Free Republic

The Trump administration sees tariff talks as a chance to pressure a rival into concessions. E.U. officials have acted as though they were dealing with an ally. The European Union has been following tried-and-true rules of global commerce as it tries to negotiate with the Trump administration to avert painful tariffs on cars, pharmaceuticals and just about everything else.The problem? President Trump is ripping up that rule book.Mr. Trump announced in a Truth Social post on Friday morning that he is recommending a 50 percent tariff on European imports as of June 1, claiming that the bloc’s trade barriers, taxes,...

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago convinced Europe’s leaders that they needed to spend more money on defense. On Monday, leaders from across the European Union and Britain will meet in Brussels to debate a vexing question: how to pay for it.It is a concern made more acute by President Trump’s return to the White House.The United States is the largest military funder of Ukraine’s war effort, but Mr. Trump has suggested he will rapidly withdraw U.S. financial and military support and leave it to the Europeans. He has also insisted that NATO nations ramp up defense outlays...

Everyday costs incurred by American workers since President Joe Biden assumed office are only “more expensive on paper,” New York Times economic reporter Jeanna Smialek wrote Wednesday about the “good news” economy. Members of the establishment media constantly appear to use a semantic trick to express optimism about the president’s economy, when, in fact, Americans are very unhappy about the increased costs: Gallup: 61 percent of Americans say price increases caused them financial hardship. CNBC: A record high 66 percent of Americans are “pessimistic” about the future of Biden’s economy. Lending Club: 62 percent of adults in December said they...