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Good evening, In a significant diplomatic victory for India, the United States on Friday designated The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy for the Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). The US State Department stated in an official release that TRF "claimed responsibility for the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 civilians... TRF has also claimed responsibility for several attacks against Indian forces, including most recently in 2024.” This move follows numerous efforts by the Indian government to mention TRF in United Nations Security Council statements, which Pakistan has often obstructed. The TRF and “other associated aliases” have been added to LeT’s designation as an FTO and SDGT “pursuant to Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, respectively.” On that note, let’s dive in 👇🏽
📝 The Debrief
Donald Trump finds himself under the pump: from his base and the conspiracy theory he long championed
On September 3, 2024, at the height of his successful presidential campaign, Donald Trump made a promise to his energised MAGA supporters. In an interview, Trump said that among the files he would declassify when he returned to the White House were the so-called “Epstein files.” It was a carefully caveated response, with Trump adding that he “did not want to affect people’s lives if there’s phoney stuff out there, because there’s a lot of phoney stuff with that whole world.” Little did he realise that in July 2025, the conspiracy theory he once championed and his supporters had eagerly embraced would disrupt his presidency. The trigger: But now, things are blowing up, and Trump himself has ordered the release of “pertinent” Grand Jury documents, subject to Court approval. The move followed an explosive Thursday Wall Street Journal story about a “bawdy” birthday note that Trump had sent to Epstein during his 50th birthday, containing a “typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman which appears to be hand-drawn by a heavy marker.” Trump threatened to sue the newspaper after the report was published. His Attorney General, Pam Bondi, who stirred the initial controversy during a February Fox News interview, now says she’ll ask the court on Friday to unseal the transcripts. Bondi has come under fire from Trump’s support base, who have sought her resignation along with that of FBI Director Kash Patel, and his deputy, Dan Bongino, also ardent adherents of the conspiracy theory. The theory: Trump’s move follows a tense fortnight or so in the MAGA universe, which the President has carefully cultivated over his past decade in politics. However, the 2019 death of Epstein, a financier and a convicted sex offender during Trump’s first term, has been a subject of many conspiracy theories, especially among his core supporters. The core belief of the theory centres around the US government and global elites covering up Epstein’s client list. This document purportedly has the names of influential people (think politicians, corporate leaders and celebrities) Epstein may have provided underage girls to. It goes one step further, alleging a “Deep State” involvement and conspiracy to keep Epstein’s connection hidden from the public, besides orchestrating his death in prison to prevent him from orchestrating or exposing others. Last week, a Justice Department memo stated that there was “no incriminating client list”, which was right at the heart of these conspiracy theories. The fallout: Trump’s initial reluctance (and possibly resistance) to release the list (or the files) has put him at odds with his supporters, especially those in the media and the influencer class, who have been propagating these theories among their followers from the start. While Trump lashed out at them on Wednesday, calling these theories a “Democratic hoax” and the investigation into Epstein as “boring”, there is increasing frustration among his supporters, who believe Trump is closing ranks to hide his alleged involvement with Epstein, supposedly.
✍️ From our newsroom
Tesla’s India trip: Tesla’s much-hyped India entry might end at one showroom and a set of Shanghai-imported Model Ys. The so-called ‘Tesla Policy’, fast-tracked to appease Elon Musk, eased import rules without firm Make in India commitments. The result? There are no Indian manufacturing plans, and currently, there is no clarity on when this might change. There are quirks, too. Tesla is seeking an additional Rs 6 lakh for its Full Self-Driving (FSD) add-on, despite uncertainty regarding its functionality on Indian roads and the destination of the data it collects. In China, it had to store data locally. India? No word yet. Then there’s the hardware mismatch: heated rear seats in Delhi’s 45°C, low 167mm ground clearance for crater-ridden roads, and a full-glass roof with no sunshade. All the while, Tesla’s global sales are slipping—13.5% down in Q2—and China, once a growth engine, is cooling rapidly. India may offer headlines, but not yet salvation.
🔎 Need to know
Bumrah boost: India’s talismanic paceman Jasprit Bumrah will feature in the fourth Test match against England at Manchester next week. However, Arshdeep Singh suffered a cut to his bowling arm at the nets on Thursday.
We’re sorry: Social media giant Meta apologised for faulty Kannada-to-English translations on its platforms—Facebook and Instagram—after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah flagged the problem on Thursday. The CM called such mistranslations “misleading” and “dangerous” on an X post. It’s on: The Lok Sabha is likely take up a motion during the Monsoon Session, calling for the removal of Justice Yashwant Verma, who is presently a judge at the Allahabad High Court. An inquiry by the Supreme Court implicated Verma after bundles of currency notes were found at his official residence in New Delhi.
🎙️Expresso Playlist
In today’s Playlist, I’ll recommend an episode from the Economist Podcasts on the birth of nuclear physics, which emerged in the early 20th century. It’s part one of a series that the publication is doing on the story of the atomic bomb.
✋🏽 One last thing
I’ll leave you with this fascinating Bloomberg Businessweek deep dive on the Kachin Independence Army. This rebel army operates along the Myanmar-China border and is now building a rare-earth empire, supplying key minerals to manufacturers worldwide.
Have a great weekend! Until Monday, Venkat Ananth |
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