PUMP Newsletter

Trump Floats Third Term Despite Constitutional Barriers

President Trump continued to tease a potential third term during a Monday briefing on Air Force One, stating he would "love" to serve beyond 2028 but acknowledging the 22nd Amendment's prohibition.

Advisers have floated workarounds, including a vice presidential run followed by ascension, though Trump dismissed it as too cute in a separate interview calling it ridiculous while reiterating he could find a way to extend his influence

But Senate Democrats issued a unified statement Monday vowing to block any Trump effort to serve beyond 2028, with Leader Chuck Schumer declaring,

Legal experts warn such maneuvers could trigger constitutional crises, echoing concerns from his first term's election challenges. The remarks come amid a government shutdown now in its 27th day, with Trump using the impasse to rally his base on immigration and spending cuts.

Polls show 45% of Republicans open to amending the Constitution for him, per a new Emerson survey, but Democrats vow unified opposition in Congress. A third-term push could dominate 2026 midterms, forcing GOP leaders to navigate loyalty tests. Trump has not committed, but the rhetoric sustains his grip on the party.

Shutdown Reaches Day 27 As Federal Workers' Union Calls for Immediate End

The government shutdown entered its 27th day on Monday, with the American Federation of Government Employees urging Congress to prioritize back pay for 2 million furloughed workers.  Impacts include delayed SNAP benefits for 40 million recipients, set to run dry by Saturday, and airport delays from understaffed FAA operations.

Three Democrats have defected to support a clean bill, but 60 votes remain elusive without GOP concessions. As midterm pressure mounts, disgust with lawmakers crosses party lines, per a Fox News poll showing 68% unfavorable views of Congress. Resolution talks resume today, but veto threats persist.

Trump Takes a Swipe at Speaker Johnson: "I'm the Speaker and the President"

The government shutdown is grinding into its fourth week, and President Donald Trump couldn't pass up a chance to tweak House Speaker Mike Johnson in private. According to sources Trump said,

During a recent chat, a not-so-subtle reminder of who's really calling the shots in the GOP. With the House on ice and federal paychecks delayed, it's the kind of line that stings in D.C.'s pressure cooker.

For more on Johnson's tightrope, watch this breakdown:

The shutdown started October 1 when funding expired, and Johnson hasn't reconvened the House since, holding out for a Senate clean bill to carry spending into November. Trump's been all in, meeting day one with OMB Director Russ Vought to eye cuts to Democrat political scams, agencies linked to progressive causes that could get slashed.

To keep his base happy, he ensured military pay flows from FY 2026 funds, even as civilians wait. Publicly, the hurt's building. A mid-October Economist/YouGov poll of 1,621 Americans found 49% untouched so far, but that's little solace for 2 million furloughed feds or benefit delays.  

Dems blocked a GOP short-term fix until November 21, pushing for ACA subsidy extensions. It's classic brinkmanship, and both sides are locked in. This shutdown expected to top the 35-day 2018-19 wall fight, could flip midterms. GOP risks seats if voters tire of the mess; Dems hope blame lands on Trump.

Trump Greenlights Military Action

President Trump just announced that his administration is designating major Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, authorizing military strikes against their operations. The move shifts from criminal prosecutions to a wartime posture, involving the CIA, DEA, and Coast Guard in joint missions.

The policy responds to over 100,000 U.S. overdose deaths in 2023, with cartels blamed for fueling the fentanyl crisis through assassinations and corruption in Mexico and beyond. Trump framed it as national defense, comparing it to strikes on al Qaeda and ISIS. Critics, including Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, warn of sovereignty violations, while U.S. Democrats call it escalation without congressional oversight.

This designation builds on Executive Order 14157 from January 2025, which labeled cartels like Carteles Unidos as specially designated global terrorists. The State Department followed up in February, adding eight organizations to the foreign terrorist list, enabling asset freezes and travel bans. Treasury's August action targeted cartel finances, sanctioning leaders for narco-terror acts that killed thousands.

Trump's team sees this as an extension of the post-9/11 playbook, treating cartels like ISIS affiliates, where drone strikes and special ops disrupted networks without full invasions. Spencer, a West Point professor, argued in his op-ed that urban cartel strongholds like Sinaloa demand combined arms tactics: SEAL teams raiding labs, cyber ops hacking ledgers, and airstrikes on convoys. Early ops in the Caribbean, under the Navy's drug interdiction fleet, already sank three cartel speedboats last month, though details remain classified.

Mexico's response has been tense. Sheinbaum, in a Mexico City presser, called it unilateral aggression that risks cross-border chaos, pointing to past U.S. ops that spilled violence northward. Cartels have retaliated before, remember the 2019 Culiacán shootout after a DEA arrest? This could amplify that.

Domestically, Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) introduced a bill requiring congressional approval for strikes south of the border, gaining 45 co-sponsors in a week. Polls show 62% of Americans back tougher cartel action, but only 41% support military involvement without Mexico's buy-in.

The real test comes soon. With shutdown furloughs hitting DEA agents, ops rely on military pivots. If strikes hit Tijuana tunnels or Gulf platforms, expect headlines and blowback. Either way, the line from cop to combat is crossed, and the fallout will echo across borders.

Trump Administration Halts November Federal Food Aid Amid Shutdown

The USDA notified stated on October 26 that no federal food assistance payments will issue on November 1 due to the government shutdown, affecting SNAP benefits for over 40 million low-income Americans. The freeze, tied to lapsed appropriations, risks food insecurity spikes, with food banks already overwhelmed.

Administration officials blamed congressional inaction, but Democrats accused Trump of weaponizing aid to pressure for border funding. And while states are scrambling for emergency funds, the White House shutdown tracker logged it as a necessary pause.

October's benefits cleared as usual, but November's $11B cliff hits hard, 42 million rely on SNAP, 40% kids. Georgia DHS warned cards go dark at midnight October 31; California's EBT lines already queue 2x longer. Feeding America projects 20M more meals needed weekly, straining 60K pantries nationwide. Trump's USDA pinned it on Dems holding hunger hostage for ACA funds but Schumer fired back saying that that the administration is weaponizing kids' lunches for walls.

White House East Wing Demolition Continues Despite Shutdown, Drawing Criticism

Speaking of walls, work on demolishing the White House's East Wing proceeded with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defending the $500 million project as essential for mold remediation and security upgrades. But critics highlighted the irony: federal workers unpaid amid shutdown, yet contractors receive funds for renovations Trump calls a master builder achievement.

The project, paused briefly in prior years due to environmental concerns, resumes under emergency waivers, displacing staff to temporary offices. Democrats, including Rep. Jamie Raskin, demanded audits, questioning funding sources during fiscal gridlock but the demolition continues.

That’s all for today, thanks for reading.

We’ll see you tomorrow!

— The PUMP Team