Donald Trump
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Published December 7, 2025 11:21 AM PST

Trump proposed on Sunday that the U.S. could purchase beef from Argentina as a way to bring down prices for American consumers. Beef costs have ballooned as much as 12% in the past year. The suggestion was met with exasperation from U.S. cattle ranchers, who argued the move would disrupt the free market and introduce unnecessary risk factors to domestic beef supply.

“This plan only creates chaos at a critical time of the year for American cattle producers, while doing nothing to lower grocery store prices,” National Cattlemen’s Beef Association CEO Colin Woodall said in a statement on Monday. 

Woodall added that Argentina has a “deeply unbalanced trade relationship” with the U.S., selling more than $800 million of the product compared to the U.S., compared to the U.S. selling just over $7 million of American beef to Argentina. He also expressed concern over Argentina’s history with foot-and-mouth disease, a highly contagious virus impacting cloven-hooved animals, which he warned could “decimate” U.S. livestock production.

Trump’s proposal is part of a recent effort to strengthen relations with Argentina and longtime political ally and Argentinian President Javier Milei, a chainsaw-wielding leader known for both taming the country’s hyperinflation, but also navigating several corruption scandals. Argentina’s central bank confirmed on Monday a currency stabilization agreement with the U.S., which will see a $20 billion transfusion from the U.S. Treasury Department to the Argentine central bank.

“Argentina is fighting for its life,” Trump said on Sunday. “Nothing is benefiting Argentina.”

The U.S. Treasury Department did not respond to Fortune’s request for comment.

Rural America’s grievances

A potential intervention with Argentina would come just as the U.S. cattle industry was beginning to recover from a dismal 2024, in which it saw its smallest flock since 1951, a result of severe droughts withering pastures and hiking up livestock feed costs. U.S. beef imports have also shrunk due to a ban on Mexican beef in an effort to prevent the spread of screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite found in cattle across the border.

Still, the industry is vital to domestic farming. In 2024, cattle production made up about 22% of the $515 billion in agricultural commodity cash receipts in the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Cattle ranchers join the chorus of soybean farmers, who have been outspoken about the impact Trump’s ties with Argentina have on the soybean industry.  Amid proposals to offer financial assistance to Argentina last month, the South American country also dropped several export taxes as an effort to stabilize its economy—including its soybean tax. As a result, China, which previously purchased about a quarter U.S.’s soybean exports, ordered several cargoes of the crop. China has not ordered U.S. soybeans since May.

“The frustration is overwhelming,” the American Soybean Association (ASA) President Caleb Ragland said in a statement last month. “The farm economy is suffering while our competitors supplant the United States in the biggest soybean import market in the world.”

The cattle industry’s unique needs

While soybean farmers have advocated for a trade deal with China to regain strength in the global market, cattle ranchers have a simpler demand.

“They’re not asking for anything,” Derrell Peel, a professor of agribusiness specializing in livestock at Oklahoma State University, told Fortune. “Basically, they just want everybody to get out of the market and let it do what it does.”

Cattle farmers are well-equipped to deal with dwindling flock sizes, which are a part of about a decade-long cycle of a natural swelling and contracting of livestock populations as result of cattles’ biological life cycle, Peel said. While severe droughts have made this period of liquidation more acute than previous cycles, the industry is used to having free trade to move through the supply contraction.

The industry is already relying on an influx of beef imports, with the USDA projecting import volumes to peak in 2025 at 4.4 billion pounds, while production hits a projected low in 2027 of 24.8 pounds. Disruptions to this well-documented and long-navigated cycle is tantamount to market manipulation, according to Peel.

“Anything that would jeopardize the opportunity here to replenish financially, recover from the last adversities, as well as plan ahead for the next turn to this thing, is naturally going to cause a negative reaction on the part of producers,” he said.

Moreover, Peel said, Argentina represents only about 2% of U.S. beef imports, meaning leaning on the country for imports would do very little to increase U.S. beef supply, particularly compared to big importers like Australia and Brazil. 

While high beef prices have helped cattle farmers stay afloat in this liquidation period, U.S. beef supply has also been impacted by Trump’s tariff policy, particularly his 40% tax on Brazilian exports that have further tightened U.S. import supplies, pushing beef prices up. Beyond snubbing U.S. soybean farmers, China has also stopped purchasing beef from U.S. cattle ranchers because of steep levies, Peel said. China is the industry’s third-largest export market.

“We’re effectively out of that market now, largely,” Peel said. “So that’s an impact. It’s been kind of massive.”

There’s political propaganda, and then there’s the president of the United States uploading a video of himself dropping sh*t on his own citizens. When America is already rigged with questions of power and democracy, the latest stunt from Donald Trump feels less like a meme and more like a mirror.

In his latest post on Truth Social, the self-proclaimed non-king shared an AI-generated video of himself flying a fighter jet labeled “KING TRUMP,” that went around dropping what appears to be sh*t on protesters chanting “No Kings.” The 15-second video, set to Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone” (because of course it is), shows Trump wearing a golden crown and smirking from the cockpit.

He then flies around what appears to be the Times Square in New York City, and releases brown plumes over a crowd of demonstrators holding signs like “No Kings in America.” The clip ends with the message, “Hail to the King.” And if that sounds like satire, hold your breath because it isn’t. It came straight from Trump’s verified account, and was reposted by the White House feed within minutes.

The AI video is one of several outrageous vidoes the Trump administration has been sharing online since the No Kings protests erupted nationwide. Another shows Trump in royal robes wielding a sword while Democrats, including Nancy Pelosi, kneel before him. Vice President J.D. Vance even joined in with his own crown, just to make sure everyone understood the dynasty branding.

But this latest one, where the president literally bombs his own citizens with excrement, may be his most on-the-nose metaphor yet. As one user on X put it, “The first honest thing Trump has ever posted. Him shitting on American democracy and not caring.” Another added, “Oh, for the love of God. The so-called leader of the free world posts an AI-generated image of himself piloting a ‘KING TRUMP’ jet while shitting on protesters chanting ‘No Kings.’ Because nothing screams ‘secure democracy’ like presidential coprophilia.”

For a man who swore just this week that “I’m not a king,” Trump sure spent a lot of time digitally crowning himself. He has presented himself as an autocrat literally dumping on America from above. While he may think his “King Trump” video is a joke, but for a government that already treats dissent like treason, it’s less satire and more blueprint.

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Kopal

Staff Writer

Kopal primarily covers politics for The Mary Sue. Off the clock, she switches to DND mode and escapes to the mountains.

U.S. stock futures pointed higher on Sunday evening as Wall Street looks ahead to a big week for the U.S.-China trade war, corporate earnings, and economic data.

The New York Republican was sentenced in April after admitting last year to deceiving donors and stealing the identities of 11 people — including his own family members — to make donations to his campaign.

He reported to Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, in southern New Jersey, on July 25 and is being housed in a minimum security prison camp with fewer than 50 other inmates.

“I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump posted on his social media platform.

“George Santos was somewhat of a ‘rogue,’ but there are many rogues throughout our Country that aren’t forced to serve seven years in prison,” he wrote.

Andrew Mancilla, one of Santos’ lawyers, said Friday he was “very, very happy with the decision,” though he said it’s unclear at this point when Santos will be released.

“The defense team applauds President Trump for doing the right thing,” Mancilla said by phone. “The sentence was far too long.”

Santos has been in prison for 84 days. During his time behind bars, he has been writing regular dispatches in a local Long Island newspaper, The South Shore Press.

In his latest letter, published Oct. 13, Santos pleaded to Trump directly, citing his fealty to the president’s agenda and to the Republican Party.

“Sir, I appeal to your sense of justice and humanity — the same qualities that have inspired millions of Americans to believe in you,” he wrote. “I humbly ask that you consider the unusual pain and hardship of this environment and allow me the opportunity to return to my family, my friends, and my community.”

A prominent former House colleague, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, also urged the White House to commute his sentence, saying in a letter sent just days into his prison bid that the punishment was “a grave injustice” and a product of judicial overreach.

The judge in Santos’ case had agreed with federal prosecutors that a stiffer sentence was warranted because Santos didn’t seem remorseful, despite what he and his lawyers claimed.

Santos’ commutation is Trump’s latest high-profile act of clemency for former Republican politicians since retaking the White House in January.

In late May, he pardoned former U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm, a New York Republican who in 2014 pleaded guilty to underreporting wages and revenue at a restaurant he ran in Manhattan.

He also pardoned former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, whose promising political career was upended by a corruption scandal and two federal prison stints.

Trump himself was convicted in a New York court last year in a case involving hush money payments. He derided the case as part of a politically motivated witch hunt.

Santos was once an up-and-coming star for the GOP.

He became the first openly gay Republican elected to Congress in 2022, flipping a House seat representing parts of Queens and Long Island.

But Santos served less than a year in office after it was revealed that he had fabricated much of his life story, which in turn led to investigations into how the then-unknown politician had funded his winning campaign.

A son of Brazilian immigrants, Santos had claimed he was a successful business consultant with Wall Street cred and a sizable real estate portfolio.

He eventually admitted he had never graduated from Baruch College — or been a standout player on the Manhattan college’s volleyball team, as he had claimed. He had never worked at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs.

He wasn’t even Jewish. Santos insisted he meant he was “Jew-ish” because his mother’s family had a Jewish background, even though he was raised Catholic.

In truth, the then-34-year-old was struggling financially and even faced eviction.

Santos was charged in 2023 with stealing from donors and his campaign, fraudulently collecting unemployment benefits and lying to Congress about his wealth.

Within months, he was expelled from the U.S. House of Representatives — just the sixth member in the chamber’s history to be ousted by colleagues.

Santos pleaded guilty the following year just as he was set to stand trial.

Scott Olson via Getty Images

History has taught us that mass incarceration and saturated policing have not made us safer, experts say.

There are other ways to help make communities safer, experts emphasize.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva asked U.S. President Donald Trump during a phone conversation Monday to lift the 40% tariff imposed by the U.S. government on Brazilian imports.

Circuit Court Judge Diane Goodstein’s $1.5 million beachfront home at Edisto Beach was recently turned to ashes after a massive fire engulfed it. The incident happened around 11:30 am on Saturday, October 4, 2025, while the South Carolina judge was walking her dogs.

Diane’s elderly husband, Arnold Goodstein, a longtime Democratic supporter who served in the South Carolina House of Representatives for a long period, was in the house when the incident occurred. Several of the couple’s family members were also present in the house, including children and grandchildren, according to reports. Conversations surrounding the incident suggest that Arnold was the one who assisted the others and moved them to safety before fleeing the situation himself. Discussions also hinted that the people trapped inside the home had to escape by jumping from windows and balconies.

Following the incident, South Carolina Chief Justice John Kittredge, in a statement to the Daily Mail, attributed the reason for the fire to an “apparent explosion.” He also provided details of the incident, highlighting the circumstances under which it took place as well as its outcomes. He said:

“Judge Goodstein was walking on the beach when the fire started..Her husband, Arnie, was in the house with children and perhaps grandchildren. The family had to escape by jumping from a window or balcony. I’m told there were injuries from the fall, such as broken legs.”

After everyone had exited the building, they were taken to nearby medical facilities for immediate care. Some people had to be airlifted due to the severity of their injuries. Arnold Goodstein was among those who were transported through the air. Reports suggest that he sustained several broken bones in his legs, feet, and hip, which explains the immediacy of his receiving medical care.

While the authorities look for the people behind this incident, some people cannot help but theorise about a few things. In early September, Judge Diane Goodstein found herself at the centre of a controversial case involving the submission of voter registration documents to the federal government. She ruled against the Trump administration, temporarily halting its practices. This decision, however, was met with strong backlash from his supporters, who reportedly sent her death threats.

No one is putting words in anyone’s mouth here, but would it be too surprising if it turns out that someone set her house on fire, someone who is one of them?

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The age of Donald Trump and the future of American democracy are dominated by a question: What does it mean to be a real American, and who gets to decide?

One answer is embodied by the nearly 1 million people who choose to become naturalized Americans each year. At the end of that journey, they receive an American flag, copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, their citizenship papers — and a welcome letter from the president.

Traditionally, these letters offer a hopeful and inclusive vision of what it means to be an American: A member of a political community defined not by creed or fixed attributes, but by shared values and belief in democracy and the American experiment.

President Ronald Reagan famously articulated this vision in 1988: “You can live in Germany, Turkey or Japan, but you can’t become a German, a Turk or a Japanese. But anyone, from any corner of the earth, can come live in America and become an American.”

Last week, President Trump released his version of the letter given to naturalized Americans — and it must be said that his welcome letter is not that welcoming. He is, symbolically and ideologically, the country’s first White president, and his understanding of what it means to be an American is very different from his predecessors.

The letter is full of unmemorable bromides and has none of the moving language used by Reagan and other presidents. Rather than highlighting how immigrants and their contributions have made America great and exceptional, Trump’s letter stresses obligations and responsibilities, focusing on what the U.S. has given these new citizens.

James Edwards, a political communication expert who studies presidential messaging at naturalization ceremonies, told NPR that Trump’s message “[F]its into his larger narrative, but that’s not usually what you see at an American naturalization ceremony…It’s much more of a celebration, and I’m not saying that Trump doesn’t celebrate those ideas, but it’s less celebratory than his predecessors…There’s no heterogeneity, there’s no celebration of diversity, there’s no celebration of past immigrants.”

Instead of trumpeting on “ideas or ideals” as the core focus of America’s vision, the president’s letter points to “culture and tradition,” David Graham observed in The Atlantic. “For Trump, the nation is less a melting pot where different cultures combine harmoniously than a crucible where foreign notions are burned off and a homogenous mix emerges,” he wrote. “It’s also a move away from a focus on the intellectual underpinnings of the American project, which was an essential message for past presidents, regardless of party.”

Trump’s new letter to naturalized Americans reflects how he is growing in power as the country’s first White President. As Graham pointed out, there is “no emphasis on collective bonding,” which he nodded to in the letter used in his first term. “And where Trump used the word nation only once in his first term, he mentions it four times now, capitalized each time. (Neither letter uses the word immigrant, as Obama’s did, much less calls the United States a ‘nation of immigrants,’ as Biden’s did.)” Graham observed that outside the U.S., “nation” is often irrevocably tied to ethnicity, and “the conceptual shift…is part of a broader rhetorical change on the right.”

The letter must be understood as part of a revolutionary right-wing political and social project: One where a real American is white and patriotism means loyalty to Trump and his MAGA movement. Nonwhite people can aspire to that identity, but their acceptance is conditional on aligning with Whiteness and its norms.

Many other examples illustrate how these boundaries of “real American” identity are defined and policed. Trump has described “illegal aliens,” “migrants,” and other “undesirables” and “vermin,” as poison in “the blood” of the nation. His mass deportation plan amounts to a national “purification” project, and his embrace of the Great Replacement Theory — the racist like that white people are being replaced by Black and brown people — is perhaps the best illustration of just how closely the president and his MAGA ideology are tied to racism, nativism, racial authoritarianism and social dominance behavior. 

The Trump administration is also engaging in an Orwellian program to whitewash American history, erasing the accomplishments of Black and brown Americans, women, the LGBTQ community and other marginalized groups. What remains is a flattened, inaccurate history that centers white heterosexual Christian men as the architects of American greatness, relegating others to mere bystanders or occupying passive, supporting roles. A clear example of this regressive vision is the administration’s push to rewrite the 14th Amendment in their efforts to eliminate birthright citizenship and undermine equal protection under the law.

At the same time, the Department of Homeland Security has been posting images to its social media channels that are rooted in far-right themes and ideology. In June, the department shared an image of Uncle Sam nailing to a wall a poster that read “Help yourself…and your country.” Beneath the placard was another message: “REPORT ALL FOREIGN INVADERS,” which was accompanied by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement hotline. On Monday, DHS shared a print of workmen constructing the Statue of Liberty’s torch above New York Harbor. “PROTECTED YOUR HOMELAND DEFEND YOUR CULTURE,” it read.

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In total, Trumpism models limited, circumscribed versions of citizenship and political belonging known as blood and soil nationalism, where racial stock determines human worth, rights and citizenship. These values and beliefs are inherently incompatible with multiracial democracy and a more cosmopolitan, dynamic and inclusive country.

Trump’s Sept. 23 speech to the United Nations General Assembly  provided him a huge platform to articulate these beliefs about non-white invaders and other existential threats to white Christian civilization. As Salon’s Andrew O’Hehir wrote, Trump’s speech was a stream of “overtly racist and xenophobic paranoia” that cast America as an “isolationist fortress of embattled white pride.”

Trump accused the U.N. of “not even coming close to living up” to its global mission, and mocked it for writing “really strongly worded” letters full of “empty words” that do nothing to resolve international conflict. You could almost hear international observers gritting their teeth and nodding along: No lies detected! But if most of them agreed with that diagnosis, virtually none of them want any part of the Trumpian remedy, which seems to involve closing all international borders, repelling or expelling migrants from all European or “Christian” countries (i.e., the ones with largely white populations)…

Public opinion polls generally show that the American people, albeit with certain qualifiers and conditions, believe that legal immigration is a net positive for the country. A majority also view Trump’s mass deportation program as needlessly cruel and reckless. Yet despite disagreement with its specifics, many support his “get tough” stance on illegal immigration. The issue remains highly polarized: Most Republicans and MAGA supporters back Trump’s approach, most Democrats oppose it and independents are skeptical of the cruelty.

On the question of diversity, a 2023 poll by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs found that, “Overall, half of Americans (51%) believe that the increasing diversity of the United States makes it a better place to live — including three-quarters of Democrats (73%), half of Independents (48%), and three in ten Republicans (30%).” Meanwhile, 33% of Republicans said diversity makes the country worse, compared to 17% of Independents and just 6% of Democrats.

For the vast majority of its history, America has literally been white by law due to white on Black chattel slavery, Jim and Jane Crow, genocide and land theft against First Nations peoples, pogroms, ethnic cleansing and other massive violence targeting Black Americans and other non-whites, and many other acts of institutional, systemic and interpersonal racism and racial animus.

This is the very history the Trump administration is erasing. 

Its mass deportation campaign and xenophobic policies appear to be modeled on the Johnson-Reed Act of 1924, as well as Supreme Court cases like Ozawa v. the United States (1922) and United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind (1923), which effectively banned immigration from nonwhite countries and restricted citizenship to white people. The quota system established by Johnson-Reed remained until 1965 during the heart of the civil rights era, which saw the tearing down of Jim and Jane Crow, along with the legislative triumphs of the Civil Rights Act (1964) and the Voting Rights Act (1965).

Seen through a historically accurate lens, America has only been a multiracial democracy — and an aspirational one in progress — for about sixty years. Trump’s letter, his UN address and other policies are daily affirmations that he and his MAGA allies are seeking to return us to the country’s darkest past. In their eyes, being a real American means being the right kind of white American.

In Donald Trump’s America, all Americans are “equal” — but some are certainly more equal than others.