Quick Hit: 

The Trump campaign has issued a scathing response to a Politico report suggesting that China would prefer Donald Trump back in the White House, labeling the claim as 'harebrained'. The campaign's communications director, Steven Cheung, dismissed the report as 'false' and accused Politico of being manipulated by "devious Chinese forces". 

Key Details: 

• The Politico report suggested that China could be aiding efforts to return Trump to the White House, a claim the Trump campaign vehemently denies.
• The report relied on commentary from Rorry Daniels, a managing director of the Asia Society Policy Institute, and Jacob Stokes, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, both of whom have been criticized by the Trump campaign.
• Steven Cheung, the Trump campaign's communications director, accused Politico of being manipulated by Chinese forces and suffering from 'Trump Derangement Syndrome'.

Diving Deeper: 

The Trump campaign's response to the Politico report was swift and severe. In a statement released on Wednesday evening, Steven Cheung, the campaign's communications director, dismissed the report's claims as 'harebrained' and accused Politico of being manipulated by "devious Chinese forces".

"In Politico's Nightly newsletter, Catherine Kim makes a harebrained assertion that China would prefer President Trump to return to the White House," Cheung said. "The same President Trump who made China submit to pro-America trade and tariff regulations, called them out for exporting the Coronavirus that killed millions across the world, and stood tough against Chinese economic aggression throughout his first term."

The Politico report, titled "China's 2024 election play," suggested that China could be aiding efforts to return Trump to the White House. The report cited commentary from Rorry Daniels, managing director of the Asia Society Policy Institute, and Jacob Stokes, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security. Both Daniels and Stokes have been criticized by the Trump campaign for their views.

Responding to the report, Cheung accused Politico of being played by Chinese forces and suffering from "Trump Derangement Syndrome". "The fact is that China has grown stronger under a weak Biden presidency, and our allies are even more in danger as China builds up its economic and military power," Cheung said. "Politico's reporting was riddled with errors and political bias because they clearly suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome."