As Europe sweats Trump, U.S. lawmakers seek trade show diplomacy in Paris
At a moment of potential transatlantic fracture, some U.S. lawmakers are headed to France with a message: Washington still values its ties to Europe.
The big picture: Tariffs, disagreements over Ukraine aid, questions of U.S. commitment to NATO and an American refusal at the U.N. to condemn Russian belligerence have all strained longstanding relationships.
Driving the news: Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) will lead a trip to the Paris Air Show, among the highest profile aerospace-and-defense gatherings in the world.
Ahead of the visit, Shaheen told Axios she expects to encounter "some particular challenges, because of the president's trade war."
There could be more rifts between the U.S. and its allies still to come. The Financial Times reported Wednesday that the Pentagon is reviewing its AUKUS defense pact with the U.K. and Australia — the key element of which is a major nuclear submarine deal — to ensure it aligns with an "America first" agenda.
Zoom in: Other attendees include Democratic Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Gary Peters of Michigan and Republican Sens. Deb Fischer of Nebraska and Roger Wicker of Mississippi.
By the numbers: Some 48 countries will be represented at the Paris Air Show, including Australia, Canada, Israel, Taiwan and Ukraine.
Context: President Trump's reelection and rhetoric — smearing Kyiv and blasting the European Union as " nastier than China," for example — have forced a recalculation in Europe.
"The message that we're trying to convey is we understand how important … our allies in Europe are to the United States, to our own national security here, to our economic well-being," Shaheen said.
"Congress is a different branch of our government."
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Chicago Tribune
22 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Israeli strikes on Iran lead to new test of President Donald Trump's ability to deliver on ‘America first' agenda
WASHINGTON — Just hours before Israel launched strikes on Iran early Friday, President Donald Trump was still holding onto tattered threads of hope that a long-simmering dispute over Tehran's nuclear program could be resolved without military action. But with the Israeli military operation called 'Rising Lion' now underway — something Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says will go on for 'as many days as it takes' — Trump will be tested anew on his ability to make good on a campaign promise to disentangle the U.S. from foreign conflicts. Israel attacks Iran's nuclear and missile sites, prompting Iranian drone-strike retaliation'I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal,' Trump said in a Friday morning social media post. 'I told them, in the strongest of words, to 'just do it,' but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn't get it done.' The administration's first reaction to the Israeli assault came not from Trump, but from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is doubling as Trump's national security adviser. He sought to make clear that the U.S. was 'not involved' and that the Republican administration's central concern was protecting U.S. forces in the region. 'Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense,' Rubio said in a statement. 'President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners. Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel.' As Israel stepped up planning for strikes in recent weeks, however, Iran, had signaled that the United States would be held responsible in the event of an Israeli attack. The warning was issued by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi even as he engaged in talks with Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program. On Thursday, just hours before the strikes, Trump made the case that there was still time for diplomacy — but it was running out. The White House had even planned to dispatch Witkoff to Oman on Sunday for the next round of talks with Araghchi. It wasn't immediately clear how the strikes would affect plans for those discussions. But Trump on Friday urged Iran to make a nuclear deal 'before there is nothing left and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire.' 'No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE,' Trump added. Trump is set to meet with his National Security Council in the Situation Room on Friday to discuss the tricky path ahead. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., offered rare words of Democratic praise for the Trump administration after the attack 'for prioritizing diplomacy' and 'refraining from participating' in the military strikes. But he also expressed deep concern about what the Israeli strikes could mean for U.S. personnel in the region. Iranian officials made clear that they intended to retaliate with decisive action after the Israeli strikes targeted Iran's main enrichment facility in Natanz and the country's ballistic missile program, as well as top nuclear scientists and officials. 'I cannot understand why Israel would launch a preemptive strike at this juncture, knowing high level diplomatic discussions between the United States and Iran are scheduled for this weekend,' Kaine said. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said the U.S. Senate 'stands ready to work with President Trump and with our allies in Israel to restore peace in the region and, first and foremost, to defend the American people from Iranian aggression, especially our troops and civilians serving overseas.' Trump in the hours before the attack still appeared hopeful that there would be more time for diplomacy. The president, in an exchange with reporters, again urged Iran to negotiate a deal. He warned that a 'massive conflict' could occur in the Middle East without it. He later took to social media to emphasize that his 'entire Administration has been directed to negotiate with Iran.' As long as there was a chance for an agreement, Trump said of Israel, 'I don't want them going in because I think it would blow it.' But it was clear to the administration that Israel was edging toward taking military action against Iran. The State Department on Wednesday directed a voluntary evacuation of nonessential personnel and their families from some U.S. diplomatic outposts in the Middle East. 'I don't want to be the one that didn't give any warning, and missiles are flying into their buildings. It's possible. So I had to do it,' Trump explained. Before Israel launched the strikes, some of Trump's strongest supporters were raising concerns about what another expansive conflict in the Mideast could mean for the Republican president who ran on a promise to quickly end the brutal wars in Gaza and Ukraine. Trump has struggled to find an endgame to either of those conflicts and to make good on two of his biggest foreign policy campaign promises. And after criticizing President Joe Biden during last year's campaign for preventing Israel from carrying out strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, Trump found himself making the case to the Israelis to give diplomacy a chance. The push by the Trump administration to persuade Tehran to give up its nuclear program came after the U.S. and other world powers in 2015 reached a long-term, comprehensive nuclear agreement that limited Tehran's enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. But Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from the Obama-administration brokered agreement in 2018, calling it the 'worst deal ever.' The way forward is even more clouded now. 'No issue currently divides the right as much as foreign policy,' Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA and an ally of the Trump White House, posted on X Thursday. 'I'm very concerned based on (everything) I've seen in the grassroots the last few months that this will cause a massive schism in MAGA and potentially disrupt our momentum and our insanely successful Presidency.' Jack Posobiec, another prominent Trump supporter, warned a 'direct strike on Iran right now would disastrously split the Trump coalition.' 'Trump smartly ran against starting new wars, this is what the swing states voted for — the midterms are not far and Congress' majority is already razor-thin,' Posobiec added in a posting on X. Rosemary Kelanic, director of the Middle East program at Defense Priorities, said the job ahead for Trump and his team is to protect U.S. forces who are highly vulnerable to Iranian retaliation. 'Israel's strike on Iran must not become the United States' war,' Kelanic said. 'The U.S. public overwhelmingly opposes another military engagement in the Middle East for good reason — an open-ended military campaign in Iran would risk repeating the catastrophic mistakes of the 2003 war in Iraq, which inadvertently strengthened Tehran's influence there.'
San Francisco Chronicle
25 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
For Trump, the military is just another extra in his reality show presidency
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Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass, he called in 4,000 California National Guard troops and 700 U.S. Marines. There will be more cities, too, so watch for troops on Union Square. That'll help San Francisco tourism. Trump's obsession with the military-as-extras-in-a-reality-show approach is not only lousy politics, it's antithetical to the American nonpartisan approach to its military. According to historian Michael Beschloss, the late president and former Gen. Dwight Eisenhower felt that a military parade like one would see in totalitarian countries '(imitating) what the Soviets are doing in Red Square would make us look weak.' Yet another reason to like Ike, a sensible Republican president who knew the power of military imagery. Trump's sham-handed response to the Los Angeles protests against immigration raids has sent America reeling. 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No, we can't. Now there is no Milley or Esper at the table. Just Pete's tats. Sen. Alex Padilla was forcibly shown the door on Thursday during a press conference featuring cosplaying Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose previous experience was being governor of a state with a population slightly more than San Francisco. Padilla was handcuffed and hustled out of the news conference after saying to Noem, 'You insist on exaggerating.' Padilla may find himself the latest star of the L.A. ICE Raids News Cycle, after Gov. Gavin Newsom had his 15 minutes of fame on Tuesday. At this point, it's not at all difficult to imagine Trump wearing a gold-epaulette uniform, resplendent with medals more appropriate for the Chilean Pinochet regime than the American presidency. Why not throw his Ceaușescu -aspirational sons into uniforms as well? After all, they haven't managed to channel their patriotic juices into actually going in the military, either. That's for the little people. 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Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
3 Ways Trump's Tariffs Affect Prices Even After Rollbacks
President Donald Trump recently reduced tariffs on 'de minimis' packages, shipments worth less than $800 from China, from 120% to 54%, giving American shoppers a little relief. Despite these rollbacks, consumers shouldn't expect immediate relief at the checkout counter. Read More: Find Out: According to experts, here are the different ways Trump's tariffs will affect product prices even after rollbacks. One of the reasons prices may remain high even after rollbacks lies in retailers' existing inventory. The products sitting on store shelves were likely imported under older, higher rates. That means retailers are still passing this cost to consumers. 'Trump rolling back tariffs at this time doesn't guarantee that things would no longer be expensive for millions of Americans,' said Aaron Razon, personal finance expert at Couponsnake. 'Retailers would continue to pass on the tariff cost from their previous inventory down to consumers in order to stay profitable, and this will keep prices up for consumers.' Retail companies, including Walmart, Best Buy, Adidas, and Stanley Black & Decker, among others, have issued warnings of raising prices due to Trump tariffs, according to a CNN report. The impact on pricing adjustments extends beyond retailers' existing inventory until negotiations with China reach a conclusive agreement. Try This: Not all products will face the same tariff pressure. The complexity of manufacturing and global supply chains means certain products face persistent price pressures even after tariff reductions. 'The more complex a product is and the more it depends on components from different countries, the more it is subject to price increases due to tariffs,' said Julia Khandoshko, CEO of Mind Money. 'For example, microelectronics, which is assembled from many parts imported from all over the world, will be at the greatest risk of rising prices.' This complexity will likely be an ongoing challenge for manufacturers who rely on multiple imported parts from different countries, which could lead to delays in deliveries and higher costs for consumers. The 120% to 54% tariff drop might seem like a huge relief for shoppers, but in reality, it's still extremely high for millions of Americans. For this reason, consumers may not notice much relief at the checkout line. 'The truth is that a 54% tariff is still a significant burden,' added Razon. 'This exposes them to the danger of a false sense of security that the rollback on tariffs is a significant relief when, in reality, it's not. Consumers would continue to feel the strain of higher prices.' More From GOBankingRates 3 Luxury SUVs That Will Have Massive Price Drops in Summer 2025 6 Big Shakeups Coming to Social Security in 2025 10 Cars That Outlast the Average Vehicle This article originally appeared on 3 Ways Trump's Tariffs Affect Prices Even After Rollbacks
