10/31/2025

Happy Halloween, 

It looks like you & Melania had fun distributing candies to the kiddos yesterday. I’m sure you are well aware that the media publicized your “callback to (the) viral WH moment” of 2019 when you “placed candy bars on top of a kid's inflatable Minion costume only for it to fall to the ground as the trick-or-treater walked away.”  I hope the child didn’t mind your prank. Some are super sensitive to being messed with by grown-ups, so better to be safe than sorry by avoiding such playful gestures. 

You & I both have a tendency to act rather than plan. We tend to figure things out as we go along so as not to lose the opportunity to do something. I have learned that this is not always prudent.  

Unfortunately, many in the media are speculating that you don’t have a clear plan when it comes to China. Patrick Wintour in the G summed it up this way, “Xi is an exponent of the war of position, & Trump the war of manoeuvre in which instinct triumphs over consistency or strategy. For the moment the positional warrior is winning, or at least not losing.” 

If you want to show the world that you are a “positional warrior,” you could develop a detailed plan for helping the citizens of Burma get out of the terrible situation they are in. XJ is having a huge influence there. You could, too. It would be best to approach it collaboratively, getting input from all the EAOs so you get plenty of buy in. 

I have to run off to visit the 4th graders to count some pennies so I have to close. Before I do, I will reiterate my request that you reconsider stopping SNAP payments.  

BYBS,