Ukraine and the United States signed a rare earth minerals deal on Wednesday afternoon, the U.S. Treasury confirmed, establishing what they named the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the deal had been finalized in a video posted to social media, saying, &#8220;Today&#8217;s agreement signals clearly to Russian leadership that the Trump administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term.&#8221;
&#8220;Thanks to President Trump’s tireless efforts to secure a lasting peace, I am glad to announce the signing of today’s historic economic partnership agreement between the United States and Ukraine establishing the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund to help accelerate Ukraine’s economic recovery,&#8221; Bessent said. &#8220;Economic security is national security.&#8221;
The Treasury Secretary added that the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation will establish the investment fund with the Ukrainian government.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>’s tireless efforts to secure a lasting peace, I am glad to announce the signing of today’s historic economic partnership agreement between the United States and Ukraine establishing the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund to help… <a href="https://t.co/N1jPa35DYh">pic.twitter.com/N1jPa35DYh</a>
&mdash; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecScottBessent/status/1917697018551754802?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Bessent revealed earlier in the day that Ukraine was ready to agree to the deal after requesting some last-minute changes.
During a cabinet meeting at the White House, Bessent told reporters that the United States was &#8220;ready to sign&#8221; the deal &#8220;this afternoon&#8221; if Ukraine was on board. Ukrainian officials were in Washington, D.C., to hash out the final technicalities of the agreement, and after some last-minute minor changes to the deal on Tuesday night, Bessent was hopeful that the deal will finally be signed.
&#8220;The Ukrainians decided last night to make some last-minute changes. We&#8217;re sure that they will reconsider that, and we are ready to sign this afternoon if they are,&#8221; the Treasury Secretary said.
He added that Ukraine&#8217;s changes don&#8217;t have any major effect on the overall minerals agreement.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecScottBessent?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecScottBessent</a> on the minerals deal with Ukraine: &quot;Our side is ready to sign. The Ukrainians decided last night to make some last-minute changes. We&#39;re sure that they will reconsider that and we are ready to sign this afternoon if they are.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/U4Pp0i0Dzn">pic.twitter.com/U4Pp0i0Dzn</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1917632594021134598?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Both sides had already agreed to the main part of the deal but were working through &#8220;some technical elements,&#8221; according to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-30/ukraine-and-us-working-on-last-details-of-critical-minerals-deal?srnd=homepage-americas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bloomberg</a>, which cited sources familiar with the discussion. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said earlier on Wednesday that the agreement “will be signed in the near future, hopefully within 24 hours.” Shmyhal added that Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko is traveling to D.C. to sign the deal.
The minerals agreement will give the United States access to some of Ukraine&#8217;s vital natural resources, including aluminum, graphite, oil, and natural gas, Bloomberg reported. In return, Ukraine will receive continued military assistance and guarantees from the United States to help &#8220;the long-term reconstruction and modernization of Ukraine, in response to the large-scale destruction caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion,&#8221; according to a draft of the agreement. According to Shmyhal, the latest draft of the agreement ties the United States and Ukraine together for 10 years, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-putin-trump-peace-ce025ba11929ceff0c90f94c25a47624" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The deal has been months in the making after hitting a roadblock when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was chided by President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office in late February. Following heated discussion, Zelensky was asked to leave the White House without signing the minerals deal.
Trump has been pushing Ukraine and Russia to come to terms on a peace deal to end the war, but he has grown increasingly frustrated with both Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin over the lack of progress. A signed minerals deal, however, is a major step forward for the Trump administration in its foreign policy talks with Ukraine and would come as Trump celebrates his first 100 days back in office.

Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky

Done Deal: U.S. Signs Minerals Agreement With Ukraine

Donald Trump

Russia

Scott Bessent

Ukraine

Ukraine-Russia War

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the dropping stock market is the fault of former President Joe Biden, adding that slow economic growth is from &#8220;the Biden overhang&#8221; and &#8220;has NOTHING TO DO WITH TARIFFS.&#8221;
Trump made the comment on <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114427089568235019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Truth Social</a> as the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&amp;P 500, and Nasdaq Composite all dipped again Wednesday morning. Since Trump&#8217;s massive tariff rollout, which began with hitting China, Canada, and Mexico in early February, the <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/index/djia?mod=mw_quote_switch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dow Jones</a> has dropped by around 5,000 points, the <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/index/comp?mod=mw_quote_switch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nasdaq</a> is down nearly 2,000 points, and the <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/index/spx?mod=mw_quote_switch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">S&amp;P 500</a> is down around 500 points.
&#8220;This is Biden’s Stock Market, not Trump’s. I didn’t take over until January 20th,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;Tariffs will soon start kicking in, and companies are starting to move into the USA in record numbers. Our Country will boom, but we have to get rid of the Biden &#8216;Overhang.&#8217; This will take a while, has NOTHING TO DO WITH TARIFFS, only that he left us with bad numbers, but when the boom begins, it will be like no other. BE PATIENT!!!&#8221;
The president has <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-tells-americans-to-be-patient-as-global-markets-keep-dropping-over-tariffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">repeatedly</a> asked Americans to remain patient as his economic and trade policies take effect, but many Americans are still uneasy about how Trump&#8217;s tariffs will affect the U.S. economy. On Wednesday, a U.S. Department of Commerce report showed that gross domestic product fell at a 0.3% annualized pace over the first quarter of 2025, CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/30/trump-gdp-tariffs-biden-overhang.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. It was the first quarter of negative growth since the first quarter of 2022.
The Commerce Department report pointed to Trump&#8217;s tariffs as a reason for the decline in GDP in Q1, as companies tried to get ahead of the tariffs by ramping up imports. The Trump administration&#8217;s cut to defense spending also contributed to the GDP slowdown.
In January 2024, Trump took credit for a rising stock market under former President Biden. In a Truth Social post, Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/111840568643216314" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>, &#8220;THIS IS THE TRUMP STOCK MARKET BECAUSE MY POLLS AGAINST BIDEN ARE SO GOOD THAT INVESTORS ARE PROJECTING THAT I WILL WIN, AND THAT WILL DRIVE THE MARKET UP.&#8221;
The stock market reacted positively last week after the Trump administration hinted that the trade war with China might be coming to an end. Last Tuesday, after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned against a prolonged trade war, Trump said the 145% tariff on China &#8220;will come down substantially, but it won’t be zero.&#8221; As the White House says that numerous countries are ready to make a trade deal, Trump is still trying to bring China to the negotiating table.

Trump: This Is Biden’s Stock Market

Economy

Executive

Joe Biden

Politics

Stock Market

Tariffs

Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had nowhere to hide when President Donald Trump called her to the podium to address National Guardsmen in Michigan on Tuesday.
Whitmer met Trump at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in southeast Michigan, where the president stopped during his 100 days celebration to announce that the base, which was at risk of shutting down, would receive a new fighter squadron. During his remarks, Trump thanked the governor for her work &#8220;trying to save&#8221; the base, and then asked her to speak.
Whitmer approached the podium and said she &#8220;hadn&#8217;t planned to speak&#8221; at the event.
&#8220;I am really damn happy we&#8217;re here to celebrate this recapitalization at Selfridge,&#8221; she added. &#8220;It&#8217;s crucial for the Michigan economy, it&#8217;s crucial for the men and women here, for our homeland security, and our future.&#8221;
&#8220;So thank you,&#8221; Whitmer said, looking back at Trump. &#8220;I am so grateful that this announcement was made today, and I appreciate all the work.&#8221;
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Whitmer: I had not planned to speak but… https://t.co/35mCWzkywY
&mdash; Acyn (@Acyn) <a href="https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1917320346950328502?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Whitmer&#8217;s appearance at the Trump event followed her trip to the Oval Office earlier this month, where she was photographed while appearing to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gretchen-whitmer-mocked-for-trying-to-hide-her-face-from-cameras-in-oval-office?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Gretchen+Whitmer+Mocked+For+Trying+To+Hide+Her+Face+From+Cameras+In+Oval+Office" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hide her face</a> with a binder. She later said she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whitmer-responds-to-folder-gate-after-shes-caught-hiding-from-white-house-camera" target="_blank" rel="noopener">regretted</a> putting her folder in front of her face and laughed about the embarrassing photo, adding, &#8220;We all have our moments.&#8221;
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Gretchen Whitmer temporarily shielded herself from the cameras when she was in Trump’s Oval Office, per this photo from NYT’s <a href="https://twitter.com/erjlee?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@erjlee</a><a href="https://t.co/TFDPPnci7Q">https://t.co/TFDPPnci7Q</a> <a href="https://t.co/hnLnvuQvlX">pic.twitter.com/hnLnvuQvlX</a>
&mdash; bryan metzger (@metzgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/metzgov/status/1911078950865903648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The Michigan governor, who has been a fierce critic of Trump and Republicans, received some kind words from the president, who said that &#8220;the reason she came&#8221; to the White House was to try to save Selfridge.
&#8220;She was very effective, along with some of the other politicians and some of the military people who love this place,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;So I want to also thank Governor Gretchen Whitmer for bringing it to our attention very strongly. And you know, I&#8217;m not supposed to do that. She&#8217;s a Democrat. They&#8217;d say, &#8216;Don&#8217;t do that, don&#8217;t have her here.&#8217; No, she&#8217;s going to be here. She&#8217;s done a very good job, frankly.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> addresses Selfridge Air National Guard Base: &quot;For decades, they&#39;ve been trying to save this facility&#8230; I want to thank <a href="https://twitter.com/GovWhitmer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovWhitmer</a> for bringing it also to our attention very strongly&#8230; She was very much involved with the Republicans. They worked together on saving it.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/TcQ3HxXN8E">pic.twitter.com/TcQ3HxXN8E</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1917318771754041825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Whitmer, a potential 2028 presidential contender, was criticized by some on the Left for embracing Trump when he arrived at the base. She took to social media to explain her actions and appearance at the Trump event, writing, &#8220;Bipartisanship isn&#8217;t about sacrificing our values.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ll work with anyone who&#8217;s serious about getting things done. But I&#8217;ll never compromise on what I believe. In Michigan, we know how to get things done—and that means working together,&#8221; Whitmer <a href="https://x.com/GovWhitmer/status/1917250428464415062" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on X.
&#8220;I&#8217;ll work with anyone to move our state forward. But let me be clear: I will never back down from protecting our fundamental rights, defending our democracy, or fighting for every Michigander&#8217;s future,&#8221; she added. &#8220;Bipartisanship isn&#8217;t about sacrificing our values. It&#8217;s about standing strong and finding common ground to get things done. It&#8217;s about putting people first, every single time.&#8221;

Trump Makes Whitmer Show Her Face At Michigan Event

Gretchen Whitmer

Michigan

National Guard

President Donald Trump said he talked to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos on Tuesday shortly after a report claimed that the e-commerce giant was going to show the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hostile-white-house-sounds-off-after-amazon-says-it-will-display-tariff-costs-for-consumers?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=%E2%80%98Hostile%E2%80%99%3A+White+House+Sounds+Off+On+Amazon+Reportedly+Displaying+Tariff+Costs+For+Consumers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cost of tariffs</a> next to the total price of products on its site.
Trump said that Bezos &#8220;solved the problem very quickly&#8221; after Punchbowl News reported that Amazon was planning to display tariff costs. Shortly after the Punchbowl News report was published, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt blasted Amazon, calling its reported move &#8220;hostile and political.&#8221; Amazon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/amazon-denies-that-it-considered-listing-tariff-costs-on-main-site-after-trump-backlash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded</a> to the report Tuesday morning, denying that it was planning to show tariff costs on its main website.
&#8220;Jeff Bezos was very nice. He was terrific. He solved the problem very quickly, and he did the right thing,&#8221; Trump told reporters before boarding Marine One Tuesday afternoon. &#8220;He&#8217;s a good guy.&#8221;
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on Amazon: &#8220;Jeff Bezos was very nice. He was terrific. He solved the problem very quickly and he did the right thing.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/AGrFLA9u1X">pic.twitter.com/AGrFLA9u1X</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1917288272344055882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Bezos has grown warmer toward Trump after the 2024 presidential election, attending his inauguration and meeting him at Mar-a-Lago. Leavitt didn&#8217;t pull any punches in her comments about Amazon, however, and said that its reported decision was “not a surprise,” pointing to a 2021 Reuters report about the tech and e-commerce giant partnering with a Chinese propaganda arm and complying with some of communist China’s wishes for the website. A senior White House official told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/29/business/white-house-calls-report-that-amazon-is-adding-a-tariff-charge-a-hostile-action/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a> that Trump &#8220;was pissed&#8221; after learning of Amazon&#8217;s reported plan to add a tariff charge.
After Leavitt blasted Amazon, a spokesman for the company said that the plan was only discussed for the “ultra low cost Amazon Haul store,” which “considered the idea of listing import charges on certain products,” ABC News reported. The spokesman added, “Teams discuss ideas all the time. This was never a consideration for the main Amazon site and nothing has been implemented on any Amazon properties.”
Amazon, an American company that sources over 70% of its products from China, is facing the brunt of Trump&#8217;s 145% tariff on China. Chinese clothing stores Temu and Shein have added tariff surcharges, showing an additional 145% &#8220;import charge&#8221; for each item that they sell, CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/29/white-house-blasts-amazon-over-tariff-cost-report-hostile-and-political-act.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.

Trump Called Jeff Bezos After Report Claimed Amazon Was Planning To Show Tariff Costs

Amazon

China

Jeff Bezos

Republicans in Congress have proposed charging asylum seekers $1,000 to gain entry into the United States.
The proposal is part of a 116-page bill released by the House Judiciary Committee on Monday, which Republicans are seeking to include in a larger package implementing President Donald Trump&#8217;s agenda, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/28/us/politics/house-republicans-asylum-fees.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. If passed, the Republicans&#8217; proposal would mark the first time the United States charged migrants to claim asylum from countries where they face persecution. The money generated by the asylum claims would go toward securing the southern border.
Backers of the proposal say it would cut down on the total number of asylum claims and allow those with legitimate asylum claims to be admitted into the country more quickly. Proponents also argue that the $1,000 fee would weed out those from the process who are only trying to get a free ride to the United States and deter illegal entries at the southern border, according to <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5271541-republicans-immigration-bill-judiciary-trump-agenda/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hill</a>.
Those sponsoring children would face a $3,500 fee, and asylees already in the United States would be charged $550 to apply for a work authorization, according to the House GOP proposal. The measure was proposed after the Trump administration unveiled a program in February to give wealthy foreigners a path to citizenship in the United States with a &#8220;Trump Gold Card,&#8221; which would be sold for $5 million. The president said that he hoped the Gold Card would generate trillions of dollars in revenue, which could go toward paying off the national debt.
Revenue from the GOP-proposed asylee fees would likely go toward building new immigration detention centers, hiring more Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) staff, and helping immigration judges better staff their courts. The Times reported that the Republicans&#8217; budget blueprint calls for $45 billion for immigration detention centers and $8 billion for ICE staff.
Earlier this month, House Republicans <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hold-trump-scores-big-beautiful-victory-house-budget-vote" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> a budget plan that gets the ball rolling for Trump&#8217;s domestic agenda and allows for lawmakers in both the House and the Senate to begin developing legislation. The House Judiciary Committee is set to discuss its legislation, which includes the plan for asylee fees, this week. After House committees mark up individual bills that deal with their respective jurisdictions, Republicans will combine them into one reconciliation measure and try to pass the legislation with a simple majority vote.

Non-governmental Organizations Offer Support To Migrants Stranded In Mexico City

House Republicans Propose Fees For Asylum Seekers

House Judiciary Committee

House Republicans

Immigration

Harvard University announced on Monday that its Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging is getting a rebrand as the school continues its fight against the Trump administration, which has frozen billions of dollars in federal aid.
The office will now be called &#8220;Community and Campus Life&#8221; and will focus on &#8220;expanding cross-cultural engagement programs, supporting first-generation and low-income students, and creating more opportunities for dialogue across differences,&#8221; The Harvard Crimson <a href="https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/4/29/harvard-oedib-renamed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Harvard&#8217;s chief diversity officer position has also been renamed and will now be called the Chief Community and Campus Life Officer. Sherri A. Charleston, who holds that position, said in an email that the university would &#8220;reexamine and reshape the missions and programs of offices across the university.&#8221;
Trump has set his sights on Harvard, recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-calls-harvard-an-anti-semitic-threat-to-democracy?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Calls+Harvard+%E2%80%98An+Anti-Semitic%E2%80%A6Threat+To+Democracy%E2%80%99" target="_blank" rel="noopener">calling</a> the Ivy League school “Anti-Semitic,” “Far-Left,” and “a threat to Democracy.” The Trump administration froze more than $2 billion in federal funding for Harvard after the university rejected demands to dismantle its DEI programs and do more to punish antisemitism on campus. Federal agencies sent two letters to Harvard in April, urging the school to eliminate DEI programs.
Harvard President Alan M. Garber said earlier this month that the Trump administration does not have the authority to &#8220;dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.&#8221; The university filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its funding freeze, arguing that the federal government is violating &#8220;Harvard’s constitutional rights&#8221; through a &#8220;pressure campaign.&#8221;
Harvard&#8217;s announcement on Monday is the first change it has made to its DEI programs, an apparent step that aligns with the Trump administration&#8217;s desires for the university, according to The Crimson. Trump has also targeted DEI offices at other Ivy League schools, and multiple universities have scrubbed mentions of DEI from their websites.
On Monday, Trump&#8217;s Education Department and Health and Human Services Department <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-launches-probe-into-harvard-law-review-over-treatment-of-white-contributors?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Admin+Launches+Probe+Into+Harvard+Law+Review+Over+Treatment+Of+White+Contributors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">launched</a> a probe into the Harvard Law Review and its treatment of white contributors. The investigation will look into allegations that the university prioritized race over merit in its law journal&#8217;s membership evaluation and article publication.

Harvard

Harvard Renames DEI Office Amid Funding Battle With Trump Admin

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Education

Trump Administration

Amazon denied on Tuesday that it was planning to show the cost that tariffs would add to the price of products on its website, pushing back on a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hostile-white-house-sounds-off-after-amazon-says-it-will-display-tariff-costs-for-consumers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Punchbowl News after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt blasted the Seattle-based company.
Leavitt ripped Amazon for taking a &#8220;hostile and political&#8221; action, adding, “Why didn’t Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked inflation to the highest level in 40 years?” After backlash from the White House, the company said that it &#8220;never&#8221; considered showing tariff costs on &#8220;the main Amazon site.&#8221;
An Amazon spokesman said on Tuesday morning that the plan was only discussed for the &#8220;ultra low cost Amazon Haul store,&#8221; which &#8220;considered the idea of listing import charges on certain products,&#8221; ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/live-updates/trump-admin-live-updates-border-czar-brief-securing/?id=121230740&amp;entryId=121277073" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The spokesman added, &#8220;Teams discuss ideas all the time. This was never a consideration for the main Amazon site and nothing has been implemented on any Amazon properties.&#8221;
Asked about the Punchbowl report during a press briefing on Tuesday morning, Leavitt said that she had just spoken to President Donald Trump about the issue. Leavitt also pointed to a 2021 Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china/amazon-partnered-with-china-propaganda-arm-win-beijings-favor-document-shows-2021-12-17/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> about the tech and e-commerce giant partnering with a Chinese propaganda arm and complying with some of communist China’s wishes for the website. More than 70% of Amazon&#8217;s products are sourced in China and subject to Trump’s 145% tariff on the country.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has not commented on the Punchbowl report. Bezos has cozied up to Trump since the 2024 election, joining Trump for dinner at Mar-a-Lago after the election and attending Trump&#8217;s inauguration after Amazon donated $1 million to the inaugural fund.

Amazon Denies That It Considered Listing Tariff Costs On ‘Main’ Site After Trump Backlash

Business

Karoline Leavitt

The White House confirmed on Tuesday that President Donald Trump will sign an order protecting the auto industry from tariffs &#8220;stacking&#8221; on top of each other in exchange for continued focus on domestic production.
Auto manufacturers will continue to pay a 25% tariff for imported vehicles, but Trump&#8217;s order will prevent any additional tariffs, such as the 25% tax on steel and aluminum, from affecting car companies, CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/29/trump-auto-tariffs.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Trump&#8217;s order will be retroactive, allowing automakers to receive reimbursements for tariffs they have already paid, according to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/trump-tariffs-autos-exceptions-fc634efd?mod=hp_lead_pos1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Wall Street Journal</a>.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said during a White House press briefing on Tuesday that the president&#8217;s move shows a commitment to bringing car manufacturing back to the United States. “We want to give the automakers a path to do that quickly, efficiently, and create as many jobs as possible,” he said.
The change comes after automakers called on the Trump administration to provide some relief from the tariffs that have been stacking up on the car industry. Six lobbyists representing U.S. automotive groups joined forces last week to argue against implementing tariffs on foreign auto parts, a tax that is set to take effect on May 3.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that the 25% tariff on foreign auto parts will also be modified, allowing car manufacturers to be reimbursed up to 3.75% of the value of the U.S.-made car in the first year. The reimbursement would drop to 2.5% of the car&#8217;s value in the second year and then be phased out.
In exchange for the tariff relief, car manufacturers reportedly committed to furthering domestic production, a key point for the Trump administration.
“President Trump is building an important partnership with both the domestic automakers and our great American workers,” said Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. “This deal will be a major victory for the president’s trade policy by rewarding companies who are already manufacturing domestically, while providing a runway to manufacturers who have expressed their commitment in investing in America and expanding domestic manufacturing.”
The Ford Motor Company thanked the president for the tariff relief, saying in a statement, “Ford welcomes and appreciates these decisions by President Trump, which will help mitigate the impact of tariffs on automakers, suppliers and consumers.”
&#8220;We will continue to work closely with the administration in support of the president’s vision for a healthy and growing auto industry in America,&#8221; Ford CEO Jim Farley added. &#8220;Ford sees policies that encourage exports and ensure affordable supply chains to promote more domestic growth as essential.&#8221;
Stellantis Chair John Elkann added, “Stellantis appreciates the tariff relief measures decided by President Trump. While we further assess the impact of the tariff policies on our North American operations, we look forward to our continued collaboration with the U.S. Administration to strengthen a competitive American auto industry and stimulate exports.”
General Motors CEO Mary Barra also expressed her gratitude for the &#8220;productive conversations with the President and his Administration.&#8221;

Ford assembly line

‘A Major Victory:’ Trump Makes Deal With Auto Industry For Tariff Relief

Auto Companies

Ford Motor Co.

Amazon will begin displaying the cost that President Donald Trump&#8217;s tariffs are adding to the price of products, according to Punchbowl News, irking the Trump administration, which on Tuesday described Amazon&#8217;s move as &#8220;hostile and political.&#8221;
Punchbowl News <a href="https://punchbowl.news/article/tech/amazon-display-tariff-costs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the massive e-commerce company will show the cost that tariffs add to each product next to the total price. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt <a href="https://x.com/PhilipWegmann/status/1917201780687135018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blasted</a> Amazon during a press briefing on Tuesday morning, saying she &#8220;just got off the phone with the president,&#8221; who discussed Amazon&#8217;s decision.
&#8220;This is a hostile and political act by Amazon,&#8221; Leavitt said. &#8220;Why didn&#8217;t Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked inflation to the highest level in 40 years?&#8221;
Amazon denied that it was planning to show the cost of tariffs next to products shortly after Leavitt&#8217;s comments. An Amazon spokesman said that the plan was only discussed for the “ultra low cost Amazon Haul store,” which “considered the idea of listing import charges on certain products,” ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/live-updates/trump-admin-live-updates-border-czar-brief-securing/?id=121230740&amp;entryId=121277073" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The spokesman added, “Teams discuss ideas all the time. This was never a consideration for the main Amazon site and nothing has been implemented on any Amazon properties.”
Leavitt said that Amazon&#8217;s reported decision is &#8220;not a surprise,&#8221; pointing to a 2021 Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china/amazon-partnered-with-china-propaganda-arm-win-beijings-favor-document-shows-2021-12-17/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> about the tech and e-commerce giant partnering with a Chinese propaganda arm and complying with some of communist China&#8217;s wishes for the website.
&#8220;This is another reason why Americans should buy American. It&#8217;s another reason why we are onshoring critical supply chains here at home to shore up our own critical supply chain and boost our own manufacturing,&#8221; Leavitt said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> reacts to Amazon&#39;s announcement on tariffs: &quot;This is a hostile and political act by Amazon&#8230; It&#39;s not a surprise because, as Reuters recently wrote, Amazon has partnered with a Chinese propaganda arm&#8230; This is another reason Americans should buy American.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/jtXZYfR8rH">pic.twitter.com/jtXZYfR8rH</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1917203919521882362?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Some economists express concerns that the president&#8217;s tariffs on China will mostly hurt American consumers. More than <a href="https://www.statista.com/chart/33376/share-of-items-sold-on-amazon-by-country-of-origin/#:~:text=More%20than%2070%20percent%20of,above%20the%20100%20percent%20mark." target="_blank" rel="noopener">70%</a> of Amazon&#8217;s products are sourced in China and subject to Trump&#8217;s 145% tariff on the country. The president hinted at an end to the escalating trade war with China soon, saying last week that the tariff on China &#8220;will come down substantially, but it won’t be zero.&#8221; China has retaliated with a 125% tariff on American goods.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has grown warmer toward Trump in recent months. After Trump&#8217;s election victory, Bezos dined with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, and Amazon donated $1 million to the president&#8217;s inauguration. Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post, has also been hit by the Left for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wapo-opinion-editor-quits-after-jeff-bezos-announces-significant-shift-in-opinion-section" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dialing back</a> the newspaper&#8217;s opinion section and reportedly urging the Post to hire more conservative columnists.
This article has been updated with additional information.

White House Press Briefing

‘Hostile’: White House Sounds Off On Amazon Reportedly Displaying Tariff Costs For Consumers

Trade War

FBI Director Kash Patel said on Friday that federal agents arrested a Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, judge who is suspected of helping an illegal immigrant from Mexico evade Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.
Last week, ICE agents showed up at a Milwaukee County Courthouse to arrest a Mexican citizen after a hearing before Judge Hannah Dugan. The judge directed ICE agents to wait in Chief Judge Carl Ashley&#8217;s office and then told the defendant to exit the courtroom through a side door, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel <a href="https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2025/04/25/fbi-investigating-allegations-that-milwaukee-judge-helped-an-immigrant-avoid-ice-arrest-dugan/83250128007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
&#8220;We believe Judge Dugan intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse, Eduardo Flores Ruiz, allowing the subject — an illegal alien — to evade arrest,&#8221; Patel said in a post that was initially deleted. &#8220;Thankfully, our agents chased down the perp on foot and he’s been in custody since, but the Judge’s obstruction created increased danger to the public.&#8221; It was not immediately clear why Patel chose to initially delete the post, but he <a href="https://x.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1915800907318468626?t=HrEySSHIGQFX5NqPMVpOpQ&amp;s=19">reposted</a> the same statement a short while later.
The FBI director added that the bureau would share more information &#8220;soon&#8221; and thanked the FBI&#8217;s Milwaukee field office for its work in arresting the judge.
United States Attorney General Pam Bondi also confirmed Dugan&#8217;s arrest in a<a href="https://x.com/AGPamBondi/status/1915799429455516128?t=8UTJOJOvUBSzY_rn896eDg&amp;s=19"> post</a> to X, stating, &#8220;I can confirm that our @FBI agents just arrested Hannah Dugan – a county judge in Milwaukee – for allegedly helping an illegal alien avoid an arrest by @ICEgov. No one is above the law.&#8221; 
According to Chief Judge Ashley, who sent an email to other judges about the incident, ICE agents showed a warrant for the illegal immigrant&#8217;s arrest and followed courthouse protocols. Dugan, who has served on the bench for nine years, responded to that email, however, saying &#8220;a warrant was not presented&#8221; to her.
ICE agents have <a href="https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/breaking/2025/04/25/milwaukee-county-judge-hannah-dugan-arrested-by-feds-at-courthouse/83270885007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">routinely</a> shown up at the Milwaukee County Courthouse in recent weeks with arrest warrants. In the past two months, two suspected illegal immigrants were arrested by federal agents in the courthouse hallways.
During Trump&#8217;s first term in office, a Massachusetts judge was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/25/us/politics/fbi-arrest-judge.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charged</a> by the Justice Department with obstructing immigration agents after she and a court officer allegedly helped an illegal immigrant sneak out the back door of the courthouse. The federal government later dropped the charges after the judge agreed to go through potential judicial discipline.

Kash Patel

FBI Arrests Judge Accused Of ‘Intentionally’ Misdirecting ICE Agents Away From Illegal Immigrant

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The approval of leftist leaders in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom has surged since President Donald Trump took office in January and began implementing his economic and foreign policy agendas.
The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/trump-world-left-leaders-polling-43095b2f?mod=hp_lead_pos6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Thursday that the reaction to the beginning of Trump&#8217;s second administration has given new life to liberal leaders who previously looked destined for defeat in upcoming elections. Trump&#8217;s massive tariffs imposed on nearly every country in the world are the top issue that appears to be driving support for leftist leaders.
The biggest swing following Trump&#8217;s inauguration came in Canada, where the ruling Liberal Party appeared dead in the water until Trump imposed a tariff on Canadian goods and suggested making Canada the 51st state.
Trump&#8217;s policies and attitude toward Canada have appeared to turn the upcoming prime minister election on its head — shifting from a likely flip to the Conservative Party to potentially remaining in the hands of the Liberal Party and leftist Prime Minister Mark Carney. The Conservatives, led by Pierre Poilievre, were ahead of the Liberals by more than 20 points in the polls, but now the Liberals lead by around 4 points, according to the WSJ. Poilievre and his Conservative Party hope to gain back support among Canadians, who will go to the polls on Monday.
In Australia, which is holding elections on May 3, Left-leaning Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is now ahead in the polls by more than 10 points after trailing his conservative opponent, Peter Dutton, by six points in January. The jump in support for Albanese coincides with Australians losing trust in the U.S. government, according to polling results from the Lowy Institute. The think tank found that only 36% of Australians have any level of trust in the United States to act responsibly, the WSJ reported. That was down from 56% last year.
The United Kingdom&#8217;s Left-leaning Labour Party is still struggling with its approval rating, sitting at just 29%, but that&#8217;s an 8-point increase from February. The upward trend in approval for the British Labour Party followed Prime Minister Keir Starmer&#8217;s meeting with Trump at the White House in late February to discuss tariffs and the war in Ukraine. Starmer has <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3ev43vqj49o" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vowed</a> to &#8220;only strike a [trade] deal&#8221; with Trump &#8220;if it&#8217;s in the national interest.&#8221; Earlier this month, an Ipsos poll showed a 17-point drop in the number of Britons who agreed that the United Kingdom has a &#8220;special relationship&#8221; with the United States, down to 30%.
Conservative leaders in Canada and Australia are trying to navigate Trump&#8217;s policies as they seek to regain support ahead of their elections. Poilievre, a popular figure on the Canadian Right, has pushed &#8220;Canada First&#8221; campaign messaging, similar to Trump&#8217;s &#8220;America First&#8221; slogan. The Canadian parliamentarian has also amassed a large following among Canadian and some American conservatives for his viral critiques of the legacy media and former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Despite his similarities to Trump, Poilievre has been careful to differentiate himself from the U.S. president and has strongly opposed Trump&#8217;s tariffs that are now affecting the Canadian economy, calling Trump&#8217;s move &#8220;historic mistreatment of Canada.&#8221; Poilievre&#8217;s strategy is showing signs of success, as the Conservative Party has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/conservative-party-surges-ahead-of-canadian-election-as-concerns-over-trump-seem-to-wane-poll" target="_blank" rel="noopener">regained</a> some ground on the Liberals, according to a CTV News-Globe and Mail-Nanos poll released earlier this week. According to the survey, Conservatives have narrowed the gap from 5.6 points to 3.6 points.
Dutton, the Australian conservative candidate, has pushed policies similar to those implemented by Trump, such as seeking to radically cut government spending. Dutton, however, has called Trump comparisons a &#8220;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/05/donald-trump-in-the-white-house-seemed-like-a-plus-for-peter-dutton-but-after-this-week-maybe-not-so-much" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sledge</a>&#8221; used to attack him, adding that “the government doesn’t have a good story to tell.”

UK Prime Minister Meets With President Trump In Washington

These Leftist World Leaders Saw A Surge In Support After Trump Took Office

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Global Politics

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President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that they are still hopeful that they can guide Ukraine and Russia to a peace deal and end the years-long war.
Trump and some of his top administration officials, including Rubio, were in the Oval Office for a meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store to discuss the ongoing conflict in Europe. The White House has struggled to push Ukraine and Russia toward a peace deal, and Russia launched a massive missile and drone attack on Kyiv early Thursday morning, killing at least eight people and wounding around 70 more.
Despite multiple setbacks, Secretary of State Rubio said on Thursday that the administration still believes the war &#8220;is endable.&#8221;
&#8220;This war is endable. Both sides just have to agree to it. We&#8217;ve shown them a pathway forward. We&#8217;ve discussed those ideas,&#8221; Rubio added. &#8220;It was a good meeting yesterday. There will be good meetings over the weekend. We&#8217;ve shown them the finish line. We need both of them to say yes.&#8221;
&#8220;What happened last night with those missile strikes should remind everybody of why this war needs to end,&#8221; the Secretary of State continued. &#8220;It&#8217;s horrible that those missiles landed. It&#8217;s even worse &#8230; that people were alive yesterday that are not alive today because this war continues.&#8221;
Trump added that his administration is &#8220;using a lot of pressure&#8221; on both Ukraine and Russia to get them to agree to end the war.
&#8220;If you think we&#8217;re just in there because we&#8217;re nice people — and we are nice people — but we are using a lot of pressure,&#8221; the president said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRubio</a>: &quot;This war is endable. Both sides just have to agree to it. We&#39;ve shown them a pathway forward. We&#39;ve discussed those ideas&#8230; We&#39;ve shown them the finish line. We need both of them to say yes.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/iyEYmtVzwI">pic.twitter.com/iyEYmtVzwI</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1915468254446838041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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U.S. officials met with representatives from Ukraine and the United Kingdom in London on Wednesday, but those talks only <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/officials-ukraine-us-uk-meet-london-latest-push-121073666" target="_blank" rel="noopener">involved</a> lower-ranking officials after Rubio could not make it due to scheduling issues. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, and Trump said that he will meet with the Russian leader in the near future.
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admonishes-putin-over-airstrikes-on-kyiv-vladimir-stop?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Trump+Admonishes+Putin+Over+Airstrikes+On+Kyiv%3A+%E2%80%98Vladimir%2C+STOP%21%E2%80%99" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> he was &#8220;not happy with the Russian strikes&#8221; on Ukraine&#8217;s capital city, and urged Putin to &#8220;STOP!&#8221; Trump added on Thursday, &#8220;I didn&#8217;t like last night. I wasn&#8217;t happy with it. We&#8217;re in the midst of talking peace and missiles were fired. And I was not happy with it.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;I didn&#39;t like last night. I wasn&#39;t happy with it. We&#39;re in the midst of talking peace and missiles were fired. And I was not happy with it.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/aSdPhsaOP0">pic.twitter.com/aSdPhsaOP0</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1915467155094544694?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The president has blasted both Putin and Zelensky for their failure to agree to end the bloodshed. Earlier this week, Trump blasted Zelensky for making “inflammatory statements” that make it “difficult to settle this War.” Zelensky angered Trump after he said that Ukraine would never recognize Russia’s occupation of Crimea.
“He can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country,” Trump said. “I have nothing to do with Russia, but have much to do with wanting to save, on average, five thousand Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week, who are dying for no reason whatsoever.”
Earlier this week, The Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro traveled to war-torn Kyiv for an exclusive 60-minute, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/bss-ep-2185?elementPosition=0&amp;location=Home%20Tab&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Home%20Featured%20Carousel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">face-to-face interview</a> with Zelensky.
Speaking in front of the Saint Sophia Cathedral, Shapiro questioned Zelensky on several topics, including his tense March meeting with President Trump, the substantial amount of American taxpayer money Ukraine is receiving, and prospects for peace with Russia.

President Trump Hosts Prime Minister Of Norway Jonas Gahr Store To The White House

‘We’ve Shown Them The Finish Line’: White House Remains Hopeful That Ukraine-Russia War Is ‘Endable’

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