Trump wanted to give the King a very special artefact, owned by the US government, during his state visit. A museum director who refused the request was fired this week. Also, Trump’s branded Gaza deal, Kristi Noem’s bathroom breaks and more
Much like his steaks, his vodka and his books, Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan is an already existing product that he stamped his branding on.
In most important respects it’s the same framework that was on the table earlier this year – and in fact bears a striking resemblance to both the February 2024 Biden plan, and the French-Saudi plan endorsed at the United Nations earlier this month.
And maybe the branding has done it some good. A bit of razzle dazzle was just what it needed. Hamas seem to be on board, although their attachment of conditions at this early stage may not bode well.
Meanwhile, in Trump World:
- A museum leader was fired after refusing Trump’s demand for a priceless artefact to gift to the King
- Kristi Noem was denied a bathroom break in Illinois
- Trump’s commitment to avoiding inflammatory rhetoric lasted about as long as you’d expect
- His former spiritual advisor pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a child
- Trump’s $1 coin is probably illegal
- ‘Reign of terror’ or man in chicken suit?
- Aaaand the White House got Donald Trump and Hamas mixed up. Easy done.
Here’s everything you need to know and a few things you’d probably be better off…not knowing.
1. Trump brands Democrats ‘the party of Satan’
JD Vance had just finished lecturing the nation about inflammatory rhetoric in politics when Donald Trump apparently decided “nah, screw that…”
He posted an image on his Truth Social account featuring images of Democrat politicians including Joe Biden, AOC and Chuck Schumer. In big all-caps letters at the top it reads: “THE PARTY OF HATE, EVIL AND SATAN”.
2. Illinois denies Kristi Noem a bathroom break
Homeland Security secretary was doing her ICE Barbie routine in the village of Broadview, Illinois, when she and her band of thugs fancied a quick bathroom break.
The Village of Broadview was having none of it.
In response, Village spokesman David Ormsby said: “Since DHS Secretary Kristi Noem appeared this morning, unannounced, at Broadview’s Village Hall asking for a meeting while Mayor Katrina Thompson was out of the building, the mayor returned her visit.”
He went on to say the Mayor had tried to speak with Noem later about an allegedly illegal security fence ICE had erected around a processing facility.
He said: “Mayor Thompson went to the ICE centre, accompanied by the Broadview Police Chief Thomas, and officers, to ask for the illegal fence to be dismantled. The mayor was told by agents at the gate the secretary was unavailable to meet.”
3. Museum boss sacked after refusing to let Trump give the king a priceless American artefact
When he visited the UK last month, Donald Trump gave King Charles a gift: A replica of Dwight D Eisenhower’s West Point Officer’s Sabre donated by the army academy where the wartime President began his military career.
Trump, though, had originally wanted to give his host the real thing.
He approached the Eisenhower presidential library, asking for a genuine heirloom he could give to the King when he visited Windsor Castle.
And he was told no. The items held by the library are the property of the US government, and it is obligated by law to preserve them to the American people.
Which does not include handing them to a foreign head of state at the whim of a President eager to throw his largess around on the world’s stage.
This week, Todd Arrington, the director of the Eisenhower Library, was forced out of his job.
4. Trump’s $1 coin is probably illegal
You’ll remember yesterday the Treasury confirmed a coin would be struck to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Now, aside from being one of the most deliciously dictator-coded things a President could do, it’s apparently also illegal.
Under US law, only portraits of dead people are allowed to appear on American currency.
So unless Trump knows something we don’t about his imminent demise…
5. Hamas says “yes…but…”
As we mentioned before, the Trump Brand Gaza Peace Plan appears to have legs this time. Maybe.
Hamas, crucially, has indicated it wants to get involved – but has some conditions.
The terror group said it is willing to release the remaining hostages and hand over power to other Palestinians. But it said other aspects of the plan require further consultations among Palestinians.
In return, Israel would halt its offensive and withdraw from much of the territory, release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and allow an influx of humanitarian aid and eventual reconstruction.
Trump welcomed the Hamas statement, saying: “I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE.”
It didn’t all go entirely smoothly though…
6. White House confuses Trump with Hamas…
The official White House twitter posted Hamas’ statement in response to the Trump branded peace proposal.
Unfortunately it was mistakenly tweeted with the message: “President Donald J Trump releases important statement on Hamas’ response to President Trump’s proposal”.
Easy done.
7. An FBI agent was fired for refusing to ‘perp walk’ James Comey
As if we needed any more evidence that Trump’s prosecution of former FBI director James Comey was a pure act of revenge against someone who refused to bend the knee to him, an agent in the Washington DC field office has reportedly been fired for refusing to arrest and ‘perp walk’ him.
According to CBS News, FBI leadership wanted to do a “showy” arrest of Trump’s arch enemy, chaotically charged last week with lying to Congress just days before the statute of limitations expired.
Leadership reportedly asked for “large, beefy” agents to conduct an arrest “in full kit” including Kevlar vests emblazoned with the FBI logo.
Chris Ray, a supervisory special agent in the violent crimes division, was asked to put together the kind of agents who fit the bill, but he refused – saying it would be inappropriate and highly unusual for a white-collar defendant like Comey. According to CBS he was suspended for insubordination.
8. Scenes from the ‘reign of terror’ in ‘war-ravaged’ Portland
Last night, Karoline Leavitt pledged the US military under orders from Trump and “Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth, would “end the radical left’s reign of terror” in “war-ravaged Portland”.
So people have started posting videos of scenes from the protests outside Portland’s ICE facility, and they’re not exactly Mogadishu in Black Hawk Down.
We’re overjoyed to see one of the Mirror Chicken’s cousins putting in a shift.
9. Republicans cancel next week in Congress
While Republicans in the Senate is still failing to reach an agreement with Democrats to end the government shutdown, House Speaker Mike Johnson decided to just send everyone home for a week of paid holiday.
Of course it definitely doesn’t have anything to do with a newly elected congresswoman – Adelita Grijavla, who would be a key vote on the release of the Epstein files – and who is still waiting to be sworn in.
Last night, the speaker declared October 7th through October 13th would be a “district work period”, which in theory means they should go home to talk to their constituents.
In reality, it’s a week off.
AOC tweeted: “The government is in full shutdown and the Republicans are refusing to call the House back into session.
“Want to know why? Because we have secured the final vote on releasing the Epstein Files and they don’t want it out.”
10. Trump’s former spiritual advisor gets arrested for sexual abusing a 12 year old girl
Former megachurch pastor and Trump campaign spiritual advisor Robert Morris pleaded guilty on Thursday to sexually abusing a child.
Morris, a founding pastor of Dallas-based Gateway megachurch, one of the largest in the country, was accused by an Oklahoma woman of sexual abuse in the 1980s, when she was between the ages of 12 and 16.
Morris, 64, pleaded guilty to five felony counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child. He was given a 10 year suspended sentence and ordered to serve six months in a county jail.
As part of his plea deal he must register as a sex offender and pay the victim $250,000.