News Vérité

President Trump initially announced the details of his plan to increase tariffs on imported goods on April 2, 2025, which he hailed as “Liberation Day.” This came after a campaign for king, er, president, in which he proclaimed “tariff” to be the most beautiful word in the English language. In announcing his “beggar thy neighbor” policy, the man from Mar-a-Lago thus turned back U.S. clocks to the days of President William McKinley, before the enactment of the 16th Amendment in 1913, which created the income tax and ushered in the age of Woodrow Wilson and the rise of the modern Demofiend party. When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Trump lacked the authority to impose most of the tariffs announced on that April day, Sir Donald immediately imposed a 10-percent across-the-board tariff on all imports. This week, that “most beautiful word” plan to somehow bring manufacturing back to America was again ruled beyond the president’s legal reach. Two days ago, the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled 2-1 that Trump’s 10-percent, post-SCOTUS tariff was “invalid, and the tariffs imposed on Plaintiffs are unauthorized by law.” The two affirming votes came from Obama appointees, the one dissenting nod from a Dubya

In what might be a first in the Trump 47 admin, Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a press conference in the White House today, where, not unexpectedly, gathered reporters had zillions of questions about the war with Iran and about opening the Strait of Hormuz. Rubio responded with aplomb and handled the rowdy crowd with charm and focused answers. His two most important statements, at least in my view, were that Operation Epic Fury is over (“mission accomplished,” in short) and that the War Powers Act is not binding on the president. “The War Powers Act is unconstitutional, 100 percent,” he told the world through the media present. Claiming that Epic Fury has concluded, though Rubio didn’t mention this, handily closes the 60-day window allowed for the operation under the War Powers Act, which of course is unconstitutional anyway. Phase Two has now opened with Project Freedom, by which ships will be somehow protected as they navigate the Strait of Hormuz, provided they’re not Iranian ships, of course. President Trump has said that, should Iran challenge the U.S. in Project Freedom, then the U.S. will respond “forcibly,” thus opening a new 60-day War Powers Act window. Nice strategic move,