Trump updates: President claims tariffs ‘great’ for Republicans as trade war roils Asian markets

The Center for American Progress has calculated how much in price some goods might go up under President Donald Trump’s tariffs regime.

It's not good news if you’re in the market for a PlayStation 5... or if you plan on buying coffee, tea, fruit, rice, clothing, or want a new car.

President Donald Trump says he told Speaker Mike Johnson and “more conservative” Republican lawmakers that he is favour of “MAJOR SPENDING CUTS” in the hope of getting “The One, Big, Beautiful Bill” passed by the House.

The president wrote on Truth Social:

I had a very good meeting today with the Speaker of the House and some of our more Conservative Members, all great people. I let them know that, I AM FOR MAJOR SPENDING CUTS! WE ARE GOING TO DO REDUCTIONS, hopefully in excess of $1 Trillion Dollars, all of which will go into “The One, Big, Beautiful Bill.” I, along with House Members and Senators, will be pushing very hard to get these large scale Spending Cuts done, but we must get the Bill approved NOW. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

China has hit back against Vice President JD Vance after he referred to the nation’s population as “Chinese peasants.”

Vance appeared on Fox News last week, where he defended the Trump administration’s widespread new tariffs by asking what the “globalist economy” has done for the U.S. The vice president said the U.S. was “incurring a huge amount of debt to buy things that other countries make.”

He added: “We borrow money from Chinese peasants to buy the things those Chinese peasants manufacture.”

Gustaf Kilander reports.

The National Press Club has praised today’s federal court ruling affirming that viewpoint discrimination against journalists is unconstitutional, calling it a vital step toward restoring accountability and safeguarding the public’s right to know.

“This is a critical victory for press freedom and the public’s right to independent reporting about the highest levels of government,” said National Press Club President Mike Balsamo — the national law enforcement editor for The Associated Press.

“This ruling affirms that the government cannot punish a news organization for its independent editorial decisions.”

In his decision, U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden wrote: “If the Government opens its doors to some journalists … it cannot then shut those doors to other journalists because of their viewpoints. The Constitution requires no less.”

While the court’s injunction is currently stayed until April 13, the ruling makes clear that viewpoint-based exclusion of journalists violates core constitutional protections. “At a time when transparency is more vital than ever, today’s decision is a reminder that the First Amendment remains a cornerstone of our democracy,” Balsamo said. “This is not just a win for one newsroom; it’s a victory for every journalist and every American who depends on a free press.”

China is reportedly considering a ban on all US films in retaliation for Donald Trump raising tariffs on Chinese imports.

Earlier today, the White House confirmed that China will be hit with a 104 percent tariff rate from tomorrow after Beijing did not lift retaliatory tariffs on US goods.

Bloomberg News reports that in China, two widely followed bloggers with links to the local authorities shared identical lists of measures that could be introduced by Chinese authorities in response. These include “reducing or banning the import of US films.”

Kevin E G Perry reports from Los Angeles.

Eric Garcia reports from Washington, D.C.

American consumers and the stock market are not the only groups seeking relief from President Donald Trump’s whipsaw trade actions; Senate Republicans also hope to find an exit off the Trump tariff train.

Trump appears uninterested in stopping the tariff steamroller. At midnight, the administration is set to levy an additional 50 percent tariff on China if China does not retract its 34 percent retaliatory tariff. That would boost the tariffs on Chinese goods to an extraordinary 104 percent.

During a hearing at the Senate Finance Committee with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina warned that ultimately one person has to own the blame if projects go awry as he referenced his time in management consulting.

So “whose throat do I get to choke if this proves to be wrong,?” Tillis asked Greer.

Read on...

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Tuesday that new trade deals could be established with other countries regarding tariffs by the end of this week.

Rollins made these remarks during an interview with Fox News host Bret Baier on the network's Special Report show.

“I believe, sincerely, it will be sooner rather than later. I believe we'll be hearing about new deals that are being struck, perhaps by the end of the week,” Rollins said, adding that 70 countries had reached out to the U.S. for discussions.

Rollins was also asked how increasing egg imports could help reduce prices in the U.S. when they would be subject to the new tariffs.

Pushed as to whether the tariffs plan was to generate revenue for the U.S. or to open negotiations with trading partners, Rollins said: “It’s an all of the above approach.”

The Trump administration has said it intended both to be the case — though any negotiation downward would significantly impinge on the collection of tariffs... 🤔