Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Donald Trump
Controversies are a part of history. Explore the biggest scandals linked to Donald Trump.
Donald John Trump is an American politician, media personality, and businessman. He served as the 45th U.S. President from 2017 to 2021. A Republican, Trump's presidency was marked by significant policy changes, including tax cuts and deregulation. Before entering politics, he built a real estate and branding empire. He is currently running for president again in 2024.
1973: Countersuit Against the U.S. Government
In 1973, with Roy Cohn's help, Donald Trump countersued the U.S. government for $100 million over charges of discrimination in his properties.
1984: Posing as 'John Barron'
In 1984, Trump, posing as a Trump Organization official named 'John Barron', called journalist Jonathan Greenberg, trying to get a higher ranking on the Forbes 400 list.
1985: League Folded After 1985 Season
The United States Football League folded after the 1985 season, largely due to Donald Trump's actions.
1986: Purchased shares in public companies
In 1986, Donald Trump began purchasing significant blocks of shares in various public companies while suggesting intentions of taking over the companies, leading to speculation about greenmail.
1988: Sold shares for profit
In 1988, Donald Trump sold his shares for a profit after suggesting he intended to take over companies, but The New York Times reported that investors stopped taking his takeover talk seriously afterwards.
1989: Central Park Jogger Case Ads
In 1989, Trump ran full-page newspaper advertisements insisting that a group of five black and Latino teenagers were guilty of raping a white woman in the Central Park jogger case.
1990: Divorce from Ivana Zelníčková
In 1990, Trump divorced Ivana Zelníčková following his affair with Marla Maples.
1991: Bankruptcy Filing for Trump Taj Mahal
In 1991, Donald Trump filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the Trump Taj Mahal.
1992: Shell Company Formation
In 1992, Donald Trump and relatives formed a shell company to pay vendors for his rental units and inflate costs for rent increases.
1992: Bankruptcy Filing for Trump's Castle
In 1992, Trump's Castle filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
1992: Plaza Hotel Bankruptcy
In 1992, the Plaza Hotel filed for bankruptcy protection, leading to banks taking control of the property.
1994: Continuation of Shell Company Scheme
In 1994, Donald Trump continued using the shell company scheme to inflate rents and transfer assets from Fred Trump.
1995: Declared a $916 million loss
In 1995, Donald Trump declared a loss of $916 million. This loss was revealed when portions of Trump's state filings were leaked in October 2016.
1995: Default on Bank Loans
In 1995, Donald Trump defaulted on over $3 billion of bank loans, leading to the seizure of the Plaza Hotel and other properties.
2002: Central Park Five Cleared of Suspicion
In 2002, the five teenagers accused by Trump in 1989 in the Central Park jogger case were cleared of suspicion.
2004: Bankruptcy of Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts
In 2004, Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts (THCR) went bankrupt, leaving Donald Trump with 10 percent ownership.
2005: "Hot Mic" Recording
In 2005, a "hot mic" recording was made of Trump making lewd comments about kissing and groping women without their consent.
2008: Clinton's Alleged Role in Birther Conspiracy
In September 2016, Trump falsely claimed that Hillary Clinton had started the birther rumors during her 2008 presidential campaign.
2009: Bankruptcy Filing for Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts
In 2009, Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
2011: Promotion of Birther Conspiracy Theory
In 2011, Trump became the leading proponent of the racist "birther" conspiracy theory that Barack Obama was not born in the United States.
2013: New York filed suit against Trump University
In 2013, the State of New York filed a $40 million civil suit against Trump University, alleging false statements and defrauding consumers.
2014: Weakened Sanctions after Crimea Annexation
In 2014, Donald Trump weakened the toughest U.S. sanctions imposed after the Russian annexation of Crimea.
June 2015: NBC and Univision dropped pageants
In June 2015, NBC and Univision dropped the Miss Universe pageants in reaction to comments Donald Trump made about Mexican immigrants.
August 2015: Start of Criminal Cases Invoking Trump's Rhetoric
Starting in August 2015, criminal cases began to surface where defendants invoked Trump's rhetoric in connection with violence or threats of violence.
2015: Release of Letter from Personal Physician
In 2015, Trump's campaign released a letter from his personal physician, Harold Bornstein, stating that he would 'be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency'.
July 2016: FBI Launches Crossfire Hurricane Investigation
In July 2016, the FBI launched Crossfire Hurricane, an investigation into possible links between Russia and Donald Trump's 2016 campaign.
September 2016: Acknowledgment of Obama's Birthplace
In September 2016, Trump publicly acknowledged Barack Obama's birthplace and falsely claimed that Hillary Clinton had started the birther rumors during her 2008 presidential campaign.
October 2016: "Grab 'em by the pussy" Recording
In October 2016, a 2005 "hot mic" recording surfaced in which Trump bragged about kissing and groping women without consent, saying, "when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. ... Grab 'em by the pussy." This led to widespread media exposure and his first public apology.
October 2016: Leak of 1995 tax filings
In October 2016, portions of Donald Trump's state filings for 1995 were leaked, revealing he declared a $916 million loss that year, potentially allowing him to avoid taxes for up to 18 years.
December 2016: Announcement of foundation dissolution
In December 2016, Donald Trump's team announced that the Donald J. Trump Foundation would be dissolved.
2016: Campaign promises and positions
During his 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump advocated for renegotiating trade agreements, enforcing immigration laws, building a wall on the Mexico-U.S. border, increasing military spending, and more.
2016: Pledge to Overturn Roe v. Wade
During the 2016 campaign, Donald Trump pledged that Roe v. Wade would be overturned "automatically" if he were elected and given the opportunity to appoint two or three anti-abortion justices.
2016: Free Media Coverage and Press Accusations
In the 2016 campaign, Trump benefited from a record amount of free media coverage, estimated at $2 billion. He also frequently accused the press of bias, calling it the "fake news media" and "the enemy of the people".
2016: Settlement of Trump University cases
Shortly after winning the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump agreed to pay a total of $25 million to settle three cases related to Trump University.
January 2017: Executive Order on Travel Ban
In January 2017, Donald Trump signed an executive order denying entry to citizens from six Muslim-majority countries for four months and from Syria indefinitely, leading to protests and legal challenges.
January 2017: U.S. Intelligence Agencies Report on Russian Interference
In January 2017, three U.S. intelligence agencies jointly stated with "high confidence" that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to favor Donald Trump.
February 2017: Seizure of Medical Records
In February 2017, three of Trump's agents seized Harold Bornstein's medical records in a raid on Bornstein's office.
May 2017: Dismissal of FBI Director James Comey
In May 2017, Donald Trump dismissed Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director James Comey.
May 2017: FBI Opens Second Investigation After Comey Firing
In May 2017, after Donald Trump fired Comey, the FBI opened a second investigation into Trump's personal and business dealings with Russia.
October 2017: Hundreds of Sub-Cabinet Positions Unfilled
In October 2017, hundreds of sub-cabinet positions remained without a nominee in the Trump administration.
December 2017: Supreme Court Allows Revised Travel Ban to Take Effect
In December 2017, the Supreme Court allowed a revised version of Donald Trump's travel ban to go into effect.
2017: Trump Administration Initiates Family Separation Policy
From 2017 to 2018, the Trump administration implemented a policy of family separation at the U.S.-Mexico border, separating over 4,400 children from their migrant parents.
2017: "Very Fine People on Both Sides" Controversy
In 2017, Trump's comments on the Unite the Right rally, where he condemned "this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides" and stated that there were "very fine people on both sides", were criticized for implying a moral equivalence between white supremacists and counter-protesters.
2017: Reduction in Formal Press Briefings
The first Trump presidency reduced formal press briefings from about one hundred in 2017.
January 2018: Remarks About "Shithole Countries"
In January 2018, during an immigration legislation discussion, Trump reportedly referred to El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, and African nations as "shithole countries", remarks that were widely condemned as racist.
June 2018: Trump Mandates Detainment of Illegal Immigrant Families Together
In June 2018, amidst public outrage, Donald Trump mandated that illegal immigrant families be detained together unless there was a risk for the child, following the family separation policy.
June 2018: Civil suit filed against Trump Foundation
In June 2018, the New York attorney general's office filed a civil suit against the Donald J. Trump Foundation, Donald Trump, and his adult children, seeking $2.8 million in restitution and additional penalties.
July 2018: High Turnover of Senior Aides
By July 2018, 61 percent of Donald Trump's senior aides had left their positions, setting a record for recent presidents.
December 2018: Government Shutdown Due to Border Wall Funding Dispute
In December 2018, Donald Trump's refusal to sign a spending bill unless it included funding for the border wall resulted in a federal government shutdown.
December 2018: Trump Foundation ceased operation
In December 2018, the Donald J. Trump Foundation ceased operation and disbursed its assets to other charities.
2018: Involvement in legal actions
According to a USA Today review in 2018, Donald Trump and his businesses had been involved in more than 4,000 state and federal legal actions.
2018: Lawsuits and Filings
By 2018, Donald Trump had been involved in over 4,000 lawsuits, liens, and other filings.
2018: Start of Trade War with China
In 2018, Donald Trump began a trade war with China after imposing tariffs and other trade barriers.
2018: Bornstein Claims Trump Dictated Letter
In 2018, Harold Bornstein said that Trump had dictated the contents of the 2015 letter about his health.
January 8, 2019: Many Key Positions Unfilled
By January 8, 2019, of 706 key positions in the Trump administration, 433 had been filled, and there was no nominee for 264.
January 2019: Government Shutdown Ends Without Wall Funding
In January 2019, the government shutdown that started in December 2018, ended after Donald Trump agreed to fund the government without securing funds for the border wall.
March 2019: Mueller Report Findings
In March 2019, the Mueller report found that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to favor Donald Trump and that Trump's campaign welcomed the effort, but the evidence "did not establish" a conspiracy.
July 2019: Whistleblower Complaint Regarding Ukraine
In July 2019, a whistleblower complaint alleged that Donald Trump pressured Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden.
July 2019: House Resolution Condemning Racist Remarks
In July 2019, the House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning Trump for racist remarks directed at four minority Democratic congresswomen.
October 2019: Talks on North Korean Denuclearization Break Down
In October 2019, talks on North Korean denuclearization broke down with no agreement reached.
November 2019: Trump ordered to pay charities
In November 2019, a New York state judge ordered Donald Trump to pay $2 million to a group of charities for misusing the Donald J. Trump Foundation's funds.
December 2019: House Votes to Impeach Trump
In December 2019, the House of Representatives voted to impeach Donald Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
2019: Revocation of Press Passes
By 2019, the first Trump presidency had reduced formal press briefings from about one hundred in 2017 to two and revoked the press passes of two White House reporters, which were later restored by the courts.
2019: First Impeachment
In 2019, Donald Trump was impeached for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress but was acquitted by the Senate.
2019: Supreme Court Upholds Travel Ban
In 2019, the Supreme Court upheld the Trump administration's travel ban.
February 2020: Senate Acquits Trump
In February 2020, the Senate acquitted Donald Trump on the impeachment charges.
April 2020: Criminal Cases Invoking Trump's Rhetoric
By April 2020, a nationwide review identified at least 54 criminal cases from August 2015, in which Trump was invoked in connection with violence or threats of violence.
May 2020: Criminal Cases Invoking Trump's Rhetoric
A nationwide review by ABC News in May 2020 identified at least 54 criminal cases, from August 2015 to April 2020, in which Trump was invoked in direct connection with violence or threats of violence, mostly by white men and primarily against minorities.
May 2020: Twitter Fact-Checks Begin
In May 2020, Twitter began to tag some of Trump's tweets with fact-checks after years of criticism for allowing him to post misinformation and falsehoods.
June 2020: Lafayette Square Protests and Bible Photo Op
In June 2020, during the George Floyd protests, federal law enforcement used tear gas to remove protesters from Lafayette Square. Trump then posed with a Bible for a photo op at St. John's Episcopal Church, drawing condemnation from religious leaders.
August 2020: Attempted rollback of anti-discrimination protections
In August 2020, Donald Trump's attempted rollback of anti-discrimination protections for transgender patients was halted by a federal judge.
November 2020: Joe Biden Wins the 2020 Election
In November 2020, Joe Biden won the election, receiving 81.3 million votes to Donald Trump's 74.2 million.
2020: Promotion of Conspiracy Theories After Election Defeat
After the 2020 presidential election, Trump promoted conspiracy theories regarding his defeat, characterized as "the big lie".
2020: Allegations of Sexual Misconduct
As of 2020, 26 women have publicly accused Trump of sexual misconduct, including rape, kissing without consent, groping, looking under women's skirts, and walking in on naked teenage pageant contestants, all of which he has denied.
2020: Disinformation and the COVID-19 Pandemic
In 2020, Trump's disinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic delayed and weakened the national response to it. Also His attacks on mail-in ballots weakened public faith in the integrity of the 2020 presidential election.
2020: COVID-19 Pandemic Response and Election Loss
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Donald Trump downplayed its severity, contradicted health officials, and signed the CARES Act. He also lost the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden.
2020: False Claims Concerning Election
Upon leaving the White House, Donald Trump established an office at Mar-a-Lago, he began making false claims about the 2020 election.
January 6, 2021: Capitol Attack
On January 6, 2021, Donald Trump held a rally and urged his supporters to march to the Capitol, resulting in a mob breaking into the building.
January 13, 2021: House Charges Trump with Incitement of Insurrection
On January 13, 2021, the House charged Donald Trump with incitement of insurrection following the January 6 Capitol attack.
February 2021: Release of tax records allowed
In February 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed Donald Trump's tax records to be released to the Manhattan district attorney for a criminal investigation.
May 2021: Adoption of "Big Lie" Terminology
In May 2021, Donald Trump and many of his supporters began using the term "big lie" to refer to the 2020 election itself, continuing to push false claims of election fraud.
2021: Capitol Attack and Second Impeachment
In 2021, Donald Trump attempted to overturn the 2020 election results, culminating in the January 6 Capitol attack. He was impeached for incitement of insurrection but acquitted by the Senate.
2021: Refugee Admissions Reduced to Record Low
In 2021, Donald Trump reduced the number of refugees admitted to the United States to a record low of 15,000, a significant drop from the 110,000 annual limit before he took office.
2021: Resignation from SAG-AFTRA
In 2021, Donald Trump, a member since 1989, resigned from SAG-AFTRA to avoid a disciplinary hearing regarding the January 6 attack.
November 2022: Twitter Account Reinstatement
In November 2022, Twitter reinstated Trump's account, which had been banned following the January 6 attack.
January 2023: Return to Facebook and Instagram
In January 2023, the two-year ban at Meta Platforms lapsed, allowing Trump to return to Facebook and Instagram.
2023: Liable in Civil Cases
In 2023, Donald Trump was found liable in civil cases for sexual abuse, defamation, and business fraud.
April 2024: Over 1,300 Children Not Confirmed Reunified with Families
By April 2024, 1,360 children separated from their families during the Trump administration's family separation policy had not been confirmed as reunified with their families.
May 2024: Guilty Verdict in Business Records Case
In May 2024, Donald Trump was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records, making him the first U.S. president convicted of a felony.
July 2024: Judge dismisses classified documents case
In July 2024, judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the case regarding Donald Trump's retention of classified documents, ruling that Special Counsel Jack Smith's appointment as special prosecutor was unconstitutional.
December 2024: Appeals court upholds ruling in E. Jean Carroll case
In December 2024, a federal appeals court upheld the finding that Donald Trump was liable for sexual abuse and defamation against E. Jean Carroll, as well as the monetary award.
2024: Support for Outlawing Political Dissent
By 2024, Trump repeatedly voiced support for outlawing political dissent and criticism, and said that reporters should be prosecuted for not divulging confidential sources.
2024: Increased Fearmongering During Campaign
During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump's rhetoric intensified with fearmongering and demagogy. He regularly vilified his political opponents.
2024: Promise to Release Epstein Files
During the 2024 campaign, Trump promised to release files relating to Jeffrey Epstein.
2024: Use of dehumanizing language and racial stereotypes during 2024 campaign
In 2024, during his presidential campaign, Trump made extensive use of dehumanizing language and racial stereotypes.
January 10, 2025: Trump receives no-penalty sentence in hush-money case
On January 10, 2025, the judge in Donald Trump's hush-money case gave him a no-penalty sentence, known as an unconditional discharge, stating that punitive requirements would interfere with presidential immunity.
February 2025: Contentious meeting with Ukrainian President
In February 2025, Donald Trump and Vice President Vance berated Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a highly contentious televised meeting.
March 2025: Trump uses Alien Enemies Act to deport migrants
In March 2025, Donald Trump used the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport migrants without trial to be imprisoned at the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador.
July 2025: Defiance of judges and courts
By mid-July 2025, a Washington Post analysis found that Donald Trump defied judges and the courts in roughly one third of all cases against him, actions which were described by legal experts as unprecedented for any presidential administration.
August 2025: Appeals court upholds liability in Trump Organization case
In August 2025, the appeals court upheld Donald Trump's liability and nonmonetary penalties in the New York civil lawsuit accusing him of inflating the Trump Organization's value, but voided the monetary penalty as excessive.
September 2025: Appeals court upholds ruling in E. Jean Carroll case
In September 2025, a federal appeals court upheld the finding that Donald Trump was liable for sexual abuse and defamation against E. Jean Carroll, as well as the monetary award.
November 2025: Pardon of former Honduran president
In November 2025, Donald Trump pardoned former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández, who had been extradited to the U.S. in 2022 and sentenced to 45 years in prison for drug trafficking.
November 2025: Case dismissed in Fulton County, Georgia
In November 2025, the case in Fulton County, Georgia, where Donald Trump was indicted on 13 charges for his efforts to subvert the 2020 election, was dismissed after the new prosecutor declined to pursue the charges.
December 2025: Release of Redacted Epstein Files
In December 2025, some files relating to Jeffrey Epstein were released, mostly heavily redacted, under pressure following Trump's 2024 promise.
January 2026: Capture of Venezuelan president
In January 2026, the U.S. captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro in a military raid in Venezuela and took him to New York, where he was charged with drug trafficking.
January 2026: Operation Metro Surge leads to confrontations
In January 2026, the aggressive and hardline deportation campaign led to large nationwide protests and violent confrontations with migrants and protesters which increased in intensity following high-profile killings of U.S. citizens by federal agents during Operation Metro Surge.
February 2026: Authorization of Strikes on Iran
In February 2026, Donald Trump authorized joint U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran, which resulted in the 2026 Iran war.
February 2026: Supreme Court rules Trump's tariffs illegal
In February 2026, the Supreme Court ruled that the tariffs Donald Trump imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act were illegal.
2026: Release of Additional Epstein Files
In 2026, roughly three million additional pages of files related to Jeffrey Epstein were released. These included approximately 38,000 references to Trump, his wife, Mar-a-Lago, and other Trump-related terms, encompassing 'salacious information'.
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