Donald J. Trump Presidential Library

Donald J. Trump Presidential Library
Available inEnglish
Headquarters
To be announced
Country of originUnited States
OwnerNational Archives and Records Administration
Created byArchival Operations Division – Trump Presidential Library
Key peopleDonald Trump
URLtrumplibrary.gov
CommercialNo
LaunchedJanuary 20, 2021; 4 years ago (2021-01-20)
Content license
Public domain
This article is part of
a series about
Donald Trump
Business and personal
45th and 47th
President of the United States
Incumbent
Tenure
Policies
Appointments (
)
Presidential campaigns
Impeachments
Legal proceedings
Donald Trump's signature
Seal of the President of the United States

The Donald J. Trump Presidential Library is a website administered by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and launched on January 20, 2021, when Donald Trump left office as the 45th president.

It serves as a placeholder until a presidential library is built.[1] It will be the 15th NARA-managed presidential library. Plans to build the library and museum have yet to be announced, and remains on hold after Trump began his second non-consecutive term as the 47th president on January 20, 2025.

Official records

[edit]

The NARA library is established by the Presidential Records Act and is independent of possible plans for a physical building under the Presidential Libraries Act.[2] All current content has been previously available to the public, including websites such as Melania Trump's Be Best, photographs, and social media accounts including @POTUS and @FLOTUS. Other private records from Trump's first term are subject to access requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) from January 2026.[3][4][5]

While most records will be open to FOIA requests by 2026, records could be withheld from public access on the basis of executive privilege for up to twelve years.[6]

On January 19, 2021, President Trump designated Mark Meadows, Pat Cipollone, John Eisenberg, Patrick Philbin, Scott Gast, Michael Purpura, and Steven Engel as his presidential records representatives to potentially act on his behalf should he be incapacitated and unable to exercise executive privilege with respect to access to his administration's records.[7][6]

Building plans

[edit]

As with other presidential libraries, a building for Trump would need to be privately financed and organized before the possible involvement of the NARA.[8]

In December 2024, Trump won a settlement in an ongoing civil defamation case against ABC News, with the settlement granting Trump $15 million dollars to ultimately go to the presidential library.[9]

In January 2025, Meta Platforms agreed to settle a lawsuit for $25 million following the suspension of Trump's Facebook accounts following the January 6 United States Capitol attack. $22 million will go toward the presidential library.[10]

Location

[edit]

The exact location of Trump's library has yet to be determined. During Trump's first presidency, it had been speculated that floors in Trump Tower may be dedicated for use as a future presidential library. The Washington Post reported in the final week of the first term of his presidency that two sources close to Trump said he plans to build a library and museum in Florida run by Dan Scavino, funded by raising $2 billion from grassroots supporters like Chris Sabey and Paul Domzal.[11]

In March 2025, it was reported that members of Trump's team were scouting universities in Florida, namely Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and Florida International University (FIU), for a potential presidential library. Both locations have extant ties to Trump; FAU is located in Palm Beach County, the same county as his current residence, Mar-a-Lago, and FIU is located in University Park, near the Trump National Doral Miami.[12]

Incorporation

[edit]

The Donald J. Trump Presidential Library Fund Inc. was incorporated in Florida on December 20, 2024. This incorporation occurred six days following the disclosure that ABC News had agreed to donate $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit filed by Donald J. Trump against the network. The settlement was intended to support Trump's future presidential foundation and museum.[13]

Per Florida state corporate records, the corporation was established by Jacob Roth, a Florida-based attorney known for his involvement in forming Trump-related entities, including the establishment of corporations: Trump Vance Inauguration Committee, inc., and Trump Vance Inaugural Committee, Inc.[14] [15] which along with the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library Fund, Inc. have been involved in the settlement of lawsuits on behalf of Donald Trump and family.[16] [17]

According to the articles of incorporation filed in Florida, the purpose of the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library Fund Inc. is "to preserve and steward the legacy of President Donald J. Trump and his presidency."[13]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Home". Donald J. Trump Presidential Library. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  2. ^ "National Archives Launches Trump Presidential Library Website". National Archives (Press release). January 20, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  3. ^ Novak, Matt (January 21, 2021). "Trump Presidential Library Launches Online But Won't Take FOIA Requests Until 2026". Gizmodo. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  4. ^ Williams, Jordan (January 20, 2021). "National Archives launches official Trump presidential library online". The Hill. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  5. ^ Din, Benjamin (January 20, 2021). "National Archives launches website for Trump Presidential Library". Politico. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  6. ^ a b Bravender, Robin; Samuelsohn, Darren (January 21, 2021). "Trump taps his former chief of staff and impeachment lawyers as the gatekeepers to his papers during his post-presidency". Business Insider. Archived from the original on July 21, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  7. ^ Trump, Donald J. (January 19, 2021). "White House Letter to U.S. Archivist" (PDF). National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  8. ^ Wolf, Zachary B. (January 19, 2021). "The President might want Trump World, but he needs a real library". CNN. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  9. ^ Sisak, Michael (December 14, 2024). "ABC agrees to give $15 million to Donald Trump's presidential library to settle defamation lawsuit". Associated Press News.com. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  10. ^ Linskey, Annie (January 29, 2025). "Trump signs agreement calling for Meta to pay 25 million to settle suit". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
  11. ^ Rucker, Philip; Dawsey, Josh; Parker, Ashley (January 16, 2021). "Trump to flee Washington and seek rehabilitation in a MAGA oasis: Florida". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  12. ^ Schultz, Randy (March 11, 2025). "Trump Library Coming to FAU? New Federal Policies Hit Home". Boca Raton Magazine. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  13. ^ a b Vogel, Kenneth P.; Haberman, Maggie; Schleifer, Theodore (January 4, 2025). "Trump Has Reeled in More Than $200 Million Since Election Day". The New York Times. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
  14. ^ "Electronic Articles of Incorporation for Trump Vance Inauguration Committee, Inc". November 7, 2024.
  15. ^ "Electronic Articles of Incorporation for Trump Vance Inaugural Committee, Inc". November 7, 2024.
  16. ^ "ABC agrees to give $15 million to Donald Trump's presidential library to settle defamation lawsuit". Associated Press. December 14, 2024.
  17. ^ "Did Trump's inauguration committee screw up its Florida incorporation filing?". San Antonio Current. November 18, 2024.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Donald_J._Trump_Presidential_Library&oldid=1290038601"