
'What's the point of reciprocity then?': GOP Sen Kennedy corners Lutnick over Trump's tariff policy
During a fiery moment at the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Republican Senator John Kennedy grilled Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over the logic of U.S. tariff policy. When Kennedy asked if the U.S. would drop its tariffs should Vietnam do the same, Lutnick flatly replied, 'Absolutely not. That'd be the silliest thing we could do.' Kennedy fired back, questioning the very basis of reciprocal trade policy: 'Then what's the point of reciprocity?' The tense exchange highlighted deep GOP scepticism over the Trump administration's trade stance and drew attention to widening divisions over tariff strategy and economic fairness in global markets.
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Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
Elon Musk backs JD Vance — and Trump's not happy: Michael Wolff says the President is paranoid
Elon Musk backs JD Vance — and Trump's not happy: Michael Wolff says the President is paranoid: The story of Elon Musk backing JD Vance has taken a serious turn — and President Donald Trump isn't pleased. According to veteran political author Michael Wolff, the President is growing paranoid, even suspicious, of his own Vice President. With Trump currently in the White House and Vance just one heartbeat away, this isn't just political gossip — it's a sign of real tension at the top. Why is Trump worried about Elon Musk supporting his own VP, JD Vance? In a report published by Raw Story, journalist Michael Wolff revealed that President Trump is becoming increasingly anxious about Elon Musk's influence — and the way it's shaping JD Vance's political identity. Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and X (formerly Twitter), has reportedly suggested that Vance would make a better president than Trump himself. In private, Musk has allegedly encouraged key donors and Silicon Valley insiders to look to Vance as a long-term successor. That idea, according to Wolff, has deeply unsettled Trump. Even though Vance is his running mate and now serves as Vice President of the United States, Trump is said to see him as 'too close to Musk' and a potential rival rather than a loyal partner. Is Trump's fear of being replaced by Vance real or just political paranoia? Wolff says the fear is real — and growing. 'He's always been paranoid, but this is different,' Wolff told Raw Story. 'Trump sees Musk's money, his power on social media, and the way he talks about Vance — and he's starting to think there's a plot.' Live Events Wolff claims Trump is even considering 'loyalty tests' for his vice president, privately questioning whether Vance is more committed to the MAGA movement or to Musk's vision of tech-backed nationalism. The timing matters here. We're deep into 2025, with Trump now in his second term, and Vance being groomed by many on the right as the future of the Republican Party. That kind of speculation — especially when amplified by Musk — is enough to trigger Trump's deep political insecurities. How has JD Vance responded to Trump's growing suspicion? Vice President JD Vance has publicly downplayed the rift, but his words reveal the pressure he's under. In a recent interview, Vance said, 'I'm the vice president to President Trump. My loyalties are always going to be with the president.' He also called Musk's recent comments a 'huge mistake' that stirred up unnecessary division. Vance has spent the past year carefully balancing his loyalty to Trump with his appeal to younger conservatives and Silicon Valley influencers. That balancing act has worked — until now. As Musk continues to throw subtle shade at Trump and hint at a post-Trump GOP, Vance is increasingly caught in the middle. Behind closed doors, some Republican insiders say Vance is being advised to 'stay in his lane' — not to appear too ambitious, not to align too closely with Musk, and definitely not to outshine the president. But that's easier said than done when Musk has nearly 200 million followers on X and regularly fuels speculation about Vance's future. What role did the Epstein post play in escalating the drama? Things really boiled over when Musk posted — and then deleted — a message on X hinting that Trump's name might be found in Jeffrey Epstein's court records. No evidence was provided, and Musk has since gone silent on the matter. But the damage was done. Wolff said this was the moment that sent Trump over the edge. 'That was a silver bullet. Even if there's nothing there, just the suggestion of it reactivates all of Trump's worst fears.' The deleted post was widely screenshotted and shared across social media, giving critics of Trump a new narrative — and giving Musk's feud with the president a deeply personal edge.


Economic Times
an hour ago
- Economic Times
2024 US Presidential election is under scrutiny as lawsuit claims discrepancies in Rockland County, New York
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Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
AstraZeneca, BioNTech, GSK, Sanofi, Moderna, Novavax, Pfizer share prices: Why are vaccine stocks down?
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads FAQs Shares of global vaccine makers were muted on Tuesday as investors and analysts took a "wait and watch" approach after U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired all members of an expert vaccine panel late on Monday. Shares of AstraZeneca and BioNTech were marginally up, while those of GSK and Sanofi declined 1 per cent and 0.2 per cent, respectively. U.S. vaccine maker Moderna fell slightly in premarket trading, while Novavax and Pfizer traded marginally higher, as per a said that while the unprecedented dismissals of all members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) represented a risk for vaccine manufacturers, investors would wait to see any impact on the companies, Reuters he was appointed as U.S. health secretary, Kennedy, a vaccine skeptic, has made several changes to reshape the regulation of vaccines, food and medicine. However, firing members of the ACIP remains his most far-reaching move analysts expressed concerns that the new committee members, who have not been named, might be more sympathetic to Kennedy's views on vaccines, an idea shared by scientific experts and the makeup of a reconstituted ACIP is to be determined, "new members will likely be sympathetic to at least some of RFK's beliefs regarding alleged dangers of vaccines", Leerink analyst Daina Graybosch said in a said that the move could negatively impact approved vaccine recommendations and increase the burden of evidence and costs for future vaccine decision came less than three weeks before the next panel meeting set for June 25 to June 27 and is slated to discuss recommendations for who should receive vaccines for diseases like respiratory syncytial is unclear when Kennedy will announce the new members, who the agency said are under consideration, or whether the agenda will follow the meeting description posted on the Federal Register on Monday.A1. Shares of AstraZeneca and BioNTech were marginally up, while those of GSK and Sanofi declined 1 per cent and 0.2 per cent, respectively. U.S. vaccine maker Moderna fell slightly in premarket trading, while Novavax and Pfizer traded marginally higher, as per a report.A2. US Health Secretary is Robert F. Kennedy Jr.