PUMP Newsletter

Trump Signs Bipartisan Bill Forcing Release of All Remaining Jeffrey Epstein Files

Trump signed the Epstein Transparency Act on November 19, mandating the Justice Department release every unredacted file within 30 days. Congress passed it nearly unanimously after Trump reversed course and pushed Republicans to back it, having earlier called the push a "Democrat hoax."

Previous batches mentioned Trump socially with Epstein decades ago, he insists no wrongdoing, alongside Clinton, Prince Andrew, and others. Victims' advocates celebrated the signing, while some Trump allies feared naming innocents.

Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed full compliance. Trump said the move proves he has nothing to hide and ordered reviews of Democrats tied to Epstein. The files could drop before year-end and dominate news, especially with Trump's past associations resurfaced. This flip strengthens transparency calls but risks blowback.

Trump Confirms Friday Oval Office Meeting with NYC Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani

Trump announced that he'll meet democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, New York's mayor-elect, in the Oval Office this Friday. Trump has called Mamdani a "communist" for months and threatened to cut federal funds or even deport him over his pro-Palestine views and criticism of Israel. Mamdani requested the meeting after his landslide win earlier this month.

Mamdani, 34, beat Andrew Cuomo in the primary and won the general on promises of rent freezes, wealth taxes, and free public transit. Trump posted that the "Communist Mayor" asked for the sit-down and he agreed, setting it for November 21. City officials say Mamdani wants to discuss migrant support costs, crime funding, and infrastructure money.

The meeting could turn confrontational given Trump's threats to anarchist cities and Mamdani's vows to resist deportations and tariffs. Trump advisors see it as a way to project control over blue-city leaders after Democrats dominated urban races. This face-off highlights tensions between Trump's administration and the new wave of progressive mayors. It tests whether Trump will negotiate or use federal leverage to punish opponents.

Trump's Approval Slumping Over Economy and Prices

A recent poll released November 19 puts Trump's approval in the low 40s, with voters insisting he focus on lowering costs instead of other priorities. Economic handling sits underwater, and Democrats lead the generic congressional ballot by double digits. Independents fault Republicans more for the recent shutdown and stubborn high prices.

The survey follows Democratic sweeps in the November 5 off-year elections. Respondents say pocketbook issues like groceries and housing top their concerns, overshadowing foreign policy or culture fights. GOP strategists worry about 2026 turnout without Trump on the ticket.

White House officials dismissed the results as outlier, but aides admit inflation frustration hurts. Trump's team points to falling gas prices and stock gains, yet voters aren't feeling relief yet. These numbers signal early trouble for Republicans holding Congress next year. If prices stay elevated, it could fuel more Democratic gains.

Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince and Announces Billions in New Deals

President Trump welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House on November 18 for bilateral talks followed by a major U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum on November 19. The two leaders focused on energy deals, countering Iran, and massive Saudi investments into American AI and tech sectors. Elon Musk, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Tim Cook, and other tech executives attended the forum and a gala dinner, where hundreds of billions in commitments were announced for U.S. projects.

Trump praised MBS repeatedly, calling him a "great friend" and saying the partnership would create millions of American jobs. He shut down questions about the 2018 Khashoggi murder, telling one reporter it was a long time ago and insisting MBS had no involvement, despite U.S. intelligence findings to the contrary. Human rights organizations held protests outside, and some Democratic lawmakers condemned the visit as ignoring Yemen and press freedom issues.

The trip marks a full reset of relations that soured under Biden. Saudi state media highlighted potential U.S. mediation in regional disputes, including with Iran. Oil prices eased slightly on signals of stable supply. This visit shows Trump prioritizing economic and geopolitical wins abroad while critics say he's selling out principles for cash. With China tensions rising, aligning closer with Riyadh strengthens Trump's hand against Tehran.

Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump Plan to Dissolve Department of Education

A D.C. district judge granted a preliminary injunction November 19 stopping Education Secretary Linda McMahon from fully shuttering the department, ruling the moves illegal without explicit congressional approval. McMahon had already slashed staff by 40%, transferred student-loan servicing, and begun handing Title I and IDEA funds directly to states. For more on this:

Trump made abolishing the department a day-one promise, calling it a wasteful bureaucracy that indoctrinates kids. McMahon has been executing through executive action, zeroing out entire offices, ending civil-rights enforcement divisions, and pushing school-choice block grants.

Teachers unions, the NEA, and Democratic attorneys general sued immediately, arguing only Congress can eliminate a Cabinet agency created by law. The judge agreed the administration overstepped and paused dissolution pending full trial. McMahon called the ruling activist overreach and vowed an immediate appeal, framing it as protecting parents from federal overreach. This is the second big court loss this week after Voice of America and another setback for the broader administrative cuts agenda.

International Student Enrollment Crashes 17-20% Under New Trump Immigration Crackdown

Universities across the country reported November 19 that new international enrollments for fall 2025 dropped 17-20%, the sharpest single-year plunge ever recorded. Top schools like NYU, USC, and University of Michigan saw declines over 25%; public flagships and community colleges in immigrant-heavy states got hit hardest.

The drop ties directly to stricter visa processing, social-media vetting, the resumed deportation surge, and administration rhetoric labeling many foreign students security risks or job-stealers. State Department data shows F-1 visa issuances down 40% since January.

Colleges are staring at billions in lost tuition revenue, international students pay full freight and subsidize domestic aid. Border states and big research institutions feel it worst, some programs are cutting faculty and sections already. The administration defends it as protecting American graduates and national security. Officials point to record domestic applications as proof the system is working exactly as intended.

Gavin Newsom Positions Himself as National Anti-Trump Leader

Newsom announced November 19 that California is suing the administration over expanded tariff powers, arguing they violate state sovereignty and will devastate West Coast ports and agriculture. At a Sacramento press conference, he tied Democratic off-year sweeps directly to resistance against Trump policies, running new ads in swing states calling California the real America standing up while Washington fails.

With Prop 50's passage handing Democrats control of redistricting, Newsom boasted the state will add seats in 2026 to counter "Trump gerrymanders" in red states like Texas. He framed every court win and election result as proof his confrontational model works nationally.

No obvious 2028 Democratic frontrunner has emerged, Harris faded, Whitmer stayed quiet, and Newsom is filling the vacuum aggressively, daily national hits, surrogate armies, and a war chest already topping $100 million. Party insiders now call him the clear favorite if older figures pass.

This is first-term resistance playbook on steroids, backed by California's GDP and donor network. Newsom is betting voters reward fighters, and so far the November results back him up. There, whole set is locked in now, every piece the same depth. Epstein files are the ticking bomb today, but the H-1B split feels like it could fracture things long-term. Lead with the Saudi visit or the poll? Your call.

Federal Court in El Paso Strikes Down Texas Republican Congressional Map

A three-judge federal panel in El Paso ruled unanimously on November 18 that Texas's newly drawn congressional map violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by intentionally diluting Latino and Black voting power to favor white Republican incumbents. The map, rushed through the state legislature with White House encouragement earlier this year, cracked fast-growing minority communities in Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, and the Rio Grande Valley, packing or splitting them to protect GOP seats.

The judges ordered Texas to revert immediately to the 2021 court-approved lines for the 2026 elections, a move that hands Democrats 3-4 additional winnable districts in a state Republicans had hoped to lock down further. Civil rights groups like the ACLU and LULAC, who brought the suit after Trump's DOJ refused to intervene, called it a landmark victory against the post-Shelby County wave of aggressive red-state gerrymanders.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court the same day, labeling the decision judicial activism and vowing to fight for fair representation. Republican operatives admit privately the loss blunts their path to expanding the House majority next year, especially with similar challenges heating up in Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina. Combined with California's Prop 50 passage letting Democrats redraw their own maps favorably, the 2026 battlefield just tilted harder toward competitive. This is the biggest court rebuke yet to GOP mapmaking in the second Trump term.

That’s all for today, thanks for reading.

We’ll see you tomorrow!

— The PUMP Team