Freedom of speech has won a decisive victory in Australia. On Tuesday, a Melbourne tribunal <a href="https://adfinternational.org/news/free-speech-victory-in-australia-for-billboard-chris-as-x-post-censorship-overturned">overturned</a> the Australian government’s censorship order against Canadian street advocate Chris “<a href="https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&amp;rls=en&amp;q=support+billboard+chris+adf+international&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;oe=UTF-8">Billboard Chris</a>” Elston for an X post critical of gender ideology.
Back in 2024, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner had ordered X to remove Chris’ post, claiming it constituted “adult cyber abuse” under the country’s Online Safety Act. The post linked to a Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13119521/Sex-secrets-trans-kinky-Australian-bondage-bestiality-nudism-drugs-sex-change.html">article</a> about a WHO appointee and referred to the individual using biologically accurate pronouns. No threats. No private information. Just public facts and an opinion the government didn’t like. X initially resisted, but eventually geo-blocked the post in the country while filing its own appeal.
Billboard Chris, who travels the world engaging in conversations exposing the truth about gender ideology prompted by his wearable signs, refused to bow down to the order. With legal support from ADF International and the Human Rights Law Alliance, he challenged the eSafety Commissioner, and won in a decisive victory not just for himself, but for everyone who values the right to speak freely.
The Administrative Review Tribunal found what should have been obvious from the beginning — the post wasn’t intended to cause harm, wasn’t likely to be seen by the complainant, and was consistent with Chris’s well-known public message — namely, that children are never born in the wrong body. It ruled clearly that this did not constitute a form of abuse and revoked the takedown order.
The Tribunal recognized what the eSafety Commissioner refused to acknowledge, which is that this isn’t about harassment of any kind. The protection of Chris’ expression is about upholding the basic right to participate in a public conversation, one that touches on some of the most urgent questions of our time. To silence that conversation under the guise of “cyber abuse” is both intellectually dishonest and dangerous.
The absurdity of the government’s case was exposed in the hearing itself. Chris had merely reposted a widely read article that included publicly available information about the transgender activist appointed to a WHO panel of “experts” — information the activist had willingly shared on social media. Instead of defending public transparency, the government claimed those details were irrelevant and demanded censorship.
<h3><a href="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/">JULY 4 SALE: Get Six Months Of DW+ Free</a></h3>
The Tribunal’s written decision was clear: “The post, although phrased offensively, is consistent with views Mr Elston has expressed elsewhere in circumstances where the expression of the view had no malicious intent. For example, his statement placed on billboards that he is prepared to wear in public ‘children are never born in the wrong body’ expresses the same idea about the immutability of biology that he expresses, albeit much more provocatively, in the post”. Further, it held that, “an ordinary reasonable person would not conclude that that it is likely that the post was intended to have an effect of causing serious harm to Mr Cook”.
This case is about more than just one post or even one country’s speech laws. Not only will this decision likely shape future enforcement decisions, but also Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, has just been <a href="https://x.com/k_mahlburg/status/1939872951895302531">named</a> in a U.S. congressional investigation for colluding with foreign governments and corporate cartels to suppress speech worldwide — including in the United States. The U.S. House Judiciary Committee <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/2025-06/Exporting%20Censorship%20Final.pdf">released</a> a 100-page report detailing how Grant worked with GARM — a World Economic Forum-linked advertising consortium — to push platforms like X into silencing disfavored views. She demanded global takedowns of lawful content. She participated in pressure campaigns against X after Musk’s takeover. And she allowed so-called “brand safety” coalitions to influence her regulatory decisions.
This is coordinated censorship. The report lays out how GARM and other WEF-affiliated coalitions, working with officials like Grant, sought to blacklist voices they disagreed with under the pretense of maintaining a “safe” internet. In reality, they were constructing a global censorship machine — one that’s ideologically aligned, politically unaccountable, and willing to cross borders to silence dissent. Billboard Chris&#8217; case is living proof of what this looks like.
If the Tribunal had sided with the Commissioner, it would have emboldened this aggressive censorship campaign and reinforced the idea that a government can suppress the speech of any person on any platform, even beyond traditional jurisdictional boundaries. And make no mistake — that’s exactly what the eSafety Commissioner and its allies are trying to do.
Fortunately, Billboard Chris’ free speech victory is a warning to the censors. He stood up to a system designed to silence him, and he won. But the same people trying to censor speech in Australia are working to do the same everywhere else. 
On the same day of Chris’ victory, the European Union took a significant step toward strengthening online censorship, beefing up its censorial Digital Services Act by enforcing the accompanying &#8220;Code of Conduct on Disinformation&#8221;. The DSA enables Brussels bureaucrats to control online speech at scale — both in Europe and globally — under the guise of “safety” and “protecting democracy”. Platforms that fail to remove content ambiguously deemed “illegal” face massive financial penalties and even suspension. Coupled with the framework’s approach to “misinformation,” “disinformation,” and “hate speech,” the DSA could lead to the sweeping removal of online content.
Threats to free speech online are evidently immense and growing, but Billboard Chris’ successful challenge shows that this tide can be turned. Courageous individuals, armed with principle and the law, can stand up to the censorship industrial complex — and win. And their victories protect not just their own speech, but those too who would come after them. Others must be emboldened by the lead of this Canadian father and vigilantly defend against censorship if we are to see free speech prevail.
* * *
Robert Clarke is a barrister and director of advocacy for ADF International, which coordinated the legal defense of Billboard Chris in Australia. Follow him on X at <a href="https://x.com/Rob_ADFIntl?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">Rob_ADFIntl</a>
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

MixCollage-07-Apr-2025-01-02-PM-8595

A Blow To Global Censorship: ‘Billboard Chris’ Wins In Australia

A Blow To Global Censorship: 'Billboard Chris' Wins In Australia

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF)

Australia

Censorship

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Free Speech

Gender

gender ideology

Puberty blockers

Social Media Censorship

transgender surgery

President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened that Spain would have to &#8220;pay twice as much&#8221; in a future trade deal after the NATO member refused to commit to the alliance&#8217;s new target of spending 5% of its gross domestic product on defense and security.
&#8220;You&#8217;re the only country that is not paying. I don&#8217;t know what the problem is,&#8221; Trump said at the NATO summit in The Hague when questioned about Spain&#8217;s refusal to go along.
&#8220;You know what we’re gonna do? We&#8217;re negotiating with Spain on a trade deal. We&#8217;re going to make them pay twice as much. And I&#8217;m actually serious about that,&#8221; the president added.
NATO members <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-triumphs-nato-bows-to-u-s-pressure-with-5-defense-pledge?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Nathan+Gay&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Trump+Triumphs%3A+NATO+Bows+To+U.S.+Pressure+With+5%25+Defense+Pledge">agreed</a> to increase defense spending from the current 2% level to 5% of their country’s gross domestic product by 2035. Spain was the only member that rejected this target, arguing that it would strain the country’s extensive welfare state.
“We fully respect the legitimate desire of other countries to increase their defense investment, but we are not going to do it,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-heads-to-nato-summit-demanding-freeloading-allies-pay-their-fair-share?author=Nathan+Gay&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Heads+To+NATO+Summit+Demanding+%E2%80%98Freeloading%E2%80%99+Allies+Pay+Their+Fair+Share">said</a> before the summit.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
President Trump rips into Spain for refusing to increase NATO spending.
&quot;I think Spain&#39;s terrible what they&#39;ve done, they are the only Country that won&#39;t pay 5%&quot; <a href="https://t.co/WD5JGnc2WU">pic.twitter.com/WD5JGnc2WU</a>
&mdash; Media Research Center (@theMRC) <a href="https://twitter.com/theMRC/status/1937881474520223900?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;They want a little bit of a free ride, but they&#8217;ll have to pay it back to us on trade, because I’m not going to let that happen. It’s unfair,” Trump said.
As a part of the European Union, Spain <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-06-25/trump-threatens-to-double-tariffs-on-spain-over-nato-spending">negotiates</a> trade as part of the 27-member bloc, not individually, per Bloomberg. Still, Trump emphasized his intention to bypass the European Union&#8217;s regular trade negotiation protocols.
&#8220;I&#8217;m going to negotiate directly with Spain. I&#8217;m going to do it myself,&#8221; Trump insisted. &#8220;They&#8217;re going to pay, they&#8217;ll pay more money this way.&#8221;
The threat comes ahead of the Trump administration&#8217;s July 9 deadline for the European Union to agree to a trade deal. If no agreement is reached, tariffs on EU products imported into the United States are set to increase to 50%.
NATO members condemned Spain for rejecting the 5% target.
Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Deputy Prime Minister of Poland, whose country allocates a higher percentage of its GDP for defense than any NATO member, blasted Spain’s lack of commitment.
“We believe that any deviation from this principle by any member country is a bad example,” he said.
“It’s incredibly unfair to the alliance,” another NATO official <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/spain-nato-canada-defense-target-spending-gdp/">said</a> to POLITICO.
At the press conference on Wednesday, Trump said his outlook on NATO had changed. Previously critical of &#8220;freeloading&#8221; nations not paying their fair share in defense, he now believes the alliance is no longer a &#8220;rip-off&#8221; given the new 5% commitment. The increase is expected to significantly boost the alliance&#8217;s collective defense capabilities at a time of heightened global tensions, as the United States has historically shouldered more than two-thirds of NATO&#8217;s collective defense spending.

NATO Summit In The Hague Final Day

Trump Says Spain Will ‘Pay Twice As Much’ On Trade After NATO Defiance

Donald Trump

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BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Alphabet&#8217;s Google faced a potential setback on Thursday as an adviser to Europe&#8217;s highest court sided with antitrust regulators in the company&#8217;s fight against a record 4.34 billion euro ($4.98 billion) fine levied seven years ago.
The European Commission in its 2018 decision said Google had used its Android mobile operating system to block rivals. A lower tribunal endorsed the EU finding in 2022 but trimmed the fine to 4.1 billion euros, prompting Google to appeal to Europe&#8217;s top court.
Advocate-General at the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) Juliane Kokott, in her non-binding opinion, advised the court to dismiss Google&#8217;s appeal and confirm the reduced fine set by the lower tribunal.
&#8220;The legal arguments put forward by Google are ineffective,&#8221; she said.
Kokott dismissed Google&#8217;s argument that regulators should compare Google with a rival in assessing the situation.
&#8220;It is not realistic, in the present case, to compare the situation of Google with that of a hypothetical as-efficient competitor. Google held a dominant position in several markets of the Android-ecosystem and thus benefited from network effects that enabled it to ensure that users used Google Search,&#8221; she said.
Judges, who usually follow four out of five such non-binding opinions, will rule in the coming months.
&#8220;Android has created more choice for everyone and supports thousands of successful businesses in Europe and around the world,&#8221; a Google spokesperson said on Thursday.
&#8220;We are disappointed with the Opinion which, if it were followed by the Court, would discourage investment in open platforms and harm Android users, partners and app developers.&#8221;
Regulators said Google&#8217;s illegal practices dated back to 2011, as it required manufacturers to pre-install Google Search and its Chrome browser together with its Google Play app store on their Android devices. It paid them to pre-install only Google Search and blocked them from using rival Android systems.
Google&#8217;s Android system, which it lets device makers use for free, runs about 73% of the world&#8217;s smartphones, according to Statcounter.
The world&#8217;s most popular internet search engine has racked up a total of 8.25 billion euros in fines linked to three investigations stretching back more than a decade, while other probes are ongoing.
The case is C-738/22 P Google and Alphabet v Commission.
(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Bernadette Baum)

FILE PHOTO: Google logo shown on building in California

Google Faces Setback In Fight Against $5 Billion Anti-Trust Fine

Big Tech

Google

The United States partnered with European authorities to shut down one of the world’s largest darknet drug trafficking websites, which is also one of the few online marketplaces for fentanyl.
American officials partnered with Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency, to shut down Archetyp Market, which authorities say had trafficked at least $290 million worth of drugs to more than 600,000 users over five years.
A law enforcement coalition that included the national police forces of several European nations and multiple American agencies conducted a three-day operation across five countries. Officers seized Archetyp Market infrastructure in the Netherlands and arrested a 30-year-old German administrator in Barcelona.
One Archetyp Market moderator and six of the market’s highest vendors were also apprehended, along with around $9 million in assets.
“With over 17,000 listings, it is one of the few darknet markets that allowed the sale of fentanyl and other highly potent synthetic opioids,” <a href="https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/europe-wide-takedown-hits-longest-standing-dark-web-drug-market" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Europol</a> wrote on its website.
The operation required “years of intensive investigative work” to “map the platform’s technical architecture and identify the individuals behind it.” Law enforcement achieved this by “tracing financial flows, analysing digital forensic evidence, and working closely with partners on the ground.”
&#8220;With this takedown, law enforcement has taken out one of the dark web&#8217;s longest-running drug markets, cutting off a major supply line for some of the world&#8217;s most dangerous substances.&#8221; Jean-Philippe Lecouffe, deputy executive director of operations at Europol, stated, per Reuters.
&#8220;By dismantling its infrastructure and arresting its key players, we are sending a clear message: there is no safe haven for those who profit from harm.”
All that’s left of the site is a seizure banner and a link to “Operation Deep Sentinel,” a <a href="https://operation-deepsentinel.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> warning any remaining users that “Everything comes to an end.”

New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman Announces Large Heroin Bust

United States, Europe Shut Down Major Dark Web Fentanyl Market

Drugs

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BUDAPEST—European nations are waking up to the consequences of their own censorship, a former senior advisor to President Donald Trump argued on Wednesday — a cultural shift due in large part to Trump&#8217;s return to the world stage.
Jason Miller, a longtime political strategist and the founder of GETTR, spoke at the EU-US Summit at the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest, where he discussed the European Union&#8217;s ongoing attempts at censorship of European citizens with former White House director of the Domestic Policy Council Joe Grogan and Matt Mowers, president of the global strategies firm Valcour and a State Department veteran.
Miller held up a copy of The Economist that featured a startling headline in bold: &#8220;Europe&#8217;s Free Speech Problem.&#8221; The Economist is far from a right-leaning publication, the former Trump advisor joked, emphasizing that &#8220;Free speech is a massively big deal here in the EU, as well as the U.K.&#8221;
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=memorial&amp;utm_content=editorialmemorialday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get 40% Off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
&#8220;This is something that everybody realizes is huge,&#8221; he shared, holding up the magazine, &#8220;because what happens with the EU, what happens with the U.K., what also happens with free speech in the United States, all impact each other.&#8221;
As an example, he referred to the United Kingdom&#8217;s request for a “back door” to Apple&#8217;s iCloud encryption to help the British government access Apple iCloud user data. The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-tulsi-gabbard-to-probe-national-security-implications-of-uks-demands-to-apple">broke the news in February</a> that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was probing the potential implications of such a request.
<div id="attachment_926099" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-nations-grapple-with-growing-free-speech-problem-under-trumps-gaze/img_3136" rel="attachment wp-att-926099"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-926099" class="wp-image-926099 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/IMG_3136-864x576.jpg" alt="Photo courtesy of the EU-US Forum." width="864" height="576" /></a>Photo courtesy of the EU-US Forum.</div>
On Wednesday, Miller shared that &#8220;the U.K. government is telling the United States that if Apple still wants to continue doing business in the U.K., that they have to give access to iClouds.&#8221;
&#8220;Of course,&#8221; he noted, &#8220;they say it&#8217;s only to stop the worst of the worst, to stop the bad actors. Anyone in the U.S. intelligence side will tell you, if you open up people&#8217;s individual iClouds&#8230;it will take hackers and other people five minutes, tops, to hack into everybody&#8217;s iCloud. Dangers like this become very, very real.&#8221;
Thanks to Trump&#8217;s comments on the issue, as well as Vice President JD Vance&#8217;s remarks at the Munich Security Conference earlier this year, much more attention is on the European leaders leading the charge to censor their citizens.
&#8220;President Trump and the administration are calling attention to [censorship in Europe] and I think really putting the bully pulpit to use,&#8221; Miller told The Daily Wire in an interview following his remarks. He argued that it is &#8220;way too easy for countries to sweep under the rug&#8221; stories like that of Lucy Connolly, whose angry, aggressive post calling for mass deportations <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp3nn60wyr6o">earned her 31 months in jail</a>. 
Miller argued that what Connolly said was certainly unacceptable, &#8220;but it&#8217;s not 31-months-in-prison unacceptable.&#8221;
&#8220;I think the punishment has to fit the crime,&#8221; Miller said.
The president and his administration have made free speech a main focus &#8220;because what happens in one country will impact the U.S.,&#8221; Miller noted. What happens in the European Union, or is dictated by the European Union, will almost certainly happen next in the U.S. unless checked, he argued. 
&#8220;Ultimately, when they start putting restrictions on their free speech then other outlets, whether it be a social media platform, whether it be technology platforms such as Apple or Google or things of that nature, when free speech is suppressed then ultimately what&#8217;s gonna happen is so many of those same policies will be put in place in the United States,&#8221; Miller said.  
&#8220;You see that often there&#8217;s a symbiotic relationship between the two,&#8221; reflected Mowers in an interview with The Daily Wire. &#8220;What you&#8217;re seeing is good policies and bad policies emanate on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/JasonMiller?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JasonMiller</a>: ‘Many of these decisions aren’t made by individual countries, they’re being made by bureaucrats in Brussels who are unelected and unaccountable.’ <a href="https://t.co/WOYzkHvb6c">pic.twitter.com/WOYzkHvb6c</a>
— EU-US Forum (@EUUSForum) <a href="https://twitter.com/EUUSForum/status/1927629813864690034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
&#8220;We&#8217;ve been shining a light on that since we started the EU-US Forum in the early part of last year,&#8221; he explained, noting, &#8220;We&#8217;re seeing election results bear out that Europeans are fed up with the status quo, the bureaucrats in Brussels, the over regulation, the over taxation, the fact that they&#8217;re clamping down on free speech, they&#8217;re doing nothing to address the unchecked migration that is jeopardizing security and jobs.&#8221;
Their comments come as a group of senior State Department officials head to France and Ireland this week to push both countries to respect citizens’ rights, part of a State Department effort to fight “egregious examples of democratic backsliding” and “violations of basic natural rights” in Europe, a senior State Department official shared with The Daily Wire.
The initiative, launched by the department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, is especially focused on defending freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to privacy. In France, the State Department delegation will meet with government officials to discuss the recent arrest of French politician Marine Le Pen. In Ireland, their discussion will focus on concerns that a new European Union law could be used to censor free speech.
As Vance highlighted in Munich, the Trump administration sees real threats facing its allies in Europe “from within” — particularly cases of governments targeting their own citizens and particular forms of political and religious speech. Those targeted are disproportionately Christian, conservative, or nationalist.
“It’s not a coincidence that these kinds of global forces are using similar tactics to those that were used on this side of the Atlantic against President Trump and his supporters over the past eight years,” the State Department official shared.
Vance&#8217;s remarks in Munich continue to dominate discussions of free speech across the globe, and will likely continue to do so during CPAC Hungary 2025, where conservative leaders and commentators are gathering this week. Miller suggested that Trump&#8217;s and Vance&#8217;s statements on censorship as of late are a &#8220;loud wake up call&#8221; to European nations and a &#8220;pretty clear signal that President Trump and Vice President Pence are not going to back down.&#8221; 
&#8220;They&#8217;re gonna stand up and fight for free speech all around the entire world, and I think that&#8217;s a good thing,&#8221; he argued. &#8220;Ultimately that supports the sovereignty of individuals and nations that are, say, members of the EU, that free speech has to be defended.&#8221; 
&#8220;It&#8217;s been monumental,&#8221; Mowers said of the Trump administration&#8217;s impact on Europe. &#8220;You&#8217;re seeing it right now play out in the trade relationship that President Trump has been negotiating with the EU, and recent developments that are happening in the last few hours, where they are saying now by early July they have a goal of getting a framework in place.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/JasonMiller?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JasonMiller</a> on the weaponization of government from the left:
‘The last line of defense for the extreme radical left is the legal system&#8230; people should be able to embrace the sovereignty and individuality and the rights that they hold as citizens.’ <a href="https://t.co/C764l03NTI">pic.twitter.com/C764l03NTI</a>
— EU-US Forum (@EUUSForum) <a href="https://twitter.com/EUUSForum/status/1927633391790547220?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
Mowers praised Vance for arguing that the United States&#8217; relationship with Europe is strong, but that it must be based on an honest conversation about the problems at hand — namely, that the EU has been trampling free speech, failing to honor the outcomes of elections, and disenfranchising political leaders with whom they disagree.
&#8220;If we&#8217;re going to talk about the uniqueness, and the real pedestal we want to put our relationship on, which is worthy, we&#8217;ve got to start acting it too,&#8221; Mowers said.
&#8220;That&#8217;s not going to happen with some outside influence, it&#8217;s going to happen from within, and you&#8217;re seeing European voters vote that way as well, because they&#8217;re expressing their frustrations with the leaders who have ignored the actual challenges in their lives.&#8221;

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European Nations Grapple With Growing ‘Free Speech Problem’ Under Trump’s Gaze

Hungary

Jason Miller

WASHINGTON—A group of senior State Department officials will head to France and Ireland this week to push both countries to respect citizens’ rights, The Daily Wire has learned.
The trip is part of a State Department effort to fight &#8220;egregious examples of democratic backsliding&#8221; and &#8220;violations of basic natural rights&#8221; in Europe, a senior State Department official shared with The Daily Wire. The initiative, launched by the department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, is especially focused on defending freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to privacy.
The countries in question “claim to be bastions of democracy,&#8221; the senior State Department official explained, &#8220;they&#8217;re so-called liberal democracies that preach inclusivity and tolerance and progress, and the reality on the ground just simply shows that isn&#8217;t the case.&#8221;
In France, the State Department delegation will meet with government officials to discuss the recent arrest of French politician Marine Le Pen. In Ireland, their discussion will focus on concerns that a new European Union law could be used to censor free speech.
Under President Donald Trump, the State Department is working to push American allies to respect the rights of their citizens and the rights of American citizens. Foggy Bottom sees trips like this as opportunities to battle the global political apparatus that has been weaponized against both European and American people, an apparatus that wants to silence individuals who stand up for traditional values like faith, freedom, and family.
As Vice President JD Vance highlighted at the Munich Security Conference earlier this year, President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration sees real threats facing its allies in Europe &#8220;from within&#8221; — particularly cases of governments targeting their own citizens and particular forms of political and religious speech. Those targeted are disproportionately Christian, conservative, or nationalist.
&#8220;It&#8217;s not a coincidence that these kinds of global forces are using similar tactics to those that were used on this side of the Atlantic against President Trump and his supporters over the past eight years,&#8221; the State Department official shared.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has <a href="https://f233cf64.streaklinks.com/CcLXDh56OqECKj6vpgth4qlU/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.state.gov%2Freleases%2Foffice-of-the-spokesperson%2F2025%2F05%2Fsecretary-of-state-marco-rubio-before-the-house-committee-on-appropriations-subcommittee-on-state-foreign-operations-and-related-programs-on-the-fy26-department-of-state-budget-request%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">repeatedly emphasized</a> that everything the State Department is doing must be done in the &#8220;national interest.&#8221; Increasingly, the State Department is noticing that the measures taken by the European Union are not only affecting European citizens, but also affecting American individuals and companies.
&#8220;In the spirit of our common culture or common Western heritage, that champions natural rights and free speech, we think we can speak frankly with our European allies about these real concerns,&#8221; that official noted. &#8220;If we&#8217;re not on the same page civilizationally, if we&#8217;re not on the same page politically, if we&#8217;re not on the same page values-wise, it makes those very important relationships much harder to guarantee.&#8221;
In March 2025, French authorities charged Marine Le Pen — a conservative and  presumptive presidential candidate for the &#8220;National Rally&#8221; — with embezzlement. A court quickly found her guilty, placed her on house arrest, and banned her from seeking elected office for five years.
The State Department is taking her stature as a political leader and the disproportionate speed at which the French government proceeded with the ban into consideration. They find her case &#8220;unique and concerning,&#8221; The Daily Wire has learned.
In Ireland, the officials will focus on the Digital Services Act, European Union legislation that will impact American companies based in Ireland, particularly technology companies. The legislation ostensibly aims to protect children by moderating online content and harmful practices like child pornography.
But in practice, a State Department official told the Daily Wire, it has been used to target political speech deemed to be hateful or offensive by European governments. American social media companies face heavy fines if they do not conform to the censorship rules.
&#8220;It&#8217;s obviously being weaponized, for political purposes,&#8221; the State Department official said.
State Department officials traveled to the United Kingdom earlier this year, where they met with Livia Tossici-Bolt, a woman prosecuted for holding a sign near a Bournemouth abortion clinic that read: “Here to talk if you want.”
The State Department issued a statement at the time announcing that it was monitoring Tossici-Bolt&#8217;s case and that it was important to the United States that the United Kingdom “respect and protect freedom of expression.&#8221; Tossici-Bolt was convicted in April and ordered to pay a fine of £20,000, <a href="https://f233cf64.streaklinks.com/CcLXDhZ391NTbBI6xAEv1WCt/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2025%2Fapr%2F04%2Fabortion-campaigner-livia-tossici-bolt-buffer-zone-clinic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian reports</a>.
The State Department trip comes amid an ongoing trade war between the United States and European nations. Pressed by The Daily Wire earlier this month as to whether a newly-signed trade deal with the United Kingdom included any assurances from Britain to protect free speech and freedom of religion, Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the agreement was solely focused on the economy.

Former President Donald Trump Rallies For Marco Rubio In Florida

EXCLUSIVE: State Department Officials Head To Europe To Fight For Free Speech

Marco Rubio

Marine Le Pen

State Department

President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he is pushing back the deadline to raise tariffs on imports from the European Union after a conversation with its leader, who says more time is needed to hash out a &#8220;good deal.&#8221;
In a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114570775887793036" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> on Truth Social, Trump shared that the deadline of June 1 to raise the tariff rate from 10% to 50% — which he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-fires-off-flurry-of-trade-war-barbs-threatens-apple?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Fires+Off+Flurry+Of+Trade+War+Barbs%2C+Threatens+Apple" target="_blank" rel="noopener">floated</a> on Friday — would be delayed until July 9. The president said he decided to delay the tariffs after receiving a call from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
&#8220;I received a call today from Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, requesting an extension on the June 1st deadline on the 50% Tariff with respect to Trade and the European Union,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;I agreed to the extension — July 9, 2025 — It was my privilege to do so. The Commission President said that talks will begin rapidly. Thank you for your attention to this matter!&#8221;
Von der Leyen said she had a &#8220;good call&#8221; with Trump in a post on X.
&#8220;The EU and US share the world’s most consequential and close trade relationship,&#8221; von der Leyen <a href="https://x.com/vonderleyen/status/1926729529436913794" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;Europe is ready to advance talks swiftly and decisively. To reach a good deal, we would need the time until July 9.&#8221;
Just before Memorial Day weekend began, Trump declared he would impose a 50% tariff on products from the European Union, apparently moving up the deadline of the 90-day pause of his &#8220;Liberation Day&#8221; tariffs for the European bloc by a little more than a month.
“The European Union, which was formed for the primary purpose of taking advantage of the United States on TRADE, has been very difficult to deal with,&#8221; Trump said at the time. &#8220;Their powerful Trade Barriers, Vat Taxes, ridiculous Corporate Penalties, Non-Monetary Trade Barriers, Monetary Manipulations, unfair and unjustified lawsuits against Americans Companies, and more, have led to a Trade Deficit with the U.S. of more than $250,000,000 a year, a number which is totally unacceptable. Our discussions with them are going nowhere!&#8221;
&#8220;Therefore, I am recommending a straight 50% Tariff on the European Union, starting on June 1, 2025,&#8221; he added. &#8220;There is no Tariff if the product is built or manufactured in the United States.&#8221;
Trump <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/1926765292371198342" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> reporters in Morristown, New Jersey, on Sunday that von der Leyen &#8220;wants to get down to serious negotiation.&#8221;
Earlier this month, the United States and China <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-china-release-details-of-agreement-to-dramatically-slash-tariffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agreed</a> to lower steep tariffs above 100% imposed on each other&#8217;s goods as they continue trade discussions. Trump administration officials have also 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 and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sorry-china-bessent-says-deal-with-massive-trade-partner-very-close" target="_blank" rel="noopener">teased</a> more deals in the making with other nations dealing with &#8220;Liberation Day&#8221; tariffs, including many facing the prospect of higher rates above the 10% baseline once the 90-day pause expires.

President Donald Trump

Trump Delays 50% Tariffs On EU After Its Leader Blinks

U.S.

President Donald Trump floated a series of new tariffs targeting Apple and the European Union on Friday, ramping up his push for companies to make their products in the United States.
In a pair of Truth Social posts, Trump said he was pondering slapping a 50% tariff on products from the European Union and a 25% tariff on Apple products if it does not move manufacturing to the United States. Trump said that trade talks with the European Union were not going anywhere and that he was recommending his new tariff take effect on June 1.
&#8220;The European Union, which was formed for the primary purpose of taking advantage of the United States on TRADE, has been very difficult to deal with. Their powerful Trade Barriers, Vat Taxes, ridiculous Corporate Penalties, Non-Monetary Trade Barriers, Monetary Manipulations, unfair and unjustified lawsuits against Americans Companies, and more, have led to a Trade Deficit with the U.S. of more than $250,000,000 a year, a number which is totally unacceptable. Our discussions with them are going nowhere! Therefore, I am recommending a straight 50% Tariff on the European Union, starting on June 1, 2025. There is no Tariff if the product is built or manufactured in the United States,&#8221; Trump wrote.
Tariffs on the European Union are currently at 10% after Trump placed a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs on April 9.
Andrew Bremberg, the former ambassador to Geneva and director of the Domestic Policy Institute, praised Trump&#8217;s pressuring of Europe.
“Europe must address the burdens it places on U.S. technology, telecommunications, and other important sectors,&#8221; he told The Daily Wire. &#8220;This is an important step in revitalizing our relationship, correcting systemic imbalances, and presenting a united front against the growing influence of Communist China in both Europe and the United States.”
In an earlier Friday post, Trump said Apple should move to manufacture the iPhone in the United States or face a steep tariff. Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly met with Trump on Tuesday at the White House.
&#8220;I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhone’s (sic) that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else,&#8221; Trump wrote. &#8220;If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the U.S. Thank you for your attention to this matter!&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s call on Friday for the iPhone to be made in America <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-urges-companies-like-apple-to-move-production-to-u-s-as-china-trade-war-intensifies?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Urges+Companies+‘Like+Apple’+To+Move+Production+To+U.S.+As+China+Trade+War+Intensifies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">echoed</a> his previous comments about wanting to bring production of the popular smartphone to the United States. Last month, after placing more than 100% tariffs on Chinese imports, Trump said it would be a great time for Apple to move manufacturing to the United States.
“This is a GREAT time to move your COMPANY into the United States of America, like Apple, and so many others, in record numbers, are doing,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114307832213562859">wrote</a> on Truth Social. “ZERO TARIFFS, and almost immediate Electrical/Energy hook ups and approvals. No Environmental Delays. DON’T WAIT, DO IT NOW!”
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=memorial&amp;utm_content=editorialmemorialday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Memorial Day Sale – Get 40% Off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
For years, Apple has manufactured iPhones in China, relying on the country’s cheap labor costs, but it has recently moved some of its production to India as it seeks to diversify its production base. Apple is considering ramping up iPhone production in India and shipping the devices to the United States.
In an April press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt affirmed that Trump wanted the iPhone made in the United States.
“Absolutely,” she said. “He believes we have the labor, we have the workforce, we have the resources to do it.”

US-POLITICS-TRUMP

Trump Fires Off Flurry Of Trade War Barbs, Threatens Apple

Apple

Tim Cook

The European Union is looking to give itself some leverage against the Trump administration, releasing a plan on Thursday to hit the United States with additional tariffs if trade negotiations don&#8217;t come to fruition.
The European Commission unveiled two steps it would take against the United States, including a higher tariff on more than $100 billion worth of U.S. goods and unleashing a trade dispute against the United States with the World Trade Organization, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/08/world/europe/eu-retaliatory-tariffs-trump-us.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The European Union announced its retaliation plan as President Donald Trump said he will agree to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-to-announce-major-trade-deal-with-united-kingdom?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+To+Announce+%E2%80%98Major+Trade+Deal%E2%80%99+With+United+Kingdom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;major deal</a>&#8221; with the United Kingdom on Thursday.
“We believe there are good deals to be made for the benefit of consumers and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “At the same time, we continue preparing for all possibilities, and the consultation launched today will help guide us in this necessary work.”
The European Union says American goods on the <a href="///Users/zachjewell/Downloads/Information%20gathering_list%20of%20products%20for%20consultation_EU%20common%20commercial%20policy%20measures%20on%20imports%20of%20goods%20from%20the%20US.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">list</a> that could be hit with an additional tariff include a wide range of products from cars and airplanes to grain and meat. The bloc is also considering a restriction on exports of scrap steel and chemical products. The list is not final, and the European Commission will review feedback on it before providing a final list over the summer, according to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/05/08/eu-trump-tariffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Axios</a>.
Trump slapped a 20% tariff on the European Union in his &#8220;Liberation Day&#8221; tariff rollout last month. The bloc <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/10/eu-suspends-retaliatory-tariffs-us-goods-trump-von-der-leyen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">retaliated</a>, hitting U.S. goods with a 25% duty, but after Trump announced he would lower tariffs to 10% across the board for most countries, the European Union suspended its retaliatory action for 90 days. Trump&#8217;s 25% tariff on aluminum and steel products and car imports remains in effect.
While Trump did not reveal any details of the upcoming deal with the United Kingdom, he said the agreement &#8220;is a full and comprehensive one that will cement the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom for many years to come.&#8221; A British official also <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/07/business/economy/trump-trade-britain.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The New York Times that the deal would benefit both countries, but did not offer specifics.
The agreement with the United Kingdom could give the European Union a better hint at how to negotiate with the Trump administration in the coming weeks. Trump said earlier this week that his administration “could sign 25 deals right now,” but added that it’s up to other countries “to sign deals with us.”

E.U. Reveals Plan To Hit U.S. With Additional Tariffs If Trade Talks Stall

Trump Administration

President Trump declared &#8220;there will be a trade deal, 100%&#8221; with Europe before a meeting Thursday with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the first European leader to visit the White House since he paused planned tariffs last week.
The meeting comes just days after both the European Union and Trump paused respective tariffs for 90 days to allow time for negotiations.
The Italian Prime Minister has been <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2025/04/17/europes-trump-whisperer-arrives-00295414">dubbed</a> the “Trump Whisperer” by the media, meeting with Trump before even EU Commission leader Ursula von der Leyen, who Trump has yet to schedule a meeting with 88 days into his presidency.
&#8220;I&#8217;m sure we can make a deal, and I am here to help with that,&#8221; Meloni said to the media prior to her lunch with Trump.
“I cannot lock this deal in the name of the European Union,” she <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/04/17/us-news/trump-vows-there-will-be-a-trade-deal-100-with-europe-as-italy-pm-georgia-meloni-visits-white-house/">added</a>, per the New York Post. “My goal would be to invite President Trump to pay an official visit to Italy and understand if there’s a possibility when it comes to organizing such a meeting with Europe.”
The White House sees Meloni as a possible bridge between Trump and the 27-member European bloc, who Trump has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/17/us/politics/meloni-trump-tariffs.html?smid=url-share">accused</a> of trying “screw” the United States on trade, establishing what officials describe as a &#8220;bespoke&#8221; trade deal.
Aside from trade, another issue likely to be addressed in the meeting is NATO, with Trump likely to prod Meloni on Italy’s failure to hit the requisite 2% of GDP on defense spending agreed to decades ago.
Italy is currently one of eight countries failing to hit that benchmark, at only 1.5%, per The New York Times.
Meloni addressed this point, saying, &#8220;Europe, as you know, is committed to do more, is working on tools to allow and help the [NATO] member states in increasing the defense spending. And we are convinced that everyone has to do more.&#8221;
Administration officials indicated Trump will also pitch having Italy import more American energy as part of his broader goal to &#8220;unleash American energy exports to the rest of the world.&#8221;
In 2024, the United States trade deficit with the European Union <a href="https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c0003.html">stood</a> at approximately $236 billion, with American manufacturers often competing against European products while facing higher tariffs and more restrictive regulations when exporting to EU markets.
Trump&#8217;s approach seeks to address these disparities through bilateral negotiations with key European partners.
Meloni&#8217;s visit carries particular significance as both leaders share common ground as populist conservatives who have emphasized national sovereignty and border security.
The Italian Prime Minister <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63351655">rose</a> to power in 2022 as the country&#8217;s first female leader, campaigning on a platform that resonated with conservative voters concerned about immigration and traditional values.
The &#8220;Liberation Day&#8221; tariffs that Trump temporarily suspended <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/09/european-union-approves-first-set-of-retaliatory-tariffs-on-us-imports.html">included</a> a 25% tariff on European luxury cars, steel, and aluminum, and a 20% levy on billions of dollars of European goods ranging from food products to machinery.
Following their discussions, Trump and Meloni are scheduled to hold a joint press conference in the Rose Garden, where further details about potential trade agreements and bilateral cooperation may be announced.

US-ITALY-DIPLOMACY-TRUMP-MELONI

‘There Will Be A Trade Deal, 100%’: Trump Eyes EU Agreement In Meeting With Meloni

Giorgia Meloni

Italy

World

The European Union will put retaliatory tariffs on the United States on hold following President Donald Trump’s Wednesday announcement that he was pausing most tariffs on all countries except China. 
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Thursday that the body would put a 90-day pause on its retaliatory actions in order for negotiations to take place. That is the same amount of time that Trump said he would pause most tariffs on all countries but China to work out trade deals that are more favorable to the United States. 
In a statement posted on X, von der Leyen said that European retaliatory tariffs could still take effect if negotiations fell through. 
“We took note of the announcement by President Trump. We want to give negotiations a chance. While finalising the adoption of the EU countermeasures that saw strong support from our Member States, we will put them on hold for 90 days,” she said. “If negotiations are not satisfactory, our countermeasures will kick in. Preparatory work on further countermeasures continues. As I have said before, all options remain on the table.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
We took note of the announcement by President Trump.
We want to give negotiations a chance.
While finalising the adoption of the EU countermeasures that saw strong support from our Member States, we will put them on hold for 90 days.
If negotiations are not satisfactory, our…
&mdash; Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) <a href="https://twitter.com/vonderleyen/status/1910278392349327628?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The announcement comes after the European Union <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-approves-retaliatory-tariffs-on-american-goods?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=European+Union+Approves+Retaliatory+Tariffs+On+American+Goods" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> 26-1 to impose tariffs on more than $20 billion of U.S. goods. American products like soybeans, meat, iron, steel, textiles, tobacco, and ice cream were expected to be hit with tariffs of up to 25%, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/04/09/eu-tariffs-trump-steel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a copy of the retaliatory plan obtained by The Washington Post.
Earlier on Thursday, von der Leyen <a href="https://x.com/vonderleyen/status/1910216093651632569" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> she welcomed Trump’s decision to pause most tariffs, calling it an “important step towards stabilizing the global economy.”
She also said she would support a “zero-for-zero” tariff agreement with the United States. 
“Tariffs are taxes that only hurt businesses and consumers. That’s why I’ve consistently advocated for a zero-for-zero tariff agreement between the European Union and the United States,&#8221; von der Leyen said. “The European Union remains committed to constructive negotiations with the United States, with the goal of achieving frictionless and mutually beneficial trade.”
At the same time Trump paused most reciprocal tariffs he hiked the tariff on Chinese goods to 125%. That came after Chinese officials announced an 84% tariff on American goods, which went into effect on Thursday. 
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-deal-is-going-to-be-made-with-everyone-trump-speaks-after-dropping-most-tariffs-for-90-days?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=7&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=‘A+Deal+Is+Going+To+Be+Made+With+Everyone’%3A+Trump+Speaks+After+Dropping+Most+Tariffs+For+90+Days" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Wednesday that he expected to make a deal with all countries, including China. 
“A deal is going to be made with China,” he said. “A deal is going to be made with every one of them, and there will be fair deals. I just want fair.”

Prime Minister Of Norway Visits The EU Commission

EU Puts Retaliatory Actions Against U.S. On Hold After Trump’s Tariff Pause

China

The European Commission voted on Wednesday to impose retaliatory tariffs on American goods in response to President Donald Trump’s decision to levy a tariff on European steel and aluminum.
The commission plans to impose tariffs on more than $20 billion of U.S. goods in response to the 25% tariff Trump placed on European steel and aluminum. The response comes as an additional 20% tariff on imports from the European Union went into effect at midnight on Wednesday. 
“The EU considers US tariffs unjustified and damaging, causing economic harm to both sides, as well as the global economy,” the European Union said in a joint <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/es/statement_25_1025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. “The EU has stated its clear preference to find negotiated outcomes with the US, which would be balanced and mutually beneficial.”
Tariffs will be applied to American products like soybeans, meat, iron, steel, textiles, tobacco, and ice cream, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/04/09/eu-tariffs-trump-steel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a copy of the plan obtained by The Washington Post. The outlet reported that the EU approved levies up to 25% on various U.S. products.
The body said that the retaliatory actions, which will be implemented on April 15, could be “suspended at any time” if the United States “agrees to a fair and balanced negotiated outcome.” 
The retaliatory action was <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-takes-revenge-on-trumps-metals-tariffs-approved-as-countries-close-ranks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opposed</a> by Hungary, which was the only country in the European Commission to vote against the proposal. 
“Escalation is not the answer. Such measures would cause further damage to European economy and citizens by raising prices. The only way forward is negotiations, not retaliation,” Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Péter Szijjártó <a href="https://x.com/FM_Szijjarto/status/1909942153268109495">posted</a> on X. 
More retaliatory actions by the European Commission are expected to follow this first round. This retaliation “will take account not only of European imports, but also of other ways in which we can respond,” <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/eu-imposes-new-tariffs-23-billion-us-goods-120636128" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to French Economic Minister Eric Lombard.
“The idea is that, with these extremely strong, extremely powerful measures, we can get to the negotiating table on an equal footing, so that both sides of these duties can be lowered and all our economic sectors protected,” he said. 
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is expected to <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/italys-meloni-confirms-white-house-182708200.html">visit</a> the White House on April 17 to speak with Trump about the tariffs. 
On Monday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union would be willing to negotiate with the United States for zero tariffs on industrial goods. 
“Europe is ready to negotiate with the U.S. We have offered zero-for-zero tariffs for industrial goods because we’re always ready for a good deal,” she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/e-u-ready-to-negotiate-with-trump-offers-zero-for-zero-tariffs-on-industrial-goods">said</a>. “But we’re also prepared to respond with countermeasures. And protect ourselves against indirect effects through trade diversion.”
Other countries have also retaliated against the U.S. tariffs, with China announcing plans to levy an 84% tariff on all American goods. In response, the Trump administration has stood by its approach, saying that it would look to make trade deals more favorable to the United States.

BELGIUM-EU-POLITICS

European Union Approves Retaliatory Tariffs On American Goods

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