Gerrymandering by Both Parties Is Deepening America's Political Divide
The bitter fight over redrawing U.S. House maps, triggered by President Trump's effort to protect his party's majority in the 2026 midterm elections, is the latest example of how the dominant party in many states is making extraordinary efforts to impose its will.
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USA Today
a few seconds ago
- USA Today
Mexican President rules out Trump's reported military plan against Mexico's drug cartels
'We co-operate, we collaborate, but there is not going to be an invasion,' Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said in latest pushback against Trump. WASHINGTON − Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has ruled out any U.S. military 'invasion' into Mexico following the Trump administration's reported plans to use military force against Latin American drug cartels. "The United States is not going to come to Mexico with the military," Sheinbaum said Aug. 8 at her regular morning news conference. "We co-operate, we collaborate, but there is not going to be an invasion. That is ruled out, absolutely ruled out." Sheinbaum comments are in response to a New York Times report Aug. 8 that President Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. military to target transnational fentanyl traffickers that use Mexico as a base of operations. The Times said Trump had secretly signed a directive to begin using military force on foreign soil against cartels. In February, the U.S. designated the Sinaloa Cartel and other Mexican drug cartels as global terrorist organizations, which some analysts have warned could be a stepping stone to such military action. A U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the new directive to Reuters but said military action against the designated groups did not appear imminent and it was unclear exactly what type of operations they would carry out. Trump has long said publicly that the U.S. would take unilateral military action if Mexico failed to dismantle drug cartels. That has put Washington at odds with its southern neighbor and key trading partner. Sheinbaum, in return, has pushed Trump to do more to stop the flow of high-powered American-made guns from the U.S. into Mexico. The two leaders have had several calls this year to discuss security issues, trade and immigration. Sheinbaum has made similar comments before, including after a May 2 Wall Street Journal report that said Trump was pressuring Mexico to allow deeper U.S. military involvement against drug cartels on both sides of their shared border. "In one of the calls, (Trump) said, 'How can we help you fight drug trafficking? I propose that the U.S. Army come in to help you,' " said Sheinbaum, who was speaking at a university event near the capital of Mexico City on May 2. "And you know what I told him? No, President Trump, the territory is sacrosanct, sovereignty is sacrosanct, sovereignty is not for sale, sovereignty is loved and defended," Sheinbaum said. While the two countries can collaborate, she said, "we will never accept the presence of the United States military in our territory." "We can collaborate, we can work together, but you can do it in your territory, we can do it in ours," Sheinbaum said. Trump reportedly considered military action in Mexico during his first term. His former defense secretary, Mark Esper, wrote in his memoir that Trump asked at least twice in 2020 if the military could "shoot missiles into Mexico to destroy drug labs." Esper wrote that he replied that it would be illegal and an act of war.
The Hill
a few seconds ago
- The Hill
Burchett on Alaska summit: Putin ‘knows he needs to get to the table'
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) weighed in on the upcoming meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Trump, suggesting it shows Putin may be ready to enter peace talks. Burchett, in a Friday evening appearance on NewsNation's 'The Hill,' pointed to a pressing timeline for Moscow to act on ceasefire negotiations to back up his comments. Trump has threatened to increase sanctions on Russia and allies that purchase its energy if a deal is not reached soon — though some have questioned the delay. 'What Trump is doing right now with this energy sector and other areas, it's unleashing America's excellence,' he told guest host Chris Stirewalt. 'And these people know that we can collapse them.' 'When we start exporting energy like we did prior to it, he can control these world markets and he can shut those countries down, Russia included,' the Tennessee Republican added. 'And I think Putin knows that, and he knows he needs to get to the table.' Trump and Putin are slated to meet in Alaska on Aug. 15 to discuss conditions needed to end the more than three-year-long war in Eastern Europe. The president has proposed a territory swap between the warning nations as part of negotiations. 'We're going to get some back, and we're going to get some switched,' Trump told reporters Friday. 'There'll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both.' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rebuked the idea, arguing that Kyiv should not be excluded from the negotiating table, as his approval would also be needed for any ceasefire deal. 'The Ukrainian people deserve peace… Ukrainians will not give their land to an occupier,' Zelensky said in a Saturday video message posted to Telegram. 'Any decisions made against us, any decisions made without Ukraine, are at the same time decisions against peace,' he continued. 'They will bring nothing. These are dead decisions; they will never work.' While Burchett and defense hawk Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) have supported the president's decision to meet with the Kremlin leader, other experts claim it will give Putin the edge. 'I have a feeling this is sliding very quickly in Russia's direction,' former national security adviser John Bolton said Friday during a CNN appearance on 'The Source.' 'We're not quite back at February the 28th, in the Oval Office, when Trump told [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky, 'You don't have any cards.' But what's happening is that Russia and the United States are discussing what terms they're going to present to Zelensky, and it may well be that Zelensky has no choice here,' he told host Kaitlain Collins. Bolton added, 'Surrendering is always one way to get a peace deal.'
Boston Globe
a few seconds ago
- Boston Globe
Whitmer told Trump in private that Michigan auto jobs depend on a tariff change of course
The fact that Whitmer had 'an opening to make direct appeals' in private to Trump was unique in this political moment, said Matt Grossman, a Michigan State University politics professor. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up It was her third meeting with Trump at the White House since he took office in January. This one, however, was far less public than the time in April when Whitmer was unwittingly part of an impromptu news conference that embarrassed her so much she covered her face with a folder. Advertisement On Tuesday, she told the president that the economic damage from the tariffs could be severe in Michigan, a state that helped deliver him the White House in 2024. Whitmer also brought up federal support for recovery efforts after an ice storm and sought to delay changes to Medicaid. Trump offered no specific commitments, according to people familiar with the private conversation who were not authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke only on condition of anonymity to describe it. Advertisement Whitmer is hardly the only one sounding the warning of the potentially damaging consequences, including factory job losses, lower profits and coming price increases, of the import taxes that Trump has said will be the economic salvation for American manufacturing. White House spokesman Kush Desai said no other president 'has taken a greater interest in restoring American auto industry dominance than President Trump.' Trade frameworks negotiated by the administration would open up the Japanese, Korean and European markets for vehicles made on assembly lines in Michigan, Desai said. But the outreach Trump has preferred tends to be splashy presentations by tech CEOs. In the Oval Office on Wednesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook gave the president a customized glass plaque with a gold base as Cook promised $600 billion in investments. Trump claims to have brought in $17 trillion in investment commitments, although none of those numbers has surfaced yet in economic data. Under his series of executive orders and trade frameworks, U.S. automakers face import taxes of 50% on steel and aluminum, 30% on parts from China and a top rate of 25% on goods from Canada and Mexico not covered under an existing 2020 trade agreement. That puts America's automakers and parts suppliers at a disadvantage against German, Japanese and South Korean vehicles that only face a 15% import tax negotiated by Trump last month. On top of that, Trump this past week threatened a 100% tariff on computer chips, which are an integral part of cars and trucks, though he would exclude companies that produce chips domestically from the tax. Advertisement Whitmer's two earlier meetings with Trump resulted in gains for Michigan. But the tariffs represent a significantly broader request of a president who has imposed them even more aggressively in the face of criticism. Materials in the presentation brought by Whitmer to the meeting and obtained by The Associated Press noted how trade with Canada and Mexico has driven $23.2 billion in investment to Michigan since 2020. General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis operate 50 factories across the state, while more than 4,000 facilities support the auto parts supply chain. Altogether, the sector supports nearly 600,000 manufacturing jobs, forming the backbone of Michigan's economy. Whitmer outlined the main points of the materials to Trump and left copies with his team. To Grossman, the Michigan State professor, a key question is whether voters who expected to be helped by tariffs would react if Trump's import taxes failed to deliver the promised economic growth. 'Everyone's aware that Michigan is a critical swing state and the auto industry has outsized influence, not just directly, but symbolically,' Grossman said. AP VoteCast found that Trump won Michigan in 2024 largely because two-thirds of its voters described the economic conditions as being poor or 'not so good.' Roughly 70% of the voters in the state who felt negatively about the economy backed the Republican. The state was essentially split over whether tariffs were a positive, with Trump getting 76% of those voters who viewed them favorably. The heads of General Motors, Ford and Stellantis have repeatedly warned the administration that the tariffs would cut company profits and undermine their global competitiveness. Their efforts have resulted in little more than a temporary, monthlong pause intended to give companies time to adjust. The reprieve did little to blunt the financial fallout. Advertisement In the second quarter alone, Ford reported $800 million in tariff-related costs, while GM said the import taxes cost it $1.1 billion. Those expenses could make it harder to reinvest in new domestic factories, a goal Trump has championed. 'We expect tariffs to be a net headwind of about $2 billion this year, and we'll continue to monitor the developments closely and engage with policymakers to ensure U.S. autoworkers and customers are not disadvantaged by policy change,' Ford CEO Jim Farley said on his company's earning call. Since Trump returned to the White House, Michigan has lost 7,500 manufacturing jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Smaller suppliers have felt the strain, too. Detroit Axle, a family-run auto parts distributor, has been one of the more vocal companies in Michigan about the impact of the tariffs. The company initially announced it might have to shut down a warehouse and lay off more than 100 workers, but later said it would be able to keep the facility open, at least for now. 'Right now it's a market of who is able to survive, it's not a matter of who can thrive,' said Mike Musheinesh, owner of Detroit Axle.
