President Donald Trump on Saturday told Walmart CEO Doug McMillon not to raise prices for Americans, but to instead &#8220;eat the tariffs.&#8221;
Trump recently dropped tariffs on Chinese imports from 145% down to 30%, but this week, McMillion said Walmart still could not absorb the extra costs, and will have to increase prices.
&#8220;Walmart should STOP trying to blame Tariffs as the reason for raising prices throughout the chain,&#8221; the president posted on Truth Social. &#8220;Walmart made BILLIONS OF DOLLARS last year, far more than expected.&#8221;
&#8220;Between Walmart and China they should, as is said, &#8216;EAT THE TARIFFS,&#8217; and not charge valued customers ANYTHING,&#8221; Trump wrote. &#8220;I’ll be watching, and so will your customers!!!&#8221;
McMillon made comments about having to raise prices, specifically over tariffs on China, during an earnings call on Thursday.
<p class="paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cmaqx46zq00193b6mokd0s1nm@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-article-gutter="true" data-analytics-observe="off">“We will do our best to keep our prices as low as possible,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But given the magnitude of the tariffs, even at the reduced levels announced this week, we aren’t able to absorb all the pressure given the reality of narrow retail margins.&#8221;
“The higher tariffs will result in higher prices,” McMillon added.
<div id="attachment_921641" style="width: 933px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-921641" class="wp-image-921641 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-1921426381-923x576.jpg" alt="Walmart Inc. President and CEO Doug McMillon delivers a keynote address during CES 2024 at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas on January 9, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada." width="923" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-1921426381-923x576.jpg 923w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-1921426381-300x187.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-1921426381-768x479.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-1921426381.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 923px) 100vw, 923px" />Ethan Miller/Getty Images</div>
There have been mixed reactions online to Trump&#8217;s demand for Walmart to &#8220;eat&#8221; the extra costs. Some have noted that Trump had previously suggested that China would likely &#8220;eat&#8221; the extra costs themselves.
However, others, like journalist Batya Ungar-Sargon, railed against Walmart for hurting Americans while she said they &#8220;brag&#8221; about being a pro-American corporation.
“This is absolutely unacceptable and infuriating,&#8221; Ungar-Sargon said on Fox News airwaves this week, following McMillon&#8217;s comments. &#8220;Walmart walks around bragging that 75% of the products that they sell are made here in the United States. Why are you raising prices?&#8221;
&#8220;Do you know what Walmart’s yearly profits were last year? 169 billion dollars,&#8221; Ungar-Sargon continued. &#8220;Don’t raise prices. Support the president, support the agenda, support the American working class.”
Ungar-Sargon added that she doesn&#8217;t see these potential price hikes as &#8220;political,&#8221; but more about &#8220;rampant greed.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon warns that they will be raising prices in response to President Trump’s tariffs. Shoppers will likely see price increases toward the end of May and more in June.
Batya Ungar-Sargon: “This is absolutely unacceptable and infuriating. Walmart walks around… <a href="https://t.co/JpONWTgQRE">pic.twitter.com/JpONWTgQRE</a>
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) <a href="https://twitter.com/RedWave_Press/status/1923354165436195059?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-wholesale-prices-see-biggest-drop-in-5-years-flying-in-the-face-of-economists-predictions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Wholesale Prices See Biggest Drop In 5 Years, Flying In The Face Of Economists’ Predictions</a>

Donald Trump

‘EAT THE TARIFFS’: Trump Unloads On Walmart CEO For Saying He’s Raising Prices

Communist China

Economy

Politics

Tariffs

Walmart

President Trump signs an executive order to stop Big Pharma from charging Americans more than their European counterparts. Stocks surge after tariffs are slashed, as the U.S. and China announce a temporary truce in the trade war. And, Air Force 1 needs an update. Will Trump accept the offer of a $400 million “flying palace” from Qatar?
It’s Tuesday, May 13, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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<h2>Trump EO To Lower Drug Prices</h2>
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Topline: President Trump signed what he called “one of the most consequential Executive Orders in our Country’s history” on Monday to dramatically lower the prices of prescription drugs.
Trump said his newest executive order would lower drug prices in the U.S. by up to 80% by implementing the “most favored nation” policy, cutting out industry “middlemen,” and compelling the European Union and other allies to pay for research and development of various drugs. He argued that since other nations set price controls for drugs, it’s been America that’s left taking on all these research and development costs.
“Starting today, the U.S. will no longer subsidize the healthcare of foreign countries,” Trump said. “We will no longer tolerate profiteering and price gouging from Big Pharma. But again, it was really the countries that forced Big Pharma to do things that, frankly, I’m not sure they were comfortable doing.”
The order will allow Americans to buy drugs directly from manufacturers, cutting out pharma “middlemen.” These so-called “middlemen,” pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), work with insurance providers to negotiate prices with drug companies in exchange for including the drugs in their coverage. Critics say PBMs are not transparent and don’t have an incentive to lower drug prices for Americans. The order also sets a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-prescription-drugs-prices-most-favored-nation-4c620a32ccd193b793ba1558f3fe93e0">30-day deadline</a> for HHS to work with drugmakers to reduce the costs of these prescription drugs. If a deal is not reached, a new rule will kick in that will effectively lower the drug price to what other nations are paying for them.
“The fundamental problem in healthcare is we&#8217;ve had non-competitive markets,” Dr. Marty Makary, the head of the Food and Drug Administration, <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1921938509826298179">said</a> on Monday. “We can do little things around the edges, or we can transform those markets to competitive markets and that&#8217;s what this executive order does today.&#8221;
Democrats, who as a general rule have opposed President Trump’s policies, have remained mostly silent on this executive order. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), an independent and democratic socialist who caucuses with the Democrats, said that he agrees with Trump about the high prices of prescription drugs, but he did not back this EO, arguing that it would be blocked by the courts. Trump implemented a similar regulation for certain cancer drugs during his first term. The Biden administration, however, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-says-he-will-sign-executive-order-aimed-at-lowering-drug-prices-2a5b9b28">abandoned</a> the regulation after a court struck it down on procedural grounds. Sanders also made it clear that he doesn&#8217;t agree that the European Union or Canada needs to pay their &#8220;fair share&#8221; – he thinks prices should be lowered for everyone.
<h2>Stock Market Soars As U.S./China Slash Tariffs</h2>
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Topline: Stocks soared Monday after the United States and China formally agreed to a temporary trade deal that will dramatically lower tariffs across the board.
After formal negotiations in Switzerland last weekend, China agreed to cut tariffs on American imports from 125% to just 10%, while the United States will cut rates from 145% to 10%. Beijing also agreed to eliminate or suspend non-tariff countermeasures against the United States, which means that their ban on rare earth mineral exports could come to an end.
&#8220;Yesterday, we achieved a total reset with China,” President Trump <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1921928176286020061">said</a> on Monday. “After productive talks in Geneva, both sides now agree to reduce the tariffs imposed after April 2nd to 10% for 90 days as negotiators continue on the largest structural issues.&#8221;
This deal is a stunning reversal of hostilities — ahead of last weekend’s meetings, for example, even Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent seemed to think a deal was a long way off, saying his goal was “de-escalation… not a big trade deal.”
Clearly, the Chinese were more willing to negotiate than many expected — Beijing signed on to a joint statement that referenced a “spirit of mutual opening, continued communication, cooperation, and mutual respect.” That’s quite a different message than we heard last month, when the Chinese were calling the U.S. bullies who would be made to pay. As more proof of the improvement in relations, the two sides also agreed to establish a formal process for streamlined trade talks in the future, including using a third country as a mediator.
However: The Trump administration has made clear that while it is willing to open up the flow of certain Chinese goods, it wants to break U.S. reliance on essential imports like weapons, technology, and pharmaceuticals.
“The United States will continue a strategic rebalancing in many areas that were exposed as supply chain weaknesses during COVID,” Secretary Bessent <a href="https://x.com/CookedGooseinFL/status/1921880651646611609">said</a> on Monday. “Whether it’s medicines, whether it’s semi-conductors, steel … we will continue moving towards U.S. independence or reliable supplies from allies.”
Following news of the deal, the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped more than 1000 points, the S&amp;P 500 rose more than 3%, erasing all its losses from last month, and the NASDAQ shot up more than 4%, marking a 20% increase from its recent low in April.
<h2>&#8220;Flying Palace&#8221; To Replace Air Force One?</h2>
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Topline: Trump is off to the Middle East this week for what the White House promises to be a trip of dealmaking and diplomacy. But the president’s trip is off to a controversial start thanks to a story about a $400 million Qatari airplane.
On Sunday, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-administration-poised-accept-palace-sky-gift-trump/story?id=121680511">ABC News</a> reported that the Qatari royal family planned to give Trump a $400 million super luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet described as a “floating palace.” The plane would reportedly be available for Trump to use in lieu of Air Force One by the end of his term, and then – according to some initial reports – transferred to his presidential library. Trump says it’s merely the Qataris helping the United States replace Air Force One, which is 40 years old, and, according to Trump, in need of some serious upgrades. Speaking to reporters before departing for the Middle East yesterday, Trump said the Qataris knew Boeing had delayed production of the new jet he wanted, and stepped in to help.
“I think that was a very nice gesture,” the president <a href="https://x.com/factpostnews/status/1921942334930907441">said</a>. &#8220;Now, I could be a stupid person and say &#8216;Oh no, we don’t want a free plane&#8217; … I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer.”
However, not everyone sees this as just a goodwill gesture. Qatar is one of the wealthiest nations in the world, and uses its wealth to gain influence in the United States – and many, many other countries. It frequently invites politicians on luxurious, state-funded junkets to the Middle East. But that influence-buying sparks suspicion, because Qatar also uses its oil money to bankroll Hamas terrorists and Middle Eastern news powerhouse Al Jazeera. The country has also been accused of a lengthy list of human rights violations, so any collaboration with the Qataris is bound to raise some eyebrows.
Notable MAGA loyalists, including pro-Trump activist Laura Loomer, were quick to <a href="https://x.com/LauraLoomer/status/1921615017138618439">condemn</a> the decision, warning that accepting the plane was bad optics at best, and a security risk at worst. Trump, for his part, is staying on the offensive, calling accusations of conflict of interest “fake news.”
Qatar’s media attaché to the United States has been making the rounds since the ABC story broke, telling reporters that the aircraft transfer would only be used temporarily, and that nothing has been finalized yet.

MorningWire-0428-2

Morning Brief: Qatar Force One And Trump’s ‘Consequential’ Drug Price Plan

Big Pharma

Media

Morning Wire

Prescription Drugs

Qatar

The Trump administration announces breakthrough deals: a ceasefire between India and Pakistan and a temporary trade deal with China. Team Trump is turning up the heat on anyone obstructing immigration officials after a Democrat mayor is arrested in New Jersey. And President Donald Trump picks a new surgeon general.
It’s Monday, May 12, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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<h2>The Art of The Deal</h2>
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Topline: The Trump administration brokers a ceasefire between India and Pakistan while also hammering out a temporary trade deal with China.
After days of deadly fighting and rising global tensions, the United States has brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, and on Monday morning announced an agreement with China to lower tariffs on each other for 90 days.
A joint statement issued by the White House and China&#8217;s Ministry of Commerce said both parties had committed to the pause.
The deal means that President Donald Trump’s 125% reciprocal tariff on China will be reduced to 10%, with a 20% fentanyl tariff still in place, a significant drop from the 145% tariff placed on Chinese goods in the last few weeks. China will drop its retaliatory tariffs on the United States from 125% to 10%. The reductions are to be in place by Wednesday, May 14.
Meanwhile, since they first gained independence in 1947, India and Pakistan have feuded over religion, border disputes, and politics. Last month, a terror attack by Pakistani Islamists on the contested territory of Kashmir sparked the most significant conflict between the two in decades. India responded with air and missile strikes on what they called terrorist camps, but a number of civilians were reportedly killed, including worshippers at two mosques. Pakistan responded with airstrikes of their own, and within 48 hours, the two sides, both of which have large nuclear arsenals, were deploying kamikaze drones, fighter jets, and conventional artillery, targeting each other’s air defense systems – but, again, also killing civilians. By Friday, both countries had begun to evacuate towns along the border, and dozens of airports and school systems were shut down, as thousands of troops were mobilized.
However, there was overwhelming global pressure on both countries to stand down. The United States, China, and Russia, who rarely agree on anything, each lobbied for de-escalation. On Saturday, President Trump stunned the world by announcing the United States had brokered a ceasefire. Writing on Truth Social, he <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122132461766723345&amp;set=a.122114684240723345">said,</a> “After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE. Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence.”
We don’t yet know what the Trump administration may have offered, but there’s a good chance it involved economic incentives – like many other nations, India has been lobbying Washington for lower tariffs since Trump’s Liberation Day formula was announced. India refused to acknowledge America’s role in the deal, but Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif removed any doubt, saying, “We thank President Trump for his leadership and proactive role for peace in the region. Pakistan appreciates the United States for facilitating this outcome.” He went on to thank Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for their “valuable contributions for peace.”
<h2>Newark Mayor Arrested At Detention Center During Anti-Deportation Protest</h2>
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Topline: Federal authorities arrested Newark Democratic Mayor Ras Baraka outside of an immigration detention facility on Friday. The Trump administration has threatened to arrest and charge even more Democrats who intervene in immigration enforcement.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka – who is also a candidate for New Jersey governor – was charged with trespassing on Friday after he joined a protest at an ICE facility in Newark. Federal authorities say Baraka entered the compound’s gates with a mob as a bus of detainees entered the facility and refused multiple directives to leave.
“We will not stand for anybody getting in the way of getting rid of criminals in this country,” acting New Jersey U.S. Attorney Alina Habba told Fox News, adding that “[Baraka] was given multiple opportunities to remove himself, failed to do so, and has been detained and will be charged.”
Three Democratic members of New Jersey’s congressional delegation – Robert Menendez Jr., Bonnie Watson Coleman, and LaMonica McIver – also entered the facility during the protest. They said they were there to tour the facility in line with their oversight function and condemned Baraka’s arrest.
“[The arrest] was an act of intimidation not just to the mayor, not just to us, but to everyone watching,” Menendez <a href="https://x.com/Acyn/status/1920931260517806572">said</a>.
Congresswoman Coleman has <a href="https://x.com/RepBonnie/status/1920989902520340582">said</a> that the DHS lied about what happened. She claims the Democratic lawmakers entered the detention center while being escorted by the guards and then came out to talk with Baraka, and that a scuffle broke out between federal authorities and the protesters after the congressional delegation left the facility.
Meanwhile, the president has continued to make the deportation of illegal immigrants a priority. On Friday, in response to various legal challenges, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said the administration is considering suspending due process for potential deportees. “The Constitution is clear … the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus can be suspended in a time of invasion. So it&#8217;s an option we&#8217;re actively looking at.”
<h2>Trump Nominates New Surgeon General</h2>
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Topline: President Trump has nominated Dr. Casey Means – a popular MAHA figure – for the position of surgeon general.
Means is a Stanford University-trained surgeon and the author of “Good Energy,” which discusses metabolic dysfunction and chronic illness. While at Stanford, she said she became disillusioned with how she saw medicine being practiced, especially when it came to chronic disease. She’s a critic of Big Pharma, thinks Americans are overmedicated, and advocates for prevention and reversal of such diseases by addressing root causes, like food, exercise, and environment.
“While there&#8217;s absolutely a place for surgeons when it comes to acute issues,” Means told Morning Wire last September, “I really need to go out and actually address the bigger issue that is just plaguing Americans across the lifespan today, which is chronic diseases tied to food that are largely preventable and reversible and are not being talked about by the health care system.”
The sudden announcement came after President Trump withdrew his previous nomination of Dr. Janette Nesheiwat one day before she was scheduled to appear before the Senate for confirmation hearings. Nesheiwat was criticized by the MAHA crowd and conservatives over her advocacy for vaccines and masks during the COVID pandemic. Means, on the other hand, advised HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during his 2024 presidential run and reportedly helped <a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-surgeon-general-laura-loomer-794da62da02d5699683e3b1540b8a31f">broker</a> Kennedy’s endorsement of Trump.
Nicole Shanahan, who was RFK’s 2024 running mate, posted online that Kennedy had promised her Means would never work for him in HHS. Shanahan went so far as to call Casey and her brother, Calley Means, “Manchurian assets.” There’s some speculation that Shanahan’s frustration stems from Means being too pro-vaccine.
Kennedy weighed in on the drama and fully backed Means.
“The Surgeon General is a symbol of moral authority who stands against the financial and institutional gravities that tend to corporatize medicine,” Kennedy said. “Casey Means was born to hold this job.”

MorningWire-0428

Morning Brief: Dems Protest Deportation & U.S. Announces China Trade Deal

Global Politics

Illegal Immigration

India

Pakistan

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

After two days of talks in Switzerland, President Donald Trump&#8217;s envoys touted what they said was significant movement toward reaching a trade deal with China.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters on Sunday that there was <a href="https://x.com/business/status/1921615311838577125" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;substantial progress&#8221;</a> and a &#8220;great deal of productivity&#8221; in the discussions with Chinese officials.
&#8220;We will be giving details tomorrow, but I can tell you that the talks were productive,&#8221; Bessent added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecScottBessent?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecScottBessent</a> says there has been a &#8220;great deal of productivity&#8221; in trade talks with China: &#8220;We will be giving details tomorrow, but I can tell you that the talks were productive.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/v85uugnMnV">pic.twitter.com/v85uugnMnV</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1921597140784013614?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The delegation from China also indicated the negotiations went well.
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng said the talks marked &#8220;an important first step&#8221; and promised a joint statement, according to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-11/us-china-made-substantial-progress-in-trade-talks-bessent-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bloomberg</a>.
As it stands, the United States imposed an overall tariff rate on Chinese goods at 145%. Beijing responded by <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/11/china-strikes-back-with-125percent-tariffs-on-us-goods-starting-april-12.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raising</a> tariffs on U.S. goods to 125%.
China&#8217;s delegation <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/china-dispatches-top-security-chief-to-face-trump-team-over-fentanyl-crisis-tariffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> included President Xi Jinping&#8217;s top security official, a sign the discussions broached the fentanyl crisis in addition to trade.
The world&#8217;s two largest economies have been roiled as a result of the trade war, which escalated with Trump&#8217;s &#8220;Liberation Day&#8221; tariffs last month.
Bessent noted that he and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer spoke to Trump the night before.
&#8220;He is fully informed of what is going on,&#8221; Bessent said of the president.
Trump himself posted about the talks on Truth Social in the evening on Saturday.
&#8220;A very good meeting today with China, in Switzerland. Many things discussed, much agreed to. A total reset negotiated in a friendly, but constructive, manner,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114486066663976973" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
&#8220;We want to see, for the good of both China and the U.S., an opening up of China to American business. GREAT PROGRESS MADE!!!&#8221; the president added.
Greer, who was standing beside Bessent, said China&#8217;s officials &#8220;worked very diligently&#8221; and were &#8220;very tough negotiators.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/USTradeRep?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USTradeRep</a> in Geneva: &#8220;The U.S. has a massive $1.2 trillion trade deficit, so the President declared a national emergency &#8230; We&#8217;re confident that the deal we struck with our Chinese partners will help us work toward resolving that national emergency.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/1kuPhzzGLp">pic.twitter.com/1kuPhzzGLp</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1921597758911267219?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
He echoed what Bessent said, declaring how the past two days were &#8220;very constructive,&#8221; and then made a stark observation about the timeframe.
&#8220;It&#8217;s important to understand how quickly we were able to come to agreement, which reflects that perhaps the differences were not so large as maybe thought,&#8221; Greer said.
&#8220;That being said, there was a lot of groundwork that went into these two days,&#8221; he continued.
Greer also emphasized that it was &#8220;important&#8221; to remember why they were there in the first place.
&#8220;The United States has a massive $1.2 trillion trade deficit, so the president declared a national emergency and imposed tariffs,&#8221; Greer said.
&#8220;We&#8217;re confident that the deal we struck with our Chinese partners will help us work toward resolving that national emergency,&#8221; he added.
Heading into the high-stakes talks, Trump suggested that Bessent had room to offer a lower rate.
“80% Tariff on China seems right! Up to Scott B,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114477628854583525" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a Truth Social post on Friday.
Trump officials have been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sorry-china-bessent-says-deal-with-massive-trade-partner-very-close" target="_blank" rel="noopener">negotiating</a> on trade with a host of nations impacted by the president&#8217;s &#8220;Liberation Day&#8221; tariffs, which hinge on a national emergency declaration.
Last week, the White House unveiled a trade deal <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/05/fact-sheet-u-s-uk-reach-historic-trade-deal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">framework</a> with the United Kingdom.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (L) and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer

Trump’s Envoys Tease China Trade Breakthrough, Stress How ‘Quickly’ It Came Together

Free Trade

Scott Bessent

Switzerland

Trade War

U.S.

President Donald Trump on Friday called for China to open up its markets to the United States and floated the possibility of cutting the current tariffs on China nearly in half.
Trump made the comments just one day after telling reporters that he expected tariffs on China to be lowered soon. This weekend, American and Chinese officials are set to meet in Switzerland to discuss trade and other economic matters.
&#8220;CHINA SHOULD OPEN UP ITS MARKET TO USA — WOULD BE SO GOOD FOR THEM!!! CLOSED MARKETS DON’T WORK ANYMORE!!!&#8221; Trump posted on his Truth Social social media platform early Friday morning.
A few minutes later, he posted, &#8220;80% Tariff on China seems right! Up to Scott B,&#8221; presumably referring to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Tariffs on China have been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-lays-out-exact-tariff-rate-on-china-going-forward" target="_blank" rel="noopener">set at 145%</a> since last month after the communist country moved to retaliate against Trump&#8217;s tariffs. At the same time, China imposed a 125% levy on American goods. During an event in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/05/08/business/us-weighs-plan-to-slash-china-tariffs-to-as-low-as-50-as-soon-as-next-week-sources/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that tariffs on China would not increase anymore and could &#8220;only go down.&#8221;
&#8220;It’s at 145 so we know it’s coming down,” Trump said. “I think we’re going to have a very good relationship.”
Treasury Secretary Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breakthrough-trump-officials-set-date-for-direct-trade-talks-with-china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are poised</a> to meet with Chinese officials on Saturday and Sunday in Geneva to attempt to work out a trade deal.
“At President Trump’s direction, I am negotiating with countries to rebalance our trade relations to achieve reciprocity, open new markets, and protect America’s economic and national security,” Greer <a href="https://ustr.gov/about/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2025/may/ambassador-jamieson-greer-travel-switzerland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “I look forward to having productive meetings with some of my counterparts as well as visiting with my team in Geneva who all work diligently to advance U.S. interests on a range of multilateral issues.”
Bessent has said that the current economic situation with China is &#8220;unsustainable&#8221; and that the United States wants &#8220;fair trade&#8221; and not to completely decouple from China.
On Thursday, Trump announced his first big trade agreement. Trump said the deal with the United Kingdom would allow the United States to gain increased market access in the U.K. for billions of dollars worth of American exports. The 10% baseline tariff on British goods remains in place with exceptions for exports of Rolls-Royce engines and airplane parts.

Trump Hails The Election Of First US Pope As A ‘Great Honor’

Trump Calls For China To Open Its Markets, Floats Major Tariff Reduction

China

Economics

Executive

Protests erupted in China late last month after factories were shut down due to President Donald Trump&#8217;s 145% tariff on the country.
Factory workers took to the streets in Suining, a city in the eastern Sichuan province, demanding back pay and claiming that the electronics factory where they work has not paid them since the beginning of the year, according to <a href="https://www.rfa.org/english/china/2025/04/29/china-us-tariff-protests-workers-wages/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Radio Free Asia</a>. Hundreds of workers at Guangxin Sports Goods in the Hunan Province also went on strike after the factory was closed. The company reportedly did not pay the workers their wages or Social Security benefits before shuttering the factory. Meanwhile, construction workers in Inner Mongolia, an autonomous region of northern China, threatened to jump off a building if they were not paid their overdue wages, the outlet reported.
Chinese manufacturing is struggling as the country&#8217;s government pushes back on Trump&#8217;s tariff. According to China’s manufacturing purchasing managers’ index, new orders for export were at their lowest level since the COVID pandemic, and manufacturing jobs were at their lowest level since February 2024, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/30/business/china-pmi-factory-manufacturing.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. China’s National Bureau of Statistics said the concerning decline was due to “sharp changes in the external environment,” adding that there are &#8220;no winners in trade wars,&#8221; according to the <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/3f81cec8-6d0c-4a11-97d3-2cbe78a5e284" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Financial Times</a>.
Goldman Sachs estimates that around 16 million jobs in many Chinese industries are at risk due to Trump&#8217;s tariff, the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/05/06/world-news/protests-erupt-in-china-as-trumps-steep-tariffs-bite-extremely-anxious/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. China quietly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/china-feels-the-pain-exempts-40-billion-worth-of-u-s-imports-from-tariffs?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=China+Feels+The+Pain%2C+Exempts+%2440+Billion+Worth+Of+U.S.+Imports+From+Tariffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">moved</a> to help ease the pain of the tariff on its economy last week, exempting around $40 billion worth of U.S. imports from its 125% retaliatory tariff on American goods.
While Trump and his administration officials continue to say they are speaking to the Chinese government behind the scenes, there has still been no formal meeting for trade talks between the two countries. The president <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/live/trump-tariffs-live-updates-trump-hints-at-pharma-duties-no-plans-to-talk-to-chinas-xi-191201388.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> NBC’s &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; over the weekend that he would &#8220;lower&#8221; the tariff on China &#8220;at some point,&#8221; adding that &#8220;they want to do business very much.&#8221;
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said last week that the trade war is “not sustainable on the Chinese side” and the Chinese economy is already &#8220;slowing down substantially.” Bessent suggested that the communist government would soon give in to trade talks.
China’s Commerce Ministry <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/02/world/asia/china-us-tariffs-talks.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that it is &#8220;evaluating&#8221; the United States&#8217; offer to sit down for negotiations, but added that the country will only engage if the Trump administration ends its tariff on Chinese goods.

Trump’s Tariff Sparks Protests In China As Factories Shutter Amid Trade War

Protests

strike

World

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Wednesday called for the United States to stop funding gain-of-function research at biolabs around the world.
Gabbard made the comments during an interview with podcast host Megyn Kelly, as they discussed the likelihood that the United States directly funded the research that led to the creation of COVID-19 and the state of the ongoing probe into the lab leak that released the virus. It is now widely accepted by American officials that a lab leak stemming from gain-of-function research triggered the 2020 pandemic.
“The reason why this is so important is not just what has happened in the past, it&#8217;s because this gain-of-function is happening in biolabs around the world,” Gabbard <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMKTSYxto_Y" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, pointing to her previous warnings about U.S.-funded biolabs in Ukraine.
“In order to prevent another COVID-like pandemic or another major health incident that could effect us in the world, we have to end this gain-of-function research and provide the evidence that shows exactly why and how it’s in our best interests, the American people’s best interest, to bring an end to it,” she added.
Gain-of-function research is a process in which scientists genetically alter an organism to study how it responds under specific conditions. It can involve increasing transmissibility, virulence, and other characteristics of a pathogen.
Gabbard did not specifically name which American-funded labs she said were performing gain-of-function research.
Gabbard told Kelly that she still had an intelligence team working with National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya and Health and Human Services Director Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to investigate direct links between U.S.-funded gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China, and the pandemic.
Kelly asked when the public could expect to find out the &#8220;exact experiment&#8221; that led to COVID. Gabbard replied that her team was working on it with Bhattacharya and would release the information &#8220;hopefully very soon.&#8221;
Based on the increasing consensus that the lab leak was the cause, Gabbard said she was not surprised that Dr. Anthony Fauci had been pardoned preemptively as President Joe Biden left office. “Is it any wonder that he sought a preemptive pardon for anything during a certain period of time by President Biden before he left office?” she said.
In May 2021, Fauci <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/20/if-anybody-is-lying-here-senator-it-is-you-fauci-tells-sen-paul-in-heated-exchange-at-senate-hearing.html">said</a> that the NIH “has not ever and does not now fund gain-of-function research in the Wuhan Institute of Virology.” However, later evidence from the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic determined that the EcoHealth Alliance used NIH dollars to fund gain-of-function research in Wuhan. EcoHealth is currently under investigation by the Justice Department and has been barred from receiving any further federal grant dollars.
Gabbard said that much of the research her team has conducted can be found at <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/lab-leak-true-origins-of-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COVID.gov</a>, where the Trump administration has compiled a page explaining how the coronavirus is believed to have originated in a Chinese lab.
In addition to the COVID investigation, Gabbard said that her team was looking at other instances of the United States funding &#8220;dangerous&#8221; gain-of-function research that &#8220;in many examples has resulted in either a pandemic or some other major health crisis.”

President Trump Presides Over Cabinet Meeting

Tulsi Gabbard Reveals When Her Team Will Pinpoint Exact Moment Of COVID Lab Leak

Anthony Fauci

COVID

Health

Medical Research

Megyn Kelly

Tulsi Gabbard

Wuhan Institute of Virology

A principal who came under fire for helping China clone America&#8217;s best STEM high school has a new job — and he&#8217;s trying to partner with the Chinese yet again.
During his time at the helm of Virginia&#8217;s Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Evan Glazer began the process of handing over the school&#8217;s curriculum, syllabi, and floor plans to China for replication after receiving several large donations from Chinese entities to a nonprofit linked to the school.
Glazer, who left the school in 2017, is now president of the Illinois Math and Science Academy (IMSA), a residential school in Aurora. Under Glazer&#8217;s leadership, the school has looked to develop research programs with the Thomas Schools, a group of China-based schools that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/virginia-school-system-sold-china-a-handbook-on-how-to-clone-americas-top-stem-school" target="_blank" rel="noopener">were created</a> with backing from Chinese Communist Party-linked entities. Emails obtained by <a href="https://defendinged.org/incidents/emails-reveal-that-the-illinois-math-and-science-academy-looks-to-coordinate-programming-with-chinese-thomas-schools-facilitated-multiple-visits-by-educators-from-beijing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Defending Education</a> and shared with The Daily Wire show that the taxpayer-funded IMSA and the Thomas Schools have proposed establishing a joint venture in 2025.
Correspondence between IMSA and Thomas Schools, which is administered by the Shanghai-based Ambright Education Group, began in June 2024.
Kendall Tietz, an investigative reporter for Defending Education, said that the communications raised &#8220;serious concerns about national security and the potential transfer of sensitive educational materials.&#8221;
&#8220;Our priority should be protecting U.S. schools from potential infiltration by foreign entities, especially those with interests that are not aligned with American values and national security,&#8221; she said. &#8220;We must safeguard our educational system to ensure it prioritizes student learning without compromising U.S. integrity.&#8221;
On June 18, an IMSA staff member <a href="https://defendinged.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/China-Thomas-Schools-IMSA-October-2024-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent an email</a> to Glazer summarizing a conversation with Thomas Schools about &#8220;launching a three-week, residential summer program&#8221; in July 2025 to provide &#8220;opportunities for research and language immersion for 20-30 of their high school students.&#8221; The preferred areas of research were science, math, and life sciences. Glazer responded by saying he would suggest a three-week research program.
Glazer received an email on September 5 from the president of the Ambright Education Group referring to Glazer as a &#8220;long time friend&#8221; and noting that &#8220;we here, in China, often mention about you.&#8221; Though the name is redacted in the email, the Ambright Education Group <a href="https://www.ambrightgroup.com/en/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lists</a> its president as Sean Zhang, who has been involved in the Chinese People&#8217;s Political Consultative Conference, a part of the Chinese Communist Party&#8217;s united front system.
<div id="attachment_914131" style="width: 2644px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-914131" class="size-full wp-image-914131" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-30-at-1.11.50-PM.png" alt="" width="2634" height="937" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-30-at-1.11.50-PM.png 2634w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-30-at-1.11.50-PM-300x107.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-30-at-1.11.50-PM-1024x364.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-30-at-1.11.50-PM-768x273.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-30-at-1.11.50-PM-1536x546.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-30-at-1.11.50-PM-2048x729.png 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2634px) 100vw, 2634px" />An email from a Chinese official referring to Glazer as a &#8220;long time friend.&#8221;</div>
Glazer said in reply that he had proposed sending students from Thomas Schools to a 2025 research program hosted by the Illinois Math and Science Academy. 
Several days later, on September 10, an IMSA staff member reached out to Glazer saying that it seemed like the Thomas Schools&#8217; &#8220;priorities&#8221; have &#8220;shifted&#8221; from an &#8220;intensive research&#8221; partnership.
“Their representatives are now saying that they&#8217;d prefer something that sounds more like a run-of- the-mill summer camp: one or two weeks at IMSA with some academic study, but also with college visits, sight-seeing trips, etc.,&#8221; the staff member wrote. &#8220;No doubt we could put such a program together. The question, I suppose, is whether IMSA&#8217;s primary goal is to get The Thomas Schools&#8217; students through the doors and generate some dollars &#8211; or to create a true research exchange program.&#8221;
Glazer responded by saying he would like to see the creation of a research partnership programs. IMSA did not respond to requests for comment on what direction the talks with Thomas Schools went or if there were any plans for the summer.
Glazer told The Daily Wire that he believed that the Thomas Schools were part of an initiative to focus on &#8220;inquiry based learning.&#8221;
&#8220;To my knowledge, the Thomas school aimed to offer an educational alternative that embraced inquiry based learning. The Chinese education system is historically didactic in nature, and I believe they were studying how schools cultivate a culture of research and discovery. For them, it was a new venture,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;I can’t say much about how their government supported it. In the U.S., funding comes from local, state and federal levels. However, even in the U.S., that funding support varies dramatically based on different mandates. I have to imagine China’s funding priorities vary school to school, as well,&#8221; he added. &#8220;One thing that’s clear to me is that if a government values innovation, it will fund scientific research in both labs and in schools.&#8221;
A few months before IMSA began discussions with Thomas Schools, the academy gave administrators from the CCP-administered Beijing National Day School a tour of their facility. On March 15, 2025, an official from the school reached out to IMSA requesting a visit in the hopes of &#8220;building up friendship in future.”
<div id="attachment_914185" style="width: 2410px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-914185" class="size-full wp-image-914185" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-30-at-2.01.18-PM.png" alt="" width="2400" height="1389" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-30-at-2.01.18-PM.png 2400w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-30-at-2.01.18-PM-300x174.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-30-at-2.01.18-PM-995x576.png 995w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-30-at-2.01.18-PM-768x444.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-30-at-2.01.18-PM-1536x889.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-30-at-2.01.18-PM-2048x1185.png 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px" />March 2024 email from Beijing National Day School</div>
“We are deeply impressed by the achievements of your school in helping students‘ learning and growth, and it would be a great honor to visit your school and exchange experiences regarding the aspects that facilitate the cultivation of innovative talents, which includes school curriculum, learning methods, resources, school management, etc,&#8221; the representative from Beijing National Day School wrote.
Ten days later, an employee from Illinois Math and Science Academy responded by saying that the school &#8220;would be happy&#8221; to schedule a meeting. Eventually, both parties signed a <a href="https://defendinged.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Beijing-4-8-24.pdf">memorandum of understanding</a> obtained by Defending Education where IMSA agreed to meet with the goal of exchanging &#8220;school information&#8221; on April 9, 2024. IMSA agreed to &#8220;present information&#8221; about its programs and give a walking tour of its facility while Beijing National Day School agreed to also present information on its programs.
A copy of the agenda showed that representatives from Beijing National Day School were presented topics like math, chemistry, and artificial intelligence. Emails from August 2024 indicate that the visit went well, because they requested another meeting at the school while they were in Chicago for a conference.
&#8220;I am writing to express our continued interest in fostering the wonderful relationship established during our visit to the Illinois Math and Science Academy (IMSA) last April,&#8221; a representative from the school wrote.
“We see this as a perfect opportunity to continue our exchange and would be excited if our teachers could visit IMSA during this period. This delegation mainly consists of teachers with backgrounds in mathematics, science, and STEM-related fields, which align perfectly with your school&#8217;s specializations. We believe this will lead to very insightful and meaningful exchanges.”
During the process, emails reveal that at least one staff member at IMSA had questions about exchanging information with America&#8217;s top political rival.
&#8220;Question: Do you think, given the current geo-political environment involving the People&#8217;s Republic of China (PRC), there is a risk to reputation for IMSA if we agree to host the Beijing National Day Schools (BNDS)?&#8221; the employ wrote, including a link to information about tensions between China and Taiwan. 
Glazer, who previously <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/news/the-ccp-cloned-americas-leading-stem-high-school-and-u-s-educators-helped/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggested</a> that it would be racist to question exchange programs from China, responded by saying that education knew no borders.
&#8220;I think it&#8217;s ok since we are not a political organization,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Educator is a great equalizer that brings people together. In addition, I hope the visit might yield potential for their students to study at IMSA one day.&#8221;

Chinese national flags

This High School Principal Can’t Stop Selling Out America’s Best Schools To China

Education

Illinois

National Security

A former intelligence officer with the U.S. Army was sentenced on Wednesday to seven years in prison for selling critical military documents to an individual believed to be tied to the Chinese government.
Korbein Schultz, 25, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/army-intelligence-officer-pleads-guilty-to-selling-defense-information-to-china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pled guilty</a> last year to conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information, unlawfully exporting controlled information to China, and accepting bribes in exchange for sensitive government information. The sale of the documents, which included information on American military technology, took place over a three-year period from May 2022 to March 2024, according to the Justice Department. 
“This defendant swore an oath to defend the United States — instead, he betrayed it for a payout and put America’s military and service members at risk,” <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-us-army-intelligence-analyst-sentenced-selling-sensitive-military-information">said</a> Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Justice Department remains vigilant against China’s efforts to target our military and will ensure that those who leak military secrets spend years behind bars.”
He could have faced 65 years in prison if given the maximum on all counts.
Schultz was paid $42,000 for sending the information to an unidentified foreign national living in Hong Kong believed to be connected to the Chinese government.
The information that he provided included his unit&#8217;s operational order before it was deployed to Eastern Europe, information applying lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war to Taiwan, technical manuals for the Army&#8217;s HH-60 helicopter and F-22A fighter aircraft, manuals on Intercontinental Ballistic Missile systems, American intelligence on the Chinese military and the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, details on American military exercises in South Korea and the Philippines, and documents on American military satellites and missile defense systems.
Schultz was first contacted to sell the secrets over a freelance web-based work platform by an individual pretending to work for a geopolitical consulting firm, according to the Justice Department. The department added that Schultz attempted to recruit a friend who worked for the Department of Defense’s Indo-Pacific Command to take part in the scheme as well.
The FBI&#8217;s Nashville office led the investigation, with assistance from the Department of Defense and the Army Counterintelligence Command.
“This sentencing is a stark warning to those who betray our country: you will pay a steep price for it,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The People’s Republic of China is relentless in its efforts to steal our national defense information, and service members are a prime target. The FBI and our partners will continue to root out espionage and hold those accountable who abandon their obligation to safeguard defense information from hostile foreign governments.”

ASIAD-2025-CHN-OPENING

Former Army Intel Officer Sentenced After Selling U.S. Military Secrets To China

Crime

Department of Justice

Hong Kong

kash patel

Pam Bondi

Spying

U.S. Army

China threatened on Monday to take &#8220;countermeasures&#8221; against countries that agree to trade deals with the United States &#8220;at the expense of China&#8217;s interests.&#8221;
The country&#8217;s warning to nations around the globe comes as the Trump administration continues negotiations on trade and tariffs. Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India — one of China&#8217;s biggest economic adversaries — is set to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/vance-modi-meeting-india-trump-tariffs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">meet</a> with Vice President JD Vance this week in New Delhi, where the two are expected to discuss a bilateral trade deal.
A spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce <a href="https://www.mofcom.gov.cn/xwfb/xwfyrth/art/2025/art_3277f51446f143eda489a1bd5de6f72f.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Monday that the United States &#8220;has abused tariffs on all its trading partners under the banner of so-called &#8216;reciprocity,&#8217; while at the same time forcing all parties to start so-called &#8216;reciprocal tariff negotiations&#8217; with it.&#8221;
&#8220;It should be pointed out in particular that China firmly opposes any party reaching a deal at the expense of China&#8217;s interests,&#8221; the Ministry of Commerce stated. &#8220;If this happens, China will never accept it and will resolutely take countermeasures in a reciprocal manner. China is determined and capable of safeguarding its own rights and interests.&#8221;
&#8220;Appeasement cannot bring peace, and compromise cannot be respected,&#8221; the communist government added.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump froze tariffs for most countries at 10% for 90 days as many trading partners showed a willingness to come to the negotiating table. Trump&#8217;s tariff on Chinese goods, however, was increased to 145% as the United States and China traded retaliatory moves. Currently, China has imposed a 125% tariff on U.S. imports.
According to the White House, around 130 countries are lining up to meet with administration officials and hash out new deals, and last week, President Trump joined some of his top trade advisers during a meeting with Japanese leaders in Washington, D.C. Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114372350378942829" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Sunday that &#8220;many World Leaders and Business Executives have come to me asking for relief from Tariffs.&#8221;
&#8220;It’s good to see that the World knows we are serious, because WE ARE! They must right the wrongs of decades of abuse, but it won’t be easy for them,&#8221; he added. &#8220;We must rebuild the Wealth of our Great Country, and create true RECIPROCITY. But for those who want the easiest path: Come to America, and build in America!&#8221;
China, however, continues to push back against the Trump administration&#8217;s tariffs, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/china-doubles-down-on-fighting-trade-war-to-the-end-says-it-will-not-respond-to-threats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vowing</a> to fight the trade war against the United States &#8220;to the end.&#8221;
China is also seeking to strengthen its ties to other nations that have been hit by Trump&#8217;s tariffs. In the past few weeks, Chinese President Xi Jinping has courted Vietnam and Malaysia, urging them to defend “an open and cooperative international environment,” The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/21/world/asia/china-tariffs-trade-warning.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Chinese officials have also reached out to Japan, South Korea, and the European Union as the trade war intensifies.

Xi Jinping

China Vows To Punish Countries That Agree To Trump Trade Deals

A Chinese satellite company linked to the communist government is aiding the Houthis with their attempted attacks on US vessels by giving them imagery the Houthis can use for targeting.
“We can confirm the reporting that Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co., Ltd. is directly supporting Iran-backed Houthi terrorist attacks on U.S. interests,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce <a href="https://www.state.gov/briefings/department-press-briefing-april-17-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Thursday. “Their actions and Beijing’s support of the company, even after our private engagements with them, is yet another example of China’s empty claims to support peace.”
“We urge our partners to judge the Chinese Communist Party and Chinese companies on their actions, not their empty words,” she continued. “Restoring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea is a priority to President Trump. Beijing should take this priority seriously when considering any future support of CGSTL. The United States will not tolerate anyone providing support to foreign terrorist organizations, such as the Houthis.”
“The United States has raised our concerns privately numerous times to the Chinese government on Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co Ltd’s role in supporting the Houthis in order to get Beijing to take action,” a senior State Department official said, according to the <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/628b404b-2a24-4853-8f3c-9caad408ef8f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Financial Times</a>. The official added that China had “ignored” those concerns.
“Chang Guang is one of a handful of ‘ostensibly’ commercial Chinese satellite companies that are in fact deeply embedded in the military-civil fusion ecosystem, supplying global surveillance capabilities to both civilian and military customers,” James Mulvenon, an expert on Chinese military and intelligence services, asserted.
“Under China’s military-civil fusion programme, companies must share technology with the PLA when ordered by the government,” the Financial Times noted. Matthew Bruzzese, a China defense expert, said CGSTL had “close connections” to the Chinese Communist government and the country’s military.
China helps the Houthis by buying vast amounts of Iranian oil, the Atlantic Council <a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/china-is-supporting-the-houthis-heres-how-the-trump-administration-can-respond/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pointed out</a> in January, adding, “China is Iran’s biggest customer, with more than 90 percent of Iran’s exports going to China in 2024. As a result of these exports, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-revolutionary-guards-extend-control-over-tehrans-oil-exports-sources-say-2024-12-18/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> received as much as half of the fifty billion dollars in oil revenue that Iran earned last year. In turn, the IRGC uses its funds to support its proxies, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.”

China Launches 18 Satellites From Hainan Commercial Spacecraft Launch Site

China-Linked Satellite Company Helping Houthis Launch ‘Attacks On U.S. Interests’

Houthis

Iran

Red Sea

Satellites

Terrorism

Trump Administration

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday that the White House is relying on one key leverage point to get China to the negotiating table amid the ongoing tariff war between the United States and the communist regime.
Quoting President Donald Trump, Leavitt stated that the ball was &#8220;in China&#8217;s court&#8221; and told reporters during Tuesday&#8217;s press briefing that at the end of the day, Chinese exporters needed one thing that only a renegotiated trade agreement with President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration would provide: access to the American markets.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> shares a statement from <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;The ball is in China&#39;s court. China needs to make a deal with us; we don&#39;t have to make a deal with them. There&#39;s no difference between China and any other country except they are much larger, and China wants what we have&#8230; the… <a href="https://t.co/qD9LHzdAJm">pic.twitter.com/qD9LHzdAJm</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1912204265415930128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Look, the president has made his position on China quite clear, although I do have an additional statement that he just shared with me in the Oval Office,&#8221; Leavitt said, quoting, &#8220;&#8216;The ball is in China&#8217;s court. China needs to make a deal with us; we don&#8217;t have to make a deal with them. There&#8217;s no difference between China and any other country except they are much larger, and China wants what we have, what — every country wants what we have: the American consumer.'&#8221;
&#8220;Or to put it another way, they need our money,&#8221; Leavitt added. &#8220;So the president, again, he&#8217;s made it quite clear, he&#8217;s open to a deal with China, but China needs to make a deal with the United States of America.&#8221;
China and the United States have gone back and forth — with escalations and increased retaliatory tariffs on both sides — in the days since Trump first announced his &#8220;Liberation Day&#8221; plan aimed at leveling out trade imbalances. As some 130 nations have opted for negotiations over retaliation, Trump announced a 90-day pause in the increased tariffs for those countries. The tariffs against Chinese imports remain at 145%.
Leavitt also took a swipe at former President Joe Biden — who is scheduled to speak Tuesday evening — saying that she&#8217;d been surprised to learn he was speaking at night. &#8220;My first reaction when seeing Former President Biden was speaking tonight was, I&#8217;m shocked that he is speaking at nighttime. I thought his bedtime was much earlier,&#8221; she said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a>: &quot;My first reaction when seeing Former President Biden was speaking tonight was, I&#39;m shocked that he is speaking at nighttime&#8230; I understand the topic of his speech is Social Security. Let me make it very clear&#8230; <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> is absolutely certain about protecting Social… <a href="https://t.co/0ElkJilupB">pic.twitter.com/0ElkJilupB</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1912205669387870338?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

President Trump Participates In A Kennedy Center Board Meeting And Tour

‘China Needs To Make A Deal With Us’: White House Says U.S. Has One Key Leverage Point

Karoline Leavitt

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