Grade 1 of 5

Significant Democratic Concern

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

Actions that weaken democratic institutions, suppress political participation, or restrict fundamental freedoms without reaching the threshold of a rights violation attributable to a specific victim class. Includes attacks on press freedom, interference with electoral processes, erosion of legislative oversight capacity, and rhetoric that normalizes political violence.

41 incidents

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

White House Airs Taxpayer-Funded Pro-Trump TV Ads on Fox News and Newsmax Ahead of the Midterms (September 2026)

Six weeks before the midterm elections, the White House used public money to air a campaign-style ad glorifying the president on Fox News and Newsmax. It called the spot a patriotic public service announcement. Democrats asked federal watchdogs to investigate whether it breaks the long-standing ban on spending appropriated funds on 'publicity or propaganda' and the Hatch Act. No watchdog finding had been issued as of this entry's last update.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

Musk's Private Bodyguards Deputized as Federal Agents Without Required Training

The deputization of Musk's private bodyguards as federal agents — with training requirements waived at White House request — represents an unprecedented merger of private security with federal law enforcement authority, bypassing the safeguards that exist to prevent untrained armed individuals from exercising government power.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

The Springfield Pet-Eating Hoax: A False Claim Against Haitian Immigrants, Followed by a Wave of Bomb Threats

Trump repeated a debunked rumour that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating pets. In the days that followed, the city's schools and public buildings were repeatedly evacuated over hoax bomb threats, KKK flyers appeared, and the Republican mayor blamed federal politicians' words. Trump then promised to strip the community's legal status and deport them.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

New York Civil Fraud Case: Liability Upheld, Nearly $500 Million Penalty Voided on Appeal

Judge Engoron found that Trump had consistently and intentionally misrepresented asset values across a decade of financial statements. His Mar-a-Lago estate was valued in financial statements at up to $739 million — although deed restrictions limited its use and the Palm Beach County assessor valued it between $18 million and $27.6 million from 2011 to 2021. His Trump Tower triplex was listed at 30,000 square feet when it was actually 10,996 square feet — nearly three times its actual size. The fraud allowed Trump to obtain loans at more favorable rates than he would have received with accurate valuations.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

NATO Article 5 Threats: Encouraging Russia to Attack Allies Who Don't Pay

NATO's collective defense commitment under Article 5 — that an attack against one member is an attack against all — was the foundational guarantee that had maintained European security for 75 years. Trump's statement that he would encourage Russia to attack members he deemed to be underpaying undermined the credibility of the deterrence that Article 5 provided. NATO allies condemned the statements as dangerous; European leaders described them as a fundamental threat to the alliance's deterrence value. In his second term, Trump continued pressing NATO members with threats of U.S. withdrawal contingent on spending levels, while simultaneously pursuing a Ukraine peace framework that European allies described as favorable to Russia.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

'Vermin', 'Poisoning the Blood', 'the Enemy From Within': Campaign Rhetoric Against Opponents and Immigrants, 2023–2024

As a candidate, Trump called opponents 'vermin' to be 'rooted out', said immigrants were 'poisoning the blood' of the country, and suggested deploying the military against an 'enemy from within' that included a sitting congressman. Historians compared the language to fascist propaganda. Rhetoric is not an act, and no direct harm is tied to these statements in the sources reviewed; they are recorded as stated intent relevant to later second-term deployments and prosecutions of opponents.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

'If You Go After Me, I'm Coming After You': Threats Against Prosecutors, Witnesses and Gen. Milley (2023)

While under federal indictment and running for president, Trump publicly threatened those pursuing him and suggested the country's top general deserved execution. A federal appeals court found his pattern of speech a significant and imminent threat to the trial and upheld most of a gag order. In his second term, the Defense Department stripped Milley of his security detail.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

2020 Election Fraud Claims: 60+ Court Losses, No Evidence Found

Trump's legal team, led at various points by Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, and Jenna Ellis, made dramatic claims in press conferences — coordinated election fraud, Dominion Voting Systems switching votes, Venezuelan electoral interference, suitcases of fake ballots — that were not supported by evidence filed in court. Judges demanded evidence; Trump's lawyers repeatedly stated in court filings that they were not alleging fraud, only procedural irregularities. CISA Director Christopher Krebs called the 2020 election 'the most secure in American history'; Trump fired him. Attorney General Barr stated the DOJ had found no evidence of fraud sufficient to change the outcome; Trump pressured him to say otherwise and Barr resigned.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

Trump's COVID Infection: Experimental Treatment While Downplaying Pandemic

Trump's COVID infection came after months of publicly downplaying the disease, refusing to wear masks, and holding indoor rallies. His treatment at Walter Reed included Regeneron's experimental monoclonal antibody cocktail (not yet FDA-authorized), dexamethasone — a steroid given only to patients with severe COVID per WHO protocols — and supplemental oxygen. His doctor Sean Conley gave contradictory statements about whether Trump had needed supplemental oxygen and on what days his oxygen saturation had dropped. Trump staged a motorcade through COVID patients outside Walter Reed while contagious. Upon returning to the White House, he removed his mask for a photo op while potentially still infectious to staff.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

Bolton: Trump Told Xi to 'Go Ahead' With Uyghur Detention Camps

According to John Bolton, Trump privately told Xi Jinping that building the Xinjiang detention camps was 'exactly the right thing to do', and repression of the Uyghurs was set aside as a reason for sanctions while trade talks continued. Trump denies the book's account. The Trump administration on July 9, 2020 sanctioned Xinjiang party secretary Chen Quanguo and other officials (Wikipedia) and, on its last full day, declared the persecution a genocide.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

Open Skies Treaty Withdrawal: Unilateral Exit from 35-Nation Arms Control Agreement

The Open Skies Treaty allows its 35 signatories — including the United States, Russia, and most NATO and former Warsaw Pact nations — to conduct scheduled unarmed reconnaissance flights over each other's territory. The flights collect imagery that member states share, building collective military transparency. Trump administration officials argued Russia had violated the treaty by restricting U.S. flight paths over certain territories. European allies agreed Russia had compliance issues but argued the U.S. should address them within the treaty framework rather than withdraw, and warned that U.S. withdrawal would give Russia an excuse to exit entirely. Russia did subsequently withdraw from the treaty in January 2021, after Trump's withdrawal had set the precedent. The Biden administration reviewed but did not rejoin the treaty due to concerns about congressional opposition.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

COVID Misinformation: Hydroxychloroquine, Bleach Injection, UV Light Promotion

Trump repeatedly promoted hydroxychloroquine in White House briefings before studies established it was ineffective and potentially dangerous for COVID. He suggested at an April 23, 2020 briefing that injecting disinfectants might work as treatment and asked officials to study inserting UV light 'inside the body.' Governors reported hundreds of calls to poison centers and state health hotlines after the disinfectant comments. The FDA granted hydroxychloroquine an Emergency Use Authorization in March 2020 under White House pressure, then revoked it in June 2020 citing 'serious cardiac adverse events.' His false '35% mortality improvement' claim for convalescent plasma prompted FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn to issue a correction the same day.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

COVID-19 Downplaying: Woodward Tapes Reveal Trump Knew and Lied

Trump told Woodward on February 7, 2020 that COVID-19 was 'deadly stuff' and acknowledged it was much more dangerous than the flu. On the same days he was giving Woodward these assessments, Trump was telling the public the virus was 'like the flu' and 'will disappear.' On March 19, 2020, Trump told Woodward: 'I wanted to always play it down. I still like playing it down, because I don't like to panic people.' The Woodward recordings also captured Trump describing COVID's airborne transmission weeks before public health officials acknowledged it. The U.S. death toll reached 200,000 by September 2020 when the recordings were published.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

Recognising Israel's Annexation of the Golan Heights (2019)

Trump reversed decades of US policy by recognising Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights. That set aside a Security Council resolution the US itself had supported and departed from the customary rule against recognising territory acquired by force. No identifiable victims of concrete harm are documented.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

Federal Reserve Independence Attacks: Unprecedented Presidential Pressure on Fed Chair Powell

Trump nominated Powell to chair the Federal Reserve in November 2017 and he was confirmed in February 2018. By July 2018, Trump was publicly criticizing Powell's interest rate decisions — the first time in decades a sitting president had publicly pressured the Fed chair in this manner. Over the following 18 months, Trump made more than 100 public statements criticizing the Fed's rate decisions. He called the Fed 'the biggest risk to the economy,' said the Fed had gone 'crazy' with rate increases, asked why he should have a Fed that was tightening while Europe was loosening, and repeatedly compared Powell unfavorably to Chinese central bank policy. Trump also inquired about whether he could demote or fire Powell, which advisers told him he could not legally do under the Federal Reserve Act.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

Helsinki Summit: Trump Sided With Putin Over His Own CIA on Election Interference

Trump and Putin met privately for approximately two hours with only translators present; there was no U.S. notetaker. (In 2019, The Washington Post reported that Trump had gone to unusual lengths to conceal details of his conversations with Putin, in one instance taking possession of his interpreter's notes.) At the public press conference, Trump said he didn't 'see any reason why it would be Russia' that interfered in the election — contradicting the assessment of the U.S. intelligence community. When asked the next day, Trump claimed he had misspoken and meant to say 'wouldn't' instead of 'would.' The statement provoked condemnation from Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican Speaker Paul Ryan, and dozens of Republican members of Congress.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

Refusing to Confront Russian Election Interference: Capitulation to Putin at Helsinki

Standing next to Putin at a joint press conference, Trump declined to affirm the intelligence community's unanimous assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to benefit him. He also refused to implement congressionally-mandated sanctions against Russia following the Salisbury chemical weapons attack and on other grounds. The Senate Intelligence Committee's 2020 bipartisan report confirmed not only Russian interference but that Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort shared internal polling data with a Russian intelligence operative.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

MS-13 'Animals' and Dehumanizing Rhetoric: Using Gang Labels to Target Immigrant Communities

Trump's use of 'animals' to describe MS-13 members — and his conflation of the gang label with immigrants broadly — followed the same pattern documented in incitement to ethnic violence: dehumanization of a group, followed by calls for harsh treatment. Scholars of political violence noted the specific language echoed anti-Tutsi propaganda before the Rwandan genocide and Nazi propaganda before the Holocaust. Trump used similar dehumanizing framing for other immigrant groups, describing Central American migrants as an 'infestation' and an 'invasion.'

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

Steel and Aluminum Tariffs: Trade War With Allies, WTO Violations, Economic Disruption

The Section 232 tariffs were challenged immediately as legally dubious — U.S. national security law did not contemplate allies as threats, and Canada, Germany, South Korea, and Japan supply steel and aluminum to U.S. defense contractors. The EU, Canada, and Mexico all retaliated with targeted tariffs on politically sensitive U.S. products (Bourbon, Harley-Davidson motorcycles, orange juice, soybeans). The broader China trade war — separate from the steel tariffs — involved escalating rounds of tariffs reaching 25% on $250 billion in Chinese goods; China retaliated against agricultural products; the U.S. government paid $28 billion in direct payments to American farmers to compensate for lost Chinese export markets.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

Shithole Countries: Documented Racist Immigration Comments in White House Meeting

The meeting was called to discuss a bipartisan immigration framework. Present were Senators Durbin (D-IL), Graham (R-SC), Flake (R-AZ), Perdue (R-GA), Cotton (R-AR), and others, along with DHS Secretary Nielsen. Multiple attendees confirmed the substance of the comments. The 'shithole' characterization was directed at Haiti and African nations; Trump contrasted them with Norway, where he had met with the prime minister the previous day. Nielsen testified to Congress that she did not recall the exact words used. Perdue and Cotton initially said they did not recall the President 'saying those comments specifically', then denied he had said 'shithole' — a position contradicted by Durbin's account; Sen. Tim Scott said Graham had confirmed the remark to him.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

Ben Carson HUD Furniture: $31,000 Dining Set Ordered Above the $5,000 Limit, Then Cancelled

The $31,561 dining set — table, chairs, and hutch — was ordered in September 2017 for Carson's HUD suite. A career HUD employee, Helen Foster, filed a complaint alleging she was reassigned after she raised concerns about the legality of the purchase. Foster said she was told by HUD leadership that the order would go forward and that 'someone' had ordered it who outranked her. After the purchase became public in February 2018, Carson and his wife initially disputed involvement; email communications later showed that Carson and his wife had selected the set, and Carson testified in March 2018 that he had 'left it to my wife, you know, to choose something.' The order was cancelled. The HUD inspector general's September 2019 report cleared Carson of misconduct.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

Charlottesville: 'Very Fine People on Both Sides' After Neo-Nazi Violence

The Unite the Right rally was organized by neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups, included marchers with torches chanting 'Jews will not replace us' on the night of August 11, and included violence against counter-protesters on August 12 before James Alex Fields Jr. drove into the crowd. Fields was later convicted of first-degree murder and federal hate crimes. Trump's August 15 press conference response defended those attending the rally as 'people who were very fine people' who were there because they 'protested the taking down of a statue' of Robert E. Lee, and drew a moral equivalence between the white supremacist rally and counter-protesters. Republican leaders including Paul Ryan, John McCain, Mitt Romney, and both former President Bushes publicly criticized the 'both sides' framing.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

Charlottesville and Anti-Semitic Conspiracy Theories: Trump's Relationship with White Nationalism

Trump's failure to clearly condemn the Charlottesville marchers — who carried torches and chanted neo-Nazi slogans — was part of a documented pattern of engagement with white nationalist and anti-Semitic content. Trump retweeted accounts associated with white nationalism, used the word 'invasion' for Hispanic immigration (a term that appeared in the El Paso mass shooter's manifesto), shared memes created by neo-Nazi accounts, and refused to commit to accepting election results — all while white nationalist and anti-Semitic incidents rose sharply.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

Steve Mnuchin: Requested Military Jet for Honeymoon, Flew Air Force Jet to Kentucky on Eclipse Day

The Treasury Inspector General opened an inquiry after criticism of the Kentucky trip. Mnuchin denied the trip was related to the eclipse ('Being a New Yorker, I don't have any interest in watching the eclipse'), and reimbursed the government $595 for Linton's travel out of a total cost of $26,900. The inquiry revealed the honeymoon jet request, which Mnuchin had withdrawn. The IG's October 4, 2017 report found 'no violation of law in these requests and uses' of government aircraft, but expressed concern about a 'disconnect' between the required standard of justification and the proof Treasury provided and the White House accepted. It reviewed nine military-aircraft requests since March 2017; the seven trips taken cost $811,800. Linton's Instagram post — tagging designer brands and replying dismissively to a critic — became a symbol of administration attitudes toward wealth and public service.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

ACA Repeal Failures and Sabotage: Losing 51-49, Then Dismantling Piece by Piece

The administration's attempt to repeal and replace the ACA failed through three separate legislative vehicles: the American Health Care Act (AHCA) passed the House but died in the Senate; the Better Care Reconciliation Act failed to advance in the Senate; and the 'skinny repeal' (Health Care Freedom Act) failed 51-49 when McCain, Murkowski, and Collins voted against it. Following legislative failure, the administration cut the Navigator program (enrollment assistance) from $63 million to $10 million, reduced the open enrollment window, and created an association of short-term health plans that could deny coverage for pre-existing conditions. Termination of cost-sharing reduction payments to insurers triggered premium increases and a complex subsidy dynamic that ultimately cost the government more than the payments themselves.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

Paris Climate Agreement Withdrawal: Abandoning International Climate Cooperation

The Paris Agreement was the result of two decades of diplomatic effort to establish a global framework for addressing climate change. Trump withdrew citing economic impacts that were disputed by most economists, a commitment to the 'forgotten workers' of coal country, and a broader rejection of international cooperation he described as harmful to American sovereignty. Scientists and diplomats documented the withdrawal's immediate effect on global climate negotiations and the precedent it set for other countries.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

Voter Fraud Commission: Using Government Power to Propagate Election Lies

The commission was predicated on Trump's false claim that he had lost the popular vote by nearly 3 million due to illegal voting. It attempted to collect sensitive voter data including partial Social Security numbers, party affiliation, and voting history from all states. At least eight lawsuits challenged the commission. It found no evidence of widespread voter fraud and was shut down in January 2018; the White House said the work would pass to DHS, but the Justice Department later disclosed in court that no state voter data would be turned over to DHS. Critics documented its primary purpose as political: to validate Trump's fraud claims and build infrastructure for voter suppression.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

First-Term Attacks on Press Freedom: 'Enemy of the People' and Institutional Delegitimization

Trump used the phrase 'enemy of the people' to describe mainstream media more than 30 times, echoing language used by Stalin, Mao, and other authoritarian leaders. His administration attempted to ban reporters from press briefings, challenged broadcast licenses in apparent retaliation for critical coverage, encouraged legal changes to make it easier to sue journalists, and called for investigations of reporters. International press freedom organizations documented the global impact: Trump's rhetoric gave cover to authoritarian leaders from Turkey to the Philippines to justify imprisoning journalists.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

Press Freedom: 'Enemy of the People' and Systematic Media Attacks

Trump's attacks on the press were systematic and escalating: he labeled specific organizations (CNN, NBC, the New York Times, Washington Post) 'fake news,' called reporters 'enemies of the people,' suggested revoking NBC's broadcast license, threatened to revoke press credentials, and cheered when supporters physically confronted journalists at rallies. At an October 2018 rally he praised Rep. Greg Gianforte, who had pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault for body-slamming a reporter. Reporters covering Trump rallies documented being surrounded by hostile crowds. Authoritarian governments around the world cited Trump's 'fake news' rhetoric when expelling journalists or restricting press access.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

Judicial Appointments: Packing Courts with Ideological Judges Who Lied at Confirmation

The Trump-McConnell judicial project placed 226 federal judges and three Supreme Court justices — the highest court transformation since Reagan. Kavanaugh was confirmed in a process widely criticized for inadequate FBI investigation of sexual assault allegations. Barrett was confirmed after McConnell refused to hold hearings for Merrick Garland for 293 days, then confirmed Barrett in 27 days. Justices Kavanaugh, Barrett, and Gorsuch all joined the Dobbs v. Jackson majority overturning Roe; Kavanaugh had called Roe 'settled as a precedent' at his hearing.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

White House Press Briefings: Documented Lies to Press and Public, Admitted to the Special Counsel

Sanders told reporters in May 2017 that the reason Trump fired Comey was that FBI rank-and-file agents had lost confidence in him — a claim supported by the White House's stated justification for the firing. When Mueller's investigators interviewed Sanders, she acknowledged that statement had not been based on anything, that she had made it up in the moment, and that it was a 'slip of the tongue.' The Mueller Report quoted her directly: the claim was not based on 'any of the things you heard.' Other documented false claims from the briefing room included statements about the Trump Tower meeting, Trump's involvement in drafting a misleading statement about the meeting, and numerous false claims about immigration, trade, and policy matters that fact-checkers documented.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

Inauguration Crowd Lies: The First Day and the War on Truth

Trump demanded his Press Secretary go before the press to insist crowd comparisons showing his inauguration was smaller than Obama's were dishonest — a claim contradicted by photographic evidence, aerial comparisons and Metro ridership figures (the National Park Service does not publish crowd estimates). The next morning Trump personally called the acting National Park Service director to request additional photographs; documents released in 2018 showed a government photographer cropped the new images, at Trump's request, to make the crowd look larger. Counselor Kellyanne Conway defended Spicer by coining the phrase 'alternative facts.' The incident, on the first full day of the administration, set the template for four years of routine government deception.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

Trump Attacked Gold Star Khan Family for Opposing Him at DNC

Captain Humayun Khan was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart for his actions on June 8, 2004, when he was killed stopping a suicide car bomb that would have killed many more soldiers. His parents appeared at the DNC in support of Hillary Clinton and against Trump's Muslim ban, which would have prevented their family's immigration. Trump responded by suggesting Ghazala Khan had been silent at the podium because she was 'not allowed' to speak under Islamic tradition — she said she was too overcome by grief to speak. Trump described himself as having made 'sacrifices' comparable to the Khans' loss.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

2016 Russian Election Interference: Mueller Findings and Senate Intelligence Committee

The Senate Intelligence Committee's August 2020 bipartisan report documented that Paul Manafort shared confidential Trump campaign polling data with Konstantin Kilimnik, a Ukrainian political consultant the committee assessed had ties to Russian intelligence. The report characterized this as 'a grave counterintelligence threat.' The report also documented extensive contacts between Trump campaign officials and Russian nationals. Mueller found the hacking and dumping of Democratic emails benefited the Trump campaign and that the campaign was aware of, and made use of, the releases — but did not find sufficient evidence of criminal conspiracy between the campaign and the Russian government.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

2016 Campaign Rally Violence: Rhetoric Encouraging Supporters Against Protesters

Trump's 2016 campaign rallies were sites of documented violence against protesters, often preceded by Trump's encouragement from the stage. Trump offered to pay legal fees for supporters who assaulted protesters, described violence against protesters nostalgically, and encouraged crowds. Multiple protesters were punched, kicked, shoved, or sprayed with mace. A lawsuit by protesters shoved at a Louisville rally survived a motion to dismiss in 2017, but in 2018 the Sixth Circuit ordered the incitement-to-riot claim against Trump dismissed, holding his words protected by the First Amendment.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

Hush-Money Scheme: Cohen's Guilty Plea Names Trump; Trump Convicted on 34 Counts (2024)

Cohen's guilty plea was not just his own conviction — it was Trump's implication. Cohen stated in federal court that the campaign finance crimes (the Daniels and McDougal payments) were committed 'in coordination with and at the direction of' a candidate for federal office. Federal prosecutors' filings repeated that the payments were made in coordination with and at the direction of 'Individual-1', understood to be Trump. Cohen was sentenced to 36 months; he served about a year in prison before release to home confinement in May 2020, and completed his sentence in November 2021. Trump was never charged federally over the payments; he was convicted on 34 state felony counts in May 2024 and received an unconditional discharge on January 10, 2025, and is appealing.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

2015–2016 Campaign: Trump Advocates Waterboarding 'and Much Worse' and Killing Terrorists' Families

During the 2016 primary campaign Trump promised to restore waterboarding and harsher methods, and said the US should kill terrorists' families. Both would violate the Geneva Conventions and the Convention against Torture. As a candidate's statements, they are recorded here as evidence of stated intent, not as conduct.

Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern

Trump Tower Moscow: Active Negotiations During 2016 Campaign, Covered Up

The Trump Tower Moscow project involved Cohen emailing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov's office in January 2016 seeking Putin's personal assistance advancing the project. Trump signed a letter of intent in October 2015. Negotiations continued through June 2016. Cohen testified to Congress in 2017 that negotiations ended in January 2016 — a lie he later admitted under oath. The project would have been the largest Trump deal ever, potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars and requiring Russian government approval. Throughout this period, Trump repeatedly denied any Russian business dealings and publicly advocated for lifting sanctions on Russia.