Steve Witkoff: Trump has an uncanny ability to 'bend people to his sensible way of thinking'
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Trump to expand push to whitewash ‘woke' museum exhibits on slavery
President Donald Trump reportedly plans to expand his push to whitewash 'woke' museum exhibits on slavery and American history beyond the Smithsonian. After Trump tweeted that the Smithsonian is too focused on 'how bad slavery was,' the White House said it would eventually seek to use its power over funding to force other museums to toe the line on Trump's views about history. Trump will hold the Smithsonian 'accountable' and 'then go from there,' an unnamed official told NBC News. Trump this week renewed the attack on the Smithsonian that he unleashed this month when he ordered a sweeping review of its exhibits, policies and staffing. He suggested the revered cultural institution, which is an independent organization but receives significant funding from the federal government, is too focused on the evils of slavery. 'The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our country is, how bad slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been,' Trump wrote on his social media site. 'Nothing about success, nothing about brightness, nothing about the future.' Trump compared the push against the Smithsonian to his effort to force colleges and universities to bow to his policy goals including ending diversity programs, cracking down on student protests and curbing foreign students. 'I have instructed my attorneys to go through the museums, and start the exact same process that has been done with colleges and universities where tremendous progress has been made,' Trump added. The White House ordered up a wide-ranging review of the Smithsonian museums and exhibitions ahead of the country's 250th birthday, with a goal of aligning the institution's content with Trump's more-rosy interpretation of American history. In a letter sent Tuesday to Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie Bunch III, the White House laid out in detail the steps it expects the organization to take as part of the announced review. The examination will look at all public-facing content, such as social media, exhibition text and educational materials, to 'assess tone, historical framing, and alignment with American ideals,' according to the letter. 'This initiative aims to ensure alignment with the President's directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions,' the letter said. The Smithsonian has said it's reviewing Trump's proposals and vowed to cooperate. It includes 21 museums, 14 education and research centers and a zoo and is considered the world's largest cultural organization of its kind.
Yahoo
3 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump expands 50% tariff on steel and aluminum to 400 additional product types
The Department of Commerce announced that President Donald Trump's 50% tariff on imported steel and aluminum products has been expanded to cover more than 400 additional categories. The expanded tariff list, published Friday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and entered into the Federal Register on Tuesday, took effect Monday. The new duties now apply to a wide range of goods, including auto parts, electric vehicle components, railcars, marine engines, construction equipment, wind turbines, cranes, chemicals, plastics, and household items such as refrigerators, freezers, dryers, and furniture components. 'Today's action expands the reach of the steel and aluminum tariffs and shuts down avenues for circumvention — supporting the continued revitalization of the American steel and aluminum industries,' Jeffrey Kessler, Commerce Department Secretary for Industry and Security, said in a news release. The move follows petitions from U.S. steelmakers, including Cleveland-Cliffs and Nucor, urging the administration to broaden import duties to cover more derivative products. Industry experts said the expansion marks a significant shift in how steel and aluminum imports are regulated. 'Auto parts, chemicals, plastics, furniture components — basically, if it's shiny, metallic, or remotely related to steel or aluminum, it's probably on the list,' Brian Baldwin, vice president of customs at Kuehne + Nagel International AG, wrote on LinkedIn. In 2024, the U.S. imported nearly $33 billion worth of steel and aluminum, according to SteelRadar. Canada remains the largest supplier, followed by Brazil and Mexico. The Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO) estimates the tariffs will affect 4.7% of Mexican exports to the U.S. 'Aluminum and steel are vital for the manufacture of products ranging from utensils to airplanes and railroad equipment,' IMCO researcher Isaac Cruz wrote earlier this year. 'U.S. manufacturers benefit from competitive prices that would be lost if tariffs were implemented; the same is true for American consumers and families.' Mexico has requested an exemption from the new tariffs. 'We're discussing the application of tariffs on steel products because they're stretching the boundaries and adding more things, and that could hurt us,' Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico's economy secretary, said on Saturday, according to Opportimes. 'But, at the end of the day, what do we want to achieve? A position (on tariffs) for Mexico that's better than any other country.' The post Trump expands 50% tariff on steel and aluminum to 400 additional product types appeared first on FreightWaves. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
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Trump calls on Federal Reserve official to resign after ally accuses her of mortgage fraud
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook to resign after a member of his administration accused Cook of committing mortgage fraud. Bill Pulte, director of the agency that oversees mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, urged the Justice Department to investigate Cook, who was appointed to the Fed's governing board by former president Joe Biden in 2022. She was reappointed the following year to a term that lasts until 2038. Pulte alleged that Cook has claimed two homes as her principal residences -- one in Georgia, the other in Michigan -- to fraudulently obtain better mortgage lending terms. The allegation represents another front in the Trump administration's attack on the Fed, which has yet to cut its key interest rate as Trump has demanded. If Cook were to step down, then the White House could nominate a replacement. And Trump has said he would only appoint people who would support lower rates. The Federal Reserve declined to comment on the accusation. Trump has for months demanded that the Federal Reserve reduce the short-term interest rate it controls, which currently stands at about 4.3%. Trump says that a lower rate would reduce the government's borrowing costs on $37 trillion in debt and boost the housing market by reducing mortgage rates. Yet mortgage borrowing costs do not always follow the Fed's rate decisions. The Trump administration has made similar claims of mortgage fraud against Democrats that Trump has attacked, including California Sen. Adam Schiff and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Christopher Rugaber, The Associated Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
