijuana, Sessions rescinded a federal policy that had barred federal law enforcement officials from aggressively enforcing federal cannabis law in states where the drug is legal.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://apnews.com/19f6bfec15a74733b40eaf0ff9162bfa |first=Sadie |last=Gurman |date=January 4, 2018 |title=Sessions ending federal policy that let legal pot flourish |access-date=January 4, 2018 |work=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> The administration's decision contradicted then-candidate Trump's statement that marijuana legalization should be "up to the states".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-justice-marijuana/trump-administration-to-end-obama-era-marijuana-policy-source-idUSKBN1ET1MU |first=Sarah N. |last=Lynch |title=Trump administration drops Obama-era easing of marijuana prosecutions|date=January 4, 2018|work=Reuters |access-date=January 8, 2018}}</ref> That same month, the VA said it would not research cannabis as a potential treatment against PTSD and chronic pain; veterans organizations had pushed for such a study.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://taskandpurpose.com/va-will-not-study-medical-marijuana-ptsd-chronic-pain/|title=VA Says It Will Not Study Effects Of Medical Marijuana On PTSD And Chronic Pain|last=Clark|first=James|date=January 16, 2018|work=Task & Purpose|access-date=January 17, 2018|archive-date=February 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216184146/https://taskandpurpose.com/news/va-will-not-study-medical-marijuana-ptsd-chronic-pain/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In December 2018, Trump signed the [[Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018]], which included de-scheduling certain cannabis products, leading to a rise in legal [[Delta-8-Tetrahydrocannabinol|Delta-8]]—a step which resembled legalization.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roberts |first=Chris |title=The Feds Are Coming For Delta-8 THC |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrisroberts/2021/09/17/the-feds-are-coming-for-delta-8-thc/ |access-date=August 30, 2023 |website=Forbes |language=en |archive-date=August 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230830182050/https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrisroberts/2021/09/17/the-feds-are-coming-for-delta-8-thc/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Between July 2020<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-12-07 |title=Trump ratchets up pace of executions before Biden inaugural |url=https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-death-penalty-legacy-838932ac2b665b42373309336d130f56 |access-date=2024-03-06 |website=AP News |language=en |archive-date=April 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240421172426/https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-death-penalty-legacy-838932ac2b665b42373309336d130f56 |url-status=live }}</ref> and the end of Trump's term, the [[Federal death penalty|federal government executed]] thirteen people; the first executions since 2002.<ref name="tarm">{{#invoke:Cite news||first1=Michael |last1=Tarm |first2=Michael |last2=Kunzelman |url=https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-wildlife-coronavirus-pandemic-crime-terre-haute-28e44cc5c026dc16472751bbde0ead50 |access-date=November 10, 2021 |title=Trump administration carries out 13th and final execution |work=[[Associated Press]] |date=January 15, 2021}}</ref> In this time period, Trump oversaw more federal executions than any president in the preceding 120 years.<ref name="tarm" />

Analyses of EPA enforcement data showed that the Trump administration brought fewer cases against polluters, sought a lower total of civil penalties and made fewer requests of companies to retrofit facilities to curb pollution than the Obama and Bush administrations. According to ''The New York Times'', "confidential internal E.P.A. documents show that the enforcement slowdown coincides with major policy changes ordered by Mr. Pruitt's team after pleas from oil and gas industry executives."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/10/us/politics/pollution-epa-regulations.html|title=Under Trump, E.P.A. Has Slowed Actions Against Polluters, and Put Limits on Enforcement Officers|last1=Lipton|first1=Eric|last2=Ivory|first2=Danielle|date=December 10, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=December 11, 2017|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In 2018, the administration referred the lowest number of pollution cases for criminal prosecution in 30 years.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://apnews.com/d72a4d3dfb584d15949c88917b48ddf9|title=EPA criminal action against polluters hits 30-year low|last=Knickmeyer|first=Ellen|date=January 15, 2019|website=[[Associated Press]]|access-date=January 20, 2019}}</ref> Two years into Trump's presidency, ''The New York Times'' wrote he had "unleashed a regulatory rollback, lobbied for and cheered on by industry, with little parallel in the past half-century".<ref name="Lipton-2018">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/12/26/us/politics/donald-trump-environmental-regulation.html|title=President Trump's Retreat on the Environment Is Affecting Communities Across America|last1=Lipton|first1=Eric|last2=Eder|first2=Steve|last3=Branch|first3=John|date=December 26, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=December 27, 2018|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In June 2018, [[David Cutler]] and [[Francesca Dominici]] of [[Harvard University]] estimated conservatively that the Trump administration's modifications to environmental rules could result in more than 80,000 additional U.S. deaths and widespread respiratory ailments.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite journal||last1=Cutler|first1=David|author1-link=David Cutler|last2=Dominici|first2=Francesca|author2-link=Francesca Dominici|date=June 12, 2018|title=A Breath of Bad Air: Cost of the Trump Environmental Agenda May Lead to 80 000 Extra Deaths per Decade|journal=JAMA|volume=319|issue=22|pages=2261–2262|doi=10.1001/jama.2018.7351|issn=0098-7484|pmid=29896617|doi-access=free}}</ref> In August 2018, the administration's own analysis showed that loosening coal plant rules could cause up to 1,400 premature deaths and 15,000 new cases of respiratory problems.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/21/climate/epa-coal-pollution-deaths.html |newspaper=The New York Times |first=Lisa |last=Friedman|date=August 21, 2018 |title=Cost of New E.P.A. Coal Rules: Up to 1,400 More Deaths a Year |access-date=September 1, 2018}}</ref> From 2016 to 2018, air pollution increased by 5.5%, reversing a seven-year trend where air pollution had declined by 25%.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/10/24/climate/air-pollution-increase.html|title=America's Air Quality Worsens, Ending Years of Gains, Study Says|last=Popovich|first=Nadja|date=October 24, 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=October 30, 2019|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

The administration proposed substantial spending cuts to [[Medicare (United States)|Medicare]], [[Medicaid]] and [[Social Security Disability Insurance]]. Trump had previously vowed to protect Medicare and Medicaid.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/12/trump-2020-budget-proposes-reduced-medicare-and-medicaid-spending.html|title=Trump 2020 budget proposes reduced Medicare and Medicaid spending|last=Pramuk|first=Jacob|date=March 12, 2019|website=www.cnbc.com|access-date=March 16, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/with-social-program-fights-some-republicans-fear-being-seen-as-the-party-of-the-1-percent/2019/03/29/9cfc3232-516b-11e9-a3f7-78b7525a8d5f_story.html |first1=Robert |last1=Costa |first2=Mike |last2=DeBonis |title=With social program fights, some Republicans fear being seen as the party of the 1 percent |date=March 29, 2019 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> The administration reduced enforcement of penalties against nursing homes that harm residents.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Rau|first=Jordan|date=December 24, 2017|title=Trump Administration Eases Nursing Home Fines in Victory for Industry|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/24/business/trump-administration-nursing-home-penalties.html|access-date=December 26, 2017|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> As a candidate and throughout his presidency, Trump said he would cut the [[Prescription drug prices in the United States|costs of pharmaceuticals]]. During his first seven months in office, there were 96 price hikes for every drug price cut.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first1=Ricardo |last1=Alonso-Zaldivar |first2=Deb |last2=Riechmann|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/health_care/trump-says-new-proposal-will-lower-some-us-drug-prices/2018/10/25/db16c92a-d8ca-11e8-8384-bcc5492fef49_story.html|title=Trump says goal of proposal is to lower some US drug prices |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |access-date=November 5, 2018|archive-date=November 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106004923/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/health_care/trump-says-new-proposal-will-lower-some-us-drug-prices/2018/10/25/db16c92a-d8ca-11e8-8384-bcc5492fef49_story.html |date=October 26, 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Abandoning a promise he made as candidate, Trump announced he would not allow [[Medicare (United States)|Medicare]] to use its bargaining power to negotiate lower drug prices.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/trumps-drug-price-retreat-adds-to-list-of-abandoned-populist-promises/2018/05/14/1989ace8-5781-11e8-858f-12becb4d6067_story.html|title=Trump's drug price retreat adds to list of abandoned populist promises|last=Paletta|first=Damian|date=May 14, 2018|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=May 14, 2018|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>

In 2018, the administration prohibited scientists at the [[National Institutes of Health]] (NIH) from acquiring new fetal tissue for research,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Wadm|first=Meredith|date=December 7, 2018|title=Updated: NIH says cancer study also hit by fetal tissue ban|url=https://www.science.org/content/article/trump-administration-has-quietly-barred-nih-scientists-acquiring-fetal-tissue|access-date=December 14, 2018|website=Science {{!}} AAAS}}</ref> and a year later stopped all medical research by government scientists that used fetal tissue.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||title=Trump halts fetal tissue research by government scientists|url=https://apnews.com/article/39680703a5eb4caf90d55ca75af64e50|date=June 5, 2019|first1=Ricardo|last1=Alonso-Zaldivar|first2=Lauran|last2=Neergaard|access-date=January 24, 2021|work=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>

Although the U.S. government was initially quick to develop a diagnostic test for COVID-19, U.S. [[COVID-19 testing]] efforts from mid-January to late-February lost pace compared to the rest of the world.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-testing-specialrep-idUSKBN2153BW |first1=Toluse |last1=Olorunnipa |first2=Griff |last2=Witte |first3=Lenny |last3=Bernstein |title=Special Report: How Korea trounced U.S. in race to test people for coronavirus|date=March 18, 2020 |work=Reuters |access-date=March 19, 2020}}</ref> ABC News described the testing as "shockingly slow".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-responsible-testing-problems-things/story?id=69590286 |date=March 14, 2020 |first=Anne |last=Flaherty |title=Trump says he's not responsible for testing problems: 3 things to know|website=ABC News|access-date=March 19, 2020}}</ref> When the WHO distributed 1.4 million COVID-19 tests in February, the U.S. chose instead to use its own tests. At that time, the CDC had produced 160,000 COVID-19 tests, but many were defective. As a result, fewer than 4,000 tests were done in the U.S. by February 27, with U.S. state laboratories conducting only about 200. In this period, academic laboratories and hospitals had developed their own tests, but were not allowed to use them until February 29, when the [[Food and Drug Administration]] issued approvals for them and private companies.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Whoriskey|first1=Peter|last2=Satija|first2=Neena|title=How U.S. coronavirus testing stalled: Flawed tests, red tape and resistance to using the millions of tests produced by the WHO|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/16/cdc-who-coronavirus-tests/|access-date=March 18, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=March 16, 2020}}</ref> A comprehensive ''New York Times'' investigation concluded that "technical flaws, regulatory hurdles, business-as-usual bureaucracies and lack of leadership at multiple levels" contributed to the testing failures.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Shear|first1=Michael D.|last2=Goodnough|first2=Abby|last3=Kaplan|first3=Sheila|last4=Fink|first4=Sheri|last5=Thomas|first5=Katie|last6=Weiland|first6=Noah|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/28/us/testing-coronavirus-pandemic.html|title=The Lost Month: How a Failure to Test Blinded the U.S. to Covid-19|date=March 28, 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=March 28, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> An Associated Press investigation found the administration made its first bulk orders for vital health care equipment, such as [[N95 respirator]] masks and ventilators, in mid-March.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-health-us-news-ap-top-news-politics-090600c299a8cf07f5b44d92534856bc |title=U.S. 'wasted' months before preparing for virus pandemic |date=April 5, 2020 |last=Biesecker |first=Michael |work=[[Associated Press]] |access-date=April 5, 2020|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200405130007/https://apnews.com/090600c299a8cf07f5b44d92534856bc |archive-date=April 5, 2020}}</ref>

Trump has repeatedly characterized [[Illegal immigration to the United States|illegal immigrants]] as criminals, although some studies have found they have lower crime and incarceration rates than native-born Americans.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/22/us/politics/trump-immigration-borders-family-separation.html |first=Katie |last=Rogers |date=June 22, 2018 |title=Trump Highlights Immigrant Crime to Defend His Border Policy. Statistics Don't Back Him Up.|work=The New York Times|access-date=June 24, 2018}}</ref> Prior to taking office, Trump promised to deport the estimated eleven million illegal immigrants living in the United States and to build a [[Trump wall|wall]] along the [[Mexico–U.S. border]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Tareen|first=Sophia|title=Trump's election triggers flood of immigration questions|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2016/1118/Trump-s-election-triggers-flood-of-immigration-questions |newspaper=[[Christian Science Monitor]] |date=November 18, 2016|access-date=November 18, 2016}}</ref> During his presidency, Trump reduced legal immigration substantially while the illegal immigrant population remained the same.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||date=January 20, 2021|title=President Trump Reduced Legal Immigration. He Did Not Reduce Illegal Immigration|url=https://www.cato.org/blog/president-trump-reduced-legal-immigration-he-did-not-reduce-illegal-immigration |first=Alex |last=Nowrasteh |access-date=January 21, 2021|website=Cato Institute}}</ref> The administration took several steps to limit the rights of legal immigrants, which included attempted revocations of [[Temporary Protected Status]] for Central American refugees,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Nakamura|first=David|date=August 16, 2017|title=Trump administration ends Obama-era protection program for Central American minors|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-administration-ends-obama-era-protection-program-for-central-american-minors/2017/08/16/8101507e-82b6-11e7-ab27-1a21a8e006ab_story.html |access-date=November 10, 2021}}</ref> 60,000 Haitians (who emigrated following the [[2010 Haiti earthquake]]),<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Miroff|first=Nick|date=January 8, 2018|title=200,000 Salvadorans may be forced to leave the U.S. as Trump ends immigration protection|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-administration-to-end-provisional-residency-for-200000-salvadorans/2018/01/08/badfde90-f481-11e7-beb6-c8d48830c54d_story.html|access-date=January 8, 2018|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> and 200,000 Salvadorans (who emigrated following a series of devastating earthquakes in 2001)<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Jordan |first=Miriam |date=January 8, 2018 |title=Trump Administration Says That Nearly 200,000 Salvadorans Must Leave |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/08/us/salvadorans-tps-end.html |access-date=January 8, 2018 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> as well as making it illegal for refugees and asylum seekers,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Thomsen |first=Jacqueline |date=July 3, 2018 |title=Sessions rescinds DOJ guidance on refugees, asylum seekers' right to work |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |url=https://thehill.com/regulation/international/395440-sessions-rescinds-guidance-on-refugees-asylum-seekers-right-to-work |access-date=July 4, 2018}}</ref> and spouses of [[H-1B visa]] holders to work in the U.S.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Mullen|first=Jethro|title=Trump will stop spouses of H-1B visa holders from working |work=[[CNN Business]] |url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/12/15/technology/h1b-visa-spouses-h4-trump/index.html |date=December 15, 2017 |access-date=December 15, 2017}}</ref> A federal judge blocked the administration's attempt to deport the TPS recipients, citing what the judge said was Trump's racial "animus against non-white, non-European immigrants".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Federal judge blocks Trump from deporting hundreds of thousands of immigrants under TPS|work=[[USA Today]]|url=https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/10/03/judge-blocks-trump-administration-deporting-immigrants-under-tps/1517268002/ |date=October 3, 2018 |first=Alan |last=Gomez |access-date=October 4, 2018}}</ref> The administration slashed refugee admissions to record low levels (since the modern program began in 1980).<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||date=September 27, 2019|title=US slashes refugee limit to all-time low of 18,000|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49847906 |access-date=November 10, 2021 |work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> The administration made it harder non-citizens who served in the military to receive necessary paperwork to pursue U.S. citizenship.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Copp|first=Tara|date=May 3, 2018|title=Naturalizations drop 65 percent for service members seeking citizenship after Mattis memo|work=Military Times|url=https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2018/05/03/naturalizations-drop-65-percent-for-service-members-seeking-citizenship-after-mattis-memo|access-date=May 4, 2018}}</ref> The administration's key legislative proposal on immigration was the 2017 [[RAISE Act]], a proposal to reduce legal immigration levels to the U.S. by fifty percent by halving the number of [[Permanent residence (United States)|green cards]] issued, capping [[refugee]] admissions at 50,000 a year and ending the [[Diversity Immigrant Visa|visa diversity lottery]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Harold |last=Brubaker |date=August 10, 2017 |title=Wharton study: Immigration proposal will lead to less economic growth and fewer jobs |work=Philadelphia Daily News |url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/business/wharton-study-immigration-proposal-will-lead-to-less-economic-growth-and-fewer-jobs-20170810.html |access-date=August 11, 2017}}</ref> In 2020, the Trump administration set the lowest cap for refugees in the modern history of the United States for the subsequent year: 15,000 refugees.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first1=Susan |last1=Heavey |first2=Ted |last2=Hesson |first3=Kristina |last3=Cooke |first4=Mimi |last4=Dwyer |first5=Mica |last5=Rosenberg |date=October 28, 2020|title=Trump administration sets record low limit for new U.S. refugees|work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-refugees-idUSKBN27D1TS|access-date=April 23, 2021}}</ref> The administration increased fees for citizen applications, as well as caused delays in the processing of citizen applications.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||date=May 25, 2021|title=Citizenship agency eyes improved service without plan to pay|url=https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-voter-registration-lifestyle-travel-immigration-1c0554d5d141776722c64f5deadbad8d |first1=Elliot |last1=Spagat |first2=Sophia |last2=Tareen |access-date=June 20, 2021|website=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>

During the 2018 midterm election campaign, Trump sent nearly 5,600 troops to the U.S.–Mexico border for the stated purpose of protecting the United States against a caravan of Central American migrants.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/10/us/deployed-inside-the-united-states-the-military-waits-for-the-migrant-caravan.html |newspaper=The New York Times |first1=Thomas |last1=Gibbons-Neff |first2=Helene |last2=Cooper |date=November 10, 2018 |title=Deployed Inside the United States: The Military Waits for the Migrant Caravan|access-date=November 10, 2018}}</ref> The Pentagon had previously concluded the caravan posed no threat to the U.S. The border deployment was estimated to cost as much as $220{{spaces}}million by the end of the year.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/05/trump-border-deployments-could-cost-220-million-pentagon-sees-no-caravan-threat.html|title=Trump's border deployments could cost $220 million as Pentagon sees no threat from migrant caravan|last=Macias|first=Amanda|date=November 5, 2018 |work=[[CNBC]] |access-date=November 5, 2018}}</ref> With daily warnings from Trump about the dangers of the caravan during the midterm election campaign, the frequency and intensity of the caravan rhetoric nearly stopped after election day.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://apnews.com/article/immigration-north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-elections-38870e6a25d5469292253b4b716ecc17 |first1=Jonathan |last1=Lemire |first2=Catherine |last2=Lucey|access-date=November 10, 2021 |title=Remember the caravan? After vote, focus on migrants fades|date=November 13, 2018|work=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>

{{See also|Unite the Right rally|Racial views of Donald Trump}}On August 13, 2017, Trump condemned violence "on many sides" after a gathering of hundreds of [[white nationalists]] in [[Charlottesville, Virginia]], the previous day (August 12) turned deadly. A white supremacist drove a car into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing one woman and injuring 19 others. According to Sessions, that action met the definition of [[domestic terrorism]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-white-nationalists-charlottesville-20170814-story.html|title=Emboldened white nationalists say Charlottesville is just the beginning |last=Reeves |first=Jay |date=August 14, 2017 |agency=[[Associated Press]] |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |access-date=September 27, 2017}}</ref> During the rally there had been other violence, as some counter-protesters charged at the white nationalists with swinging clubs and mace, throwing bottles, rocks, and paint.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Costello |first=Tom |url=https://www.today.com/video/charlottesville-fact-check-were-both-sides-to-blame-for-violence-1025759299536 |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Charlottesville Fact Check: Were Both Sides To Blame For Violence? |work=[[Today (U.S. TV program)|Today Show]] |date=August 16, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Gunter |first=Joel |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-40952796 |access-date=November 10, 2021 |title=What Trump Said Versus What I Saw |work=[[BBC News]] |date=August 16, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Alexander |first=Harriet |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/15/alt-left-donald-trump-said-violent-charlottesville/ |access-date=August 16, 2017 |title=What is the 'alt Left' that Donald Trump said was 'very violent' in Charlottesville? |work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |date=August 16, 2017 |quote=photos and videos from Saturday's riot does show people dressed in black, their faces covered, engaging the neo-Nazis in violent confrontation.}}</ref> Trump did not expressly mention neo-Nazis, white supremacists, or the [[alt-right]] movement in his remarks on August 13,<ref name="Merica-2017">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/08/12/politics/trump-statement-alt-right-protests/index.html |date=August 13, 2017 |title=Trump condemns 'hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides' in Charlottesville |first=Dan |last=Merica |work=CNN |access-date=August 13, 2017}}</ref> but the following day condemned "the [[Ku Klux Klan|KKK]], [[Neo-Nazism|neo-Nazis]], [[White supremacy|white supremacists]], and other [[hate group]]s".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Trump decries KKK, neo-Nazi violence in Charlottesville|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/8/14/trump-decries-kkk-neo-nazi-violence-in-charlottesville |date=August 14, 2017|access-date=August 15, 2017|work=[[Al Jazeera Media Network|Al Jazeera]]}}</ref> On August 15, he again blamed "both sides".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Shear|first1=Michael D.|last2=Haberman|first2=Maggie|author2-link=Maggie Haberman|title=Trump Defends Initial Remarks on Charlottesville; Again Blames 'Both Sides'|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/15/us/politics/trump-press-conference-charlottesville.html|date=August 15, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=August 15, 2017}}</ref>

In February 2020, [[United States–Taliban deal|the Trump administration signed a deal with the Taliban]], which if upheld by the Taliban, would result in the [[2020–2021 U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan|withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan]] by May 2021 (Trump's successor Joe Biden later extended the deadline to September 2021).<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Afghan conflict: US and Taliban sign deal to end 18-year war |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-51689443 |access-date=August 16, 2021 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=February 29, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Brown |first1=Matthew |title=A timeline of the US withdrawal and Taliban recapture of Afghanistan |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/08/15/timeline-afghanistans-history-and-us-involvement/8143131002/ |access-date=August 16, 2021 |work=[[USA Today]] |date=August 15, 2021}}</ref> As part of the deal, the U.S. agreed to the release of 5,000 Taliban members who were imprisoned by the Afghan government; some of these ex-prisoners went on to join the [[2021 Taliban offensive]] that felled the Afghan government.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Mashal |first1=Mujib |last2=Faizi |first2=Fatima |title=Afghanistan to Release Last Taliban Prisoners, Removing Final Hurdle to Talks |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/09/world/asia/afghanistan-taliban-prisoners-peace-talks.html |access-date=August 18, 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=September 3, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Weissert |first1=Will |last2=Fram |first2=Alan |title=GOP hits Biden despite divides over Afghanistan withdrawal |url=https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-afghanistan-036874ebcb40acb404ac1a7f3db11f1a |access-date=August 18, 2021 |work=[[Associated Press]]|date=August 17, 2021}}</ref>

After an Iranian missile test on January 29, 2017, and Houthi attacks on Saudi warships, the Trump administration sanctioned 12 companies and 13 individuals suspected of being involved in Iran's missile program.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Borger|first1=Julian|author-link1=Julian Borger|last2=Smith|first2=David|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/feb/03/trump-administration-iran-sanctions|title=Trump administration imposes new sanctions on Iran|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=February 3, 2017|access-date=November 9, 2018}}</ref> In May 2018, Trump [[United States withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action|withdrew the United States]] from the [[Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action]] (JCPOA), the 2015 agreement between Iran, the U.S., and five other countries that lifted most economic sanctions against Iran in return for Iran agreeing to restrictions on its nuclear program.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Lederman|first1=Josh|last2=Lucey|first2=Catherine|date=May 8, 2018|title=Trump declares US leaving 'horrible' Iran nuclear accord|work=[[Associated Press]]|url=https://apnews.com/article/cead755353a1455bbef08ef289448994/Trump-decides-to-exit-nuclear-accord-with-Iran|access-date=May 8, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/08/world/middleeast/trump-iran-nuclear-deal.html|title=Trump Abandons Iran Nuclear Deal He Long Scorned|first=Mark|last=Landler|author-link=Mark Landler|date=May 8, 2018|access-date=October 4, 2021|work=The New York Times}}</ref> Analysts determined that, after the United States's withdrawal, Iran moved closer to developing a nuclear weapon.<ref name="close">{{cite web|last=Hennigan|first=W.J.|title='They're Very Close.' U.S. General Says Iran Is Nearly Able to Build a Nuclear Weapon|url=https://time.com/6123380/iran-near-nuclear-weapon-capability/|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=November 24, 2021 |access-date=December 18, 2021}}</ref>

In January 2020, Trump ordered [[Assassination of Qasem Soleimani|a U.S. airstrike]] that killed Iranian general [[Qasem Soleimani]], who had planned nearly every significant operation by Iranian forces over the past two decades.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/02/world/middleeast/qassem-soleimani-iraq-iran-attack.html|title=U.S. Strike in Iraq Kills Qassim Suleimani, Commander of Iranian Forces|last1=Crowley|first1=Michael|author-link1=Michael Crowley (journalist)|last2=Hassan|first2=Falih|last3=Schmitt|first3=Eric|author-link3=Eric P. Schmitt|date=January 2, 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=January 3, 2020}}</ref> Trump threatened to hit 52 Iranian sites, including some "important to Iran & the Iranian culture", if Iran retaliated.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Daniel|first1=Douglas K.|last2=Lemire|first2=Jonathan|url=https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-donald-trump-nancy-pelosi-ap-top-news-international-news-75944e42ccc66ac08ee5122e080d7f33|title=Trump says 52 targets already lined up if Iran retaliates|work=[[Associated Press]]|date=January 5, 2020 |access-date=November 3, 2022}}</ref> The threat to hit cultural sites was seen as illegal and both Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the U.S. would not attack such sites, but would "follow the laws of armed conflict" and "behave inside the system".<ref name="Wamsley_1/6/2020">{{cite web|last=Wamsley|first=Laurel|title=Trump Says He'll Target Iran's Cultural Sites. That's Illegal|website=[[NPR]]|date=January 6, 2020|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/01/06/794006073/trump-says-hell-target-iran-s-cultural-sites-that-s-illegal | access-date=November 6, 2022}}</ref> Iran did retaliate with [[Operation Martyr Soleimani|ballistic missile strikes against two U.S. airbases]] in Iraq.<ref name="close" /> On the same day, amid the heightened tensions between the United States and Iran, Iran accidentally<ref name="Ward_1/9/2020" /> shot down [[Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752]] after takeoff from Tehran airport.<ref name="Baker_et al_1/11/2020">{{cite web|last1=Baker|first1=Peter|last2=Bergman|first2=Ronen|last3=Kirkpatrick|first3=David D.|last4=Barnes|first4=Julian E.|last5=Rubin|first5=Alissa J.|date=January 11, 2020|title=Seven Days in January: How Trump Pushed U.S. and Iran to the Brink of War|website=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/11/us/politics/iran-trump.html |access-date=November 8, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Ward_1/9/2020">{{cite web|last=Ward|first=Alex|title=Evidence is mounting that Iran accidentally shot down the Ukraine flight|website=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|date=January 9, 2020|url=https://www.vox.com/2020/1/9/21059004/iran-plane-crash-missile-video-trump-ukraine | access-date=November 8, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Motamedi_4/17/2021">{{cite web|last=Motamedi|first=Maziar|title=Iran rejects claim Ukraine's plane shot down intentionally|website=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]]|date=April 17, 2021|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/17/iran-rejects-claim-ukraines-plane-was-shot-down-intentionally | access-date=November 8, 2022}}</ref>

''The New York Times'' reported in June 2021 that in 2017 and 2018 the Justice Department subpoenaed [[metadata]] from the [[iCloud]] accounts of at least a dozen individuals associated with the [[House Intelligence Committee]], including that of ranking Democratic member [[Adam Schiff]] and [[Eric Swalwell]], and family members, to investigate leaks to the press about contacts between Trump associates and Russia. Records of the inquiry did not implicate anyone associated with the committee, but upon becoming attorney general [[Bill Barr]] revived the effort, including by appointing a federal prosecutor and about six others in February 2020. ''The Times'' reported that, apart from corruption investigations, subpoenaing communications information of members of Congress is nearly unheard-of, and that some in the Justice Department saw Barr's approach as politically motivated.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/10/us/politics/justice-department-leaks-trump-administration.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/10/us/politics/justice-department-leaks-trump-administration.html |archive-date=December 28, 2021 |url-access=limited |access-date=November 13, 2021 |title=Hunting Leaks, Trump Officials Focused on Democrats in Congress|first1=Katie|last1=Benner|first2=Nicholas|last2=Fandos|first3=Michael S.|last3=Schmidt|first4=Adam|last4=Goldman|newspaper=The New York Times|date=June 11, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-donald-trump-5b6f6bf0daf8bccf106a90d2ff52686c |access-date=November 13, 2021 |first1=Mary Clare |last1=Jalonick |first2=Michael |last2=Balsamo |title=Trump DOJ seized data from House Democrats in leaks probe|website=[[Associated Press]]|date=June 11, 2021}}</ref> Justice Department Inspector General [[Michael E. Horowitz|Michael Horowitz]] announced an inquiry into the matter the day after the ''Times'' report.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.axios.com/deputy-ag-doj-watchdog-trump-house-subpoenas-8306e261-456d-4adb-827e-3770130c9efc.html |date=June 11, 2021 |access-date=November 8, 2021 |title=Justice Department watchdog opens internal probe into House Dems data subpoenas |first=Jacob |last=Knutson |website=[[Axios (website)|Axios]]}}</ref>

According to the report, the investigation "identified numerous links between the Russian government and the Trump campaign", and found that Russia had "perceived it would benefit from a Trump presidency" and the 2016 Trump presidential campaign "expected it would benefit electorally" from Russian hacking efforts. Ultimately, "the investigation did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last1=Ostriker|first1=Rebecca|last2=Puzzanghera|first2=Jim|last3=Finucane|first3=Martin|last4=Datar|first4=Saurabh|last5=Uraizee|first5=Irfan|last6=Garvin|first6=Patrick|title=What the Mueller report says about Trump and more|url=https://apps.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/graphics/2019/03/mueller-report/ |date=April 18, 2019 |website=[[The Boston Globe]]|access-date=April 22, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last = Law |first = Tara |title = Here Are the Biggest Takeaways From the Mueller Report |url = https://time.com/5567077/mueller-report-release/ |date = April 19, 2019 |magazine = [[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date = April 22, 2019}}</ref> However, investigators had an incomplete picture of what had really occurred during the 2016 campaign, due to some associates of the Trump campaign providing false or incomplete testimony, exercising the [[Plead the Fifth|privilege against self-incrimination]], and having deleted, unsaved, or encrypted communications. As such, the Mueller report "cannot rule out the possibility" that information then unavailable to investigators would have presented different findings.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Yen|first=Hope|title=AP Fact Check: Trump, Barr distort Mueller report findings|url=https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-lindsey-graham-politics-russia-f9c0ab20229140f18ea34e1f15a9f597 |date=May 1, 2019 |website=[[Associated Press]] |access-date=May 2, 2019}}</ref>

[[Mueller Report#Volume II|Volume II]] covered obstruction of justice. The report described [[Mueller Report#Episodes of alleged obstruction|ten episodes]] where Trump may have obstructed justice as president, plus one instance before he was elected.<ref name="FactCheck11">{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.factcheck.org/2019/04/what-the-mueller-report-says-about-obstruction/|title=What the Mueller Report Says About Obstruction|last1=Farley|first1=Robert|last2=Robertson|first2=Lori|last3=Gore|first3=D'Angelo|last4=Spencer|first4=Saranac Hale|last5=Fichera|first5=Angelo|last6=McDonald|first6=Jessica|date=April 19, 2019|website=[[FactCheck.org]]|access-date=April 22, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Desjardins|first=Lisa|title=11 moments Mueller investigated for obstruction of justice|date=April 18, 2019|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/11-moments-mueller-investigated-for-obstruction-of-justice |work=[[PBS]]|access-date=April 22, 2019}}</ref> The report said that in addition to Trump's public attacks on the investigation and its subjects, he had also privately tried to "control the investigation" in multiple ways, but mostly failed to influence it because his subordinates or associates refused to carry out his instructions.<ref name="NYTview">{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Schmidt|first1=Michael|last2=Savage|first2=Charlie|title=Mueller Rejects View That Presidents Can't Obstruct Justice|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/18/us/politics/special-counsel-trump-obstruction.html |date=April 18, 2019 |work=The New York Times|access-date=April 19, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/18/trump-barely-disrupted-russia-investigation-mueller-report-says.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Trump barely disrupted Russia investigation, Mueller report says|first=Jacob|last=Pramuk|date=April 18, 2019 |work=[[CNBC]]}}</ref> For that reason, no charges against the Trump's aides and associates were recommended "beyond those already filed".<ref name="FactCheck11" /> The special counsel could not charge Trump himself once investigators decided to abide by an [[Office of Legal Counsel]] (OLC) opinion that a sitting president cannot stand trial,<ref name="APnocall">{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Day|first1=Chad|last2=Gresko|first2=Jessica|title=How Mueller made his no-call on Trump and obstruction|url=https://www.apnews.com/d7830de6911b44d2afb3b180a6b54ad2|date=April 19, 2019|work=[[Associated Press]]|access-date=April 19, 2019}}</ref><ref name="TimeSay">{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Gajanan|first=Mahita|title=Despite Evidence, Robert Mueller Would Not Say Whether Trump Obstructed Justice. Here's Why|url=https://time.com/5573289/robert-mueller-trump-obstruction-charges/ |date=April 18, 2019 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|access-date=April 20, 2019}}</ref> and they feared charges would affect Trump's governing and possibly preempt his impeachment.<ref name="TimeSay" /><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/mueller-s-report-trump-sections-blacked-out-released-public-n990191|date=April 18, 2019|title=Mueller report found Trump directed White House lawyer to 'do crazy s|work=[[NBC News]]|access-date=April 19, 2019|first1=Dareh|last1=Gregorian|first2=Julia|last2=Ainsley}}</ref> In addition, investigators felt it would be unfair to accuse Trump of a crime without charges and without a trial in which he could clear his name,<ref name="APnocall" /><ref name="TimeSay" /><ref name="NYTview" /> hence investigators "determined not to apply an approach that could potentially result in a judgment that the President committed crimes".<ref name="TimeSay" /><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Barrett|first1=Devlin|last2=Zapotosky|first2=Matt|title=Mueller report lays out obstruction evidence against the president|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/attorney-general-to-provide-overview-of-mueller-report-at-news-conference-before-its-release/2019/04/17/8dcc9440-54b9-11e9-814f-e2f46684196e_story.html|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=April 17, 2019|access-date=April 20, 2019}}</ref><ref name="APdilemma">{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Mascaro |first=Lisa |title=Mueller drops obstruction dilemma on Congress |date=April 19, 2019|url=https://www.apnews.com/35829a2b010248f193d1efd00c4de7e5 |work=[[Associated Press]]|access-date=April 20, 2019}}</ref><ref>''[https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf Mueller Report]'', vol. II, p. 2: "Third, we considered whether to evaluate the conduct we investigated under the Justice Manual standards governing prosecution and declination decisions, but we determined not to apply an approach that could potentially result in a judgment that the President committed crimes."</ref>

On May 1, 2019, following publication of the special counsel's report, Barr testified before the [[United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary|Senate Judiciary Committee]], during which Barr said he "didn't exonerate" Trump on obstruction as that was not the role of the Justice Department.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Day|first=Chad|title=Key takeaways from AG Barr's testimony, Mueller's letter|url=https://apnews.com/ec455a7ba1c846deaf8a2616f7754698|date=May 2, 2019|website=[[Associated Press]]|access-date=May 2, 2019}}</ref> He declined to testify before the [[United States House Committee on the Judiciary|House Judiciary Committee]] the following day because he objected to the committee's plan to use staff lawyers during questioning.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/01/us/politics/william-barr-hearing.html|title=William Barr Hearing: Highlights of His Testimony|work=The New York Times|date=May 1, 2019|access-date=May 7, 2019|first1=Katie|last1=Benner|first2=Nicholas|last2=Fandos}}</ref> Barr also repeatedly<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2019-05-08/president-donald-trump-asserts-executive-privilege-over-mueller-report|title=Trump Asserts Executive Privilege Over Mueller Report|work=U.S. News & World Report|date=May 8, 2019|access-date=May 8, 2019|first=Alan|last=Neuhauser}}</ref> failed to give the unredacted special counsel's report to the Judiciary Committee by its deadline of May 6, 2019.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/06/us/politics/house-contempt-attorney-general-barr.html|title=Democrats Threaten to Hold Barr in Contempt as White House Guards Tax Returns|work=The New York Times|date=May 6, 2019|access-date=May 7, 2019|first1=Nicholas|last1=Fandos|first2=Alan|last2=Rappeport}}</ref> On May 8, 2019, the committee voted to hold Barr in [[contempt of Congress]], which refers the matter to entire House for resolution.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://theweek.com/speedreads/840197/house-judiciary-committee-just-voted-hold-barr-contempt-heres-what-happens-next| title=The House Judiciary Committee just voted to hold Barr in contempt. Here's what happens next.| work=[[The Week]]| date=May 8, 2019| access-date=May 8, 2019| first=Brendan| last=Morrow}}</ref> Concurrently, Trump asserted [[executive privilege]] via the Department of Justice in an effort to prevent the redacted portions of the special counsel's report and the underlying evidence from being disclosed.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/08/us/politics/congress-contempt-barr.html| title=Trump Asserts Executive Privilege Over Full Mueller Report| work=The New York Times| date=May 8, 2019| access-date=May 8, 2019| first=Nicholas| last=Fandos}}</ref> Committee chairman [[Jerry Nadler]] said the U.S. is in a [[constitutional crisis]], "because the President is disobeying the law, is refusing all information to Congress".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first1=Mary Clare |last1=Jalonick |first2=Lisa |last2=Mascaro |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/nadler-constitutional-crisis-over-mueller-report-dispute |title=Nadler: 'Constitutional crisis' over Mueller report dispute |work=[[PBS]] |date=May 8, 2019 |access-date=May 8, 2019}}</ref> Speaker [[Nancy Pelosi]] said Trump was "self-impeaching" by stonewalling Congress.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/09/us/politics/mueller-testify.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Trump Suggests Mueller May Testify; Pelosi Declares 'Constitutional Crisis'|first1=Annie|last1=Karni|first2=Sheryl Gay|last2=Stolberg|newspaper=The New York Times|date=May 9, 2019}}</ref>

Following release of the Mueller report, Trump and his allies turned their attention toward "investigating the investigators".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/investigate-the-investigators-is-new-trump-rallying-cry-to-counter-mueller-report/2019/05/04/9319b520-6db6-11e9-be3a-33217240a539_story.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |date=May 4, 2019 |first=Toluse |last=Olorunnipa |title='Investigate the investigators' is new Trump rallying cry to counter Mueller report|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> On May 23, 2019, Trump ordered the [[United States Intelligence Community|intelligence community]] to cooperate with Barr's investigation of the origins of the investigation, granting Barr full authority to declassify any intelligence information related to the matter. Some analysts expressed concerns that the order could create a conflict between the Justice Department and the intelligence community over closely guarded intelligence sources and methods, as well as open the possibility Barr could cherrypick intelligence for public release to help Trump.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/23/us/politics/trump-barr-intelligence.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Trump Gives Attorney General Sweeping Power in Review of 2016 Campaign Inquiry |first1=Maggie |last1=Haberman |first2=Michael S. |last2=Schmidt |newspaper=The New York Times |date=May 23, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||access-date=November 11, 2021 |url=https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-russia-ap-top-news-europe-eb4c8e7b1a8c4a5d9d618464249a8be8 |title=Critics worry AG will reveal Russia probe info to help Trump |first=Deb |last=Riechmann |date=May 24, 2019 |website=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||access-date=November 11, 2021 |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/24/trump-justice-department-intelligence-1344958 |date=May 24, 2019 |title=Trump puts DOJ on crash course with intelligence agencies |first=Natasha |last=Bertrand |website=[[Politico]]}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/barr-could-expose-secrets-politicize-intelligence-with-review-of-russia-probe-current-and-former-officials-fear/2019/05/24/58f822f8-7e2f-11e9-8bb7-0fc796cf2ec0_story.html |first=Shane |last=Harris |date=May 24, 2019 |access-date=November 8, 2019 |title=Barr could expose secrets, politicize intelligence with review of Russia probe, current and former officials fear|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>

After Trump took office, the [[watchdog group]] [[Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington]], represented by a number of constitutional scholars, sued him<ref name="Riback">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/23/why-trumps-business-conflicts-cant-and-wont-just-be-swept-aside-commentary.html |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=Why Trump's business conflicts can't – and won't – just be swept aside|first=Chris|last=Riback|date=January 23, 2017|work=[[CNBC]]}}</ref> for violations of the [[Foreign Emoluments Clause]] (a [[United States Constitution|constitutional]] provision that bars the president or any other federal official from taking gifts or payments from foreign governments), because his hotels and other businesses accept payment from foreign governments.<ref name="Riback" /><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/liberal-watchdog-group-sues-trump-alleging-he-violated-constitutional-ban/2017/01/22/5e8b35c2-e113-11e6-a547-5fb9411d332c_story.html |access-date=November 7, 2021|title=Liberal watchdog group sues Trump, alleging he violated constitutional ban|first1=David A.|last1=Fahrenthold|author1-link=David Fahrenthold|first2=Jonathan|last2=O'Connell|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=January 23, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first1=David A.|last1=Fahrenthold|author1-link=David Fahrenthold|first2=Jonathan|last2=O'Connell|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/what-is-the-emoluments-clause-does-it-apply-to-president-trump/2017/01/23/12aa7808-e185-11e6-a547-5fb9411d332c_story.html |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=What is the 'Emoluments Clause'? Does it apply to President Trump?|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=January 23, 2017}}</ref> CREW separately filed a complaint with the [[General Services Administration]] (GSA) over [[Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C.]]; the 2013 lease that Trump and the GSA signed "explicitly forbids any elected government official from holding the lease or benefiting from it".<ref name="Horowitz">{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Julia |last=Horowitz |url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/01/20/news/trump-conflicts-inauguration/ |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=President Trump hit immediately with ethics complaint |work=CNN |date=January 20, 2017}}</ref> The GSA said it was "reviewing the situation".<ref name="Horowitz" /> By May 2017, the ''[[CREW v. Trump]]'' lawsuit had grown with additional plaintiffs and alleged violations of the [[Domestic Emoluments Clause]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/18/us/politics/trump-crew-lawsuit-constitution.html |title=Watchdog Group Expands Lawsuit Against Trump |date=April 18, 2017|last=LaFraniere|first=Sharon |newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=June 11, 2017}}</ref> In June 2017, attorneys from the Department of Justice filed a motion to dismiss the case on the grounds that the plaintiffs had no right to sue<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/06/09/532302106/trump-administration-calls-for-lawsuit-about-his-businesses-to-be-dismissed|title=Trump Administration Calls For Lawsuit About His Businesses To Be Dismissed|first=Marilyn|last=Geewax|date=June 9, 2017|access-date=June 10, 2017|work=[[NPR]]}}</ref> and that the described conduct was not illegal.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-emoluments-foreign-government-payments-2017-6 |title=Justice Department argues it's fine for Trump to take payments from foreign governments, citing George Washington |website=Business Insider |date=June 10, 2017 |access-date=June 10, 2017 |first=Allan |last=Smith}}</ref> Also in June 2017, two more lawsuits were filed based on the [[Foreign Emoluments Clause]]: ''[[D.C. and Maryland v. Trump]]'',<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=LaFrainere|first=Sharon|title=Maryland and D.C. Sue Trump Over His Private Businesses|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/12/us/trump-lawsuit-private-businesses.html|access-date=June 12, 2017|newspaper=The New York Times|date=June 12, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Davis|first=Aaron C.|title=D.C. and Maryland sue President Trump, alleging breach of constitutional oath|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/dc-and-maryland-to-sue-president-trump-alleging-breach-of-constitutional-oath/2017/06/11/0059e1f0-4f19-11e7-91eb-9611861a988f_story.html|access-date=June 12, 2017|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=June 12, 2017}}</ref> and ''[[Blumenthal v. Trump]]'', which was signed by more than one-third of the voting members of [[United States Congress|Congress]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Bykowicz|first=Julie|title=Democrats in Congress are the latest to sue President Trump|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2017/06/13/democrats-congress-are-latest-sue-president-trump/1tG7Mqk5tO4kxjHDh94ABO/story.html|access-date=June 14, 2017|agency=[[Associated Press]]|newspaper=[[Boston Globe]]|date=June 14, 2017|archive-date=June 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170614054544/http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2017/06/13/democrats-congress-are-latest-sue-president-trump/1tG7Mqk5tO4kxjHDh94ABO/story.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[United States District Judge]] [[George B. Daniels]] dismissed the CREW case on December 21, 2017, holding that plaintiffs lacked [[Standing (law)|standing]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/judge-dismisses-lawsuit-alleging-trump-violated-constitution/2017/12/21/31011510-e697-11e7-ab50-621fe0588340_story.html |first1=David A. |last1=Fahrenthold |first2=Jonathan |last2=O'Connell |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=Judge dismisses lawsuit alleging Trump violated Constitution|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=December 21, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/EmolumentsDismissal.pdf |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington v. Trump |quote=17 Civ. 458 |publisher=S.D.N.Y. |date=December 21, 2017 |via=courthousenews.com}}</ref> ''D.C. and Maryland v. Trump'' cleared three judicial hurdles to proceed to the [[Discovery (law)|discovery]] phase during 2018,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/28/us/trump-emoluments-lawsuit.html|title=Lawsuit Over Trump's Ties to His Businesses Is Allowed to Advance|first=Sharon|last=LaFraniere|date=March 28, 2018|newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=January 3, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/25/us/politics/trump-emoluments-lawsuit.html|title=In Ruling Against Trump, Judge Defines Anticorruption Clauses in Constitution for First Time|first=Sharon|last=LaFraniere|date=July 25, 2018|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=January 3, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/02/us/politics/trump-emoluments-lawsuit-evidence.html|title=Judge Orders Evidence to Be Gathered in Emoluments Case Against Trump|first=Sharon|last=LaFraniere|date=November 2, 2018|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=January 3, 2019}}</ref> with prosecutors issuing 38 subpoenas to Trump's businesses and cabinet departments in December before the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit|Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals]] issued a [[Stay of proceedings|stay]] days later at the behest of the Justice Department, pending hearings in March 2019.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-attorneys-general-subpoena-trump-irs-20181204-story.html|title=2 attorneys general issue subpoenas to Trump entities in Washington hotel case|first1=Jonathan |last1=O'Connell |first2=Ann E. |last2=Marimow |date=December 4, 2018 |first3=David A. |last3=Fahrenthold |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |access-date=January 4, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/17/us/politics/justice-department-trump-emoluments.html|title=Justice Department Asks Court to Halt Emoluments Case Against Trump|first=Sharon|last=LaFraniere|date=December 17, 2018|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=January 4, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-emoluments-idUSKCN1OJ30R |first=Jan |last=Wolfe |title=U.S. appeals court grants Trump request for halt to emoluments case|date=December 21, 2018|work=Reuters|access-date=January 3, 2019}}</ref> NBC News reported that by June 2019 representatives of 22 governments had spent money at Trump properties.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/reps-22-foreign-governments-have-spent-money-trump-properties-n1015806 |access-date=November 7, 2021 |date=June 12, 2019 |first1=Shelby |last1=Hanssen |first2=Ken |last2=Dilanian |title=Reps of 22 foreign governments have spent money at Trump properties|website=[[NBC News]]}}</ref> In January 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuits as Trump was no longer president.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/25/politics/emoluments-supreme-court-donald-trump-case/index.html |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=Supreme Court dismisses emoluments cases against Trump|first1=Ariane|last1=de Vogue|first2=Devan|last2=Cole |work=CNN|date=January 25, 2021}}</ref>

On August 12, 2019, an unnamed intelligence official privately filed a whistleblower complaint with [[Michael Atkinson (Inspector General)|Michael Atkinson]], the [[Inspector General of the Intelligence Community|inspector general of the Intelligence Community]] (ICIG), under the provisions of the [[Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection Act]] (ICWPA).<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Esteban|first1=Chiqui|last2=Rabinowitz|first2=Kate|last3=Meko|first3=Tim|last4=Uhrmacher|first4=Kevin|title=Who's who in the whistleblower complaint|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/09/27/whos-who-whistleblower-complaint/|access-date=October 1, 2019|date=September 27, 2019}}</ref> The whistleblower alleged that Trump had abused his office in soliciting foreign interference to improve his own electoral chances in 2020. The complaint reports that in a July 2019 call, Trump had asked Ukrainian president [[Volodymyr Zelensky]] to investigate potential 2020 rival presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son [[Hunter Biden]], as well as matters pertaining to whether Russian interference occurred in the 2016 U.S. election with regard to Democratic National Committee servers and the company Crowdstrike. Trump allegedly nominated his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani and Attorney General William Barr to work with Ukraine on these matters. Additionally, the whistleblower alleged that the White House attempted to "lock down" the call records in a cover-up, and that the call was part of a wider pressure campaign by Giuliani and the Trump administration to urge Ukraine to investigate the Bidens. The whistleblower posits that the pressure campaign may have included Trump cancelling Vice President Mike Pence's May 2019 Ukraine trip, and Trump withholding financial aid from Ukraine in July 2019.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Korte|first=Gregory|title=The Whistle-Blower Complaint Against Trump, Annotated|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2019-trump-ukraine-whistleblower-complaint-transcript/|access-date=October 1, 2019|work=[[Bloomberg News]]|date=September 27, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.apnews.com/cdd0d1da48e045c39c383d589ad919f6|title=6 takeaways from the whistleblower complaint, including Rudy Giuliani's central role|work=[[Associated Press]]|date=September 27, 2019|access-date=October 1, 2019|first1=Michael|last1=Balsamo|first2=Colleen|last2=Long}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/26/politics/whistleblower-complaint-released/index.html|title=Whistleblower says White House tried to cover up Trump's abuse of power |work=CNN|date=September 26, 2019|access-date=September 26, 2019|first1=Marshall|last1=Cohen|first2=Katelyn|last2=Polantz|first3=David|last3=Shortell}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Olorunnipa|first1=Toluse|last2=Parker|first2=Ashley|title=Pence seeks to dodge impeachment spotlight as his Ukrainian moves attract notice|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/pence-seeks-to-dodge-impeachment-spotlight-as-his-ukrainian-moves-attract-notice/2019/09/26/d397bdea-e07a-11e9-be96-6adb81821e90_story.html|access-date=October 1, 2019|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=September 27, 2019}}</ref>

On September 24, House Speaker [[Nancy Pelosi]] announced the start of a formal [[Impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump|impeachment inquiry]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||work=The New York Times|date=September 24, 2019|first=Nicholas|last=Fandos|author-link=Nicholas Fandos|title=Nancy Pelosi Announces Formal Impeachment Inquiry of Trump|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/24/us/politics/democrats-impeachment-trump.html |access-date=November 7, 2021}}</ref> On September 25, the White House released a non-verbatim transcript of the call between Trump and Zelensky; while the members and staff of congressional intelligence committees were allowed to read the whistleblower complaint.<ref name="wapotut" /> On September 26, the White House declassified the whistleblower's complaint, so Schiff released the complaint to the public.<ref name="wapotut" /> The non-verbatim transcript corroborated the main allegations of the whistleblower's report about the Trump–Zelensky call.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first1=Hope |last1=Yen |first2=Calvin |last2=Woodward |url=https://apnews.com/article/ap-fact-check-donald-trump-ca-state-wire-politics-impeachments-817c0c285bc9485d88608635e0fef3e3|title=AP Fact Check: Trump's flawed 'read the transcript' defense|date=November 11, 2019|website=[[Associated Press]]|access-date=December 30, 2019}}</ref> The non-verbatim transcript stated that after Zelensky discussed the possibility of buying American anti-tank missiles to defend Ukraine, Trump instead asked for a favor, suggesting an investigation of the company Crowdstrike, while later in the call he also called for an investigation of the Bidens and cooperation with Giuliani and Barr.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Bump|first=Philip|title=Trump wanted Russia's main geopolitical adversary to help undermine the Russian interference story|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/09/25/trump-wanted-russias-main-geopolitical-adversary-help-him-undermine-russian-interference-story/|access-date=October 1, 2019|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=September 25, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Santucci|first1=John|last2=Mallin|first2=Alexander|last3=Thomas|first3=Pierre|last4=Faulders|first4=Katherine|title=Trump urged Ukraine to work with Barr and Giuliani to probe Biden: Call transcript|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/transcript-trump-call-ukraine-includes-talk-giuliani-barr/story?id=65848768|access-date=October 1, 2019|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|date=September 25, 2019}}</ref> On September 27, the White House confirmed the whistleblower's allegation that the Trump administration had stored the Trump–Zelensky transcript in a highly classified system.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Brown|first=Pamela|title=White House says lawyers directed moving Ukraine transcript to highly secure system|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/27/politics/donald-trump-ukraine-transcript-white-house/index.html|access-date=October 1, 2019|work=CNN|date=September 27, 2019}}</ref>