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Peter Gilmartin's avatar

This is what I dislike about politics. What’s the man supposed to do?? I think I’ll hire people that disagree with me. Not this time around. He has an agenda that requires people that share his ideals and vision of a different America. He is like the old ad for “Slim Jim’s; you either love em or you hate em”. Personally I don’t understand the hate and I’m against hateful rhetoric. He has a plan, let’s give him his choices for staff and see where it goes.

If there is one thing the last President showed us, if you do it wrong, the American people will kick you and your ideas out faster than ink dries on your pension check.

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Wayne Pronzati's avatar

It’s tough to “drain the swamp” when district court judges thwart one’s every move. The original pick for the DC DA was superior but, since powers that be nixed it, I view the Pirro pick as a “poke in the eye”. As for the Fox lawsuit, there is overwhelming technical evidence that that machines were indeed rigged. Fox were cowards to cave.

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Lloyd Crossman's avatar

I'm getting confused on your comments Ted. Headline on CNN stated that inflation 🫳 dropped again , the lowest in 4 years despite tariffs. China welcomed 30,% tariffs

As you know I taught in China for 20 and in contact with many friends and these entrepreneurs are overjoyed. China compromised with 10 % tariffs on USA goods entering into China. Temu and other retailers got special consideration on lower than 30%.I understand your concern about us attorney for Washington's DC but she certainly is an improvement to current situation in DC. And yes trump has many shortcomings, but the good far outweighs the bad. Please don't forsake us my friend.

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Theodore Xenakis's avatar

Also, the effect of tariffs hasn't hit yet since domestic companies bulked up on inventory of imported goods to beat the tariffs. As a result, domestic GDP was down. Let's see what happens in the next months. I hope I am wrong.

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Theodore Xenakis's avatar

THIS SENTIMENT FROM THE WSJ SUMS UP MY THOUGHTS ON THE TARIFFS:

As with last week’s modest British agreement, the China deal is more surrender than Trump victory. Apart from the tariff rollback, neither side announced any broader concessions on the substantive trade issues that weigh on the U.S.-China relationship. Those include China’s barriers to American firms, especially in services such as digital and financial, and its chronic intellectual-property theft.

Many of these bad Chinese practices have become worse under President Xi Jinping’s strong-arm economic management. One tragedy of Mr. Trump’s shoot-America-in-the-foot-first approach is that he’s hurt his chances of rallying a united front of countries against Beijing’s mercantilism. By targeting allies with tariffs, Mr. Trump has eroded trust in America’s economic and political reliability.

Beijing now also has the benefit of concrete experience to reassure the Communist Party that Washington would struggle to impose economic sanctions in a crisis such as a Chinese blockade or invasion of Taiwan. If there’s a silver lining to the tariff fiasco, it’s the timely reminder to Congress to get serious about true military deterrence again.

Taking a step back, where are we now after nearly four months of Mr. Trump’s protectionism? The President’s concessions since his initial tariff announcements include: exemptions for goods from Canada and Mexico produced under the terms of the USMCA; a 90-day pause on his reciprocal tariffs against everyone except China; exemptions on China tariffs for iPhones and electronics; the mini-deal with the United Kingdom; and now the 90-day rollback on China tariffs.

The landing spot coming into view is a 10% global tariff, and higher (but not 145%) for China. The negotiations allegedly underway with dozens of countries while the reciprocal tariffs are paused may make some marginal headway opening markets for American firms. But so far there’s scant sign of the substantial trade deals that Mr. Trump promises.

So after weeks of market turmoil, the economy is left with higher trade costs and greater uncertainty for business, but at least a step back from Smoot-Hawley 2.0. Investors, businesses and households probably would welcome this outcome, which is considerably better than Mr. Trump’s initial plan.

But a 10% across-the-board tariff is still four times the average U.S. tariff rate before Mr. Trump took office. It keeps the door open to the economically and politically destructive special pleading for tariff breaks for well-connected industries and companies at the expense of everyone else. U.S. companies protected by high tariffs will gradually lose their competitiveness against the rest of the world.

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Lloyd Crossman's avatar

Can't wait for your comment about my praise for the bull in the CHINA shop. Ye of little faith!

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Theodore Xenakis's avatar

"With an effective tariff rate of 40%, Chinese exports to the U.S. are likely to fall by up to one-third, estimates Williams at Capital Economics. While exports would have fallen far more with tariffs above 100%, this will still mark a dramatic decline in trade between the two largest economies." China is already looking elsewhere to trade. Will American manufacturers really start making stuff that China makes? The tariffs will cause price increases, end of story. We are a consumer based economy. It is a vibrant economy despite the movement of factry jobs out of the country. I hope we have a work force that wioll enjoy making widgets. This was a crisis created by Trump, and now he is being assialed as a savior. It's a joke! We haven't heard from the Chinese yet. Plus we still have elevated tariffs elsewhere around the globe and with out two neighbors.

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Lloyd Crossman's avatar

Love your descriptive adjectives Ted!

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robert hamblin's avatar

Is someone finally seeing the light?

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Theodore Xenakis's avatar

Beyween Dementia Joe and Tsunami Trump, America is reeling.

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