COVID origins, Jan. 6, flushed letters - Requesters seek Trump secrets

Hundreds of requests hit the National Archives in the seconds and minutes after Trump's library opened Jan. 20, 2026.

Five years to the day after President Donald Trump first left office, the public got its first crack at requesting the secret archives and hundreds are in line.

The requests touch on the key moments in Trump’s presidency – his ties to the Trump Organization, major geopolitical events like the airstrike in Iraq that killed Qassem Soleimani and the inside scoop on COVID-19. It also targeted minor players who eventually loomed large: Jared Kushner, Omarosa Manigault Newman, Cassidy Hutchinson.

A large swath of initial requests centered on impeachment efforts and a behind-the-scenes look at Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

In celebration of Sunshine Week, a national initiative to “educate the public about the importance of open government and the dangers of excessive and unnecessary secrecy,” USA TODAY analyzed the more than 200 requests made to the National Archives for Trump-era information on the first day it was available on Jan. 20, 2026.

The log includes the name and request made by each of the two dozen individuals who filed those Freedom of Information Act letters via email in seconds and minutes after the process began.