House Democrat: ‘I don’t contest’ DOGE will likely find ‘awful examples of wasteful spending’
Sarah Fortinsky – February 6, 2025
House Democrat: ‘I don’t contest’ DOGE will likely find ‘awful examples of wasteful spending’
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said Thursday he thinks President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) commission, led by tech billionaire Elon Musk, will find “awful examples” of wasteful government spending.
But he said it’s important the findings be brought to Congress, which is responsible for appropriating government funds, according to the U.S. Constitution.
“I think they are likely to find awful examples of wasteful spending. I don’t contest that. I’m sure they can legitimately offer transparency and sunlight to the American people. Just come to Congress, show us what you’re finding, and then force up or down votes,” Khanna said in an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”
“And if Ro Khanna still votes for those wasteful spending, I’ll have to answer back home,” he continued.
Khanna criticized Musk’s approach “just to stop the payments or make these decisions unilaterally.”
“I don’t think it’s effective,” he said, adding that Trump and Musk can “actually have a partner with Congress to tell the American people what’s wrong. And if you have a good case, the American people will demand those cuts.”
Khanna, who represents Silicon Valley, has said that he’s open to working with Musk and DOGE to cut government waste, especially pointing to possible cuts in the Department of Defense.
“When the president and Elon Musk said that they wanted to bring transparency to government, expose waste and fraud, I was one of the Democrats who said, ‘OK, let’s work to see where that can happen,’” Khanna said.
“The problem I have is, come to Congress, show where the fraud is, show where the wasteful spending is and force an up or down vote,” he added. “Don’t make that decision unilaterally. That just, in my view, violates the Constitution. So if he wants to show that there’s a lot of wasteful spending, come to Congress, force us to vote on it.”
It’s a surprisingly hard question to answer. A White House record seen by Business Insider says his job is simply “unlisted.”
Though Musk has a White House access badge as of January 20 and has been widely described as the leader of DOGE, the White House has not officially confirmed Musk’s title. His X profile describes him as “White House Tech Support.”
When Donald Trump folded Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” into the White House, he did it by rebranding the US Digital Service — an Obama-era effort to bring modern software-development practices to the federal government — as the “US DOGE Service.” He also moved it under his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, and created a “temporary organization” that would enable the new USDS administrator to recruit people faster, without going through standard federal hiring procedures.
But the order didn’t say who the USDS administrator was, nor did any of Trump’s statements designating leaders of various departments and offices. Ted Carstensen, who had been the deputy administrator of the USDS since last year, told staff on Thursday that it would be his last day.
“They’d better figure out his title,” said Richard Painter, a government-ethics expert and persistent Trump critic. “The structure of this organization needs to be explained to the American people.”
In a January 27 report, the Congressional Research Service said that “a USDS administrator has not yet been named.” House Democrats also flagged in a letter to the leader of the Small Business Administration on Monday that they’d seen “no formal communications from the White House naming Elon Musk as Administrator.”
But the presumption that Musk leads the office or has some defined official authority seems widespread. Sen. Elizabeth Warren addressed a letter to him as “Administrator” of the “Department of Government Efficiency.” Earlier this week, a Texas state official published a press release praising “DOGE Chairman Elon Musk” for taking steps to shut down the US Agency for International Development, or USAID.
Musk, the White House Press Office, and Katie Miller, whom Trump has described as a DOGE advisor, didn’t respond to inquiries about who leads the USDS. The White House has said Musk is a “special government employee,” which means he can work for only 130 days a year. But that’s a classification, not a title.
Musk is known for being loose with titles. At Tesla, he gave himself the title of “technoking” in 2021. At Twitter, now known as X, his title was “chief twit.” “No idea who the CEO is,” he said in a 2022 post.
Even Tesla doesn’t seem to be sure what Musk’s government role is. In its annual report published on January 29, Tesla said Musk had management roles at several companies and was “involved in other ventures and with the Department of Government Efficiency.”
The ambiguity extends beyond Musk himself. Some of the techies linked to Musk who have gone to work at the Office of Personnel Management and agencies like the Treasury Department have nebulous titles like “senior advisor” and “expert.”
“I think that this is an intentional strategy to create confusion as to whether he actually has a formal title or whether he is just a part-time unpaid advisor to the president,” said John Pelissero, the director of government ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. “If you are clear that if he is the administrator of DOGE, then he has to comply with various rules that are in place that apply to other executive branch employees.”
Painter, the ethics lawyer, suggested the White House may be trying to keep Musk’s financial disclosures out of the public eye. The executive order that renamed USDS also moved it out of the Office of Management and Budget and into the White House Office, a part of the executive branch that is harder for Congress and others to scrutinize because of executive privilege.
Anti-Trump Protests Break Out at State Capitols Across the Country
Hafiz Rashid – February 5, 2025
Thousands of Americans are protesting in cities across the United States Wednesday against Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s early attempts to overhaul the federal government.
The protests took place at state capitols across the country, organized online by a movement called 50501, referring to 50 protests in 50 states in one day. Demonstrators gathered in Michigan, Texas, Wisconsin, Indiana, Delaware, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere, according to the r/50501 subreddit and the Associated Press.
In Philadelphia, protesters gathered outside of a federal courthouse holding signs that said “TRUMP + MUSK ARE NOT KINGS” and “RESIST.” In Madison, Wisconsin, demonstrators at the state Capitol held signs objecting to fascism, Elon Musk, and the conservative manifesto Project 2025. In Lansing, Michigan, about 500 people demonstrated outside the state Capitol denouncing Trump’s plans for Gaza, the rollback of transgender rights, and the federal government’s mass deportation efforts under Trump.
One of the organizers at Michigan’s protest only learned about the movement on Sunday night, and helped with coordinating speakers and safety protocols.
“I want to look back at this time and say that I did something and I didn’t just sit back,” Kelsey Brianne told the AP Monday night.
On social media, protesters used the hashtag #50501 to organize and document the protests. Videos were also posted by journalists and media outlets across the country showing local protests.
X screenshot Matthew Pearson @justmattphotoj: I’m outside the Georgia State Capitol where a crowd has gathered as part of the 50501 protests that went viral through Reddit. Protesters are chanting demands to shut down ICE and protect trans youth along with condemning Elon Musk’s role in the Trump admin. @wabenews (photos of the protests, including one sign that says “Elon Musk Is A Terrible President”More
Protest organizers describe the push as a “decentralized rapid response to the anti-democratic, destructive, and, in many cases, illegal actions being undertaken by the Trump administration and his plutocrats,” the “Build the Resistance” website states.
Kay Evert, an organizer involved in the movement, told USA TODAY the effort started as an idea posted on Reddit and several activist organizations hopped in to help consolidate, organize and promote the protests.
“We’re here trying to keep them going forward,” she said. “This is going to bring up so much …. no one can ignore this, right? We want to have that momentum continue on.”
A post in the 50501 subreddit Wednesday morning claims the movement has evolved in less than two weeks, amassed 72,000 participants, and planned 67 protests across 40 states.
The 50501 moderators also partnered with Political Revolution, a PAC and volunteer-only activist organization founded out of the conclusion of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign in 2016.
The 50501 movement and Political Revolution said in a joint press release they are calling for the removal or resignation of President Donald Trump, investigations into his administration appointees including Elon Musk, the repeal of “oppressive” executive orders and the restoration of diversity, equity and inclusion frameworks.
Evert said protests are also aimed at Project 2025, the conservative agenda that re-entered the public conversations as Democrats condemned some early Trump administration moves.
“Our goal is to unite the American people against our common enemy: the Trump administration, anyone involved in dismantling our democracy, and anyone who wishes to divide us by our differences instead of unite us by what makes us American,” the joint press release states.
Kinsey Crowley is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY.
‘Anti-Trumpers’ plan protests in every state on Wednesday. What’s happening in Georgia?
Vanessa Countryman, Savannah Morning News – February 4, 2025
A group calling themselves the “50501 Movement” are planning protests across the country, and in Georgia, on Wednesday, Feb. 5.
The group claims to be fighting “fascism” by protesting against President Donald Trump and his actions in office.
How many people are in the 50501 Movement?
U.S. President Donald Trump looks on as he signs an executive order in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., January 31, 2025.
The movement has platforms, including a website and social media accounts, but the number of members is unclear. The Instagram account has nearly 7,000 followers and its official Bluesky account has over 10,000 followers.
Where are people protesting in Georgia against Trump?
The group is planning to hold protests mostly at each state’s capitol building. Georgia’s will be held at Centennial Park in Atlanta at 2 p.m., according the groups social media.
More groups are forming around the state, including in Augusta at the Richmond County Courthouse from 4 to 7 p.m.
Why are people protesting against Donald Trump?
They are protesting Project 2025 because they believe that the president is attempting to destroy freedoms and human rights.
What is Project 2025?
Project 2025 is a movement started by over 100 conservative organizations. This movement is intended to get rid of the so-called ‘Deep State’ and give the government back to the people, according to its website. Here is a list of some of its policy suggestions:
Secure the border, finish building the wall, and deport illegal aliens
De-weaponize the Federal Government by increasing accountability and oversight of the FBI and DOJ
Unleash American energy production to reduce energy prices
Cut the growth of government spending to reduce inflation
Make federal bureaucrats more accountable to the democratically elected President and Congress
Improve education by moving control and funding of education from DC bureaucrats directly to parents and state and local governments
Ban biological males from competing in women’s sports
Vanessa Countryman is the Trending Topics Reporter for the the Deep South Connect Team Georgia.
Tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China Could Start This Weekend
Eric Boehm – January 31, 2025
Photo by Lucas van Oort on Unsplash
Huge new tariffs on goods imported from Canada, China, and Mexico could begin as soon as this weekend.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a Friday press conference that the Trump administration was prepared to impose a new 25 percent tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico, along with a 10 percent tariff on imports from China. Aside from that statement, Leavitt offered few specifics and the White House has so far not released any further details about the new import taxes.
That leaves many unknowns, such as: Under what authority is President Donald Trump implementing those tariffs? Are there exceptions for certain goods, or are the tariffs being charged on all imports from the three countries? Do those tariffs apply on top of existing import duties—for example, is the new 10 percent tariff on goods from China imposed on top of the tariffs on many Chinese imports that Trump implemented during his first term—or in place of them? Will there be a process for certain companies and industries to seek relief from tariffs for goods that cannot be sourced in the United States, like tequila?
Adding to the confusion: Reuters reported earlier on Friday that those tariffs will be implemented on March 1. Leavitt called that report “false.”
Canada, China, and Mexico are the United States’ three largest trading partners. In 2023, the last full year for which data are available, the U.S. imported $475 billion of goods from Mexico, $426 billion from China, and $418 billion from Canada.
In her remarks to reporters, Leavitt said the new tariffs were being issued in response to the “illegal fentanyl that they have sourced and allowed to distribute into our country.” In an interview with CNBC on Friday, Trump’s trade advisor Peter Navarro also claimed that “fentanyl…that comes from China and Mexico” was the prime motivator for the new import taxes.
This makes very little sense. How will higher taxes on legal imports affect the flow of illegal drugs?
What the tariffs will do is raise prices for American businesses and consumers.
Though much uncertainly remains about how these tariffs will function, a full-fledged 25 percent tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, plus a 10 percent tariff on all imports from China, would be a tax increase of $111 billion this year and would shrink the U.S. economy by 0.4 percent, according to estimates by the Tax Foundation.
“Several industries would experience severe disruption, including autos, oil & gas, and agriculture,” wrote Erica York, vice president of policy at the Tax Foundation, in a post on X shortly after Leavitt announced the new tariffs.
Auto manufacturers, which rely on supply chains that stretch across the whole of North America—thanks to free trade agreements—figure to be some of the hardest hit. “Steep tariffs on vehicles would not only raise prices north of the border and shock the Mexican auto sector and its workers. They would also cost jobs in the United States,” warned the Peterson Institute for International Economics, in December. “Because of the highly integrated value chains in the North American auto sector, a high share of US-origin parts are embedded in Mexico’s motor vehicle exports. US suppliers of these parts could soon be caught in the crossfire of Trump’s trade war.”
Fruit and vegetable imports from Mexico will be another victim. “If you put tariffs on Mexican fruits and vegetables, there’s no doubt about it, you’ll have inflation in the supermarket and you will have bare shelves,” Lance Jungmeyer, president of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, toldThe Packer, a trade publication, in November. “Consumers will not be happy with that.”
Tariffs on crude oil imports from Canada will likely drive up prices at the gas pump. More than 50 percent of the crude oil imported to the U.S. comes from Canada, and analysts believe tariffs could cause prices to jump by 40 cents or even 70 cents per gallon. If those tariffs spiral into a broader trade war, energy companies are already warning about “volatility in crude oil prices, impacting refineries and downstream fuel markets, especially for gasoline and diesel.”
There are also unanswered questions about how the other countries might respond. “All three governments have promised to answer Mr. Trump’s levies with tariffs of their own on U.S. exports, including Florida orange juice, Tennessee whiskey and Kentucky peanut butter,” The New York Timesnotes.
Make no mistake, this is a trade war of choice being launched unilaterally by Trump. It is a foolish and self-destructive move, one that (in the case of tariffs on Canada and Mexico, at least) directly violates a trade deal Trump signed during his first term and hailed as “the fairest, most balanced, and beneficial trade agreement we have ever signed into law. It’s the best agreement we’ve ever made.”
Tariffs are not a path to peace or prosperity, and igniting a trade war with America’s three largest trade partners is sure to have negative consequences no one can foresee at the moment.
“Sound fiscal policy and effective incentives to work, save and invest can increase economic growth, but the implementation of broad-based tariffs impedes that growth and in a full-blown trade war would overwhelm it,” warned economists Phil Gramm and Larry Summers, in a powerful op-ed published Friday in The Wall Street Journal. “We therefore urge Congress not to adopt the administration’s proposed tariffs and urge the president not to implement those tariffs by executive order.”
Congress should act immediately to block these tariffs, reassure America’s top trade partners and other allies, and revoke much of the president’s authority over trade.
Trump announced he will implement a 25 percent tariff on Canada and Mexico for all imported goods. China, meanwhile, will face face an additional 10 percent tariff. Trump says the additional charges are part of an effort to curtail “crime and drugs” coming into the U.S. and slow the number of illegal border crossings.
Though tariffs are designed to promote domestic production and purchasing by taxing imported goods, the increase in cost typically falls on consumers, not foreign governments. Numerous economic experts have warned that Trump’s tariffs on goods from those three countries could lead to price spikes and inflation – a concern shared by many voters who said they backed Trump.
The U.S. imports a host of goods from Canada, Mexico and China directly as well as supplies for products made in America. Here Here’s what resources, materials or products come from those countries:
Donald Trump has proposed tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada – which provide a host of goods to the U.S. such as toys, lumber and food (AFP via Getty Images)
Although the U.S. produces large quantities of crude oil every day, it makes more economic sense to import it. Crude oil produced in the U.S. is considered “light” compared to the “heavy” oil produced in Canada and the Middle East.
This means the U.S. relies on imports for “heavy” oil. Importing from Canada, which is close by and doesn’t require as much transportation as other countries such as those in the Middle East, makes it more accessible.
Gasoline is made from crude oil and price spikes in oil can lead to more pain at the pump.
Many experts say Trump’s threatened tariffs will lead to price increases (Getty Images)
“A 25% tariff on Canadian oil would have huge impacts to #gasprices in the Great Lakes, Midwest & Rockies, which are major markets where refiners process Canadian oil. You can’t simply process different oil overnight. It would take investments/years. More U.S. supply wouldn’t help,” warned gas price expert Patrick De Haan on X.
De Haan, an industry leader with GasBuddy.com, further warned that oil refineries in the U.S. have shrunken over the last four years – making it harder for the U.S. to increase its production in gasoline.
“Total impact to #gasprices in these areas could be 25-75c/gal, dependent on season and refining factors as well if tariffs go through,” De Haan added.
Motor vehicles and parts
Mexico is the largest exporter of vehicles, vehicle parts and vehicle accessories to the U.S. than any other country making up 27 percent of all imports from Mexico.
Importing auto parts abroad and then assembling them in the U.S. is a cheaper alternative than manufacturing and assembling domestically. Tariffs would increase the cost of most cars, though it’s not clear how much.
Patrick Anderson, chief executive of Anderson Economic Group, a consulting firm in Michigan, told the New York Times: “There is probably not a single assembly plant in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois and Texas that would not immediately be affected by a 25 percent tariff.”
Tariffs “would spell disaster for the U.S. auto industry,” analysts at Bernstein said in a note to investors, according to the Times. But, they added, they doubt Trump will follow through.
“Given the wide-ranging negative implications for industrial production in the U.S., we expect this is unlikely to happen in practice,” the Bernstein analysts said.
These include items such as television sets, smartphones, monitors, projects and more. All of them could see price increases if tariffs are imposed and passed on to consumers.
Mexico too is also a major producer of electronics not only in the U.S. but across the globe.
“Mexico has over 730 plants manufacturing audio and video, telecommunications, computer equipment, and related parts. It is the largest exporter of flat-screen TVs in the world, the third-largest exporter of computers, and the eighth-largest producer of electronics in the world,” consulting firm IVEMSA, according to PC Mag.
Experts are warning that many of electronics sold in America come from Mexico, Canada and China and could see price increases (AP)
Sugar
Among Mexico’s largest exports to the U.S. are sugar and sweeteners. The U.S. spends more than $700 million importing sugar directly from Mexico.
More than 445,000 metric tons of sugar were imported to U.S. ports from Mexico between October 2023 and September 2024.
Fresh vegetables and fruit
The U.S. spends more than $20 billion annually importing horticultural agricultural products from Canada and Mexico. Tomatoes, avocados, peppers, strawberries, lemons, limes, broccoli, cauliflower and so much more produce is imported into the U.S. from Mexico.
Canada supplies the U.S. with mushrooms, potatoes and more.
All of those items could see price increases with tariffs. That would hit American consumers hard as grocery prices have already risen by about 25 percent since 2020. Many voters used groceries as an example of how inflation impacted their day-to-day lives, so another price increase in food could be devastating to households.
Meat
Beef and beef products are often imported from Canada and Mexico and the amount imported has only risen over the last three years.
An analysis by Third Way found that the average cost of 3lbs of frozen beef in America is $26.67. A 10 percent tariff on all goods, with a 60 percent tariff on goods from China, would lead to a price jump for the same meat to $27.76.
Consumers have already seen grocery prices jump by 25 percent since 2020, but Trump’s proposed tariffs could lead to more price increases (AP)
Toys
China’s third largest export to the U.S. are toys, games and sports requisites because they are cheaper to manufacture overseas.
Though the idea of tariffs is to promote domestic production, the chief executive of Basic Fun, the maker of Fischer-Price and Care Bears, told The New York Post there is “no manufacturing base for toys in the U.S. anymore.”
The same analysis by Third Way estimated the cost of an average board game going from $14.87 to $17.85 under Trump’s tariffs.
Wood, plastics and other materials
All three countries provide the U.S. with an abundance of materials like wood, plastics, iron, textiles and more.
Some companies have already warned that tariffs on materials could lead to a spike increase, even for products assembled in America.
“People generally don’t understand how dependent the global economy is for those kinds of intermediate goods, raw materials, that we sort of take for granted,” Willy Shih, an economist at Harvard Business School, told PackagingDive.com.
“They need to understand where their exposures are,” he said. “A lot of times, it’ll be in surprising areas, because your exposure may be at your supplier level. Your tier two supplier may have exposure to tariffs and you may not know, but the first thing you got to do is understand all that.”
Trump Vowed to ‘Immediately’ Bring Down Egg Prices. His New Press Secretary Says Sudden Spike Is Biden’s Fault
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is aiming to prevent her boss from falling into the same trap as Biden, whose early presidency was infamously remembered as an expensive era for eggs
Rachel Raposas – January 31, 2025
Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty; GettyWhite House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has been forced to address the sudden rise in egg prices
Donald Trump made a campaign promise to “immediately bring prices down” on his first day in office. Instead, egg prices have spiked.
During her first White House briefing, press secretary Karoline Leavitt blamed former President Joe Biden for hurting the egg supply and driving up costs.
Egg prices are expected to continue rising due to a bird flu outbreak, which Biden’s Department of Agriculture tried controlling early on by euthanizing infected chickens.
Egg prices have risen in the short time since President Donald Trump took office — despite his campaign promise to “immediately bring prices down, starting on day one” — leading White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt to begin mounting her boss’s defense.
In her first official White House press briefing on Tuesday, Leavitt, 27, blamed former President Joe Biden for rising costs with “everything” across the country right now — including eggs, which have started to increase in price and demand due to bird flu outbreaks among chicken flocks.
“There’s a lot of reporting out there that’s putting the onus on this White House for the increased cost of eggs,” Leavitt said. “I’d like to point out to each and every one of you that in 2024 when Joe Biden was in the Oval Office — or upstairs in the residence sleeping, I’m not so sure — egg prices increased 65 percent in this country.”
CNN previously noted that, while inflation plagued a significant chunk of Biden’s presidency due to factors like the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, wages in the United States had begun to outpace rising grocery prices in 2024. Any progress made on the cost of eggs was recently thwarted by the bird flu outbreak, which created supply issues and was not a direct fault of either president.
EyePress News/ShutterstockPresidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden debate on June 28, 2024
During the press conference, Leavitt claimed the spike in egg prices were due to the Biden administration’s “mass killing of more than 100 million chickens, which has led to a lack of chicken supply in this country, therefore a lack of egg supply, which is leading to the shortage.”
However, the “killings” are a standard practice for the Department of Agriculture — which the Trump administration is poised to continue — that’s intended to contain the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or HPAI, colloquially known as the bird flu.
“There is no treatment for HPAI. The only way to stop the disease is to depopulate all affected and exposed poultry,” the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, part of the Department of Agriculture, writes on its website.
If chickens are not euthanized, the virus can continue its rapid spread and drive up costs even higher by affecting larger groups.
“Not to be the bearer of bad news, but we’re in this for a while,” Emily Metz, president and CEO of the American Egg Board, previously told CNN of egg shortages. “Until we have time without a detection, unfortunately this very, very tight egg supply is going to continue.”
In the 2024 election, the cost of groceries, gas and other necessary goods was a large force behind how citizens voted — and two thirds of the people who cited basic goods cost as the most important issue for them voted for Trump.
However, many of the policy changes Trump has since began implementing — including a push for increased domestic oil production, decreased Biden-era climate change initiatives and unprecedented tariffs on imported goods — will have either no effect on prices or will affect them adversely, an expert told CNN.
Trump Reveals When His Tariffs on Mexico and Canada Will Kick In
Emell Derra Adolphus – January 30, 2025
The Daily Beast/Getty
President Donald Trump affirmed on Thursday that imports from U.S. allies Mexico and Canada will be hit with a 25 percent tariff starting on Saturday.
Speaking to the press from the Oval Office, Trump said that his administration will follow through in announcing tariffs on America’s neighboring countries for “a number of reasons”—chiefly among them being an alleged influx of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, reported The Hill.
On his first day in office, Trump issued a proclamation declaring a state of emergency at America’s southern border.
Thirty-six hours later, the declaration enabled the Department of Defense to send 1,500 troops to the region to work on the placement of barriers and other related actions to deter illegal crossings. According to DOD report, the troops were on standby in Southern California to help combat the Los Angeles County wildfires.
“For the past four years, the federal government has abdicated its responsibility to enforce the border, resulting in a catastrophic immigration crisis for the United States,” declared Trump’s proclamation. However, when Congress was close to passing a bipartisan border security bill in 2024, Trump allegedly pressured Republican allies to kill the bill so he could continue hammering Democrats about border chaos during his campaign, reported CNN.
President Donald Trump talks with Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. / NICHOLAS KAMM / AFP via Getty Images
Trump also cited an influx of drugs, specifically fentanyl, crossing into the United States—as well as a trade deficit—as reason for implementing tariffs on Canada and Mexico.
“I’ll be putting the tariff of 25 percent on Canada and Mexico, and we will really have to do that because we have very big deficits with those countries,” he said. “Those tariffs may or may not rise with time.”
Mexico and Canada are major exporters of gas, food and automobiles to the U.S., with several U.S.-based automobile manufacturers shipping cars back and forth across America’s borders during the manufacturing process.
The president said that his administration has not yet decided on whether it would levy tariffs on oil imports, reported Reuters.
“We may or may not. We’re going to make that determination probably tonight,” said Trump. He added that this would partly depend on prices and on whether the two countries “treat us properly.”
Trump Decides Presser on D.C. Plane Crash Is Best Time for a Joke
Edith Olmsted – January 30, 2025
Donald Trump just will not take Wednesday night’s deadly aviation collision seriously.
While signing yet another batch of executive orders on Thursday, the president was asked whether he planned to visit the site of the deadly midair crash between a military helicopter and an American Airlines flight, which killed all 67 people on board the two aircraft.
“I have a plan to visit, not the site, because why don’t you tell me, what’s the site? The water?” Trump said. “You want me to go swimming?”
Trump followed up his flippant response by saying he planned to meet with some of the family members of those who had died in the crash.
The bodies of at least 28 people had been recovered from the Potomac River by Thursday evening, as recovery operations continued, according to the Associated Press.
Earlier on Thursday, Trump had suggested that the Biden administration’s diversity, equity, and inclusion hiring practices were to blame for the crash, specifically pointing to the Federal Aviation Administration’s practice of hiring people with “targeted disabilities.” The FAA published a report contradicting this outlandish and unserious claim, saying that staffing in the air traffic control tower was “not normal” on Wednesday night when the crash occurred.
It’s also worth noting that Trump went on television to speak about the crash hours before he had actually briefed on the incident. Meanwhile, National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman said Thursday it is too early to tell what exactly caused the crash.