Donald Trump wants to crush The Swamp. The leaks, the sneaks, and the secrets are all there. Our writers, David Gardner, Farrah Tomazin, Sarah Ewall-Wice, and Laura Esposito, are sifting through the ooze so you don’t have to. Don’t miss out.
In this week’s news from the ooze: Han Zheng, Keystone Kash Patel, Bill White, Dries Van Langenhove, Greg Gianforte, Jeanine Pirro, Jeannette Rubio, Jeffrey Epstein, Elaine Chao, Zac Brown, Tim Scott, Sergio Gor, Tedd Budd, Chris Sununu, John Sununu and Laura Ingraham.
How Chao Made Not One But Two China Trips
As Mitch McConnell retracts into his shell, an intriguing figure in the story has emerged. After spending 30 years standing by McConnell’s side, his wife and the former Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao was strangely absent from what may be the story’s final chapter.
Despite McConnell’s declining state being well known in Washington, Chao travelled 7,500 miles across the globe to attend a celebration at Shanghai Jiao Tong University on June 12. Chao, 73, received an honorary doctorate from SJTU in 2013 and was invited back for its 130th anniversary alongside Chinese Communist Party members and other dignitaries. Two days later, her 84-year-old husband was found unconscious in his D.C. home.
Questions over the past two days to Chao were answered without specifics, but a spokesperson confirmed her return.
While the condition of one of America’s most powerful men was shrouded in mystery, Chao was photographed with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng in Beijing on June 17. Together, they released a statement on state media saying they had agreed to work towards strengthening China-U.S. relations.
No word yet on whether or not President Trump approves this alliance. Trump used to be a fan of Chao’s and named her to his Cabinet. But on January 7th, she resigned her post in protest, explaining that the Trump-triggered riot was a “traumatic” and “avoidable event” that she found deeply troubling. He responded with a racist nickname, and by calling her husband “The Old Crow.” Back in 2022, he called Chao “crazy” and accused her and her family of seeking to “get rich” from Beijing. Still, Chao and Trump have a lot in common. Her family made a fortune in the shipping business with accusations of connections to a foreign superpower. (In her case, China, not Russia.) Meanwhile Chao’s time at Transportation prompted an inspector general review over concerns about whether she used government resources to benefit family interests. She denied wrongdoing, and the matter did not result in criminal charges.
It remains to be seen whether she will follow Trump’s lead and bury her spouse on a golf course.
Keystone Kash Gets Ready to K$SH In
Donald Trump has spent decades turning his name into a business: steaks, sneakers, Bibles, crypto, fragrances, red hats. Now one of his most loyal protégés appears to be taking notes. Before becoming FBI director, Keystone Kash Patel filed trademark applications for “Government Gangsters”—the title of his 2023 book railing against the so-called “deep state”—covering everything from drinkware and playing cards to stickers and advocacy campaigns.
Patent and trademark documents reviewed by The Swamp reveal Patel has also sought trademarks for the name “Fight With Kash” and “K$H Fight With Kash” in order to sell clothing, hats, lapel pins and other merchandise. All were filed in his own name rather than through a company or nonprofit, and all were filed before Trump tapped him to take over the FBI. But the optics become murkier once you’re the nation’s top law enforcement officer while simultaneously sitting on a portfolio of personal brands primed for merchandising. Then again, this is the same guy known to hand out personalized bottles of Woodford Reserve bourbon engraved with “Kash Patel FBI Director” and an FBI shield. The FBI insists the bottles are part of a longstanding tradition of giving commemorative gifts and are paid for personally and comply with ethics rules. Still, it’s nice to see Kash prepping for a merch line when he leaves the G-Men. Perhaps he’ll be flogging it out the back of his girlfriend Alexis Wilkins’ country music concerts?
Trouble for the MAGA Muscles in Brussels… Part One
It’s been a remarkably productive few months for U.S. Ambassador to Belgium Bill White—if your KPI is generating diplomatic headaches. Since arriving in Brussels, White has already managed to support Dries Van Langenhove, a local Holocaust denier, spark outrage over claims about circumcision, and now appears to have added “State Department email intimidation” to the résumé. The latest flap centers on White’s lavish America 250 bash which, as The Swamp revealed, featured Keystone Kash’s jetsetting girlfriend Alexis Wilkins. The event hardly won over the locals, with critics accusing the embassy of importing MAGA-style politics to Brussels.
A protest group called Indivisible Belgium staged a protest outside the celebration. Then the drama escalated after the group’s co-founder John Hasan Yildiz emailed another U.S. performer, country crooner Zac Brown, asking him to reconsider headlining the ambassador’s party. White then emailed that group member from his official State Department account, prompting accusations of intimidation. “We would like to get in touch with you regarding your email to my friend Zac Brown,” he wrote. “What’s your best email and number? Please do let us know because we know it already.” Nothing says “public diplomacy” quite like a personal note telling a political critic that you already know where to find them. For an ambassador whose actual job is strengthening ties with Belgium, White seems to be spending an awful lot of time picking fights with the locals.
MAGA’s Muscles in Brussels’ Troubles… Part Two
Yes, White’s Brussels problems are sprouting. Because this mini-Trump did like his boss, and managed to turn a fireworks spectacle into an embarrassment. Trump’s record-breaking America 250 display left crews fishing debris out of his algae-filled Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. And on the other side of the Atlantic, White is facing scrutiny after his own July Fourth spectacle in Brussels allegedly showered debris across the Parc du Cinquantenaire and prompted an investigation into possible damage to a nearby museum. White has vigorously denied any lasting impact, insisting the park was left “spotless.”
New Hampshire GOP Candidate Goes Where They Don’t Live Free
Republican candidate John Sununu has been hitting up a series of swanky elite out-of-state private clubs as he runs for the Senate in New Hampshire. His campaign reported a payment to one of the most exclusive old money private gentlemen’s clubs, The Knickerbocker Club in Manhattan. In December 2025, Sununu reported a $462.50 payment to the ultra-secretive club on East 62nd Street as a “travel expense.” Architectural Digest once wrote about the club: “How you can get in. Quite simply, you can’t.” You can only become a member if the club chooses you. Sununu, who is the son of former Governor John Sununu and older brother of former Governor Chris Sununu, also attended a Republican fundraiser at the exclusive Stock Farm Club in Hamilton, Montana, where the initiation fee is about $125,000 with annual dues around $21,000. The club boasts an 18-hole masterpiece championship golf course, luxury “Home Away from Home” western-inspired log cabins, and dining catered by top-tier chefs in a dining room that was used to film the show Yellowstone. And naturally there are multiple pools, tennis courts, and a spa. It also happens to be founded by finance executive Charles Schwab, a known Jeffrey Epstein associate. At the event, Sununu mingled with Senators Tim Scott, Dan Sullivan, Ted Budd, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte, and a series of fellow GOP Senate candidates, according to a post on June 8. The Swamp has asked Sununu’s campaign if the GOP candidate is a member of either elite club. A former lobbyist, Sununu disclosed assets totaling between $7.9 and $36.3 million in this cycle so he could afford the fees…but only if the clubs want him.
Mrs. Rubio Busts Open Trump’s Marie Antoinette Moment
Ordinary Americans on the National Mall were forced to evacuate as bad weather rolled in. Some simply went to their cars, others to the very un-MAGA Smithsonian Museum of African-American history. Fox News stars including Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity took to the “Fox News Freedom Bunker.” (Yes, it’s a contradiction in terms, and yes, that’s what they call it.) But for some lucky attendees in Washington, D.C. on the Fourth of July, there was no need to seek shelter. In fact, there was a swanky celebration away from the triple-digit heat that included rooftop firework viewing. The semi-secret was busted open by Jeanette Rubio, wife of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who posted behind the scenes images from the VIP-only celebration hosted by Trump.
The wife of America’s top diplomat shared images of her family all decked out in red, white and blue. She also offered the less fortunate a glimpse of the sweat-free, rain-free interior. Others in attendance included U.S. ambassador to India Sergio Gor, and sequin-covered U.S. attorney Jeanine Pirro who unbelievably, complained about the air conditioning being excessive.
If you thought that was out of touch, try the catering lovingly photographed by Instagram mom Mrs. Rubio. There were cake pops, bourbon cookies and a star-spangled five-tier cake. Yes, MAGA had perfected the July 4 message: Let us eat cake.
