The Campaign
Against Trump

Internal DNC emails published by WikiLeaks in July 2016 revealed DNC staff coordinating against Bernie Sanders during the primary — including discussing using his Jewish faith against him in Southern states. DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned as a direct result. The DNC later settled a class-action lawsuit brought by Sanders donors.

The Clinton campaign and DNC hired law firm Perkins Coie, which retained opposition research firm Fusion GPS, which hired former British spy Christopher Steele to compile a dossier on Trump's alleged Russia connections. The funding arrangement was initially concealed. The FEC later fined the Clinton campaign and DNC a combined $113,000 for failing to accurately disclose payments.

Then-CNN contributor and DNC interim chair Donna Brazile shared at least two debate questions with the Clinton campaign prior to a CNN town hall and a primary debate. CNN terminated her contract. Brazile initially denied it, then admitted it in her 2017 book Hacks, writing she felt "a sense of shame" about her actions.

The FBI opened a counterintelligence investigation called "Crossfire Hurricane" on July 31, 2016 — 99 days before the election. The investigation targeted four Trump campaign associates: Carter Page, Paul Manafort, Flynn, and Papadopoulos. The DOJ Inspector General later found the predication was "adequate" but identified 17 significant errors and omissions in FISA warrant applications, including an FBI lawyer who falsified an email to obtain a surveillance warrant on Carter Page.

Declassified records show Obama administration officials — including Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power, National Security Advisor Susan Rice, and VP Joe Biden — made requests to unmask the identities of Trump transition officials who appeared in intelligence intercepts. Power made 97 unmasking requests in 2016 alone, more than any ambassador in history. Rice submitted unmasking requests the day before Trump's inauguration.

NSA intercepts of incoming National Security Advisor Michael Flynn's calls with Russian Ambassador Kislyak were leaked to the Washington Post — itself a federal felony. Flynn was later prosecuted for lying to FBI agents about the calls. His case was subsequently dropped by DOJ after it emerged the FBI had debated whether the interview's purpose was to get Flynn to lie. Judge Emmet Sullivan refused to dismiss for over a year, prompting an extraordinary mandamus appeal. Flynn was ultimately pardoned by Trump.

Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein appointed Robert Mueller as Special Counsel on May 17, 2017 following the firing of FBI Director James Comey. The investigation ran 674 days, employed 19 attorneys and 40 FBI agents, issued 2,800 subpoenas, executed 500 search warrants, interviewed 500 witnesses, and obtained 230 orders for communication records. Final report found no evidence of criminal conspiracy or coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Major media outlets ran hundreds of stories asserting or strongly implying Trump-Russia collusion as established fact before Mueller concluded his investigation. CNN, MSNBC, and others promoted claims later found to be unsubstantiated. The Pulitzer Prize board awarded prizes for Russia coverage to the New York Times and Washington Post in 2018. After Mueller's no-collusion finding, no prizes were returned and no significant corrections were issued. Media organizations dispute the characterization that their coverage was inaccurate.

During a September 26, 2019 House Intelligence Committee hearing, Chairman Adam Schiff read aloud what he described as the "essence" of Trump's call with Ukrainian President Zelensky — but the version he read was fabricated, containing language not in the actual transcript. When challenged, Schiff called it a "parody." The actual transcript had been publicly released by the White House the day prior.

The House voted to impeach Trump on two articles — abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — on December 18, 2019. The Senate voted to acquit on both articles on February 5, 2020. It was the third presidential impeachment in U.S. history. Zero Republican senators voted to convict.

Days before the 2020 election, 51 former intelligence officials signed a public letter stating the Hunter Biden laptop story had "all the hallmarks of Russian disinformation." Twitter and Facebook used the letter to justify suppressing the New York Post story. The laptop was subsequently authenticated by the DOJ, FBI, and multiple independent forensic analysts. Several signatories later acknowledged they had no actual evidence of Russian disinformation when they signed. The letter was organized with assistance from Biden campaign advisor Antony Blinken, later confirmed in congressional testimony by former CIA Deputy Director Mike Morell.

Internal documents released through the "Twitter Files" (2022–2023) and the Missouri v. Biden lawsuit (later Murthy v. Missouri) revealed extensive coordination between federal agencies — including the FBI, DHS, and White House — and social media platforms to flag and remove content. A federal district court found the government had likely violated the First Amendment. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled on standing grounds without reaching the First Amendment merits.

Trump was impeached a second time on January 13, 2021 — one week before leaving office — on a charge of incitement of insurrection. He was acquitted by the Senate on February 13, 2021, with 57 senators voting to convict — 10 short of the required 67. Seven Republican senators voted to convict. It was the first impeachment of a president after leaving office and raised unresolved constitutional questions about Senate jurisdiction over a former official.

The January 6 Select Committee held public hearings and issued a final report recommending criminal referrals. Republican members and critics alleged the committee operated one-sidedly — no cross-examination, selective presentation of evidence, and exclusion of exculpatory testimony. Secret Service texts from Jan 5–6 were deleted after the committee requested them, which the DHS Inspector General referred to DOJ. Ray Epps, seen on video urging people to enter the Capitol, was initially on the FBI's most wanted list, then removed, then interviewed without charges — a sequence that remains unexplained by the committee's public record.

The FBI executed a search warrant at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence on August 8, 2022, removing boxes of documents. Special Counsel Jack Smith later indicted Trump on 37 federal counts related to document retention. The case was ultimately dismissed by Judge Aileen Cannon in July 2024, who ruled Smith's appointment was unconstitutional. The Supreme Court did not reinstate it. Biden's handling of classified documents in his garage and office was also investigated; Special Counsel Hur declined to prosecute, describing Biden as a "sympathetic, elderly man with a poor memory."

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg indicted Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records, using a novel legal theory that elevated misdemeanor charges to felonies by tying them to an alleged federal campaign finance violation — a theory the federal government had declined to pursue. Bragg had campaigned on prosecuting Trump. The case was tried during the 2024 presidential campaign. Trump was convicted on all 34 counts. Sentencing was repeatedly delayed. The judge ultimately imposed an unconditional discharge — no prison, no probation, no fine — in January 2025, widely interpreted as an acknowledgment of the case's unprecedented nature.

Fulton County DA Fani Willis indicted Trump and 18 co-defendants on RICO and other charges related to alleged efforts to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results. The case was significantly complicated when it emerged that Willis had a romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, the special prosecutor she hired to lead the case, and that both had initially denied the relationship under oath before acknowledging it. A judge allowed Willis to remain on the case after Wade resigned. The case remained largely stalled through 2025 pending appeals on Willis's disqualification.

The Colorado Supreme Court ruled 4-3 in December 2023 that Trump was disqualified from the state's primary ballot under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. Maine's Secretary of State made a similar administrative ruling. Multiple other states considered similar actions. The U.S. Supreme Court reversed the Colorado ruling unanimously in Trump v. Anderson (March 2024), holding that states cannot enforce Section 3 disqualification of federal candidates — only Congress can.

On July 13, 2024, a shooter opened fire at Trump's Butler, Pennsylvania rally. Trump was struck by a bullet that grazed his ear. One rallygoer was killed, two others critically wounded. The shooter was killed by Secret Service. Congressional investigations revealed significant Secret Service security failures including denied requests for additional protection. On September 15, 2024, a second suspect was arrested at Trump's West Palm Beach golf course with a weapon in the treeline. Both incidents led to the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle.