Trump’s Latest Grift, White House Demolition & a Pretend Ceasefire

THE LEDE

Typically, The Fifth’s cover photo reflects the most important story of the week.

This week, it’s one from 2009: President Barack Obama running through the East Wing of the White House with the new family dog, Bo. I remember it vividly — a heartwarming image of a dad, who also happened to be leader of the free world, jogging alongside his dog as it explored its new home.

Fifteen years later, President Trump has demolished that very wing, after assuring Americans that construction for his new ballroom — twice the size of the White House itself — wouldn’t touch “the People’s House.” But then the bulldozers arrived this week, and they didn’t stop until the East Wing was gone.

We were not consulted. We were not even politely informed. What happened simply happened.

There are, of course, more urgent headlines this week. But I chose this photo because of what it represents — a time when the White House still felt like ours: a symbol of something shared — our history, our values, our sense of belonging. Today, it feels like we’re living at the whim of one man whose interests consistently trump America’s — pun intended.

The arbitrary and ruthless destruction of part of the People’s House is more than construction. It’s a mirror of the larger — perhaps existential — crisis at hand: we’re watching someone dismantle not just walls, but the very idea that this house, and this country, belong to all of us.

There's more in today's Top Story, but first:

1) Breaking Democracy: Steve Bannon says Americans should “get accommodated” with Trump serving a third term. In an interview with The Economist, Trump’s former advisor claimed “they” have a plan to get around the Constitution’s 22nd Amendment, which limits presidents to two terms. He called Trump a “vehicle of divine providence” and teased: “At the appropriate time, we’ll lay out what the plan is.” Meanwhile, Trump’s been trolling Democrats with “Trump 2028” hats in his office.

2) Inside Job: Trump wants $230 million in taxpayer money from the Justice Department he now controls—claiming his rights were violated during investigations, including the FBI’s 2022 Mar-a-Lago search. He’s effectively asking his own appointees to approve a payout for being held accountable. This week, he said he’d give the money to charity—or put it toward his new White House ballroom. More in Top Story.

3) Gut Job: The East Wing of the White House is gone. Despite insisting the new ballroom wouldn’t touch the original structure, bulldozers were spotted this week demolishing the East Wing—once home to the First Lady’s offices and decades of history. More in Top Story.

4) The Ceasefire That Isn’t: Despite U.S. praise for “progress,” Israel has violated its ceasefire with Hamas dozens of times, killing scores of Palestinians, while aid still can’t reach most of Gaza. The U.S. dispatched Vice President JD Vance, Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Israel to keep Netanyahu from reigniting a full-scale war — what one official called “Bibisitting.” More in Gaza below

5) The Resistance: Organizers say last weekend’s No Kings protests drew 7 million people — about two million more than in June — to march against Trump “acting like a king.” The demonstrations were peaceful, with major cities reporting zero arrests. By Monday, Republicans were scrambling to downplay the movement. Sen. Ted Cruz lied about the crowd size in a tweet he later deleted, while conservatives argued that if America really had a “king,” no one could protest — missing the point entirely. Trump chimed in with the most juvenile move of all: posting an AI video of himself flying over cities and defecating on protesters.

Two stories this week reveal the same truth: Trump’s loyalty isn’t to America or Americans — it’s to himself.

#1 The Art of a Shakedown

Trump is seeking $230 million in taxpayer compensation from the Department of Justice—which he now controls—after filing two claims accusing the government of violating his rights during previous investigations. In essence, he’s asking his own appointees to approve a massive taxpayer-funded payout for the “harm” caused by being investigated.

Before his return to the presidency, Trump filed two complaints with the Justice Department. The first challenged the 2023 investigation into whether his campaign had colluded with Russia to interfere in the 2020 election. That probe—culminating in the Mueller Report—found that Russia did interfere but could not prove Trump’s campaign was involved, nor could it rule it out. The second complaint, filed in 2024, concerned the FBI’s Mar-a-Lago raid over classified documents Trump allegedly took, stored, and refused to return.

Such filings with the DOJ can precede lawsuits unless settled privately—something the government may do to avoid litigation. If the DOJ reaches a settlement, it isn’t required to make it public.

The New York Times, which first reported the story, noted:

“The situation has no parallel in American history, as Mr. Trump, a presidential candidate, was pursued by federal law enforcement and eventually won the election, taking over the very government that must now review his claims. It is also the starkest example yet of potential ethical conflicts created by installing the president’s former lawyers atop the Justice Department.”

Those two officials—Attorney General Pam Bondi and her deputy Todd Blanche—are both Trump loyalists and former personal lawyers. It’s an undeniable conflict of interest—one no president genuinely invested in the country’s future would pursue just to get even.

When asked about the story this week, Trump didn’t deny it. Instead, he argued the government “owed him a lot of money.” He again boasted of donating his $400K presidential salary—as if to signal that it was only fair he be paid for the claims. For perspective: $230 million equals 575 years of presidential salary, or 144 consecutive terms.

Trump has a long history of using lawsuits as a weapon—not to prove his case, but to punish and extract concessions. He’s won millions in pro bono legal services from top firms and hundreds of millions from media settlements. The U.S. government, in his view, is just another mark.

#2 Bulldozing the People’s House

After insisting that nothing would be torn down to make room for his new ballroom, the White House literally began tearing itself apart this week. The East Wing, built in 1902 and home to the First Lady’s offices, was demolished. Photos of bulldozers razing a century of history caused such panic that Treasury Department employees—whose offices overlook the East Wing—were ordered not to post images of the destruction.

The Trump Administration and Republican allies downplayed the outrage, citing past White House renovations as precedent. But there are key differences:

• Corporate Funding: The new ballroom is being funded by major corporations—Microsoft, Google, Palantir, and Lockheed Martin, among others. While public memorials have accepted private funds before, Trump’s transactional history raises the obvious question: What do these companies expect in return? Corporations don’t write million-dollar checks for nothing—they’re buying access to a president who controls their regulations, contracts, and antitrust enforcement. (CBS News)
• Destruction, Not Renovation: Other presidents have expanded or restored the White House; none have demolished parts of it. Even Harry Truman’s extensive reconstruction was done through formal channels with input from historians and archivists and was necessary because parts of the White House were unstable. Trump’s demolition bypassed those experts entirely. The East Wing will be replaced with a ballroom twice the size of the actual White House. This week, Trump also announced that the ballroom’s cost has jumped to $300 million, up from $250 million. Unlike his predecessors, Trump’s renovations appear to be happening without oversight, transparency, or historical regard.

🏛️ The Executive Branch

• Venezuela Escalation: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is sending 5,000 more troops (15,000 total) and repositioning the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to Central and South American waters, framing it as part of Trump’s “war on cartels," which the administration claims are smuggling fentanyl on boats into the U.S.
  • As part of that "war," at least 43 people have been killed in 10 U.S. strikes on vessels in recent weeks. Two survivors were later released — raising questions about due process and the credibility of U.S. claims. Lawmakers say the evidence the White House has provided thus far to justify the strikes does not jive with their claims. (ABC News)
  • Also, the targeted routes mainly traffic marijuana and cocaine to Europe and Africa—not fentanyl to the U.S., Trump's stated focus. Behind the rhetoric, officials and regional experts say the campaign looks less like counter-narcotics and more like an effort to topple the country's president, Nicolás Maduro. The U.S. doesn’t recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s president, has a $50 million bounty for information leading to his arrest, and both Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have said they want him out. (BBC)

• Argentina | Bailouts for Friends: After gutting aid programs that provided children with $2 mosquito nets to prevent malaria and 12-cent AIDS meds, Trump is sending $20 billion to Argentina to bail out his ally, far-right President Javier Milei before elections. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s former hedge fund partner, who holds large Argentine investments, lobbied him twice for the bailout.
  • To (allegedly) curb U.S. beef prices, Trump approved more beef imports from Argentina, angering American ranchers who largely voted for him. (Yahoo Finance)
• China | Tariffs and Tensions: The U.S. and China reached the outline of a preliminary deal that would avert Trump’s 100% tariffs on Chinese imports, per Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. If finalized, China would resume exports of rare earth minerals crucial to U.S. tech and defense, and restart soybean purchases to aid U.S. farmers. Trump, currently in Malaysia for the ASEAN summit, will meet President Xi in South Korea to also discuss China’s oil purchases from Russia. (NBC News | AP)
• Canada | Tariff Tantrum: Trump suspended trade talks with Canada after Toronto’s premier aired an ad quoting Ronald Reagan saying tariffs cause “trade wars and higher prices.” The Reagan Library also objected, saying the clip was taken out of context. (CNBC)
• Government Shutdown | Day 26: Federal workers have now missed a full paycheck. TSA agents are working unpaid and “wearing thin.” SNAP benefits run out after November 1. Both parties are softening positions, but no deal is in sight.
  • Trump ally and billionaire Timothy Mellon donated $130 million to help pay troops during the shutdown — a move one governance expert called “treating the military like someone’s bar tab.” (AP)

💰Corruption & Cronyism

• Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, convicted for money laundering and fraud. Binance paid $4.3 billion in fines — about the same amount Trump’s family earned through a crypto platform tied to Binance. (NBC News)
• Trump commuted former Rep. George Santos’ 7-year sentence for wire fraud and identity theft—after just three months served. The surprise move has fueled speculation that Trump did it to win back favor with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who’s recently turned critical of him and has long lobbied for Santos’ release. According to one account, Trump’s reaction to Greene's about face was basically to call someone and ask, “What’s going on with Marjorie?” (MSNBC)
• Paul Ingrassia, Trump’s pick to lead the Office of Special Counsel, withdrew after Politico revealed he’d described himself as having a “Nazi streak” and said MLK Day belongs in the "seventh circle of hell." As far as we know, he still works at DHS, where he's been accused of sexual harassment by a colleague. (Politico)
• A Jan. 6 rioter pardoned by Trump—who was sentenced to 21 months for storming the Capitol and rifling through Sen. Ted Cruz’s office—has been re-arrested for threatening to kill Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. (NBC News)

⚖️ Democracy & Oversight

• Trump has fired nearly 20 inspectors general, leaving 40 vacancies across 74 federal agencies. IGs uncover tens of billions in waste and fraud each year. Their purge weakens accountability and oversight. (The Contrarian)
• The State Department shut down the Human Rights Reporting Gateway — the only public line for reporting rape, torture, and disappearances by U.S.-funded militaries. (BBC)

🚨 Incompetence & Mismanagement

• Trump’s new U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Lindsay Halligan, texted a reporter about a grand jury case — then asked for it to be “off the record.” An experienced prosecutor would know that's not how it works. (Lawfare)
• One-third of new ICE recruits can’t pass basic standards — 15 push-ups, 32 sit-ups, and a 1.5-mile run in 14 minutes — derailing plans to hire 10,000 deportation officers. (The Atlantic)
• The national debt hit $38 trillion, the fastest increase outside the pandemic — raising borrowing costs and inflation. (PBS)

🥩 Culture & Health

• HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to tell Americans that saturated fat is “OK” — contradicting decades of public health guidance. Experts say that while not as harmful as once believed, it’s still not healthy. (The Hill)

⚖️ Courts & Executive Power

• A three-judge panel on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals voted 2–1 to allow Trump to deploy the National Guard to Portland. Both judges in the majority were Trump appointees. The city and state plan to appeal, asking for a rehearing before the full 29-judge panel. Briefs are due later this week. (Axios | NPR)

🏛️ CONGRESS

• Arizona: Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D) has asked a federal court to let someone other than Speaker Mike Johnson swear her in. Despite winning a special election a month ago, Johnson has refused—reportedly because Grijalva promised to provide the final signature needed to force a House vote on releasing the Epstein files. (Roll Call)
• North Carolina: Republicans—and Trump—admitted they rushed a redistricting bill through in under 10 days to gain an extra House seat ahead of next year’s midterms. Democrats say the new map dilutes Black voting power, and voters are suing the state. Similar efforts are underway in Texas and Missouri, while Republicans in Kansas, Indiana, and Ohio are expected to follow. Democrats are countering with their own redistricting plans in California, Maryland, and Illinois.
• New York: After trouncing former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in their final debate, Zohran Mamdani is finally getting the endorsement of Minority Leader Jeffries, who represents parts of Brooklyn and Queens. (Politico)

🗞️ The Press

• After the Pentagon press corps turned in their credentials to protest Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s restrictive new rules, the department replaced them with a handpicked group of pro-Trump, conservative “reporters”—including figures from a media outlet founded by MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell. (Mother Jones)
• Former 60 Minutes producer Bill Owens says Paramount discouraged him from covering stories on Gaza and Trump. After his resignation, CBS brought in Bari Weiss of The Free Press—a staunch Zionist—who is reportedly considering FOX host Bret Baier to anchor CBS Evening News. (Status | The Guardian)
• Meanwhile, Paramount is trying to buy Warner Bros. Discovery and has made three offers this month—all rejected. The merger would unite CNN, CBS News, and two of Hollywood’s largest studios, giving the new company unprecedented control over news and entertainment. (NYT)
• When a HuffPost reporter asked Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt why the White House chose Budapest for its upcoming meeting with Vladimir Putin (which was later postponed), she replied: “Your mom”—then called the reporter a “far-left hack.”
  • The city choice is particularly inflammatory: under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons in exchange for a Russian pledge to respect its sovereignty—a promise Putin violated with the 2014 annexation of Crimea and the 2022 invasion that led to the current war. (HuffPost)

The bombs never really stopped. Israel keeps striking Gaza under the guise of “self-defense,” even as the U.S. publicly hails a ceasefire it’s privately trying to enforce. Aid remains scarce, journalists are still barred, and Washington’s top envoys are babysitting Netanyahu while blaming Hamas.

• Israel has violated the ceasefire at least 47 times, killing dozens of Palestinians, according to Gaza officials and independent monitors. (Guardian)
• Trump officials privately admit their focus is keeping Netanyahu from “vacating the deal.” (NYT)
• The U.S. warned Israel that any response to ceasefire violations must be “proportionate,” after they killed at least 45 people in retaliation for two soldier deaths which Hamas denied involvement in. (Times of Israel | Washington Post)
• One US official called Vance's visit to Israel a “show of force from the highest-ranking person after the president himself.” (CNN)
• During Vance’s visit, the Israeli Knesset advanced a bill to annex the West Bank — a direct snub to Washington. (Al Jazeera)
• Trump told TIME he “gave his word” to Arab leaders that annexation “will not happen” and warned Israel would “lose all support” from the U.S. if it did. (TIME)
• Aid deliveries remain far below required levels; humanitarian groups say conditions are not improving. (Middle East Eye)
• The WHO reports 15,000 people are waiting for medical evacuation through Rafah — which Israel has not reopened despite the ceasefire deal. (Reuters)
• The ICJ ruled that Israel is violating international law by blocking aid and hasn't produced any evidence to support their claims that Hamas infiltrated UNRWA, a key Palestinian lifeline for aid. (CNN)
• Hamas is working with the International Committee of the Red Cross to locate and return bodies of Israeli hostages. (Al Jazeera)
• The U.S. and Israel are considering a reconstruction plan that would split Gaza in two — rebuilding only areas under Israeli control until Hamas disarms. Arab mediators warn the plan would cement permanent Israeli control and refuse to send peacekeeping troops under those terms. (WSJ)
• The Israeli Supreme Court again delayed a decision (again) on whether to let foreign press into Gaza, giving the government 30 more days to respond to a petition filed a year ago. Hamas called the continued ban a deliberate “media blackout” to hide Israel’s “horrific crimes and widespread destruction.”(Middle East Eye | Times of Israel)
• The Guardian reports that 135 bodies of Palestinian captives returned by Israel showed signs of executions and torture. Some victims were reportedly blindfolded, bound, and shot at point-blank range. (Article)
• Haaretz obtained videos showing Israeli trucks dumping military construction waste inside Gaza, polluting and destroying farmland. (Article)
• Gaza is now “one giant city of unexploded ordnance,” says Nicholas Torbet of the HALO Trust, warning that cleanup will take decades. (Al Jazeera)

West Bank Escalation

• Mohammad Zaher Taysir Ibrahim, a 16-year-old Palestinian-American has been held in prison by Israel since February. Ibrahim says he's been beaten and he along with dozens of other children are kept in squalid conditions. Israel is the only country in the world that detains and tries children in military courts. A group of Democratic senators have sent a letter to Rubio and Ambassador Mike Huckabee urging them to secure his release. (DCIP)
• At least 40 children have been killed in the illegally occupied West Bank since January— accounting for about 20% of all deaths this year. (OCHA)
• Israeli settlers carried out 86 attacks against Palestinians during the olive harvest, injuring dozens and destroying over 3,000 olive trees. (OCHA)

Have suggestions, feedback, or questions? Email me at huma@fromthefifth.com.

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