Even When Trump “Loses,” He Wins, As He Did Today

Globalists and judicial politicians will regret attempting to thwart voters for the benefit of the America-last, open-borders establishment.

On “Mornings with Maria” on Fox Business. Video: https://video.foxbusiness.com/v/6389623226112

I’ve included the video above from an appearance this morning on Mornings with Maria on Fox Business, which included some fun at AOC’s expense. Talking points below on tariffs, conflict with Iran, the Board of Peace, and China—plus a snippet on clueless British decisions about Diego Garcia.

TRADE

• The New York Times gleefully reported on today’s political-judicial edict that, “The Supreme Court dealt a major blow to President Trump’s economic policy….”

• In fact, the sheer stupidity of the ruling, the reality of the politics of trade (Americans now hate globalism), and numerous other legal and constitutional authorities give Trump the upper hand.

• Trump responded decisively by enacting a new 10% levy on all imports using his authority under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. This gives the administration 150 days to implement higher tariffs under previously used Sections 232 and 301 of the Trade Expansion Act and the aforementioned 1974 act, respectively. As Trump noted, he also has numerous other authorities (Sections 201, 232, 338, etc.).

• A potential Section 338 action would be profound and excellent. It is part of the Tariff Act of 1930—the much-maligned Smoot-Hawley tariffs—by which the President could levy 50% tariffs on a country that discriminates against U.S. commerce (and most do).

• Trump observed in his press conference that this intrusion into national defense, which the Court should have never undertaken, may result in “potentially higher” tariffs than existed before.

• One should not forget the politics of trade amid the legal mumbo-jumbo. Polls about trade are consistently phonied up with loaded questions. In reality, American voters figured out that NAFTA and the World Trade Organization killed manufacturing in the USA and fueled China’s economic and military rise.

• To put America first and teach the D.C. palace eunuchs a lesson about trying to undermine the presidency, Trump should consider further steps to equalize trade, including withdrawal from the USMCA (NAFTA replacement) and the WTO.

• Smoot-Hawley tariffs are wrongly blamed for accentuating the Great Depression, which Milton Friedman proved was caused and extended by a series of monetary contractions. U.S. exports were only 4.8% of GDP when Smoot-Hawley passed in 1930 compared to 11% of GDP today. Among the major economies, the U.S. is the least reliant on foreign trade given its huge internal market. Reforming this internal market through Trump’s lower taxes and deregulation is how we get big-time economic growth, not through trade.

• Tariffs are awesome. The first piece of legislation George Washington signed was a tariff act.

  

  The first major law George Washington signed was the Tariff Act of 1789. Do tariff opponents hate George Washington?

IRAN

• Seems like an expanded conflict is coming.

• Oil markets are not yet pricing in a serious disruption that Iran could cause—and routinely threatens to cause—if attacked. About 20% of world petroleum liquids go through the Strait of Hormuz.

• Getting Iran to forgo enrichment and allow removal of its (currently buried) HEU would be a huge win for U.S. interests. That alone would be worth a deal and effectively end Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

• Iran doesn’t need ANY uranium-enrichment capability. It has a longstanding agreement with the Russians to provide fuel for its sole electricity-producing reactor and take back spent fuel.

BOARD OF PEACE

• The Board is not a replacement for the UN, but it is potentially much more. It could surpass failed ideas/ideals (the UN) and gatherings of countries that are a snapshot of the past, not the future (G7, UN Security Council).

• It is actually close to the reason for creating what would become the G7 in the wake of the collapse of Bretton Woods in the ’70s: a gathering of governments with the will and money to actually get things done.

• The UN is focused on process. The Board of Peace looks to be focused on accomplishments, including $7 billion conditionally pledged for Gaza, and the Board is moving closer to a security force to disarm Hamas. That will do more for non-jihadist Palestinians than all of the antisemitic kiddos on campus screaming about “genocide” or preening European governments have ever done.

• There are many members, but the real power is with those who have pledged money: the USA, UAE, Saudi, Qatar, Morocco, Kuwait, Bahrain, and some of the Stans.

CHINA SUMMIT

• Trump is being criticized by people like Obama-Biden official Kurt Campbell for backing down on Taiwan, which he has not done. In his first term and the first year of his second term, Trump has done more for Taiwan’s security than any president since Eisenhower, not the least of which was approving the sale of new F-16 fighter jets, M-1 tanks, Harpoon missiles, and HIMARS and ATACMS, and SLAM-ER missiles.

• Last month, Trump approved the BIGGEST-EVER arms sale to Taiwan, $11 billion. But those complaining about Trump and Taiwan are basically the same people who facilitated China’s rise. Where were these supposed Taiwan-defenders when they actually held power?

• Punting additional arms sales a few months won’t make a difference given the lengthy time (years) from authorization to delivery. Taiwan has also made it pretty clear that it will not do what it takes to deter an invasion from China on its own. The U.S.-led alliance system (Japan, Philippines) is more important to the overall security of the Western Pacific.

• Trump has sought to meet Xi halfway on issues of contention. It’s time for Xi to reciprocate.

DIEGO GARCIA

• There are media reports that our British “allies” are preventing the United States from using our major air base on the small island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean as Trump ratchets up military pressure on Iran.

• Unacceptable, but par for course. In Trump’s first term, the Brits colluded with the French and Germans to undermine U.S. nuclear-related sanctions on Iran.

• Britain and the rest of Europe would have to up their games substantially merely to be useless.

• Britain just effectively gave away otherwise-uninhabited Diego Garcia to a country named Mauritius that no one has ever heard of. If effect, they are giving away our air base, which we pay for by sharing Trident nuclear missile technology with the Brits.

• Trump should annex Diego Garcia to the United States without congressional action using a revamped interpretation of the Guano Islands Act. Britain has effectively made the small island a disputed zone, meaning it is not under “the lawful jurisdiction of any other government” as required by the act.

• Speaking of annexation, Trump should split off the small number of populated towns in Greenland into a disputed territory and annex the rest of American Greenland. He should also order covert and overt encouragement of independence for French Polynesia from Paris as a thank-you to the useless French government for being ever so helpful the the USA over the last century.