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Trump traps liberals in their own lies about his presidency

Trump traps liberals in their own lies about his presidency

None of that has happened, and I don't know whether to be disappointed or elated. But I must ask: What happened? And why have things gone so right when they were supposed to be so wrong?
Progressives were wrong about the Trump economy
Progressives have persistently forecast imminent economic doom since Trump was reelected in November.
In April, the Associated Press reported: "President Donald Trump has panicked global financial markets, raised the risk of a recession and broken the political and economic alliances that made much of the world stable for business after World War II."
That same month, Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, declared that "Donald Trump is ruining the economy on purpose." And The American Prospect, in an article headlined, "The Great Trump Crash?," predicted that tariffs would "mean an instant, near-total halt of trade between China and the U.S."
None of those dire predictions proved to be true. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq recently reached record highs. Employers added more jobs than expected last month. The inflation rate ticked higher in June, but remains far below the 40-year high that Americans suffered under during the Biden administration.
Opinion: Liberals call Trump a clown. But he's winning where it matters most.
Progressives' scary predictions about international affairs also have proven to be false. Trump was supposed to be the green light Putin needed to pummel Ukraine into submission. Trump's America first stance also was supposed to embolden China and splinter NATO.
In reality, Trump has been a peacemaker, pushing for meaningful ceasefires in conflicts from Gaza to Pakistan, Ukraine to Iran.
Trump's efforts in the Middle East alone are worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump set back Iran's development of nuclear weapons, then forged a ceasefire between Iran and Israel. Diplomatic efforts to broker a lasting peace in Gaza also continue.
Opinion: Trump deserves Nobel Peace Prize. He's achieved more than those who've won before.
If there is to be a World War III, it doesn't appear imminent. Once again, progressives' claims about Trump were nothing but fearmongering.
Democracy remains strong with Trump in the White House
Probably the biggest lie the left has told about Trump is that his election would be an "extinction-level threat" for democracy.
Six months into Trump's second term, I'm happy to report that democracy is still alive and well. Just look at recent headlines: New York Democrats exercised their right to vote for a socialist to run America's largest city. Millions of Americans marched in "No Kings" protests to criticize the president. Other protestors have taken to the streets to demonstrate against enforcement of our nation's immigration laws.
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Despite liberals' oft-repeated fears, the evidence overwhelmingly points to a healthy democracy, where Americans vote for the candidates of their choice and raise their voices to call out politicians and policies they don't like.
Trump isn't a king; he's a duly elected president chosen by a healthy plurality of voters. His election was democracy in action.
It's not just that progressives' worst fears turned out to be far from reality. The left tried to gaslight Americans into believing they'd regret voting for Trump.
The fearmongering on the left was wrong, then and now. And I won't let liberals forget it.
Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist with USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four kids. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and get it delivered to your inbox.
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Trump insists he turned down invitation to Epstein island
Trump insists he turned down invitation to Epstein island

Metro

time12 minutes ago

  • Metro

Trump insists he turned down invitation to Epstein island

President Donald Trump has insisted that he turned down 'the privilege' of visiting the late Jeffrey Epstein's infamous private island. Trump said he rejected an invitation to the Caribbean island Little Saint James, where many of Epstein's alleged sex crimes were committed. 'I never had the privilege of going to his island, and I did turn it down, but a lot of people in Palm Beach were invited to his island,' Trump told reporters on Monday. 'In one of my very good moments, I turned it down. 'I didn't want to go to his island.' Trump was asked about his administration's ongoing Epstein controversy during a bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in Turnberry, Scotland. The US president has previously denied ever going to Epstein's 75-acre paradise in the US Virgin Islands. The disgraced financier and convicted sex offender, assisted by his girlfriend and accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, allegedly sex trafficked young women and underage girls at the island. On Monday, Trump also said that Epstein 'stole' people who worked for him by hiring them away. 'I said, 'Don't ever do that again.' He did it again,' Trump said. 'And I threw him out of the place persona non grata. I threw him out, and that was it. I'm glad I did, if you want to know the truth. And by the way, I never went to the island.' He added that he wouldn't speak to Epstein for years 'because he did something that was inappropriate'. White House spokesman Steven Cheung last week stated that 'the fact is that The President kicked (Epstein) out of his (Mar-a-Lago) club for being a creep'. The Trump administration has continued to face backlash on its handling of the Epstein case after the Justice Department and FBI earlier this monthsaid there was no incriminating client list, despite previous promises to release the documents. More Trending Trump's name is in flight logs from Epstein's plane, ABC News reported. However, most of the flights recorded are from Palm Beach, Florida, to Teterboro, New Jersey. Epstein purchased Little St James, dubbed 'Pedophile Island', in 1998. Numerous politicians, celebrities and public figures stayed there overnight. Trump on Monday again did not rule out clemency for Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking. He said, as he did last week, that he is 'allowed to give her a pardon' but has not been asked about it, and 'right now it would be inappropriate to talk about it'. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Donald Trump bizarrely demands Beyonce is 'prosecuted' for supporting Kamala Harris MORE: 'Awkward' Keir Starmer tried to rekindle 'bromance' with Donald Trump during visit MORE: Multiple people injured in mass shooting at Reno resort

Trump is winning his trade war … but Americans will pay the price
Trump is winning his trade war … but Americans will pay the price

The Independent

time12 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Trump is winning his trade war … but Americans will pay the price

President Donald Trump nabbed a major win over the weekend when he announced a trade agreement with the European Union that would slash the rate of tariffs down to 15 percent. While not the fabled ' 90 deals in 90 days ' that his trade adviser Peter Navarro had pledged when Trump initially paused his 'reciprocal tariffs,' it was still a fairly big deal given that the European Union is the biggest trading partner of the United States. And last week, Trump announced the ' largest TRADE DEAL in history ' with Japan. And a few months ago, he announced a multibillion-dollar deal with the United Kingdom. All of these countries or blocs are massive trading partners. But it didn't lead to the euphoria on Wall Street that Trump likely wanted. As of the stock market's closing bell on Monday afternoon, the S&P 500 barely budged and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped slightly. It might be because Americans will continue to pay more for products than they did before the deal. But one economist had another thought about the 'biggest deal ever,' as Trump alternately put it, landing with a thud. 'I also think that the markets have taken TACO a bit too seriously,' Tara Hoops, director of economic analysis at the Chamber of Progress, told The Independent. Referencing the acronym for 'Trump Always Chickens Out' — where he has gained a reputation for talking a big game regarding imposing tariffs, or in demanding ceasefires in Ukraine and Gaza, and then backing down hours or days later — Hoops said, Wall Street is in a mode 'where no one is actually believing the frameworks that are coming out.' For all of Trump's talk about how the reciprocal tariffs might lead to a renaissance of American manufacturing, Hoops flagged a fatal flaw: American auto manufacturers will pay 50 percent tariffs on steel and an additional 25 percent on other automobile parts. 'Meanwhile, the same people could just go to the EU and pass on to the consumer,' Hoops said. ' So the only person who is winning here might be Trump, because it seems to him that he has a deal, but the consumers are the ones who have to pay more for these goods.' Trump has said that the United Kingdom will know ' pretty soon ' if it will face 50-percent tariffs, but that will likely be cold comfort. And the 50-percent tariffs on European aluminum and steel will remain. Stan Veuger, a senior fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, said that the European Commission started with far too much optimism about the contours of a trade deal with the United States, where they hoped there would be zero tariffs on either sides. 'I think that was really a complete misread of what the Trump administration was going to do on trade,' he told The Independent. 'It might not have been driven by naiveté but rather fear about whether the United States would uphold commitments in Ukraine and NATO. 'I think the combination of those two — just really a misread of Trump's attitudes on trade combined with those concerns about security relationships — made them not retaliate, not respond aggressively, make them not try to build an alliance with Canada and South Korea, other major American trading partners,' he added. Veuger noted that in recent months, even as Trump has paused his tariffs, the value of the dollar has gone down. 'But it's certainly not comprehensive, and also really doesn't resolve all of the trade issues that exist between the US and the EU, for example,' he said. Another unintended consequence may be that Americans might have to replace products they purchase from other countries with lower-quality products made in the United States. And Trump's rupture on tariffs means that other countries will not necessarily trust the word of an American president — because they can simply retract it the way Trump has. So far, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has said that this Friday is the drop-dead date for tariffs. But this week will also show some critical tests for whether Trump puts the foot on the gas for tariffs. On Wednesday, the quarterly GDP report will drop, which will show how much the U.S. economy grew. It will be a helpful barometer because it will simultaneously show how markets reacted to the 'Liberation Day' announcements as well as the pause. That same day, the Federal Reserve will meet and make its announcement on interest rates. Trump has not been happy with Fed Chairman Jerome Powell's decision not to cut rates and he likely will keep them the same this go around as the market absorbs the rates. Lastly, on Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will release its jobs report, which will again be another measurement of the health of the economy since Trump's announcement. If any of these indicators are weak, cause the stock market to nosedive or the cost of U.S. bonds to spike again, it might be time to fire up some tortillas and get ready for a fresh batch of TACO.

The two faces of JD: Once a Jeffrey Epstein truther, Veep Vance becomes Trump and Bondi's latest spin doctor
The two faces of JD: Once a Jeffrey Epstein truther, Veep Vance becomes Trump and Bondi's latest spin doctor

The Independent

time12 minutes ago

  • The Independent

The two faces of JD: Once a Jeffrey Epstein truther, Veep Vance becomes Trump and Bondi's latest spin doctor

Vice President J.D. Vance hit the campaign trail in Ohio on Monday, as he sought to help his boss and the GOP that is lined up behind him sell the 'big, beautiful' budget reconciliation package to midterm voters. Instead, the president's Twitter-happy running mate found himself answering questions about Jeffrey Epstein — and in a generally unfamiliar role: battling speculation on the right instead of fueling it. The vice president, who less than three weeks before the 2024 election declared that 'we' should release the 'Epstein list,' has a new message, as his colleagues now insist that the list isn't real: 'Donald J. Trump, I'm telling you, he's got nothing to hide.' Vance was in a Democratic-held district in Canton, Ohio — about three hours north of his hometown of Middletown — on Monday as the president and his party try and turn their focus towards next year's midterms. But they're the only ones whose attention has shifted — DC's focus remains firmly on Jeffrey Epstein and the growing uproar around the White House's handling of the so-called 'client list' or 'Epstein files.' And if Monday's road trip is any indicator, so has much of America's. After he concluded his remarks, the vice president hosted a press conference in front of his supporters, who watched up close as Vance evolved from conspiracy theorist to spin doctor in real time. 'The president has directed the attorney general to release all credible information and, frankly, to go and find additional credible information related to the Jeffrey Epstein case. He's been incredibly transparent about that stuff, but some of that stuff takes time,' said Vance, who went on to accuse the media of being uninterested in the story during the Biden administration. There are a few problems here. For one, that it isn't true. Vance's reference to Trump directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to 'release all credible information' is just a flat-out falsehood. The Justice Department stated explicitly — and continues to state — that it won't release further documents from its own trove at all. The FBI and DOJ's joint memo was pretty clear: 'we found no basis to revisit the disclosure of those materials'. What Bondi did authorize was a motion in court seeking for a judge to allow the release of grand jury transcripts to the public. Her agency made no attempts to justify the motion beyond satisfying public speculation, and it was denied — a foregone conclusion for a strategy that DOJ attorneys acknowledged in their own filings was a long shot. Republican leadership, meanwhile, is talking out of both sides of its mouth. Speaker Mike Johnson, remarking Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press, positioned himself as pro-transparency while simultaneously coming out against a bipartisan resolution to force the Justice Department to release the files, with redactions for victim information and examples of pornography. It's also unclear what Vance meant when he said that the administration's efforts to make this story go away would 'take time.' Bondi's motion is already denied; she's made no indication that her efforts to see grand jury transcripts released will continue. Those transcripts likely also hardly scratch the surface of 'all credible information' the government has on the subject of Epstein. The Justice Department explained in July that further files from the investigation would not be released. The agency also declared that a list of the convicted pedophile's alleged co-conspirators did not exist, and that investigators "did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties." So what is the administration actually still doing? Unclear. Vance wouldn't say. But he was clear on one thing: they're doing it! 'Donald J. Trump is asking his Department of Justice to show full transparency, and somehow that's a criticism of Donald J. Trump and not Barack Obama and George W. Bush,' Vance griped on Monday. Having now passed the mammoth reconciliation package, the Republican Party is mindful of one political reality: that even with Trump's success in bullying backbenchers into line, the GOP has used up the bulk of its political capital. The chances of passing another piece of legislation through the Senate are slim, given the number of Democrats the party would need on their side to break a filibuster. Even a second reconciliation package seems off the table given the level of deficit spending Republicans budget hawks just had to swallow the first time around. But the vice president and the rest of his party are in a tough spot. Aside from an extension of existing tax cuts, the main provision of the 'big, beautiful bill' was a massive surge in funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement — a tricky sell for the Republican Party given that polling on the issue of immigration is quickly turning against the president thanks to highly public raids on farms and other businesses. Funding that provision and the extension of the tax cuts is the largest cut to Medicaid spending in history, driven by new work requirements expected to lead many to lose their coverage. Those Medicaid cuts are Democrats' favorite topic when discussing the second-term Trump agenda. Vance, as a result, is stuck arguing the nuts and bolts, pushing the GOP line that Democrats opposed extending tax cuts during an affordability crisis. Attacking Rep. Emilia Sykes, whose district he visited, Vance said on Monday: 'You know why she's not here today? Because she's not celebrating no taxes on tips. She's not celebrating no taxes on overtime…she fought us every step of the way.' As he spoke, however, 'Epstein Island' was the No. 1 trending term on Twitter/X, thanks to Trump's awkward quip Monday morning that he never 'had the privilege' of visiting the island where many of Epstein's crimes involving underaged girls were alleged to have taken place. It's hard to say yet how much the Epstein issue will affect the midterms — if at all. But with Donald Trump personally making the situation worse by throwing things against the wall to see what sticks, it will likely be up to Vance and the president's other allies to help dig him out of this hole.

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