On October 21st, local time, US President Trump confirmed at the White House that the US Department of Justice "owed" him a large sum of money based on a series of investigations and prosecutions previously initiated by the US government against him, including "TongRumen" and "Leak Gate".

According to multiple media reports on the 21st, U.S. President Trump asked the U.S. Department of Justice to pay huge compensation of up to US$230 million (approximately RMB 1.64 billion) on the grounds that the Department of Justice launched a criminal investigation against him after the end of his first presidential term.

It is reported that whether to compensate Trump will be decided by senior officials of the Ministry of Justice, and this decision will eventually be approved by Trump himself. "This decision has to be approved by me. It's a strange thing to decide to lose money for myself, but I've been greatly hurt."

Trump says decision to lose money is strange (video)

Trump said he would not personally reserve any possible compensation, and plans to donate it to charities or to use it to rebuild the White House banquet hall.

The U.S. Department of Justice declined to comment on the progress of the claim.

According to a video released by several media outlets on the 20th, the excavators were busy, workers sprayed dust, and the entrance and windows on the south side of the White House East Wing building were being removed, exposing concrete and steel.

The entryway and windows on the south side of the East Wing of the White House are being removed to expose concrete and steel

Trump tweeted: "I am pleased to announce that the new, spacious and beautiful White House banquet hall has been grounded on the White House site."

When Trump received visitors at the White House on the same day, he introduced that the East Wing of the White House was under construction. "You may hear the construction sound from time to time". Trump has promised that the newly built banquet hall costing $250 million (about RMB 1.779 billion) will not "affect" the existing building of the White House. Relevant funds will be borne by Trump and other unannounced donors.

Edited | The Duodenum Mount.

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Extended reading

The Trump administration quietly eases several tariffs, preparing for defeat

Earlier this year, the U.S. court ruled against U.S. President Trump, finding that Trump had no right to invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs on many countries. The Trump administration has appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hold a hearing in early November.

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal on October 17, as the hearing approaches, the Trump administration is quietly relaxing its tariff policy and has waived tariffs on dozens of goods. Trump said trade agreements with other countries could impose exemptions on hundreds of commodities, including agricultural products and aircraft parts. These actions show that the U.S. government is preparing for a possible loss.

Last month, Trump released the "Appendix II" list, exempting gold, LED lamps and some minerals, chemicals and metal products from tariffs.He also announced hundreds of exemptions that could be introduced in the future, listing in "Appendix III" commodities that could get zero tariff treatment in trade agreements with other countries.

According to Trump's executive order, the "near three" mainly targets "products that cannot be grown, mined or naturally produced in the United States", including certain agricultural products, aircraft and aircraft parts and non-patented items for pharmaceutical use.

The executive order also authorizes the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Office of the Trade Representative to approve tariff exemptions on their own, without Trump himself signing a new executive order. A White House official said that this move will help simplify the implementation process of tariff policy and facilitate the U.S. government to implement more than a dozen trade agreements announced by Trump or reach new trade agreements.

Photo of US President Trump (data map)

Sources familiar with U.S. government plans say the shifts reflect a gradual consensus within the Trump administration that the U.S. should lower tariffs on non-domestic products.

Everett Eissenstat, who served as the president¡¯s deputy assistant for international economic affairs during the Trump administration¡¯s first term, said the idea was formed over time, ¡°that consensus has indeed existed.¡±

After Trump returned to the White House, he invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of the United States and introduced a series of tariff increase measures by directly issuing executive orders without the approval of Congress. In May, the U.S. International Trade Court ruled that the Trump administration's move was illegal. The Trump administration then appealed to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, but the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit voted 7: 4 in August to uphold the original ruling.

The Trump administration has now appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hold a hearing in early November. On October 15 local time, Trump said that he might go to the Supreme Court in person to watch the oral arguments.

Sources told The Wall Street Journal that Trump¡¯s recent introduction of a number of exemptions is a ¡°hypothek strategy¡± taken in the face of legal risks.If the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the government¡¯s lawsuit was defeated, the Trump administration could be forced to return most of the tariffs it has imposed.

At the same time, the Trump administration began to use Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which has a more solid legal basis, to implement tariff policy. This clause allows the President of the United States to raise tariffs or restrict trade on the grounds of national security. In recent years, it has been mainly used for steel and aluminum tariffs in the United States.

On October 17, local time, Trump announced a 25% tariff on trucks and truck parts and a 10% tariff on buses under Article 232, effective November 1. At the same time, Trump expanded a tariff relief program for automakers, allowing them to apply for credits to partially offset the cost of tariffs on car and truck parts, extending the period from 2027 to 2030.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the current tariff policy has been loose compared to the tough attitude of the Trump administration at the beginning. U.S. Trade Secretary Lutnik has declared, ¡°There will be no exemptions, no exceptions from reciprocal tariffs.¡± But in a TV interview at the end of July, Lutnik¡¯s attitude was softened, and he said, ¡°If you grow something we don¡¯t grow, you can zero tariffs on imports.¡±

Many industries in the United States are urging the government to expand the scope of exemptions. For example, the American Consumer Brand Association, which represents food manufacturers, previously sent a letter to the Trump administration requesting exemptions for commodities such as coffee, oats, cocoa, spices, tropical fruits and tin-plated steel for canned food. Many of these goods have been listed in "Appendix III" and may be exempted from tariffs in some countries' trade agreements with the United States.