Apple, for now, seems to have earned the favor of the Trump administration. The company, through some deft political maneuvering, has managed to escape the brunt of the tariffs and taxes the Trump administration plans on imposing. However, it is not 100% exempt. In fact, during the latest Apple earnings call, CEO Tim Cook revealed how much in tariffs the company had to pay.
How much in tariffs did Apple pay?
According to Cook, Apple had to pay $1.1 billion in tariffs in the most recent quarter. This is an increase of $300 million from the $800 million in the previous quarter. However, Cook had previously warned that this increase was coming. In the previous quarter, the CEO cautioned investors that the impact of the tariffs would be felt more in the September 2025 quarter.
Why is that? This is because September is when Apple announces its latest iPhones. It is also when the company is expected to sell the most products. With tariffs, the more you import, the more taxes you pay, so this number doesn’t come as a surprise. In fact, Cook had previously estimated that it would be around $1.1 billion, and he was right.
But here’s the thing: if you thought it would go down the next quarter, it won’t. According to Apple CFO Kevan Parekh, he says that the tariffs the company can expect to pay in the December 2025 quarter could reach $1.4 billion. This means that in total, Apple would be paying a little over $3 billion in tariffs for 2025 alone. Unless the countries affected by these tariffs negotiate better rates with the Trump administration, that’s a huge chunk of change for Apple to be paying.
But what does this mean for consumers?
To a certain extent, companies are willing to absorb some costs on behalf of consumers. This isn’t necessarily driven by goodwill, but price sensitivity. If the price goes up too much, consumers will stop buying. So it’s better for a company to take a slight hit on profit if it means continued sales.
But like we said, $3 billion is no small amount. As rich as Apple is, we’re sure that $3 billion is an amount the company would rather spend or invest into something else. If the company were to be forced to keep blowing that kind of cash on tariffs alone, eventually it would pass the buck onto its customers.
At the start of the year, the Bank of America predicted that Apple might have to raise its iPhone prices by 10% to help mitigate these tariffs. For the most part, Apple has managed to maintain the price of its latest iPhone 17 models. There were some increases, like with the iPhone 17 Pro, but users got higher base storage.
We’re not sure what Apple’s plans are for the iPhone 18 series, but at this rate, you should prepare your wallets.
NVIDIA's CEO Jensen Huang has made an interesting statement about their market share in China, claiming that it fell drastically during the Biden adminstration. NVIDIA's CEO Is Optimistic About Getting Back Into China's AI Market, But So Far, There Is No Progress Well, NVIDIA's China AI market has been under uncertainity for quite some time now, considering the restrictions the firm has faced under both the Biden era and the current administration. With the Ampere and Hopper lineups in particular, Team Green didn't face many issues with China, as the A100 and H100 AI chips were being supplied to Beijing […]
Amazon is doubling down on AI investments under CEO Andy Jassy, who says recent job cuts were about reducing bureaucracy, not cutting costs. (GeekWire File Photo / Todd Bishop)
Amazon’s cash tax bill has dropped sharply this year under a new U.S. tax law that lets companies immediately deduct the cost of equipment and research — a policy designed to encourage spending on technology development and other investments.
The decrease is detailed in the company’s third-quarter 10-Q filing, released Friday morning following its blockbuster earnings report. Amazon’s shares rose more than 10% in early trading after beating expectations and reassuring investors about long-term AI demand.
In the filing, Amazon cites the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025” as a key factor in the tax deduction. The situation illustrates how tax changes championed by President Trump and the Republican-led Congress are rewarding U.S. investment and reshaping corporate finances.
But it’s not as simple as a basic tax break: while the law accelerates short-term deductions for domestic investment, it also changes the tax treatment on foreign profits — boosting long-term tax liabilities overall.
According to its quarterly filing, Amazon paid $1.1 billion in cash for income taxes in the third quarter, a 45% decrease from the $2 billion it paid in the same period last year — even as quarterly profits rose 38% to $21.2 billion. For the first nine months of 2025, cash tax payments fell to $6.8 billion, down from $8.2 billion in 2024.
The new law changed two key rules that impact companies making big capital investments.
First, it reinstated 100% “bonus depreciation,” allowing companies to deduct the full cost of new equipment — such as servers for AWS and AI or warehouse robotics — in the year it’s purchased rather than spreading the deduction over many years.
Second, it restored the immediate expensing of domestic R&D costs, reversing a recent rule that required this spending to be amortized over several years.
Boosting capital spending and cutting jobs
For a company like Amazon, these changes create a significant and immediate reduction in taxable income. The tech giant spent $35.1 billion on property and equipment in the third quarter, up 55% from a year earlier, driven by massive investments in AI infrastructure.
Backers of the U.S. tax changes said they would spur investment and job creation in the United States, but Amazon’s situation shows that the reality is more complicated. The company is reaping the benefits of the new tax incentives while eliminating about 14,000 corporate jobs.
Speaking on Amazon’s earnings call, CEO Andy Jassy attributed the layoffs not to cost-cutting but to efforts to simplify operations and reduce bureaucracy after years of growth. Amazon took a $1.8 billion pre-tax charge in the quarter for severance and other costs related to the layoffs.
Amazon isn’t alone in spending big on AI infrastructure or benefitting from the tax changes.
Although they didn’t go into as much detail as Amazon did, Microsoft and Google both referenced the 2025 U.S. tax law in their latest quarterly reports, noting the reinstatement of immediate R&D expensing and accelerated depreciation. Both companies are realizing similar near-term tax benefits as they expand their AI and cloud infrastructure investments.
Long-term tax provision still intact
For Amazon, the changes in U.S. tax law mark a new chapter in a long-running national debate. The company, which faced criticism in years past for paying little or no federal income tax despite strong profits, has long maintained that it pays what it owes under U.S. law.
However, the immediate reduction is only part of the picture.
While Amazon’s cash payments declined, the tax expense reported on its income statement — a figure based on accounting rules rather than cash paid — nearly doubled. The company’s income-tax provision for the first nine months of 2025 was $14.1 billion, up from $6.9 billion in the same period last year.
Amazon’s filing says this increase was also driven by the new tax act, which reduced other benefits, such as the deduction for profits made overseas.
This $7.3 billion gap between its accounting provision ($14.1 billion) and its cash tax bill ($6.8 billion) shows how the new law shifts the timing of tax payments rather than eliminating them. In effect, the deductions reduce the company’s cash outlay for taxes in the short term but will ultimately be paid in future years as those assets are depreciated on the company’s books.
VALOR, a token launched on American Launchpad, has become the second-largest holding in the Official Trump meme coin team wallet. A wallet associated with the team behind Official Trump (TRUMP) meme coin now holds roughly 27.37 million VALOR tokens, valued at…
Bitcoin price tumbled sharply Thursday morning, falling to the low $107,000s as traders digested cautious remarks from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and mixed signals from the latest Trump–Xi meeting.
The bitcoin price drop erased last week’s rebound and extended the bitcoin’s weak October performance, weighed down by macro headwinds and China-U.S. trade relations.
The world’s largest cryptocurrency was down to $107,472 by early Thursday, according to Bitcoin Magazine Pro data, after briefly plunging to $107,925 overnight.
Bitcoin price reacts to Jerome Powell’s comments
The move followed the Fed’s 25-basis-point rate cut on Wednesday — its second of 2025 — bringing the target range to 3.75%–4%. While the cut was widely anticipated, Powell’s message was clear: further easing this year is far from guaranteed.
There were “strongly differing views among policymakers,” Powell said during his post-meeting press conference, adding that the Fed might “wait a cycle” before considering another reduction.
The remarks rattled markets that had been pricing in a December cut, with CME FedWatch data showing probabilities for another move dropping from 90% to just 71% after his comments.
Risk assets broadly weakened yesterday. The S&P 500 finished flat, the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2%, and the Nasdaq Composite managed a modest 0.6% gain. As of writing, markets for Thursday look bleak as well.
Bitcoin, which traded near $116,000 earlier in the week, sank as Powell spoke, briefly touching $109,000 in a sharp sell-off before stabilizing near $111,000 overnight.
The Fed’s tone also overshadowed what had appeared to be a positive outcome from the Trump–Xi summit. Following the meeting, President Trump said China would “immediately resume soybean purchases” and that “all rare-earth issues have been resolved.”
Still, it looks like traders remained cautious, focusing instead on the Fed’s hawkish pivot and the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, now entering its fourth week.
Institutional demand also showed early signs of weakness. U.S.-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs saw $470.7 million in outflows on Wednesday, ending a four-day inflow streak and marking the largest daily outflow since October 16, per Bitcoin Magazine Pro data.
Will the bitcoin price react to Quantitative Tightening ending?
Powell did confirm that the Fed is nearing the end of its Quantitative Tightening (QT) program — a move that could eventually boost liquidity in risk assets.
Since 2022, QT has drained nearly $1 trillion from the Fed’s balance sheet by allowing Treasury and mortgage holdings to mature without reinvestment.
Powell said the process could conclude by December but warned that future decisions remain data-dependent. Despite the sharp correction, analysts remain divided on Bitcoin’s near-term direction.
US stocks opened lower on Thursday, with Meta and Microsoft tanking as Wall Street wavered despite promising trade talks between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping. US stocks shed gains as markets weighed the latest earnings reports as well…
Fight Fight Fight LLC is reportedly planning to purchase Republic’s US operations.
The deal might enrich the meme’s utility in payment apps and startup fundraising.
$TRUMP traders are enjoying profits amidst the rebound.
Bearish sentiments gripped the cryptocurrency market today as Bitcoin plunged below $110,000.
While the 2% decline in global market capitalisation confirms broader weakness, the Official Trump meme token maintained a bullish 24-hour chart.
The meme crypto extended its weekly gains to over 40% after rallying 13% the previous day.
$TRUMP continued its rally after news emerged that the company behind the project, Fight Fight Fight LLC, plans to acquire the US operations of a leading crowdfunding and investment platform, Republic.
The news stirred the digital assets community, propelling the politically charged altcoin over the last 24 hours.
What started as a satirical token tied to the US president could be evolving into a financial product that experiments with the combination of real-world finance, blockchain fundraising, and politics.
Notably, Republic offers retail and institutional investors streamlined access to startup fundraising, RWAs, and tokenised investments.
Integrating Official Trump into Republic’s ecosystem could merge meme crypto enthusiasm and real-world blockchain use cases.
Imagine investing in a themed token that funds startups, backs innovative ventures, or even supports online payments.
$TRUMP eyes real-world utility with the Republic deal
If successful, the strategic acquisition would enable Fight Fight Fight LLC to control Republic’s robust crowdfunding ecosystem.
The meme coin will possibly leverage Republic’s reputation to gain legitimacy and credibility.
Such perks can attract more investors and partnerships.
Republic’s role in fueling blockchain adoption
Republic has been vital in supporting cryptocurrency’s mainstream acceptance.
It focuses on inclusive investment models and tokenisation, allowing individuals to own fractions of real-world assets previously restricted to wealthy investors and venture capitalists.
Now, Fight Fight Fight LLC wants to gain control of Republic’s operations in the United States.
Besides boosted exposure, the deal could mean access to a regulatory ecosystem, a significant user base, and a bridge between fast-moving meme culture and traditional finance.
$TRUMP price outlook
The digital asset is trading at $8.20 after a brief correction from daily peaks.
Its daily trading volume has increased by more than 35% to $2.6 billion.
Rising volumes amid bullish price actions signal trader optimism and possibilities of continued rallies.
$TRUMP has gained over 41% the previous week, and bulls seem ready to push for more.
Moreover, prevailing whale activity suggests confidence in $TRUMP’s performance.
For instance, one trader is dominating Hyperliquid and Solana platforms with substantial bets on the meme token.
According to Lookonchain, this participant spent 5,346 Solana tokens, worth around $1.07 million, to buy 165,401 TRUMP coins on the SOL blockchain.
He entered at roughly $6.45, and is now cheering approximately $335,000 unrealized profit.
The same investor deposited $485,669 in USDC into the perp DEX Hyperliquid.
Here, the player used maximum leverage for a $9.5 million long position.
As of this writing, the trader sat on roughly $1.18 million in unrealized gains, bringing his total returns to $1.5 million.
The latest whale activity paints an optimistic picture for Official Trump in the near term.
Corporate expansion developments and the excitement around the alt as Donald Trump discusses a trade deal with China’s Xi Jinping has formed a mix of momentum and hype.
A crypto firm tied to a U.S. president Donald Trump is exploring a deal to acquire U.S. operations a major crowdfunding platform. Fight Fight Fight LLC, the company behind the Trump-linked memecoin, is in discussions to acquire the U.S. operations…
Former White House photographer Pete Souza is no fan of President Donald J. Trump and in recent days has taken to social media to express his displeasure at the demolition of the East Wing.
The Trump-backed stablecoin project is rewarding early adopters through its USD1 points program, distributing tokens across six exchanges as it expands into DeFi and real-world asset integrations.
NVIDIA's market position in China could see a significant boost following the Trump-Xi meeting, as President Trump hints at discussing 'Blackwell' AI chips for Beijing. NVIDIA's Blackwell AI Chip Will Be a Topic of Discussion Under Trump-Xi Meeting, With a Potential Breakthrough in Sight The Chinese market has been a significant challenge for Jensen Huang since the US-China trade hostilities, and now, it seems like there might be a sigh of relief on the horizon for NVIDIA. According to a report by Bloomberg, President Trump has suggested discussing NVIDIA's Blackwell AI chip with the Chinese counterpart, indicating that chips could […]
U.S. Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA) is introducing legislation that would prohibit the U.S. President, members of Congress, and their immediate families from owning, trading, or creating cryptocurrencies while in office, according to MSNBC reporting.
Khanna’s bill would mark the first major attempt to separate digital assets from political power.
Early details indicate the measure will bar elected officials and their families from holding or issuing cryptocurrencies and from accepting foreign-backed crypto investments.
The California lawmaker said the initiative aims to rebuild public trust and prevent policymakers from profiting off the very technologies they regulate.
Trump’s Changpeng Zhao pardon
The proposal follows President Donald Trump’s pardon of Binance founder Changpeng Zhao and seeks to eliminate what Khanna calls “blatant corruption” at the intersection of politics and crypto.
“The pardon of Zhao is corrupt,” Khanna said on MSNBC. “You’ve got a foreign billionaire engaged in money laundering and financing terrorism, who supports the president’s son’s cryptocurrency firm, and then the president pardons him. This is corruption in plain sight.”
Zhao, the co-founder and former CEO of Binance, served four months in prison after pleading guilty to violating U.S. banking laws.
His company was accused of allowing illicit money flows linked to child exploitation, drug trafficking, and terrorism. Soon after Zhao’s financial backing of World Liberty Financial — the crypto project founded by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump — was revealed, Trump granted him a pardon.
Khanna’s proposal directly targets that entanglement. By banning crypto ownership and trading among officials, he hopes to draw a clear boundary between public service and private gain.
The measure mirrors previous calls to ban stock trading by lawmakers and follows Senator Adam Schiff’s COIN Act, which specifically sought to limit the Trump family’s crypto activities.
Insider trading in Congress
Lawmakers have long and repeatedly introduced legislation in hopes to curb insider trading among members of Congress.
The STOCK Act, passed in 2012 with broad bipartisan support, was designed to require members to disclose stock trades within 30 days and penalize those who used insider information for personal gain.
Earlier this year, The Preventing Elected Leaders from Owning Securities and Investments (PELOSI) Act (S.1498) was proposed in the U.S. Senate by Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO).
The bill addresses concerns about conflicts of interest and potential insider trading among Members of Congress by prohibiting them and their spouses from holding, purchasing, or selling most individual stocks, security futures, commodities, and similar financial instruments while in office.
This article was first published on The Bit Journal. Bitcoin surged past $116,000 on Monday morning after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a “very substantial framework” for a trade agreement between Washington and Beijing.
Although a video of 79-year-old President Donald Trump dancing when he landed in Malaysia caught social media attention throughout the weekend, it was the words of Bessent that led to the optimistic reaction of global markets and investors, which boosted both stocks and cryptocurrencies.
Bitcoin Surge Mirrors Global Market Optimism
The Bitcoin surge was accompanied by an increase in traditional markets, as stocks also opened higher in Asia and the U.S, reflecting renewed optimism on reducing trade tensions between the two largest economies in the world.
Trump arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday to pay a visit to the 47 th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit where his delegation is said to have assisted in brokering a peace deal between Cambodia and Thailand. Bessent, in the meantime, had signed various memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with Asian collaborators on rare earth mineral cooperation the strategic victory at a time of continued global realignments of supply chains.
U.S.-China Talks Spark Global Market Optimism
Nevertheless, the greatest achievement was the behind-the-scenes talks made by Bessent with the Chinese officials, which led to a tentative framework of trade that sought to end months of trade stalemate. Bessent said during an interview on NBC:
“We’ve created a framework for the two leaders to discuss on Thursday in Korea.I think it will be fantastic for U.S. citizens, for U.S. farmers, and for our country in general.”
The markets reacted quickly to the announcement. Bitcoin surge momentum drove the price to $114,217.55 at the time of writing, a 1.93 percent rise on the last day and 4.73 percent on the week, respectively. The cryptocurrency has been ranging between $113,015.30 and $116,273.31 since Sunday, which is one of the most stable and bullish weekends of the cryptocurrency in the last several months.
Bitcoin Surge Fuels Derivatives Market Expansion
Trade activity increased accordingly. The 24-hour trading volume of Bitcoin increased by 87.11 percent to reach $62.55 billion, and market capitalization increased by 1.95 percent. The crypto market dominance of the asset did not significantly change at 59.63, increasing by a small margin of 0.01%.
The enthusiasm was reflected in derivatives markets. According to Coinglass data, open interest in Bitcoin futures rose 3.05 to $76.18 billion and total liquidations reached $140.97 million. Bitcoin surge had a big impact on short positions where they sustained a loss of $123.30 million and long traders suffered a relatively small loss of $17.67 million.
Bitcoin Surge Momentum Builds Ahead APEC
The most recent Bitcoin boom, analysts argue, highlights the extent to which cryptocurrency markets are following macroeconomic trends and geopolitical changes. The recent surge of Bitcoin demonstrates how vulnerable the digital goods are to conventional market drivers such as trade policy and diplomatic co-operation, according to one Singapore-based trader.
The following week may be a key one. On Thursday, Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold an initial meeting on the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea where both the leaders are likely to agree on the specifics of the proposed trade setup.
Should the discussions lead to tangible gains, analysts foresee the potential further increase of the Bitcoin surge and even new all-time highs by early November.
Conclusion
As global markets ride a wave of optimism, all eyes now turn to Thursday’s APEC summit in South Korea. The anticipated Trump–Xi meeting could determine whether the current Bitcoin surge and stock market rally evolve into sustained economic momentum or fade with unmet expectations.
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Summary
Bessent announced a major U.S.-China trade framework during Trump’s ASEAN visit.
The news sparked a Bitcoin surge past $116,000 and boosted global stocks.
Bitcoin trading volume jumped 87%, with futures and market cap rising.
Focus shifts to the APEC summit for Trump–Xi trade discussions.
Glossary of Key Terms
Bitcoin Surge: Rapid rise in Bitcoin’s price.
Scott Bessent: U.S. Treasury Secretary behind the trade deal news.
Despite her social-media suggestions that President Donald Trump let the rapper out earlier from her Bitfinex hack sentence, an official said that's not the case.
Donald Trump's demolition of the White House's East Wing for a new ballroom was partly backed by high-profile crypto folks who aren't keen on talking about it.
President Trump is expected to meet with NVIDIA's CEO, Jensen Huang, during his visit to South Korea, where he will congratulate him on the firm's recent achievements. President Trump Will Congratulate NVIDIA On Producing The First Blackwell Chip Wafer In the US Well, the timing of a meeting between President Trump and Jensen Huang is indeed a 'massive' coincidence, to say the least, especially since both the US and China have agreed on a trade deal framework, which is expected to reduce hostilities between the two nations. While speaking with business leaders in Tokyo, Japan, President Trump announced his meeting […]
Intel's CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, has discussed the stake taken by the US government in the company, claiming that it was a necessary step to ensure that the American chipmaker could compete with Taiwan's TSMC. Intel's CEO Also Tells Specifics About His Meeting With President Trump, Calling It a Massive Success Well, the interest from the Trump administration in Intel was indeed a surprise for many of us, but for CEO Lip-Bu Tan, this initiative was "good to have", as he claims that it is similar to how Taiwan supports TSMC or South Korea backs the likes of Samsung Foundry. In […]
A new study indicates that Donald Trump’s frequent shrugging is a deliberate communication tool used to establish common ground with his audience and express negative evaluations of his opponents and their policies. The research, published in the journal Visual Communication, suggests these gestures are a key component of his populist performance style, helping him appear both ordinary and larger-than-life.
Researchers have become increasingly interested in the communication style of right-wing populism, which extends beyond spoken words to include physical performance. While a significant amount of analysis has focused on Donald Trump’s language, particularly on social media platforms, his live performances at rallies have received less systematic attention. The body is widely recognized as being important to political performance, but the specific gestures used are not always well understood.
This new research on shrugging builds on a previous study by one of the authors that examined Trump’s use of pointing gestures. That analysis found that Trump uses different kinds of points to serve distinct functions, such as pointing outwards to single out opponents, pointing inwards to emphasize his personal commitment, and pointing downwards to connect his message to the immediate location of his audience. The current study continues this investigation into his non-verbal communication by focusing on another of his signature moves, the shrug.
(1) Political scientists frequently refer to the more animated bodily performance of right wing populist politicians like Trump compared to non-populist leaders. We wanted to study one gesture – the shrug – that seemed to be implicated here. (2) Trump’s shrug gestures have been noted by the media previously and described as his “signature move”. We wanted to study this gesture in more detail to examine its precise forms and the way he uses it to fulfil rhetorical goals.”
“(3) To meet a gap: while a great deal has been written about Donald Trump’s speech and his use of language online, much less has been written about the gestures that accompany his speech in live settings. This is despite the known importance of gesture in political communication.”
To conduct their analysis, the researchers examined video footage of two of Trump’s campaign rallies from the 2016 primary season. The events, one in Dayton, Ohio, and the other in Buffalo, New York, amounted to approximately 110 minutes of data. The researchers adopted a conservative approach, identifying 187 clear instances of shrugging gestures across the two events.
Each shrug was coded based on its physical form and its communicative function. For the form, they classified shrugs based on the orientation of the forearms and the position of the hands relative to the body. They also noted whether the shrug was performed with one or two hands and whether it was a simple gesture or a more complex, animated movement. To understand the function, they analyzed the spoken words accompanying each shrug to determine the meaning being conveyed.
Hart was surprised “just how often Trump shrugs – 1.7 times per minute in the campaign rallies analyzed. Trump is a prolific shrugger and this is one way his communication style breaks with traditional forms of political communication.”
The analysis of the physical forms of the shrugs provided evidence for what has been described as a strong “corporeal presence.” Trump tended to favor expansive shrugs, with his hands positioned outside his shoulder width, a form that physically occupies more space.
The second most frequent type was the “lateral” shrug, where his arms extend out to his sides, sometimes in a highly theatrical, showman-like manner. This use of large, exaggerated gestures appears to contribute to a performance style more commonly associated with live entertainment than with traditional politics.
The researchers also noted that nearly a third of his shrugs were complex, meaning they involved animated, oscillating movements. These gestures create a dynamic and sometimes caricatured performance. While these expansive and animated shrugs help create an extraordinary, entertaining persona, the very act of shrugging is an informal, everyday gesture. This combination seems to allow Trump to simultaneously signal both his ordinariness and his exceptionalism.
When examining the functions of the shrugs, the researchers found that the most common meaning was not what many people might expect. While shrugs are often associated with expressing ignorance (“I don’t know”) or indifference (“I don’t care”), these were not their primary uses in Trump’s speeches. Instead, the most frequent function, accounting for over 44 percent of instances, was to signal common ground or obviousness. Trump often uses a shrug to present a statement as a self-evident truth that he and his audience already share.
For example, he would shrug when asking rhetorical questions like “We love our police. Do we love our police?” The gesture suggests the answer is obvious and that everyone in the room is in agreement. He also used these shrugs to present his own political skills as a given fact or to frame the shortcomings of his opponents as plainly evident to all. This use of shrugging appears to be a powerful tool for building a sense of shared knowledge and values with his supporters.
“Most people think of shrugs as conveying ‘I don’t know’ or ‘I don’t care,” Hart told PsyPost. “While Trump uses shrugs to convey these meanings, more often he uses shrugs to indicate that something is known to everyone or obviously the case. This is one of the ways he establishes common ground and aligns himself with his audience, indicating that he and they hold a shared worldview.”
The second most common function was to express what the researchers term “affective distance.” This involves conveying negative emotions like disapproval, dissatisfaction, or dismay towards a particular state of affairs. When discussing trade deals he considered terrible or military situations he found lacking, a shrug would often accompany his words. In these cases, the gesture itself, rather than the explicit language, carried the negative emotional evaluation of the topic.
Shrugs that conveyed “epistemic distance,” meaning ignorance, doubt, or disbelief, accounted for about 17 percent of the total. A notable use of this function occurred during what is known as “constructed dialogue,” where Trump would re-enact conversations. In one instance, he used a mocking shrug while impersonating a political opponent to portray them as clueless and incompetent, a performance that drew laughter from the crowd.
The least common function was indifference, or the classic “I don’t care” meaning. Though infrequent, these shrugs served a strategic purpose. When shrugging alongside a phrase like “I understand that it might not be presidential. Who cares?,” Trump used the gesture to dismiss the conventions of traditional politics. This helps him position himself as an outsider who is not bound by the same rules as the political establishment.
The findings highlight that “what politicians do with their hands and other body parts is an important part of their message and their brand,” Hart told PsyPost. However, he emphasizes that “gestures are not ‘body language.’ They do not accidentally give away one’s emotional state. Gestures are built in to the language system and are part of the way we communicate. They carry part of the information speakers intend to convey and that information forms part of the message audiences take away.”
The study does have some limitations. Its analysis is focused exclusively on Donald Trump, so it remains unclear whether this pattern of shrugging is unique to his style or a broader feature of right-wing populist communication. Future research could compare his gestural profile to that of other populist and non-populist leaders.
Additionally, the study centered on one specific gesture, and a more complete picture would require analyzing the full range of a politician’s non-verbal repertoire. The authors also suggest that future work could examine other elements, like facial expressions and the timing of gestures, in greater detail.
Despite these limitations, the research provides a detailed look at how a seemingly simple gesture can be a sophisticated and versatile rhetorical tool. Trump’s shrugs appear to be a central part of a performance style that transgresses political norms, creates entertainment value, and forges a strong connection with his base. The findings indicate the importance of looking beyond a politician’s words to understand the full, embodied performance through which they communicate their message.
“We hope to look at other gestures of Trump to build a bigger picture of how he uses his body to distinguish himself from other politicians and to imbue his performances with entertainment value,” Hart said. This might include, for example, his use of chopping or slicing gestures. I also hope to explore the gestural performances of other right wing populist politicians in Europe to see how their gestures compare. ”
Halo: Campaign Evolved marked the official confirmation of something that felt like it would never happen just a short few years ago, with Halo officially coming to PlayStation. Following that announcement, GameStop, the retailer that was initially known for selling physical video games that's now more known for turning into a glorified Pop Funko and merch store called the 'Console Wars' over. Of all entities, the White House, which would normally have more important things to post about, responded with an AI-generated image of President Trump in Spartan armor with the caption "Power to the players." GameStop's original post comes […]
Mike Selig has just been nominated by President Donald Trump to lead the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
According to multiple reports, crypto regulator Mike Selig is currently the chief counsel for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Crypto Task Force and has experience at the CFTC under former chair Chris Giancarlo.
The nomination comes as the Trump administration is trying to refine the regulation, oversight, and institutional framework of the digital assets space.
Who is Crypto Regulator Mike Selig?
Mike Selig’s background is a mix of traditional financial regulation and crypto-policy experience. He’s currently Chief Counsel for the SEC’s Crypto Task Force and has advised SEC Chair Jay Clayton.
Before that, he worked at the CFTC as a law clerk or counsel and was a partner at the law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher, specializing in asset-management and digital-asset regulation.
He’s publicly commented on the classification of digital assets, including saying in 2023 that “XRP itself is simply computer code. A fungible commodity, like gold or whiskey.”
Hence, experts say he would bring regulatory gravitas and crypto awareness to the role.
The Timing and Strategy Behind the Nomination
Selig’s nomination comes at a time when the U.S. regulatory framework for crypto is in flux. Legislation like the CLARITY Act and the GENIUS Act are being set to clarify which agency oversees which types of digital assets.
Reports share that the CFTC and SEC just had joint discussions to eliminate fragmentation in crypto oversight. Crypto regulator Mike Selig is to replaces a previously stalled candidate, Brian Quintenz, whose appointment was met with industry push-back.
White House crypto adviser David Sacks described Selig as “deeply knowledgeable about financial markets and passionate about modernizing our regulatory approach” in his announcement.
What Selig’s Nomination Means for Crypto Markets
With Selig in charge, the CFTC may get more responsibility in the digital-asset space. The nomination is about the agency’s role in overseeing commodities and derivatives, including digital asset-related products.
Sources reported that Selig is charged with just as the CFTC is expected to take on new authority over the nearly $4 trillion crypto market.
Moreover, Selig’s comments and analysis of the Ripple Labs litigation show he’s comfortable classifying digital assets as commodities rather than securities, a big holding block in regulatory terms.
His appointment may make market participants open up more access to regulated platforms and vehicles.
Agency Boundaries and Oversight
The big question in crypto regulation has been jurisdiction: which agency regulates what? The SEC has always focused on securities, while the CFTC handles commodities and derivatives.
Crypto regulator Mike Selig’s nomination aligns with recent signals of cooperation between the two agencies. A joint roundtable held in September featured SEC Chairman Atkins and acting CFTC Chair Caroline Pham saying they would end decades of regulatory fragmentation.
Selig’s nomination reinforces that. According to expert analysis, his dual agency background means he can streamline overlapping regulatory mandates. That could mean clearer paths for token classification, custody frameworks, and digital-asset exchanges, fewer grey areas for issuers and investors.
Industry Reaction and Outlook
Industry has welcomed the nomination. The crypto community noted his previous comments and legal positions align with the adoption of digital assets. Charles Hoskinson, founder of Cardano, wrote on X:
“Chairman Selig is going to do a great job at the CFTC. I have full confidence in his ability and leadership.”
The media also said crypto regulator Mike Selig is seen as a market-friendly regulator compared to previous enforcement-heavy regimes. While confirmation by the Senate is still needed, the nomination itself is a signal that the regulatory environment may favor of more structured crypto oversight.
Conclusion
Crypto regulator Mike Selig’s nomination as CFTC chair means a big change for digital-asset oversight in the US. With experience at both the SEC and CFTC, Selig is put uo to lead at a moment of regulatory convergence, institutional engagement and legislative momentum.
His nomination means the US is doubling down on its goal to be a global hub for crypto innovation, with clearer rules and coordinated oversight.
The impact is expected to be far-reaching, from institutional access to token classification, custody services, and trading venues.
Glossary
CFTC: US regulatory agency that oversees commodity futures, options, and derivatives.
SEC: US federal agency; that enforces securities laws and regulates securities markets.
Crypto-Task Force: A unit within the SEC, focused on crypto-asset regulation, compliance, and enforcement.
Token classification: The legal determination of whether a digital asset is a security, commodity, or other asset class with regulatory implications.
Confirmation (Senate): The process by which the US Senate approves presidential nominees for agency leadership.
Regulatory convergence: The alignment of rules, mandates, and enforcement approaches across multiple agencies, to reduce conflict and overlap.
Frequently Asked Questions About Crypto Regulator Mike Selig
Who is Mike Selig and why is his background important?
Mike Selig is the current chief counsel for the SEC’s Crypto Task Force, previously worked at the CFTC and in private practice focused on asset-management and digital-asset regulation.
Why is this big for crypto?
He’s being nominated at a time of regulatory flux and legislative movement so clarity on oversight, token classification and institutional access might be seen.
What will the CFTC do under his leadership?
He may expand CFTC oversight of digital assets treated as commodities or derivatives and coordinate more with the SEC on securities-type tokens.
Is the nomination confirmed?
As of the latest report; he’s been nominated but still needs Senate confirmation before he can take the chair.
How is the crypto community reacting?
Many are positive; citing his prior legal commentary and regulatory experience. For example; Cardano’s founder is fully confident in his ability to lead the CFTC.
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