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Category: World
April 7, 2025
William Upton
Economy
World

BREAKING: Trump Gives China 24 Hours to Withdraw Retaliatory Trade Duties or Face New 50% Tariff.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: President Donald J. Trump on Monday took to Truth Social, warning China that it has 24 hours to withdraw its 34 percent retaliatory tariff on American imports or else he will impose an additional trade duty of 50 percent on Chinese goods. Additionally, Trump indicated that should China refuse, he will break off all ongoing talks about a broader trade agreement.

👥 Who’s Involved: President Donald J. Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping

📍 Where & When: April 7, 2025 in Washington D.C.

💬 Key Quote: “Therefore, if China does not withdraw its 34% increase above their already long-term trading abuses by tomorrow, April 8th, 2025, the United States will impose ADDITIONAL Tariffs on China of 50%, effective April 9th, ” Trump announced.

⚠️ Impact: Further retaliatory tariffs could mark a significant escalation in the trade conflict.

IN FULL:

President Donald J. Trump is giving China 24 hours to end its retaliatory trade measures against the United States. Otherwise, he will impose an additional 50 percent tariff on top of those enacted on April 2. Following Trump’s imposition last week of reciprocal tariffs against nations that abuse their trade position against the United States, China announced they would escalate, enacting trade levies that have, in part, helped fuel global market volatility.

“Yesterday, China issued Retaliatory Tariffs of 34%, on top of their already record setting Tariffs, Non-Monetary Tariffs, Illegal Subsidization of companies, and massive long term Currency Manipulation, despite my warning that any country that Retaliates against the U.S. by issuing additional Tariffs, above and beyond their already existing long term Tariff abuse of our Nation, will be immediately met with new and substantially higher Tariffs, over and above those initially set,” Trump wrote on Monday. “Therefore, if China does not withdraw its 34% increase above their already long term trading abuses by tomorrow, April 8th, 2025, the United States will impose ADDITIONAL Tariffs on China of 50%, effective April 9th.”

He added: “Additionally, all talks with China concerning their requested meetings with us will be terminated! Negotiations with other countries, which have also requested meetings, will begin taking place immediately. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

The move could mark a serious escalation in the trade conflict between the United States and China. For years, the Chinese communist government has used various tools, such as currency manipulation, state subsidies, and regulatory measures aimed at obstructing American exports, to prevent U.S. exporters from remaining competitive with Chinese firms. Ending this behavior is a key goal for the Trump White House.

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April 4, 2025
Economy
News
World

China Puts 34% Tariff on U.S. Goods in Retaliation to Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ Levy.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: China announced a 34 percent tariff on all U.S. imports in response to President Donald J. Trump’s tariffs of the same rate on Chinese goods.

👥 Who’s Involved: President Trump, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and affected American companies.

📍 Where & When: China’s tariffs, announced following President Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff unveiling, go into effect on April 10.

💬 Key Quote: The Chinese Ministry of Finance complained that the U.S. tariffs “undermine global economic development and stability.”

⚠️ Impact: Declines in stock markets, with the Dow Jones and S&P 500 experiencing losses, but manufacturing will likely be “reshored” to America over the medium to long term.

IN FULL:

China has declared a new 34 percent tariff on all imports from the United States, following President Donald J. Trump’s recent announcement of similar duties on Chinese goods. President Trump is moving to stimulate domestic manufacturing and address trade discrepancies by using tariffs to level the playing field for American businesses.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) condemns Trump’s tariffs, claiming they breach international trade standards and threaten global economic interests.

Further complicating trade relations, China enforced export controls on vital rare earth minerals and listed several American businesses as “unreliable entities.” Meanwhile, Trump reinstated 25 percent steel and aluminum tariffs on China in February in order to close loopholes allowing China to dump cheap metals on American markets.

In a recent address, President Trump characterized the imposition of tariffs as a long-overdue correction of an inequitable trade landscape that has persisted over several decades. He asserted that the move heralds the return to American industrial strength, with sweatshop economies and countries that erect their own tariff and non-tariff barriers against American exporters no longer having easy access to the American market.

Reacting to China’s new tariffs on April 4, Trump stated, “China played it wrong, they panicked—the one thing they cannot afford to do!” Trump added that China should have made a deal earlier, urging companies to avoid tariffs by investing in America.

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April 3, 2025
Breaking
World

BREAKING: Trump Blasts French Lawfare—‘FREE MARINE LE PEN!’

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Former President Donald Trump weighed in on Marine Le Pen’s legal troubles, comparing her prosecution to the lawfare campaigns he says have targeted him in the United States.

Who’s Involved: Trump, French opposition leader Marine Le Pen, and American legal figures Norm Eisen, Andrew Weissmann, and Lisa Monaco.

Key Quote: “The Witch Hunt against Marine Le Pen is another example of European Leftists using Lawfare to silence Free Speech.”

Fallout: Trump says Le Pen is being politically targeted just ahead of a likely electoral victory, calling the charges against her a “bookkeeping error” and denouncing the prosecution as a blow to all of France—regardless of politics.

Significance: Trump’s statement aligns Le Pen’s situation with the global populist struggle against what he calls corrupt legal and political elites. He ends the post with a rallying cry: “FREE MARINE LE PEN!”

IN FULL:

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has condemned what he calls a politically motivated prosecution of French opposition leader Marine Le Pen, accusing European leftists of using “lawfare” to suppress dissent and sabotage electoral outcomes.

“The Witch Hunt against Marine Le Pen is another example of European Leftists using Lawfare to silence Free Speech,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “This time going so far as to put that Opponent in prison.”

Trump compared Le Pen’s prosecution to the years-long efforts by U.S. legal operatives like Norm Eisen, Andrew Weissmann, and Lisa Monaco to entangle him in criminal cases. He described their efforts as a “playbook” of political persecution that ultimately failed due to public awareness of what he calls widespread corruption.

“I don’t know Marine Le Pen,” Trump wrote, “but do appreciate how hard she worked for so many years. She suffered losses, but kept on going, and now, just before what would be a Big Victory, they get her on a minor charge that she probably knew nothing about – Sounds like a ‘bookkeeping’ error to me.”

Trump ended the message with a blunt message to French authorities and global onlookers alike: “FREE MARINE LE PEN!”

The move comes amid a broader wave of Western populist leaders facing legal trouble as they gain electoral momentum—raising questions about the coordinated use of state power to silence opposition, i.e. lawfare.

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April 3, 2025
William Upton
Economy
Politics
World

Mike Pence Hates Trump’s Tariffs. Which Means Trump Is Right.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Former Vice President Mike Pence, who is pushing the GOP to reembrace unpopular globalist economic policies, is criticizing President Donald J. Trump’s imposition of extensive global tariffs, claiming they represent the largest peacetime tax increase in U.S. history.

👥 Who’s Involved: Mike Pence, Donald Trump, and America First conservatives, including Trump’s trade advisor Peter Navarro.

📍 Where & When: Pence posted criticism to X (formerly Twitter) Wednesday evening following President Trump’s “Liberation Day” event.

💬 Key Quote: “The Trump Tariff Tax is the largest peacetime tax hike in U.S. history,” claims Pence.

⚠️ Impact: Critics like Pence claim the tariffs could cost American families over $3,500 per year, destroy jobs, and weaken conservative political standing. Additionally, the Pence-led Advancing American Freedom PAC contends the tariffs will counteract the benefits of previous tax cuts.

IN FULL:

Former Vice President Mike Pence publicly criticized President J. Donald Trump’s imposition of a 10 percent blanket global tariff and additional targeted tariffs in response to pre-existing foreign trade barriers, claiming the new import duties will result in significant economic burdens for American families. Additionally, in a Wednesday night post on X (formerly Twitter), Pence asserted the tariffs represent the most substantial peacetime tax increase in U.S. history.

“The Trump Tariff Tax is the largest peacetime tax hike in U.S. history,” Pence claimed, adding: “These Tariffs are nearly 10x the size of those imposed during the Trump-Pence Administration and will cost American families over $3,500 per year.” Attached to Pence’s X post was a screenshot of anti-Trump tariff talking points pushed by his Advancing American Freedom PAC.

Advancing American Freedom PAC’s claim that the tariffs will cost American families over $3,500 per year is based on a Goldman Sachs estimate, which pegs the total tariff revenue at around $300 billion annually. However, Pence and his Advancing American Freedom PAC appear to assume that American families will bear the bulk of the tax burden imposed by the tariffs—a fairly unlikely scenario—and not foreign companies attempting to maintain their market share in the United States.

Meanwhile, Pence’s assertion that Trump’s tariffs are “the largest peacetime tax hike in U.S. history” is on equally shaky ground. While tariffs are technically taxes, they are not entirely borne by Americans, with at least part of the import duty paid by foreign companies. Additionally, Advancing American Freedom PAC states that Trump’s tariffs are the highest imposed since the 1800s, claiming the imposed rate is higher than the Smoot-Hawley tariffs from the Great Depression.

The first claim is dubious at best, though the assertion that the Trump tariff rate is higher than those imposed under Smoot-Hawley is patently false. Pence and Advancing American Freedom PAC are playing fast and loose with what they consider the average tariff rate to make the claim. The Smoot-Hawley tariffs imposed a 59.1 percent rate on dutiable goods, though around 63 percent of foreign imports were not considered dutiable under the law. This places the average tariff rate under Smoot-Hawley at just under 20 percent.

President Trump’s tariffs include a blanket 10 percent tariff on all imports with additional target tariffs on specific countries with pre-existing trade barriers against American exports. Estimates regarding the average rate range from around 15 percent to 20 percent, though the lower side of the range appears more likely.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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April 3, 2025
Immigration
News
World

Trump to Host Bukele at White House for Strategic Talks.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: President Donald J. Trump invited El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele to the White House in a formal letter shared by Bukele.

👥 Who’s Involved: President Donald Trump, President Nayib Bukele, and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem.

📍 Where & When: The White House, Washington, D.C. The invitation is set for April 14.

💬 Key Quote: “Your support of my efforts to combat illegal immigration is greatly appreciated,” stated Trump.

⚠️ Impact: The invitation highlights cooperation between the U.S. and El Salvador in dealing with border security and gang issues, showing joint efforts against illegal activities.

IN FULL:

President Donald J. Trump has extended an invitation to El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele for a visit to the White House. The April 14 invitation was outlined in a letter, which Bukele shared on the social media platform X.

The invitation acknowledges Bukele’s participation in U.S. initiatives to combat illegal immigration. It also highlights his administration’s use of the newly built prison facilities for housing criminals from notorious gangs such as Tren de Aragua. Trump praised Bukele’s handling of these security matters as a model of leadership.

“Your support of my efforts to combat illegal immigration is greatly appreciated,” Trump told Bukele. “For far too long, our southern border has been an open door. With the assistance of friends like you, we have made great progress in protecting Americans from illegal border activity,” Trump said. Bukele responded with appreciation for Trump’s words, emphasizing continued cooperation.

This follows a joint military operation that resulted in the deportation of 17 dangerous gang criminals from the United States. According to Bukele, these individuals are high-profile offenders, including six charged with crimes against minors.

President Trump has faced push-back from U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, an Obama appointee, who has tried to block deportation flights of gang members. Late last month, President Trump announced he would be taking Boasberg to the U.S. Supreme Court to appeal Boasberg’s order barring the use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport gang members.

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April 3, 2025
Economy
UK
World

UK Mulls Retaliation Against Trump Tariffs.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: The United Kingdom is considering retaliatory tariffs after the United States, under President Donald J.  Trump, imposed a 10 percent levy on British goods—half the 20 percent levy on European Union goods.

👥 Who’s Involved: Britain’s Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, British Members of Parliament (MPs), and President Trump.

📍 Where & When: The tariffs are set to start this weekend, impacting goods entering the U.S. from the United Kingdom.

💬 Key Quote: “America is a friend; America is our principal ally,” Jonathan Reynolds stated, emphasizing the importance of the British-American relationship despite the tariff issue.

⚠️ Impact: The tariffs could complicate trade talks between Britain and the U.S., which were made possible by Brexit.

IN FULL:

The United Kingdom is weighing retaliatory tariffs following President Donald J. Trump’s announcement that the U.S. will impose a 10 percent trade levy on British imports. The Labour government’s Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, informed Members of Parliament (MPs) that they may soon have to consider responsive tariff measures if a trade agreement with the U.S. is not secured.

British government ministers plan to unveil a list of potential products targeted for retaliatory action in the coming days. However, despite the potential that retaliatory tariffs could further escalate trade tensions, Reynolds insists that the United States remains a vital ally to the United Kingdom.

Notably, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is dismissing the notion of an immediate trade conflict with the U.S. Instead, he highlighted the necessity of careful strategy to avoid harming the chances of reaching a trade deal with the American government. Starmer emphasized that Britain will “have to act and lead differently” in what he called a “new economic era.”

“It is the beginning of a new era; we need to understand that, just as we have for defense and security, we have to understand the changing world when it comes to trade and the economy,” the British Prime Minister said while speaking at a local campaign event, stating that a response to President Trump’s tariff policy is “not just a short term tactical exercise.”

President Trump announced on Wednesday that the United States will impose a blanket 10 percent tariff on all foreign imports, while a number of countries will be hit with additional import duties in response to pre-existing measures imposed against American exports. European Union members face higher tariff rates at 20 percent, with even steeper rates directed at China, Cambodia, and other countries.

Image by Simon Dawson/No 10 Downing Street.

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April 3, 2025
Economy
World

Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell Join Democrats to Legislate Against Trump’s Tariffs.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: The Senate approved a resolution to oppose President Donald J. Trump’s tariffs on Canadian imports, with the legislation aimed at repealing the emergency declaration permitting these trade levies.

👥 Who’s Involved: Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) joined with Senate Democrats to support the resolution, which is sponsored by Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA).

📍 Where & When: The Senate passed the measure on Wednesday following President Trump’s “Liberation Day” event at the White House Rose Garden, where he announced that substantial import duties would be imposed on foreign nations with high tariffs on U.S. exports.

💬 Key Quote: Senator Rand Paul stated, “Taxation without representation is tyranny,” characterizing tariffs as a form of taxation and arguing the Constitution forbids one person from enacting taxes.

⚠️ Impact: The resolution likely won’t advance in the GOP-controlled House.

IN FULL:

In a Senate session on Wednesday, a resolution challenging President Donald J. Trump’s tariffs on imports from Canada was advanced to the House of Representatives, with Senators approving the bill in a 51-48 vote. Introduced by Hillary Clinton’s former running mate, Senator Tim Kaine, the measure seeks to revoke the emergency declaration that sanctioned these tariffs by citing the influx of fentanyl across the border. This vote saw four Republican defections, with Sens. Rand Paul, Mitch McConnell, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski joining the Democrat minority to pass the measure.

The resolution’s passage is arguably a symbolic win for Senate Democrats who have worked to derail President Trump’s America First trade agenda. However, while Democrats in the Senate were able to peel off just enough Republican votes to pass the anti-tariff resolution, it is unlikely to advance in the House, where Republican leaders will likely move to kill it before it can move to the floor for a vote.

“[W]e are here before the Senate because one person in our country wishes to raise taxes,” Sen. Paul argued in support of the Democratic resolution on the Senate floor late last night. “Well, this is contrary to everything our country was founded upon. One person is not allowed to raise taxes. The Constitution forbids it.”

“This is a tax, plain and simple,” he reiterated, adding: “Taxation without representation is tyranny.”

While tariffs can technically be categorized as a form of taxation, the import duties are not borne by American consumers for the most part. Instead, foreign companies impacted by tariffs will often absorb a significant portion of the import duty to preserve their market position—essentially opting to take a short-term revenue loss to ensure they maintain their consumer base for the long term.

It is also highly questionable to suggest that there is a lack of “representation” when an elected President with a mandate from the American people raises tariffs.

The Senate’s passage of the anti-tariff resolution came just hours after President Trump announced a 10 percent blanket tariff on all foreign imports and imposed additional, more targeted trade levies on a number of countries that have high tariffs on U.S. goods.

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April 3, 2025
Christopher Tomlinson
Lawfare
World

Even the Globalist ‘Economist’ Magazine Says France’s Le Pen Shouldn’t Be Banned from Office.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: The globalist magazine The Economist has defended Marine Le Pen’s right to run for office, recently stripped away by a court ruling.

👥 Who’s Involved: The Economist, Marine Le Pen, French courts.

📍 Where & When: The article appeared in The Economist on April 1.

💬 Key Quote: “The aim should be to punish the offender without also punishing French democracy,” the magazine argues.

⚠️ Impact: One of the major media outlets for globalists, the stance could reflect a shift against the lawfare deployed against populists in recent years.

IN FULL:

The globalist magazine The Economist has come out to defend populist French politician Marine Le Pen, who has been barred from running for office in France for five years and placed under house arrest for two years. The sentences came after Le Pen and several other members of her party, the National Rally, were found guilty of supposedly misusing European Union (EU) funds while serving as Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).

The magazine questions whether Le Pen should be barred from running for office in the upcoming 2027 presidential election, noting that she is the current leader in the polls.

“The danger of courts aggressively sentencing politicians is that both the law and the courts become seen as partisan. Judiciaries rely on citizens accepting verdicts with which they disagree,” the magazine warns. Barely half, just 56 percent, of the French public believe Le Pen was treated in an unbiased manner.

While the magazine argues that Le Pen should serve two years of house arrest, it states that she should be allowed to run for president in 2027. “The aim should be to punish the offender without also punishing French democracy,” the magazine states.

The court ruling to ban Le Pen from running for office comes after she and other National Rally members were found guilty of embezzling European Union funds by using EU-funded parliamentary assistants to perform domestic party work. Le Pen argued that the charges were bogus lawfare, as parliamentary assistants are “political assistants to elected officials, political by definition.”

Many observers, including liberal journalists, have noted that parliamentary assistants performing political work is commonplace in the European Parliament, meaning Le Pen was almost certainly singled out for her political views.

Image by Blandine Le Cain.

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April 3, 2025
Jack Montgomery
NatSec
World

BREAKING: Attempted Car Bombing at Same Square Where Ukrainian Stabbed Five.

A 50-year-old man has been arrested after apparently attempting a suicide car bombing in the Netherlands on Thursday morning. The unnamed suspect’s car burst into flames in Amsterdam’s Dam Square, where a Ukrainian from the partially Russian-controlled Donetsk region carried out a mass stabbing last Thursday.

Video footage from the scene shows the suspect emerging from his blazing vehicle, on fire, and rolling on the ground in an attempt to put out the flames. Later video footage shows him shuffling around the square, still partly on fire, until law enforcement steps in and douses him with fire extinguishers.

Police say they “suspect that the driver caused the fire himself,” but a motive for the possible attack is unknown or undisclosed as of the time of publication. He is described as a Dutch national, although his ethnic and religious background is unclear.

The authorities report no injuries to bystanders are known, although some eyewitnesses describe glass flying “into our necks” when the car’s windows blew out.

Last week, a Ukrainian named Roman D. carried out a mass stabbing in the same square, wounding five people, including a 67-year-old American woman and a 69-year-old American man, before he was detained by bystanders, including a British tourist who pinned him down until police arrived.

The Ukrainian reportedly had bogus papers for multiple false identities, and an investigation into his possibly terroristic motives is ongoing.

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A 50-year-old man has been arrested after apparently attempting a suicide car bombing in the Netherlands on Thursday morning. The unnamed suspect's car burst into flames in Amsterdam's Dam Square, where a Ukrainian from the partially Russian-controlled Donetsk region carried out a mass stabbing last Thursday. show more
April 2, 2025
Religion
World

Islamist Axeman Attacks Christian Festival.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: An attack occurred during an Assyrian Christian festival in northern Iraq, resulting in injuries to three people.

👥 Who’s Involved: The attacker remains unidentified. Victims include a 17-year-old boy, a 75-year-old woman, and a member of local security forces. Ninab Yousif Toma of the Assyrian Democratic Movement responded to the incident.

📍 Where & When: The attack took place during the Akitu parade in Dohuk, northern Iraq.

💬 Key Quote: “We request both governments to review the religious and education curriculums that plant hate in people’s heads and encourage ethnic and religious extremism,” said Ninab Yousif Toma.

⚠️ Impact: An investigation is underway, and the Assyrian Christian community plans to file a lawsuit. The incident has raised concerns about religious and ethnic extremism affecting minorities in the region.

IN FULL:

An axe-wielding Muslim caused chaos at a Christian festival in Dohuk, northern Iraq, hospitalizing three people. The event, part of the Akitu parade celebrating the Assyrian New Year, attracted numerous Christians dressed in vibrant attire, waving flags in observance of the New Year.

Local security forces reported that the unknown assailant attacked a group of parade-goers, chanting Islamist slogans including, “Islamic State, the Islamic State remains.” Two severely injured victims—a young man, aged 17, and an elderly woman, 75—sustained skull fractures. A local security officer was also injured during the incident.

Ninab Yousif Toma, affiliated with the Assyrian Democratic Movement, addressed the need for government action to combat ethnic and religious extremism. He urged a review of educational content that might incite hatred. “This was obviously an inhumane terrorist attack,” Toma remarked.

“We request both governments to review the religious and education curriculums that plant hate in people’s heads and encourage ethnic and religious extremism,” he added.

Since the 1990s, Akitu celebrations have been carried out peacefully. Toma observed that the Kurdish community in Duhok often extends goodwill gestures towards Assyrians, even during Ramadan fasting periods. He emphasized that this attack would not intimidate the Assyrian Christian community. Authorities have initiated an official investigation. Simultaneously, the Assyrian community aims to pursue legal action.

The violence comes after severe anti-Christian persecutions in neighboring Syria under the new Islamist regime, with over a thousand people reportedly killed last month.

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