Just last week, the White House promoted in an article, “MADE IN THE USA: President Trump’s Vision is Revitalizing American Industry,” how Trump’s policies were ‘working’ to rebuild America’s manufacturing sector. However, new economic data released today from the Commerce Department’s Census Bureau showed that new orders for U.S.-manufactured goods plunged sharply in April. The […]
Tag: Tariffs
Trump’s tariffs spur unprecedented stockpiling of foreign goods
The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis announced on Tuesday that Americans went on a no-holds-barred foreign goods shopping spree like no other. The goods and services trade deficit was an astounding $140.5 billion in March, with total imports of $419.0 billion! In total, the trade deficit increased by $17.3 billion from February. […]
Price transparency for consumers – a ‘hostile and political act’ in Trump’s world
In a truly bizarre press briefing this morning, the Administration’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that a reported measure by Amazon to start displaying the cost of tariffs next to the total price of products on the site was a “hostile and political act.” Really? Showing consumers the actual cost of the goods they purchase […]
A ‘bonanza’ of lies for America – Trump proposes ‘make-believe’ tax policy
In a typical short-on-details, big-on-claims Truth Social post on Sunday, President Trump touted a ‘make-believe’ tax benefit that could come from his chaotic tariff plan. Trump stated that “when Tariffs cut in, many people’s Income Taxes will be substantially reduced, maybe even completely eliminated. Focus will be on people making less than $200,000 a year […]
Pre-tariff panic buying drives the auto sector as consumers look to avoid Trump’s chaos
March consumer retail spending data came in hotter than expected yesterday – led by surging motor vehicle and parts sales. Up a whopping 5.3% month-over-month, auto and auto parts sales seem to have been impacted by those consumers who wanted to get ahead of looming 25% tariffs that took effect on April 2. Consumers spent […]
Working double (or triple) duty? The new normal in Trump’s ‘golden age of America’
“The golden age of America has only just begun,” President Trump said at the beginning of March during his speech at the Joint Session of Congress. “It will be like nothing that has ever been seen before.” One must wonder if the growing number of Americans working multiple jobs to afford the Trump era really […]
Never let facts get in the way of a good spin story
Yesterday, on ABC News This Week, Jonathan Karl interviewed United States Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick. The interview covered various issues related to the Administration’s chaotic tariff policy. Partway through the interview, Lutnick made an awkward transition away from the topic at hand – the recent, seemingly last-minute flip-flop on specific electronics tariffs – and […]
Trump’s dream of ‘Glory Days’ could be a nightmare for workers and consumers
Central to the Trump Administration’s ongoing tariff mayhem is their fantasy that one of the outcomes of the implemented policies will be to bring back the glory days of American manufacturing. In an April 7 White House article, the Administration wrote, “As he [President Trump] puts into action his bold plan to reverse the decades […]
Awaiting ‘greatness’ … as food insecurity continues to increase
Early on the morning of April 7, President Trump decided, amid a market meltdown and the ongoing financial insecurity being felt by many Americans, to boost morale with the following uplifting post to X: The United States has a chance to do something that should have been done DECADES AGO. Don’t be Weak! Don’t be […]
Manufacturing lobby group source of the global 10% tariff policy that will leave lower-income households further behind
On April 2, the White House released a ‘Fact Sheet’ to complement Trump’s so-called Liberation Day speech. The document entitled: President Donald J. Trump Declares National Emergency to Increase our Competitive Edge, Protect our Sovereignty, and Strengthen our National and Economic Security, outlines various ‘facts’ about how the President’s tariff policy came to be. Buried […]