Resources
Independent monitors, primary sources, and peer trackers
We aren't the only ones documenting this. Here are the trackers, watchdogs, primary-source archives, and investigative outlets we rely on most — and that you can use to verify our work or go deeper than we can.
Other Independent Trackers
We aren't the only ones doing this work. Here are peer projects monitoring the second Trump administration from different angles. We owe inspiration for this page to the Trump Action Tracker.
Trump Action Tracker
Day-by-day catalog of administration actions, with the resources page that inspired this one.
UC San Diego List of Trump Trackers
A library-curated meta-directory of trackers — the most complete list of who's monitoring what.
McSweeney's: Lest We Forget the Horrors
A long-running, painstakingly-sourced catalog of Trump's cruelties, collusions, corruptions, and crimes.
Project 2025 Tracker
Tracks how much of the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 agenda the administration has actually implemented.
The Civics Desk
Plain-language, non-partisan explainers on the issues — Iran war, tariffs, public schools, the fake-electors scheme. Sourced. Simple. Decide for yourself.
Litigation & Press Freedom
Court records, case dockets, and tracking of First Amendment retaliation against journalists and outlets.
Just Security: Litigation Tracker
Comprehensive tracker of legal challenges against the Trump administration, with case status and rulings.
Just Security
NYU-based national security and legal analysis publication. Strong on constitutional law and executive overreach.
Lawfare
In-depth legal analysis on hard national security questions. The closest thing to a public record of legal scholarship in real time.
Trump Censorship Tracker
Documents instances of administration pressure on journalists, broadcasters, and platforms.
Democracy & Authoritarianism Monitoring
Independent measurement of democratic decline, authoritarian behavior, and the erosion of academic and civic freedoms.
V-Dem Institute (University of Gothenburg)
The world's leading democracy-measurement project. Cited across this tracker — including their downgrade of the U.S. to an 'electoral autocracy.'
Academic Freedom Index
V-Dem's annual global tracker of academic freedom, including university autonomy and freedom of research and teaching.
The Anti-Autocracy Handbook
Open-access educational resource on identifying and resisting authoritarian threats to democracy.
Brennan Center for Justice
Voting rights, election security, and democracy reform. Among the most active litigators against voter-suppression legislation.
Issue-Specific Trackers
Focused trackers and data sources on individual policy areas where the administration is moving fastest.
Grant Watch
Tracks federal grant terminations and funding cuts across NIH, NSF, USDA, and other agencies.
Deportation Data
Aggregated data on ICE enforcement actions, removals, and detention.
Justice Connection
Network of former DOJ employees documenting the institutional damage to the Justice Department under the second Trump administration.
CRFB (Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget)
Nonpartisan analysis of the federal budget, debt, and deficit. Marked the 100% debt-to-GDP milestone in April 2026.
Housing Affordability Tracker
Live dashboard tracking U.S. housing supply, affordability, and crash risk — updated daily at 9:15 ET, with 15 macroeconomic indicators and historical comparisons back to the Biden era.
Investigative Journalism & Watchdogs
Outlets and nonprofits doing the deepest investigative reporting on the administration's conduct.
ProPublica
Pulitzer-winning investigative nonprofit. The single most-cited investigative source in this tracker's entries.
CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington)
Files lawsuits, FOIA requests, and ethics complaints. Filed the amicus brief in the Trump v. IRS $10B lawsuit.
Government & Court Records
Primary sources you can verify yourself. The bedrock of every entry in this tracker.
Federal Register
The official daily journal of the U.S. government. Every executive order, rule, and proposed rule appears here first.
GAO (Government Accountability Office)
Nonpartisan congressional watchdog. Audits, evaluations, and legal opinions on federal spending and program operations.
Polling & Public Opinion
Independent public-opinion measurement, free from administration spin or partisan averaging.