Trump reveals medical testing, refuses to rule out third term

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It’s Monday. Does anyone have any photos of their pets dressed in Halloween costumes they’d like to share? You know I live for this kind of thing. Tag me in your post or email them to me!

In today's issue:

• Trump reveals he had MRI, cognitive test

• President says he’d ‘love’ a third term

• Food assistance to dry up

• Major union calls for shutdown to end

• Behind the scenes of the East Wing demo

???? IN ASIA

Next stop — Japan:

President Trump made it to Japan this morning as part of his Asia jaunt, stopping for a quick hello with the Japanese emperor before heading to bed.

But the newsiest part was Trump divulging more about his health: He told reporters that he underwent an MRI and a cognitive test earlier this year at Walter Reed. He wouldn’t say why he had the MRI but said it was “perfect” — “some of the best reports they’ve ever seen.” ???? Listen to the audio

Oh, and he refused to rule out running for president again …: Trump said he would “love” to run for a third term, touting his poll numbers. He did give a shout-out to Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as a powerful potential ticket, saying they’d be “unstoppable.” Trump has repeatedly floated running for a third term, despite it being barred under the Constitution's 22nd Amendment.

What’s on tap for his Japan stop?: Trump will meet with Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, the first woman in the role. To win Trump over, The New York Times reported Takaichi is likely to play up her friendship with Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister who was assassinated in 2022.

How was his Malaysia stop?: Trump signed trade deals with Malaysia, Cambodia and Thailand. He also oversaw the signing of a peace agreement between Cambodia and Thailand.

????️ Follow today’s live blog

➤ ADDING SOME TENSION TO THE TRIP:

China claims bombers flew near Taiwan just days before Trump’s expected meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Separately, two U.S. Navy aircraft — a fighter jet and a helicopter, both assigned to the USS Nimitz — went down in the South China Sea within 30 minutes of each other on Sunday afternoon. All personnel involved in both incidents are safe, the Navy said.

⛔ SHUTDOWN

Days since the government last had its light on — 27:

Congress is just one week away from breaking the record for the longest government shutdown in history.  

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has made the decision to keep the House out of session for the entirety of the government shutdown. He argues House Republicans did their job by passing a funding bill — now it’s the Senate’s job.

That may be true, but The New York Times’s Annie Karni reports that Johnson’s strategy of an extended House recess is actually marginalizing both Congress and himself. “It has all created a strange dynamic on Capitol Hill: Mr. Johnson appears to be using the considerable power of the speakership to render the House irrelevant,” writes Karni.

A new GOP plan in the works?: Johnson said this morning that House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) is working on a Republican health care plan with the chairs of three House committees.

Americans are feeling the stress of the shutdown, which will become even more pronounced next week. Here are the biggest stressors:

The first — food assistance is drying up: More than 40 million low-income Americans are at risk of losing some or all of their food assistance this week as the shutdown drags on. That’s because the “U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is threatening to withhold billions of dollars in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) contingency funding, which Congress has already allocated for emergency scenarios.”

Let me explain: Roughly $8 billion is needed to cover SNAP benefits for November. The fund currently has between $5-6 billion. However, the USDA announced on Friday that it won’t cover SNAP benefits in November, likely as a maneuver to pressure Senate Democrats to back Republicans’ government funding bill.

Read Mike Lillis’s reporting on the SNAP funding expiration

The second — flight disruptions are getting worse: Major airports are seeing more flight delays because of the growing air traffic controller shortage. What to know

➤ A NEW PRESSURE POINT: 

The largest federal workers union has called for an end to the shutdown, urging Congress to pass a “clean” funding bill. That appears to be aimed at Democrats, who have resisted agreeing to a government funding bill without added health insurance subsides.

➤ RELATED READ:

Politico: 6 ways the shutdown is about to get worse

???? OTHER NEWS

We’re getting the tea from the East Wing demolition:

President Trump’s sudden demolition of the White House’s historical East Wing caught much of Washington by surprise, particularly because the president initially promised it wouldn’t be touched.

But there have been lingering questions about what happened behind the scenes to advance the project to build a ballroom nearly double the size of the White House’s main building. Aren’t permits required? Was everyone on board?

Well, The Wall Street Journal published new reporting on “How Trump Barreled Through D.C.’s Bureaucracy to Get His White House Ballroom,” which answers some of these questions.

First lady Melania Trump reportedly wasn’t on board with the plan: The first lady “privately raised concerns about tearing down the East Wing and told associates it wasn’t her project,” according to the Journal.

President Trump was advised that he didn’t have to follow any zoning conditions: The president recently mused to donors that officials involved in the project told him, “you have zero zoning conditions. You’re the president.”

^How is that the case?: “The White House, along with the U.S. Capitol and the Supreme Court, are exempted from review under the National Historic Preservation Act, even though they are among the most iconic structures in the country.”

Tidbit on the planning process: Trump holds a weekly Oval Office meeting about the ballroom and has been involved in granular details about the design, including reviewing material samples.

Did you know Trump has been trying to build this ballroom since 2010?: Yes, before he was even involved in politics. As a real estate developer, Trump called former President Obama’s aides and pitched them the idea.

➤ QUICK HITS:

— The campaign manager for Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner, whose bid has been dogged by controversies, is leaving his role just one week after starting, saying the decision was due to expecting a baby.

— The Republican governor of Indiana called for a special session to redraw its congressional maps.

— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says he can relate to the pain that soybean farmers are feeling in Trump’s trade war. “In case you don’t know it, I’m actually a soybean farmer. So, I have felt this pain too,” Bessent told ABC News’s “This Week.”

— MSNBC will officially rebrand as “MS Now” beginning on Nov. 15.

— John Dickerson is leaving CBS News at the end of the year, raising questions about the future of “CBS Evening News.”

— Argentina’s legislative elections happened over the weekend — the result is good news for Trump.

➤ MORE READS:

The Washington Post: Moldy food is linked to serious health issues like cancer and nerve damage

The New York Times: How the Firebombing of His Home Changed Josh Shapiro

The New York Times: In Trump-Friendly Iowa, the President’s Policies Have Hit Hard

COMING UP

The House is out. The Senate is in. President Trump is in Japan. (All times EDT)

5:30 p.m. Two Senate confirmation votes. ????Today’s agenda

8:30 p.m. Trump meets with the prime minister of Japan. ????Livestream

2:45 a.m. Tuesday: Trump meets with U.S. troops in Yokosuka, Japan, and delivers remarks on the USS George Washington.

6:05 a.m. Tuesday: Trump attends a reception and dinner in Tokyo with business leaders.

INTERNET BUZZ

???? Celebrate: Today is National American Beer Day.

???? If you open one link today: The finalists are out for this year’s Comedy Wildlife Awards, and the photos are incredible. The loon coming in for landing might be my favorite. ???? See the finalists

???? Should you buy it? Try this rule: If you’re deciding whether to make a purchase, The Wall Street Journal reports on a rule floating around that can help you decide. If it equates to less than 0.01 percent of your wealth, you shouldn’t stress about it.

AND FINALLY

Because it’s my job to leave you on a happy note before you go back to your day, here’s a bed bug that I actually wouldn’t mind having.