145 Things Donald Trump Did in His First Year as the Most Consequential Former President Ever – POLITICO
He preemptively called the California recall election probably rigged.
On Sept. 11, he did not join three other former presidents at the National 9/11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan. He did not speak at Shanksville, Pennsylvania, like a fourth former president, George W. Bush, who cited the unity of America in the immediate aftermath of the attacks of 20 years back and lamented the lack of that now. A malign force, Bush said, seems at work in our common life that turns every disagreement into an argument, and every argument into a clash of cultures. So much of our politics has become a naked appeal to anger, fear and resentment.
Trump?
Trump appeared via taped video at a conference at the Unification Church, better known as the Moonies cult, and made a visit to a fire and police station in New York, where he began his opening remarks by criticizing Joe Biden for fleeing Afghanistan, repeating the lie that the election was rigged, and suggesting very strongly that he will run for president in 2024, as my colleague Ruby Cramer wrote. By nightfall, he was at a South Florida casino delivering several hours of commentary on four boxing matches for Triller Fight Club in an alternate telecast available for $49.99 on pay-per-view.
"The World Trade Center came down during his watch. Bush led a failed and uninspiring presidency. He shouldnt be lecturing anybody!"
Donald J. Trump
He heard Bush. Bush, Trump said, led a failed and uninspired presidency. He shouldnt be lecturing anybody.
He called Mark Milley a Dumbass.
He relished the news that Anthony Gonzalez was not going to run for reelection the first of the 10 House Republicans who voted for impeachment to bow out. Gonzalez in making his announcement had called Trump a cancer for the country.
RINO Congressman Anthony Gonzalez, who has poorly represented his district in the Great State of Ohio, has decided to quit after enduring a tremendous loss of popularity, of which he had little, since his ill-informed and otherwise very stupid impeachment vote against the sitting President of the United States, me, Trump said.
1 down, 9 to go! he added.
"1 down, 9 to go"
Donald J. Trump
He sued his niece and the reporters she helped.
He sued Twitter to try to get his account turned back on.
"Massive fraud was found in the Arizona Forensic Audit, sometimes referred to as 'Fraudit.' The numbers are Election Changing!"
Donald J. Trump
He doubled down on the lie that he had won even after an audit in Arizona confirmed that he lost. The Fake News is lying about the Arizona audit report! he said in a statement. The Audit was a big win for democracy and a big win for us. Shows how corrupt the Election was a bigger Scam even than anticipated! he said in another. However, the Fake News Media is already trying to call it again for Biden before actually looking at the facts just like they did in November! The audit has uncovered significant and undeniable evidence of FRAUD! Until we know how and why this happened, our Elections will never be secure, he said in another. A majority of Republicans believed it.
He wrote a letter to the Republican governor of Texas demanding a Forensic Audit of the 2020 Election in a state that he won.
He forgave Chuck Grassley.
The reality is, he lost, the Republican senator from Iowa had said in February in his explanation of his vote for acquittal at the end of Trumps second impeachment trial.
Now, though, at a rally in Des Moines, he let Grassley join him on the stage to accept his endorsement.
If I didnt accept the endorsement of a person thats got 91 percent of the Republican voters in Iowa, I wouldnt be too smart, Grassley said.
If we dont solve the Presidential Election Fraud of 2020 (which we have thoroughly and conclusively documented), Republicans will not be voting in 22 or 24
Donald J. Trump
He all but told Republicans not to vote in 2022 and 2024 if the party didnt solve the Presidential Election Fraud of 2020.
He told former aides to ignore subpoenas from the House committee investigating Jan. 6.
He sued the committee to try to block the release of the records from his White House related to the Capitol attack.
He announced the launch of his own social media platform funded by hundreds of millions of dollars of other peoples money called TRUTH.
He aimed a brushback pitch at a Florida rival. Even if Ron DeSantis ran for president in 2024, Trump said, Id beat him like I would beat everyone else.
He did the controversial tomahawk chop at a World Series game in Atlanta.
He celebrated the announcement of the retirement from Congress of Adam Kinzinger of Illinois another of the 10 Republicans in the House who had voted for impeachment. 2 down, 8 to go! he said. He blasted in an email with a link to an article from The Hill: Kinzinger retirement underscores Trump dominance over GOP.
He took credit for GOP gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkins victory in Virginia when it was his relative absence from the race that many said led independents to vote for the Republican. I would like to thank my BASE for coming out in force and voting for Glenn Youngkin, he said.
He endorsed a challenger against Peter Meijer of Michigan another one of the 10 House Republicans who voted for his impeachment. And he endorsed a raft of more people for the state legislature and other down-ballot races in Michigan who were in line with him on voter fraud, Election Integrity, stop the steal and the theft of the 2020 Presidential Election Rachelle Smit, Mike Detmer, Mick Bricker, Kevin Rathbun, Jon Rocha, Jacky Eubanks, Angela Rigas and Mike Hoadley. Ditto in Arizona.
He blamed his own son for getting him involved with Sean Parnell after the scandal-ridden Pennsylvania Senate candidate suspended his campaign.
He hosted Kyle Rittenhouse at Mar-a-Lago after the teenager was acquitted of shooting to death two men during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Congratulations, he said, for being found INNOCENT.
"Really a nice young man. What he went through he shouldve, that was prosecutorial misconduct. "
Donald J. Trump
Through his super PAC Make America Great Again, Again! he polled for his looming 2024 comeback run, the results of which showed him leading Biden in all five states he lost in 2020 Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Trump, a Trump adviser said, wants a rematch so badly with Biden he can taste it.
Iced out of traditional publishing houses, he self-published a coffee table book about his tenure as president Our Journey Together, priced at $74.99 per copy, $229.99 if signed. Its a book of pictures, largely, with statements, Trump told Hugh Hewitt, but a book of pictures. It sold well.
He tried to broker a deal to help his Senate pick in North Carolina.
He endorsed David Perdue in his run against Gov. Brian Kemp in Georgia. Kemp has been a very weak Governor the liberals and RINOs have run all over him on Election Integrity, Trump said. Whats Perdues reason to run? That hes Trumps lap dog? a Kemp adviser told POLITICO. That dog dont hunt. Lap dogs dont hunt.
Anybody that doesnt think there wasnt massive Election Fraud in the 2020 Presidential Election is either very stupid, or very corrupt! he said.
I havent spoken to him since. Fuck him.
Donald J. Trump
He blasted former Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, it was reported, for congratulating Biden on the day of his inauguration. I havent spoken to him since, Trump said. Fuck him.
He got the RNC to pay for $1.6 million of his personal legal bills.
He got Republican candidates to pay him to come to Mar-a-Lago to raise money for their campaigns. When it comes to raising money for Republican causes and candidates, there are only two seasons that matter, Trump spokesperson Taylor Budowich said. Bedminster season and Mar-a-Lago season.
What happened on January 6 was a protest against a rigged election thats what it was"
Donald J. Trump
He went on tour with Bill OReilly to talk about what he always talked about. What happened on Jan. 6 was a protest against a rigged election thats what it was, he said in one of four (sometimes patchily attended) History Tour conversations with Bill OReilly in arenas in Florida and Texas. This wasnt an insurrection.
He endorsed somebody for the state Senate in Alaska.
He endorsed somebody for Texas state representative.
He put on a tux and celebrated New Years Eve at Mar-a-Lago.
He endorsed Viktor Orbn the authoritarian prime minister of Hungary.
Anyone want to run for Congress against Don Bacon in Nebraska?
Donald J. Trump
He trawled for more challengers to Republican members of Congress who voted to impeach him: Anyone want to run for Congress against Don Bacon in Nebraska?
He announced he was going to have a press conference at Mar-a-Lago on the one-year anniversary of Jan. 6 and then canceled it.
He spent the anniversary of the riot at the Capitol sending out frenzied statements. the complicit media just calls it the Big Lie, when in actuality the Big Lie was the Election itself, he said. Never forget the crime of the 2020 Presidential Election. Never give up! he said.
He called Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) a jerk because he called Trumps lies lies.
He hung up on NPRs Steve Inskeep.
He took another shot at Ron DeSantis.
He went to Arizona to have another rally. Most losing presidential candidates are forced into quiet retirement by their parties, the Atlantics Elaine Godfrey wrote from Florence. Trump has bucked the trend, only tightening his grip on the GOP in the wake of his defeat. He has convinced Republican candidates all over the country including those on stage tonight to repeat his election lies, and convinced his rank-and-file supporters to treat those falsehoods as holy writ. By this point, those lies have been circulating for what feels like forever. But at tonights rally, as Trumps fans called for the arrests of poll workers and the reinstatement of the rightful president, I got the sense that this might be just the beginning.
He promoted on Martin Luther King Jr. Day renovations at his golf course in Miami. Check it out! he said.
Read the rest here:
145 Things Donald Trump Did in His First Year as the Most Consequential Former President Ever - POLITICO
- Rinse and Repeat: Western allies ready for next rollercoaster with Donald Trump - CNN - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Donald Trump Addresses His Father's Alzheimer's in New Health Interview, Saying Fred Had 'What Do They Call It?' - People.com - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- The Woman Who Stands Between Donald Trump and Greenland - The New York Times - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Davos 2026: Special Address by Donald J Trump, President of the United States of America - weforum.org - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Democratic senators sound the alarm on Pentagon backing firms linked to Donald Trump Jr. - CNN - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- How Donald Trump Brought Us to a Rupture in the World Order - The New Yorker - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Donald Trump to unveil home buying plan involving retirement funds - BBC - January 18th, 2026 [January 18th, 2026]
- America has coped with worse things than Donald Trump - The Economist - January 18th, 2026 [January 18th, 2026]
- Venezuelans believe Donald Trump has offered them a better future - The Economist - January 14th, 2026 [January 14th, 2026]
- Donald Trump Yells 'F--k You' and Flips Off Man After Being Called a 'Pedophile Protector' - People.com - January 14th, 2026 [January 14th, 2026]
- Donald Trump Tries New Joe Biden Impression as He Brags About Ignoring Teleprompter '80% of the Time' - People.com - January 14th, 2026 [January 14th, 2026]
- Donald Trump Just Slapped Another Sign On The White House, And It's Exactly What You'd Expect - Yahoo - January 14th, 2026 [January 14th, 2026]
- Donald Trump wants the US back on the moon before his term ends. Can it happen? - The Guardian - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- Donald Trump Caps Off 2025 With Digs At George Clooney And His New French Citizenship - Deadline - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Donald Trump in his own words the year in racism and misogyny - The Guardian - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- How Donald Trump, 79, Turned Bruises and Cankles Into a Full-On Health Crisis - The Daily Beast - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- Country music star shared heartbreaking message about Donald Trump before death - Yahoo - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- I WITNESS: From the desk of Donald Trump - The Berkshire Edge - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- Dear Britain: things are bad, but America will recover from Donald Trump. Just give us three years | Jimmy Kimmel - The Guardian - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Threatens Americans to 'Enjoy What May be Your Last Merry Christmas' - People.com - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Praises Ted Sarandos But Says Netflix-WBD Would Have A Great Big Market Share In Streaming - Deadline - December 7th, 2025 [December 7th, 2025]
- Sources: Ted Sarandos Met With Donald Trump Ahead of Netflixs Winning Warner Bros. Deal - The Hollywood Reporter - December 7th, 2025 [December 7th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Jr. suggests the US may walk away from Ukraine peace talks - CNN - December 7th, 2025 [December 7th, 2025]
- "SNL" mocks Pete Hegseth and "sleeping" Donald Trump"kill everybody" - Newsweek - December 7th, 2025 [December 7th, 2025]
- The war on drugs felt over. Donald Trump restarted it - CNN - December 7th, 2025 [December 7th, 2025]
- At the 2026 World Cup draw, the winner is ... Donald Trump - CNBC - December 7th, 2025 [December 7th, 2025]
- Melania Trump was once the one making controversial White House design choices. Now, it's Donald Trump. - Business Insider - December 2nd, 2025 [December 2nd, 2025]
- Donald Trump Gets Worrying Sign Ahead of Midterms - Newsweek - December 2nd, 2025 [December 2nd, 2025]
- Tennessee Special Election Could Be Kamala Harris Revenge on Donald Trump - Newsweek - December 2nd, 2025 [December 2nd, 2025]
- Drug trafficking: Donald Trump says he is 'okay' with striking Mexico - France 24 - November 18th, 2025 [November 18th, 2025]
- Donald Trump to host Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman at White House - live updates - The Guardian - November 18th, 2025 [November 18th, 2025]
- MBS Has a List of Big Asks for Donald Trump in DC - Bloomberg.com - November 14th, 2025 [November 14th, 2025]
- Timeline of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epsteins relationship - CNN - November 14th, 2025 [November 14th, 2025]
- 'I am the one able to take him down.' What Jeffrey Epstein said about Donald Trump. - USA Today - November 14th, 2025 [November 14th, 2025]
- President Donald Trump signs the funding bill from Congress that reopens the government - The White House (.gov) - November 14th, 2025 [November 14th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Is a Lamer Duck Than Ever - The Atlantic - November 14th, 2025 [November 14th, 2025]
- Terry McAuliffe: Donald Trump is the Democrats Best Weapon - CNN - November 14th, 2025 [November 14th, 2025]
- Donald Trump May Have Revealed Where Barron Is Living After His Quiet College Transfer - People.com - November 14th, 2025 [November 14th, 2025]
- Eight California Counties Won by Donald Trump Vote Yes on Prop 50 - Newsweek - November 5th, 2025 [November 5th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Reacts After Democrats Win Big on Election Night - Newsweek - November 5th, 2025 [November 5th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Has All-Caps Reaction To GOP's Disastrous Election Night - HuffPost - November 5th, 2025 [November 5th, 2025]
- Donald Trump says rare earths dispute settled after Xi Jinping meeting in South Korea live updates - The Guardian - October 30th, 2025 [October 30th, 2025]
- President Donald Trump attends a dinner in his honor hosted by President Lee Jae Myung of the Republic of Korea - The White House (.gov) - October 30th, 2025 [October 30th, 2025]
- Donald Trump departs South Korea after talks with Xi Jinping - DW - October 30th, 2025 [October 30th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Is the First AI Slop President - WIRED - October 30th, 2025 [October 30th, 2025]
- Donald Trump speaks after Xi Jinping meeting in South Korea live updates - The Guardian - October 30th, 2025 [October 30th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Orders Nuclear Weapons Testing: What To Know - Newsweek - October 30th, 2025 [October 30th, 2025]
- Donald Trump will not be running for a third term in 2028, and it has nothing to do with law or politics - Yahoo - October 28th, 2025 [October 28th, 2025]
- Donald Trump's week in Asia: BBC correspondents on the wins and potential losses - BBC - October 26th, 2025 [October 26th, 2025]
- Kinzinger: East Wing demolition emblematic of how Donald Trump has run his presidency - CNN - October 26th, 2025 [October 26th, 2025]
- Donald Trump's nightmare scenario: A World Series between teams from Canada, California - The Palm Beach Post - October 26th, 2025 [October 26th, 2025]
- Xi Jinping is at his boldest and brashest. How will Donald Trump fare this week? - The Economist - October 26th, 2025 [October 26th, 2025]
- When is Donald Trump going to Malaysia? President set to participate in ASEAN 2025. - USA Today - October 26th, 2025 [October 26th, 2025]
- President Donald Trump attends a roundtable event launching the Homeland Security Task Force - The White House (.gov) - October 24th, 2025 [October 24th, 2025]
- Donald Trump sued over East Wing demolition: What to know - FOX 5 DC - October 24th, 2025 [October 24th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Is Expected to Name the New White House Ballroom After Himself: Report - People.com - October 24th, 2025 [October 24th, 2025]
- Jon Stewart Dubs Donald Trump the Imitation Crab of Kings on The Daily Show - Rolling Stone - October 21st, 2025 [October 21st, 2025]
- Diplomatic triumph or capitulation? Albanese found Donald Trump in a heavenly mood but the devil may be in the detail - The Guardian - October 21st, 2025 [October 21st, 2025]
- Donald Trump Gets Federal Court Win Over National Guard in Portland - Newsweek - October 21st, 2025 [October 21st, 2025]
- Kenny Loggins Slams Donald Trump for Using Danger Zone Song With the Sole Purpose of Dividing Us - The Hollywood Reporter - October 21st, 2025 [October 21st, 2025]
- These DOJ attorneys charging Donald Trump's critics with crimes have this is common - MSNBC News - October 19th, 2025 [October 19th, 2025]
- Xi Jinping is preparing to go toe to toe with Donald Trump and there will only be one winner | Simon Tisdall - The Guardian - October 19th, 2025 [October 19th, 2025]
- Donald Trump mocks 'No Kings' protests with AI video of himself dropping brown sludge on protesters from jet - Sky News - October 19th, 2025 [October 19th, 2025]
- Donald Trump is not on the ballot, but hes a major factor in the November elections - CNN - October 19th, 2025 [October 19th, 2025]
- Ben Shapiro: Donald Trump, the peace president - Grand Forks Herald - October 19th, 2025 [October 19th, 2025]
- Bette Midler roasts Donald Trump in 'Wind Beneath My Wings' parody for Stephen Colbert - USA Today - October 17th, 2025 [October 17th, 2025]
- What Donald Trump gets right in the Middle East - The Economist - October 17th, 2025 [October 17th, 2025]
- Gaza Update: Donald Trump Issues Fiery New Warning to Hamas - Newsweek - October 17th, 2025 [October 17th, 2025]
- Private numbers of Australian PM and Donald Trump Jr listed on website - BBC - October 15th, 2025 [October 15th, 2025]
- The shutdown, Donald Trump approval, ICE, the economy, the DOJ, and conversion therapy: October 10 - 13, 2025 Economist/YouGov Poll - YouGov - October 15th, 2025 [October 15th, 2025]
- President Donald Trump lands at Israels Ben Gurion Airport for whirlwind visit - The Times of Israel - October 13th, 2025 [October 13th, 2025]
- China tries shock-and-awe on Donald Trump - The Economist - October 13th, 2025 [October 13th, 2025]
- As Donald Trump heads to Gaza peace summit in Egypt, who is going and who isnt? - The Guardian - October 13th, 2025 [October 13th, 2025]
- Donald Trump scrambles to seal the deal in Gaza - The Economist - October 13th, 2025 [October 13th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Says He Doesn't Think He's 'Heaven-Bound' After Fundraising for Help Getting There - People.com - October 13th, 2025 [October 13th, 2025]
- Donald Trump, 79, Admits He Might Not Get Into Heaven - The Daily Beast - October 13th, 2025 [October 13th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Flies to Israel and States: The War Is Over - Newsweek - October 13th, 2025 [October 13th, 2025]
- Donald Trump jokes about his eternal fate: 'I think I am not maybe heaven-bound' - Washington Times - October 13th, 2025 [October 13th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Returned to Hospital for More Heart Tests 3 Months After Diagnosis, Physician Reveals - People.com - October 11th, 2025 [October 11th, 2025]
- President Donald Trump is in exceptional health, his doctor says, after visit to Walter Reed - AP News - October 11th, 2025 [October 11th, 2025]