Week 51 — The Return – The Weekly List

This is the week when Trump’s ‘Let them eat cake’ era truly came to the forefront. Juxtapose Trump’s demolition of the White House East Wing to construct a $300 million ostentatious ballroom with cutting off food stamps for 42 million of America’s neediest, who count on government assistance to put food on the table! Add to that hundreds of thousands of U.S. government and private sector workers either losing their jobs, or their income — while Trump regales in the former, and tries to obscure the latter.

All the while, Trump and his family continue to use the office of the presidency for their own financial gain. In this second regime, Trump makes little effort to conceal the ‘pay to play’ nature of his presidency. Technology, cryptocurrency, and other corporations push money his way for favors, like tariff relief or merger approval, or even pardons or government lawsuits being quietly dismissed. Countries have learned to do the same, flattering Trump like a dictator to get their way.

As the government shutdown entered its fourth week, the second longest in history next to the shutdown in the first Trump regime, Congress has completely abdicated its power to Trump. The House of Representatives has not even been in session since September 19! One Republican senator described it as, “The Congress is adrift. It’s like we have given up.” Trump continues to order military strikes in Central and South America, and insert himself into other countries’ politics.

On Wednesday, as the demolition of the White House East Wing continued, a Trump regime spokesperson said the “entirety” of the East Wing would eventually be demolished, shocking preservationists, and resulting in criticism for lack of transparency.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit created by Congress, said in a letter to the regime that the planned 90,000-square-foot ballroom “will overwhelm the White House itself,” which is about 55,000 square feet. The regime called it “manufactured outrage.”
Trump dismissed concerns about the project, telling reporters, “It’s being paid for 100 percent by me and some friends of mine,” and baselessly claiming, “we’ve been more transparent than anyone’s ever been,” calling the reporter who asked about it “third rate.”
Bloomberg reported that donors to Trump’s ballroom included major technology companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google; crypto firms like Ripple, Coinbase, and Tether; and longtime Trump donors like billionaires Steve Schwarzman and Miriam Adelson.
ABC News reported that Trump is naming the ballroom, whose cost estimates are now $300 million, after himself. White House officials are referring to it as “The President Donald J. Trump Ballroom.” Trump later denied this claim.
NYT reported that Trump has already made five major changes to the White House, including: redecorating the Oval Office and cabinet room in gold, paving over the Rose Garden, and establishing the “Presidential Walk of Fame” on the West Colonnade.
On Tuesday, Trump fired all six members of the Commission of Fine Arts, an independent federal agency established by Congress more than a century ago, that would have reviewed some of Trump’s projects, including the White House ballroom, and his planned triumphal arch.
The East Wing demolition came as 42 million Americans who count on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program food stamps are to be cut off on November 1, if the government shutdown is not over. One expert called the prospect “The greatest hunger catastrophe since the Great Depression.”
On Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture posted on its website that SNAP benefits would not be issued on November 1, due to the government shutdown, saying, “Bottom line, the well has run dry.”
On Monday, Politico reported that Trump appointees James Miller and Babs Hough, who ran SNAP, are both leaving the USDA and are both headed to the Health and Human Services Department.
On Tuesday, dozens of Democratic attorneys generals and governors sued the Trump regime over its decision not to use emergency funds to keep food aid flowing to 42 million Americans.
On Wednesday, Defense Department Sec. Pete Hegseth posted on X that the Trump regime had carried out its ninth military strike on an alleged drug vessel, for the second straight day in the eastern Pacific Ocean, adding, “We will find them and kill them.” The death toll reached 37.
On Thursday, Trump said his regime would brief Congress on its operations against drug cartels, but claimed he did not need a declaration of war and approval from Congress to act, telling reporters, “we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country.”
Trump also said operations against cartels on land would be next, saying, “Now they (drugs) are coming in by land … you know, the land is going to be next.”
On Thursday, two Air Force B-1 bombers from Texas flew near Venezuela in international air space, as part of an effort by the Trump regime to get its president, Nicolás Maduro, to leave the country.
The Trump regime also sent an aircraft carrier, the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and its accompanying aircraft, to the waters around Central and South America, adding some 5,000 troops to the region, with no notification or request to Congress.
On Friday, Hegseth posted on X that the U.S. military had struck an alleged drug vessel operated by the Tren de Aragua gang in the Caribbean overnight, killing six. The U.S. military has carried out 10 attacks on vessels, killing at least 43 people so far.
NYT reported two bodies washed ashore in Trinidad after the U.S. strikes. While some Latin American countries have claimed the U.S. is violating international law by killing dozens of people who don’t pose an immediate military threat, Trinidad’s leader hesitated to cross Trump.
On Tuesday, Hegseth said the military had struck four more vessels it accused of drug smuggling, killing 14 people, off the Central and South American coasts.
The Pentagon announced what it described as a “new media” press corps, largely composed of far-right wing media outlets. The regime claimed the 60 people from various news organizations represented “a broad spectrum of new media outlets and independent journalists.”
The new group included Mike Lindell’s streaming service, Real America’s Voice; the websites the Gateway Pundit; the Post Millennial; Human Events; the National Pulse; RedState; Turning Point USA’s media brand Frontlines; and influencer Tim Pool.
WAPO reported that large law firms have pulled back from representing clients challenging Trump’s policies, leaving the burden on small firms. Just 15% of cases challenging Trump’s executive orders have been taken by large firms on 2025, compared to 75% during the first Trump regime.
On Wednesday, after facing criticism from ranchers, including the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, over his plan to import beef from Argentina to help his ally there, Trump said the ranchers “don’t understand” how they have benefited from his tariffs.
Trump also falsely claimed for a second day in a row that grocery prices are “way down,” when data showed the prices for meat, fruits and vegetables, chicken, fish, and eggs all rose. A Reuters-Ipsos poll found cost-of-living was the greatest concern of Americans.
The government headed into the fourth week of a shutdown on Wednesday, making it the second longest in U.S. history, right behind the December 2018 shutdown under Trump.
Trump posted on Truth Social late Wednesday that he had approved major disaster declarations for red states Alaska, Nebraska, and North Dakota, while denying requests from blue states Vermont, Illinois, and Maryland. Trump cited he had “won BIG” in Alaska.
On Thursday, Trump announced an anonymous private donor, who he described as a “patriot” and personal friend, donated $130 million to help pay military troops during the government shutdown. The regime accepted the donation under its “general gift acceptance authority.”
The regime’s move to pay troops using a private donation was highly unusual, and possibly in violation of the Antideficiency Act, which prohibits federal agencies from spending money in excess of congressionally appropriated funds.
NYT reported Timothy Mellon, a reclusive billionaire and major donor to Trump, was the donor who gave the $130 million. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the Trump regime requested about $600 billion in total military compensation in its 2025 budget.
On Friday, more than 500,000 federal workers missed their first full paycheck, as the government shutdown reached day 24.
WAPO reported a memo from the Pentagon’s top personnel official, sent before the government shutdown, advised managers to move with “speed and conviction” to fire civilian employees with “unacceptable” performance reviews.
The memo also removed key protections for defense civilian workers, allowing managers to fire anyone who does not completely go along with Trump’s agenda.
Private company ADP said it would fill the void left by the government shutdown on employment data by releasing a four-week average weekly change in employment every week, not month.
Major U.S. companies announced big layoffs, with UPS saying it had eliminated 48,000 jobs so far in 2025, and Reuters reporting that Amazon is targeting as many as 30,000 corporate jobs.
NYT reported as the shutdown drags on, Congress has increasingly ceded its relevance. House Speaker Mike Johnson refuses to call members back. The House and Senate did not push back on Trump’s military strikes, tariffs, or any of the other illegal moves.
Trump has diverted funding to pay whom he chooses in defiance of Congressional appropriations. Experts say at least some of his maneuvers were questionable or illegal. Experts noted that having some employees get paid while others do not will fracture the civil service.
GOP leaders said they will not hold talks with Democrats to reopen the government unless Trump allows them to. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski told the Times, “The Congress is adrift,” adding, “It’s like we have given up. And that’s not a good signal to the American public.”
On Friday, the government released inflation data for September, initially due October 15, saying it was needed to calculate Social Security Administration’s 2026 cost-of-living adjustment. The regime added it was unlikely inflation data would be released next month.
On Monday, WAPO reported more than 2,100 flights were delayed over the weekend, as air traffic controllers who have stopped getting paid called in sick. Some airports and aviation groups set up food pantries and collected donations for their unpaid workers.
WAPO reported that funding for the Head Start program could also run out as early as Saturday, jeopardizing free child care and other services for 58,000 young children.
On Monday, Johnson announced that the House would be out of session for the coming week, marking the fifth week in a row. There were also no committee hearings or markups scheduled.
On Tuesday, a federal judge extended the ban on Trump’s plan for a mass firing of federal workers during the shutdown, prohibiting the regime from issuing reduction-in-force notices until the government reopens.
WAPO reported Trump is deciding which federal employees get paid or not during the shutdown. Workers including active-duty military personnel, deportation officers, air marshals, and law enforcement agents are being paid in full, while their support staff is not.
Gallup found Trump’s approval averaged 40.3% in the third quarter spanning July 20 through Oct. 19, the lowest level for any modern day president since Richard Nixon. Trump also hit his lowest approval rating of the second regime with pollsters YouGov/The Economist.
On Monday, while speaking to reporters on Air Force One on his trip to Asia, Trump said his recent M.R.I. was “perfect,” and he “would love” to serve for a third term, baselessly citing his popularity.
Trump falsely claimed that he had given reporters the full results from his recent visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, when few results were released. The fact that he received a M.R.I. was not previously known, nor why he went to Walter Reed or underwent an M.R.I.
On Tuesday, Johnson told reporters that he does not “see the path” for Trump to seek a third term, saying he spoke to Trump that morning, and “It’s been a great run,” citing “the constrictions of the Constitution, as much as so many of the American people lament that.”
On Wednesday, Trump acknowledged that he cannot run for a third term, telling reporters, “It’s too bad,” and baselessly claiming, “We have the greatest economy we’ve ever had, I have my highest poll numbers that I’ve ever had,” adding, “we’ll see what happens.”
On Wednesday, Trump pardoned Changpeng Zhao, the convicted founder of the crypto exchange Binance, who had thrown hundreds of millions in fees to the Trump family in crypto deals and negotiated a stake in Binance for the family, and had lobbied for a pardon.
NBC News reported that Binance had retained lobbyist Charles McDowell, a friend of Donald Jr., in September. Asked why he pardoned him, Trump said, “I don’t know, he was recommended by a lot of people,” and it was “at the request of a lot of very good people.”
When Trump was asked about the pardon again on Thursday by a CNN reporter, he snapped, saying, “I do pardon a lot of people,” adding, “Are you talking about the crypto person? You don’t know much about crypto. You know nothing about nothing.”
The WSJ Editorial Board criticized the move, saying Trump had pardoned “his family’s crypto pal,” and noting that although Trump claimed, “a lot of people say that he wasn’t guilty of anything,” Zhao pleaded guilty in 2023 to violating anti-money laundering laws.
NYT reported that Unusual Machines, a small company that has been manufacturing motors for only a few weeks, and which granted Donald Jr. 200,000 shares for his help as an adviser, has won a contract from the Army for its drone proposal, yielding a hefty profit for Donald Jr.
On Thursday, WSJ reported Trump’s Commerce Department is in talks with several small quantum-computing companies about taking an equity stake in exchange for federal funding. The move marked an expansion of Trump’s intervention into industries viewed as critical.
Late Thursday, Trump posted on Truth Social that he was calling off “all trade negotiations” with Canada, after the province of Ontario ran an ad evoking speeches by former president Ronald Reagan speaking out against tariffs.
On Friday, the Ontario premier said the ad would be taken down on Monday, after being shown on two World Series games, and achieving their goal of reaching U.S. audiences. Trump called it a “crooked ad,” adding, “They could have pulled it tonight,” and calling it “dirty play.”
Reuters reported Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney would make his first official visit to Asia on Friday, in hopes of forging new alliances and reducing the country’s dependence on the U.S. as a trading partner. Carney also said he now planned to meet with China’s leader.
On Saturday, Trump doubled down on his feud with Canada, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that he would increase tariffs on Canada by 10%. The audio used in the ad was authentic, with minor edits to Reagan’s 1987 address, which did not alter the substance of his remarks.
WSJ reported on his trip to Asia, foreign leaders made a great effort to flatter Trump with lavish welcome ceremonies, fighter jets flying overhead, and repeated pledges to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize.
NYT reported the Trump regime struck a deal with the University of Virginia, its first with a public university. The deal was less onerous than offers made to other schools, in part because the former president of the school, who the regime tied to DEI policies, resigned in June.
Syracuse University said it would not sign Trump’s compact, the last of the original nine to announce its decision. All nine rejected the compact, except University of Texas which was still in talks with the regime. Since then, Trump has opened the deal to all schools.
On Wednesday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection headed to San Francisco for an immigration enforcement operation, with the Coast Guard’s property being used as a base for DHS officials.
Reps. Nancy Pelosi and Kevin Mullin said that federal agents could be arrested by local authorities if they broke the law, saying in a statement, “While the president may enjoy absolute immunity courtesy of his rogue Supreme Court, those who operate under his orders do not.”
On Thursday, Trump announced on Truth Social he had called off the operation in San Francisco. No reason was given, but the reversal came after his conversation with the mayor who said the city was making “substantial progress” on crime, and his friends asked him to stop.
On Wednesday, a federal appeals court, which ruled 2–1 in Week 50 to freeze a lower court ruling blocking Trump from deploying the National Guard to Portland, stayed its own order after finding a “material factual error” in the Trump regime’s argument.
Judges on the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals voted to reconsider the appeals court decision “en banc,” vacating the ruling by the two Trump appointed judges. Until the case goes before the appeals court, federalized Oregon National Guard members cannot be deployed.
On Thursday, NYT reported that the Trump regime is planning a shake-up at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including replacing several senior leaders across the country, as the regime’s pace of deportation is lagging behind Trump’s demands.
On Saturday, ABC News reported Border Control agents disrupted a children’s Halloween parade in a suburb of Chicago, using aggressive tactics and tear gas during an immigration enforcement incident. The move came days after a judge ordered officials to explain their actions.
On Tuesday, a senior Border Patrol official appeared before the judge. The judge reread her instructions on using unnecessary force, adding, “Kids dressed in Halloween costumes walking to a parade do not pose an immediate threat to the safety of a law enforcement officer.”
The judge also instructed the senior official to report to her courtroom every day at 6 p.m. and give her a full report on the day’s events, including the use of force by agents.
On Monday, a federal judge slammed Attorney General Pam Bondi and DHS Sec. Kristi Noem over their incendiary, out-of-court statements about Kilmar Abrego Garcia, ruling the cabinet officials had violated a court rule limiting comments by government officials.
The judge also ordered prosecutors to notify every employee at DOJ and DHS about the rule, which restricts public statements about pending cases, adding, “Government employees have made extrajudicial statements that are troubling… exaggerated if not simply inaccurate.”
Former special prosecutor Jack Smith, who was summoned by House Republicans to testify about his investigations of Trump, asked for a public hearing, citing the “many mischaracterizations” about his work as rationale, and for written guidance on what he can and cannot say.
NBC News reported the federal mortgage fraud investigation against Sen. Adam Schiff, Trump’s perceived enemy, had stalled. Sources said after months of investigation, there was not enough evidence to bring charges. No formal decision had been made on whether to proceed.
On Monday, more than 100 former DOJ officials signed an amicus brief asking the federal judge overseeing the Trump regime’s case against James Comey to dismiss the case, arguing it was based on political animus and not guided by legal standards.
On Monday, Trump appealed his conviction on 34 felony counts in the New York hush money case, claiming his trial was “fatally marred” by faulty evidence, and overseen by a judge who should have recused himself.
On Friday, the Trump regime said the DOJ would monitor polling sites in California and New Jersey ahead of the election, at the request of Republican Party officials in those states. California officials called the move “an intimidation tactic meant for one thing: suppress the vote.”
The DOJ said its Civil Rights Division would be stationed at polling places and offices “to ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law.” California’s secretary of state said the DOJ had provided no justification “in what is a nonfederal special election.”
Trump criticized early voting in a post on Truth Social on Monday: “No mail-in or ‘Early’ Voting,” baselessly claiming, “Watch how totally dishonest the California Prop Vote is! Millions of Ballots being ‘shipped,’” and “GET SMART REPUBLICANS, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!!!”
On Monday, Indiana Republican Gov. Mike Braun called for a special legislative session in an effort to redraw the state’s congressional map, at the urging of Trump and his regime. Republican statehouses in Texas, North Carolina, and Missouri had already signed new maps into law.
On Sunday, Argentinian President Javier Milei’s Freedom Advances party vastly outperformed polling in a victory, after Trump’s outsized roll in the election. Trump celebrated, posting, “BIG WIN in Argentina for Javier Milei, a wonderful Trump Endorsed Candidate!”
On Friday, Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski joined congressional Democrats in a filing with the Supreme Court, challenging Trump’s authority to impose tariffs, saying if Trump wishes to impose tariffs, he “must comply with the existing, lawful delegations of tariff power.”
On Monday, the Trump regime asked the Supreme Court to uphold Trump’s firing of Shira Perlmutter as the Register of Copyrights and Director of the U.S. Copyright Office.
Under federal law, the Register of Copyrights is appointed by and reports to the Librarian of Congress, which was headed by Carla Hayden, who was also fired by Trump without cause shortly after he took office.
On Tuesday, the House Oversight Committee released its report on Biden’s alleged cognitive decline, “The Biden Autopen Presidency: Decline, Delusion, and Deception in the White House,” claiming many of his executive orders, including pardoning his son, should be voided.
On Tuesday, Trump addressed sailors aboard a U.S. aircraft stationed in Japan, telling them he will continue sending National Guard troops into American cities, saying, “We can’t have cities that are troubled,” and “we’re going to have safe cities.”
Trump spoke to the military despite the fact that it was unclear if the government had sufficient funds to pay service members later this week in full, despite the $130 million donation by Mellon and attempts to move funds in an effort to make the payment.
Bloomberg reported Dr. Steven Hatfill, a biosecurity adviser at the Department of Health and Human Services who opposed mRNA Covid vaccines, claimed he was fired because he was part of “a coup to overthrow Mr. Kennedy,” organized by Sec. Kennedy’s chief of staff.
The Trump regime reinstalled a statue honoring Albert Pike, a Confederate diplomat and general who was thought to be a member of the Ku Klux Klan, near the U.S. Capitol grounds. Pike’s statue is the only one honoring a Confederate in the nation’s capital.
On Tuesday, a federal judge disqualified Trump appointee, U.S. Attorney of Los Angeles Bill Essayli, ruling that he “is not lawfully serving as acting United States Attorney” and “cannot continue to perform any role.”
On Tuesday, in a rare rebuke of Trump, the Senate voted 52–48 to end his 50% tariffs on Brazil, rejecting the emergency declaration Trump had cited in invoking them. The resolution faces long odds of passing in the House.
On Wednesday, NYT reported Utah is planning to place as many as 1,300 homeless people in what the state calls a services campus, while critics referred to it as detention camp or prison, in a test of a new approach endorsed by some conservatives and Trump.

Federal immigration enforcement agents detain a protester in Little Village neighborhood, Chicago Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (Anthony Vazquez /Chicago Sun-Times via AP)