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 and is currently running for president again in 2024. A Republican, Trump's presidency was marked by significant tax cuts, deregulation, and conservative judicial appointments. His policies and rhetoric on immigration, trade, and foreign policy were often controversial. Before entering politics, Trump built a real estate and branding empire. His career has been characterized by both successes and controversies, and he remains a prominent and polarizing figure in American public life.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1973: Countersuit against the U.S. government

In 1973, Roy Cohn helped Donald Trump countersue the U.S. government for $100 million over charges of discrimination at Trump's properties.

1984: Posing as John Barron

In 1984, Trump, posing as a Trump Organization official named "John Barron", tried to get a higher ranking on the Forbes 400 list.

1989: Central Park Jogger Case Advertisements

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 and Ivana Zelníčková divorced, following his affair with Marla Maples.

1991: Bankruptcy Protection Filing

In 1991, Donald Trump filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the Trump Taj Mahal.

1992: Formation of Shell Company

In 1992, Donald Trump formed a shell company with relatives to inflate rents and transfer assets from Fred Trump.

1994: Formation of Shell Company

In 1994, Donald Trump formed a shell company with relatives to inflate rents and transfer assets from Fred Trump.

2002: Continued Insistence of Guilt in Central Park Jogger Case

In 2002, even after the exoneration of the accused teenagers in the Central Park jogger case, Trump continued to insist on their guilt.

2005: Trump cofounded Trump University

In 2005, Donald Trump cofounded Trump University, a company that sold real estate seminars for up to $35,000.

2005: "Hot Mic" Recording

In 2005, Trump was recorded on a "hot mic" bragging about kissing and groping women without their consent.

2009: Bankruptcy Protection Filing

In 2009, Donald Trump filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts company.

2010: Trump University changed its name

In 2010, after New York State authorities notified the company that its use of "university" violated state law because it was not an academic institution, Trump University's name was changed to the Trump Entrepreneur Initiative.

2011: Leading Proponent 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 State filed a civil suit against Trump University

In 2013, the State of New York filed a $40 million civil suit against Trump University, alleging that the company made false statements and defrauded consumers.

2014: Weakening of Sanctions after Crimea Annexation

Following the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea, the Trump administration weakened the toughest U.S. sanctions imposed.

June 2015: NBC and Univision dropped Miss Universe pageants

In June 2015, NBC and Univision dropped the Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA pageants in reaction to Donald Trump's comments about Mexican immigrants.

August 2015: Start of Criminal Cases Invoking Trump

Starting in August 2015 and up to April 2020, Trump's name was invoked in direct connection with violence or threats of violence in at least 54 criminal cases.

July 2016: FBI Launches Crossfire Hurricane

In July 2016, the FBI launched Crossfire Hurricane, an investigation into possible links between Russia and Trump's 2016 campaign.

October 2016: "Hot Mic" Recording Surfaces

In October 2016, a 2005 "hot mic" recording surfaced in which Trump bragged about kissing and groping women without their consent, leading to his first public apology during his 2016 presidential campaign.

October 2016: Portions of Trump's 1995 state filings leaked

In October 2016, portions of Donald Trump's state filings for 1995 were leaked to a reporter from The New York Times, showing that he had declared a loss of $916 million that year.

December 2016: Trump's team announced the Donald J. Trump Foundation would be dissolved

In December 2016, Donald Trump's team announced that the Donald J. Trump Foundation would be dissolved amid scrutiny and potential legal violations.

2016: Trump agreed to pay $25 million to settle Trump University cases

Shortly after he won the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump agreed to pay a total of $25 million to settle three cases related to Trump University.

January 2017: Travel Ban Executive Order

In January 2017, President Trump signed an executive order that denied entry to citizens from six Muslim-majority countries for four months and from Syria indefinitely. This order led to widespread protests and legal challenges.

January 2017: 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 Trump.

February 2017: Seizure of Medical Records

In February 2017, three of Trump's agents seized Harold Bornstein's medical records.

May 2017: FBI Opens Second Investigation into Trump's Dealings with Russia

After Trump fired Comey in May 2017, the FBI opened a second investigation into Trump's personal and business dealings with Russia.

May 2017: Firing of FBI Director James Comey

In May 2017, Trump dismissed Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director James Comey, citing concerns about Comey's role in the Trump-Russia investigations.

December 2017: Supreme Court Allows Revised Travel Ban

In December 2017, the Supreme Court allowed the revised version of Trump's travel ban to go into effect while legal challenges continued.

2017: Implementation of Family Separation Policy

From 2017, the Trump administration implemented a family separation policy that separated over 4,400 children from migrant parents at the U.S.-Mexico border.

2017: Comments on Unite the Right Rally

In 2017, Trump's comments on the Unite the Right rally, condemning "this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides" and stating that there were "very fine people on both sides", were criticized as implying a moral equivalence between the white supremacist demonstrators and the counter-protesters.

January 2018: Racist Remarks about Immigration

In January 2018, during a discussion of immigration legislation, Trump reportedly referred to El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, and African nations as "shithole countries", remarks condemned as racist.

June 2018: End of Family Separation Policy

In June 2018, amid public outcry, President Trump mandated that illegal immigrant families be detained together, effectively ending the family separation policy at the U.S.-Mexico border.

June 2018: New York attorney general's office filed a civil suit against the Donald J. 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.

December 2018: Government Shutdown over Border Wall Funding

In December 2018, Trump's refusal to sign any spending bill unless it allocated funding for the U.S.-Mexico border wall resulted in the longest federal government shutdown in history.

2018: Lawsuits

By 2018, Donald Trump had been involved in more than 4,000 lawsuits, liens, and other filings.

2018: Bornstein's Statement on Letter Contents

In 2018, Harold Bornstein said Trump had dictated the contents of the 2015 letter about his health.

2018: Start of Trade War with China

In 2018, Trump began a trade war with China after imposing tariffs and other trade barriers.

March 2019: Release of Mueller Report

In March 2019, Mueller's final report found that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to favor Trump and that Trump and his campaign welcomed and encouraged the effort, but that the evidence "did not establish" that Trump campaign members conspired or coordinated with Russia.

July 2019: House Resolution Condemning Racist Remarks

In July 2019, a House of Representatives resolution condemned Trump for racist remarks about four minority Democratic congresswomen.

July 2019: Whistleblower Complaint Regarding Ukraine

In July 2019, a whistleblower complaint alleged that Trump had pressured Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden.

November 2019: Trump ordered to pay $2 million for misusing foundation's funds

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, in part to finance his presidential campaign.

December 2019: House Votes to Impeach Trump

In December 2019, the House voted to impeach Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress related to his dealings with Ukraine.

2019: Impeachment

In 2019, Donald Trump was impeached for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress; he was later acquitted by the Senate.

2019: E. Jean Carroll Accusation and Defamation Lawsuit

In 2019, journalist E. Jean Carroll accused Trump of raping her in the 1990s and sued him for defamation over his denial.

2019: Supreme Court Upholds Travel Ban

In 2019, the Supreme Court ultimately upheld the Trump administration's travel ban.

February 2020: Senate Acquits Trump in First Impeachment Trial

In February 2020, the Senate acquitted Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

April 2020: End of ABC News Review Period for Criminal Cases Invoking Trump

Ending in April 2020, an ABC News 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: ABC News Review of Criminal Cases Invoking Trump

In May 2020, an ABC News review identified at least 54 criminal cases, from August 2015 to April 2020, in which Trump was invoked in connection with violence or threats of violence.

June 2020: Lafayette Square Protests and Photo Op

In June 2020, during the George Floyd protests, federal law-enforcement officials used tear gas to remove protesters from Lafayette Square, after which Trump posed with a Bible at St. John's Episcopal Church.

August 2020: Attempted rollback of anti-discrimination protections halted

In August 2020, Donald Trump's attempted rollback of anti-discrimination protections for transgender patients was halted by a federal judge after a Supreme Court ruling extended employees' civil rights protections to gender identity and sexual orientation.

November 2020: Joe Biden Wins the 2020 Election

In November 2020, Joe Biden won the election, receiving 81.3 million votes to Trump's 74.2 million. Trump baselessly alleged election fraud.

2020: Promotion of Conspiracy Theories After Election Defeat

After the 2020 presidential election, Trump promoted conspiracy theories for his defeat that were characterized as "the big lie".

2020: Sexual Misconduct Accusations

As of 2020, 26 women have publicly accused Trump of sexual misconduct.

2020: 2020 presidential election overturning attempts

In 2020, Donald Trump attempted to overturn the results of the presidential election.

2020: 2020 presidential election

In 2020, Donald Trump lost the presidential election to Joe Biden.

2020: Attacks on Election Practices and Disinformation about COVID-19

In 2020, Trump's attacks on mail-in ballots weakened public faith in the integrity of the presidential election, and his disinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic delayed and weakened the national response.

2020: COVID-19 Pandemic response

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Donald Trump downplayed its severity, contradicted health officials, and signed the CARES Act.

2020: False Claims Concerning the 2020 Election

Upon leaving the White House, Trump began living at Mar-a-Lago, and his continuing false claims concerning the 2020 election were commonly referred to as the "big lie" by his critics

January 6, 2021: Capitol Attack

On January 6, 2021, Trump held a rally and urged his supporters to march to the Capitol, resulting in a mob breaking into the building, disrupting certification of the election results, and causing multiple injuries and deaths.

January 13, 2021: House Charges Trump with Incitement of Insurrection

On January 13, 2021, the House of Representatives charged Trump with incitement of insurrection related to the January 6 Capitol attack.

February 2021: Supreme Court allowed Trump's tax records to be released

In February 2021, after a lengthy court battle, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed Donald Trump's tax records and other documents to be released to the Manhattan district attorney for a criminal investigation.

May 2021: Trump Supporters Begin Using 'Big Lie' Term

In May 2021, Trump and many of his supporters began using the term "big lie" to refer to the 2020 election itself.

2021: Trump resigned from SAG-AFTRA

In 2021, Donald Trump, who had been a member since 1989, resigned from SAG-AFTRA to avoid a disciplinary hearing regarding the January 6 attack; two days later, the union permanently barred him.

2021: January 6 Capitol attack

In 2021, the January 6 Capitol attack happened after Donald Trump attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election result.

2021: Refugee Admissions Reduced to Record Lows

In 2021, the Trump administration reduced the number of refugees admitted to the United States to a record low of 15,000, down from an annual limit of 110,000 before he took office.

January 2022: National Archives retrieves documents

In January 2022, the National Archives and Records Administration retrieved 15 boxes of documents, some classified, that Donald Trump had taken to Mar-a-Lago after leaving the White House.

August 8, 2022: FBI searches Mar-a-Lago

On August 8, 2022, FBI agents searched Mar-a-Lago and collected 11 sets of classified documents, some marked top secret, for illegally held documents including those in breach of the Espionage Act.

December 2022: House committee recommends criminal charges

In December 2022, the U.S. House committee on the January 6th attack recommended criminal charges against Donald Trump for obstructing an official proceeding, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and inciting or assisting an insurrection related to the 2020 election.

2022: Carroll Sues Trump Again

In 2022, E. Jean Carroll sued Trump again for battery and further defamation related to the rape accusation and his denial.

2022: New York Files Civil Lawsuit Against Trump

In 2022, New York filed a civil lawsuit against Trump accusing him of inflating the Trump Organization's value to gain an advantage with lenders and banks.

March 2023: Campaign diverts donations to leadership PAC

In March 2023, Donald Trump's campaign began diverting ten percent of donations to his leadership PAC.

June 2023: Trump indicted by Special Counsel Jack Smith

In June 2023, Donald Trump was indicted on 31 counts of "willfully retaining national defense information" under the Espionage Act by a federal grand jury constituted by Special Counsel Jack Smith. Trump pleaded not guilty.

August 2023: Indictment in Fulton County, Georgia

In August 2023, a grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia, indicted Donald Trump on 13 charges, including racketeering, for his efforts to subvert the 2020 election in the state.

2023: Liable in Civil Cases

In 2023, Donald Trump was found liable in civil cases for sexual abuse and defamation and for business fraud.

March 2024: Campaign legal bills

By March 2024, Donald Trump's campaign had paid $100 million towards his legal bills.

April 2024: Status of Reunification of Separated Migrant Children

By April 2024, 1,360 children who were separated from their families under the Trump administration's policy had not been confirmed as reunified with their families.

May 2024: Trump convicted on 34 felony counts

In May 2024, Donald Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels.

July 2024: Case Dismissed by Judge Aileen Cannon

In July 2024, Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the case against Donald Trump, ruling Special Counsel Jack Smith's appointment as special prosecutor was unconstitutional.

December 2024: Federal Appeals Courts Upholds Findings and Awards in Carroll Case

In December 2024, Federal appeals courts upheld both findings and awards in Carroll Case.

2024: Support for Outlawing Political Dissent and Criticism

By 2024, Trump repeatedly voiced support for outlawing political dissent and criticism, and said that reporters should be prosecuted.

2024: Guilty Verdict

In 2024, Donald Trump was found guilty in 34 counts of falsifying business records, making him the first U.S. president convicted of a felony. After winning the 2024 presidential election against Vice President Kamala Harris, he was sentenced to a discharge, and two federal felony indictments against him for retention of classified documents and obstruction of the 2020 election were dismissed without prejudice.

2024: IRS Investigation

In 2024, The New York Times and ProPublica reported that the Internal Revenue Service was investigating whether Donald Trump had twice written off losses incurred through construction cost overruns and lagging sales of residential units in the Trump International Hotel and Tower.

2024: Use of Dehumanizing Language and Racial Stereotypes

In 2024, Trump's campaign made extensive use of dehumanizing language and racial stereotypes.

2024: Promise to Release Epstein Files

In 2024, during his campaign, Trump promised to release files relating to Jeffrey Epstein.

January 10, 2025: No-penalty sentence given

On January 10, 2025, Donald Trump received a no-penalty sentence, an unconditional discharge, with the judge stating punitive requirements would interfere with presidential immunity.

February 2025: Mass job terminations of federal employees

By late February 2025, the Trump administration had fired more than 30,000 federal employees.

February 2025: Confrontation with Ukrainian president

In February 2025, Donald Trump and Vice President Vance berated Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a highly contentious televised meeting.

February 2025: Elon Musk as a special government employee

In February 2025, the White House stated that Elon Musk was a special government employee and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) gained access to many federal government agencies.

March 2025: Imprisonment of illegal immigrants

In March 2025, Donald Trump used the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to imprison illegal immigrants without trial 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.

July 2025: One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law

In July 2025, Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law, making the tax cuts of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent and adding additional tax deductions.

August 2025: Appeals Court Upholds Liability but Voids Monetary Penalty

In August 2025, the appeals court upheld Trump's liability and nonmonetary penalties but voided the monetary penalty as excessive.

September 2025: Federal Appeals Courts Upholds Findings and Awards in Carroll Case

In September 2025, Federal appeals courts upheld both findings and awards in Carroll Case.

November 2025: Pardon of Juan Orlando Hernández

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.

December 2025: Release of Heavily Redacted Epstein Files

In December 2025, Trump's administration released files relating to Epstein, mostly heavily redacted.

January 2026: Lawsuits against Trump's orders and actions

As of mid-January 2026, Donald Trump's orders and actions had been challenged in over 550 lawsuits nationwide.

January 2026: Withdrawal of threats towards Greenland

In January 2026, Donald Trump appeared to withdraw both threats, stating that he had reached "the framework of a future deal" with NATO.

January 2026: Capture of Nicolás Maduro

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

In January 2026, the deportation campaign led to violent confrontations and increased in intensity following high-profile killings of U.S. citizens by federal agents during Operation Metro Surge.