Government

Articles / Government / White House Trump imposes historic 10% tariffs against most nations, vows to ‘supercharge’ economy Trump says his “Liberation Day” actions will promote economic independence and expand American-made companies and products. By: President Donald Trump on Wednesday imposed sweeping 10% tariffs on all imports, vowing his historic “Liberation Day” strike would rebalance global trade, reduce the national debt and “supercharge” the U.S. economy to the benefit of long-suffering American workers. “American steel workers, auto workers, farmers and skilled craftsmen,” Trump told a Rose Garden ceremony at the White House.”We have a lot of them here with us today. They really suffered, gravely. They watched in anguish as foreign leaders have stolen our jobs, foreign cheaters have ransacked our factories, and foreign scavengers have torn apart our once beautiful American dream. “Now it’s our turn to prosper, and in so doing, use trillions and trillions of dollars to reduce our taxes and pay down our national debt,” he added. Fulfilling a promise he made during the 2024 election, Trump vowed the reciprocal tariffs — a 10% base and higher for other nation’s like China — will tilt global commerce back to America’s advantage after decades of trade deficits. “Jobs and factories will come roaring back into our country and you see it happening already. We will supercharge our domestic industrial base, he said. Trump further showed a chart to the crowd displaying the tariff rates he planned to apply to each nation. China, which tariffs U.S. goods at a rate of 67%, will face tariffs of 34%. Countries in the European Union which tariff U.S. goods at a rate of 39%, will be tariffed 20%. Vietnam will face a 46% tariff, Taiwan at 32%, Japan at 24%, India at 26% and South Korea at 25%. The chart included 20 more nations. The White House put out a fact sheet prior to the announcement, highlighting how this administration hoped the tariffs will balance trade relationships and bring manufacturing back to American soil. The readout quoted a 2024 study that found that his first-term tariffs “strengthened the U.S. economy” and “led to significant restoring in industries like manufacturing and steel production.” Already in his second term, investments into the U.S. economy by entities such as Oracle, SoftBank, Apple, and NVIDIA have reached nearly $5 trillion. Wednesday also marked the start of a 25% tariff on automobiles not made in the United States. However, auto manufacturers Honda, Nissan, and Hyundai have committed to shifting production back to the United States. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized the president’s tariff plan, telling reporters on Wednesday, “House Republicans, Senate Republicans and Donald Trump haven’t done a single thing to lower the cost of living in this country. Not a single bill. Not a single executive order. Not a single administrative action,” Jeffries told reporters at the Capitol. If you want to read more of the latest by Amanda Head or the team of world class journalists at Just The News, feel free to read or subscribe by visiting JustTheNews.com today. TOP STORIES Trump imposes historic 10% tariffs against most nations, vows to ‘supercharge’ economy Did NPR, PBS write their own obituaries before Congress? Some lawmakers think yes Barn Berning across America: AOC, Bernie Sanders take their “Fighting Oligarchy” tour national Second Amendment leaders press DOGE to stop health agencies’ gun control studies As ceasefire ends, Israeli strikes in Gaza targeted Hamas officials LATEST EPISODES Gov. Newsom plays moderate, but his $20 minimum wage hike backfires with jobs lost, prices soaring, businesses fleeing Exposing Big Labor: How Unions Rig the System & Why Right to Work is Earning Support Across the US 2024 RNC Spox Elizabeth Pipko slammed Democrats for abandoning Jewish voters, praises Trump’s pro-Israel policies Rep. Perry: Watch Bob Ross for free online, taxpayers don’t need to fund PBS & NPR’s left-wing propaganda Gun Owners of America & other second amendment leaders press DOGE to stop health agencies’ gun control studies RELATED ARTICLES Trump imposes historic 10% tariffs against most nations, vows to ‘supercharge’ economy Did NPR, PBS write their own obituaries before Congress? Some lawmakers think yes Barn Berning across America: AOC, Bernie Sanders take their “Fighting Oligarchy” tour national Second Amendment leaders press DOGE to stop health agencies’ gun control studies As ceasefire ends, Israeli strikes in Gaza targeted Hamas officials Angry democrats gone wild Beyond budgeting, Republicans hope to force spending ‘showdown’ with two arcane weapons After a flurry of activity right out of the gate, Trump takes victory lap in speech to America Republicans float two-part plan to avert government shutdown, White House meeting set Wednesday White House pauses all aid to Ukraine amid rift with Zelensky

Articles / Government / White House After a flurry of activity right out of the gate, Trump takes victory lap in speech to America During President Donald Trump’s speech to Congress and the American people, he broadcast a list of his initiatives promised during the campaign and, he says delivered upon, less than two months into his second term. By: President Donald Trump’s Tuesday night address to Congress beat his own last endurance record of an hour and 22 minutes, clocking in at an hour and 39 minutes. Differing from his style of speech used during his campaign rallies, his Tuesday night address showed an effort to detail his accomplishments in fewer than 50 days. From border security to deregulation, foreign investment to hostage releases, here are the most consequential initiatives just 3% into his second term: Energy policies On January 20, 2025 Trump signed the executive order titled  “Unleashing American Energy.” This order revoked several past executive orders mandating green energy initiatives including the Biden administration’s electric vehicle mandate. The order also included “Unleashing Energy Dominance Through Efficient Permitting” to streamline the regulatory process, confining it to 30 days to gain permitting approvals. In another section titled Prioritizing Accuracy In Environmental Analyses it mandates that “agencies shall strictly use the most robust methodologies of assessment at their disposal and shall not use methodologies that are arbitrary or ideologically motivated.” Another day-one initiative by the Trump administration was declaring an “energy emergency,” reducing red tape in the permitting process. A number of energy industry icons reacted positively, with Chevron announcing that they “are increasing production 50% between last year and what we will see next year.” BP announced that it would disregard a number of its green goals and increase oil production by between 2.3 million and 2.5 million barrels per day by 2030. The Trump administration granted its first approval for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal, following years of stringent LNG regulation under Biden. The Washington Examiner reported that the Trump administration has also shut down the Biden Administration’s American Climate Corps, an environmental public works program that utilized taxpayer money for initiatives like hiring “garden educators” with a “commitment to social justice and anti-racism.” Immigration and securing the border Referring in the speech to one of his day-one Executive Orders, President Trump said “I declared a national emergency on our southern border, and I deployed the U.S. military and Border Patrol to repel the invasion of our country.” Indeed, on January 20, he declared a national emergency at the border to redirect efforts and resources to fortify this southern border. He also placed a pause on refugee admittance “until such time as the further entry into the United States of refugees align with the interest of the United States.” He reminded citizens and lawmakers that on the previous Saturday, he designated English as the official language of the United States and added that “As a result, illegal border crossings last month were by far the lowest ever recorded, ever.” As a result, Trump claimed, his administration is now deporting immigrants at a slower pace than Joe Biden did last year. However, with a “worst first” policy to be utilized during deportation efforts — not to mention the inevitable lawfare — it may become more logistically complex and may be protracted. Trump has in the past said because of his immigration policies and threats of deportation, many immigrants are self deporting, and leaving the United States voluntarily. Economy and foreign investment The Trump administration says it has secured nearly $2 trillion in foreign investments with the most recent being an injection of $165 billion from Taiwan’s semiconductor industry. Other investments purportedly include $500 billion in private sector investment for AI infrastructure by SoftBank, Oracle, and OpenAI. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced a $600 billion investment shortly after Trump took office. Trump reminded citizens and lawmakers that Apple will also be investing in the United States with a $500 billion initiative, which includes the hiring of roughly 20,000 workers over the next four years. On a kitchen table issue, after the price of eggs spiked under Biden to nearly $5 and grocery prices generally remain high, on February 26 Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a $1 billion effort to combat Avian flu and bring down egg prices. Broken down, that effort is described as a: “five-pronged strategy includ[ing] an additional $500 million for biosecurity measures, $400 million in financial relief for affected farmers, and $100 million for vaccine research, action to reduce regulatory burdens, and exploring temporary import options.” Trump promised that “We will defeat inflation, bring down mortgage rates, lower car payments and grocery prices, protect our seniors and put more money in the pockets of American families.” DOGE and shrinking government size and waste Trump’s campaign extensively on reducing the size of the federal government, and his speech raised this issue with special emphasis. Despite the bureaucratic left’s war on Elon Musk’s aggressive quest to root out waste, fraud and abuse, Trump has urged him to be even more aggressive. According to the DOGE website tracking the amount of taxpayer dollars saved, it says it has saved $105 billion as of publishing time. Both Musk and Trump have floated the idea of returning 20% to the American people in the form of “DOGE dividend checks,” totalling about $20 billion. In the speech, he also expressed a desire to balance the budget in the near future, presumably during his second term in office. Terrorism and hostage releases in second term Trump boasted of securing the release of six American hostages in Venezuela, freedom for U.S./Israeli citizen Keith Siegel held by Hamas, and repatriated Pennsylvania teacher, Marc Fogel from Russian prison, and an American hostage from Belarus: all since the beginning of his new term. Fogel was in the gallery at the speech at the Capitol, and received a warm ovation from Republican lawmakers. Most Democrats, in what was possibly choreographed, did not rise to applaud Fogel’s new-found freedom. Trump also delivered breaking news in his speech, announcing the extradition of one of the ISIS-K terrorists responsible for the deadly August 2021 Abbey Gate suicide attack. That assault took the lives of 13 American

Articles / Government / White House Even before Congress acts, Trump’s border policies already crater illegal immigration by 95% The southern border of the U.S. looks drastically different under President Donald Trump than under former President Joe Biden, who claimed during his term that he could do nothing to secure the border without Congress. By: The first major step President Trump took upon re-entering the White House was declaring the border crisis a national emergency, allowing for reallocation of personnel and resources from the Armed Forces to support the activities of the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security. In this case, the goal is to obtain complete operational control of the U.S.-Mexico border. The first major step President Trump took upon re-entering the White House was declaring the border crisis a national emergency, allowing for reallocation of personnel and resources from the Armed Forces to support the activities of the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security. In this case, the goal is to obtain complete operational control of the U.S.-Mexico border. In another January 20 executive action without Congress, Trump suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program indefinitely. Executive Order 12013 states that, “the United States has been inundated with record levels of migration, including through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). Cities and small towns…have sought federal aid to manage the burden of new arrivals. This order suspends the USRAP until such time as the further entry into the United States of refugees aligns with the interests of the United States.” Criminal cartels The goal of the order is to fortify the United States’ capabilities to counter threats to the safety and security of its citizens. Even without Congress, Trump designated cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and its members as specially designated global terrorists. Criminal cartels like the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, Mexico’s Sinaloa, Jalisco, Zetas and Gulf cartels, and the Salvadorian gang MS-13, who have committed atrocities across the United States, were main targets by the Trump administration. The same tools with which the United States fights international terrorism will be used against these gangs: travel bans, asset forfeiture and freezes, and heightened penalties for anyone providing material support or association with known terrorists. Trump racked up seven immigration and border-related actions on his first day in office, with more following the initial batch. Those include: expanding migrant operations at Guantánamo Bay to full capacity for high-priority criminal aliens; the imposition and subsequent lifting of 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico; consolidating and reinforcing that the President has sole power to conduct foreign policy and clarifying the hierarchy stated in Article II of the United States Constitution; and ending the practice of using taxpayer money for subsidies for illegal immigrants or associated programs. Messaging  Trump’s rhetoric on immigration. Despite the narrative of both “woke” celebrities and outlets like MSNBC who four days ago blamed Trump’s rhetoric for a child’s suicide, the issue of deporting violent criminals who are here illegally is still popular with the American people. In a fresh Harvard CAPS/Harris poll, the deportation efforts show broad 81% support. Seventy-six percent of those polled support closing the border with added security and policies that discourage illegal crossings. A separate poll conducted by Gallup found that 55% of respondents want less immigration. That is the highest it’s been in 24 years. During this past weekend’s annual Conservative Political Action Conference, border czar Tom Homan touted some of the latest immigration statistics: after 10.5 million encounters with illegal aliens at the southern border the last four years and 8 million of them getting released into the country, border crossings are down 95%. “a stunning lack of leadership” In less than a month, Immigration and Customs Enforcement have arrested more than 21,000 people. Under Biden, the “gotaway” figure totaled 2.2 million overall, 1,800 a day in 2023. The day before his CPAC speech, Tom Homan cited that the day prior they only had 48 gotaways. According to the Department of State, under Biden there was an enormous increase in sex trafficking of women and children. While during Trump’s first term, there were only 14 individuals on the terror watchlist apprehended at the border, under President Joe Biden, that number was close to 400. Homan told the crowd that the last four years he was “pissed off” because the Biden administration took “the most secured border of my lifetime and unsecured it on purpose.” Further attesting to that notion, retired FBI Executive Assistant Director Chris Piehota joined the “Furthermore with Amanda Head” podcast Monday and said, “well, the only thing I can say is that the previous administration displayed a stunning lack of leadership and a lack of gumption when it came to closing down the border. And the only reason they didn’t close down the border is because they didn’t want to.” In Tuesday’s briefing at the White House, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt disclosed new immigration data: there were only 220 illegal border crossings on Saturday, a 15-year-low. In conjunction with the messaging from the Oval Office and the Press Office, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is doing her part as well. In commercials sponsored by DHS, she tells viewers that, “if you are in our country illegally, leave now. If you don’t, we will find you and we will deport you. If you leave now, you may have an opportunity to return and enjoy our freedom and live the American dream. America’s borders are closed to lawbreakers. The choice is yours. America welcomes those who respect our laws because a strong nation is a safe nation.” The Trump administration is making sure their message is heard loud and clear. If you want to read more of the latest by Amanda Head or the team of world class journalists at Just The News, feel free to read or subscribe by visiting JustTheNews.com today. TOP STORIES Even before Congress acts, Trump’s border policies already crater illegal immigration by 95% Trump’s art of the deal is now becoming the art of the clawback Velocity of early Trump action far surpasses the Gipper’s, Reagan