Democrats Can’t Take A Joke, So They’re Trying To Outlaw Free Speech
Sen. Amy Klobuchar wants you to know it was not her saying such 'vulgar and absurd' things. And she wants to punish the people who do.Sen. Amy Klobuchar wants you to know it was not her saying such 'vulgar and absurd' things. And she wants to punish the people who do.Trump comes out on top with EU tariffs deal, proving haters wrong and leaving some Europeans stunned
President Donald Trump set to work in April on radically transforming how trade is conducted internationally, unveiling a sweeping list of new tariffs targeting scores of nations — friendly and adversarial nations alike — that have long imposed higher fees on the U.S. than the U.S. has placed on them in return.
Trump has in the months since received a lot of flak from liberals at home and abroad over this campaign to end the trend of foreign nations ripping off America. There have, for instance, been legal challenges, condemnations by Democrats and even some Republicans, threats of retaliation, and constant media chatter about economic doom.
'It's a big deal. It's a huge deal. It will bring stability.'
Trump has, however, surmounted the opposition, proven the haters wrong, and repeatedly come out on top.
The president's latest victory — announced in the ancestral homeland of his mother just days after striking a favorable trade agreement with Japan — is likely his most consequential to date.
Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen jointly announced in Turnberry, Scotland, on Sunday that they struck a deal.
Per the terms of the agreement, the EU will buy $750 billion worth of energy over the next three years; invest $600 billion in the U.S. in addition to what it is already investing; open member countries to tariff-free American exports; and purchase "a vast amount" of American military equipment at a value that has yet to be determined.
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The U.S. will, in return, impose a 15% import tariff on most European goods — half of the rate Trump planned to impose on Aug. 1 in the event the deal fell through and 12.5% less than the tariff currently imposed on European automotive exports to the United States.
"I think it's great that we made a deal today instead of playing games," Trump told von der Leyen.
"I think it's the biggest deal ever made. Thank you very much."
Von der Leyen, who in 2021 claimed that Trump's first term may have "permanently damaged" democracy, said, "We have a trade deal between the two largest economies in the world. It's a big deal. It's a huge deal. It will bring stability. It will bring predictability that's very important for our businesses on both sides of the Atlantic."
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Von der Leyen later noted that Trump is "a tough negotiator, but he is also a dealmaker."
While von der Leyen said that the 15% tariff might be a "challenge for some," she emphasized that the deal ensures continued access to the American market while Europe simultaneously diversifies to other regions of the world and taps new markets.
'It is a dark day.'
"The European Union is going to open its 20 Trillion dollar market and completely accept our auto and industrial standards for the first time ever," noted Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
"Today is a historic day for U.S. trade and will strengthen our relationship with the European Union for decades to come."
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent praised Trump, stating that the president "is the world’s great negotiator, and the American people are the beneficiaries."
A number of national leaders from the 27 EU member states who will have to sign off on the deal expressed optimism, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who said she considered it a "positive." German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed the agreement, noting in a statement, "It is good that Europe and the U.S. have agreed and avoid unnecessary escalation in transatlantic trade relations."
Others weren't so keen.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou suggested on X that "it is a dark day when an alliance of free peoples, brought together to affirm their common values and to defend their common interests, resigns itself to submission."
"It is obvious to me that this is not an agreement," said Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. "It wasn't a deal that President Donald Trump made with Ursula von der Leyen — it was Trump eating von der Leyen for breakfast. This is what happened."
Orbán suggested that Trump's deal with the United Kingdom was far better and that von der Leyen was a "featherweight," reported Euractiv.
Trump has now secured critical trade deals with China, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Britain, and Vietnam.
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Zelenskyy — still holding onto power a year after his term ended — commandeers anti-corruption bureau, sparking protests
President Donald Trump ruffled feathers in February when he characterized Volodymyr Zelenskyy — the Ukrainian leader who suspended elections, dissolved rival parties, sanctioned a political opponent on suspicion of "high treason," consolidated Ukraine's media outlets, banned a Christian denomination, and remains president despite his term officially ending in May 2024 — as a "dictator without elections" who wants to "keep the 'gravy train' going."
Zelenskyy has faced continued criticism in the months since over his apparent efforts to appropriate and remain in power, including from the mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, whose authority and responsibilities the Ukrainian president has effectively neutralized by appointing a rival military administration in the capital.
Klitschko, furious over the "raids, interrogations, and threats of fabricated criminal cases" apparently undermining his city council, told the Times (U.K.) in May, "This is a purge of democratic principles and institutions under the guise of war."
"I said once that it smells of authoritarianism in our country," continued the mayor. "Now it stinks."
Zelenskyy gave his critics further cause for suspicion and sparked mass protests on Tuesday by ratifying legislation that will give the country's prosecutor general — Zelenskyy's appointee — powers over Ukraine's National Anticorruption Bureau, thereby affording the president the ability to torpedo investigations into his administration.
Ukrainska Pravda indicated that the legislation drew protest from numerous members of parliament, which has not had elections since 2019, and stressed that the shakeup "means the destruction of the independence of anti-corruption bodies."
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Daria Kaleniuk, a co-founder of the nongovernmental Anticorruption Action Center who helped establish the NABU following Ukraine's 2014 regime change, told the Wall Street Journal, "What's happening is the demolition of the anticorruption infrastructure in Ukraine."
Olena Tregub, executive director of the Independent Defense Anti-Corruption Commission, suggested on LinkedIn that "weakening NABU and [the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office] is a dangerous mistake."
"It threatens to derail Ukraine's EU aspirations, fuels political polarization, and could erode public trust in the president who once promised to make the fight against corruption a cornerstone of his leadership," wrote Tregub. "Independent anti-corruption institutions are not simply a box to check for European integration. They are essential for building a democratic, transparent, and truly European Ukraine."
Zelenskyy said in a video statement on Tuesday that "the anti-corruption infrastructure will work, only without Russian influence — it needs to be cleared of that."
"Criminal proceedings must not drag on for years without lawful verdicts. And those who work against Ukraine must not feel comfortable or immune to the inevitability of punishment," Zelenskyy added in a separate statement concerning his meeting with top Ukrainian law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies.
RELATED: Trump confirms he's sending Patriot missiles to Ukraine — but with one major caveat
Zelenskyy signed the bill the day after the Security Service of Ukraine, or SBU, which operates ultimately under the authority of Zelenskyy, launched a series of raids on NABU offices largely on the basis of allegations that agency officials were cooperating with Russia.
The SBU claimed in a statement on Monday that while acting under the procedural guidance of the office of Zelenskyy's prosecutor general, it "exposed the agent penetration of [Russia's Federal Security Service] into the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine."
'This decision endangers not only the functioning of anticorruption institutions but also Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic aspirations.'
NABU indicated that as of Monday evening, the SBU, the State Bureau of Investigation, and the Prosecutor General's Office had executed at least 70 raids in relation to the anti-corruption bureau's employees.
"In most cases, the grounds cited for these actions are the alleged involvement of certain individuals in traffic accidents," said NABU. "However, some employees are being accused of possible connections with the aggressor state. These are unrelated matters."
The anti-corruption bureau indicated that the raids took place while its director, Semen Kryvonos, was on an official visit to the United Kingdom.
Kryvonos suggested that the law effectively handing over NABU to Zelenskyy was pushed by officials who were actively being investigated by the bureau, reported the Wall Street Journal.
"This pressure campaign is a direct response to the effectiveness of our investigations, including those targeting high-ranking officials and members of Parliament," said Kryvonos. "This decision endangers not only the functioning of anticorruption institutions but also Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic aspirations."
"The president of the European Commission was in contact with President Zelenskyy about these latest developments," a European Commission spokesperson told Politico. "President von der Leyen conveyed her strong concerns about the consequences of the amendments, and she requested the Ukrainian government for explanations."
The European Commission spokesperson added, "The respect for the rule of law and the fight against corruption are core elements of the European Union. As a candidate country, Ukraine is expected to uphold these standards fully. There cannot be a compromise."
In 2012, Ernst & Young ranked Ukraine in the top three of the most corrupt countries in its 12th Global Fraud Survey. Transparency International rated it the most corrupt country in Europe after Russia and ranked it 130th among 180 countries in its 2017 Corruption Perceptions Index.
The country has, however, showed some signs of improvement, such that it now ranks 105th on the Corruption Perceptions Index, with a score of 35. By way of comparison, America's score is 65, with 100 signaling perfection.
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This Newly Implemented Online Speech Code Just Gave European Censors Another Weapon
For failure to appropriately monitor content under the Digital Services Act, a company could face fines up to 6 percent of its global revenue, ADF lawyer Jeremy Tedesco said.
EU signals desperation to avoid trade war with Trump, desire to buy American gas
President-elect Donald Trump is still months away from taking office, yet the European Union already appears desperate to cut a deal with him.
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, addressed members of the European Council in Budapest, Hungary, Friday, signaling a desire to avoid a trade war with the United States and to switch from Russian to American gas.
When asked how she intends to negotiate with Trump on trade, Leyen answered, "I think first of all: Engage. Very important what we have started yesterday."
Leyen was referencing her phone call with Trump Thursday, where she apparently congratulated him on his landslide electoral victory. The German politician noted on X that they discussed defense, Ukraine, trade, and energy.
"Secondly, discuss about common interests. And there are common interests that we have," continued Leyen. "Then go into negotiations."
'They are going to have to pay a big price.'
Leyen said that liquid natural gas was among the common interests she briefly discussed with Trump this week, noting that Europe still gets "a lot of LNG via Russia, from Russia."
According to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, in the first half of 2024, Europe sourced 48% of its LNG imports from U.S., 16% from Russia, 11% from Algeria, 10% from Qatar, and 4% from Nigeria and Norway.
"Why not replace it by American LNG, which is cheaper for us and brings down our energy prices?" said Leyen. "It's something where we can get into a discussion, also [where] our trade deficit is concerned."
The U.S. Census Bureau indicated Tuesday that the trade deficit with the EU in September was $23.8 billion, contributing to the year-to-date trade deficit of $173 billion.
Trump indicated in October that the EU would have to "pay a big price" for not buying enough American exports, reported Reuters.
"I'll tell you what, the European Union sounds so nice, so lovely, right? All the nice European little countries that get together," said Trump. "They don't take our cars. They don't take our farm products. They sell millions and millions of cars in the United States. No, no, no, they are going to have to pay a big price."
Politico noted that Leyen's maneuver to dodge the steep tariffs of 10% or more that Trump has threatened by promising to buy LNG is largely political theater granted the European Commission is virtually powerless when it comes to dictating European companies' purchases of gas.
"The EU doesn't buy LNG — there's a global LNG market and LNG buyers have their own contract," Laurent Ruseckas, executive director for gas markets at commodities giant S&P Global, told Politico. "It's certainly possible to do a memorandum of understanding to talk about increasing purchases but ultimately in the past that's been a way to put a political wrapper around something that was delivered by the market. And the EU is buying as much LNG currently as the market needs."
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