It’s possible that the use of the verb “to bigfoot” you spotted, meaning roughly “to throw one’s weight around” or “to bully,” is a further development of this journalistic slang. But it’s also possible that this geopolitical use is an entirely separate invention alluding to Bigfoot as a large, overwhelming presence that is difficult to resist.
:)
Thanks. My “pop culture” knowledge base is very small. People use words and celebrities names in conversations and I have no idea what or who they are talking about..............