China's Busy Week, Milei's Biting Midterm, And Demolishing The East Wing

A detailed recount mixed with meme comedy to mark our times at Week 43 of 2025 featuring source material from Knights Of Guinevere, Star Trek Lower Decks, and Hailey’s On It!

Oct 27, 2025

The Trump Show: Series 2 - Wrecking The White House

As Trump ramps up his drug trade crackdown in the Caribbean, the American leader called Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro an “illegal drug dealer” and threatened to cut off US aid to the country. Moreover, Trump announced the US would increase tariffs last Sunday night in another escalation. On Monday, the Supreme Court took on the case that would decide if the government can bar drug users from carrying guns. An appeals court ruled that Trump can send in the National Guard to Portland, a move criticized by Oregon’s AG as leading towards “a dangerous path.” In a hilarious article from The Atlantic, more than one-third of ICE applicants have failed to pass the physical test, with one official calling the candidates “athletically allergic.” On foreign policy, Trump and Australia’s PM Antony Albanese signed a new rare earths deal and reaffirmed the AUKUS defense agreement, both of which are seen as moves to counteract China. Despite claiming that Trump’s long-desired ballroom project would not interfere with the current White House structure, images show that a portion of the East Wing was already demolished, and construction has already begun. Politico reported that Paul Ingrassia, Trump’s embattled nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel, told a group of Republicans via text that he believed the MLK Jr. holiday should be “tossed into the seventh circle of hell,” and proclaimed he has a “Nazi streak.” Former FBI Director James Comey asked the judge to drop the criminal case against him, citing vindictive prosecution. As the government shutdown drags on, the Trump administration is looking into ways to pay air traffic controllers due to more flight delays. Six colleges have openly rejected Trump’s offer to give favorable conditions for top universities in exchange for ideological alignment, right as the deadline expired on Monday night.

The NYT first reported that Trump has demanded that his DOJ pay him roughly $230 million in compensation for past investigations into his alleged crimes, in the starkest demonstration yet of the president’s ethical conflicts colliding in one instance. Despite not winning the Nobel Peace Prize, Trump received the Architect of Peace Award from the Nixon Foundation during a White House ceremony, which included other inductees like George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and Henry Kissinger. With the Trump regime’s complete overhaul of the refugee program, it is estimated that only 7000 white Afrikaners would be allowed entry as asylum seekers because they can speak English or due to their views on “free speech.” On education, the regime laid off the vast majority of employees in the Department of Education working on special education services, and is planning to move the role of special education to another agency. Speaking of education, Trump officials reportedly said they are nearing a deal with the University of Virginia that would end the government’s standoff against the public university. As more images show the extensive damage done to the East Wing, the Treasury Department instructed employees not to share photos of the demolition amid widespread criticism. Things have also heated up at NASA, with acting administrator and Transport Secretary Sean Duffy wanting to fold NASA into his Department of Transportation, and inviting companies to compete with SpaceX for the future Moon landing mission in Artemis III. Elon Musk then fired back at “Sean Dummy,” adding, “The person responsible for America’s space program can’t have a 2-digit IQ.” Following the revelation of racist texts from Politico, Paul Ingrassia withdrew his nomination for the Office of the Special Counsel. Before withdrawing from a proposed Senate hearing, Ingrassia’s mother tried to talk with GOP lawmakers who criticized his son. GOP lawmakers from North Carolina’s Senate approved a new congressional map that adds one more House seat for their party, giving Trump a small win ahead of next year’s midterm elections. Regarding Congress, as the shutdown became the second-longest in US history, Arizona’s AG has sued the House of Representatives over the delay in swearing in Adelita Grijalva, while a pardoned Capitol rioter was arrested for allegedly threatening to kill House minority leader Hakeem Jefferies.

In a radical shift from previous statements, the White House decided to demolish the entire East Wing for Trump’s ballroom project. Marking a broader crackdown on drug smuggling, the Trump administration announced it had launched another deadly boat strike on Tuesday, killing 2 people in the Pacific Ocean off South America. Following last week’s massive walkout of media organizations from the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a new crop of right-wing press corps that includes the Gateway Pundit, The Post Millennial, and Lindell TV. Marking another key institution falling in line with the current regime, the University of Virginia agrees to follow the government’s new guidance barring discrimination in a deal to pause investigations. In other headlines, the now-controversal Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner finally “removed” a Nazi tattoo that he claimed he did not know until this Monday, North Carolina’s GOP lawmakers gave their final approval to the redistricting map that will impact the re-election bid of battleground Democrat Don Davis, an influential Los Angeles TikTok streamer who streams ICE raids, was charged with assault after being shot and arrested by federal agents, and Trump’s border czar Tom Homan hopes 600,000 people can be deported in this year.

Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, who pleaded guilty to money laundering charges, after spending months boosting the president’s family’s crypto company. The White House East Wing was completely demolished on Thursday, wrecking the building’s 123-year history into rubble. Shelving his plan to deploy federal agents to San Francisco, the president claimed “friends of mine who live in the area” had asked him to reconsider before making the surprising U-turn. Following the final NYC Mayoral election debate, former candidate and current mayor Eric Adams endorsed Andrew Cuomo for the November vote. Upping the ante on the redistricting fight, Virginia Democrats are eyeing a new plan to redraw their House maps that would add 2 to 3 Democrats. Continuing to butcher the environment, Trump opened Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil drilling. NBC News reported that a criminal probe into Senator Adam Schiff’s alleged mortgage fraud charges has stalled due to a lack of evidence, while NY AG Letitia James signaled her plan to challenge the appointment of Trump-picked prosecutor Lindsey Halligan in her mortgage fraud case. On the trade war, it was announced that Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng would meet with US officials in Malaysia between Friday and next Monday regarding ongoing trade tensions between the US and China. But ahead of a confirmed Trump-Xi summit next week, the US plans to investigate China’s compliance with its 2020 trade deal. Colombia’s foreign ministry urged the US to halt its recent airstrikes, with Petro bluntly calling it “murder” and a violation of international law. According to an upcoming book by ABC News’s Jonathan Karl, Howard Lutnick tried to sabotage Sean Duffy’s chances of being named as Transport Secretary by digging up a decade-old comment that was critical of the current president.

In a trade bombshell, Trump abruptly announced all of America’s trade negotiations with Canada are terminated over a negative TV ad about tariffs. In response, Canada’s PM Mark Carney said his country is willing to resume trade talks when the Americans are ready, while also focusing on “developing new partnerships” with other countries in Asia. For the Canadian province who started the ad campaign, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the province will pull the tariff ads that drew Trump’s ire starting on Monday “so that trade talks can resume.”Under the shutdown-delayed September CPI figures, inflation hit 3.0% that month, while the Social Security Administration announces a 2.8% rise in benefits due to a cost-of-living adjustment. As US military launched the 9th strike on another alleged drug-trafficking boat that killed 6 people, Trump ordered the U.S.S. Gerald Ford and three destroyers to the Caribbean in a major escalation against Venezuela’s Maduro. Based on reporting by CNN, Trump has been considering plans to target cocaine facilities inside Venezuela, as well as potential drug trafficking routes. Moreover, Trump sanctioned Colombian President Gustavo Petro and his family, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent claiming Petro “has allowed drug cartels to flourish and refused to stop this activity.” In other headlines, NY AG Letitia James pleaded not guilty in her mortgage case pushed by the Trump regime, House minority leader and New York Democrat Hakeem Jefferies finally endorsed Zohran Mamdani, and the Washington Post reported that average Obamacare premiums are set to rise by 30%.

As Trump and Xi are set to meet in South Korea, Chinese and American officials began their meeting in Kuala Lumpur, while the US president himself expressed willingness to make concessions to China in a bid to alleviate trade tensions. In addition, Trump said he wants to meet Kim Jong-un during his trip to South Korea. By Sunday, Bessent said China and the US have agreed on “a very positive framework” after two days of negotiations, telling NBC News’s Meet The Press that the deal will lead to both countries avoiding the new 100% tariffs. China soon affirmed the announcement, with the preliminary consensus including provisions on fentanyl and ship fees. Despite pulling down the Ontario Reagan ad, Trump punished Canada by slapping 10% tariffs. After arriving in Malaysia and dancing to the welcoming crowd, Trump touted his negotiating genius as he attended a peace accord between Cambodia and Thailand, which agreed to an expansion of last July’s ceasefire agreement. Back in the US, former VP Kamala Harris told BBC News he might run for president again, saying, “I am not done. I have lived my entire career as a life of service, and it’s in my bones.” Gavin Newsom also expressed his intention to run for president, telling CBS News he may make the decision after next year’s midterm elections.

War Watch - Slapping Russia With Tariffs

Following last week’s lackluster meeting between Trump and Zelensky, senior German Lieutenant General Alexander Sollfrank urged Europe to do all it can to help Ukraine, noting European democracy and the rule of law are at risk. In the White House, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shared the screenshots of texts she had with HuffPost reporter S.V. Dáte, responding to a question on who suggested the next Trump-Putin summit be held in Budapest with “Your mom did.” European leaders are trying to get on Trump’s good side by endorsing his ceasefire position, writing in a joint statement, “We strongly support President Trump’s position that the fighting should stop immediately, and that the current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations.” However, the White House announced on Tuesday that there are no plans for a quick summit as previously hoped, following disagreements on how to resolve the war between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. Trump later confirmed the news, saying he wants to avoid “a wasted meeting” with Putin. Right after the Trump-Putin meeting was canceled, Russian forces launched a massive drone attack on Ukraine’s infrastructure that killed at least 7 people, including two children. On Wednesday, Russia held nuclear drills with strategic nuclear weapons after the summit delay. During a meeting with Sweden’s PM Ulf Kristersson, Zelensky said Trump’s plan to freeze the war at the current frontlines is a “good compromise,” adding he believed Russia would never sign up to it. After Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hinted at a “substantial pickup” in Russian sanctions, the US announced they were slapping sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, Lukoil and Rosneft, in the first major sanction announcement on Russian entities since the second Trump administration. A few hours later, the EU then adopted a new sanctions package targeting Russia’s energy infrastructure on Thursday, targeting the shadow fleet of oil tankers and banning liquid natural gas imports. With Putin’s ally Dmitry Medvedev fuming that Trump’s latest tariffs are an act of war, Reuters reported that Chinese state oil majors have suspended their purchases of seaborne oil from the two sanctioned Russian companies. Putin vowed Russia would not bow to pressure from the US, but admitted the new sanctions would cause economic pain. During a visit to the UK, Zelensky said he still wants the US to stay involved with resolving the conflict. By the weekend, a top Russian general announced Russia had tested a new nuclear-powered cruise missile.

As the Gaza ceasefire experienced multiple stress tests last week, Netanyahu threw more doubt on further peace talks in Cairo as he claimed Israel would disarm Hamas and demilitarize Gaza. Spoling for a fight, Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir urged the IDF to “fully and with full force resume combat operations in the Gaza Strip.” Inside the White House, officials were trying to keep Netanyahu from resuming an all-out assault against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, with Vice President JD Vance leading an American delegation to Israel a week after Trump’s triumphant visit. Meanwhile, Gaza officials said at least 135 Palestinian bodies they received from Israel showed signs of mutilation and evidence of being held at the notorious Sde Teiman jail. Arriving in Israel on Tuesday, Vance expressed optimism about the ceasefire holding, arguing the deal went better than expected. By Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio was set to meet Netanyahu to shore up ceasefire efforts, as Netanyahu openly denied “hogwash” suggestions that Israel was a client state of the US. The International Court of Justice said Israel has not provided claims that significant parts of the UNRWA staff are Hamas, ruling the Israeli government is obligated to facilitate humanitarian aid in Gaza and rebukes the blockade imposed on the enclave. In an open letter, prominent Jewish and Israeli figures call for the UN and world leaders to sanction Israel over its “unconscionable” actions that amount to genocide. Before ending his Israel tour, JD Vance criticized Israel’s parliament for voting on West Bank annexation, calling the move an “insult” and “a very stupid political stunt.” In addition, Vance added that the US might seek the UN’s help for an international security force in Gaza. By Friday, the main Palestinian factions have agreed to an independent committee of technocrats taking charge of ruling Gaza and managing basic services “in cooperation with Arab brothers and international institutions.” The US has begun deploying surveillance drones to ensure both Israel and Hamas have adhered to the ceasefire, but experts say the humanitarian aid crisis remains unchanged.

China Watch - The Fourth Plenum

It was a busy week for China’s elite politics, as members of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee held their closed-door meeting for its annual plenum (aka gathering). Marking the fourth plenum since the 2022 Party Congress, the Central Committee’s 205 full members and 167 alternate members gathered in Beijing to discuss, among other things, party governance and economic issues. More importantly, the plenum will oversee the formation of the 15th Five-Year Plan, the set of economic goals for China between 2026 to 2030. Traditionally, the Central Committee holds 7 plenums during a five-year term, with the fourth plenum centered around ideological issues, and the fifth plenum focuses on the next Five-Year Plan. However, the third plenum was delayed by President Xi Jinping until July 2024, which analysts point to in explaining the sudden change. The new Five-Year Plan would likely encompass Xi’s priorities in economic development, security, the national innovation system, education and talent for the development of new quality productive forces, as well as the improvement of people’s livelihoods. As China’s economic situation is in a bit of a bind, ranging from the raging trade war with the US (More below) to an economic slowdown. Observers say the new Plan would likely be a continuation of the previous two Five-Year Plans, with more focus given on “new innovative forces” such as AI and semiconductors. Boosting consumption is a priority for party leaders, especially as recent economic data shows China’s consumer prices last month remained in deflationary territory. Analysts focused on whether the government would focus on domestic consumption rather than an investment-and export-led model ahead of the gathering. As the Brookings Institution pointed out on China’s consumption priorities, “China’s economy remains investment-driven as the government continues to pump money into infrastructure, companies, and exports rather than into social services and welfare programs, which would bolster consumption.”

Apart from economics, party operations also loomed over the plenum. Unlike what some Western analysts have argued, China’s elite politics has a high turnover rate. In this plenum, observers focused on replacements for at least nine members on the Central Committee. Some members have died of old age since the last plenum, while others were sidelined due to corruption investigations. Some of the ongoing corruption investigations have already swept up multiple regional leaders (Including the former chairwoman of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region Wang Lixia, the former chairman of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region Lan Tianli, and the former governor of Shanxi province Jin Xiangjun), top financial officials (See the former regulator of China’s equities market, Yi Huiman, over serious breaches of discipline), and most notably, military generals. Just last week, the CCP expelled the vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (aka the CMC, China’s military command chain chaired by Xi Jinping) and Politburo (The country’s top principal policymaking group) member, He Weidong, as the defense ministry announced he was under investigation and was dismissed from service and the party. Eight other full generals suffered the same fate, including Miao Hua, who was in charge of the military’s political, ideological, and personnel work. Due to the recent number of corruption investigations against top officials, especially in the military, rumors have been swirling of high-level purges.

Given the intent to prevent leaks, plenum attendees are confined to the venue for the duration of the meeting, while media access is strictly limited, and authorities would only release a brief outline of the Plan’s general scope after it is over. Ahead of the meeting, China’s top party journal Qiushi urged steps to boost policy predictability, manage market expectations, and pay closer attention to public sentiment. While the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (aka the CPPCC, which mainly does consultative work for the government) revisited Xi’s ideas on balancing diversity and unity, as well as throwing shade at Western political systems, in an article from People’s Daily, a party mouthpiece. An editorial by the nationalistic state-run outlet Global Times said the world can expect more good news from the plenum, arguing China’s plans for future development would have unique and significant implications for the world.

On Monday, state-run Xinhua announced the fourth plenary session began on Monday morning, with Xi delivering a work report on behalf of the Central Committee’s Political Bureau and expounding on the party leadership’s draft proposals on the Five-Year Plan. In some gloomy news for China’s economy, the country reported 4.8% quarterly GDP growth, the weakest growth within a year. President Xi Jinping removed Li Chenggang from his position as China’s permanent representative to the World Trade Organization, formalizing his recent role as lead international trade negotiator.

By Thursday, the closed-door meeting finally came to an end, with a communique obtained by Xinhua reporting that attendees deliberated over and adopted recommendations for the upcoming Five-Year Plan, as the major objectives and tasks of the 14th Five-Year Plan are on the verge of accomplishment. Among the main appointments, Xi picked the military’s anti-graft chief, Zhang Shengmin, as the new CMC vice-chair. As for the plenary session, the government vowed to make “notable progress in pursuing high-quality development,” “substantially improve” the country’s capacity for technological self-reliance and innovation, and urged courage in the face of “major tests amid high winds, rough waves and even raging storms.” During Friday’s press conference by the Central Committee, officials reaffirmed their commitment to resolve amid “more complex and intense” strategic competition. As the country’s “comprehensive national strength” in “both hard and soft power” continues to grow, China aims to set the next five years as key to its ambitions as a global science and tech leader in 2035. Much focus is put on the “real” economy of producing tangible goods, including the key problem of “involution” and fierce intra-industry price wars evident in different sectors. On foreign policy, officials vow to keep opening up market access to other countries, while insisting on “dialogue and cooperation” with the US.

Voterama 2025 - Milei Braces For Electoral Judgment

Argentina held its legislative vote, widely seen by the outside world as the midterm elections, on Sunday. The legislative elections oversaw the replacement of half the seats in the Chamber of Deputies and a third of the seats in the country’s Senate. It was widely seen as a referendum by Argentine voters on President Javier Milei, who has been pushing “painful” policies that include brutal government spending cuts. Although Milei’s economic polices have led to a decrease in inflation and the poverty rate, austerity and a strong peso have stalled economic activity, leading to high unemployment rates and lower wages. In a hint of what the election would become, Milei’s La Libertad Avanza party suffered a sweeping setback in September’s Buenos Aires provincial election. Since the humiliation, financial markets turned against Milei with a sudden peso dump, prompting the sympathetic US administration to offer Argentina a $20 billion bailout that critics say is more based on political interests than economic ones. Despite Trump’s interference, the Argentine Peso briefly dropped to a new low on Monday. Last week, Trump threatened to pull financial aid to Argentina if Milei loses the midterm vote, calling one of Milei’s opponents “extremely far-left” and encompassing a “philosophy that got Argentina into this problem in the first place.” But after the polls closed and the early results came in, there was some good news for Milei. Figures show the Argentine leader’s party gaining ground with voters, as the La Libertad Avanza party was getting nearly 41% of the vote, compared to the main opposition Peronist left-wing opposition that only got roughly 25%.

Apart from Argentina, it has been a busy few days for elections. In nearby Bolivia, the election officially ended more than 20 years of rule by the left-wing Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) Party. Although that conclusion was determined in the first round of voting, last Sunday’s vote decided which new direction Bolivia would be heading. In the end, centrist Senator Rodrigo Paz won the presidential election against the right-wing former President Jorge Tuto Quiroga. Despite never being a nationally prominent figure before the vote, Paz attracted working-class and rural voters disillusioned with the unbridled spending policies of the ruling MAS party. Diverting from Quiroga’s plan to rely on the International Monetary Fund for a shock treatment package, Paz argued for gradual economic reform that included ending Bolivia’s fixed exchange rate.

Following last Sunday’s vote in Cyprus, voters delivered a resounding victory for the pro-EU and left-leaning Turkish Cypriot candidate Tufan Erhürman. Running on a message of reviving stalled UN-brokered talks to reunify the island, the moderate defeated the incumbent nationalist Ersin Tatar by a landslide of 27 points. Tatar’s 5-year tenure has been dominated by calls for a “two-state solution” to the Cyprus problem between the Greek Cypriot community in the internationally recognized south and the Turkish Cypriot community that occupies the north, and Erhürman’s win has renewed hopes for peace and real changes for many voters.

On Tuesday, Japan’s parliament voted for who would become Japan’s next prime minister. The favorite to win was Sanae Takaichi, the newly elected leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Despite the LDP’s longtime partner Komeito abruptly announcing an end to their 26-year-long coalition, the Japan Innovation Party (Ishin) agreed to a new coalition deal with the LDP, guaranteeing Takaichi would win the parliamentary vote. By noon, Takaichi was confirmed as Japan’s PM by a parliamentary vote, with 237 out of 435 lawmakers voting to support her candidacy.

In Ireland’s presidential election on Saturday, independent leftwing candidate Catherine Connolly won a landslide victory. Her main opponent, Heather Humphreys, conceded defeat that afternoon after early polls showed Connolly with an insurmountable win, fueled by support from young people and an alliance of opposition leftwing parties. The win also marks a big shock for the ruling Fine Gael and its ruling partner Fianna Fáil, which have been marred by a housing crisis, the cost of living, and political blunders.