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 member of the Republican Party, he is also the 47th President of the United States.
1973: Countersues the U.S. Government
In 1973, with the help of Roy Cohn, Donald Trump countersued the U.S. government for $100 million over charges of racially discriminatory practices in his properties.
1984: Trump Poses as 'John Barron'
In 1984, Donald 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 of wealthy Americans.
1985: USFL Folded After Attempt to Move to Fall Schedule
In 1985, after the season, the United States Football League folded, largely due to Donald Trump's attempt to move to a fall schedule.
1989: Central Park jogger case
In 1989, Trump insisted that a group of five black and Latino teenagers were guilty of raping a white woman in the Central Park jogger case.
1991: First bankruptcy protection
In 1991, Donald Trump began filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for six of his businesses.
1991: Defaults on Trump Shuttle Loans
In 1991, Donald Trump defaulted on his loans for the Trump Shuttle, and ownership passed to the banks.
1991: Trump Taj Mahal Bankruptcy
In 1991, Donald Trump filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the Trump Taj Mahal.
1992: Formation of All County Building Supply & Maintenance Corp.
In 1992, Donald Trump, along with his siblings and cousin, formed All County Building Supply & Maintenance Corp., which is alleged to have been a shell company for marking up vendor costs.
1992: Casinos File for Bankruptcy Protection
In 1992, both Trump Castle and Trump Plaza casinos filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
1992: Plaza Hotel Bankruptcy
In 1992, the Plaza Hotel filed for bankruptcy protection, and the banks took control of the property.
1995: Defaults on Bank Loans
In 1995, Donald Trump defaulted on over $3 billion of bank loans, leading lenders to seize the Plaza Hotel and other properties.
1995: Leak of Trump's 1995 State Filings
In October 2016, portions of Donald Trump's state filings for 1995 were leaked to a reporter from The New York Times, showing he had declared a loss of $916 million that year.
2004: THCR Bankruptcy
In 2004, Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts (THCR) went bankrupt, leaving Donald Trump with 10 percent ownership.
2005: Cofounding of 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: Filing for bankruptcy protection
In 2009, Donald Trump ended the period where he filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for six of his businesses.
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 State Files 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. Two class actions were also filed in federal court.
2014: Trump weakened sanctions imposed after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.
Trump weakened the toughest U.S. sanctions imposed after Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea.
June 2015: NBC and Univision Drop Pageants
In June 2015, NBC and Univision dropped the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants in reaction to Donald Trump's comments about Mexican immigrants.
July 2016: FBI launched Crossfire Hurricane
In July 2016, the FBI launched Crossfire Hurricane, an investigation into possible links between Russia and Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.
September 2016: Acknowledgment of Obama's U.S. birth
In September 2016, Trump acknowledged that Barack Obama was born in the U.S., although he reportedly expressed birther views privately in 2017.
October 2016: Surface of 'hot mic' recording
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.
October 2016: Leak of Trump's 1995 State Filings
In October 2016, portions of Donald Trump's state filings for 1995 were leaked to a reporter from The New York Times, showing he had declared a loss of $916 million that year.
December 2016: Announcement of the Donald J. Trump Foundation dissolution
In December 2016, Donald Trump's team announced that The Donald J. Trump Foundation would be dissolved.
2016: Urging or praising physical attacks
During his 2016 campaign, Trump urged or praised physical attacks against protesters or reporters.
2016: Trump supports interrogation torture methods
In 2016, Trump said he supported the use of interrogation torture methods such as waterboarding.
2016: Trump's 2016 Campaign Platform
In 2016, during his campaign, Donald Trump described NATO as "obsolete" and espoused noninterventionist and protectionist views. His platform emphasized renegotiating U.S.–China relations and free trade agreements, enforcing immigration laws, pursuing energy independence, and other policies.
2016: Settlement of Trump University Lawsuits
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.
2016: Cover up with Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election
The case stemmed from evidence that he booked Michael Cohen's hush-money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels as business expenses to cover up his alleged 2006–2007 affair with Daniels during the 2016 election.
2016: Trump used "rigged election" and "election interference"
Trump mentioned "rigged election" and "election interference" earlier and more frequently than in the 2016 and 2020 campaigns.
January 2017: Trump signs executive order temporarily denying entry to citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries
In January 2017, Trump signed an executive order that temporarily denied entry to citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries, resulting in protests and legal challenges.
January 2017: Intelligence agencies reported 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.
May 2017: Trump dismisses FBI director James Comey
In May 2017, Trump dismissed FBI director James Comey, saying a few days later that he was concerned about Comey's role in the Trump–Russia investigations.
May 2017: FBI opened second investigation after Comey firing
In May 2017, after Trump fired Comey, the FBI opened a second investigation into Trump's personal and business dealings with Russia.
2017: Private birther views
In 2017, Trump reportedly expressed 'birther' views privately, despite having acknowledged in September 2016 that Barack Obama was born in the U.S.
2017: Trump 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: Trump reportedly refers to some nations as "shithole countries"
In a January 2018 discussion of immigration legislation, Trump reportedly referred to El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, and African nations as "shithole countries", resulting in widespread condemnation as racist.
June 2018: Trump mandates migrant families be detained together
In June 2018, Trump acceded to public pressure and mandated that migrant families be detained together unless "there is a concern" of risk for the child, after initially blaming Democrats and insisting he could not stop the family separation policy with an executive order.
June 2018: New York Attorney General's Office Files Civil Suit 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.
June 2018: Trump administration argues to eliminate Obamacare
In June 2018, the Trump administration joined 18 Republican-led states in arguing before the Supreme Court that the elimination of the financial penalties associated with the individual mandate had rendered the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional. Their pleading would have eliminated health insurance coverage for up to 23 million Americans, but was unsuccessful.
December 2018: The Donald J. Trump Foundation Ceases Operation
In December 2018, The Donald J. Trump Foundation ceased operation and disbursed its assets to other charities.
2018: Public perception of Trump as racist
In a 2018 national poll, about half of respondents said Trump is racist, with a greater proportion believing that he emboldened racists.
March 2019: Mueller submitted final report
In March 2019, Robert Mueller submitted his final report, finding that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to favor Trump, and that Trump's campaign welcomed the effort, but the evidence did not establish a conspiracy.
April 2019: House Oversight Committee issued subpoenas
In April 2019, the House Oversight Committee issued subpoenas seeking financial details from Trump's banks, Deutsche Bank and Capital One, and his accounting firm, Mazars USA.
July 2019: Trump tweets that Democratic congresswomen should "go back"
In July 2019, Trump tweeted that four Democratic congresswomen—all minorities, three of whom are native-born Americans—should "go back" to the countries they "came from", leading to condemnation and praise from white nationalist publications.
November 2019: Trump Ordered to Pay $2 Million for Misusing Foundation 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 voted to impeach Trump
In December 2019, the House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress related to his dealings with Ukraine.
2019: First 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 accused Trump of rape
In 2019, journalist E. Jean Carroll accused Trump of raping her in the 1990s and sued him for defamation over his denial.
January 2020: Trump expresses willingness to consider cuts to Medicare and other social safety-net programs
In January 2020, despite promising to protect funding for Medicare and other social safety-net programs during the 2016 campaign, Trump expressed willingness to consider cuts to them.
February 2020: Senate acquitted Trump
In February 2020, the Senate acquitted Trump on the impeachment charges brought by the House of Representatives.
April 2020: Trump halts funding of the World Health Organization
In April 2020, after weeks of attacks to draw attention away from his slow response to COVID-19, Trump halted funding of the World Health Organization.
May 2020: Twitter fact-checks Trump's tweets
In May 2020, Twitter began attaching fact-checks to tweets in which Trump made false claims.
May 2020: ABC News Review of Criminal Cases Invoking Trump
In May 2020, a nationwide review by ABC News 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.
June 2020: Controversial removal of protesters from Lafayette Square
In June 2020, during the George Floyd protests, federal law-enforcement officials controversially removed a largely peaceful crowd of lawful protesters from Lafayette Square, outside the White House. Trump then posed with a Bible for a photo-op at the nearby St. John's Episcopal Church, with religious leaders condemning both the treatment of protesters and the photo opportunity itself.
August 2020: Attempted rollback of anti-discrimination protections halted
In August 2020, 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: Biden won the election
In November 2020, Joe Biden won the election, receiving 81.3 million votes to Trump's 74.2 million, and 306 electoral votes to Trump's 232. Trump alleged election fraud.
December 2020: Reports of U.S. military on "red alert"
In December 2020, reports surfaced that the U.S. military was on "red alert," and ranking officers had discussed potential actions if Trump declared martial law. Concerns arose among officials like Mark Milley and Gina Haspel regarding possible coup attempts or military actions.
2020: Cases dismissed after reelection
After his reelection, the 2020 election obstruction case and the classified documents case were dismissed without prejudice due to Justice Department policy against prosecuting sitting presidents.
2020: Promotion of conspiracy theories
After the 2020 presidential election, Trump promoted conspiracy theories for his defeat that were characterized as "the big lie".
2020: Loses Presidential Election
In 2020, Donald Trump lost the presidential election to Joe Biden and then attempted to overturn the results.
2020: Promotion of antimalarial drugs for COVID-19
In 2020, Trump promoted antimalarial drugs as a treatment for COVID-19, causing a U.S. shortage of these drugs and panic-buying in Africa and South Asia.
2020: Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election
In connection with Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his involvement in the January 6 attack, in December 2022 the U.S. House committee on the attack recommended criminal charges against him.
2020: Trump used "rigged election" and "election interference"
Trump mentioned "rigged election" and "election interference" earlier and more frequently than in the 2016 and 2020 campaigns.
2020: Lawsuits against media outlets
Trump's 2020 presidential campaign sued The New York Times, The Washington Post, and CNN for defamation in opinion pieces about his stance on Russian election interference, all of which were dismissed.
2020: Trump's continuing false claims concerning the 2020 election
Upon leaving the White House, Trump began living at Mar-a-Lago. His continuing false claims concerning the 2020 election were commonly referred to as the "big lie" by his critics.
January 6, 2021: Trump held a rally and his supporters attacked the Capitol
On January 6, 2021, Trump held a rally in Washington, D.C., urging his supporters to march to the Capitol. His supporters then attacked the Capitol building while Congress was certifying the presidential election results. He posted on social media but did not ask the rioters to disperse until 6 p.m., when he told them to "go home with love & in peace".
January 13, 2021: House charged Trump with incitement of insurrection
On January 13, 2021, the House charged Trump with incitement of insurrection following the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
February 2021: Supreme Court Allows Release of Trump's Tax Returns
In February 2021, after a lengthy court battle, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed Donald Trump's tax returns and other records to be released to the Manhattan district attorney for a criminal investigation.
May 2021: Trump used term "big lie" to refer to election
In May 2021, Trump began using the term "big lie" with his supporters to refer to the election itself.
2021: Second Impeachment
In 2021, Donald Trump was impeached for incitement of insurrection, but the Senate acquitted him.
2021: Resignation and Barring 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: Lawsuit against Meta
In 2021, Trump filed a lawsuit against Meta over his suspension.
2021: January 6 Capitol Attack
In 2021, after attempting to overturn the 2020 election results, the January 6 Capitol attack occurred.
January 2022: National Archives retrieved documents from Mar-a-Lago
In January 2022, the National Archives and Records Administration retrieved 15 boxes of documents, some classified, that Trump had taken to Mar-a-Lago after leaving the White House.
July 2022: Trump continued to pressure state legislators to overturn the election
As of July 2022, Trump continued to pressure state legislators to overturn the 2020 election results.
August 8, 2022: FBI searched Mar-a-Lago
On August 8, 2022, FBI agents searched Mar-a-Lago for illegally held documents, including those in breach of the Espionage Act, collecting 11 sets of classified documents, some marked top secret.
September 2022: Settlement reached with Mazars USA
In September 2022, Trump and the House Oversight Committee reached a settlement regarding Mazars USA, and the firm began turning over documents.
December 2022: House committee recommended criminal charges against Trump
In December 2022, the U.S. House committee recommended criminal charges against Trump for obstructing an official proceeding, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and inciting or assisting an insurrection.
2022: Carroll sued Trump again
In 2022, E. Jean Carroll sued Trump again for battery and more defamation, and New York filed a civil lawsuit against Trump accusing him of inflating the Trump Organization's value.
March 2023: Campaign began diverting donations
In March 2023, Trump's campaign began diverting 10 percent of donations to his leadership PAC.
June 2023: Trump indicted on Espionage Act charges
In June 2023, Special Counsel Jack Smith indicted Trump on 31 counts of "willfully retaining national defense information" under the Espionage Act, among other charges.
August 2023: Trump indicted in Georgia
In August 2023, Trump was indicted on 13 charges, including racketeering, by a grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia for his efforts to subvert the 2020 election in the state.
December 2023: Colorado Supreme Court ruled Trump disqualified
In December 2023, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled Trump disqualified for the Colorado Republican primary for his role in inciting the January 6, 2021, attack on Congress.
2023: Civil Case Liabilities
In 2023, Donald Trump was found liable in civil cases for sexual abuse, defamation, and business fraud.
May 2024: Trump convicted on 34 felony counts
In May 2024, Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election.
July 13, 2024: Trump shot in assassination attempt
On July 13, 2024, Trump was shot in the ear in an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler Township, Pennsylvania.
July 2024: Judge dismissed case
In July 2024, judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the case, ruling Smith's appointment as special prosecutor was unconstitutional.
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 and media companies should possibly lose their broadcast licenses for unfavorable coverage of him.
2024: False attacks against Kamala Harris
During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump made false attacks against the racial identity of his opponent, Kamala Harris, described as reminiscent of the birther conspiracy theory.
2024: Conviction for Falsifying Business Records
In 2024, Donald Trump was found guilty of falsifying business records, becoming the first U.S. president convicted of a felony. Subsequently, after winning the 2024 presidential election against Kamala Harris, he was sentenced to a penalty-free discharge, and two other felony indictments against him were dismissed.
2024: IRS Investigation Reported
In 2024, The New York Times and ProPublica reported that the Internal Revenue Service was investigating Donald Trump for potentially writing off losses improperly.
2024: Trump calls Meta 'enemy of the people'
In 2024, Trump continued to call Meta an "enemy of the people".
2024: Defamation lawsuit related to Central Park jogger case
In 2024, the men exonerated in the Central Park jogger case sued Trump for defamation after he said in a televised debate that they had committed the crime.
2024: Trump refused to commit to accepting the 2024 election results
Trump mentioned "rigged election" and "election interference" earlier and more frequently than in the 2016 and 2020 campaigns and refused to commit to accepting the 2024 election results.
January 10, 2025: Judge gave Trump a no-penalty sentence
On January 10, 2025, the judge gave Trump a no-penalty sentence known as an unconditional discharge.
January 2025: Meta settlement
In January 2025, Meta agreed to pay $25 million to settle a 2021 lawsuit filed by Trump over his suspension.
January 20, 2025: Trump began his second term
On January 20, 2025, Trump began his second term upon his inauguration, becoming the oldest individual to assume the presidency and the first president with a felony conviction.
March 2025: Attempt to use Alien Enemies Act to deport migrants
In March 2025, Trump attempted to use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 for the first time since World War II to deport migrants, but was temporarily blocked by a federal judge.
Mentioned in this timeline
Ukraine is an Eastern European country the second largest on...
Stormy Daniels born Stephanie A Gregory Clifford is an American...
E Jean Carroll is an American journalist author and advice...
Martial law is the imposition of military rule in place...
Washington D C the capital of the United States is...
The White House located at Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington...
Trending
10 minutes ago Eric Andre Regrets Turning Down Kieran Culkin's 'A Real Pain' Role
10 minutes ago Georgia Man Arrested for Threatening Trump, Gabbard and Other US Officials
10 minutes ago Global Fight League faces collapse, inaugural events cancelled, Paige VanZant announces free agency.
11 minutes ago Ilia Topuria Possibly to Face Oliveira After UFC Vegas Broadcast Error Hinted at Move
28 days ago Alexandra Daddario stuns in sheer dress at Tag Heuer's Formula 1 Melbourne event.
11 minutes ago MobLand's Global Success: 8 Million Viewers, Record Debut on Paramount+, Guy Ritchie Series
Popular
Doug Ford is a Canadian politician and businessman currently serving...
Peter Navarro is an American economist and author known for...
Justin Trudeau served as the rd Prime Minister of Canada...
The Real ID Act of is a US federal law...
Donald John Trump is an American politician media personality and...
Michael Jordan also known as MJ is a celebrated American...