BackAs US midterms near, Trump administration ramps up rhetoric with bigoted, racist memes

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SCMP Economy1 hour agoPolitics1 min readChina

As US midterms near, Trump administration ramps up rhetoric with bigoted, racist memes

trump administration snap fraud brooke rollins

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The Trump administration's online accounts shared a controversial Halloween-themed image of a Black man accused of food assistance fraud, drawing sharp criticism days before the midterm election.

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Why It Matters

The posts coincide with government campaigns highlighting immigration enforcement and fraud crackdowns ahead of midterm elections.

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The Trump administration’s online accounts are circulating images of a pumpkin carved with a sombrero design and a fake Halloween-themed background around a black man apparently accused of food assistance fraud, in social media posts slammed by critics as inflammatory rhetoric.

Only days before the midterm election, the posts coincide with the government’s sweeping campaign to show its aggressive immigration enforcement and highlight efforts to crack down on fraud to save taxpayers money when rising healthcare costs and other economic stressors have made affordability a top voter concern.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins posted on Saturday on social media a photo of the black man standing in front of stacks of what appear to be US currency with the headline, SNAP FRAUDSTER, an apparent reference to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme, formerly known as food stamps.

Open Questions

Will the administration issue a formal response to the criticism?

On November 1, Xi Jinping explained the drafting of the "Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Several Major Issues on Persistently Promoting Comprehensive and Strict Governance of the Party" to the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, emphasizing that comprehensive and strict governance of the Party is a long-term strategic task, and elaborated on the basic framework and main contents of the draft "Decision".

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Baolin Teahouse killed 6 people and still left work! Jiang Wanan said he “can’t run away” and was angrily criticized by the deceased’s close friends

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wa-An raised the food poisoning case at the Baolin Tea House in a televised debate, claiming that the city government prevented the operators from running away and allowed their families to receive compensation. This remark aroused public outrage. Many relatives and friends of the victims published articles slapping them in the face, saying that Baolin had already quit his job and had not paid the fine, and that the compensation was actually civil reconciliation and state compensation. They criticized Jiang Wanan for distorting the facts.

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Japan's consumption tax reduction bill passed the House of Representatives on the 6th, and the opposition party asked Prime Minister Takaichi to attend questions

The Japanese government and the ruling party regard the consumption tax reduction bill as the most important issue of the current Congress, and plan to have the bill pass the House of Representatives as soon as November 6. The opposition party requires Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to attend a two-hour question. The government and the opposition will hold consultations on the 4th, which will become the focus of attack and defense.

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Developing·22 minutes ago

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Ling Tao, a member of the National Committee of the Kuomintang and Taoyuan City Councilor, said that the coaches of Blue Camp North Base Taoyuan are in their respective positions and have entered a state of close combat and the situation is stable. He pointed out that Jiang Wanan's debate was sincere and down-to-earth, and revealed that Shen Boyang's street sweeping convoy was 5,000 people short of the mobilization target, and that the green camp mobilization was showing signs of fatigue.

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Developing·24 minutes ago

Jiang Wanan debates 68 flaws! Zhang Yuxuan harshly criticized: I really don’t understand municipal administration at all

After the 2026 Taipei mayoral debate ended, commentator Zhang Yuxuan exposed the verbatim verification results, saying that Chiang Wanan’s speech revealed that he did not understand municipal affairs, uncovered many errors, untruths, or missing information, and questioned that he read the transcript without knowing the content.

自由时报

4 min read

BREAKING·30 minutes ago

Yilan County Speaker Zhang Shengde competed for the establishment of the General Assembly. His father Zhang Jianrong, who served as speaker for 4 terms, was ill and presented the flag.

Yilan County Speaker Zhang Shengde of the Kuomintang held an inauguration meeting of the campaign headquarters on the 1st. Party Chairman Zheng Liwen made a special trip to the platform. Zhang Jianrong, the 80-year-old former speaker's father, even appeared sick and presented the battle flag to his son, imploring supporters to support his re-election.

自由时报

2 min read

As US midterms near, Trump administration ramps up rhetoric with bigoted, racist memes

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Authorized release丨Xi Jinping: Explanation on the "Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Several Major Issues on Persistently Promoting Comprehensive and Strict Governance of the Party"

Baolin Teahouse killed 6 people and still left work! Jiang Wanan said he “can’t run away” and was angrily criticized by the deceased’s close friends

Japan's consumption tax reduction bill passed the House of Representatives on the 6th, and the opposition party asked Prime Minister Takaichi to attend questions

Calling the election campaign a close battle, "the ocean current recedes" Ling Tao: The blue camp has its own position and morale is high

Jiang Wanan debates 68 flaws! Zhang Yuxuan harshly criticized: I really don’t understand municipal administration at all

Yilan County Speaker Zhang Shengde competed for the establishment of the General Assembly. His father Zhang Jianrong, who served as speaker for 4 terms, was ill and presented the flag.