Donald Trump the Megathread part II - mod warnings in OP, Updated 06/06/25

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123343772#Comment_123343772

Don't try tell me how I am looking at things. I am looking at this objectively.

If he wanted to do 10% he could have. But he made it very clear over and over with his fake figures board and his tweet rants that he wanted 20+ and he would not back down.

There was no bilateral negotiation. There was Trump fuking up and backtracking. And this is absolutely not how international negotiation is done which is clear by how shocked all the international negotiators were.

looksee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123343562#Comment_123343562

If Americans could get past the obsession with fashion, especially fast fashion, and make well constructed, durable, long-term-appealing garments from ecologically sound fabrics - even though more expensive to purchase - they might be on to something. This is not going to happen in a country that worships fashion and consumerism, but it would be great for the planet. It would sink the fashion industry though.

LambshankRedemption

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123343778#Comment_123343778

Thats a bit unfair to Americans.

Leroy42

What a complete and humiliating climb down by Trump. God knows what must have been about to happen with bonds, the market, the dollar, or whatever that Trump was forced into such an embarrassing climbdown.

And that is exactly what it is. This was never part of the plan. If Trump wanted to target China, he could have. Instead he tried to take on the entire world, made on arse of himself with his Liberation Day nonsense and within a few hours was already talking about negoatiations and trying to scare countries into not taking action.

But he seemingly forgot that Canada had already shown that he could be bullied back and the best form of defence was to stand strong. China did, the EU did, and it seems that apart from these, magic, 75 countries, everyone else did.

A poster is making the point that 10% tariffs will be a net win for the US, but that fails to take into account the massive damage Trump has done to the credibility of the US as a stable trading partner.

Secondly, Trump is now a completely lame duck POTUS. This was his signature 'policy' and he capitulated within a week, but not before causing massive damage to the US economy (and the world, but the US voter isn't concerned about that).

The US is now a laughing stock. Trump said he would make America strong again, and in several months, he has put it into the weakest it has probably ever been.

Grayson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123343784#Comment_123343784

Yep. Europeans are probably just as bad.

Will_I_Amnt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123343746#Comment_123343746

The president only has tariff powers to respond to an emergency.

Not really. For as long as congress permits it, the President can impose tariffs or other trade restrictions if the Department of Commerce finds that imports threaten national security - It doesn't have to be an immediate emergency. The president is also allowed to respond to "unfair" foreign trade practices like IP theft or subsidies with tariffs or other measures. These laws give the president flexibility to act without needing Congress to pass new legislation each time but congress can revoke this permission at any time - which this congress is not going to do, not least because Trump can and would veto it if it didn't have a two-thirds supermajority in both chambers! The Dems should have attempted to get this through on a simple majority last year to cover the case of a Trump win! Might have been tough to get it thru the house but at least they had the senate and the whitehouse then!

everlast75

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123343865#Comment_123343865

"but not before causing massive damage to the US economy (and the world, but the US voter isn't concerned about that)."

But that's the thing. He doesn't care about the damage either.

He and his mates have made their money, and I bet the next big scandal will be how he is manipulating something else so that he makes even more money out of his role as President.

Meanwhile, Project 2025 roles on, America's reputation circles the drain and people of colour continue to be targeted…

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123343909#Comment_123343909

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123343909#Comment_123343909

the reputation stopped circling when they elected a convict as president. Its just a non-stop meme now.

dmakc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123343777#Comment_123343777

Say what you want about Trump, I've no real opinion on him. But until you can acknowledge the bigger picture, that tariffs have increased seven-fold to a floor of 10%, potentially higher to come with negotiations to follow, you're not looking at this objectively.

Backing down or backtracking would be the original tariff figure.

ronjo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123343961#Comment_123343961

Today they have….. they could be 0% tomorrow or they could be 100%

yagan

In this ABC Australia business news clip he highlights what's being overlooked after the tariff pause

the weighted average US tariff actually went up, not down, last night because of the new 125% tariff on China. If you assume a 50% drop in imports from China plus the 25% tariff on steel/aluminium and cars you still get to the same average level as the Smooth Haley tariff of 1930 that worsened or maybe caused the great depression.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiBkcdi8khA&ab_channel=ABCNews%28Australia%29

The US markets are high on adrenalin while the world sells out of the USD.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123343961#Comment_123343961

" I've no real opinion on him."

You're fooling no one kid. This place is full of "neutral" people who just happen to be repeating the party line.

If you go from 25 to 10 what direction is that going ? It certainly isn't forwards.

Sleepy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123343669#Comment_123343669

Can you link to the evidence you're suggesting exists that proves this market manipulation wasn't intentional?

everlast75

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123343961#Comment_123343961

"Say what you want about Trump, I've no real opinion on him"

One, if not the most polarising political figures of the last decade, and you don't have a view???

More like another supporter who hasn't got the cajones to admit it.

dmakc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123343982#Comment_123343982

Similarly, 1.5% to 10% isn't forwards either. Can both sides lose?

eightieschewbaccy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123343961#Comment_123343961

The thing is, everything he's done in the last week is likely encouraging companies from across the globe to expand to a larger degree in non US markets. Trump has emphasized yet again that he's not trustworthy. The markets are what forced his hand cause he almost caused a depression and greatly devalued things like 401ks.

zell12

China social media mocking the US regime 😄

Tell me how

People saying that tariffs having increased to a floor of 10% and that that should be taken as a win for Trump are kinda forgetting the fact that tariffs are paid by the American consumer. So now you're looking objectively at a 10% price increase on all items entering the US.

That likely isn't going to be enough to immediately motivate market and industry shifts so companies will onshore to the US again to avoid tariffs, but will be enough to continually p*ss people off with the increase to their cost of living.

Couple with Mike Johnson having to again pull his agenda in the House because once again he doesn't have the votes (in a Republican majority session) to pass a budget resolution bill because of the amount it is going to add to the deficit.

Oh yeah, the Consumer Price Index just released a report today suggesting that the average price of a dozen eggs has reached an all time high.

The Signal fiasco, the sentiment around Doge, the tariff debacle, the House failures, its been a bad start to the administration for the MAGA'ts.

looksee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123343784#Comment_123343784

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123343868#Comment_123343868

Yes, I agree, and it would be better if the world adopted this approach, but its Americans (or Trump at any rate) who want to bring manufacturing back to the US, they cannot compete with fast fashion but they could possibly do it on a basis of more expensive, longer lasting clothing.

Its not disputed however that they are very much a consumer society and changing the 'keep buying' approach would be harder than moving away from ever-changing fashion. Which is of course ever-changing because that is what fuels consumerism.

Of course there are already people who tend towards this approach, but not nearly enough to influence the vast majority.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123344086#Comment_123344086

They are still trying to paint it as every country has to pay 10% and not that America has to pay 10% with every country.

crusd

Looks like the insiders who sold before the tariffs and bought before the reversal and likely getting thier profits out this mornings with markets on the slide again

yagan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123344086#Comment_123344086

A 10% tariff probably isn't enough to motivate a business to reinvest in the US, but 20%+ may be enough to make them in other markets.

Overall the scatalogical nature of this presidency makes it very hard to make any decision with confidence. Would you sit down at the poker table if you knew you were playing against the casino owner who liked changing the rules on a whim?

homewardbound11

nobody would want to invest in the USA right now unless the tariffs were high enough . Attracting business in the old fashion way with incentives are gone.

dmakc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123343999#Comment_123343999

As I've said, no real opinion on him. Tend not to pile on media narratives and form my own opinion. Besides, he's predominantly USA's issue and doesn't affect me. Enough things to worry about, like random boards users accusing my masculinity etc.😅

jmayo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123342782#Comment_123342782

Who is going to prove it?

The SEC has been gutted, friendly lickspittles put in charge.

See what he did with FBI the last time when he destroyed Comey.

Now it looks like ATF has been transferred from Justice department to Defense department, or what's left of them.

Pam Bondi is AG, the same woman that dismissed fraud charges against Trump's university to get campaign funding back in 2013.

Trump could go down the street, take the US Bill of Rights out of the National Archives and p**s on it on the whitehouse lawn and nothing would be done to him.

Without doubt there has been insider trading, but knowing it and proving it are different things and even with proof getting someone to take cases is a whole different ballgame.

everlast75

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123344187#Comment_123344187

"doesn't affect me"

Yes.

Yes he does.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123344193#Comment_123344193

It's literally a conversation about how he is affecting us.

jmayo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123344187#Comment_123344187

Ehh if you live here, or indeed almost anywhere, Trump's decisions as they are these days very much affecting the world economic outlook, will very much affect you.

You appear to exhibit that often seen Irish trait that believes we are somehow different and somehow immune to the outside world.

We as a nation have a huge exposure to the US, much more than most countries in Europe.

And even if you don't live here I presume then you may have family and loved ones living here.

If the world's economy tanks, as it likely to happen if Trump continues with his lunacy, then the very open Irish economy will well and truly tank.

yagan

USD slides under 90 euro cents, US indexes all in red while Europe stay green, oil continues to slide although that could be a dynamic of the OPEC decision to release more supply.

Mixed bag but I reckon the idea that everyone loses is overblown. This is a global trading realignment, the USA is walling itself in with tariffs but the rest of the world has loads of capacity to replace US consumers.

halkar

Trump and MAGA supporters have no idea how manufacturing works. Even if companies decide to move US unless they can source everything they need there they will have to buy some or most parts or materials from China with same tariffs. Iphones have hundreds of parts inside and majority of those also made in China. Even Iphones made in India use parts coming from China.

This is not a battle Trump can win against Xi.