Donald Trump the Megathread part II - mod warnings in OP, Updated 18/03/25

Another thought on the iPhone exemptions is that if you're a smartphone assembly and parts business in China you will prioritise clients whose main markets avoid the USA.

For a start tariff uncertainty could delay collections which block up storage facilities right up the supply line.

Secondly you'll prefer payment in your own currency rather than holding depreciating US credit notes so Chinese smartphone makers will have the edge there.

This last week has been a Berlin wall event in global alignment.

This would be quite the response in fairness

Yes, that would be a clever move. Not allow Trump to cherry pick his way through a trade war.

I get what you mean, but 77m other people voted for him too.

This far right has been very prevalent in the US for a number of years, just bubbling under the surface. Most visitors never see it, NY, DC, California, Vegas, even Orlando are not the places you'll come across it.

Go to almost anywhere inland, places where they call it United States of Merica not United States of America.

Now they have a big loud voice to 'represent' them. What were whispers and said in private settings can be shouted from the rooftops, you can proudly declare all that you are, because those at the top are shouting and screaming it too. It's now socially acceptable to lash out at immigrants, LGBQT+ etc. Really shows their Christian values, huh?

They don't care about the lies, they want someone to 'hear' them. The fact that the someone is only pretending to hear them will become a problem, but it's gonna take another while for that to sink in. It'll probably start with the hangers on, the 'new' converts. Whether it'll rise to the glorious one, is another question. What happens if it does is anyone's guess.

The USA had not been United for a long time, there's 2 very different countries and cultures under that umbrella.

So is he saying he doesn't want electronics manufactured in America? Just cars and clothes?

Exactly what I was about to post. So much for bringing back high tech industry.

I think the day Fox started explaining tariffs was around the time Trump finally understood that Americans pay the tariff. Yes, it was the bond market as well, but the timing matches perfectly for Republicans finally understanding this basic economic concept.

He clearly hasn't a clue what he is doing. Announces huge decisions on a whim and then the flunkies have to point out he has messed up and he does a quick U-turn. A part of me wonders if he can even survive the four years being so grossly incompetent, there never has been such a gormless fool in the White House.

Along with smartphones and computers

Semiconductors
Solar cells
Flat panel TV displays
Flash drives
Memory cards

Somehow I think that list might be added to. The phrase "think before you open your mouth" springs to mind.

Well this just shows that eventually the list of whats actually is tariffed will be the size of a post-it note

Remember in the Presidential campaign, Trump and his team made a big deal of the flooding that happened in North Carolina and accused Biden of having abandoned the state.

This is what is now happening.

https://ncnewsline.com/2025/04/12/fema-will-stop-matching-100-of-helene-recovery-money-in-nc-stein-says/

Gov. Stein: ‘I am extremely disappointed and urge the President to reconsider FEMA’s bad decision, even for 90 days.’

Interesting choice of words by the Governor there, implying the administration has shown it is capable of pausing decisions for 90 days for international matters, so what about for national ones.

Trump opened up a can of worms with his liberation day tariffs that he is struggling to close shut.

Even if the bond market recovers which it won't any time soon, he is in serious trouble.

America is fast becoming a world tyrant - Rape and pillage , just like it’s President - and sticking a dumb blonde hypocrite as your spokesperson press secretary doesn’t change that either .

US ‘demands control’ from Ukraine of key pipeline carrying Russian gas

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/12/us-demands-control-from-ukraine-of-key-pipeline-carrying-russian-gas

While it is another climb down on tariffs todays exemptions on computers smartphones etc from China it is not a full tariff relief for those products which still face his original 20% China tariffs. So all that has happened today for US consumers is the products have gone from being priced out of the US market to they will still be on sale but at a significantly higher price given the tariff still in place.

"The biggest climb down ever by a president. No other president would climb down so bigly. Biden wouldn't have had such an awesome climb down. Obama no way. The most awesome president ever with such a great climb down."

They'll feel however Trump tells them to.