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Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States - Performance Watch

How do you think Donald Trump will perform as the 47th President of the United States?

  • Exceed expectations and deliver strong leadership

    Votes: 4 66.7%

  • Struggle to address challenges effectively

    Votes: 2 33.3%
  • Total voters
    6
Judge blocks Trump plan to put thousands of USAID staff on leave

A judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump from placing 2,200 workers at the US Agency for International Development (USAID) on paid leave, hours before it was due to happen.

Judge Carl Nichols issued a "limited" temporary restraining order, in response to a last-minute lawsuit filed by two unions trying to save the agency.

The order will remain in place for a week, until 14 February at midnight.

Trump has argued that USAID, the overseas aid agency, is not a valuable use of taxpayer money and wants to dismantle it - he plans to put nearly all of the agency's 10,000 employees on leave, except 611 workers.

Some 500 staff had already been put on administrative leave and another 2,200 were due to join them from midnight on Friday (05:00 GMT).

But the last-minute lawsuit on Friday argued the government was violating the US Constitution, and also that the workers were suffering harm.

Judge Nichols sided with the unions, saying they would suffer "irreparable harm" if the court did not intervene, while there would be "zero harm to the government".

"All USAID employees currently on administrative leave shall be reinstated until that date, and shall be given complete access to email, payment, and security notification systems until that date, and no additional employees shall be placed on administrative leave before that date," Nichols wrote.

The judge will also consider a request for a longer-term pause at a hearing on Wednesday.

It is unclear from the court order what will happen to the remaining staff's jobs.

As the ruling came, officials had been removing and covering USAID signs at the organisation's headquarters in Washington DC.

USAID is the world's biggest aid donor - with much of its budget spent on health programmes around the world. Two-thirds of its 10,000 staff work overseas.

It is one of many federal agencies his administration is targeting as it works to slash federal spending in the US.

The Republican campaigned on overhauling the government and formed an advisory body named the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) - led by tech billionaire Elon Musk - to slash the budget.

Friday's ruling by Judge Nichols came in response to an emergency petition by the American Foreign Service Association and American Federation of Government Employees - two unions representing employees of the agency.

During the hearing, Judge Nichols - who was nominated by Trump during his first term - did not seem likely to grant other requests as part of the lawsuit, including to restore grants and contracts or reopen USAID buildings.

The legal action argued that the president was violating the US Constitution and federal law by attempting to dismantle the agency.

"Not a single one of defendants' actions to dismantle USAID were taken pursuant to congressional authorization," it said.

"And pursuant to federal statute, Congress is the only entity that may lawfully dismantle the agency."

Representing the Trump administration, justice department official Brett Shumate told the judge that the president "has decided there is corruption and fraud at USAID".

That led to a stop work order at USAID, which runs health and emergency programmes in around 120 countries, including in the world's poorest regions.

"USAID IS DRIVING THE RADICAL LEFT CRAZY," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

"THE CORRUPTION IS AT LEVELS RARELY SEEN BEFORE. CLOSE IT DOWN!"

But Samantha Power, who was USAID chief under former President Joe Biden, wrote in a scathing New York Times opinion piece: "We are witnessing one of the worst and most costly foreign policy blunders in US history."

The US is by far the biggest single provider of humanitarian aid around the world. USAID's budget amounts to around $40bn - about 0.6% of total US annual government spending of $6.75tn.

The head of the United Nations' programme for tackling HIV/AIDS told the BBC the cuts would have dire impacts across the globe.

"AIDS related deaths in the next five years will increase by 6.3 million" if funding is not restored, UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima said.

BBC
 

Donald Trump says he will impose 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports into US​


Donald Trump says he will impose 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports into the US, including from Canada and Mexico.

The president said he would make the announcement on Monday, signalling yet another major escalation in his trade policy overhaul.

Speaking on Air Force One as he flew from Florida to New Orleans for the Super Bowl, he said the new levies would be on top of existing metals duties.

"Any steel coming into the United States is going to have a 25% tariff," Mr Trump told reporters on Sunday.

When asked about aluminium, he responded, "aluminium, too" will be subject to the trade penalties.

Share prices in steelmakers in Asia were mostly down on Monday, apart from those with operations in the US.

Mr Trump also said he will announce reciprocal tariffs on Tuesday or Wednesday, to take effect almost immediately, applying them to all countries and matching the tariff rates levied by each nation.

"And very simply, it's, if they charge us, we charge them," Mr Trump said of the reciprocal tariff plan.

Australia seeks tariff exemption

Meanwhile, Canberra is pressing Washington for an exemption to the planned tariffs, with Australia's trade minister Don Farrell saying its steel and aluminium to the US create "thousands of good-paying American jobs" and are key to shared defence interests.

Mr Farrell said his country was making the case for "free and fair trade, including access into the US market for Australian steel and aluminium" during meetings with the Trump administration.

Mr Trump previously threatened 25% import taxes on all goods from Canada and Mexico, though he paused them for 30 days last week. At the same time, he proceeded to add 10% duties on imports from China.

Also last week, Mr Trump said tariffs on the European Union would be implemented "pretty soon". When questioned about the UK, the president said Britain was "out of line" when it came to trade but he thought the situation could be "worked out" without the use of tariffs.

His latest comments on the presidential plane came just after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the EU was ready to respond "within an hour" if the US levied tariffs on European goods, highlighting the risks of an escalating trade war.

China's retaliatory tariffs on some US exports are due to take effect on Monday, with no sign yet of progress between Beijing and Washington.

'Gulf of America Day'

Also on board Air Force One, Mr Trump signed a proclamation declaring 9 February 2025 as the first-ever "Gulf of America Day".

One of the first executive orders the president signed was renaming the Gulf of Mexico.

While signing the latest proclamation, he posed in front of a map with the newly changed name.

Trump reiterates desire to make Canada 51st state

In a separate interview earlier on Fox News, Mr Trump repeated calls to make Canada "the 51st state" as he reiterated his support for tech billionaire Elon Musk.

When asked if he was serious about Canada being a 51st state, Mr Trump said: "I think Canada would be much better off.

"We lose $200bn a year with Canada. And I'm not going to let that happen. It's too much.

"Why are we paying $200bn a year essentially in subsidy to Canada? Now, if they are a 51st state, I don't mind doing it."

He also continued to voice support for Mr Musk. The X owner is spearheading the US president's efforts to cut costs and bureaucracy in government, which has already seen the US Aid Agency for International Development targeted.

Named the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), its aim is to find ways to sack federal workers, cut programmes and cut federal regulations.

news.sky.com

Donald Trump says he will impose 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports into US

The US president also said he will announce reciprocal tariffs on Tuesday or Wednesday, to take effect almost immediately, applying them to all countries and matching the tariff rates levied by each nation.
news.sky.com news.sky.com
 
Trump announces 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports

President Donald Trump has ordered a 25% import tax on all steel and aluminium entering the US in a major expansion of existing trade barriers.

The tariffs, which will increase the costs of importing the metals into the US, come despite warnings of retaliation from some political leaders in Canada - America's biggest supplier of the metals - as well as other countries.

US businesses dependent on the imports have also raised concerns, but Trump has said his plans will boost domestic production.

He warned there would be no exceptions, saying he was "simplifying" the rules, which are set to come into effect on 4 March.

"This is a big deal, the beginning of making America rich again," Trump said.

"Our nation requires steel and aluminium to be made in America, not in foreign lands," he added.

When asked if tariffs could increase prices for consumers, the US president responded: "Ultimately it will be cheaper."

"It's time for our great industries to come back to America...this is the first of many," he added, suggesting other tariffs could focus on pharmaceuticals and computer chips.

The US is the world's largest importer of steel, counting Canada, Brazil and Mexico as its top three suppliers.

Canada alone accounted for more than 50% of aluminium imported into the US last year. If the tariffs come into force, they are expected to have the most significant impact on Canada.

Late on Monday, Canada's Minister of Innovation, Francois-Phillippe Champagne, said the tariffs were "totally unjustified".

"Canadian steel and aluminium support key industries in the US from defence, shipbuilding, energy to automotive," Champagne said. "This is making North America more competitive and secure."

Ahead of the announcement, Ontario premier Doug Ford, whose province is home to much of Canada's steel production, accused Trump of "shifting goalposts and constant chaos, putting our economy at risk".

The lobby group for Canadian steel makers called on the Canadian government to retaliate against the US "immediately", while Kody Blois, a leading MP from Canada's governing Liberal Party, said his country was looking for ways to reduce its trade relationship with the US.

"This is completely upending what has been a very strong partnership," he told BBC Newshour ahead of the official order.

Meanwhile, share prices of the major US steel-makers rose on Monday in anticipation of the order, with the price of Cleveland-Cliffs jumping nearly 20%. Prices for steel and aluminium also jumped.

The response in much of the rest of the market was muted, reflecting questions about how serious Trump is about his plans, given his track record of postponing tariffs, or negotiating exemptions to the rules.

In 2018, during his first term, Trump announced tariffs of 25% on steel and 15% on aluminium, but eventually negotiated carve-outs for many countries including Australia, Canada and Mexico.

'Replay of 2018'

"This is sort of a replay of 2018," said Douglas Irwin, a professor of economics at Dartmouth College.

"The biggest question is the uncertainty over whether this is a bargaining tactic or whether he just doesn't want to talk with other countries and really wants to help out the steel industry in that way."

Last week, the Trump ordered import duties of 25% on all Canadian and Mexican products, only to delay that plan for 30 days. He also brought in new US levies of 10% on all Chinese goods coming into the US, prompting retaliation from China.

A tariff is a domestic tax levied on goods as they enter a country, proportional to the value of the import.

The prospect of higher tariffs being introduced on imports to the US has been concerning many world leaders because it will make it more expensive for companies to sell goods in the world's largest economy.

The taxes are a central part of Trump's economic vision. He sees them as a way of growing the US economy, protecting jobs and raising tax revenue.

But there are also concerns about the effect in the US, where many manufacturers inside the US use steel and aluminium in their products and now face the likelihood of added costs.

Industry groups from construction to can-makers warned about the hit.

In Trump's first term, the tariffs, despite many exemptions, raised the average price of steel and aluminium in the US by 2.4% and 1.6% respectively, according to the US International Trade Commission.

Stephen Moore, who advised Trump's campaign on economic issues in 2016 and is currently a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative thinktank based in Washington, said he did not think tariffs on steel and aluminium were effective way to create jobs, noting the experience of the first term.

He said while Trump was "deadly serious" about trade, he thought the plan was "about getting the rest of the world's attention".

"Just about everything Donald Trump does in Washington is a negotiating tactic," he said.

Trump officials said the latest moves were aimed at stopping countries such as China and Russia from avoiding tariffs by routing low-cost products through other countries.

The US president said he was introducing new standards that require steel to be "melted and poured" and aluminium to be "smelted and cast" in North America.

Nick Iacovella, a spokesman for Coalition for a Prosperous America, which represents steel-makers and supports the tariffs, said his group is most concerned about a surge of steel imports from Mexico, above levels agreed in 2019.

But he noted that Canada sends far more goods to the US than it imports - a trade deficit that has been a key issue for Trump.

"There are still imbalances with the Canadian and United States trading relationship that should be addressed," he said.

He added: "I don't think they're planning to take a one-size-fits-all hammer approach to this, but I think early on, in the beginning at least right now, I do think what the president is saying ... [is] both of those countries [Canada and Mexico] are abusing their relationship with the US and we're going to do something about it."

BBC
 
Legal showdown looms as Trump tests limits of presidential power

In the first weeks of his second term, President Donald Trump has wasted no time in flexing his political muscle. That much is clear.

Since taking office in January, he has ordered the suspension of all new asylum claims, cancelled refugee resettlement, frozen government hiring and spending, gutted agencies established by Congress, banned gender transition care for teenagers and offered a buyout deal for hundreds of thousands of federal workers.

The whirlwind of unilateral action on his campaign promises has pushed the limits of presidential power – and prompted legal challenges from Democrats, unions and legal groups. So far the federal courts have been the only substantive roadblocks to Trump's agenda, as judges have temporarily suspended some of the most contentious proposals, including an end to automatic citizenship for anyone born on US soil.

But Trump is pressing on - and seems headed for a showdown with the judiciary that could eventually end in the highest court in the land. This week, a Rhode Island judge said the Trump administration was clearly and openly defying his court order to unfreeze billions in federal funds. The White House responded by saying that "every action" the president took was "completely lawful".

If Trump's orders do reach the US Supreme Court, six of the nine justices there - including three appointed by Trump in his first term - are conservative. Just last term, the court issued a decision holding Trump, and all future presidents, largely immune from prosecution for official actions while in office.

At the time, it was a landmark expansion of presidential authority. But some observers have suggested that Trump's latest moves could be part of a strategy to expand his powers even further. If the high courts agree to uphold some of his executive orders, it could strengthen his ability to enact policy changes without the help of Congress.

And even if the courts rule against the president, says Ilya Shapiro, a constitutional expert at the Manhattan Institute, those legal defeats might be politically advantageous.

"There could be political benefits to being challenged in court and then even losing in court because then you can run against judges and make political hay of it."

There is another scenario, however. Trump could simply refuse to comply with any court that tries to stop his exercise of unfettered presidential power.

In Oval Office comments on Tuesday, the president hinted that this might be an option, in his typically oblique way.

"We want to weed out the corruption," Trump said. "And it seems hard to believe that a judge could say we don't want you to do that."

"Maybe we have to look at the judges," he continued. "I think it's a very serious violation."

On Sunday, Trump's vice-president, JD Vance, was even more blunt.

"Judges aren't allowed to control the executive's legitimate power," he posted on the social media site X. That view was similar to one Vance expressed in a 2021 podcast, when he said that if Trump returned to power he should refuse to comply with any court order that prevented him from firing federal workers.

Directly defying a court ruling, however, would cut against centuries of US history and amount to the opening skirmishes in a constitutional crisis that pits the president against the branch of government designed to establish and interpret the law of the land.

"My read is that President Trump is testing the outer boundaries of what he might be able to get away with, doing a lot of things that are blatantly against the law and maybe some things that are closer to the line," said Fred Smith, a professor at the Emory School of Law.

"They are breaking a lot of norms," Smith added of the nascent Trump administration. "Why he is doing that, only he knows fully. But he is doing it."

So far, Trump and his allies have made aggressive comments about unfavourable court decisions in the public and in legal filings, but have yet to be sanctioned for disobeying a court. When Trump was the target of multiple prosecutions over the past four years, he frequently questioned the legitimacy of the presiding judges, but his courtroom lawyers adhered to the law and legal procedures.

The federal judge in Rhode Island, who had placed a temporary hold on another Trump order to freeze some federal spending, did warn in court filings Monday that the administration was violating his temporary restraining order but stopped short of finding them in contempt.

Conservative legal scholar Ed Whelan wrote on X that it would be "extremely grave" for the Trump administration to defy a federal court order.

"I'm open to the argument that truly extraordinary circumstances (the makings of a wild hypothetical) might justify defiance," Mr Whelan wrote. "But in our constitutional system there should be an overwhelming presumption in favour of executive-branch compliance with federal court orders."

Should Trump disobey, and therefore delegitimize, the courts, the decision could come back to bite him when the time comes for the president to see his own lawful agenda enforced, some legal experts say. Democratic states like California, for instance, might be inclined to ignore White House directives and federal laws they don't like - and Trump would be hard pressed to use the courts to bring them to heel.

"If the executive decides it will obey some court orders but not others, it will find it won't get any court orders that it wishes to obey," said Philip Bobbitt, a constitutional scholar at Columbia University Law School. "I just don't think they thought that through."

When Donald Trump redecorated the Oval Office to his liking in January, he reinstalled a portrait of President Andrew Jackson that had hung on the wall across from the Resolute Desk in his first term.

The seventh US president is remembered for a critical moment of defiance against the United States Supreme Court. When the justices decided a dispute between the state of Georgia and Cherokee Indian governments in 1832, Jackson did not seem interested in following its direction.

Jackson allegedly said of the Chief Justice's ruling, "John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it!"

Nearly 200 years later, Trump himself has found himself on his own collision course with America's judiciary.

BBC
 
sweep_shot said:
Looks like China is outplaying Trump.

Click to expand...
Nearly all allied nations appear to be playing along to boost the "Orange Emperor’s" ego, while Trump continues catering to MAGA supporters now that the Republican Party has essentially faded away.

The deployment of 10,000 troops to the Mexico border and the movement of Mexican soldiers also occurred under the Biden administration. Meanwhile, Canada agreeing to something they had already decided back in December is merely a way to let the new "Emperor" put his stamp on the deal, fueling his narcissistic ego for the MAGA base.

There’s even a bill proposing to rename Greenland to "Red, White, and Blue Land." LOL

All this while inflation has risen to 3% over the past three weeks.
 
HalBass9 said:
Nearly all allied nations appear to be playing along to boost the "Orange Emperor’s" ego, while Trump continues catering to MAGA supporters now that the Republican Party has essentially faded away.

The deployment of 10,000 troops to the Mexico border and the movement of Mexican soldiers also occurred under the Biden administration. Meanwhile, Canada agreeing to something they had already decided back in December is merely a way to let the new "Emperor" put his stamp on the deal, fueling his narcissistic ego for the MAGA base.

There’s even a bill proposing to rename Greenland to "Red, White, and Blue Land." LOL

All this while inflation has risen to 3% over the past three weeks.
Click to expand...

Yes. Trump is making many stupid and childish decisions which may hurt USA in the long run.

This is what happens when an inexperienced guy enters politics.
 

'Today is the big one': Trump says he will unveil 'reciprocal' trade tariffs​


US President Donald Trump says he will unveil "reciprocal" trade tariffs on Thursday, adding: "Today is the big one".

Countries around the world have been waiting for details on potential tariffs amid a series of threats from the White House.

"Three great weeks, perhaps the best ever. Today is the big one: reciprocal tariffs," Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Thursday morning US time, giving no other details.

It is not clear what the president means by "reciprocal".

They will be announced at a press conference in the Oval Office at 1pm US time (6pm UK time), Mr Trump said in a follow-up post.

Mr Trump has already announced a series of tariffs on various countries - part of an aggressive push by his administration to reset global trade.

The US leader claims that price hikes on the people and companies buying foreign-made products will ultimately strengthen domestic manufacturing.

However, economists have questioned if they will instead lead to higher prices for consumers.

Mr Trump has already announced tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports beginning on 12 March and imposed 10% tariffs on goods from China.

He has put a 30-day hold on tariffs on goods from his neighbours, Canada and Mexico.

Mr Trump has warned that the UK "is out of line" on trade with the US and told reporters "we'll see what happens". But he said he was confident the situation "can be worked out" without tariffs.

The economic developments comes as the US also makes waves in security circles, with Mr Trump holding a call with Vladimir Putin and US defence secretary Pete Hegseth signalling a dramatic shift in American foreign and defence policy away from Europe.

news.sky.com

'Today is the big one': Trump says he will unveil 'reciprocal' trade tariffs

The US leader said he would unveil tariffs on Thursday, though it is not clear what he means by "reciprocal". He has already announced tariffs on steel and aluminium imports.
news.sky.com news.sky.com
 
'Tone it down, sign that deal,' Waltz tells Ukraine, but insists differences with US can be reconciled

We have also heard from the current US administration in the last hour as White House national security adviser Mike Waltz spoke to Fox News.

Reuters reported that he said Ukraine should “tone it down, take a hard look and sign that deal” on mineral with the US.

Pushback from Ukraine on the deal and how Trump is carrying out peace talks is simply unacceptable, Waltz said, given everything the United States has done for Ukraine.

But he insisted that these difference of views could be reconciled as “the president also said how much he loves the Ukrainian people.”

Waltz denied that U.S. allies and Ukraine were not being consulted.

“There’s a term for this in diplomacy. It’s called shuttle diplomacy, because bringing everybody to the table at once just hasn’t worked in the past,” he said in comments reported by Reuters.

Source: The Guardian
 
Trump fires top US general CQ Brown in shake-up at Pentagon

President Donald Trump has fired US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff CQ Brown, the highest-ranking officer in the country, as part of a major shake-up of the top military leadership.

"I want to thank General Charles 'CQ' Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff," Trump posted on social media. He said five other top officers were being replaced.

Gen Brown was the second black officer in US history to hold the post, which advises both the president and the secretary of defence on national security.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had previously said that Gen Brown should be fired because of his "woke" focus on diversity, equity and inclusion programmes in the military.

Later on Friday, Hegseth announced the firings of two additional senior officers: Chief of Naval Operations Adm Lisa Franchetti and Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen Jim Slife.

Adm Franchetti was the first woman to lead the Navy.

All three top officers removed on Friday were appointed by former President Joe Biden.

Hegseth said in a statement: "Under President Trump, we are putting in place new leadership that will focus our military on its core mission of deterring, fighting and winning wars."

Trump said he would nominate Air Force Lt Gen Dan Caine - a career F-16 pilot who most recently served as CIA associate director for military affairs - as the new chairman of the joint chiefs of staff.

Gen Brown was visiting troops at the US southern border on Friday roughly two hours before Trump's post announcing his departure.

Rumours had been swirling this week that the president would remove the commander, whose term was set to expire in 2027.

Gen Brown made headlines in 2020 when he spoke out about race following the death of George Floyd.

He posted a video message to the Air Force describing the pressures he had felt as one of the few black men in his unit and being questioned about his credentials.

In 2022, while chief of staff of the Air Force, Gen Brown co-signed a memo setting out diversity goals to boost the proportion of minority officer applicants while adjusting lower the rate of white candidates, according to the Air Force Times.

Colin Powell was the first black chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, serving from 1989-93.

One of Trump's first acts after being sworn in last month was to fire the first female commandant of the Coast Guard, citing "excessive focus" on diversity.

In November, before he was confirmed, Hegseth said on a podcast that there were many problems in the military, including diversity initiatives, which the Trump administration should "course correct".

"First of all, you got to fire the chairman of Joint Chiefs," Hegseth said in describing the steps he believed Trump should take.

The Pentagon also announced on Friday that it would cut its budget and let go of 5,400 probationary employees next week.

Meanwhile, a federal court in Maryland temporarily blocked Trump from implementing bans on diversity, equity and inclusion programmes.

District Judge Adam Abelson ruled that the directives by Trump may violate free-speech rights in the US Constitution.

BBC
 
Musk, tariffs and tensions - takeaways from Trump's first cabinet meeting

Donald Trump held his first cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday, turning the occasion into an extended question-and-answer session that lasted for more than an hour.

Speaking alongside his cabinet - and billionaire Elon Musk who wore a "tech support" T-shirt - Trump covered a wide range of topics, ranging from Doge's efforts to cut government spending to immigration, the economy and the war in Ukraine.

Here are six takeaways from the meeting.

1) Trump praises Rubio and Musk

Trump was asked by reporters which government department - and, by extension, which cabinet members - were most resistant to his policy changes.

"So far, I'm happy with all of those choices," he said.

He added, however, that "some groups are much easier than others", specifically praising the work of Elon Musk - who is not a cabinet member - and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

His administration is focusing on "cutting down the size of government, we have to", he added.

"We want to have a balanced budget within a reasonably short period of time... meaning maybe by next year or maybe the year after," Trump said.

2) ... and addresses potential cabinet tensions

Trump publicly - and repeatedly - backed the work of Elon Musk and Doge, the Department of Government Efficiency, which has been tasked with slashing government spending and the federal workforce.

The president sought to dampen any speculation of tension between Musk and the rest of his team.

"They have a lot of respect for Elon and that he's doing this, and some disagree a little bit," Trump said. "But I will tell you for the most part I think everyone's not only happy, they're thrilled."

"If they aren't, I want them to speak up," he added.

At one point, Trump was asked whether any cabinet members had expressed dissatisfaction with Musk and turned to the room to ask them. None spoke.

Musk also defended Doge, calling it a "support function" for government agencies to rid themselves of fraud.

He acknowledged, however, that it will make mistakes, and noted that it had accidentally cancelled Ebola prevention efforts before reinstating them.

"But when we make mistakes we'll fix it very quickly," Musk said.

3) A warning to federal workers

The president also addressed Musk's e-mail to federal employees asking them to list five things they had done in the last week or risk losing their jobs, saying the cabinet is "very much behind" the initiative.

Trump speculated without evidence that some of the approximately one million federal workers who haven't responded to the e-mail maybe "don't exist".

"Maybe they're going to be gone," he added.

"We're trying to figure out who those people are who haven't responded," Trump added. "We're being a little more surgical in situations where people are doing classified stuff."

Trump also said he was encouraging cabinet members to "do their own Doge" at their respective agencies.

He also suggested that the Environmental Protection Agency, which is led by Lee Zeldin, could lose as much as 65% of its workforce.

4) Memo instructs further staff reductions

Later in the day, a memo was sent to federal agencies asking them to submit plans for "a significant reduction" in their staff by 13 March.

It asks agencies to provide a list of employees who are deemed not essential. The memo also requests that future hiring be limited to one position for every four people who are let go.

These layoffs would be in addition to those already undertaken by Doge of mainly probationary workers. Multiple US outlets have reported that nearly 10,000 federal workers were let go across several agencies earlier this month.

That figure was in addition to the estimated 75,000 workers who have accepted an offer from the White House to leave voluntarily in the autumn.

Wednesday's memo represents another step in Doge's efforts to further cut down the size of the US government.

Exempt from this action, however, are positions in law enforcement, border security, immigration enforcement and military.

5) Trump confirms Zelensky visit

Trump confirmed that Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky will visit the White House on Friday - something that had previously been suggested.

Trump said the visit would see the US and Ukraine sign an expansive minerals deal, although the contours of that agreement remain unclear.

He said the deal would allow the US to "get our money back" for the assistance that Ukraine has been given in the three years since it was invaded by Russia.

"We're going to get a lot of money in the future, and I think that's appropriate, because we have taxpayers that shouldn't be footing the bill," he said. "It's all been worked out."

Zelensky has described the bilateral deal as preliminary, and said he wants further agreements which include US security guarantees to deter renewed Russian aggression.

Asked about security guarantees for Ukraine in the future, Trump said that the US would not provide any, arguing that the burden should fall to Europe.

6) And says EU tariffs coming 'very soon'

Trump said he is planning to hit goods made in the European Union with tariffs of 25%.

"We'll be announcing it very soon," he told gathered reporters. "It'll be 25% generally speaking and that will be on cars and all other things."

"They've really taken advantage of us," Trump said of the EU. "They don't accept our cars. They don't accept essentially our farm products. They use all sorts of reasons why not."

Trump was also asked if he still plans on implementing tariffs on Canada and Mexico despite the significant drop in detentions of illegal migrants at the southern border and Canada's plan to enhance border protection.

On 4 February, Trump abruptly agreed to hold off imposing 25% tariffs on both countries for 30 days, pulling the three countries back from the brink of a potentially damaging trade war.

The date Trump cited appeared to be an extension of that timeframe.

"April 2, the tariffs go on," he said. "Not all of them but a lot of them. And I think that's gonna be amazing."

BBC
 
His supporters are so dumb it’s insane, they think the Tariffs will be on Canadian and Mexican companies.

Wow the next 4 years will be insane with constant news one after the other and everything just a smoke.
 
Trump to make English official US language, White House official says

President Donald Trump will sign an executive order to make English the official U.S. language, a White House official said on Friday, for the first time in the country's history.

The official did not provide a timing for the signing of the order, first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
The United States has never had an official language at the federal level but some U.S. states designate it as their official language.

The Republican president has made opposition to illegal immigration a hallmark of both his White House runs and has embraced using English in public life.

During his first presidential campaign, Trump chided Republican rival Jeb Bush for speaking another language on the campaign trail. He told a news conference in New York in 2015 that "We're a nation that speaks English."

Trump's executive order would rescind Democratic President Bill Clinton's federal requirement that agencies and other recipients of federal funds provide language assistance to non-English speakers, the Wall Street Journal said.


 
Now Karen can officially yell “Speak in American it’s our official Language “
 
Someone commented on Trump making English as the official language.
“Is he going to learn the language first” :yk
 
US President Donald Trump's administration is pausing its offensive cyber operations against Russia, officials say, as a diplomatic push continues to end the war in Ukraine

The reasoning for the instruction has not been publicly stated, and it is not clear how long the halt might last. The defence department has declined to comment.

The directive reportedly came before Trump ended up in a televised row with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Friday.

Since returning to office, Trump has markedly softened the American position towards Moscow in eagerness to reach a deal to end the war - following Russia's full-scale invasion more than three years ago.

He appeared to echo Moscow's justification for starting the war and announced plans to meet his counterpart President Vladimir Putin. The US has also sided with Russia during recent votes at the United Nations related to the war.

At the same time, Trump has labelled Zelensky a dictator, and accused the other man of "gambling with World War Three" during Friday's blow-up in the Oval Office.

The halt of American cyber operations against Russia came from Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth in new guidance to US Cyber Command, officials told the BBC's US partner CBS News.

It leaves questions over the strength of the US fightback in the cyber arena against alleged Russian hacking, election interference and sabotage efforts that have targeted the Western nations which have sided with Ukraine during the war.

Hundreds or thousands of personnel could be affected by Hegseth's order, according to The Record, a cybersecurity publication which first reported the news. Operations aimed at strengthening Ukraine's digital defences are likely to be among those affected.

In a statement, a senior defence department official said they would not comment on the issue due to operation concerns, but added: "There is no greater priority to Secretary Hegseth than the safety of the Warfighter in all operations, to include the cyber domain."

National Security Adviser Mike Waltz denied that a policy change had been discussed, but acknowledged in an interview on CNN that there would be "all kinds of carrots and sticks to get this war to an end".

Senior members of Trump's team - who last month met their Russian counterparts in Saudi Arabia, with the Ukrainians excluded - have recently defended their change of approach to Moscow more broadly.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told ABC: "You're not going to bring [the Russians] to the table if you're calling them names, if you're being antagonistic. That's just the president's instincts from years and years and years of putting together deals."

In a statement to the New York Times, senior Democrat Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, said the move was "a critical strategic mistake".

Trump seemed to be giving Putin "a free pass as Russia continues to launch cyberoperations and ransomware attacks against critical American infrastructure", Schumer added.

Source: BBC
 
Trump's tariffs risk economic turbulence - and voter backlash

Donald Trump has been threatening major tariffs on America's two largest trading partners, Canada and Mexico, for more than a month. It now appears that the day of reckoning is at hand.

The risk for the president is that his sweeping tariffs, which also target China, may drive up prices for businesses and consumers in the months ahead, damaging the health of the US economy - the issue that Americans say they care about most.

The economy and inflation was at the top of voter concerns last November – concerns Trump promised to address as he stormed back to the White House, partly on the back of lingering discontent about soaring prices early in the Biden presidency.

Trump can comfortably boast that he has delivered many of his most striking campaign promises – including slashing federal jobs, stepping up immigration enforcement and recognising two sexes only.

But on inflation, the new Trump administration has made little tangible progress. Sky-high egg prices have been a daily reminder. And while the mass culling of chickens in response to bird flu has played a major role, the cost of the daily staple for many Americans has kept inflation front and centre in voters' minds.

As Trump confirmed on Monday that 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican-made goods would indeed be coming into effect, US stock markets took their biggest hit of the year, providing an early indication of the economic turbulence his policies could create. And Trump's tariffs on Mexican food imports, in particular, could hit Americans where they feel it the most – in higher prices at the grocery store.

According to a CBS survey conducted last week, 82% of Americans say they think the economy should be a "high" priority for the president. Only 30% said that about tariffs.

Only 36% of respondents think Trump is prioritising the economy "a lot" – compared to 68% for tariffs. Just 29% believe Trump is prioritising inflation. Views on the state of the economy remain generally dour, as 60% said it is "bad", compared to 58% who had the same view last year.

Public opinion of Trump's handling of the economy as a whole is within the margin of error on the survey, with 51% approving. That exactly matches his overall job rating, suggesting that the fate of this president, like those his predecessors, will hinge on the strength of the economy.

According to Clifford Young, president of public affairs at polling company Ipsos, Trump is still in the honeymoon period of his presidency, when Americans will give him room to manoeuvre.

Typically, he said, this benefit of the doubt for a new president lasts about six months – but that can be cut short if the economy suffers some kind of dramatic shift. Trump argues that his tariffs will boost US manufacturing, raise tax revenue and spur investment – but most economists say that prices for Americans are likely to rise, potentially in a similar timeframe.

On Tuesday night, in a primetime speech to a joint session of Congress, Trump will have a chance to make the case that the short-term pain of his tariff plan will lead to long-term benefits. It's his chance to convince the American public to keep his honeymoon going.

"I'd be interested to see how he links government efficiency to the economy, global tariffs to the economy, even immigration to the economy," said Young. "Ideally, he would make an argument that all these different things he's doing are ultimately done with the view of improving the economy."

The challenge for the president is there are some indications that doubts about the economy are growing, along with warning signs of other challenges to come.

A survey of public and private businesses released last week by the Conference Board, a non-partisan economic research group, found a precipitous drop in consumer confidence – the largest decline since August 2021. The souring mood among US consumers was largely attributed to concerns over inflation and economic disruptions caused by rising tariffs.

Inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, rose 3% in January, marking a six-month high. The public appears to agree, as the CBS poll found 62% of Americans reporting that prices have been "going up" in the past few weeks.

White House officials privately insist that administration efforts to cut government costs, reduce regulation and boost energy production will ultimately lead to lower prices even in the face of higher tariffs – but that such efforts take time to produce results.

In a television interview on Sunday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Trump plans to appoint an "affordability tsar" to address the concerns of "working-class Americans".

"President Trump said that he'll own the economy in six or 12 months," Bessent said, suggesting that former President Joe Biden was to blame for the current conditions.

"But I can tell you that we are working to get these prices down every day."

While Tuesday's speech is not a formal State of the Union address, Trump can talk about what he is doing – and will do – to address these voter concerns.

Any missteps could give Democrats, who have been struggling to find an effective line of attack against the new president, an opening. Their choice of rebuttal speaker, newly elected Senator Elissa Slotkin from the trade-dependent industrial Midwestern state of Michigan, suggest they are keen to focus on economic issues.

At the moment, Trump is at the height of his political power. Now, he appears willing to use that power to change the way the US conducts trade policy – an issue that has animated him for more than four decades.

But American history books are lined with the names of presidents felled by souring public perceptions of the economy.

Some financial disruptions are entirely out of a White House's control. With his tariff decision, however, Trump is making a high-stakes bet that the American public will ultimately approve of his decisions.

If he's right, the payoff could be a generational political realignment on this issue.

If he's wrong, it could undercut the second term of his presidency before it even gets fully underway.

BBC
 
Trump hails his whirlwind six weeks ‘common sense revolution’ — as downbeat Dems protest address to Congress

President Trump was the boisterous showman in chief before a joint session of Congress Tuesday night — boldly declaring “America is back” and its “greatest era” was underway as he brushed past petulant Democratic protests to lay out both the accomplishments and the agenda of his second term.

Trump, 78, described his avalanche of executive orders and new initiatives as a “common sense revolution” during the 99-minute address — the longest in modern history — echoing the theme of his second inaugural address as the opposition largely sat on their hands and seethed before drifting quietly into the DC night.

“Six weeks ago, I stood beneath the dome of this Capitol and proclaimed the dawn of the golden age of America. From that moment on, it has been nothing but swift and unrelenting action to usher in the greatest and most successful era in the history of our country,” Trump said.

“We have accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplished in four years or eight years, and we are just getting started. America’s momentum is back. Our spirit is back. Our pride is back. Our confidence is back, and the American Dream is surging bigger and better than ever before.”

Trump, so often prone to asides and tangents, largely kept to his script Tuesday night, proudly proclaiming that “it has been stated by many that the first month of our presidency is the most successful in the history of our nation — and what makes it even more impressive is that, do you know who number two is? George Washington. How about that?”

“Our country is on the verge of a comeback, the likes of which the world has never witnessed and perhaps will never witness again,” he said, self-consciously referencing his 2024 election win despite four criminal indictments and two assassination attempts.

“Over the past six weeks, I have signed nearly 100 executive orders and taken more than 400 executive actions, a record to restore common sense, safety, optimism and wealth all across our wonderful land.”

Trump gave an exhaustive rundown of his early-term actions, including announcing major investments in the country and enacting an array of policy pivots — while inviting Greenland’s citizens to vote to join the United States and threatening to take back the Panama Canal.

The list included orders to make English the country’s official language, rename the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America,” ordering federal workers to return to offices, require the government to recognize only two genders, move to defund school districts that allow transgender athletes in girls’ sports and end diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.

Trump also touted forthcoming initiatives to sell $5 million “gold cards” to wealthy foreigners and plans to drop the high prices of eggs, which he blamed on former President Joe Biden.

Democrats throw a fit

Trump received a warm welcome from congressional Republicans — who have since his return to Washington proposed legislation to allow him to seek a third term and to place his face on the $100 bill — but was repeatedly protested by Democrats.

Less than five minutes into the prime-time address, Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) bellowed: “You don’t have a mandate” after Trump cited his decisive victory in the Nov. 5 election.

Green persistently heckled Trump with similar utterances, waving his gold-handled walking cane in the air as he did so.

When the Texan would not sit down, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) directed the House sergeant-at-arms William McFarland to restore order, saying, “Remove this gentleman from the chamber.”

About an hour later, unidentified Democrats shouted “January 6!” at Trump while he praised police.

Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) photo-bombed Trump’s entrance into the chamber, brandishing a sign that read “This is NOT Normal” at a TV camera tracking Trump down the center aisle of the House chamber

During the speech, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) brandished a whiteboard at Trump on which was inked: “Start paying your taxes.”

Rather than lashing out and giving his detractors a headline, Trump said calmly: “These people sitting right here will not clap, will not stand, and certainly will not cheer for these astronomical achievements. They won’t do it no matter what. Five times I’ve been up here, it’s very sad. And it just shouldn’t be this way.”

He added: “Democrats sitting before me, for just this one night, why not join us in celebrating so many incredible wins for America? For the good of our nation, let’s work together, and let’s truly make America great again.”

Most Democrats did not take him up on it, stubbornly remaining seated as Trump recognized the family of Laken Riley, murdered by an illegal immigrant; a teen with brain cancer who was designated as an honorary Secret Service agent, and the announcement of the capture of the “mastermind” behind the August 2021 terrorist bombing at Kabul’s international airport that killed 13 service members.

Ukraine waits 86 minutes

Ukraine was one of the most-anticipated elements of the speech — after Trump and Vice President JD Vance clashed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Friday in the Oval Office — but viewers were left waiting 86 minutes as the president focused on domestic concerns.

Zelensky had been due to ink a deal with Trump granting the US a stake in his country’s rare earth elements, but that pact was left unsigned — as administration officials demanded that Kyiv’s leader apologize for allegedly disrespectful conduct, which he has not done.

“Millions of Ukrainians and Russians have been needlessly killed or wounded in this horrific and brutal conflict with no end in sight. The United States has sent hundreds of billions of dollars to support Ukraine’s defense with no security, with no anything,” Trump told the country’s assembled legislators, who have approved $183 billion to finance Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s three-year invasion.

The remark yielded yet another instance of Democratic heckling — apparently from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).

“You want to keep it going for another five years? Yeah, yeah, you, you would say — Pocahontas says yes,” Trump announced.

Trump, continuing his remarks, said that “earlier today, I received an important letter from President Zelensky of Ukraine. The letter reads, ‘Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer…. My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.'”

Trump added that “we’ve had serious discussions with Russia and have received strong signals that they are ready for peace — wouldn’t that be beautiful? It’s time to stop this madness, it’s time to halt the killing. It’s time to end the senseless war.”

Taxes and tariffs

Trump doubled down on his actions to roll out tariffs under 24 hours after imposing sweeping 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico and a new 20% tariff on Chinese goods — while calling on Congress to quickly pass his proposed tax cuts.

“Bear with me,” Trump urged his audience on tariffs, which critics fear will increase consumer costs.

“Tariffs are about making America rich again and making America great again and it’s happening and it will happen rather quickly. There’ll be a little disturbance. But we’re okay with that. It won’t be much,” Trump said, before an audible outburst from the chamber.

“No, you’re not? Ohhh,” he said in another instance of playing to the crowd.

Some of Trump’s signature campaign pledges are pending in Congress but have an uncertain path forward due to disagreement on tactics between House and Senate Republicans.

“To get urgently needed relief to Americans hit especially hard by inflation, I’m calling for no tax on tips, no tax on overtime and no tax on Social Security benefits for our great seniors,” Trump said.

Trump told the Democrats present, “I’m sure you’re going to vote for those tax cuts, because otherwise, I don’t believe the people will ever vote you into office, so I’m doing you a big favor by telling you that.”

Trump also repeated his call for tax deductions for domestic car loan interest and for lower individual tax rates in his 2017 tax cuts law to be made permanent.

In addition to the tariffs imposed Tuesday on America’s top three trading partners, Trump has stiffened steel and aluminum tariffs and announced plans to impose tariffs on copper, lumber, pharmaceuticals and computer chips — plus a “reciprocal” tariff policy that he says could impact European allies and Japan.

Trump said he spoke earlier in the day with the leaders of the Big Three American carmakers and they were “so excited” about his plans.

“Other countries have used tariffs against us for decades, and now it’s our turn to start using them against those other countries, on average, the European Union, China, Brazil, India Mexico, and Canada —have you heard of them? — and countless other nations charge us tremendously higher tariffs, than we charge them. It’s very unfair,” Trump said.

DOGE spending cuts

Among those in attendance was Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and the leader of the Department of Government Efficiency initiative that’s aiming to slash $1 trillion in annual spending through deep spending cuts.

The president called on the SpaceX and Tesla CEO to stand in the gallery for applause.

“Everybody here, even this side, appreciates it. I believe. They just don’t want to admit that,” the president claimed before reading aloud a laundry list of spending line items that Musk’s team had axed — treating it like a standup comedian delivering punchlines.

“$8 million to promote LGBTQI+ in the African nation of Lesotho, which nobody has ever heard of,” Trump said about the landlocked 2-million-person country surrounded by South Africa.

“$8 million for making mice transgender — this is real,” Trump read.

“$1.5 billion for voter confidence in Liberia … $59 million for illegal alien hotel rooms in New York City … $14 million for improving public procurement in Serbia.”

“We found hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud … and we’ve taken back the money and reduced our debt to fight inflation and other things,” Trump said.

“I want to do what has not been done in 24 years, balance the federal budget.”

“My administration will reclaim power from this unaccountable bureaucracy, and we will restore true democracy to America again,” he said.

“And any federal bureaucrat who resists this change will be removed from office immediately. Because we are draining the swamp. It’s very It’s very simple, and the days of rule by unelected bureaucrats are over.”

Border victory lap

Trump also celebrated the fact that arrests for illegal border crossings hit the lowest level in at least 25 years in February.

“They heard my words and they chose not to come — much easier that way,” he said of would-be migrants.

“In comparison, under Joe Biden, the worst president in American history, there were hundreds of thousands of illegal crossings a month, and virtually all of them, including murderers, drug dealers, gang members, and people from mental institutions and insane asylums were released into our country.”

During his speech, Trump renamed a wildlife refuge along the Gulf of America after Jocelyn Nungaray, the 12-year-old Texas girl allegedly murdered last year by Venezuelan migrants, and whose mother Alexis Nungaray was one of Trump’s guests.

Trump hailed his action to designate foreign criminal organizations as terrorist groups, which devotes fresh intelligence resources to hunting down the entities and stiffens penalties for aiding them.

“The cartels are waging war in America, and it’s time for America to wage war on the cartels which we are doing,” he said.

He also touted the fact that monthly arrests for illegal border crossings hit the lowest level in at least 25 years in February, his first full month in office.

“My administration has launched the most sweeping border and immigration crackdown in American history, and we quickly achieve the lowest numbers of illegal border crossers ever recorded,” Trump said.

“The media and our friends in the Democrat Party kept saying we needed new legislation, we must have legislation to secure the border — but it turned out that all we really needed was a new president.”

Trump also demanded that Congress fully fund “the largest deportation operation in American history” before concluding his speech with a reference to his own brush with mortality during a July assassination attempt, saying “I was saved by God to make America great again.”

“Despite the best efforts of those who would try to censor us, silence us break us destroy us, Americans are today a proud free sovereign and independent nation that will always be free, and we will fight for it till death,” he said.

“This will be our greatest era. With God’s help, over the next four years, we are going to lead this nation even higher, and we are going to forge the freest most advanced most dynamic and most dominant civilization ever to exist on the face of this earth.”

SOURCE: https://nypost.com/2025/03/04/us-ne...-dems-heckle-and-protest-address-to-congress/
 
Trump expands exemptions from Canada and Mexico tariffs

US President Donald Trump has signed orders significantly expanding the goods exempted from his new tariffs on Canada and Mexico that were imposed this week.

It is the second time in two days that Trump has rolled back his taxes on imports from America's two biggest trade partners, measures that have raised uncertainty for businesses and worried financial markets.

On Wednesday, he said he would temporarily spare carmakers from 25% import levies just a day after they came into effect.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum thanked Trump for the move, while Canada's finance minister said the country would in turn hold off on its threatened second round of retaliatory tariffs on US products.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday morning he had had a "colourful" conversation about tariffs in a phone call with Trump.

The US president used profane language more than once during Wednesday's heated exchange, according to US and Canadian media reports.

Trudeau told reporters that a trade war between the two allies was likely for the foreseeable future, despite some targeted relief.

"Our goal remains to get these tariffs, all tariffs removed," he said.

A first round of Canadian retaliation targeting C$30bn ($21bn, £16bn) of US goods is already in effect.

The trade war tensions have rattled markets and raised fears of economic turbulence.

On Thursday afternoon, the leading US stock indexes were all lower, with the S&P 500, which tracks 500 of the biggest American companies, ending down nearly 1.8%.

In signing the orders, Trump dismissed the suggestion that he was walking back the measures because of concerns about the stock market.

"Nothing to do with the market," Trump said. "I'm not even looking at the market, because long term, the United States will be very strong with what's happening."

The carveout from the duties applies to goods shipped under North America's free trade pact, the US-Mexico-Canada agreement (USMCA) , which Trump signed during his first term. Items that currently come into the US under the pact's rules include televisions, air conditioners, avocados and beef, according to analysis by the firm Trade Partnership Worldwide.

A White House official said about 50% of US imports from Mexico and 62% from Canada may still face tariffs. Those proportions could change as firms change their practices in response to the order.

The White House has also continued to promote its plans for other tariffs, promising action on 2 April, when officials have said they will unveil recommendations for tailored, "reciprocal" trade duties on countries around the world.

Trump said he agreed to grant the exemptions until 2 April after a phone call with Sheinbaum and they were aimed at helping carmakers and parts suppliers. The measures also reduced tariffs on potash - a key ingredient for fertiliser needed by US farmers - from 25% to 10%.

Sheinbaum said on Thursday that she had had an "excellent and respectful" call with Trump, adding that the two countries would work together to stem the flow of the opioid fentanyl from Mexico into the US and curb the trafficking of guns going the other way.

'Numbskull'

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who leads Canada's most populous province, said afterwards that "a pause on some tariffs means nothing".

Earlier, as relief looked likely but before it was announced, he told CNN that the province still planned to go ahead with a 25% tariff on the electricity it provides to 1.5 million homes and businesses in New York, Michigan and Minnesota from Monday.

"Honestly, it really bothers me. We have to do this, but I don't want to do this," he said.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday dismissed retaliation as counter-productive for trade negotiations.

"If you want to be a numbskull like Justin Trudeau and say, 'Oh we're going to do this', then tariffs are probably going to go up," he said during a question-and-answer session after a speech at the Economic Club of New York on Thursday.

Goods worth billions cross the borders of the US, Canada and Mexico each day and the economies of the three countries are deeply integrated after decades of free trade.

Trump has argued introducing tariffs will protect American industry and boost manufacturing. However, many economists say tariffs could lead to prices rising for consumers in the US, while warning they could trigger severe economic downturns in Mexico and Canada.

About $1bn in trade enters the US from Mexico and Canada each day that does not claim duty-free exemptions under USMCA, since it has historically enjoyed low or no tariffs, said Daniel Anthony, president of Trade Partnership Worldwide.

"Whether importers can or will start claiming USMCA remains to be seen, but it's a huge amount of money at stake," he said.

In the US, the economy is already starting to show the effects of the disruption from Trump's policies.

Imports spiked in January on the back of tariff fears, with America's trade deficit increasing 34% to more than $130bn (£100bn), the Commerce Department reported.

Gregory Brown, who leads BenLee, a company that makes big trailers, said he had had to adjust prices multiple times over the last five weeks as a result of Trump's policies, which have included an order, set to go into effect later this month, expanding tariffs on steel and aluminium.

But Mr Brown, who attended Mr Bessent's speech, said that for now, his customers are agreeing to pay the higher prices – a sign that the economy is holding up.

"It's a great growth economy," he said, noting that the economy had been strong under Biden too. He said he saw Trump's decision to quickly offer relief from his new tariffs as a sign of a business-friendly president adjusting to the "business reality".

Others were more worried that the back-and-forth would cause economic damage.

"I think we're going to have a recession before whatever succeeds in the future," one investment manager said. "You're going to get the bad before you get the good."

BBC
 
Trump says he will buy a Tesla after stock slump

US President Donald Trump has said he will "buy a brand new Tesla" after shares in the electric car firm fell more than 15%.

Trump blamed "radical left lunatics" boycotting the firm to "attack and do harm" to Tesla owner Elon Musk.

However, stock analysts said the main reason for the poor performance of the shares was due to fears about Tesla meeting production targets and a drop in sales over the past year.

Trump's own economic policies on tariffs are also making investors nervous, analysts said.

US and Asian markets slumped on Monday as investors concerned about the economic effects of Trump tariffs sold shares.

This came after the US president hinted at a potential US recession, telling a TV interviewer that the world's biggest economy was in a "period of transition".

As part of the sell-off, shares in technology firms dropped, with Tesla stock sinking by 15.4%, while artificial intelligence (AI) chip giant Nvidia, Facebook owner Meta, Amazon, and Google-parent Alphabet also fell sharply.

On Tuesday, Trump took to his Truth Social platform trying to drum up Tesla sales, asking "Republicans, Conservatives, and all great Americans" to support Musk, who has been putting his energies into trying to slash federal government jobs.

Despite his comments, Trump policies so far have been designed to limit electric car sales, including his revoking a 2021 order by former president Joe Biden that half of all car sales should be electric by 2030, and halting unspent government funds for charging stations.

Trump said that Musk is doing a "fantastic job", but "radical left lunatics" are "trying to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla" in an effort "to attack and do harm to Elon".

"I'm going to buy a brand new Tesla tomorrow morning as a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American," Trump added.

Following the his comments, Tesla shares rose about 5% in premarket trading.

They spiked after Trump's win as investors bet on Musk's business benefitting from his backing the president.

Musk has been heading up the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), which is not an official US government agency.

Doge has been trying to make huge cuts to federal funding, and Musk himself has has been voicing support for far-right politics.

His stance has been drawing criticism in the US. About 350 demonstrators protested outside a Tesla dealership in Portland, Oregon, last week, and nine demonstrators were arrested outside a New York City Tesla dealership earlier in March.

Linsay James, an investment strategist at Quilter Investors, said that although there is "an element" of Elon Musk's politics "having a brand impact", there were other reasons for the share price fall.

Ultimately the drop "comes down to hard numbers", she said.

"When we look at new orders, for example in Europe and China, you can see that they've effectively halved over the last year," she said.

Other experts have said Tesla is over-valued, so the fall is seen as a correction, while others have pointed to rising competition from some of Chinese electric vehicle companies.

Investors are "certainly getting more worried about an economic slowdown too, so the richest-valued companies like Tesla have been hit hardest in recent days", she added.

BBC
 
Billionaires at Trump’s Swearing-In Have Since Lost $209 Billion

As Donald Trump took the oath of office on Jan. 20, he was flanked by some of the world’s wealthiest people. The billionaires present that day — including Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg — had never been richer, flush with big gains from frothy stock markets.

Seven weeks later, it’s a different story. The start of Trump’s second term has delivered a stunning reversal for many of those billionaires sitting behind Trump in the Capitol Rotunda, with five having lost a combined $209 billion in wealth, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

 
Donald Trump's idea of Paying 5 million dollars for a golden card to get citizenship is so hilariously stupid.

If he thinks this will help him decrease debt then he's hilariously mistaken.

People who wish to immigrate are those people who are relatively lower to Middle class and use their life savings to send children abroad and get PR.

The reason why Canada and Australia are increasingly becoming popular destinations and are soon slated to surpass usa and UK for student attraction is because both systems for aus and Canada outright ensure that you get PR after one year if you are willing to study and work in their country.

Meanwhile USA pr is hell on earth

No rich person who

A) Can already travel anywhere in the world.

B) Likely has a business office setup in usa already.

C) has everything he's wanted in life

Is going to pay 5M for a stupid gold card considering they literally do not need it.

Why would someone like Mukesh Ambani pay 5M for a USA gold card when he already lives in a 2B antilla and dominates India?

What a stupid way to reduce debt 😭😭😭😭.

If you want to reduce country Debt, maybe start by fixing unemployment. Companies like meta fired 3600 employees for their own personal gain.
 
Trade war escalates as Trump metal tariffs take effect

Tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on imports of steel and aluminium have taken effect in a move that will likely escalate tensions with some of America's largest trading partners.

The measure raises a flat duty on steel and aluminium entering the US to 25% and ends all country exemptions to the levies.

It sparked an immediate response from the European Union which said it will impose counter tariffs on billions of euros of US goods.

Trump hopes the tariffs will boost US steel and aluminium production but critics say it will raise prices for US consumers and dent economic growth.

The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), a group representing US steelmakers, welcomed the tariffs saying they will create jobs and boost domestic steel manufacturing.

The group's president Kevin Dempsey said the move closed a system of exemptions, exclusions and quotas that allowed foreign producers to avoid tariffs.

"AISI applauds the president's actions to restore the integrity of the tariffs on steel and implement a robust and reinvigorated program to address unfair trade practices," Mr Dempsey added.

The US is a major importer of aluminium and steel, and Canada, Mexico and Brazil are among its largest suppliers of the metals.

'No exceptions'

Other countries responded immediately to the move.

The UK's Trade Minister Jonathan Reynolds said he was disappointed and "all options were on the table" to respond in the national interest.

The European Commission said in a statement it is imposing counter tariffs on 26 billion euros (£21.9bn, $28.3bn) worth of US goods.

Australia's Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, said the Trump administration's decision to go ahead with the new tariffs is "entirely unjustified".

"It's against the spirit of our two nations' enduring friendship and fundamentally at odds with the benefits that our economic partnership has delivered over more than 70 years," he added.

Albanese, who had been trying to secure an exemption to the tariffs, also said Australia will not be imposing retaliatory duties because such a move would only drive up prices for Australian consumers.

Meanwhile, Canada's Energy Minister, Jonathan Wilkinson, told CNN his country would retaliate but added that Canada is not looking to escalate tensions.

Canada, is one of America's closest trade partners, and the largest exporter of steel and aluminium to the US.

In 2018, during his first term as president, Trump imposed import tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminium, but carve-outs were eventually negotiated for many countries.

This time the Trump administration has signalled that there will be no exemptions.

Recession fears

The tariffs mean that US businesses wanting to bring the metals into the country will have to pay a 25% tax on them.

This is likely to lead to higher costs for a large number of US industries, including aerospace, car manufacturing and construction.

Michael DiMarino runs Linda Tool, a Brooklyn company that makes parts for the aerospace industry. Everything he makes involves some kind of steel, much of which comes from American mills.

"If I have higher prices, I pass them on to my customers. They have higher prices, they pass it on to the consumer," Mr DiMarino said, adding that he supports the call for increased manufacturing in the US but warning the president's moves could backfire.

The American Automotive Policy Council, a group that represents car giants such Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, also echoed such worries.

The organisation's president, Matt Blunt, said they "are concerned that specifically revoking exemptions for Canada and Mexico will add significant costs" to car makers' suppliers.

Some economists are warning that the tariffs could help the US steel and aluminium industries but hurt the wider economy.

"It protects [the steel and aluminium] industries but hurts downstream users of their products by making them more expensive," said Bill Reinsch, a former Commerce Department official, who is now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Fear of the economic cost of Trump's trade tariffs have sparked a selloff in US and global stock markets which accelerated this week after the US president refused to rule out the prospect of an economic recession.

The S&P 500 index of the largest firms listed in the US fell a further 0.7% on Tuesday after dropping 2.7% on Monday, which was its biggest one-day drop since December.

The UK's FTSE 100 share index, which had edged lower earlier on Tuesday, fell further and closed down more than 1%. The Cac 40 in France and Germany's Dax also fell.

Meanwhile, research firm Oxford Economics, said in a report it had lowered its US growth forecast for the year from 2.4% to 2% and made even steeper adjustments to its outlook for Canada and Mexico.

"Despite the downgrade, we still expect the US economy to outperform the other major advanced economies over the next couple of years," its report added.

"Uncertainty around the path for US tariffs is higher than ever."

Ontario showdown

Earlier on Tuesday, the US and Canada stepped back from the brink of a major escalation in the trade war.

That was after Trump said he had halted a plan to double US tariffs on Canadian steel and metal imports to 50%, just hours after first threatening them.

The move by the president came after the Canadian province of Ontario suspended new charges of 25% on electricity that it sends to some northern states in the US.

Despite the climbdown, Canada will still be facing Trump's 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium imports that have just come into effect.

BBC
 
Trump blocked from using wartime law for deportations

A federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump from using a 227-year-old law meant to protect the US during wartime to carry out mass deportations of Venezuelans.

Trump on Saturday proclaimed immigrants belonging to the Venezuelan crime gang Tren de Aragua were "conducting irregular warfare" against the US and that he would deport them under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.

But US District Judge James Boasberg on Saturday evening ordered a halt to deportations covered by the proclamation that will last for 14 days, according to media reports.

Judge Boasberg told a hearing he had heard planes with deportees were taking off and ordered them turned back, the Washington Post reported.

The law allows the US during wartime to detain and remove people threatening the country's safety without having to follow due process. It was last invoked to intern people of Japanese descent during World War Two.

There was little surprise to the proclamation on Saturday, where Trump declared Tren de Aragua was "perpetrating, attempting, and threatening an invasion or predatory incursion against the territory of the United States".

He had promised to use the controversial law for mass deportations during last year's campaign.

The American Civil Liberties Union and other rights group had already sued to block him from using it on Saturday before he issued the proclamation, as well.

At a hearing, the judge said the terms "invasion" and "predatory incursion" in the law "really relate to hostile acts perpetrated by enemy nations," and the law probably did not offer a good basis for Trump's proclamation, according to the New York Times.

An ACLU lawyer had told the New York Times he believed there were two planes of Venezuelan immigrants in the air on Sunday. The BBC has not verified that report.

The case will now move through the legal system and could go all the way to the Supreme Court.

The proclamation, and the fight around it, should rally Trump's supporters, who largely returned him to the White House on his pledges to crack down on illegal immigration and bring down prices of everyday goods. Since he was inaugurated in January, he has swiftly worked to overhaul the US immigration system.

Rights groups, along with some legal experts, are calling the invocation unprecedented, noting the Alien Enemies Act has been used in the past after the US officially declared war against other countries. Under the constitution, only Congress can declare war.

All Venezuelan citizens in the US who are at least 14 years old, members of Tren de Aragua and "are not actually naturalized or lawful permanent residents" were to be "apprehended, restrained, secured, and removed as Alien Enemies", under Trump's order.

Trump did not lay out in the proclamation how US officials would determine that a person is a member of the violent, transnational gang.

By using this law, instead of immigration laws that already give him "ample authority" to deport the gang's members, Trump would not have to prove that detainees are part of Tren de Aragua, said Katherine Yon Ebright, counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice in a statement.

"He wants to bypass any need to provide evidence or to convince a judge that someone is actually a gang member before deporting them," she said.

"The only reason to invoke such a power is to try to enable sweeping detentions and deportations of Venezuelans based on their ancestry, not on any gang activity that could be proved in immigration proceedings."

BBC
 
Trump's tariff war backfired massively. It has turned into a comedy.

Funny thing is Trump voters are also getting impacted by his tariff war. Will they turn on him next election?
 
Trump revoking protections for 530,000 Cubans, Haitians and other migrants

US President Donald Trump's administration has said it will revoke the temporary legal status of more than half a million migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

Those migrants have been warned to leave the country before their permits and deportation shield are cancelled on 24 April, according to a notice posted by the federal government.

The 530,000 migrants were brought into the US under a Biden-era sponsorship process known as CHNV that was designed to open legal migration pathways. Trump suspended the programme once he took office.

It is unclear how many of these migrants have been able to secure another status in the interim that would allow them to stay in the US legally.

The programme was launched under Democratic President Joe Biden in 2022, first covering Venezuelans before it was expanded to other countries.

It allowed the migrants and their immediate family members to fly into the US if they had American sponsors and remain for two years under a temporary immigration status known as parole.

The Biden administration had argued that CHNV would help curb illegal crossings at the southern US border and allow for better vetting of those entering the country.

The Department of Homeland Security on Friday rebuked the prior administration and said the programme had failed in its goals.

The agency's statement said Biden officials had "granted them [migrants] opportunities to compete for American jobs and undercut American workers; forced career civil servants to promote the programs even when fraud was identified; and then blamed Republicans in Congress for the chaos that ensued and the crime that followed".

However, the 35-page notice in the Federal Register said some of those in the US under CHNV might be allowed to remain on a "case-by-case basis".

Trump is also considering whether to cancel the temporary legal status of some 240,000 Ukrainians who fled to the US during the conflict with Russia.

CHNV helped a reported 213,000 Haitians enter the US amid deteriorating conditions in the Caribbean country.

More than 120,700 Venezuelans, 110,900 Cubans and over 93,000 Nicaraguans were also allowed into the US under the programme before Trump shut it down.

Last month, DHS announced it would in August end another immigration designation, temporary protected status (TPS), for 500,000 Haitians living in the US.

TPS was granted to nationals of designated countries facing unsafe conditions, such as armed conflict or environmental disasters.

DHS also halted TPS for Venezuelans in the US, although this is facing a legal challenge.

Since taking office in January, Trump's immigration policies have encountered a number of legal hurdles.

BBC
 
rpant_gabba said:
@deltexas @Champ_Pal

you guys were absolutely correct. it was the illegal immigrants and wokeness that was the problem.

Its all great now with law and order prevailing in the US.
Click to expand...
Law and order is not that great in US. Law is too weak and lets criminals and thieves get away without much penalty for their actions.

Illegal immigrants is not the only issue for the troubles of US. There are several other reasons. But each issue must be handled properly and separately.

I don't support everything that Trump or Republicans do blindly. I am pro-trump when it comes to illegals and wokeness. I am a liberal at core. However I cannot support and vote for Leftie Democrats when they have swung too far and compromised on their principles.
 
rpant_gabba said:
@deltexas @Champ_Pal

you guys were absolutely correct. it was the illegal immigrants and wokeness that was the problem.

Its all great now with law and order prevailing in the US.
Click to expand...
Illegal immigration is one of the problems and wokeness for example the trans athletes saga etc are problems yes. And the efforts are showing fruits already. Border crossings are low and business are not hiring illegals recklessly. Also these illegals are a drain on the US healthcare system and other funding programs which local Americans pay off.
Good to see them being deported . They have to enter the country legally not illegally.

The biggest crime infested cities are all blue democratic cities who have let rhe cities go downhill with their homelessness and their woke trans issues. And now Trump has cut the funding cap to foreign nations and already zelensky is feeling the reality now.
 
Champ_Pal said:
Law and order is not that great in US. Law is too weak and lets criminals and thieves get away without much penalty for their actions.
Click to expand...
you must be absolutely heart broken about the Jan 6 pardons then.

Champ_Pal said:
Illegal immigrants is not the only issue for the troubles of US. There are several other reasons. But each issue must be handled properly and separately.
Click to expand...
how is that working out so far? got a war plans leaked to you yet?
Champ_Pal said:
I don't support everything that Trump or Republicans do blindly. I am pro-trump when it comes to illegals and wokeness. I am a liberal at core. However I cannot support and vote for Leftie Democrats when they have swung too far and compromised on their principles.
Click to expand...
LMAO. Sure.
 
deltexas said:
Illegal immigration is one of the problems and wokeness for example the trans athletes saga etc are problems yes. And the efforts are showing fruits already. Border crossings are low and business are not hiring illegals recklessly. Also these illegals are a drain on the US healthcare system and other funding programs which local Americans pay off.
Good to see them being deported . They have to enter the country legally not illegally.

The biggest crime infested cities are all blue democratic cities who have let rhe cities go downhill with their homelessness and their woke trans issues. And now Trump has cut the funding cap to foreign nations and already zelensky is feeling the reality now.
Click to expand...
Becos' Trump being Putin's little poodle is great for the USA.

1742997246634.png
 
And those guys who invade the capitol, injure cops and try to over turn an election, those guys are absolute angels.
 
rpant_gabba said:
Becos' Trump being Putin's little poodle is great for the USA.

View attachment 152623
Click to expand...
Poodle? Well then let Zelensky should go fight on his own. Why does he need the US? Ask EU to help him. They wont they cant. He came to the white house all bulkish and went back with his tail betweeen the legs. He is now trying to salvage it by praising the great US leadership under Trump lol. He should stick to Canada and EU and we will see how much he gets. Good thing now for the US and Ind is that Trudeau is out - goood riddance that guy. Trump did more in 4 months than 4 years of Bidens presidency.
 
deltexas said:
Poodle? Well then let Zelensky should go fight on his own. Why does he need the US? Ask EU to help him. They wont they cant. He came to the white house all bulkish and went back with his tail betweeen the legs. He is now trying to salvage it by praising the great US leadership under Trump lol. He should stick to Canada and EU and we will see how much he gets. Good thing now for the US and Ind is that Trudeau is out - goood riddance that guy. Trump did more in 4 months than 4 years of Bidens presidency.
Click to expand...
Yup managed to elevate russia up to levels putin couldn't have dreamed off.

guess you don't have much to say about the Bimaru states of the US
 
rpant_gabba said:
And those guys who invade the capitol, injure cops and try to over turn an election, those guys are absolute angels.
Click to expand...
I have mentioned this before - this was the biggest no no for me. Absolutely unacceptable. But there are laws in place in the US unlike other countries. The US president was charged and punished. And btw- biden pardoned his son. An absolute misuse of authority?? So much for his derision on trump pardens. What did bidrn do? Even the Dems criticized him badly for that.
 
rpant_gabba said:
Yup managed to elevate russia up to levels putin couldn't have dreamed off.

guess you don't have much to say about the Bimaru states of the US
Click to expand...
No elevation. Trump realizes the main threat is China not Russia. Russia is a spent force. All they can do is some local issues like Ukraine crimea etc. The real real threat is China. People underestimate the threat China is. Amd good thing Trump casted China as the biggest threat and it is sticking.

Bimaru states have been poor for a while. Trump magically cant change them overnight. And in the US - the states have more authority on how they are run rather than the federal government. Trump actually is more centrist than hardcore Republican in actual policies. Thats why he won a lot more crossover votes and the popular vote as well for. Republican prez in 20 years. That should say something
 
deltexas said:
I have mentioned this before - this was the biggest no no for me. Absolutely unacceptable. But there are laws in place in the US unlike other countries. The US president was charged and punished.
Click to expand...
Trump Punished? really? What exactly was the punishment? denied desert for dinner?

Guess you are ok with those insurrectionist walking free
deltexas said:
And btw- biden pardoned his son. An absolute misuse of authority?? So much for his derision on trump pardens. What did bidrn do? Even the Dems criticized him badly for that.
Click to expand...
Are you comparing a propped up gun charge to inciting an insurrection?

Next thing you'll bring up clinton and the red dress.

Did you write a letter in support of Scooter Libby?
 
deltexas said:
Illegal immigration is one of the problems and wokeness for example the trans athletes saga etc are problems yes. And the efforts are showing fruits already. Border crossings are low and business are not hiring illegals recklessly. Also these illegals are a drain on the US healthcare system and other funding programs which local Americans pay off.
Good to see them being deported . They have to enter the country legally not illegally.

The biggest crime infested cities are all blue democratic cities who have let rhe cities go downhill with their homelessness and their woke trans issues. And now Trump has cut the funding cap to foreign nations and already zelensky is feeling the reality now.
Click to expand...
@rpant_gabba is a liberal and I somehow feel he may be a bit far left too. Its his choice to support whoever he wants. He is canadian. May be did not like Trump's rhetoric on calling Canada the 51st state or Trudeau being called a little girl.

Just my impressions on him. I could be wrong. Anyways, its his choice.
 
deltexas said:
No elevation. Trump realizes the main threat is China not Russia. Russia is a spent force. All they can do is some local issues like Ukraine crimea etc. The real real threat is China. People underestimate the threat China is. Amd good thing Trump casted China as the biggest threat and it is sticking.

Bimaru states have been poor for a while. Trump magically cant change them overnight. And in the US - the states have more authority on how they are run rather than the federal government. Trump actually is more centrist than hardcore Republican in actual policies. Thats why he won a lot more crossover votes and the popular vote as well for. Republican prez in 20 years. That should say something
Click to expand...
Start attending town hall meetings, and you'll quickly see who poses the biggest threat to the very people who voted for him.

Why is China considered a threat to the US? The US can't halt China's growth, nor is it currently able to match China in everyday technology, China has already taken the lead in areas like AI, electric vehicles, and urban development. Most Chinese cities now surpass their American counterparts. Instead of viewing China purely as a threat, the US should rise to the challenge and compete. But real competition isn’t possible when the country is riddled with uncertainty.

As for immigration, all he had to do was stop processing new migrants at the border, most would have turned back. But instead, he created fear and anxiety among legal immigrants already living in the US. The confusion and unpredictability at the border have also devastated the tourism industry, with reports showing nearly half a million fewer Canadian visitors in February alone.

Just wait for spring,when it's time to harvest or plant crops, you won't find any Trump supporters working the farms.

You're just echoing talking points that sound appealing on the surface, but you've failed to grasp the deeper consequences of this administration's actions.
 
Champ_Pal said:
@rpant_gabba is a liberal
Click to expand...
I'm gun loving, second amendment & death penalty supporting, "transathletes in sports is BS" liberal.

Champ_Pal said:
and I somehow feel he may be a bit far left too. Its his choice to support whoever he wants.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that
Champ_Pal said:
He is canadian.
Click to expand...
yeah.. NO. It was a flag I put up to support Canada in the WT20 game against Pakistan
Champ_Pal said:
May be did not like Trump's rhetoric on calling Canada the 51st state
Click to expand...
Except **** brained idiots nobody thought calling a soviengn nation your state was great idea
Champ_Pal said:
or Trudeau being called a little girl.
Click to expand...
Trudeau is a little girl
Champ_Pal said:
Just my impressions on him. I could be wrong. Anyways, its his choice.
Click to expand...

you are right about being wrong
 
Last edited by a moderator:
rpant_gabba said:
I'm gun loving, second amendment & death penalty supporting, "transathletes in sports is BS" liberal.


Thanks for that

yeah.. NO. It was a flag I put up to support Canada in the WT20 game against Pakistan

Except **** brained idiots nobody thought calling a soviengn nation your state was great idea

Trudeau is a little girl

Don't sell yourself short you are right about being wrong
Click to expand...
Then enlighten us your views. I can only assume so much from your posts :dw
 
HalBass9 said:
Start attending town hall meetings, and you'll quickly see who poses the biggest threat to the very people who voted for him.

Why is China considered a threat to the US? The US can't halt China's growth, nor is it currently able to match China in everyday technology, China has already taken the lead in areas like AI, electric vehicles, and urban development. Most Chinese cities now surpass their American counterparts. Instead of viewing China purely as a threat, the US should rise to the challenge and compete. But real competition isn’t possible when the country is riddled with uncertainty.

As for immigration, all he had to do was stop processing new migrants at the border, most would have turned back. But instead, he created fear and anxiety among legal immigrants already living in the US. The confusion and unpredictability at the border have also devastated the tourism industry, with reports showing nearly half a million fewer Canadian visitors in February alone.

Just wait for spring,when it's time to harvest or plant crops, you won't find any Trump supporters working the farms.

You're just echoing talking points that sound appealing on the surface, but you've failed to grasp the deeper consequences of this administration's actions.
Click to expand...
>>>>TOBY
He's dragging down gay marriage bans and she's defending him and they're as
thick as thieves and he's a fan of Jane Yankee.

JOSH
She's defending him?

TOBY
Down is down and down is up.<<<
 
rpant_gabba said:
You couldn't catch on from my posts?

Understandable with you being a Trumper
Click to expand...
I follow and analyze everything every poster says to get their back ground details. :facepalm

I respond to posts. Not the poster. I only go by superficial things that I can see to make some basic assumptions. I did not read enough posts from you to know your details and horoscope :srt
 
Champ_Pal said:
I follow and analyze everything every poster says to get their back ground details. :facepalm

I respond to posts. Not the poster. I only go by superficial things that I can see to make some basic assumptions. I did not read enough posts from you to know your details and horoscope :srt
Click to expand...
Might explain why you think Trump is a solution to US problems
 
rpant_gabba said:
>>>>TOBY
He's dragging down gay marriage bans and she's defending him and they're as
thick as thieves and he's a fan of Jane Yankee.

JOSH
She's defending him?

TOBY
Down is down and down is up.<<<
Click to expand...
His domestic policies are already detrimental to everyday working people, and his foreign policies are equally irrational. The Trump team seems to be chasing two conflicting goals, trying to dominate the world while also retreating from it.
 
rpant_gabba said:
Trump Punished? really? What exactly was the punishment? denied desert for dinner?

Guess you are ok with those insurrectionist walking free

Are you comparing a propped up gun charge to inciting an insurrection?

Next thing you'll bring up clinton and the red dress.

Did you write a letter in support of Scooter Libby?
Click to expand...
Trump was impeached and multiple court cases against him and he's officially a felon now. Biggest thing trump didn't start any foreign wars unlike bush Obama biden. Hated bush. Trump didn't send any young us soldiers to die starting a war. Tgat itself is more than of his insurrection thing which i absolutely criticize.

And biden pardoned hunter - he said he would never do it. Pot calling the kettle black. Dems were the party of principles. And am not a blind supporter of anyone- i support their policies. Supported kerry over bush. Romney over Obama who by the way waa the most overrated president ever. And then supported trump over Hillary and demented Joe
 
Champ_Pal said:
Then enlighten us your views. I can only assume so much from your posts :dw
Click to expand...
See - its like the resident unner poster who constantly posts memes, cartoons , tik tok inane videos against modi chaiwala erc etc. When you ask him what Congress did or nehru or pappu Gandhi did with their anti Ind appeasement policies and you list Modi gov achievements to have a discussion, he replies with emojis of a laugh and mr.honest. Default method when no substance to argue about.

Similar thing here. Cant discuss the actual policies or the goods and bads of policy. So resort to- you are a Trumper trumper- that's pretty much it
 
deltexas said:
See - its like the resident unner poster who constantly posts memes, cartoons , tik tok inane videos against modi chaiwala erc etc. When you ask him what Congress did or nehru or pappu Gandhi did with their anti Ind appeasement policies and you list Modi gov achievements to have a discussion, he replies with emojis of a laugh and mr.honest. Default method when no substance to argue about.

Similar thing here. Cant discuss the actual policies or the goods and bads of policy. So resort to- you are a Trumper trumper- that's pretty much it
Click to expand...
You are, when you only highlight 'talking points' without understanding the consequences of his domestic and foreign policies.
 
HalBass9 said:
You are, when you only highlight 'talking points' without understanding the consequences of his domestic and foreign policies.
Click to expand...
Am all open to discussing it. Unlike you who keeps saying its detrimental its bad repeatedly with no actual policies discussion
 
And am totally against the abortion ban. Even a majority of Republicans oppose it. but it's with tge states now so it's good. See there are only 2 parties to pick from in the US - so have to pick 1. There are some good dem policies as well like legalization of abortion, no arrests for marijuana use etc. Best option would take tge best of Republicans policies and the best of Democrats policies and that's the majority opinion of the population. But that is not an option- so you select one
 
deltexas said:
Am all open to discussing it. Unlike you who keeps saying its detrimental its bad repeatedly with no actual policies discussion
Click to expand...

I gave few example in my post. Re-read it again.

Pick a policy and i’ll discuss.
 
HalBass9 said:
Start attending town hall meetings, and you'll quickly see who poses the biggest threat to the very people who voted for him.

Why is China considered a threat to the US? The US can't halt China's growth, nor is it currently able to match China in everyday technology, China has already taken the lead in areas like AI, electric vehicles, and urban development. Most Chinese cities now surpass their American counterparts. Instead of viewing China purely as a threat, the US should rise to the challenge and compete. But real competition isn’t possible when the country is riddled with uncertainty.

As for immigration, all he had to do was stop processing new migrants at the border, most would have turned back. But instead, he created fear and anxiety among legal immigrants already living in the US. The confusion and unpredictability at the border have also devastated the tourism industry, with reports showing nearly half a million fewer Canadian visitors in February alone.

Just wait for spring,when it's time to harvest or plant crops, you won't find any Trump supporters working the farms.

You're just echoing talking points that sound appealing on the surface, but you've failed to grasp the deeper consequences of this administration's actions.
Click to expand...
China is not a military threat. Its an economic financial threat. Thats where the new threats will be going forward. The issue with China is that it has aggressive territorial intentions. It is taking over ports worldwide and gaining control. Wants to control all the sea trade routes, wants nations to be dependant on them for their cheap goods, have a negative trade deficit, own US bonds, copy US technology with impunity etc etc. Thats why US needs to focus on China than any other nation. It is a rogue nation that needs to be kept in check .

Illegals should be here in the 1st place. They know that. They are "breaking' the law coming here illegally. And there is no fear among "legal" immigrants who dont exploit the rules. By legal , if you mean non green card holders , then yes. They are H1 B1 F1 etc visas. Those visas are not for permanent immigration purposes - so if folks exploit that, then Trump admin should crackdown on them. And its OK on the Canadian tourism. Quite a few of them are Canadian visa holders and want to come over to the US and stay back illegally. Legal Candian citizens have absolutely nothing to worry about.

Spring crops - well there's plenty of folks still available The deported numbers are like a drop in a bucket. So plenty of them will be available and now will work for a lower price due to the threat of deportation.

The deeper consequences are - America first policy by Trump. Simple as that. No unregulated unlimited foreign aid to terrorist nations, war mongering countries and any funds will come with strings attached.
 
Trump announces 25% tariffs on car imports to US

US President Donald Trump has announced new import taxes of 25% on cars and car parts coming into the US in a move that threatens to widen the global trade war.

Trump said the latest tariffs would come into effect on 2 April, with charges on businesses importing vehicles starting the next day. Charges on parts are set to start in May or later.

The president claimed the measure would lead to "tremendous growth" for the car industry, promising it would spur jobs and investment in the US.

But analysts have said the move is likely to lead to the temporary shutdown of significant car production in the US, increase prices, and strain relations with allies.

The US imported roughly eight million cars last year, accounting for about $240bn (£186bn) in trade and roughly half of overall sales.

Mexico is the top foreign supplier of cars to the US, followed by South Korea, Japan, Canada and Germany. Trump's latest move threatens to upend global car trade and supply chains.

Many US car companies have operations in Mexico and Canada as well, set up under the terms of the longstanding free trade agreement between the three countries.

The White House said the order would apply not only to finished cars but also to car parts, which are often shipped in from other countries before getting assembled in the US.

However, the new tariffs on parts from Canada and Mexico are exempt while US customs and border patrol set up a system to assess the duties, the White House said. The neighbouring countries see goods worth billions cross borders each day.

On Wednesday, shares in General Motors slid roughly 3%. The sell-off spread to other companies, including Ford, after the president's remarks as he confirmed the tariffs.

Asked at a press conference if there was any chance he would reverse course, Trump said no, adding later: "This is permanent."

"If you build your car in the United States there is no tariff," he said.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said his government would put "all options on the table" in response to the tariffs.

Japan, which is home to several major motor industry giants, is the world's second largest exporter of cars.

Shares in Japanese carmakers - including Toyota, Nissan, Honda - fell in early trade in Tokyo.

A tariff is a tax on imports collected by a government and it is paid by the company importing the good.

Trump has embraced the tool, looking to apply it to a host of goods being imported into the US as part of a wider drive to protect American businesses and boost manufacturing.

But while the measures can protect domestic businesses, they also raise costs for businesses reliant on parts from abroad, as is the case for car-makers.

Analysts have estimated that the cost of a car could rise thousands of dollars, with 25% tariffs on parts from Mexico and Canada alone adding $4,000-$10,000 in cost depending on the vehicle, according to the Anderson Economic Group.

'Direct attack'

The fresh car import taxes on cars are set to come into force on the same day as so-called reciprocal tariffs kick in for individual countries based on their trading relationship with the US.

It is not clear how the car tariffs might affect those plans.

But many countries, including the UK, are concerned about their exporters being hit as a result of the new taxes.

The US was the top sales market for British-based Jaguar Land Rover last year, with the carmaker selling 116,294 vehicles to Americans, exceeding sales to customers in the UK and China.

The UK government is in talks with the US administration and remains hopeful of a trade deal before tariffs come into force, the BBC understands.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called Trump's announcement a "direct attack" on his country and its car industry.

"This will hurt us, but through this period by being together we will emerge stronger," he said.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc would consider the measures before any potential response.

"As I have said before, tariffs are taxes – bad for businesses, worse for consumers equally in the US and the European Union," she said.

"The EU will continue to seek negotiated solutions, while safeguarding its economic interests."

Early on Thursday, Trump threatened "far larger" tariffs if the European Union and Canada worked together to do what he described as "economic harm" to the US.

For the UK, the US is the second largest car export market after the EU, with mainly luxury cars shipped across the Atlantic, according to the industry body, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Mike Hawes, the chief executive of the SMMT, urged the UK and US governments to "come together immediately and strike a deal that works for all".

The car industry was already grappling with expanded tariffs on steel and aluminium that Trump put in place earlier this month.

In recent weeks, major car companies such as Ford and General Motors had urged the president to exempt the industry from any further duties.

A 2024 study by the US International Trade Commission predicted that a 25% tariff on imports would reduce imports by almost 75%, while increasing average prices in the US by about 5%.

But Trump has proceeded with the move, which is a revival of an action he first considered during his first term in the White House.

White House officials said it wanted to see US workers make more parts, not simply assemble them, and have maintained their action is pushing firms to relocate.

A day before the latest tariffs, South Korean carmaking giant Hyundai announced it would invest $21bn (£16.3bn) in the US and build a new steel plant in the southern state of Louisiana.

Trump hailed the investment as a "clear demonstration that tariffs very strongly work".

United Autoworkers union leader Shawn Fain, who had opposed Trump in the election, praised the president's actions, saying he was "stepping up to end the free trade disaster that has devastated working class communities for decades".

Elsewhere, the head of trade group the American Automotive Policy Council, Matt Blunt, said: "US Automakers are committed to President Trump's vision of increasing automotive production and jobs in the US."

BBC
 
rpant_gabba said:
Land of the free and home of the brave Ice agents (hiding behind masks)

with an insurrectionist felon for a president, illegal immigrant (Musk) ruining departments

https://twitter.com/x/status/1904933137328570859

when all this blows up, I wish there is way to hang this all around the necks of the like the Trumpers
Click to expand...
Yes, land of the free, so dont misuse your visa priviliges. She's here on some student visa, so stick to studies. Dont get involved in other countries politics. You should post the full news and not snippets. Ozturk previously wrote an op-ed that criticized Tufts’ response to the anti-Israel protests and called for the university to divest from the Jewish state — a common demand of the movement. She is not a US citizen , she is visiting on a student visa, so if she is not happy she can leave. Nobody is forcing her to stay. And then get involved in US politics as a foreign visa holder - there will be consequences. This is the op-ed she wrote for which she's being detained.

Op-ed: Try again, President Kumar: Renewing calls for Tufts to adopt March 4 TCU Senate resolutions - The Tufts Daily

The independent student newspaper of Tufts University
www.tuftsdaily.com www.tuftsdaily.com
 
BouncerGuy said:
Trump announces 25% tariffs on car imports to US

US President Donald Trump has announced new import taxes of 25% on cars and car parts coming into the US in a move that threatens to widen the global trade war.

Trump said the latest tariffs would come into effect on 2 April, with charges on businesses importing vehicles starting the next day. Charges on parts are set to start in May or later.

The president claimed the measure would lead to "tremendous growth" for the car industry, promising it would spur jobs and investment in the US.

But analysts have said the move is likely to lead to the temporary shutdown of significant car production in the US, increase prices, and strain relations with allies.

The US imported roughly eight million cars last year, accounting for about $240bn (£186bn) in trade and roughly half of overall sales.

Mexico is the top foreign supplier of cars to the US, followed by South Korea, Japan, Canada and Germany. Trump's latest move threatens to upend global car trade and supply chains.

Many US car companies have operations in Mexico and Canada as well, set up under the terms of the longstanding free trade agreement between the three countries.

The White House said the order would apply not only to finished cars but also to car parts, which are often shipped in from other countries before getting assembled in the US.

However, the new tariffs on parts from Canada and Mexico are exempt while US customs and border patrol set up a system to assess the duties, the White House said. The neighbouring countries see goods worth billions cross borders each day.

On Wednesday, shares in General Motors slid roughly 3%. The sell-off spread to other companies, including Ford, after the president's remarks as he confirmed the tariffs.

Asked at a press conference if there was any chance he would reverse course, Trump said no, adding later: "This is permanent."

"If you build your car in the United States there is no tariff," he said.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said his government would put "all options on the table" in response to the tariffs.

Japan, which is home to several major motor industry giants, is the world's second largest exporter of cars.

Shares in Japanese carmakers - including Toyota, Nissan, Honda - fell in early trade in Tokyo.

A tariff is a tax on imports collected by a government and it is paid by the company importing the good.

Trump has embraced the tool, looking to apply it to a host of goods being imported into the US as part of a wider drive to protect American businesses and boost manufacturing.

But while the measures can protect domestic businesses, they also raise costs for businesses reliant on parts from abroad, as is the case for car-makers.

Analysts have estimated that the cost of a car could rise thousands of dollars, with 25% tariffs on parts from Mexico and Canada alone adding $4,000-$10,000 in cost depending on the vehicle, according to the Anderson Economic Group.

'Direct attack'

The fresh car import taxes on cars are set to come into force on the same day as so-called reciprocal tariffs kick in for individual countries based on their trading relationship with the US.

It is not clear how the car tariffs might affect those plans.

But many countries, including the UK, are concerned about their exporters being hit as a result of the new taxes.

The US was the top sales market for British-based Jaguar Land Rover last year, with the carmaker selling 116,294 vehicles to Americans, exceeding sales to customers in the UK and China.

The UK government is in talks with the US administration and remains hopeful of a trade deal before tariffs come into force, the BBC understands.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called Trump's announcement a "direct attack" on his country and its car industry.

"This will hurt us, but through this period by being together we will emerge stronger," he said.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc would consider the measures before any potential response.

"As I have said before, tariffs are taxes – bad for businesses, worse for consumers equally in the US and the European Union," she said.

"The EU will continue to seek negotiated solutions, while safeguarding its economic interests."

Early on Thursday, Trump threatened "far larger" tariffs if the European Union and Canada worked together to do what he described as "economic harm" to the US.

For the UK, the US is the second largest car export market after the EU, with mainly luxury cars shipped across the Atlantic, according to the industry body, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Mike Hawes, the chief executive of the SMMT, urged the UK and US governments to "come together immediately and strike a deal that works for all".

The car industry was already grappling with expanded tariffs on steel and aluminium that Trump put in place earlier this month.

In recent weeks, major car companies such as Ford and General Motors had urged the president to exempt the industry from any further duties.

A 2024 study by the US International Trade Commission predicted that a 25% tariff on imports would reduce imports by almost 75%, while increasing average prices in the US by about 5%.

But Trump has proceeded with the move, which is a revival of an action he first considered during his first term in the White House.

White House officials said it wanted to see US workers make more parts, not simply assemble them, and have maintained their action is pushing firms to relocate.

A day before the latest tariffs, South Korean carmaking giant Hyundai announced it would invest $21bn (£16.3bn) in the US and build a new steel plant in the southern state of Louisiana.

Trump hailed the investment as a "clear demonstration that tariffs very strongly work".

United Autoworkers union leader Shawn Fain, who had opposed Trump in the election, praised the president's actions, saying he was "stepping up to end the free trade disaster that has devastated working class communities for decades".

Elsewhere, the head of trade group the American Automotive Policy Council, Matt Blunt, said: "US Automakers are committed to President Trump's vision of increasing automotive production and jobs in the US."

BBC
Click to expand...
This will be interesting to see how this plays out. Foreign countries have higher tariffs for US cars , so why the issue when the US is slapping tariffs on foreign made cars ? Foreign car manufacturers can still open a production facility in the US and make them here. Nissan Honda Toyota etc all have manufacturing plants in the US but they import the parts and 'assemble" them here. So Trump is going after these imported car parts as well.
 
rpant_gabba said:
Land of the free and home of the brave Ice agents (hiding behind masks)

with an insurrectionist felon for a president, illegal immigrant (Musk) ruining departments

https://twitter.com/x/status/1904933137328570859

when all this blows up, I wish there is way to hang this all around the necks of the like the Trumpers
Click to expand...
Follow up clarifications for these click bait news articles :

- Does it seem legitimate to you to hand out pamphlets from the official “Hamas Media Office”? How is this pro-Palestine and not pro-Hamas? It’s easy do defend this - if you spread the narrative of Hamas, using official Hamas materials, then you’re a Hamas supporter. Last time I checked it’s in the terrorist organization list. It’s really not that hard to protest peacefully and be pro-Palestine, without the Hamas part…

- You can’t be arrested for free speech sure , but you can have your visa revoked if that “free speech” supports enemy terrorist organizations. Then you aren’t arrested, you leave the country or get detained and deported out the country. So they have all the free speech they want without fear of being jailed, however since they agreed to conditions for their visa, supporting Hamas will void their visa and they gotta go home.

- Protected speech for a US citizen, yes. Protected for an individual who agreed to the below terms for their visa? No.

The reasons individuals are denied admission vary and can be found in INA section 212, codified as Title 8 of the U.S. Code, section 1182.

Terrorism-related inadmissibility grounds (TRIG), exclude persons who have participated in various kinds of activity, including activity that is generally illegal and/or violent. The grounds for inadmissibility include, but are not limited to, individuals who:

Engaged in ‘terrorist activity;’” Are engaged or are likely to engage in terrorist activity after entry;

Incited terrorist activity with intent to cause serious bodily harm or death; Are representatives or current members of a terrorist organization;

Endorsed or espoused terrorist activity; Received military-type training from or on behalf of a terrorist organization; or

Are spouses or children of anyone who has engaged in terrorist activity within the last five years (with certain exceptions).
 
deltexas said:
Yes, land of the free, so dont misuse your visa priviliges. She's here on some student visa, so stick to studies. Dont get involved in other countries politics. You should post the full news and not snippets. Ozturk previously wrote an op-ed that criticized Tufts’ response to the anti-Israel protests and called for the university to divest from the Jewish state — a common demand of the movement. She is not a US citizen , she is visiting on a student visa, so if she is not happy she can leave. Nobody is forcing her to stay. And then get involved in US politics as a foreign visa holder - there will be consequences. This is the op-ed she wrote for which she's being detained.

Op-ed: Try again, President Kumar: Renewing calls for Tufts to adopt March 4 TCU Senate resolutions - The Tufts Daily

The independent student newspaper of Tufts University
www.tuftsdaily.com www.tuftsdaily.com
Click to expand...
By that token, Musk should have been deported for illegally working in the US and the same goes for Melania.

the Musk illegally working confession is on video and how does Nazi salute rank among crimes?

BTW, are the actions of the student not covered by 1st amendment?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
rpant_gabba said:
By that token, Musk should have been deported for illegally working in the US and the same goes for Melania.

the Musk illegally working confession is on video and how does Nazi salute rank among crimes?

BTW, are the actions of the student not covered by 1st amendment?
Click to expand...
Dem presidents should have enforced the rules then. Am not sure of their legal status at that time. Now, Trump is prez and the rules are implemented "now".
1st amendment ?? She is not a US citizen , read the post above again. She is a temp student visa holder
 
deltexas said:
Dem presidents should have enforced the rules then. Am not sure of their legal status at that time. Now, Trump is prez and the rules are implemented "now".
Click to expand...
Sure. What an excuse. noticed you completely avoided the Nazi salute issue
deltexas said:
1st amendment ?? She is not a US citizen , read the post above again. She is a temp student visa holder
Click to expand...
You might want to take a civics lesson. There must some thing in the water in the confederate states.

Non citizens are able to buy firearms under Second amendment. <SMH>
 
rpant_gabba said:
Sure. What an excuse. noticed you completely avoided the Nazi salute issue

You might want to take a civics lesson. There must some thing in the water in the confederate states.

Non citizens are able to buy firearms under Second amendment. <SMH>
Click to expand...
Have no idea on the Nazi salute thing.

Yes freedom of speech is allowed under 1st amendment, but with restrictions.Taking over campus buildings and holding the occupants hostage inside is not protected speech. Inflammatory remarks that threaten the safety of another group of students, in which imminent acts of harm/danger to said group may occur, is not protected speech.

Again , You can’t be arrested for free speech, but you can have your visa revoked if that “free speech” supports enemy terrorist organizations. Then you aren’t arrested, you leave the country or get detained and deported out the country. So they have all the free speech they want without fear of being jailed, however since they agreed to conditions for their visa, supporting Hamas will void their visa and they gotta go home.
And an FYI. Trumps January executive order says they will be deported:
www.whitehouse.gov

Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:Section 1. Purpose. My
www.whitehouse.gov
 
deltexas said:
Dem presidents should have enforced the rules then. Am not sure of their legal status at that time. Now, Trump is prez and the rules are implemented "now".
1st amendment ?? She is not a US citizen , read the post above again. She is a temp student visa holder
Click to expand...
Just to to confirm an illegal immigrant is glorifying Nazis. Trump is Ok with it with and so are you.

you are also ok with pardon of insurrectionists trying to over turn an election.

Let me repeat, if there is civil war, I sure as hell will do my part and deal with Indian Trumpy's, hell I'm might even throw in the whole subcontinent Trumpys
 
deltexas said:
Have no idea on the Nazi salute thing.

Yes freedom of speech is allowed under 1st amendment, but with restrictions.Taking over campus buildings and holding the occupants hostage inside is not protected speech. Inflammatory remarks that threaten the safety of another group of students, in which imminent acts of harm/danger to said group may occur, is not protected speech.

Again , You can’t be arrested for free speech, but you can have your visa revoked if that “free speech” supports enemy terrorist organizations. Then you aren’t arrested, you leave the country or get detained and deported out the country. So they have all the free speech they want without fear of being jailed, however since they agreed to conditions for their visa, supporting Hamas will void their visa and they gotta go home.
And an FYI. Trumps January executive order says they will be deported:
www.whitehouse.gov

Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:Section 1. Purpose. My
www.whitehouse.gov
Click to expand...
Yes, interpretation from the Trump Whitehouse. A convicted felon, as put it.

the same guy who took classified documents to Mar a Lago.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
deltexas said:
Have no idea on the Nazi salute thing.

Yes freedom of speech is allowed under 1st amendment, but with restrictions.Taking over campus buildings and holding the occupants hostage inside is not protected speech. Inflammatory remarks that threaten the safety of another group of students, in which imminent acts of harm/danger to said group may occur, is not protected speech.

Again , You can’t be arrested for free speech, but you can have your visa revoked if that “free speech” supports enemy terrorist organizations. Then you aren’t arrested, you leave the country or get detained and deported out the country. So they have all the free speech they want without fear of being jailed, however since they agreed to conditions for their visa, supporting Hamas will void their visa and they gotta go home.
And an FYI. Trumps January executive order says they will be deported:
www.whitehouse.gov

Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:Section 1. Purpose. My
www.whitehouse.gov
Click to expand...

You’re being dishonest. The protest was against genocide, not in favor of war — it was about ending both the war and the genocide of innocent children.

Almost every point in this thread is false, just recycled talking points. If any of it were true, authorities wouldn’t feel the need to censor social media.

This is almost a waste of time because you’d rather focus on events that never happened instead of addressing the real issue.
 
rpant_gabba said:
Just to to confirm an illegal immigrant is glorifying Nazis. Trump is Ok with it with and so are you.

you are also ok with pardon of insurrectionists trying to over turn an election.

Let me repeat, if there is civil war, I sure as hell will do my part and deal with Indian Trumpy's, hell I'm might even throw in the whole subcontinent Trumpys
Click to expand...
So, this is what I found on the so called Nazi salute.
www.nytimes.com

What Elon Musk’s Salute Was All About

A gesture associated with the Nazis has a surprising history. But in Germany, there was little doubt about its meaning.
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com

- have said before am not OK with pardon of insurrectionists. Biden has misued his authority as well by pardoning Hunter. No prez is a saint here .

- There is a civil war only in the minds of folks who dont understand the strength of a true democracy
 
rpant_gabba said:
Yes, interpretation from the Trump Whitehouse. A convicted felon, as put it.

the same guy who took classified documents to Mar a Lago.
Click to expand...
- It is an order from the Prez of the US , doesnt change anything and yes he's a convicted felon. Is anyone denying that ?

- Yes, again unacceptable and at the time the courts, FBI, gov handled it as per the applicable laws. USA is not a banana republic.

- This is a forum discussion. Please keep the personal insults and the language out. Doesnt befit the nature of the PP forum.
 
HalBass9 said:
You’re being dishonest. The protest was against genocide, not in favor of war — it was about ending both the war and the genocide of innocent children.

Almost every point in this thread is false, just recycled talking points. If any of it were true, authorities wouldn’t feel the need to censor social media.

This is almost a waste of time because you’d rather focus on events that never happened instead of addressing the real issue.
Click to expand...
- Protest was in support of Hamas & handing of Hamas media pamphlets. That is the issue. And Hamas is a designated terrorist org by US. If she is not happy with that, she can leave the US or else face the penalties with her actions, her choice.

- No recycled points here. Have included news article and the actual official statements and releases that can be read by all.

- Real issue here, is she being deported for her activities of supporting a foreign terror org by being here on a temp US student visa . The Gaza Israel war is not the issue here - that is a different topic .
 
deltexas said:
- Protest was in support of Hamas & handing of Hamas media pamphlets. That is the issue. And Hamas is a designated terrorist org by US. If she is not happy with that, she can leave the US or else face the penalties with her actions, her choice.

- No recycled points here. Have included news article and the actual official statements and releases that can be read by all.

- Real issue here, is she being deported for her activities of supporting a foreign terror org by being here on a temp US student visa . The Gaza Israel war is not the issue here - that is a different topic .
Click to expand...
No! it wasn't. Protest was against the genocide. Stop lying.

What is Hamas media pamphlets?
 
HalBass9 said:
No! it wasn't. Protest was against the genocide. Stop lying.

What is Hamas media pamphlets?
Click to expand...
Have no need to lie when its all in the news. Here's the news from Reuters and I will highlight stuff for clarity. It also includes info on other visa holders being deported :


U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a post on X authorities determined Ozturk "engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization that relishes the killing of Americans." "A visa is a privilege not a right," McLaughlin said.
 
deltexas said:
Have no need to lie when its all in the news. Here's the news from Reuters and I will highlight stuff for clarity. It also includes info on other visa holders being deported :


U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a post on X authorities determined Ozturk "engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization that relishes the killing of Americans." "A visa is a privilege not a right," McLaughlin said.
Click to expand...
Bro, we aren't stupid, none of us are, so show us enough respect.
That is an accusation, where is the proof? what is hamas pamphlets. Show us and if you can't then stop spreading lies.

The protest was anti-war and anti-genocide.

Thanks
 
HalBass9 said:
Bro, we aren't stupid, none of us are, so show us enough respect.
That is an accusation, where is the proof? what is hamas pamphlets. Show us and if you can't then stop spreading lies.

The protest was anti-war and anti-genocide.

Thanks
Click to expand...
What you or even I think doesnt matter and yes that is an "accusation" by the US Homeland Security. . She will have her hearing in court and she already has a lawyer. An FYI. In matters of deportation, the US Homeland Dept has a vast very broad authority and they have already deported thousands with the Trump executive orders. Did you read the specific Trump executive order I provided above ? That should answer your questions. It relates to deportation and anti semitism. Now, whether "you" or a "foreign" gov agrees with it or not, it doesnt matter.

The protest as stated in the news above was for supporting terror org Hamas. And I had also uploaded her own transcript statement of it. Again , a US visa is a "privilege" not a "right". If its not acceptable to her, she can leave the country. But when in the US as a visa holder, you have to follow the proper visa guidelines, your personal opinions dont matter
 
HalBass9 said:
Bro, we aren't stupid, none of us are, so show us enough respect.
That is an accusation, where is the proof? what is hamas pamphlets. Show us and if you can't then stop spreading lies.

The protest was anti-war and anti-genocide.

Thanks
Click to expand...
According to the DHS spokesperson, ICE Homeland Security Investigations “will investigate individuals engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization,” and depending on their findings, “the Department of State may make a determination which may result in visa revocation or other action impacting the immigration status of an alien in the US.” From this designation, ICE will take “take appropriate enforcement actions,” they said.

And more info on her and other 532,000 temp visa revocations:
apnews.com

Turkish student at Tufts University detained, video shows masked people handcuffing her

A Turkish national and doctoral student at Tufts University has been detained by U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents without explanation, her lawyer said Wednesday.
apnews.com apnews.com
apnews.com

Homeland Security revokes temporary status for 532,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans

The Department of Homeland Security says it will revoke legal protections for hundreds of thousands of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans, setting them up for potential deportation in about a month.
apnews.com apnews.com
 
deltexas said:
According to the DHS spokesperson, ICE Homeland Security Investigations “will investigate individuals engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization,” and depending on their findings, “the Department of State may make a determination which may result in visa revocation or other action impacting the immigration status of an alien in the US.” From this designation, ICE will take “take appropriate enforcement actions,” they said.

And more info on her and other 532,000 temp visa revocations:
apnews.com

Turkish student at Tufts University detained, video shows masked people handcuffing her

A Turkish national and doctoral student at Tufts University has been detained by U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents without explanation, her lawyer said Wednesday.
apnews.com apnews.com
apnews.com

Homeland Security revokes temporary status for 532,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans

The Department of Homeland Security says it will revoke legal protections for hundreds of thousands of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans, setting them up for potential deportation in about a month.
apnews.com apnews.com
Click to expand...

According to Trump Chacha everyone speaking against the genocude is Hamas supporter.

So what us your point?
 
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