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American Military News
a day ago
- Politics
- American Military News
Video: Trump touts $36 million CBS settlement over deceptive Harris interview
President Donald Trump confirmed on Tuesday that CBS News and Paramount Global paid $16 million to settle the 'historic lawsuit' the president filed against them for interfering in the 2024 presidential election. Trump also revealed that he is expected to receive an additional $20 million in advertising and programming. In a Tuesday statement on Truth Social, Trump wrote,'BREAKING NEWS! We have just achieved a BIG AND IMPORTANT WIN in our Historic Lawsuit against 60 Minutes, CBS, and Paramount. Just like ABC and George Slopadopoulos, CBS and its Corporate Owners knew that they defrauded the American People, and were desperate to settle.' Trump explained that Paramount and CBS paid a $16 million settlement on Tuesday and claimed that he anticipates another $20 million in advertising and programming from the 'new owners' of Paramount following the company's merger with Skydance Media. The 47th president described the settlement with CBS and Paramount as another victory in a 'long line of VICTORIES over the Fake News Media, who we are holding to account for their widespread fraud and deceit.' READ MORE: Video: CBS, Paramount forced to pay Trump $16 million in major settlement Trump warned that The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, MSNBC, The Washington Post, and 'all other Mainstream Media Liars' have been put on notice that 'the days of them being allowed to deceive the American People are OVER.' The settlement with Paramount and CBS comes after Trump filed a $20 billion lawsuit against CBS News and accused the company of interfering in the 2024 presidential election by deceitfully editing an interview of former Vice President Kamala Harris on '60 Minutes.' In a video promotion on CBS News' 'Face the Nation,' Harris gave a lengthy 'word salad' answer regarding a question about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's perceived hesitance to follow the advice of the Biden-Harris administration amid the war between Israel and Hamas; however, when CBS released the full interview ahead of the 2024 election, Harris gave a completely different answer. In the video clip used to promote the CBS interview, Harris can be heard saying, 'Well, Bill, the work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by or a result of many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region.' Meanwhile, in the edited version of the interview, Harris can be heard saying, 'We are not gonna stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end.' 60 Minutes removed Kamala's word salad in the latest version. 1984 is here. — End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) October 8, 2024
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gabbard reignites political battles with 2016 election documents on Russia
The release of more than 100 pages of declassified files and a memorandum by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has reignited political battles over Russia's actions during the 2016 presidential election, a topic that has long incensed President Trump and put the actions of the U.S. intelligence community in partisan crosshairs. Gabbard's office on Friday alleged in the memorandum, which accompanied the files, that they contained what she called evidence of "suppression" and manipulation of the intelligence underlying a 2017 community-wide assessment of Russia's efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. The files include email exchanges, excerpts from a President's Daily Brief and a readout from a principals committee meeting, chiefly from a period during the Obama administration. In a statement and social media posts, Gabbard claimed the materials, which were marked declassified on July 17, 2025, were evidence of a "treasonous conspiracy" and "years-long coup" plotted by Obama administration officials against Mr. Trump, and said she would forward them to the Department of Justice as part of a criminal referral. She also said in subsequent media appearances that more declassifications about the matter would be made. Democrats fiercely disputed her claims, pointing to the findings of a bipartisan Senate investigation that concluded Russia had attempted to influence the 2016 election. They accused Gabbard herself of misrepresenting intelligence findings and processes. "What you saw from the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, was not just a lie, but a very dangerous lie, because when you start throwing around language like sedition and treason, somebody is going to get hurt," said Congressman Jim Himes, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" Sunday. "[T]he intelligence community is full of very good people who do their jobs every single day, and now they're watching their leader do something that each and every one of them knows is dishonest," Himes said. "This is just another example of the DNI trying to cook the books, rewrite history, and erode trust in the intelligence agencies she's supposed to be leading," Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner of Virginia said in a statement. The memorandum released by Gabbard appears to conflate different kinds of Russian operations during the 2016 election cycle while alleging Obama administration officials fabricated a narrative designed to undermine Mr. Trump. It points several times to select phrases in the documents that say Russia lacked the intent or the capability to use cyber operations to target U.S. election infrastructure, change vote tallies, and overturn the election — which previous investigations agreed did not happen. But while no evidence emerged to indicate Russia engaged in a vote-switching cyberattack, there was evidence that showed a multi-pronged Kremlin influence campaign that attempted to sway American voters. That influence campaign included hack-and-leak operations and social media posts designed to undermine the candidacy of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and bolster then-candidate Trump's, according to the intelligence community's assessment. In the years after the 2016 presidential election, multiple reviews of the intelligence community's findings — including the Senate report and an investigation led by special counsel John Durham, who was appointed by Mr. Trump — reinforced its conclusions. A CIA review of the tradecraft involved in the agency's assessment released earlier this month found some of its judgments may have been rushed and the confidence levels attached to one of them may have been too high, but it did not change the conclusion that Russia's efforts were designed to benefit Mr. Trump's candidacy. Gabbard's statements on Friday were praised and recirculated multiple times by the president, senior White House officials and Republican lawmakers. Senate Intelligence Committee chairman Tom Cotton wrote in a social media post, "It will take decades for the Intelligence Community to recover from the damage done during the Obama and Biden presidencies." Senior White House official Stephen Miller wrote that Gabbard had "exposed the startling depths of a seditious coup against the Republic." The memorandum also criticizes leaks from what it terms "IC officials" or "Deep State officials in the IC" — with "IC" referring to the intelligence community — to media outlets at the time the assessments were being drafted that said Russia had intervened in the election in an effort to help President Trump. The memo does not, however, identify these individuals or provide other evidence about the origin of those disclosures. It also highlights instances in which certain agencies disputed or pushed to change language included in evolving intelligence assessments of Russia's cyber activity. For instance, it cites an FBI official who suggested in an exchange in September of 2016 that language about Russia's intent to use cyber attacks to disrupt the 2016 election be "softened." "[W]e would prefer for the first sentence regarding Russia's intent to be softened," the official wrote. "The way it currently reads, it would indicate that we have definitive information that Russia does intend to disrupt our elections and we are uncomfortable making that assessment at this point." Dissents from different agencies are common and conclusions can change as more intelligence is collected or analysis is done, according to current and former officials familiar with the drafting process for intelligence assessments. It is not clear from the redacted selection of emails released by Gabbard how the language flagged by the FBI was finalized. Warner has expressed concerns about the effect of Gabbard's recent actions on intelligence sharing by partners of the United States, noting that representatives of the intelligence-sharing alliance known as the Five Eyes — which includes the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada — had approached him for answers. "I have had Five Eye partners say, 'Warner, what the hell is going on?'" Warner said during a panel discussion at last week's Aspen Security forum, hours before the 2016 files were released. "I do believe our Five Eyes partners and others are not sharing as much information as they would." What shocked "Matlock" star Kathy Bates? A new you: The science of redesigning your personality "Somebody Somewhere" star Bridget Everett
The Hill
2 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
3 major fights on the right to watch in Trump's next 6 months
The Movement is a weekly newsletter tracking the influence and debates steering politics on the right. Sign up here or in the box below. Disputes on the right that had been simmering on the backburner as Republicans rallied around President Trump during his first six months in office are poised to roar to a boil in the second half of the year. Now that Republicans have pushed through the 'One Big, Beautiful Bill' of Trump's tax cut and spending priorities, there is more space to hash out other intra-party debates. Trump's approval ratings seem to be reaching a summer slump, creating an opening for criticism. And the fissure over Jeffrey Epstein disclosures has exposed a slip in Trump's grip on the GOP. Here's what I'm watching: 1. Tariff hikes versus free trade instincts Republicans are bracing for Trump's threatened tariff hikes on most countries — which he had paused for several months — ahead of another critical deadline on August 1. Many Republicans have sat back and given Trump, who they regularly laud as a master negotiator, room to strike deals with trading partners. But Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on CBS News's 'Face the Nation' over the weekend that the Aug. 1 deadline is firm. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) recently told The Hill that the global and American economies are in a 'fragile spot right now' given the uncertainty over tariffs. 'We're in uncharted territory. I do not know the impact the tariffs are going to have on the American economy or the global economy. I don't, and nobody else does either,' Kennedy said. Republicans have already started to voice some concerns about the looming tariffs amid a lack of international deals. For instance, two dozen Republicans led by Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kansas) sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer last month asking the U.S. to maintain its zero tariff policy on civil aircraft, as Politico reported. If the tariffs get more real with little in terms of deals, quiet concerns are likely to grow much louder. 2. Posture toward Russia and Ukraine The president's patience with Vladimir Putin is wearing visibly thin as the Russian president resists any deal that would bring an end to his country's invasion of Ukraine — resulting in Trump growing more open to taking a tougher stance toward Russia. Trump warned on July 14 that if Russia did not agree to a deal within 50 days, he would pursue 'very severe tariffs' on Russia — and Republicans in support of a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill have said that a vote on the matter will come as soon as Trump gives the green light. But there is a notable contingent of Republicans who are still skeptical of being involved at all in the Russia-Ukraine clash. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) criticized Trump's plan to speed up weapons deliveries to NATO countries that would then send those arms to Ukraine in a New York Times interview last week. 'I said it on every rally stage: 'No more money to Ukraine. We want peace,'' Greene said. And seventy-six House Republicans voted in favor of an amendment from Greene last week to bar funds in their annual defense appropriations bill from being used for assistance to Ukraine. Even though the amendment failed and less than a majority of the House GOP supported it, it's still a sizable chunk that could complicate any Trump efforts to support Kyiv. 3. Government funding clashes It took some major pushes from Trump to get congressional Republicans all on board with his 'One Big Beautiful Bill' due in part to concerns from deficit hawks — and those disputes and dynamics are only going to get more complicated as Congress starts to address regular government funding ahead of the Sept. 30 funding deadline. Shutdown fears are already growing, my colleague Alex Bolton reports, since Republicans will need cooperation from Democrats in the Senate to keep the government — which is still operating at levels first approved under former President Biden — open. It typically takes a more moderate deal on appropriations to clear the Senate's 60-vote threshold. And this time, Democrats furious about the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' and package that clawed back funds already allocated to public broadcasting and foreign aid are eyeing taking a more aggressive stance. Further complicating that is government funding furor from deficit hawks on the GOP side who were disappointed by the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' not doing more to cut spending. But with little work done on regular government funding bills ahead of the August recess, a stopgap measure is looking more and more likely — a proposal that will infuriate deficit hawks. Welcome to The Movement, a weekly newsletter looking at the influences and debates on the right in Washington. I'm Emily Brooks, House leadership reporter at The Hill. Tell me what's on your radar: ebrooks@ Follow me on X: @emilybrooksnews. Not already on the list? Subscribe here THE LEGACY OF ED FEULNER Heritage Foundation founder Edward Feulner died this weekend at 83 years old — leaving behind a legacy of shaping influential institutions in the conservative movement as much as anyone from the Reagan era to the Trump era. It wasn't just Heritage that had Feulner's fingerprints. He played a role in founding and was executive director of the Republican Study Committee, the largest conservative caucus in the House. He was involved in a number of other organizations that still thrive and shape conservative politics and policy today. Former Vice President Mike Pence wrote in the Wall Street Journal that Feulner encouraged him to lead the Indiana Policy Review Foundation, as part of an effort to support state-based conservative think tanks that would eventually turn into the State Policy Network. Current Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts and Board of Trustees Chairman Barb Van Andel-Gaby talked about Feulner's movement-building approach in a statement: 'Whether he was bringing together the various corners of the conservative movement at meetings of the Philadelphia Society, or launching what is now the Heritage Strategy Forum, Ed championed a bold, 'big-tent conservatism.' He believed in addition, not subtraction. Unity, not uniformity.' Without a doubt, Feulner was a giant of the conservative movement — and one of its most important builders. 'The young Republicans in Washington may not know it, but they are spending down the intellectual capital stockpiled by Ed Feulner and his generation,' the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board wrote. WAVE OF FILE DROPS — BUT NOT THOSE ONES Could it be that the conservative clamor to release more disclosures on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is dying down after releases from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on other, unrelated sagas that have defined the MAGA hunger for retribution? Gabbard's ODNI on Friday published a press release saying there was 'overwhelming evidence' that former President Obama and his officials 'manufactured and politicized intelligence' to launch a 'years-long coup against President Trump' in relation to Trump's suspected ties to Russia. (More in NPR.) That coincided with a narrative shift from the types of MAGA influencers who had centered on anger over lack of Epstein disclosures for weeks. Now, they're calling to arrest Obama administration officials — and even the former president himself. But that wasn't all. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Monday released more information on the investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).Grassley subsequently released the 'Clinton Annex' appendix to the Justice Department inspector general report on the Clinton investigation. 'I appreciate their ongoing commitment to transparency and strongly urge them to continue to fully review this matter, including its national security impact,' Grassley said in a statement. And for good measure, in a coordinated effort across agencies, the Trump administration released a tranche of files on the civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. — despite objections from his family. Is it enough to calm the right-wing outrage about lack of transparency in the Epstein matter? Stay tuned — and maybe look to the House floor for any residual Epstein drama. While Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has said he has no plans to bring a vote a on a non-binding resolution in support of the Epstein files release before August recess, House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris (R-Md.) told my colleague Mychael Schnell of an Epstein vote: 'It's still a long way to go until recess… I think one's gonna happen before August recess.' ON MY CALENDAR Wednesday, July 23: CPAC's Center for Combating Human Trafficking hosts an International Summit Against Human Trafficking on Capitol Hill in Cannon House Office Building, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Attorney General Pam Bondi is a confirmed speaker. Wednesday, July 23: FDA Commissioner Marty Makary speaks for a lecture hosted by The Fund For American Studies and the office of Sen. Rand Paul, 12:30 p.m., Hart Senate Office Building. Thursday, July 24: Libertarianism vs. Conservatism intern debate, a tradition with interns from the Cato Institute and Heritage Foundation. 5:30 p.m., in person and live streamed. Monday, July 28: Unleash Prosperity hosts a conversation with Stephen Moore and Virginia Gov. Glenn Younkin (R) for an event launching a 'Vote with your feet' website tracking movement of people and money across the states. 5-7 p.m. at the Capitol Hill Club. THREE MORE THINGS Ruthless, the GOP operative podcast hosted by Josh Holmes, Michael Duncan, John Ashbrook and the man most known by his internet personality ' Comfortably Smug,' struck a business and editorial licensing deal with Fox News, Axios reported. Did you know that Lara Trump, co-chair of the Republican National Committee and daughter-in-law of the president, has a musical streak? She released a new song today, The Telegraph's Rob Crilly scooped, called Eyes of God. Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) opened our conversion at the Hill Nation last week summit with a zinger. I asked how post-congressional life was treating him. McCarthy said, 'Fabulous. We don't have Matt Gaetz anymore.' The former congressman and McCarthy antagonist responded on X: 'This is so sad, Kevin. Get help. Move on. You don't have to always be thinking about me.' WHAT I'M READING
The Hill
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
ICE chief will continue to permit mask use by agents
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) acting Director Todd Lyons said agents can continue to use masks in the field, even as the agency has increasingly come under fire for moves that limit identification of its personnel. In an interview on CBS's 'Face the Nation' on Sunday, Lyons defended the practice despite some misgivings, citing rising threats against ICE agents. 'I've said it publicly before, I'm not a proponent of the masks. However, if that's a tool that the men and women of ICE to keep themselves and their family safe, then I will allow it,' he said. Lyons said some ICE agents have been 'severely doxxed,' while there has also been a sharp uptick in assaults on officers. ICE has faced significant criticism for wearing masks, as well as carrying out more operations with plainclothes officers. In Los Angeles, where ICE raids sparked widespread protests, Mayor Karen Bass (D) has condemned the practice, saying 'for the average citizen, it looks like it's a violent kidnapping.' Masked, plainclothes officers have also been conducting arrests at immigration courthouses. ICE attorneys will move to dismiss a case, a practice that most migrants interpret as the agency dropping efforts to deport them but opens the agency to then arrest them and place them in expedited removal proceedings that largely receive no court review. Lyons disputed that agents are not identifiable, saying they should be wearing clothing with some kind of ICE insignia. But he also said he wants more backing from critical lawmakers as ICE agents have faced doxxing. 'I would push back on the notion that we aren't identifying themselves. Now, what I would advocate for, and I've said this many times, is I know a lot of elected officials have put forward legislation or proposed legislation about banning of the masks, things like that. I would also want, you know, elected officials to help us hold those people accountable that do doxx or threaten an ICE officer or agent or their family,' Lyons said. 'If we had that kind of support and had those laws or regulations in place, that we can hold those folks accountable to give ICE agents and officers and other law enforcement officers the peace of mind that someone that does threaten their life or their families or doxxes them will be held accountable. I think that'd go a long way.' Reps. Dan Goldman and Adriano Espaillat, both New York Democrats, have introduced legislation that would ban ICE agents from using masks. 'If you uphold the peace of a democratic society, you should not be anonymous. DHS and ICE agents wearing masks and hiding identification echoes the tactics of secret police authoritarian regimes – and deviates from the practices of local law enforcement, which contributes to confusion in communities,' Espaillat said in a statement at the time. 'Many immigrants come to America seeking opportunities, hope, and freedom to escape Draconian practices, and under no circumstance should they, or anyone, fear being disappeared by masked and armed individuals in unmarked vehicles. If you are upholding the law, you should not be anonymous, and our bill aims to safeguard from tyranny while upholding the values of our nation.' Lyons also confirmed that ICE has been given access to Medicaid databases, a set that includes information like addresses of the limited number of non-U.S. citizens eligible for the program in some states. 'Under the last administration, we have so many known got-aways, or individuals that came into the United States and just totally disappeared off the grid. What ICE is doing is working with all of our other federal partners to try to gain intelligence, to locate these individuals that have been ordered deported by a judge or have been released from a sanctuary jurisdiction like we talked about,' he said. 'That is what ICE is using that data for, whether it be data from the Department of Labor, data from health and service- Health and Human Services, Medicaid, we are using that data to try to locate, again, the worst of the worst, those people that have been lawfully deported. So I think that's what you're going to see that data used for.'
Politico
3 days ago
- Business
- Politico
Trump's trade deals leave industry in ‘paralysis'
Presented by Autos Drive America With help from Doug Palmer and Grace Yarrow QUICK FIX — As President Donald Trump rushes to finalize new trade deals before the end of the month, American companies operating abroad are still waiting for clarity on existing agreements. — A top South African official tells Morning Trade the country will not accept a trade deal with the United States that eliminates all tariffs on American goods. — Republican lawmakers from farm states are beginning to lose patience with Trump's tariff strategy as harvest season approaches. It's Monday, July 21. Welcome to Morning Trade! Got news tips? Suggestions? Want to grab a coffee? Hit us up at: ahawkins@ ddesrochers@ and dpalmer@ Follow us on X: @_AriHawkins, @drdesrochers and @tradereporter. Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. Driving the day WHERE ARE THE PAPERS? Trump is under growing pressure from the business community to clarify the terms of his new trade agreements, amid warnings that the uncertainty is rattling investor confidence and leaving millions of dollars' worth of goods stuck in limbo. Sean Stein, the president of the U.S.-China Business Council, which represents more than 270 American companies that do business in China, said the confusion created for industry is clashing with Trump's goal of courting foreign investment. 'So far, these deals are not creating an environment that's going to lead to more investment in the U.S.,' Stein told Morning Trade in an interview, saying Trump's approach to trade and tariffs have introduced risk into the investment environment, leaving companies in 'paralysis.' One step back: Despite pledging '90 deals in 90 days' back in April, the U.S. has announced 'deals' with just four countries — including the United Kingdom, China and Vietnam — more than 180 days into the president's second term. The recent deals have not been accompanied with the release of completed texts, and diplomats say talks over the toughest terms are still dragging on. Trump most recently announced a new agreement with Indonesia on Truth Social, later telling reporters its new tariff rate would be at 19 percent but providing no further details. Trump is eyeing an Aug. 1 deadline for new tariffs on countries that fail to strike a deal with the U.S., which Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick called a 'hard deadline' on Sunday in an interview with CBS News' 'Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.' The administration also set an Aug. 12 target to reinstate sky-high tariffs on China unless the countries can reach a new arrangement, threatening yet another round of disruption for industries scrambling to keep up with shifting duty rates. It's complicated: Stein pointed to the lack of clarity about the terms of the deal with Vietnam as an example of the stress companies are under: Trump claimed he would slash tariffs on the country to 20 percent, or a 40 percent tariff if a product originated in a different country, but the administration has yet to clarify terms of the deal related to transhipment — leaving some companies with completed orders in limbo. The government of Vietnam has also not officially confirmed the terms of the deal, which people familiar with the discussions told POLITICO were altered at the eleventh hour. 'A day does not go by that I don't have two or three companies asking me, 'What does it mean?'' Stein said, referring to provisions of the Vietnam deal. ''What are they talking about?' Nobody knows. When you talk to people in the administration, they can't give you a clear answer about what they mean, either.' A right-leaning lobbyist from a major industry group, who frequently meets with administration officials and some of the country's largest multinational companies, said corporate leaders in all four countries have not yet received clear guidance — resulting in millions of dollars' worth of goods stranded at ports as businesses await clarity. 'The administration is not being transparent. They are not being open. There are just so many questions,' said the corporate lobbyist, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly. 'The president sees being non-transparent, being unpredictable as a real strength. He wants to keep everybody off balance. But for an administration that says, well, 'we're all about business,' it's been generally totally unresponsive and totally non-transparent.' Let's Make a Deal WHERE A ZERO-TARIFF DEAL WON'T FLY: There is no chance that South Africa would accept a trade deal with the United States that eliminates all tariffs on American goods, like the Trump administration says Vietnam and Indonesia have agreed to do, a top official at the Congress of South African Trade Unions told Morning Trade. If that's the best the United States can offer, South Africa will just live with the 30 percent tariff that Trump has threatened to impose effective Aug. 1 and try to develop new markets elsewhere, said Matthew Parks, parliamentary coordinator for the trade union group, after the annual USTR hearing on country eligibility for duty-free treatment under the African Growth and Opportunity Act on Friday. 'There's no South African company who could compete with a 30 percent tariff,' meaning 'thousands' of South African workers could lose their jobs, Parks said. Trump's earlier decision to impose a 25 percent tariff on autos and auto parts has already caused South Africa's auto exports to the United States to plummet 85 percent in recent months, he added. AGOA time running out: Friday's AGOA hearing was premised on the idea that the program will continue to exist, despite its pending expiration on Sept. 30. However, with that date less than three months away, there appears to be no chance of Congress passing a full 10- or 15-year renewal, as program supporters would like. Parks, who said he spent several days meeting with lawmakers last week, expressed hope Congress could at least approve a one- or two-year renewal before the program expires. That would provide a bridge past the 2026 congressional elections, when it might be easier to do more comprehensive reform, he said. However, spokespeople for Senate Finance and House Ways and Means did not provide any information Friday on that possibility. REGULATORY REVIEW WILL 'WAIT AND SEE' LAST? Farmers' patience with Trump could be waning as they scramble to understand and brace for a looming trade war ahead of harvest season, according to interviews conducted by POLITICO agriculture reporter Samuel Benson. Senate Ag Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) said farmers have had a 'wait and see' attitude towards the tariffs, trusting the Trump administration's work to get new trade deals done to open new markets. But he said farmers are 'anxious' in light of Trump's slew of new tariff threats. 'Our farmers are in trouble,' Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) said last week. 'They're in bad trouble. I don't know whether there's anything we can do to save them, unless these tariffs work, and I hope we can. We're going to do everything we possibly can.' Background needed: Trump's farm state allies on Capitol Hill have stood by his ultimate goal of securing new markets for farmers — but it's not clear how long their patience will last. The push comes as a growing number of mostly House Republicans start to gently push back on Trump's targeting of critical sectors with tariffs. Is time running out? One agriculture industry lobbyist, granted anonymity to discuss concerns about the administration's tariff approach, said that Trump has about a month and a half to prove his trade plans are working before farmers start harvesting and selling their products. 'We're getting closer to harvest time,' the person said. 'We're getting to the point where those sales numbers are really going to matter, the prices are really going to matter.' TO THE LAND OF THE MAPLE LEAF: Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) is leading a bipartisan group of senators to Ottawa this week to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and other senior officials, according to an advisory. The delegation — which includes Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) — aims to reaffirm U.S.-Canada ties as Ottawa faces 35 percent tariffs, effective Aug 1. TRADE OVERNIGHT — Trump and Xi Jinping tipped to meet ahead of or during Apec summit in South Korea, writes the South China Morning Post. — Tariff anxiety grips defense elites at Aspen conference, POLITICO reports. — Former ambassador to China: Beijing hasn't 'outplayed' Trump on trade, POLITICO Pro reports. — Meta rebuffs Brussels over AI rules, per POLITICO Pro. — Taiwan-US tariff deal will only impact import of cars from US, Taiwan News reports. THAT'S ALL FOR MORNING TRADE! See you again soon! In the meantime, drop the team a line: dpalmer@ ddesrochers@ and ahawkins@ Follow us @POLITICOPro and @Morning_Trade.
