Weekly civic intelligence report · v2.2
Trump announced plans to visit China and claimed progress on resolving TikTok issues, signaling diplomatic engagement with Beijing. This represents a shift in Trump's China policy approach.
This event scores low on constitutional damage (7.5) but high on distraction/hype (29.7), yielding D=-22.2. A-score: Minimal constitutional impact - diplomatic announcements are executive prerogative, TikTok resolution involves legitimate policy concerns but lacks concrete mechanism detail. Policy_change mechanism adds 15% modifier, international scope 10%. B-score: High Layer 1 (26.5/50) - media-friendly diplomatic announcement with novelty of Trump-China rapprochement. Layer 2 (28/50) strong on narrative pivot (hawkish-to-diplomatic shift) and mismatch (claims 'progress' without specifics). Intentionality 11/15 suggests strategic announcement - timing, reversal framing, theatrical diplomacy, vague resolution claims. With B>=25 and D<=-10, clearly List B.
Monitor for: (1) Actual diplomatic visit materialization vs announcement theater, (2) Concrete TikTok policy changes vs vague 'progress' claims, (3) Whether China engagement distracts from domestic policy failures or investigations, (4) Pattern of foreign policy announcements timed to news cycles, (5) Substance of any TikTok resolution and national security implications.