PrairiePundit

 Newsmax: It's hard to believe that a couple of years ago Time magazine considered naming Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell as their "Person of the Year." He may well have won, if it hadn't been for someone named Taylor Swift. Powell has been idolized by the left for one reason: He's been a thorn in the side of President Donald Trump for years. If Trump says "ying," Powell says "yang." Last week Powell finally lowered the federal funds rate, and better late than never. But his speech to the media was a tirade against Trumponomics. He was filled with doom and gloom in his statement, telling global investors that the economy is growing at only 1.6% so far this year and is expected to grow 1.6% next year. What country was he talking about? Afghanistan? Here are the facts: In the second quarter of this year, the U.S. economy grew by 3.3%, and with a few weeks to go in the third quarter, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta is forecasting ...

 Newsmax: U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday that customs duty revenues from President Donald Trump's tariffs may surpass $500 billion a year, with a substantial jump from July to August and likely a bigger jump in September. Bessent told a White House Cabinet meeting that his prior estimate of a $300 billion annual tariff collection rate was too low. "We had a substantial jump from July to August, and I think we're going to see a bigger jump from August to September," Bessent said. "So I think we could be on our way well over half a trillion, maybe towards a trillion-dollar number. This administration, your administration, has made a meaningful dent in the budget deficit." Tariff revenue would offset the deficit increases triggered by the Republicans' tax-cut and spending bill passed this year. CBO estimated this bill would widen the deficit by $3.4 trillion over the next decade. Trump's tariffs drove July U.S. customs duty collectio...

 PJ Media: ... Here we are in Aug. 2025, and the Congressional Budget Office just dropped a  bombshell  that completely shatters the left’s narrative against Trump’s tariff strategy.  As of August 19, we estimate that the effective tariff rate for goods imported into the United States has increased by about 18 percentage points when measured against 2024 trade flows. We project that increases in tariffs implemented during the period from January 6, 2025, to August 19 will decrease primary deficits (which exclude net outlays for interest) by $3.3 trillion if the higher tariffs persist for the 2025‒2035 period. By reducing the need for federal borrowing, those tariff collections will also reduce federal outlays for interest by an additional $0.7 trillion. As a result, the changes in tariffs will reduce total deficits by $4.0 trillion altogether. That’s no rounding error.  The numbers are simply eye-popping, and they tell the story that the media doesn’t want you t...

 Federalist Wire: ... President Trump’s tariffs are proving to be a powerhouse for America’s economy, raking in massive revenue while shielding hardworking citizens from unfair foreign competition. According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, revenue from these tariffs has hit an impressive $25 billion per month, marking a bold stand against global trade cheats. The bipartisan group reported that the monthly tariff revenue jumped from $7 billion a year ago to $25 billion in July, according to the Washington Times . Experts project that by the conclusion of Trump’s term, these tariffs will deliver a staggering $1.3 trillion in revenue, setting the stage for stronger national finances before considering economic ripples. “Importantly, our estimates are very rough and intended to reflect the general magnitude of the policies rather than precise scores, given the complexity of the tariffs and their impacts,” the committee said in its analysis. “Estimates also exclude ma...

 Federalist Wire: ... President Trump’s tariffs are proving to be a powerhouse for America’s economy, raking in massive revenue while shielding hardworking citizens from unfair foreign competition. According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, revenue from these tariffs has hit an impressive $25 billion per month, marking a bold stand against global trade cheats. The bipartisan group reported that the monthly tariff revenue jumped from $7 billion a year ago to $25 billion in July, according to the Washington Times . Experts project that by the conclusion of Trump’s term, these tariffs will deliver a staggering $1.3 trillion in revenue, setting the stage for stronger national finances before considering economic ripples. “Importantly, our estimates are very rough and intended to reflect the general magnitude of the policies rather than precise scores, given the complexity of the tariffs and their impacts,” the committee said in its analysis. “Estimates also exclude ma...

  PJ Media: ... Experts painted tariffs as economic sabotage, ignoring that all taxes chip away at prosperity. They also swore that Trump’s tough tactics would kill trade deals. Instead, he opened markets once thought unreachable. Trump played hardball, and other countries blinked. The refusal to admit America’s leverage isn’t analysis; it’s just laziness. Trump began with aggressive tariff threats, horrifying many economists — but the results speak for themselves. The United States has secured deals that dramatically opened foreign markets representing 55% of global GDP. Even critics have had to acknowledge the shift. “To avoid worst of Trump tariffs, [the European Union] accepted a lopsided deal,” the Washington Post conceded, while the London-based Financial Times described how the EU “succumbed to Trump’s tariff steamroller.”  The evidence shows that it’s time for a reckoning. The doomsaying economists who swore tariffs would trigger disaster were wrong: not just on the ...

 Newsmax: U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Thursday he expects the country is heading towards $50 billion a month in tariff revenues as higher levies on imports from dozens of countries kick in. "And then you're going to get the semiconductors, you're going to get pharmaceuticals, you're going to get all sorts of additional tariff money coming in," Lutnick said in an interview with Fox Business Network. When asked whether an August 12 deadline to reach a tariff agreement with China could be extended again, Lutnick said it was possible. ... The tariff revenue could lead to reduced taxation on Americans, particularly those with income under $200,000. 

 Federalist Wire: ... President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, a cornerstone of his second-term economic agenda, have defied dire predictions from corporate media and economic pundits. Despite warnings of rampant price hikes and economic turmoil, recent data shows inflation remains subdued, and the U.S. economy continues to show resilience. On April 2, Trump imposed steep reciprocal tariffs on numerous countries, later announcing a 90-day pause that reduced most duties to a 10% baseline. Corporate media outlets, including ABC News, warned on March 26 that these tariffs “would ratchet up the global trade war, raising prices for an array of consumer goods and risking an economic slowdown.” Yet, inflation has not surged as predicted. In May, inflation rose less than expected, dropping to a four-year low, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This followed a CNBC report on May 13, which noted that inflation had “eased” in April despite the tariffs but cautioned ...

 Newsmax: America's customs revenue has exceeded $100 billion since President Donald Trump returned to the White House, according to Axios . Of that figure, the vast majority is from tariffs, the outlet reported, as the president's trade strategy begins to pay off in a big way for the federal government. According to Customs and Border Protection documents viewed by Axios, since Jan. 20, the total customs revenue generated from actions such as tariffs, taxes, and fees climbed to $106.1 billion as of Friday. More than two-thirds of that, or $85.1 billion, is from tariffs that Trump has imposed on foreign countries looking to do business in America. For the current fiscal year through the end of May, Treasury data shows that collections are up 65% from the year prior during the same period. The Yale Budget Lab found that U.S. consumers face an overall average effective tariff rate of 15.8% – the highest since 1936. After American consumption behavior shifts, the average tariff ...

  Townhall: Two courts ruled against the tariff policy enacted by President Donald J. Trump. On Wednesday, the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that Trump’s tariff policy was unlawful, blocking a central tenet of the president’s agenda on the economy and trade. The Liberation Day reciprocal tariffs led to scores of nations lining up to renegotiate their deals. We’ve already inked our new one with the United Kingdom. D.C. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras also ruled earlier today that the tariff policy was illegal, though he stayed his decision for 14 days to allow for the appeals process. Yet, before the anti-Trump clown could celebrate, a federal appeals court, the full 11-member panel, stayed the ruling from the Court of International Trade, allowing for the tariffs to remain in place for now—a significant win (via NY Post ).... ... The tariffs were an effective way to get better deals from trading partners and they still are despite the attempts of courts.  The ...

 Blaze: Despite relentless attacks from the left, President Donald Trump's approval ratings have progressively increased, marking a stunning turnaround from last month's lows. Since beginning his second term in office, Trump's disapproval rating peaked at 52.4% in late April, according to RealClearPolitics . The drop in support came just weeks after Trump rolled out 10% baseline tariffs as part of his Liberation Day declaration on April 2. ... The latest polling reflects a substantial swing and a major win for Trump. According to RealClearPolitics' data, Trump's disapproval rating dropped to 50%, and his approval rating increased to 47.5% on May 25. While the president's approval rating is still in the red, the polling shift signals a significant reversal: Over the past month, Trump went from being 7.1 points behind to just 2.5 points. Henry Olsen with the Ethics and Public Policy Center told Blaze News, "His rising ratings are directly the result of his ea...

 DC Daily Journal: ... President Donald Trump’s recent trade agreement with the United Kingdom, announced Thursday, marks a significant step toward strengthening American economic interests while fostering closer ties with a key ally. The deal, revealed via a Truth Social post, comes on the heels of Trump’s bold tariff policies, including a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs and substantial increases on Chinese imports. As Fox Business host Brian Brenberg explained on Fox and Friends to co-host Lawrence Jones, this arrangement promises to unlock billions in export opportunities for U.S. businesses, showcasing the administration’s focus on putting American companies first. The trade deal builds on Trump’s strategic vision for global commerce, maintaining a 10% baseline tariff across the board, a policy Brenberg noted as a cornerstone of the president’s approach. “Let’s talk about what we’re going to be doing with the U.K., what we get. First of all, that 10% baseline tariff, I want ...

 Newsmax: Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan, in an interview this week defended President Donald Trump's widespread tariffs as "part of a master plan" to negotiate trade deals. Dimon said on Thursday evening that he initially thought the tariffs were "too large, too big, and too aggressive when it started," but later decided "it was part of a master plan to get people to the table." He added that voters should note "it's OK to say if it's unfair [and] we want to fix it." Dimon went on to praise Trump's trade deal with the United Kingdom, saying he's "very happy it took place." He added, "The tariff stuff...was very big and very large and everybody all at once. I think it's very important that they start to show progress in the deal, so any progress is good." Dimon said, "These are deals in principle...a real trade deal would be 10 or 20,000 pages long. But any progress is good." ... Hopefully,...

 NY Post: ... In his interview with NBC, the president emphasized that he’s not predicting that American consumers will see empty store shelves, but rather that he’s merely trying to close the trade deficit with China. “No, I’m not saying that,” he said when asked about whether he was expecting shortages. “I’m just saying they don’t need to have 30 dolls. They can have three. They don’t need to have 250 pencils. They can have five.” “We don’t have to waste money on a trade deficit with China for things we don’t need, for junk that we don’t need.” ... In April, Trump ratcheted up tariffs on imports from China to 145% for most goods, with a few exemptions in place, including electronics, while his administration studies the supply chain and reevaluates its policy. Trump already has a slew of tariffs in place, such as a 10% baseline tariff rate on virtually all goods flowing into the US, as well as 25% tariffs on automobiles, aluminum, steel and imports from Canada and Mexico that don...

 Matt Margolis: In a stunning reversal that validates President Donald Trump's hardline stance, China caved on Tuesday and lifted its punitive 125% tariff on American ethane imports. The communist regime had desperately slapped this tariff on U.S. ethane earlier this month in a failed attempt to counter Trump's brilliant Liberation Day tariff offensive. Obviously, it couldn't sustain the tariff — China depends on American ethane for its survival, gobbling up about half of our total ethane exports annually, according to federal energy data. The reality is that major Chinese manufacturers like Satellite Chemical, SP Chemicals, Sinopec, Sanjiang Fine Chemical, and Wanhua Chemical Group can't function without American ethane from powerhouse U.S. suppliers Enterprise Products Partners and Energy Transfer. Ethane is just the latest addition to a growing list of American products that China has quietly exempted from its retaliatory tariffs in the ongoing trade war with the Un...

 DC Daily Journal: On Thursday, President Donald Trump hosted Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the White House, signaling a fresh push for a transformative trade agreement between the United States and the European Union. The meeting, marked by optimism and mutual respect, highlighted a shared ambition to reshape economic ties while addressing pressing global challenges. Meloni became the first European leader to engage with Trump since his administration announced a 90-day pause on the “Liberation Day” reciprocal tariffs last week. Dressed in a striking all-white ensemble, Meloni expressed confidence in the potential for a deal, stating, “I’m sure we can make a deal, and I am here to help with that.” While acknowledging her role’s limitations, she added, “I cannot lock this deal in the name of the European Union.” She extended an invitation for Trump to visit Italy, proposing it as a step toward broader discussions with European leaders. Trump, unwavering in his conviction...

 Trending Politics: The Trump tariffs have led to another economic victory, with chipmaking giant Nvidia announcing its intention to add hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs across the U.S. over the next four years. On Monday, the company unveiled plans to invest upward of $500 billion in U.S. production as it prepares to manufacture artificial intelligence supercomputer components domestically for the first time. Construction will take place in Arizona and Texas, where Nvidia and its partners have commissioned more than a million square feet of manufacturing space. The facilities, set for completion by 2029, will focus on churning out the first iterations of the company’s Blackwell architecture, an AI supercomputer chip packed with over 200 billion transistors and designed for accelerated computing. High-level AI inferencing will be a cornerstone of its use, the company states in a release. Despite being throttled by one of the most complex supply chains in the world, Nvidi...

  Daily Torch: “We saw the successful negotiating strategy that President Trump implemented a week ago today. It has brought more than 75 countries forward to negotiate. It took great courage for him to stay the course until this moment and what we have ended up with here, as I told everyone a week ago, in this very spot, do not retaliate and you will be rewarded.” That was Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on April 9 crediting President Donald Trump with successfully using his reciprocal tariff strategy announced April 2 to bring more than 75 countries to the table to negotiate with the United States, with a 90-day pause on the reciprocal tariffs going into effect during the negotiations. In the meantime, tariffs on China have been raised by an additional 125 percent atop existing tariffs, after Beijing retaliated by raising tariffs on the U.S. to 84 percent. For ten years, Trump has told anyone who would listen that as president he would use tariffs to try and get better trade de...

 The Hill President Trump said there could be a potential trade deal in the works with South Korea, saying the country has a team traveling to the United States to make a deal, nearly a week after Trump’s latest tariff announcement . “I just had a great call with the Acting President of South Korea. We talked about their tremendous and unsustainable Surplus, Tariffs, Shipbuilding, large scale purchase of U.S. LNG, their joint venture in an Alaska Pipeline, and payment for the big time Military Protection we provide to South Korea,” Trump wrote Tuesday on Truth Social . “They began these Military payments during my first term, Billions of Dollars, but Sleepy Joe Biden, for reasons unknown, terminated the deal.” “That was a shocker to all! In any event, we have the confines and probability of a great DEAL for both countries. Their top TEAM is on a plane heading to the U.S., and things are looking good,” he added. Trump announced a 25 percent tariff on South Korea on Wednesday, when...

 DC Daily Journal: ... President Trump’s hefty new tariffs on over $1 trillion in foreign imports are already shaking things up, funneling investments and jobs back to American soil. Countries are scrambling to dodge the reciprocal tariffs set to kick in on April 2, negotiating deals to ease their own tariffs on U.S. goods. Meanwhile, carmakers like Rolls-Royce, Hyundai, and Honda are rerouting production to the U.S. to sidestep the 25% tariffs on imported autos and parts, which roll out next week. At least a dozen companies are following suit, betting on American-made over tariff headaches. Economists are nodding in agreement: Trump’s campaign pledge to bring back manufacturing jobs is taking shape. The United Auto Workers (UAW), despite backing Kamala Harris in 2024, is cheering the auto tariffs. UAW President Shawn Fain pointed to a dozen plants—think Ford, GM, and Stellantis brands like Jeep and Chrysler—that have bled production to Mexico and beyond over the years. “The econom...