Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remarked on Thursday that a &#8220;new version of TDS&#8221; seems to have emerged, specifically targeting President Donald Trump&#8217;s tariff policies, and reminded Democrats that they lost the presidential election last year while defending the sitting administration&#8217;s economic policies.
Shorthand for &#8220;Trump Derangement Syndrome,&#8221; TDS refers to a phenomenon characterized by intense negative reactions to Trump, his actions, or his supporters. Republican lawmakers recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-searches-patient-zero-trump-derangement-syndrome-new-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced</a> a bill in the House to begin a study of its origins and identify potential solutions.
During a hearing on Capitol Hill, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) <a href="https://x.com/RichSementa/status/1933185612636463228" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pressed</a> Bessent on whether American consumers are paying the tariffs amid Trump&#8217;s trade war with other countries after pointing out that the secretary himself <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bessent-speaks-to-walmart-ceo-dismisses-draconian-forecast-on-tariffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conceded</a> nearly a month ago that retail giant Walmart could pass on price increases to consumers.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
&#8220;There seems to be a new version of TDS, which I would call Tariff Derangement Syndrome,&#8221; says <a href="https://twitter.com/SecScottBessent?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecScottBessent</a>.
&#8220;Many on your side seem disappointed that there is no inflation &#8230; We saw the best inflation numbers since 2020, so there has been nothing passed on. There has been… <a href="https://t.co/KpYCPlUoA3">pic.twitter.com/KpYCPlUoA3</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1933174639531901157?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Bessent accused the Democrat of &#8220;cherry-picking&#8221; to suit a narrative. &#8220;Walmart makes decisions based on their customers&#8221; while he said two other large retailers, Amazon and Home Depot, have chosen not to pass along the cost of tariffs.
&#8220;There seems to be a new version of TDS, which I would call Tariff Derangement Syndrome, and many on your side seem disappointed that there is no inflation today,&#8221; Bessent <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1933174639531901157" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continued</a>. &#8220;As a matter of fact, we saw the best inflation numbers since 2020, so there has been nothing passed on. There has been no tariff recession. So no inflation, no recession due to tariffs.&#8221;
&#8220;Democrats are so out of touch and partisan that they refuse to acknowledge the President’s inflation wins and would actually prefer to see numbers rise,&#8221; Bessent <a href="https://x.com/SecScottBessent/status/1933183375227171099">wrote</a> in a post on X with a clip of his back-and-forth with Wyden.
At another point during the hearing, Bessent chided Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) during an exchange in which the Democrat lawmaker was loudly talking about tax cuts.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecScottBessent?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecScottBessent</a> nukes <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorBennet?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenatorBennet</a> on President Trump&#8217;s tax cuts: &#8220;We had a referendum on November 5th on our economic policies. Your side lost.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/MLQ3AbZ36P">pic.twitter.com/MLQ3AbZ36P</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1933175478455611657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Sir, we had a referendum on November 5th on &#8230; economic policies. Your side lost,&#8221; Bessent said.
The secretary kept going, but Bennet started to speak over him.
&#8220;I agree with that, and I&#8217;m a rare Democrat who doesn&#8217;t blame Donald Trump for winning,&#8221; Bennet exclaimed. &#8220;I&#8217;m sad he won.&#8221;
Bessent shot back, &#8220;A higher decibel level does not give your statements more veracity.&#8221;

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Testifies To Senate Finance Committee On Treasury Dept’s Budget

Bessent Identifies New Strain Of TDS, Reminds Dems They Lost The Election

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The United States and China agree to a trade framework, slashing tariffs and unlocking rare earth minerals. Inflation finally cools  — but L.A. remains hot. We break down the latest on the economy and the political unrest. And, as chaos erupts on the L.A. streets, the real battle is for the narrative – who’s winning the PR war?
It’s Thursday, June 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:
 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="US-China Trade Deal &amp; Rioters Charged" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/c2VARRi3chY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/us-china-trade-deal-rioters-charged-6-12-25/id1576594336?i=1000712561605" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
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<h2>Trade War Finale: We Have A Deal</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-933235" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-3.jpeg" alt="" width="640" height="360" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-3.jpeg 640w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-3-300x169.jpeg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></div>
Topline: President Donald Trump announced that the United States has reached a trade deal with China. The news comes amid an uneasy truce after a series of retaliatory tariffs.
Early Wednesday morning, Trump shared on Truth Social that “Our deal with China is done, subject to final approval with President Xi and me.” This followed two days of negotiations between top economic officials from both countries in London. Trump said that the deal, as it stands, would impose 55% tariffs on Chinese goods entering the United States, but just 10% for American goods in China. China has also agreed to resume shipping magnets and rare earth minerals to the United States.
“Rare earths power $7 trillion US dollars of consumer goods every year,” Shaun Rein, the founder of the China Market Research Group, told The Daily Wire. “Without Chinese rare earths, our iPhones aren&#8217;t going to work. Our cars aren&#8217;t going to work. And importantly, our military defense weapons aren&#8217;t going to work. So without Chinese rare earths, America&#8217;s in a lot of trouble. What also people don&#8217;t realize is that about 95% of antibiotics actually [are] manufactured in China. And then all straight down everything you get out of Walgreens or CVS, whether it&#8217;s Advil or Tylenol, a lot of that is made in China.”
China is the second-largest economy in the world and is a major market for many American goods – $143.5 billion of U.S. goods were exported to China in 2024, although American imports of Chinese goods were far higher at $438.9 billion. Tariffs of 55% are comparatively high but much lower than the 145% imposed before the agreement was reached. The deal will allow Chinese students to resume attending American colleges and universities.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said that this agreement would conclude trade negotiations with China and that deals from many other countries are close to locking in their own deals with the United States.
“We’re in good shape with lots of countries, but good shape isn&#8217;t good enough for the United States of America,” Lutnick told <a href="https://x.com/atrupar/status/1932819395077710148">CNBC</a>.”We want great deals that are fundamental to America, we can get them, we can get them done.”
And&#8230; Inflation rose just 0.1% in May compared to April — it’s now sitting at 2.4%, near a four-year low. 
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<h2>Anti-ICE Riots Spread As Politicians Spar</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-933233" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_21_04.Still002.jpeg" alt="" width="640" height="360" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_21_04.Still002.jpeg 640w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_21_04.Still002-300x169.jpeg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></div>
Topline: The clash between President Trump and California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom escalated Wednesday, as anti-ICE riots continued to spread across the country. 
Protests continue to pick up steam nationwide:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">By Wednesday night, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, and Seattle joined the growing list of cities being hit by demonstrations, many of which turned violent. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">In Texas, Republican Governor Greg Abbott mobilized the National Guard before protests across the state turned violent, with officers in a number of cities left hospitalized. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">In Atlanta, hundreds of rioters lobbed fireworks at police and attempted to shut down a highway — authorities responded with tear gas and finally got the crowd under control. </li>
</ul>
California is still the epicenter of the unrest. Demonstrations continued Wednesday night, as rioters defied curfews and clashed with police. At least one rioter, Emiliano Galvez, has been charged with attempted murder. Galvez, a previously deported Mexican national, allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at police in Los Angeles County. 
&#8220;Since June 6, there have been 330 illegal aliens that have been arrested as part of these riots in Los Angeles,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1932853233954836599">told</a> reporters. “113 of those illegal aliens had prior criminal convictions.&#8221;
Governor Newsom has<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n77NFjDlBI"> voiced his support</a> for the demonstrations, telling Americans that it was time to “stand up” to President Trump, whom he blamed for provoking the unrest: “Donald Trump without consulting California law enforcement leaders commandeered 2000 of our state’s National Guard members to deploy on our streets illegally and for no reason. This brazen abuse of power by a sitting president inflamed a combustible situation…The founding fathers didn’t live and die to see this moment. It’s time for all of us to stand up.”
These anti-ICE protests aren’t likely to die out anytime soon — organizers are planning “No Kings” demonstrations in cities across the country on Saturday, June 14. That event will coincide with President Trump’s 79th birthday, along with a massive parade in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the Army’s 250th birthday. 
&#8220;We&#8217;re going to be celebrating big on Saturday,” President Trump <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1932480100026511650">said</a>. “And if there&#8217;s any protester that wants to come out, they will be met with very big force… These are people that hate our country. They will be met with very heavy force.”
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<h2>Protests &amp; PR</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-933231" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_17_05.Still003-2.jpeg" alt="" width="640" height="360" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_17_05.Still003-2.jpeg 640w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_17_05.Still003-2-300x169.jpeg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></div>
Topline: As Los Angeles and other cities contain the anti-ICE riots, Democrats, Republicans, and the media battle over shaping the narrative.
Democrats and Republicans on the national stage have made the ongoing unrest a central part of their messaging since ICE raids began in L.A. last week. Democrats have slammed Trump for deploying troops against American citizens and blame his actions for sparking the riots, arguing that the threat of a militarized response escalated tensions on the ground and tracks with a broader pattern of authoritarianism.
Republicans, especially the president, have taken the opposite tack – decrying Democrats for being complicit in the ongoing violence and lawlessness and insisting that Trump&#8217;s quick and decisive deployment of troops was necessary to prevent further destruction.
“What&#8217;s going on looks really bad to the average American,” Mark Hemingway, Senior Writer at RealClearInvestigations, told The Daily Wire. “This is a very different time than 2020. And we went through months of riots in 2020. And I think now Americans have a very good and clear sense that these are not organic riots necessarily, these are not spontaneous.”
Hemingway seemed skeptical of the proposition that a majority of Americans would view the deployment of troops as escalatory.
“I think the American people are broadly sympathetic to Trump,” Hemingway said. “Trump campaigned on mass deportations. His immigration policy is still <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/stories/analysis/trumps-immigration-policies-remain-popular-polls">broadly popular</a>. And the idea that Democrats are attaching support of violent riots to that, or trying to make Trump look like the extremist, it&#8217;s just, this is not five years ago…at this point in time, I think the average American would, you know, trust the first 700 Marines in the phone book at 29 Palms over the elected leadership of Los Angeles to do what&#8217;s right for the people of that city.”

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Morning Brief: A China Trade Deal And More Riots

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American car manufacturing giant General Motors is set to invest $4 billion in the United States, moving production of three vehicles from Mexico.
GM plans to move production of full-size SUVs and light-duty pickups from Mexico to its Orion Assembly Plant in Michigan, a plant that had recently been repurposed to focus on electric trucks until demand for EVs dropped, The Detroit News <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/general-motors/2025/06/10/gm-plans-4-billion-push-to-move-production-from-mexico-to-u-s/84135790007/">reported</a> on Tuesday. GM&#8217;s gas-powered Equinox will be made in Fairfax, Kansas, and the gas-powered Blazer will be made in Spring Hill, Tennessee. The auto company&#8217;s major shift back is set to take place through 2027 and will move the assembly of more than two million vehicles to the United States, GM said, according to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/10/gm-to-invest-4-billion-in-us-manufacturing-plants-amid-tariffs.html">CNBC</a>.
“We believe the future of transportation will be driven by American innovation and manufacturing expertise,” GM CEO Mary Barra said. “Today’s announcement demonstrates our ongoing commitment to build vehicles in the U.S. and to support American jobs. We&#8217;re focused on giving customers choice and offering a broad range of vehicles they love.”
The announcement, which comes after President Donald Trump imposed a 25% tariff on foreign auto imports, was celebrated by the Trump administration.
“No president has taken a stronger interest in reviving America’s once-great auto industry than President Trump, and GM’s investment announcement builds on trillions of dollars in other historic investment commitments to Make in America,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said, according to The Detroit News.
Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also praised GM&#8217;s decision, saying it would bring &#8220;more auto manufacturing back home to Michigan, protecting thousands of good-paying, union auto jobs.&#8221;
The future of the Ramos Arizpe plant in Mexico, which currently produces the Equinox and the Blazer, remains uncertain. The production of the Blazer is set to fully move to the United States, while some Equinoxes will still be made at the Mexico plant for other markets, CNBC reported.
Last month, GM said it was also cutting back on production at a truck plant in Ontario, Canada, due to Trump&#8217;s auto tariff, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/general-motors-to-cut-back-on-manufacturing-at-canada-plant-over-trump-tariff?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=General+Motors+To+Cut+Back+On+Manufacturing+At+Canada+Plant+Over+Trump+Tariff">reported</a>. The auto giant <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/general-motors-to-cut-back-on-manufacturing-at-canada-plant-over-trump-tariff?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=General+Motors+To+Cut+Back+On+Manufacturing+At+Canada+Plant+Over+Trump+Tariff">said</a> in April that it planned to ramp up production of light-duty trucks at its assembly plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana, which promises to add more temporary jobs and increase overtime opportunities for employees.

General Motors

‘Support American Jobs’: GM Plans $4 Billion Production Move From Mexico To U.S.

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In April, President Trump imposed global reciprocal tariffs on the United States’ trading partners, invoking his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977, to address the national <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/04/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-declares-national-emergency-to-increase-our-competitive-edge-protect-our-sovereignty-and-strengthen-our-national-and-economic-security/">emergency</a> posed by the large and persistent trade deficit” driven by the lack of reciprocity in the country’s trade relationship.
President Trump also wanted to see jobs and factories come “<a href="https://www.business-standard.com/world-news/trump-wants-us-to-make-things-again-but-is-it-ready-for-the-challenge-125060400675_1.html">roaring back</a>” to the United States.
The idea that the United States can become a manufacturing powerhouse is an attractive one, to politicians on both sides of the aisle. After all, who would not be in favor of economic revitalization, new jobs, improved security, and economic independence? However, America’s ability to establish manufacturing dominance faces insurmountable challenges… unless we are smart about the industries we “bring home.”
Historically, the United States has never been a true manufacturing superpower.
Manufacturing employment in the United States peaked in 1979, with nearly 20 million workers employed in the “manufacturing sector.” Over the next four decades, manufacturing entered a structural decline, and the United States transitioned to a service-oriented economy. By 2020, “the <a href="https://www.blackrock.com/us/financial-professionals/insights/exploring-us-manufacturing#:~:text=In%201979%2C%20U.S.%20employment%20in,a%20more%20service%2Doriented%20economy.">service</a> sector dominated the economy,” accounting for 79% of the nation&#8217;s Gross Domestic Product, up from 52% in 1950, and represented 80% of the nation’s total employment. In 2025, fewer than 13 million <a href="https://nam.org/mfgdata/facts-about-manufacturing-expanded/">workers</a> were in the manufacturing sector.
The challenges for the United States to become a manufacturing superpower are many and complex.
First, the country simply does not have the labor pool to do so. The <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/04/adp-jobs-report-may-2025-.html">unemployment</a> rate in May 2025, the latest data available, was approximately 4.2%, near full employment.
The labor <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/wb/data/widget">participation</a> rate is running at 62.6%, which is well below the 67+ percent <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/191734/us-civilian-labor-force-participation-rate-since-1990/">rate</a> seen in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but not low enough to indicate there is a bench of workers waiting to enter the job market and join the manufacturing sector.
In addition, our labor force is one of the highest-paid in the world. In the United States, the average hourly <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t24.htm">wage</a> of a “nonsupervisory manufacturing employee” is approximately $28.80. In 2020, that wage was approximately $6.50 per hour in <a href="https://www.china-briefing.com/news/reshoring-from-china-to-mexico-how-prevalent-is-it-really/#:~:text=The%20hourly%20wage%20for%20manufacturing,over%2012%20percent%20from%202019.">China</a> and $4.82 in Mexico. In <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/744071/manufacturing-labor-costs-per-hour-china-vietnam-mexico/#:~:text=A%20difference%20in%20earnings,and%20Vietnam%20for%20cheaper%20labor.&amp;text=Log%20in%20or%20register%20to%20access%20precise%20data.">Vietnam</a>, the average hourly wage in manufacturing is $3.10.
We simply do not have the workers to compete with less developed nations, and those we do have make too much money to make America competitive with them.
The only answer would be to open our borders and import foreign workers to fill manufacturing openings at suppressed wages. This is something that President Trump rightly opposes, as it would change the make-up of the United States, to the detriment of our national identity.
So, what are we to do?
The United States can reshore its manufacturing, but must do so on a limited, prioritized basis. We should not care where our tennis shoes, blue jeans, or T-shirts are manufactured. Those industries hold no vital interest to the United States.
However, we should prioritize the reshoring of industries such as pharmaceuticals, computer chips, drones, and food additives.
“Approximately 40% of finished pharmaceutical products and 80% of active drug ingredients sold in the U.S. are manufactured overseas, <a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-20-262t">according to a report by the GAO</a>. This includes a significant portion of generic drugs, with roughly 80% being produced overseas.”
China controls 80% of the <a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/issue-brief/a-global-strategy-to-secure-uas-supply-chains/">drone</a> market in the United States.
83% of <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/strategy-united-states-regain-its-position-semiconductor-manufacturing#:~:text=And%20as%20to%20semiconductors%2C%2083,capacity%20is%20now%208%20percent.">semiconductors</a> are manufactured outside of the United States.
As a free market capitalist, I do not like the government picking “winning industries,” but there is a national security aspect to consider, and President Trump is doing this.
The <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/pulling-billions-from-harvard-fund-trade-schools-heres-what-people-saying-about-trumps-latest-move">president</a> recently floated the idea of taking the $2.2 billion in frozen assets from Harvard University and using that money to fund trade schools, where people could learn to support the manufacturing that is in the nation’s vital and national interests.
At the end of the day, the United States will never become a manufacturing superpower. Our cost structure and standard of living are simply too high… and that is a good problem to have.
However, we must focus on reshoring those industries that are vital to our national defense and our national interests. With the right focus and incentives, we can quickly achieve this strategic goal and free ourselves from our competitors’ supply chain whims.
* * *
Jim Nelles is a Navy veteran and supply chain consultant based in Chicago. His articles have appeared in the Washington Examiner, Newsweek, Foxnews.com, and The Daily Wire. He has served as a chief procurement officer, chief supply chain officer, and chief operations officer for multiple companies.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Inside A General Motors Assembly Plant Ahead Of Earnings Figures

‘Roaring Back’: Here’s How To Reshore Manufacturing The Right Way

'Roaring Back': Here’s How To Reshore Manufacturing The Right Way

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President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States and China had negotiated a trade deal, awaiting only &#8220;final approval&#8221; from him and Chinese President Xi Jinping. 
The agreement includes provisions on rare earth minerals, tariffs, and allowing Chinese students to study at American universities. Trump said that a 55% tariff would be placed on Chinese goods coming into the United States, while a 10% tariff would be levied on American goods going to China. 
“OUR DEAL WITH CHINA IS DONE, SUBJECT TO FINAL APPROVAL WITH PRESIDENT XI AND ME. FULL MAGNETS, AND ANY NECESSARY RARE EARTHS, WILL BE SUPPLIED, UP FRONT, BY CHINA. LIKEWISE, WE WILL PROVIDE TO CHINA WHAT WAS AGREED TO, INCLUDING CHINESE STUDENTS USING OUR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN GOOD WITH ME!),” Trump posted on Truth Social. “WE ARE GETTING A TOTAL OF 55% TARIFFS, CHINA IS GETTING 10%. RELATIONSHIP IS EXCELLENT! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!”
The announcement comes after American and Chinese officials have been meeting in London to discuss trade. On Tuesday, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/11/us-china-agree-on-framework-to-implement-geneva-trade-consensus-.html">said</a> that the two countries had “reached a framework to implement the Geneva consensus and the call between the two presidents,” though the details were unclear. 
Last week, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-hails-very-good-trade-call-with-chinas-xi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoke</a> to Xi for about 1.5 hours in a conversation that included discussions about rare earth minerals and trade. He had posted on Truth Social that Xi was &#8220;VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH!!!&#8221;
At the height of the trade war, Trump imposed tariffs as high as 145% on Chinese goods while China hit the United States with 125% tariffs. The two countries later agreed to significantly lower the tariffs while negotiations moved forward. 
Trump’s announcement about Chinese students comes as his administration has cracked down on foreign nationals&#8217; access to American universities. Last week, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/an-unacceptable-risk-trump-signs-proclamation-to-stop-foreign-students-from-enrolling-at-harvard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> a proclamation to restrict international students from being eligible to attend Harvard University. 
The administration has also blocked all new student visa interviews in preparation for upcoming social media vetting requirements for all international students. At the same time, Secretary of State Marco Rubio <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rubio-promises-to-aggesively-target-students-tied-to-chinese-communist-party?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Rubio+Promises+To+‘Aggressively’+Target+Students+Tied+To+Chinese+Communist+Party" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that he would aggressively revoke the student visas of Chinese students, especially those with ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

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Trump Unveils Terms Of ‘Done’ Trade Deal With China

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President Donald Trump&#8217;s tariffs have driven a massive drop in the trade deficit — going from nearly $140 billion in March to $61.6 billion in April.
According to the latest numbers, which were detailed during a Thursday morning broadcast on CNBC, the sharp drop in the trade deficit also fueled a significant bump in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) — the Atlanta Fed GDP now was at 4.64%.
&#8220;The big news is there is how much it bolsters GDP — just look at Atlanta Fed GDP now, which is at 4.64%,&#8221; the anchor noted.
WATCH:
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CNBC: In April, the U.S. trade deficit fell to $61.6 billion — cut by more than HALF compared to March&#39;s $138.3 billion.
&quot;The big news is there is how much it bolsters GDP — just look at Atlanta Fed GDP now, which is at 4.64%.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/9R8hHlC9d6">pic.twitter.com/9R8hHlC9d6</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1930610746276172238?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
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A New York Times report digging into some of the latest numbers indicated that the March trade deficit may have been slightly artificially inflated as imports surged to get ahead of the tariffs that everyone knew were coming. In addition, the NYT also noted the fact that the drop in the trade deficit almost exclusively reflected a decrease in imports — meaning that as production picked up domestically, that could also drive the deficit even lower.
President Trump celebrated the drop in the trade deficit one week earlier, playing video from another CNBC broadcast in the Oval Office.
&#8220;Personal income is up 0.8%. That is almost triple the expectation. The income numbers, really for the first four months of the year, they’re stellar. They’re really stellar. I mean, I could go back and look at the first four months of many different years, really very strong numbers,&#8221; anchor Rick Santelli said at the time.
&#8220;How the hell did they already fix the trade deficit? Or not fix it, but to cut it in half? That&#8217;s crazy,&#8221; Joe Kernen added.
&#8220;Yeah, I’ll tell you what, it really does call into question some of the conventional wisdoms. And you know it’s going to be interesting to see what happens next month, when we get this number, or we see some of the other numbers—like current accounts—see how they fared. Because I don’t know, I’ve been watching these numbers a long time. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the trade deficit cut in half for one month,&#8221; Santelli concluded.
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Trump Shows Off CNBC Touting Tariffs: &quot;How The Hell Did They Cut Trade Deficit In Half In One Month?&quot;<a href="https://t.co/RxWqWZSXdQ">https://t.co/RxWqWZSXdQ</a> <a href="https://t.co/FAzREzstRk">pic.twitter.com/FAzREzstRk</a>
&mdash; RCP Video (@rcpvideo) <a href="https://twitter.com/rcpvideo/status/1928519212584009990?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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‘Cut By More Than Half’: CNBC Details Massive Tariff-Driven Drop In Trade Deficit

'Cut By More Than Half': CNBC Details Massive Tariff-Driven Drop In Trade Deficit

CNBC

President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he had just had a &#8220;very good&#8221; phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping regarding trade.
In a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114631295762726849" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> posted to Truth Social, Trump said he and Xi discussed &#8220;some of the intricacies&#8221; of the deal struck last month between their countries in Geneva, which had resulted in both sides lowering steep tariffs as negotiations continued.
&#8220;The call lasted approximately one and a half hours, and resulted in a very positive conclusion for both Countries. There should no longer be any questions respecting the complexity of Rare Earth products,&#8221; Trump posted.
Last week, Trump accused Beijing of violating their agreement, after which U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/video/2025/05/30/u-s-trade-rep-jamieson-greer-very-concerned-with-chinese-non-compliance-on-trade-agreement.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNBC</a> that China was continuing to <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-trade-rep-says-china-173016290.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">restrict</a> shipments of rare earth elements that are vital for the U.S. automotive, energy, and defense industries.
&#8220;Our respective teams will be meeting shortly at a location to be determined. We will be represented by Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Jamieson Greer,&#8221; Trump continued.
Trump also said Xi &#8220;graciously invited&#8221; the first lady and himself to visit China, and he &#8220;reciprocated&#8221; that invitation.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=wisepops&amp;utm_campaign=dad&amp;utm_content=fathersdaygiftpopups" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gift Dad an All Access Membership. Use code DAD40 at checkout to save 40%!</a>
&#8220;As Presidents of two Great Nations, this is something that we both look forward to doing,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;The conversation was focused almost entirely on TRADE. Nothing was discussed concerning Russia/Ukraine, or Iran. We will inform the Media as to scheduling and location of the soon to be meeting. Thank you for your attention to this matter!&#8221;
Beijing, which on Monday had <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/02/world/asia/china-trump-trade-truce.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused</a> the United States of violating the detente on trade, <a href="https://x.com/ChineseEmbinUS/status/1930623117526806799" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> that a conversation took place and claimed Trump requested the phone discussion with Xi.
China&#8217;s state media reported that Xi asked Trump to &#8220;remove the negative measures&#8221; and to “take the helm and set the right course,” <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/2025/06/trump-says-after-xi-call-that-us-and-china-will-resume-trade-talks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to The Associated Press.
The conversation took place one week after Bessent told Fox News that discussions between the two economic powerhouses were <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/30/us-china-talks-bit-stalled-and-need-trump-and-xi-to-weigh-in-treasury-secretary-bessent-says.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;a bit stalled&#8221;</a> and suggested that a call between Trump and Xi would be needed for a breakthrough.
Early Wednesday morning, Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114623632387180206" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on Truth Social, &#8220;I like President Xi of China, always have, and always will, but he is VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH!!!&#8221;

Trump and Xi illustration

Trump Hails ‘Very Good’ Trade Call With China’s Xi

Global Politics

President Donald Trump said early Wednesday morning that Chinese President Xi Jinping is &#8220;very tough&#8221; and &#8220;extremely hard to make a deal with&#8221; as the United States attempts to advance trade talks with China.
While the president&#8217;s top trade officials have met with their Chinese counterparts, Trump has yet to sit down with Xi since imposing massive tariffs on Chinese imports. A senior White House official told <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/02/trump-xi-china-trade-tariffs.html">CNBC</a> that Trump and Xi would likely speak &#8220;very soon,&#8221; potentially this week.
&#8220;I like President Xi of China, always have, and always will, but he is VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH!!!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114623632387180206">wrote</a> on Truth Social.
Last week, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-accuses-china-of-violating-trade-agreement-so-much-for-being-mr-nice-guy?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=11&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Accuses+China+Of+Violating+Trade+Agreement%3A+%E2%80%98So+Much+For+Being+Mr.+Nice+Guy%E2%80%99">accused</a> China of violating its 90-day trade agreement with the United States, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdyXQv5WTYE">said</a> that the talks with China &#8220;are a bit stalled.&#8221;
“Because of this deal, everything quickly stabilized and China got back to business as usual. Everybody was happy!” the president said, referring to the 90-day pause on tariffs. “That is the good news!!! The bad news is that China, perhaps not surprisingly to some, HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US. So much for being Mr. NICE GUY!”
Trump&#8217;s frustration with China likely stemmed from the Chinese government&#8217;s slow progress in complying with the 90-day trade truce that froze most tariffs. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told CNBC last week that China was not fulfilling its promise to export rare earth minerals to the United States after restricting shipments in response to Trump’s tariffs.
“We haven’t seen the flow of some of those critical minerals as they were supposed to be doing,” Greer said, adding, “China continues to slow down and choke off things like critical minerals and rare Earth magnets.”
Newly appointed Ambassador to China, David Perdue, met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday. During their discussion, Yi accused the United States of imposing &#8220;a series of negative measures for groundless reasons, infringing upon China&#8217;s legitimate rights and interests,&#8221; according to a <a href="https://english.www.gov.cn/news/202506/04/content_WS683fa6f3c6d0868f4e8f3109.html">readout</a> from the Chinese government. Perdue said that during the meeting, he &#8220;emphasized President Trump&#8217;s priorities on trade, fentanyl, and illegal immigration,&#8221; adding that &#8220;communication is vital&#8221; for the U.S.-China relationship.
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In a meeting today with Central Foreign Affairs Commission Office Director and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, I emphasized President Trump&#39;s priorities on trade, fentanyl, and illegal immigration. Communication is vital to the 🇺🇸-🇨🇳 relationship. <a href="https://t.co/RszJpF6ItB">pic.twitter.com/RszJpF6ItB</a>
&mdash; U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue (@USAmbChina) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAmbChina/status/1929922392089919653?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Bessent <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/treasury-secretary-scott-bessent-trade-trump-xi-conversation/">told</a> CBS News in an interview on Sunday that he remains &#8220;confident&#8221; that the U.S.-China trade talks will be &#8220;ironed out.&#8221;
&#8220;The fact that they are withholding some of the products that they agreed to release during our agreement — maybe it&#8217;s a glitch in the Chinese system, maybe it&#8217;s intentional,&#8221; Bessent said. &#8220;We&#8217;ll see after the president speaks with the party chairman.&#8221;

Donald Trump/Xi Jinping

Trump Says Xi Is ‘Extremely Hard To Make A Deal With’ As China Trade Negotiations Stall

Executive

President Donald Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum imports jumped up to 50% on Wednesday as he continues to push for American trading partners to propose new trade deals to avoid heightened levies.
In an executive order signed Tuesday, Trump said it was necessary to double steel and aluminum tariffs for national security purposes. The hike comes as the White House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-warns-trade-partners-that-deadline-for-new-proposals-looms-friendly-reminder?author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Warns+Trade+Partners+That+Deadline+For+New+Proposals+Looms%3A+‘Friendly+Reminder’">gave</a> a Wednesday deadline for American trading partners to submit counterproposals to the &#8220;Liberation Day&#8221; tariffs Trump imposed back in April. 
“In my judgment, the increased tariffs will more effectively counter foreign countries that continue to offload low-priced, excess steel and aluminum in the United States market and thereby undercut the competitiveness of the United States steel and aluminum industries,” Trump wrote in the executive order. “I have determined that increasing the previously imposed tariffs will provide greater support to these industries and reduce or eliminate the national security threat posed by imports of steel and aluminum articles and their derivative articles.” 
Trump first announced last week that he would take action to increase the tariffs on steel and aluminum, saying it would help the industry and American workers. 
“Our steel and aluminum industries are coming back like never before. This will be yet another BIG jolt of great news for our wonderful steel and aluminum workers,” he <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114599330494282325">said</a> in a Truth Social post after a speech at a steel plant in Pennsylvania on Friday.
Last month, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/made-in-america-trump-says-u-s-steel-will-remain-in-pittsburgh-partner-with-japanese-company?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=24&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=‘Made+In+America’%3A+Trump+Says+U.S.+Steel+Will+Remain+In+Pittsburgh%2C+Partner+With+Japanese+Company" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that U.S. Steel, once the largest steel company in the world, would partner with the Japanese company Nippon Steel. U.S. Steel, which has struggled in recent years, was set to be sold to the Japanese company before the deal was blocked by former President Joe Biden. The company will remain headquartered in Pittsburgh, and Trump said the partnership would result in 70,000 jobs. 
The tariff increases come after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said American trading partners had been reminded that the deadline to propose new trade agreements with the United States was on Wednesday, saying &#8220;the president expects good deals,&#8221; adding, &#8220;And we are on track for that, I will emphasize.&#8221; 
Most of Trump’s reciprocal tariffs have been paused until July 8 to allow time for negotiations.
 One major trade deal with the United Kingdom has already been announced, but talks with China have been rocky. After agreeing to significantly lower tariffs, Trump accused the communist country of violating their agreement. 
Trump said Wednesday on Truth Social that Chinese President Xi Jinping was being difficult in negotiations. 
“I like President XI of China, always have, and always will, but he is VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH!!!”

President Trump Holds Rally At US Steel Near Pittsburgh

Trump Doubles Tariffs On Steel And Aluminum Imports As Trade Deadline Hits

Steel industry

The United States has notified trading partners of a Wednesday deadline to submit proposals for new deals to avoid heightened tariffs, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has confirmed.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative “sent this letter to all of our trading partners just to give them a friendly reminder that the deadline is coming up,” Leavitt said at a White House press briefing on Tuesday.
Leavitt added that President Donald Trump’s trade team – led by Trade Ambassador Jamieson Greer, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick – is “in talks with many of our key trading partners around the globe.”
“This letter was simply to remind these countries that the deadline is approaching, and the president expects good deals. And we are on track for that, I will emphasize,” the press secretary added.
Leavitt’s comments confirm an earlier <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/us-pushes-countries-best-offers-by-wednesday-tariff-deadline-looms-2025-06-02/">Reuters</a> report that the U.S. Trade Representative sent letters to trading partners warning of the upcoming deadline.
On April 2, Trump announced “Liberation Day” and rolled out substantial tariff hikes on dozens of countries while complaining about the United States’ trade deficit and unfair trade practices used against the United States. The president paused the tariffs for 90 days on April 9 until July 8 to give affected nations a chance to negotiate for new trade agreements.
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Leavitt said that trade agreements will be negotiated and finalized on a case-by-case basis based on the unique circumstances of each trading partner. Each deal could contain various exemptions and reprieves, such as <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/05/fact-sheet-u-s-uk-reach-historic-trade-deal/">lowering</a> the tariff on the first 100,000 cars imported from the United Kingdom to 10% from 25%.
“Each country has unique advantages, unique challenges based on their markets and what they export to us and what we export to them,” said Leavitt. “That’s why the president smartly advised his trade team to engage in tailor-made dealmaking. We saw that with the United Kingdom and we will see that with other countries, as well.”
Last month, the United States and United Kingdom announced the outline of a trade deal and hailed it as the first trade deal since Trump’s “Liberation Day” announcement.
Trump’s tariff regime is under review in the courts. The New York-based Court of International Trade ruled last month that Trump’s sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs were outside the bounds of the president&#8217;s authority. An appeals court temporarily <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/appeals-court-puts-trumps-sweeping-liberation-day-tariffs-back-in-place">reinstated</a> Trump’s tariffs the next day while a series of legal challenges continued to wind through the court system.
Trump&#8217;s tariff announcements have caused chaos in markets, with stock prices swinging wildly on news of tariffs, tariff pauses, trade deals, and other related issues.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="WATCH LIVE: White House Press Briefing June 3, 2025 | FOX 5 News" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/V8u1lTQx5uY?start=1769&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Trump Warns Trade Partners That Deadline For New Proposals Looms: ‘Friendly Reminder’

Karoline Leavitt

White House

World

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent challenged CBS journalist Margaret Brennan on Sunday over the potential inflationary impact of President Donald Trump&#8217;s tariffs.
In a &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/scott-bessent-treasury-secretary-face-the-nation-06-01-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a>, Brennan insisted &#8220;the reality is there will either be less inventory or things at higher prices, or both.&#8221; Bessent shot back, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/scott-bessent-treasury-secretary-face-the-nation-03-02-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alluding</a> to a previous conversation they had in March, days before Trump unleashed his &#8220;Liberation Day&#8221; tariffs upon the world.
&#8220;Margaret, when we were here in March, you said there was going to be big inflation. There hasn&#8217;t been any inflation,&#8221; Bessent said. &#8220;Actually, the inflation numbers are the best in four years. So why don&#8217;t we stop trying to say this could happen, and wait and see what does happen.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecScottBessent?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecScottBessent</a>: &#8220;When we were here in March, you said there was going to be big inflation. There hasn&#8217;t been any inflation. Actually, the inflation numbers are the best in four years. So why don&#8217;t we stop trying to say this COULD happen — wait and see what DOES happen.&#8221; 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/1LeTZf2UX1">pic.twitter.com/1LeTZf2UX1</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1929188418249965629?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Earlier, Brennan told Bessent that when he was on the program in March, the two of them were &#8220;trying to gauge&#8221; how American consumers might be affected by the tariffs. She then asked the Cabinet official where he is anticipating price increases.
&#8220;We wanted to make sure that there aren&#8217;t price increases, Margaret. And thus far, there have been no price increases. Everything has been alarmist,&#8221; Bessent said, adding that the &#8220;inflation numbers are actually dropping.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecScottBessent?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecScottBessent</a>: &#8220;We wanted to make sure that there aren&#8217;t price increases, Margaret — and thus far, there have been no price increases. Everything has been alarmist. The inflation numbers are actually dropping. We saw the first drop in inflation in four years.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/asuc8YnHYZ">pic.twitter.com/asuc8YnHYZ</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1929187165830869432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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A couple of weeks ago, the Labor Department <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inflation-hits-lowest-point-in-over-4-years-as-april-report-better-than-expected" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> data showing that inflation hit its lowest point — 2.3% — in four years, as Trump pursues trade deals with China and other countries hit by tariffs.
Brennan pressed Bessent on retailers such as Walmart, Best Buy, and Target <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/31/trump-tariffs-here-are-the-retailers-raising-prices.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raising prices</a>. In response, Bessent noted that other companies, including <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/05/20/home-depot-stock-prices-tariffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Home Depot</a> and Amazon, have taken a different tack. And he pointed out, &#8220;I know what the South China Morning Post wrote within the past 24 hours that 65% — 65%! — of the tariffs will likely be eaten by the Chinese producers.&#8221;
&#8220;So are there five or eight areas that you have identified, as you said back in March, where American consumers will be able to have lower prices, or should be warned of higher prices?&#8221; Brennan asked.
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&#8220;Well, a lot of it&#8217;s already working its way through the system,&#8221; Bressent replied. &#8220;So we&#8217;ve seen a substantial decrease in gasoline and energy prices. So that&#8217;s down 20% year over year. We&#8217;ve seen the food prices go down, these notorious egg prices. Through the good work of President Trump and [Agriculture] Secretary [Brooke] Rollins, egg prices have collapsed. So we&#8217;re seeing more and more.&#8221;
He added: &#8220;And what we want to do is even that out across all sections of the economy. So inflation has been very tame. Consumer earnings were up 0.8% last month, which is a gigantic increase for one month. So real earnings minus low inflation is great for the American people, and that&#8217;s what we&#8217;re seeing.&#8221;
Brennen also questioned Bessent about the &#8220;One Big, Beautiful Bill&#8221; that passed through the GOP-led House and is now under consideration by the Republican-controlled Senate.
&#8220;In it is increase or suspension to the debt limit that you need delivered on by mid-July. How close of a brush with default could this be, given how massive some of the Senate changes are expected to be to the other parts of the bill?&#8221; Brennan asked.
&#8220;Well, first of all, Margaret, I will say the United States of America is never going to default. That is never going to happen. &#8230; We are on the warning track and we will never hit the wall,&#8221; Bessent said, adding later, &#8220;We don&#8217;t give out the X date because we use that to move the bill forward.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Scott Bessent &quot;confident&quot; U.S.-China trade details &quot;will be ironed out&quot; when Trump, Xi talk" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jTK0fDt9K78?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Interview

Treasury Secretary Busts ‘Alarmist’ Inflation Predictions

CBS News

Margaret Brennan

WASHINGTON—NPR announced last week that it’s suing the Trump administration over an executive order slashing its congressionally appropriated funding — a case that could have serious ramifications for the future of publicly-funded media.
But if Kat Cammack has her way, it won’t really matter.
The Florida congresswoman joined Senator Jim Banks to <a href="https://www.congress.gov/119/bills/hr1595/BILLS-119hr1595ih.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduce</a> the Defund NPR Act, which, if passed would codify Trump’s executive order, and ensure that “no Federal funds may, directly or indirectly, be made available to” outlets like NPR and PBS. Taxpayers spend around <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/npr-ceo-implodes">$535 million</a> annually on NPR and PBS through federal funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Speaking to The Daily Wire this week, Cammack noted the absurdity of forcing taxpayers to fund public media outlets whose news content is “one giant editorial.”
“They&#8217;re not just biased — it&#8217;s effectively state-funded propaganda at this point, for the progressive left,” Cammack told The Daily Wire in a wide-ranging interview. “At the end of the day, taxpayers should not be funding propaganda, particularly one that has such an obvious political slant.”
Cammack’s bill is one part of the Republican Study Committee’s <a href="https://rsc-pfluger.house.gov/media/press-releases/republican-study-committee-launches-set-stone-initiative-cement-trumps-legacy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Set In Stone Initiative</a>, an effort to “to transform President Trump&#8217;s executive victories into permanent legislation.” Three of Cammack’s fellow committee members — Reps. <a href="https://tenney.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-tenney-introduces-defund-government-sponsored-propaganda-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Claudia Tenney</a> (NY), <a href="https://jackson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2301" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ronny Jackson</a> (TX), and <a href="https://strong.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-strong-introduces-bill-prohibit-federal-funding-biased-national" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dale Strong</a> (AL) have also introduced bills that would defund NPR and PBS.
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-defunds-npr-and-pbs-no-media-outlet-has-a-constitutional-right-to-taxpayer-subsidies">defunded</a> NPR and PBS earlier this month, writing that &#8220;government funding of news media in this environment is not only outdated and unnecessary but corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence.&#8221; The president&#8217;s executive order followed the April release of a White House report <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/04/the-npr-pbs-grift-has-ripped-us-off-for-too-long/">cataloguing</a> the &#8220;radical, woke propaganda disguised as &#8216;news,'&#8221; that NPR and PBS produce.
The White House&#8217;s efforts to defund public media were turbocharged by NPR CEO Katherine Maher&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/in-classic-liberal-white-lady-moment-npr-ceo-mocked-for-old-tweets-how-white-of-me">disastrous testimony</a> at a March congressional hearing, during which lawmakers grilled her on past social media posts exposing the executive&#8217;s liberal bias.
Now, NPR is fighting back, claiming in its lawsuit that Trump’s executive order is tantamount to “the government [acting] with a retaliatory purpose in violation of the First Amendment.” Cammack isn’t buying it.
“Spare me! You are the very same people who just said that the First Amendment is the largest impediment to censorship that they are trying to push. I mean, do they hear themselves?”
Cammack isn’t pulling punches — but that doesn’t mean she’s happy to see what’s become of American public broadcasting.
“I&#8217;m a millennial,” she says. “We grew up with Sesame Street, and it didn&#8217;t use to be this way where everything had a political slant.&#8221;
“It makes me sad,” Cammack adds. “You know, I&#8217;m seven months pregnant and I&#8217;m like, man, I&#8217;m gonna have to bust out old VHS tapes of Sesame Street or back when Sesame Street wasn&#8217;t so political.”
Ultimately though, it’s not so much the politics as the taxpayer-funded politics that irks Cammack. Taxpayer funding, she notes, “only accounts for such a small portion of [NPR and PBS’s] total overall budget, but that’s still too much, from a taxpayer standpoint.”
“They&#8217;re not gonna go straight off the air. And if they did, that would just be another ploy to try to gin up the public interest in this,” Cammack says.
“When we have $37 trillion in national debt, when Americans are struggling at the grocery store and the gas pump, we shouldn&#8217;t be on the hook” for public outlets that “want to push their continuous narrative and virtue signaling and make everyone feel like they&#8217;re a bunch of idiots.”
To Cammack, it all comes back to respecting and defending the taxpayers. Like any fiscal hawk worth their salt, she recoils at the notion that bureaucrats are held to different standards than the American people.
“I will always remember when I had to go get my first credit card,” Cammack says. “I was so religiously like, ‘I gotta pay this. I gotta pay it in full. I gotta do this.’”
Not so the federal government, who, Cammack notes, has “more credit cards and software licenses that are being used by government employees than there are government employees.”
“The math isn&#8217;t mathing!” she says.
“These are the unelected, nameless, faceless bureaucrats that basically run our government, like a shadow government,” she adds. “The scary part though, isn&#8217;t that that was happening. The scary part is that people are gonna fight us on cutting this out.”
People, perhaps — but not necessarily the American people. Even the most anti-Trump people she encounters in her district, she says, on some level admits “that there has just been rampant abuse across the board.”
“I still think at people&#8217;s core there&#8217;s a little bit of common sense,” she says. “I mean, the fact that you&#8217;re finding people on social security that are 167 — get me their nutritional plan!”
That core of common sense, she says, is why she has high hopes that the Department of Government Efficiency will continue to succeed long after Elon Musk’s departure.
“I think he has done a tremendous service to the country,” she says of Musk. “I mean, he really did it as a patriot.”
As a Special Government Employee, Musk was required to step down from his government perch after 130 days, which he did this week. Cammack has as high hopes for the Tesla founder as she does for DOGE after this federally-mandated parting of ways.
“He loves this country. But, let&#8217;s be real: the man wants to colonize Mars,” she says. “He started something. It&#8217;s now our job to finish it.”
It won’t be easy. Shortly before Cammack spoke to The Daily Wire, the United States Court of International Trade ruled that Trump’s “Liberation Day” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/worlds-stock-markets-react-to-court-ruling-against-trumps-tariffs?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=19&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=World%E2%80%99s+Stock+Markets+React+To+Court+Ruling+Against+Trump%E2%80%99s+Tariffs">tariffs were illegal</a>. The White House and its congressional allies have a long battle ahead.
But Cammack is no stranger to a fight. Perched behind a laptop emblazoned with a Gadsden Flag, Cammack uses her time on the House floor to take Democrats to task — forcing Biden administration officials to confront the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-lawmaker-confronts-biden-official-with-jar-of-wristbands-showing-grim-reality-at-border?author=Daniel+Chaitin&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=GOP+Lawmaker+Confronts+Biden+Official+With+Jar+Of+Wristbands+Showing+%E2%80%98Grim%E2%80%99+Reality+At+Border">brutal reality</a> of human trafficking at the southern border, and introducing a bill to ban lawmakers from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republican-proposes-banning-foreign-flags-on-house-floor?author=Daniel+Chaitin&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Republican+Proposes+Banning+Foreign+Flags+On+House+Floor">displaying foreign flags</a>, a rebuke of her Democratic colleagues waving Ukrainian flags to support foreign aid.
<div id="attachment_594169" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-594169" class="size-large wp-image-594169" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1257352558-e1690410555140-864x576.jpg" alt="Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., attends the House Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government to &quot;examine abuses seen at the Bureau and how the FBI has retaliated against whistleblowers,&quot; in Rayburn Building on Thursday, May 18, 2023." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1257352558-e1690410555140-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1257352558-e1690410555140-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1257352558-e1690410555140-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1257352558-e1690410555140.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)</div>
Once you&#8217;ve <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-rep-who-showed-baby-formula-stocked-at-border-for-illegals-calls-buttigieg-a-liar?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=GOP+Rep.+Who+Showed+Baby+Formula+Stocked+At+Border+For+Illegals+Calls+Buttigieg+A+Liar">called Pete Buttigieg a liar</a> on Face The Nation, calling out the federal judiciary is nothing.
“If we wanted judges to continually make all these decisions on behalf of the American people, we could just do away at that point with Congress and the presidency,” Cammack says, adding that the ability to levy tariffs is well within the president’s authority.
“The thing about judicial activism is it&#8217;s gotten more brazen over the years,” she adds. “And now you see it in full force.”
It’s serious stuff, and Cammack takes it seriously. But even she has to laugh at some of the reactions to Trump and his policies. Like the fact that Democrats and members of the media celebrating the tariff decision “never had anything to say when the Supreme Court ruled that Joe Biden couldn&#8217;t unilaterally forgive student loans.”
“This is what&#8217;s crazy to me: Joe Biden was spending money. Donald Trump is trying to save money. And so the courts are totally fine when you&#8217;re spending other people&#8217;s money.”
“But heaven forbid you get someone who&#8217;s actually trying to right the ship and save taxpayer money,” she laughs.
“Oh my gosh, the sky is falling!”
Shortly after the interview wrapped, a federal appeals court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/appeals-court-puts-trumps-sweeping-liberation-day-tariffs-back-in-place?author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=7&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Appeals+Court+Puts+Trump%E2%80%99s+Sweeping+%E2%80%98Liberation+Day%E2%80%99+Tariffs+Back+In+Place">reinstated</a> Trump&#8217;s tariffs.

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