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Trump Celebrates ‘Truly Great Meeting’ with Chinese Dictator Xi Jinping

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President Donald Trump met with China’s genocidal communist dictator, Xi Jinping, on Wednesday in Busan, South Korea, for talks focused heavily on lifting recent restrictions and tariffs on bilateral trade.

Following the meeting, which Trump described in a statement on Truth Social as “truly great,” the two sides confirmed that China would lift restrictions on exporting rare-earth and critical minerals, which Beijing had imposed in response to tariffs on its goods. The restrictions would be paused for a year, potentially returning if Beijing and Washington do not agree on a blueprint for the sales, but Trump appeared positive about the restrictions not returning during remarks on Air Force One en route home, describing the meeting as a “12” out of ten.

China would also, Trump added, increase its purchases of American soybeans, sorghum, “and other farm products,” expected to produce significant profits from American farmers. In exchange, the Trump administration will reduce the American tariff rate on Chinese goods, previously at 57 percent, by ten percent, in recognition of China’s alleged measures to limit the flow of fentanyl into the United States.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry published a readout describing the conversation between the two leaders, which allegedly lasted nearly an hour and a half. Beijing emphasized the friendly atmosphere and longstanding personal relationship between Xi and Trump. Contrary to the hectoring and superior tone that the Chinese government attributed to Xi in meetings with former President Joe Biden, Xi was optimistic about the potential America and China have to work together and ensured Trump that China had “no intention to challenge or supplant anyone.”

Trump departed South Korea following his meeting with Xi, while Xi remained in town to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit the country is currently hosting.

(Read more from “Trump Celebrates ‘Truly Great Meeting’ with Chinese Dictator Xi Jinping” HERE)

Donald Trump Tells Pentagon to ‘Immediately’ Start Testing Nuclear Weapons

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By Greta Bjornson. President Donald Trump has given the directive to begin testing nuclear weapons in the United States for the first time in over 30 years.

The order from the president to the U.S. military came just hours before his meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, Oct. 29. Trump shared the news in a post on Truth Social.

“The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country. This was accomplished, including a complete update and renovation of existing weapons, during my First Term in office,” Trump wrote in his post.

He continued, “Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice! Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years. Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis.”

Trump said the testing process will “begin immediately.” (Read more from “Donald Trump Tells Pentagon to ‘Immediately’ Start Testing Nuclear Weapons” HERE)

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Trump orders Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing, citing rival nations’ programs

By CNBC News. U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday directed the Pentagon to restart nuclear weapons testing “on an equal basis,” citing testing programs by other countries.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, Trump said the decision “had to do with others,” without naming specific countries.

“They seem to all be nuclear testing. We have more nuclear weapons than anybody. We don’t do testing … But with others doing testing, I think it’s appropriate that we do also,” he said, adding that details on the planned tests would be announced later.

Before his meeting with Xi, Trump wrote on Truth Social that “because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately.”

It was not immediately clear what Trump meant by “equal basis.” The Department of Defense was rebranded the Department of War on Sept. 5 under an executive order, though Congress has not approved the change. (Read more from “Trump orders Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing, citing rival nations’ programs” HERE)

Trump Launches Controversial Betting Site Letting Users Wager on His Own Political Decisions

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President Donald Trump has stunned critics once again—this time by launching an online betting platform that allows users to wager on events he himself can influence. The move, which blurs the line between politics, profit, and ethics, has drawn widespread criticism as yet another example of the Trump family’s ongoing entanglement of public power with private financial gain.

According to a report by The Financial Times, Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social, is expanding into the “prediction market” business under the name Truth Predict. The platform will reportedly allow users to bet on the outcomes of elections, sporting events, and other major happenings.

Truth Predict is being launched in partnership with Crypto.com, a cryptocurrency exchange that has previously donated millions to Trump-aligned causes. The partnership immediately raised alarms among watchdogs and ethics experts, given that Trump—as both a presidential candidate and the nation’s most politically influential figure—has direct or indirect control over many of the events users would be wagering on.

Tech journalist Mike Masnick summed up the concerns succinctly, writing on Bluesky:

“So the company the president currently owns is teaming up with a cryptocurrency company to create a prediction market, which will take bets… on things the president himself has quite a lot of control over? Gosh, I’m sure nothing bad will happen.”

The Trump family’s latest venture follows months of increased involvement in both the crypto and betting industries. Donald Trump Jr. has reportedly taken on advisory roles with major prediction market companies Kalshi and Polymarket. His venture capital firm has also invested in Polymarket—despite the company’s prior settlement with the U.S. Commodities and Futures Trading Commission for operating an unregistered derivatives market.

Meanwhile, the Trump Organization’s cryptocurrency dealings have drawn scrutiny for producing what Reuters described as a “massive increase in wealth in a matter of mere months.” The outlet found that the organization’s income skyrocketed from $51 million to $864 million, with over 90% of that growth coming from Trump’s crypto venture. Experts say the windfall raises serious concerns about pay-to-play dynamics in the current administration.

The ethical red flags intensified after Trump recently pardoned Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, whose company has been a key supporter of Trump’s crypto enterprise. The Wall Street Journal reported that Binance helped propel Trump’s dollar-pegged cryptocurrency, USD1, into the mainstream—providing a $2 billion investment and facilitating widespread trading of the currency.

These moves, combined with the new betting venture, paint a picture of a president whose business dealings intertwine with his political power in unprecedented ways.

For a man who frequently invokes faith and positions himself as a champion of Christian values, Trump’s venture into gambling—an industry often denounced by Christian leaders as morally corrosive—has been particularly jarring. Many evangelicals who once viewed Trump as a flawed but divinely chosen leader now face a stark contradiction: the president profiting directly from gambling and cryptocurrency speculation, two industries long associated with greed and vice.

Critics argue that this latest endeavor reveals the hollowness of Trump’s religious posturing. His family’s growing empire—built on speculative digital currencies and now gambling—seems worlds away from the humility and honesty preached in Christian ethics.

Even congressional oversight appears inconsistent. When asked by CNN’s Jake Tapper whether he would investigate Trump’s crypto and betting ventures, House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Tenn.) brushed off the idea, saying:

“The difference between the way the Trump family’s operating and the Biden family, is they’re admitting they’re doing this. The president campaigned as a business guy… as long as you disclose the income and disclose the sources, I think that’s acceptable.”

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

Docs: Biden FBI Subpoenaed Records Of Major Conservatives, GOP Groups As Part Of Get-Trump Probe

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The Biden FBI filed subpoenas seeking the bank records and communications of numerous conservatives and Republican-affiliated organizations as part of its lawfare against Donald Trump, new records show.

Released Wednesday by Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the documents demonstrate the expansive efforts the agency undertook to target any individual and group associated with the former president throughout its “Arctic Frost” probe. As The Federalist previously reported, that inquiry “ultimately became Jack Smith’s elector case against Trump.”

According to newly disclosed files, the Biden FBI filed a subpoena on Sept. 19, 2022, with Chain Bridge Bank, seeking any requested “testimony, documents, and/or communications” from several Trump-affiliated political groups. This named list included the “Save America PAC, Save America Leadership PAC, and/or Save America JFC,” and the “Trump Make America Great Again JFC.”

The subpoena was one of many the Biden FBI would file in the coming months as part of its quest to target any individual and group associated with the eventual 2024 Republican presidential nominee.

A month later, on Oct. 11, 2022, the agency filed a subpoena with National Capital Bank to obtain “testimony, documents, and/or communications” from the Conservative Partnership Institute. The request specifically named Mark Meadows and Cleta Mitchell. While Meadows served as Trump’s White House chief of staff during his first term, Mitchell serves as chair of the Election Integrity Network and advised Trump on his post-2020 election litigation in Georgia.

(Read more from “Docs: Biden FBI Subpoenaed Records Of Major Conservatives, GOP Groups As Part Of Get-Trump Probe” HERE)

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Trump Acknowledges He’s Barred from Running for Third Term, Calls It “Too Bad”

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President Donald Trump appeared to close the door on speculation about a potential third term, acknowledging Wednesday that the U.S. Constitution clearly prohibits him from seeking another run at the White House. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to South Korea, Trump said, “It’s a very interesting thing. I have the best numbers for any president in many years. And I would say that, if you read it, it’s pretty clear. I’m not allowed to run. It’s too bad.”

The comments mark one of Trump’s most direct acknowledgments of the two-term limit set by the 22nd Amendment — a topic that has fueled both curiosity and controversy throughout his second term.

Despite dismissing the possibility of a third campaign, Trump praised the depth of leadership within the Republican Party, pointing to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance as promising figures for the next presidential race. “All I can tell you is that we have a great group of people,” he said proudly.

Over the course of his presidency, Trump has referenced the idea of a third term multiple times — often in jest, but sometimes with a tone that left supporters wondering if he might find a way around constitutional limits. His remarks have energized parts of his base, with hundreds of thousands of supporters publicly urging him to “stay in the fight” and find another path back to power.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) confirmed this week that he and Trump have discussed the constitutional restrictions. “It’s been a great run,” Johnson said. “But I think the president knows — and he and I’ve talked about the constrictions of the Constitution, as much as so many of the American people lament that.”

The U.S. Constitution’s 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, limits presidents to two terms. Still, speculation has persisted around possible legal loopholes — such as Trump potentially running as vice president — though most constitutional scholars agree such scenarios would likely be blocked.

For now, however, Trump seems content to reaffirm his role as the GOP’s dominant figure — even without a third campaign on the horizon. “We have great people,” he said, signaling confidence that his movement’s influence will endure well beyond his presidency.

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

Trump Admin Moves to Bar States From Wiping Medical Debt Off Credit Reports

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The Trump administration is moving to undercut state-level efforts to wipe medical debt from Americans’ credit reports, just as millions across the country are facing massive healthcare premium increases stemming from congressional Republicans’ refusal to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies.

On Tuesday, according to reporting by The Lever and Bloomberg Law, the Russell Vought-led Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) will publish a nonbinding interpretive rule arguing that federal statute “generally preempts state laws that touch on areas of credit reporting.”

The guidance aligns with views expressed by a Trump-appointed federal judge in Texas who, earlier this year, vacated a Biden-era CFPB rule that would have prohibited the inclusion of medical debt on consumer credit reports. The Trump administration, which has repeatedly violated court orders, is complying with the decision.

Medical debt is a growing crisis in the United States: Roughly 14 million adults owe more than $1,000 in medical debt, and an estimated 20% of Americans have medical debt on their credit reports.

Supporters of removing medical debt from credit reports argue it is not a reliable measure of creditworthiness. The Center for Consumer Law & Economic Justice at UC Berkeley notes that “medical debt often reflects the simple misfortune of getting sick unexpectedly and having to face a medical system that is rife with insurance stonewalling, delay, and mistakes.” (Read more from “Trump Admin Moves to Bar States From Wiping Medical Debt Off Credit Reports” HERE)

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Trump Pulls Plug On Trade Negotiations With Canada Over Ad Featuring Ronald Reagan

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President Trump has pulled the plug on trade negotiations with Canada, where the economy relies in significant ways on the United States, over what he has called a “FAKE” ad that appears to be trying to influence the U.S. Supreme Court’s looming decision on tariffs.

Further, the ad may actually misrepresent President Ronald Reagan, whose words it uses.

The bigger picture is Trump’s use of tariffs to bring about fair trade agreements for American manufacturers, consumers and economy with foreign nations that long have taken advantage of unbalanced practices.

The Supreme Court right now is considering the status of those tariffs.

Canada, of course, has a significant interest in making them go away. And Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who repeatedly has opposed Trump’s economic agenda, revealed he was pushing an ad campaign weeks ago.

(Read more from “Trump Pulls Plug On Trade Negotiations With Canada Over Ad Featuring Ronald Reagan” HERE)

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Trump’s ‘Whipping Boy’ Says He’s ‘Tired’ of Doing the Dirty Work

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. . .While speaking on POLITICO’s “The Conversation” released Friday, [Rand] Paul was asked about newly surfaced text messages allegedly sent by Paul Ingrassia, who withdrew his nomination from Trump to lead the Office of Special Counsel on Tuesday. In a chat to a group of Republicans, first reported by the outlet, Ingrassia reportedly said that he has “a Nazi streak” and that Martin Luther King Jr. Day should be “tossed into the seventh circle of hell.” . . .

“What I say to the president and to his administration: you need to read the messages, and guess what? You need to make a decision on whether you want to send him forward,” Paul said when asked whether the Senate should halt consideration of Ingrassia for the top ethics spot until a full inquiry is conducted.

He continued: “I’m tired of being the only one that has to block everything and do everything… I hear a lot of flack from Republicans and they want me to do it. They say, ‘Oh, well, you’re not afraid of the president. You go tell him his nominee can’t make it.”

Paul described himself as the “whipping boy,” adding that “I’m tired of the only one that has any guts to stand up and tell the president the truth.”

“These Republicans, if they’re going to vote no, they need to man up and need to say, ‘We’re going to vote no because of this reason.’ And they need to tell the president,” Paul said, before adding: “But so far, what I’m hearing is rumbling and griping, and want me to do their job for them. So they need to step up.” (Read more from “Trump’s ‘Whipping Boy’ Says He’s ‘Tired’ of Doing the Dirty Work” HERE)

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Trump Says He’s ‘Just Going to Kill People’ Who Are Allegedly Trafficking Drugs Abroad: ‘They’re Going to Be, Like, Dead’

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Amid deadly strikes on alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean and East Pacific, President Donald Trump is vowing that his administration will continue to attack drug cartels both on land and at sea — without a declaration of war from Congress.

While speaking to reporters on Thursday, Oct. 23, Trump addressed the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S., claiming that his administration’s actions had reduced illegal drug imports by sea to “less than 5%” of what they were before.

Now, Trump says his administration will turn its attention to drugs entering the country by land.

“The land is going to be next,” Trump said. “And we may go to the Senate, we may go to the, you know, Congress and tell them about it, but I can’t imagine they would have any problem with it. I think, in fact, while we’re here, if you go to Congress and you tell them about it, what are they going to do? Say, ‘We don’t want to stop drugs pouring in.’ “ . . .

When asked by a reporter why he would not request a formal declaration of war from Congress, Trump said, “I’m not going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war. I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. Okay? We’re going to kill them, you know, they’re going to be, like, dead.” (Read more from “Trump Says He’s ‘Just Going to Kill People’ Who Are Allegedly Trafficking Drugs Abroad: ‘They’re Going to Be, Like, Dead’” HERE)

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Report: Trump Wants DOJ to Pay Him $230 Million for Previous Investigations

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President Donald Trump is pressing for his Justice Department to pay roughly $230 million as a settlement for investigations he faced during the Biden administration and his first term in office, sources familiar with the matter confirmed to ABC News Tuesday.

The extraordinary arrangement, as first reported by The New York Times, would likely first need sign-off from top officials in the department who previously served as Trump’s defense attorneys or otherwise represented his allies.

The settlement negotiations stem from two separate administrative claims that were submitted by attorneys for Trump while he was out of office in 2023 and 2024. One sought damages over the investigation he and those in his orbit faced surrounding ties his 2016 campaign had to the Russian government. . .

Trump, asked Tuesday by reporters in the Oval Office about the New York Times’ story, said regarding the Justice Department, “I don’t even talk to them about it — all I know is that they would owe me a lot of money, but I don’t, I’m not looking for money. I’d give it to charity or something.”

“It’s interesting, because I’m the one that makes a decision, right?” Trump said. “And you know that decision would have to go across my desk, and it’s awfully strange to make a decision where I’m paying myself. In other words, did you ever have one of those cases where you have to decide how much you’re paying yourself in damages? But I was damaged very greatly, and any money that I would get, I would give to charity.” (Read more from “Report: Trump Wants DOJ to Pay Him $230 Million for Previous Investigations” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr