September 28, 2025

Hello, this is Michael Moss.

I will be reading the letter for Heather Cox Richardson today.

September 28th, 2025.

Late last night, President Donald J.

Trump shared on social media a deep fake video that appeared to be a clip from his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump's Fox News talk show, My View.

In the video split screen, Lara Trump on the left says, President Donald J.

Trump has announced a historic new health care system, the launch of America's first medbed hospitals, and a national medbed card for every citizen.

As she speaks, the video shows a building with the caption, MedBed Hospitals, the new era in healthcare.

Then the video shows a clip of Trump saying, Every American will soon receive their own medbed card.

As the video shows what looks like a futuristic hospital, complete with what appeared to be pod-like beds, he continues, With it, you'll have guaranteed access to our new hospitals led by the top doctors in the nation, equipped with the most advanced technology in the world.

The camera then goes back to Trump saying, These facilities are safe.

The camera switches back to the hospital scene.

Modern and designed to restore every citizen to full health and strength.

The video then switches back to Trump who says, this is the beginning of a new era in American health care.

Lara Trump takes over as a scene of people applauding Trump runs beside her.

She says, in this first phase, only a limited number of medbed cards will be released.

Registration details will be announced very soon.

Medbeds are imaginary magical beds, sort of like a tanning bed, that diagnose or cure health problems instantly and painlessly.

The idea is popular in QAnon forums, and believers claim that Trump is already secretly installing the beds in hospitals.

It is unclear why Trump posted an obviously fake video, touting an obviously fake product, although health care is uppermost in politics these days.

The Democrats say they will not agree to the Republicans' continuing resolution to keep the government open unless the Republicans agree to extend the premium tax credit that subsidizes health care insurance for people making between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty limit.

Without that extension, millions of Americans will lose their health insurance and health care premiums for everyone in the affordable health care market will go up, often dramatically.

If med beds were real and every citizen could use them, as the deep fake video suggests, no one would need to worry about losing their health care insurance.

Someone took the video down from Trump's timeline this morning.

On Friday, Republicans took the stand that Democrats would pay for shutting down the government.

A White House official told Dasha Burns of Politico that Trump would not negotiate.

He read all the they're asking for and he said, on second thought, go f

yourself, the White House official told Burns.

Yesterday, though, Punchbowl reported that Trump will meet with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat of New York, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat of New York.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican of Louisiana, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican of South Dakota, are expected to be there as well.

The government is funded through Tuesday, September 30th.

Also taking place Tuesday is the meeting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth abruptly called last week for hundreds of the nation's top military officers at the Quantico, Virginia Marine Corps Base.

When Trump talked to reporters on Thursday, he did not appear to understand that Hegsist had called U.S.

military officers to Quantico, appearing to think he had invited military leaders from other countries.

I love it.

I mean, I think it's great, Trump said.

Let him be friendly with the generals and admirals from all over the world.

You act like this is a bad thing.

Isn't it nice that people are coming from all over the world to be with us?

Today, Tara Kopp, Dan Lamothe, Noah Robertson, and Alex Horton of The Washington Post reported that Trump has decided that he will go to the gathering himself.

Trump told Yamish Alcindor and Alexandra Marquez of NBC News, It's really just a very nice meeting talking about how well we're doing militarily, talking about being in great shape, talking about a lot of good, positive things.

It's just a good message, Trump said.

We have some great people coming in, and it's just an esprit decor.

You know the expression esprit de cor?

That's all it's about.

We're talking about what we're doing, what they're doing, and how we're doing.

Correspondent Yamish

In a phone interview with NBC White House correspondent Yamish Al Sindor today, Trump suggested he was backing off from the threat he posted on social media to send troops to Portland to handle domestic terrorists.

The Democratic governor of Oregon, Tina Kotek, has told Trump and Secretary of Homeland Security Christy Noam that there is no need for troops and they do not have the authority to deploy the military there.

We can manage our own local public safety needs.

Kotek said.

There is no insurrection.

There is no threat to national security.

Evan Watson of KGW8 in Portland, Oregon, reported that Trump told Al Sindor they were looking at sending troops.

I spoke to the governor.

She was very nice, Trump added.

But I said, Well, wait a minute.

Am I watching things on television that are different than what's happening?

My people tell me different.

They are literally attacking, and there are fires all over the place.

It looks like terrible.

In fact, Zane Sparling, Fedor Zarkin, and Zam Shaikh of the Oregonian Argon Live noted yesterday that Trump's first threat to send federal troops to Portland came on September 5th, a day after the Fox News Channel aired a special report about a protest that had taken place four days before on Labor Day.

The report about the Labor Day protest misleadingly mixed in clips from 2020 showing protesters burning the base of the Thompson Elk Fountain and a federal officer pepper spraying a person.

This afternoon, Hegseth called 200 members of the Argonne National Guard into federal service for 60 days.

Less than six hours later, Argonne Attorney General Dan Rayfield sued President Trump, Secretary of Defense Hegseth, Secretary of Homeland Security Noam, and their respective departments, saying the National Guard has unlawfully deployed for law enforcement duties.

Late this afternoon, Trump praised his remodeling of the Oval Office to include copious gold fixtures, some of which match polyurethane applique available from the home improvement store Home Depot.

On social media, Trump posted, Some of the highest quality 24-carat gold used in the Oval Office and Cabinet Room of the White House.

Foreign leaders and everyone else freak out when they see the quality and beauty.

Best Oval Office ever in terms of success and look,

President DJT.

Letters from an American was written by Heather Cox Richardson.

It was produced at Soundscape Productions, Dedham, Massachusetts.

Recorded with music composed by Michael Moss.