Appearing on Fox New with Maria Bartiromo, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett walks through the intent of the upcoming April 2nd ‘liberation day’ tariffs.
Hassett notes the auto tariffs are likely to generationally change the dynamic of car manufacturing in the USA. Additionally, the stock market disruption is entirely predictable against the dynamic of Wall Street -vs- Main Street. WATCH:
Today, exclusively on @SundayFutures with @MariaBartiromo, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett #KevinHassett spoke about President Trump preparing to announce reciprocal tariffs this Wednesday.@FoxNews pic.twitter.com/1lU8w9w0FB
— SundayMorningFutures (@SundayFutures) March 30, 2025
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Bringing back manufacturing is a good first step in bolstering the middle class.
I’m able to comment on u toob again, so I commented on an old {’60’s} GE washer promo vid that ;
The days of designed obsolescence are numbered.
A return to quality profitability, from quantity profitability, is what truly makes America great {again}.
The world cannot compete with America in quality.
The world can only compete for American quality.
The US Dollar will always be the highest quality currency in the world.
In God We Trust
Trust God
Fear not
I’ll be happy when I can walk into an auto parts store and buy a 16oz can of R-12 for 99¢…
Again…
Those days are never coming back again.
Those days would race back if we got rid of the income tax and replaced with a national sales tax on new items. People would look for well built over cheap, and take care of their stuff.
People can still only buy the best quality that they can afford to pay for.
Well built can = unobtanium.
There are many high quality products made in many places worldwide, including China and Mexico.
If you still have the box your smartphone or computer came in, check the “made in” sticker. China, other Asian locations. The quality is top-notch, and in fact the US cannot make these products economically – if at all.
Go down to a home supply store – many to most products made in China. Plumbing fittings, electrical, you name it.
Aftermarket auto parts. Electronic components. Pharmaceuticals too,
The US is dependent on China now.
It seems most Americans have been oblivious to the China takeover of the supply chain, happy to have the cheaper products, wondering why the decent manufacturing jobs have been disappearing. This cannot be reversed in a few years – if ever.
what if the USG subsidizes USA manufacturing and orders massive surplus of goods to be produced.
David stated it clearly and he is correct. All this Chinese crap (including the phones that dissolve as soon as they’re paid for) has a planned obsolescence date so that it falls apart soon after the warranty runs out, is unrepairable, and has to be purchased again. It’s all ugly and cheaply made. Go into any vintage goods store and just look for a toaster that is old but well made in both quality and design rather than as they are now. It will be a grand day when we can buy Made in the USA again, even if we have to pay a little more for something that lasts long after the warranty runs out. You can still buy the Chinese junk if you want to, but you will have to pay more and buy it again and again and again.
this is the same cycle the Japanese products went through in the 1950’s and they ended up manufacturing quality products. US purchasers seemed to want the cheaper products of less quality.
The reality is, China’s build quality is determined by the terms of the purchase order.
China can build you crap, and China can build some of the finest stuff in the world.
Which do you specify when you sign the purchase order? How much per unit are you willing to pay?
One of the bigger issues in the transition to Japanese made products were the (at the time) outrageous union labor costs. Some of the hourly union scales drove the demise of certain industries and forced them overseas
Congratulations, you named the elephant in the room. High Union labor wages in the US (especially in the auto industry) made for complacent workers which begat lagging quality…Which drove the exit of manufacturing offshoring debacle…. Can we re-invent the wheel and do it right this time?
Pray that we can!
We all could learn to live without cell phones.
If we don’t buy them from china etc that would be a good way to cut some of our puppet strings.
Its possible.
Cell phones are addictive as sugar and corporations make big bucks from the pocket spy.😳
Never owned one, never will.
This can absolutely be reversed. It’s this kind of thinking that is responsible for the predicament we’re in now. I’m so tired of people throwing their hands up in the air…everything is made in China…nothing we can do about it. It’s an absolutely disastrous mentality. There is something we can do about it, and these punitive tariffs will prove that point.
And not to nitpick, but your comment about “plumbing fittings, electrical, etc” is mostly wrong. Even though our manufacturing has been gutted by sleazy business, plumbing fittings and electrical wiring/boxes are one of the few areas where the United States still dominates. Almost all of the PVC and ABS piping that you’ll find in home improvement stores is made in America. The same goes for the non-metallic wiring used for homes (commonly referred to by the brand name Romex). Many of the electrical boxes are also US made.
While I agree that electronic components would be difficult to fully manufacture here, we certainly could move this production out of China (and we should). Auto parts and pharmaceuticals are two areas where we could definitely manufacture them here. We already do manufacture pharmaceuticals, and there is no reason that we can’t increase this production.
With the latest tariffs on China, you’re going to see increased movement out of that country, whether you like it or not.
I worked in the Telecom Industry during the revolution that begat the internet and cell phone world (70’s to 2000) All of our telecom gear was made in the US by the equipment manufacturing companies. This included the fast evolving chip industry (Intel, National Semiconductor, AMD to name a few) Then it all went offshore due to labor costs….. Millions of jobs went “poof”
Try the best ‘Designed by’ test, and I will join in.
China knows how to steal and cheat. The populace does not know how to think.
They don’t have the freedom to think.
I still blame Bush the First for a large part of that.
They literally have SLAVES making a lot of their products
The work situation is so dire that they have nets to watch peope jumping off the top of buildings to kill themselves
Maybe if we had honest reporting of the facts of what we are willing to do to people for “inexpensive “ crap
We’d demand the items be make in America where workers are paid honest wages and can jump off a building if they feel
Like it
No disrespect…but I’ll believe it when I see it. It’s a personal sticking point with me – I hate “stuff” that breaks down (under normal usage) after three years.
I have bought American and not received quality – in many durable goods.
The days of designed obsolescence started in Detroit. Have you ever owned a 1980-1990 era US made car?
The junk coming out of Americas big 3 automakers made people abandon American made and flock to quality built Japanese and German cars.
Even after US carmakers gave rebates on their cars. You could not pay people to buy them.
I am one of them. The likelihood of me buying anything from GM, Ford, “Chrysler (or whoever they are)” ever again are beyond low.
However, my Toyota Camry was built in the USA, Georgetown, KY to be exact and their quality is renown. Americans can make quality if they are given a reason to.
yes, but they were building Japanese products.
Yes but they were all trained in the Toyota Manufacturing System. The Japanese were light years ahead of us in quality in the manufacturing process.
An American, Deming, taught the Japanese how to improve quality. They have an annual award with a serious nod to Mr. Deming.
Unconquered: W. Edwards Deming. I heard him speak, in person, at business school, in ’87 or ’88. He was probably in his 90s, then. He made a strong impression on me.
Absolutely
No one here was much interested
Also Juran.
US corporations think in quarterly profit & stock valuations. Japanese corporations think in longer terms. 1-3 years & farther out.
yes, tariffs and cheaper US prices will not yield quality, but then the mass market cannot afford quality.
USA can afford quality…we just don’t value quality!
I remember that
Hope Trump does too
And now? German cars are junk too. And my Honda CR-V is a lemon. Never gonna buy one again.
I seem to remember that the original reason for US purchasers switching to German, Japanese, etc cars was because they felt that US cars were of lower quality and value and built for planned obsolescence.
American manufacturing quality went to crap right after big Wall Street speculators changed how US companies were run. They pushed out the entrepreneurs and engineers from CEO jobs and replaced them with lawyers, management consultants and bean-counters. That boosted quarterly profits and ran up stock prices… for a few years, after which the speculators were long gone and very rich.
It’s a great first step.
A new Land Rover factory in Slovakia.
It’s totally automated with robotics and computers! Hardly any workers and certainly not the numbers of workers who would equal the destruction in jobs and the economy that 25% automobile tariffs would infect making it Covid-19 2.0 but without the masks.
Take a look at the video and see for yourself. What freaking jobs are they bringing back….
Lots of jobs manufacturing robots, but US jobs? Not just autos but almost anything.
Austin Powers quote applies here:
“I’m sorry, Baby, but that train has sailed”
Austin powers inventor is very much anti Trump
These computerized robots don’t build themselves nor do they maintain themselves. There is a lot of tech, computers, and more that go into making these auto assembly lines. That means that someone has to manufacture the PARTS for these lines. Which also means that someone has to manufacture the MATERIALS to manufacture the PARTS to manufacture the AUTOMOBILES. Other people have to repair the machinery and work on the computers. That means that we will need to hire people to TEACH them the skills that they need.
Then someone has to get these vehicles onto trucks and ship them around the country. That means MORE jobs for truckers. Who will build the trucks to transport the vehicles? AMERICANS will do that. Who will make the parts to build the trucks? AMERICANS will do that.
Then those people will purchase furniture, vehicles, food, vacations, clothes, and entertainment. Who will provide all of that? AMERICANS will do it.
Your thinking is so shallow that I can only think that you are really China Joe.
Probably all built in China!
They will only get the 15% corporate tax rate IF the entire product is MADE IN AMERICA.
Have a nice day. You are willfully blind. China Joe.
👍
Invest in Tesla. Seriously.
Trucks can be driven robotically.
Lol. Orange safety cones.
I done the job that drives cars onto rail cars and ties them down with chains, there is NO way a robot can do that, yet….
The Trade Schools in the relatively free Community College teach the shop classes, where a person can learn a basic job skill. … A young person has to receive good advice in a type of trade to learn. There’s always a need for particular Trade Jobs.
The US Military offers the opportunity to learn a trade, and work at a trade, while being paid to be in the US Military. This is a long commitment with a requirement for a wise decision in the trade to be learned.
************
Unfortunately, our country is full of ‘China Joe’ people giving bad advice to >everyone, not just to the young.
What’s a “competitive” manufacturing wage in the US? Then add on OSHA, EPA, certification, healthcare, etc., etc., costs. Will the estimates include union demands?
This is not going to be as simple as some think. I understand the national security aspects.
As long as the consumer has a choice of which product he wants to purchase from a global set of competitors – geography makes no difference to me. I want the option to purchase the best quality/price point regardless of where the product comes from. So long as PDJT’s tariffs match unfair foreign subsidies, state sponsored currency devaluations, etc., I have no complaints.
😂 “union demands?” Here’s my past experience with auto manufacturers… and unions.
The real money is higher up the food chain than the shop floor. The 6-8 figure salaries, bonuses, healthcare & perks such as free NEW cars w/service for every driver in every Veep’s family every 8-12 weeks. Every year, year in & year out. Then there’s stock options. The bloat is as bad or worse than gubmint bloat & they haven’t built a thing that a customer will pay💰 for.
Now… let’s chat more about the guy/gal doing the actual building of cars making $30-45/hr with single digit percentage annual increases. They haven’t cracked a 6 digit income yet but they’re the “real problem.”
“These computerized robots don’t build themselves nor do they maintain themselves.”
Those robots can build thousands upon thousands of cars.
Only need to build a few robots.
Agreed, the pain we adults experience today, helps our children and grandchildren tomorrow!
I’m confident the greatest majority of MAGA and some Indys understand this
Bringing back manufacturing is a good first step in ending Obama’s American socialism.
And actually, it is not “Obamas American Socialism”, its Obama’s, Clintons, Bushes Globullism, just the latest iteratuon of Conmunism, kind af a cross between Fascism and Marxism, with world Conquest thrown in.
And the Chinese “Most Favored Nation” status…
time for it to sunset.
This I never understood either.
Part of the ChinaGate treason was for China to get Permanent Normal Trade Relations, and into the WTO.
the export of manufacturing began long before obama
Clinton, and China’s most favored nation trade status, was the turning point. Or, should I say, the “past the point of no return” point.
As Pat Buchanan said “Free Trade is economic treason”
Around 10,000 Quokkas live on Rottnest Island today.
Love those little critters.
https://www.rottnestisland.com/
I had to look that place up.
You did it for me, thank you!
Your welcome!
You’re the best!
Actually it is Christ in me! Have to give credit where credit is due….
Isaiah 64:6 KJV
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Colossians 1:27 KJV
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Philippians 1:6 KJV
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
1 Thessalonians 2:13 KJV
For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
FAB!!!!! I still like NZ better, save for the commies in place!
I have never been there, but from what I have seen it is nice.
Many of the billionaires that want the earth for themselves are setting up retreats for themselves over there.
Us common folk don’t have the coin for that.
The days of America being treated like an abused parent supporting and tolerating a world filled with petulant children with their hands out making demands are over.
And we need to work to keep it that way.
It’s marvelous. Maybe long overdue, it feels like that, but maybe actually right on schedule. 🇺🇸
Better late than never 👍
Hold on a second. Abused parent my foot.
It was primarily US corporations who moved their factories out of the country mainly into countries with little to no prior work ethic.
Now the tide has changed it will be those corporations, or their descendants, who bring the factories back, but without the workforces. They made the money on the way out and will make it on the way back but don’t blame the rest of the World.
I blame the US politicians who created the environment where these corporations did the math and found that they could move their factories to foreign nations paying slave wages and THEN, bring their products into the USA AND NOT PAY ANY TARIFFS ON THEIR PRODUCTS.
Who in their right mind would decide to keep their manufacturing plants open in the USA when there is no penalty for leaving and no penalty for selling in the USA.
That is what our political leaders were supposed to do: America and Americans first. Most of them are morons. Most are corrupt and looked the other way while we lost industries. NONE of them instituted tariffs and low corporate tax rate if they move back to the USA and hire Americans. NONE. NOT ONE OF THEM. Until PDJT.
I blame them. They sold us out, sat there and did nothing as we bled jobs, continued to raise taxes, and import cheap foreign labor.
We’re looking at you Newt!
Our motto no matter what they throw at President Trump and us — including trying to crash the economy and getting us into one or more wars — needs to be “hold the line.”
We the people got President Trump into office and for the sake of our country we have to do whatever it takes to keep him there.
Things might get frightening, but just imagine how much worse they would be without him in office.
No matter what, hold the line!
Well, when the UAW Prez Shawn Fain is enthusiastic, commenting that finally… FINALLY…there is an administration righting past administrations’ wrongs regarding autoworkers and their jobs, I’d say this…
Carry on, Mr President…
We’re right behind you 👍🏻🇺🇸
(See Shawn??? Red pills aren’t so bad now, are they 😎)
Tucker interviewed Fain about four months ago… fascinating interview…gave behind-the-scenes insight into how union workers are now mostly MAGA voters and the Democrats will not get them back anytime soon.
I watched it, Arminius., and agree 👍🏻
Let’s hope that Fain’s conversion continues.
Betsy, exactly!
THE MAGA PARTY
The true party of labor
It certainly is now, thanks to President Trump.
Must annoy the heck out of RINOs’ Chamber of Commerce paymasters.
After all we’ve learned over many years Betsy, there’s a better title. It’s the US Chamber of Greed, not commerce.
Their leadership should have their names & faces plastered on billboards in their hometowns with the actual description of their “work.” Modern day slave traders.
You right again, Betsy,!!😜
He’s not there totally yet, LtL
But every new member starts somewhere.
Promises made to that group…promises being kept.
If PDJT can fill the MidWest with auto and auto part factories, UAW n their families will vote MAGA for 20 years
All well and good, but the Midwest has a strong conservative base anyway. What needs to happen is for the voters and their respective politicians in the urban areas to experience an economic awakening.
After suffering through two years of Covid-19 destruction of the economy where thousands of businesses especially restaurants closed and then four years of Bidenomics we really deserve a break.
What’s wrong with..
DOGE cuts $1 trillion,
Ending the Ukrainie War,
Getting the price of oil under $50,
Inflation at 2% and
Interest rates at 3% so Americans cab have prosperity for a while?
It takes 3 – 4 years to build an automotive assembly plant and even longer for the engines, transmissions and drive chains meanwhile…
We are going to bankrupt 1,800 AMERICAN OWNED Toyota dealerships, 800 Mercedes Benz dealerships, 500 BMW dealerships and thousands more for VW, Porsche, Land Rover and Kia. At least 300,000 Americans are employed with these dealerships selling, financing and servicing foreign made cars. So, we lose those jobs now to get automated car plants that use robots instead of workers in 3 to 5 years?
Like I said…TWO WEEKS TO STOP THE SPREAD? Another self-inflicted wreck of the economy!
You forgot Lexus which is made in Ontario Canada.
Lexus is also made in Georgetown, KY
Bless your heart.
China Joe does not WANT to understand. CJ keeps posting the same tripe over and over again.
Paid to play…
CJ, many of these “foreign” brands are already made here and won’t be affected by the tariffs.
Other manufacturers are moving fast to get here like Honda — Honda had planned for a Mexican plant to open Nov ’27 but due to tariffs will instead open a U.S. plant six months later in May ’28. (six months delaly, not years)
—————————–
TOYOTA already has 10 factories throughout the U.S., employing over 470,000 workers.
including:
https://www.motorbiscuit.com/toyotas-made-us-where/
——————–
HYUNDAI – due to tariffs, will invest $21 billion in U.S.,both for a steel plant and for expanding existing production of Kai and Genesis vehicles that are already made here.
Already produces Kai and Genesis vehicles here and will be expanding their production further
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/24/business/hyundai-us-investment-tariffs.html
—————————————–
ROLLS ROYCE currently employs 6,000 workers at 11 U.S. sites.
Due to tariffs, Rolls Royce will shift production to the United States where they already have 6000 workers and will hire American workers to avoid the tariffs. (per The Telegraph)
https://www.rvmnews.com/2025/03/another-major-car-manufacturer-eyes-shift-to-u-s-production-due-to-tariffs/
——————————————-
BMW
It’s 2nd largest production plant in the world is located in Spartanburg, SC where in 2023 410,793 BMWs were built A range of BMW models are already available to consumers untouched by tariffs.
https://www.bmwblog.com/2024/03/25/bmw-cars-manufactured-32-factories/
————————
Many manufacturers already build inside the U.S. and will over time expand their base here as needed.
>>Consumers currently have a large range of foreign brand cars to choose from that are already built here and not subject to tariffs.
Tariffs mean more production inside the U.S. , which means more good paying jobs for American workers which means we may finally be able to grow back a bit of the middle class that was lost to overseas production.
Americans buy foreign cars because they are better vehicles. They have better quality, gas mileage and resale value.
Toyota employs 470,000 Americans so why is President Trump hammering Toyota?
Like I said, fix the easy things first like…
DOGE cuts $1 trillion
Oil under $50
Inflation 2%
Interest rates 3%
Pull out of Ukraine!
I don’t see the fixation on new auto plants that take 3 to 5 years to build when he can simply increase the tariff from 2.5% to 5% and rake in billions of dollars without the immediate destruction!
When did he hammer Toyota? I watch just about everything he does and haven’t this.
I am not stepping on you personally CJ, but Toyota does seem to be the favorite vehicle of IC-Saudi terrorists.
Typical US corporations can’t think, plan or execute beyond quarterly profits.
Do/did you work for one?
It isn’t only factory jobs either – it’s also the jobs associated with them like the transportation of inbound parts and outbound product, the infrastructure jobs they create, and the construction jobs required as they build those new factories.
Another example of the ancillary jobs and businesses created are those supplying parts for the BMW plant you mention.
BMW has nearly 200 suppliers, with 50 of them located in South Carolina. Fifteen suppliers are based in Spartanburg County.
Then there is the storage, transport, and regional distribution center jobs associated with their U.S. distribution center that open about 10 years ago.
Up to now, explained Wolfgang Baumann, vice-president of parts logistics management, North American suppliers have shipped service parts to BMW’s central distribution centre (CDC) in Dingolfing, south-west Germany, which stores a full range of BMW parts for delivery to 40 RDCs across the world. That has included parts destined for BMW’s six RDCs in the US.
Now, suppliers that ship to the plant in Greer will send a portion of their parts to the ConDC in Spartanburg, around 20 miles (30km) from the factory, where they will be consolidated for onward shipping to RDCs.
Several years back they also opened up an “accessories center” where accessories and options packages are installed on new cars, providing more jobs – both direct and indirect.
https://www.bmwgroup-werke.com/spartanburg/en/news/2022/BMW-of-North-America-Opens-New-Vehicle-Accessories-Center-in-South-Carolina.html
CJ refuses to see any of it or is unwilling to take the time to understand reality versus what is spewed by the media.
Most of those dealerships have deep pockets and are politically connected. If their sales go down enough, that they start to lose money, they’ll close the old dealership and open one that sells domestically manufactured cars. Good office staff and mechanics will have a place to work.
Having this manufacturing capacity in this country is the primary goal. It generates wealth here, instead of in another country, and gives us more industrial capacity in the case of another world war. Yes, there will be fewer workers in these new factories because they are more automated, but the people that manufacture, install, program and operate those machines on a continuous basis make very good money.
MAGA!
“Most of those dealerships have deep pockets and are politically connected”
For companies that succumbed to Fed bailout cash – BHO used that bailout fiasco to close dealerships that contributed $ to (R) candidates.
No matter how profitable the dealership was for the brand.
As I said yesterday, I expect a lot of these overseas companies to run out the clock over the next 3.5 years and nod yes while crossing their fingers behind their backs.
If a Democratic President steps in in 2028, they are going to go scorched Earth on Republicans, including reversing everything Trump’s done.
Foreign conpanies know that is a very real scenario, so I can understand some hesitancy for moving operations here.
My wife asked my thoughts on the automobile tariffs this morning. This is my indication that the corrupt, globalist msm is pushing hard on this meme.
oh, the MSM is pushing relentlessly that any tariff is “a tax” on Americans
they overlook that PresTrump is not simply imposing “a tax”, but using tariffs as political leverage to US advantage in securing US-favorable outcomes, like foreign car makers building new assembly plants in the US where they’ll use US workers
and also ignoring that if your anticipated new purchase has a tariff surcharge imposed on it, you can instead purchase from another manufacturer (US) that is not subject to the tariff surcharge … you don’t have to pay the added tariff “tax”, just make another selection
Not to mention the currency disparity. For example, the Canadian dollar will drop severely against the US dollar, which means it’ll take away from the tariff. Depending on how wide the disparity is, consumers won’t even notice the price increase.
In 1939, as part of a speech touting “lend lease” with America as “the arsenal of democracy” FDR said America would produce 50,000 airplanes/year, within two years.
Everyone thought he was NUTS, as America only had about 5,000 airplanes total, at the time.
Well, FDR WAS wrong. America produced over 100,000 airplanes/year, plus tanks, jeeps, rifles, and boots.
And how much of that 2-4 years is because of permitting?
Imagine some midlevel county buerocrat has to sign off on such a project, and gets a phone call from PDJT, asking him “whats the hold up? What do you NEED, David, to stamp “approved” on this project?”
Tiltslab buildings can go up, really fast.
Cal. Joe your continueing to repeat the same meritless arguments is very telling….
Probably need to reassure us of how you REALLY support PDJT and MAGA,…..BUT,..before you start you rag on auto tariffs…
China Joe thinks that he is smarter than all of the business minds in the White House.
The repurposing of American manufacturing during WW2 is a fascinating story. Rock-ola, the jukebox company, switched entirely to M1 carbines at its Chicago factory. IBM made carbines, too.
Have faith in your people, people. They can do anything.
they will open plants in USA, and continue selling imports until then, or PDJT will give them waivers.
“We are going to bankrupt 1,800 AMERICAN OWNED Toyota dealerships, 800 Mercedes Benz dealerships, 500 BMW dealerships and thousands more for VW, Porsche, Land Rover and Kia.”
Were any American owned dealerships affected by the GM bankruptcy/reorganization when they filed Chapter 11 back in ’09? Did anyone in the White House put their fingers on the scale when deciding which dealerships would be closed, and which would be allowed to remain open?
AL manufactures Mazda/toyota, Hyundai and Mercedes. VW and Saturn in TN
Happy Quokka? That’s an understatement, he’s completely overwhelmed with joy.
Idea! Let’s open Ukraine recruiting stations in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and L.A. for a 1 year tour! Free roundtrip tickets!
Not many will need the return trip unless it’s in a box.
I’m still waiting for the auto industry to make an inexpensive gasoline engine car with minimal electronics.
I can look before I back up. I can roll down windows. I can find my way around town without GPS and I have a phone and a map for distance travelling. I can open my trunk with a key. I can check the air in my tires myself and remember when to change my oil.
You can, but millions cannot. Females and young people have no clue. They can’t even drive a car with a straight tranny. And they pay sticker price. All most car buyers under 40yoa care about are what is the monthly payment and can I afford to pay and can I get financing. Many cannot get approved for financing.
“straight tranny”
sorry, had to laugh at that … what with all the news articles about story hours and such
Also known as the best anti-theft device currently available, but yes bud lite is tranny fluid,..and ‘straight tranny’ seems like an oxy-moron,..its actually one of the 123 different genders, you know…lol.
Straight tranny? That’s an oxymoron.
What’s your point? There are different markets. Otherwise we could just all drive the same car.
They are all petty much the same color…white, black or grey…
Straight tranny is considered auto security/hijack proof
You cannot use that nickname for a transmission on X. They will suspend your post citing “hate speech.” I’ve had it happen to a post. No expanation – I had to guess what X’s A.I. interpreted as “hate speech”.
Had it happen again two days ago. I used the old common phrase “a chink in their armor”, meaning a weak point in the Left’s arguments. It got hit by X’s A.I. monitoring for being hate speech. Took me a few minutes to figure out what was interpreted as “hate” in my post since it was way milder than dozens of other posts in the same thread.
I finally guessed that it saw “chink” as a derogatory term for a Chinese person, even though there was zero reference to anything remotely Chinese in my post. I deleted the tweet and re-posted it with another way of describing the Left’s obvious weak argument. Bingo. It apparently passed muster. Stupid A.I. doesn’t understand context.
Of everything that is going on in the world, AI worries me the most, every book I have ever read , every movie I have ever seen with AI in it does not end well for us bags of water.
Agree 100%
Everybody keeps saying well, it’s here whether we like it or not. We gotta get used to having AI.
I don’t see why we have to get used to it at all. We’ve been able to stop everything else that we don’t like. We’ve rejected lots of technology because it didn’t work well.
The key to rejecting AI is to not use it. As in X – they give you the ability to use Grok, the AI that must be attached to X.
People keep using it and trying it out. That won’t work. I’ve never used it, at least knowingly. I won’t do searches using Grok.
And other forms of AI that have been offered to try out on the Internet I’ve avoided all of them 100%.
People seem to be so easily sucked into trying something new, without first stopping to think is this gonna help or harm us? But that just seems to prove that there aren’t a whole lot of people left who still use any critical, thinking to make decisions.
I want another stripped down 4×4 diesel 3/4 ton truck with no electronics and manual everything like my 92 Dodge diesel for $20k
20 + mpg and will haul or pull a load
“I’m still waiting for the auto industry to make an inexpensive gasoline engine car with minimal electronics.’
They do, but you cannot buy them in the USA.
Thanks to the hundreds or thousands of federal mandates.
https://www.ericpetersautos.com/2024/12/10/we-could-have-more-for-less/
Buy a used vehicle and refurbish it as necessary. Many have discovered that path and, as a result, have driven up the prices of the more desirable older cars & trucks.
Prices notwithstanding, they’re still a better bet than buying into the unnecessarily complex and invasive tech being deployed in all contemporary vehicles to meet absurd government mandates, in order to further discourage home / DIY repair and maintenance and encourage owners to use the dealers’ high cost shops.
“Many have discovered that path and, as a result, have driven up the prices of the more desirable older cars & trucks.”
Yes, I see that in the auctions. Prices for Broncos and Blazers are sky high because they are the latest fad.
Both originals and customs.
Not everyone can afford to do that. You need to own your own home to have space for tools, etc.
Apartment complex dwellers are not allowed to do maintenance in the parking lot, violates lease agreements.
Yes, I understand.
Then if one in that position doesn’t already have and use a trusted independent repair shop fpr car maintenance, it’s worth the time find one (ask neighbors, friends, or coworkers) and then find out what they might charge to bring the used vehicle up to reliable operating condition. It will likely still be less expensive than buying new. This of course will vary from vehicle to vehicle, depending on condition. The internet (YouTube) has a broad library of mechanics’ opinion / experience-based videos about used cars & trucks – best and worst to repair.
As far as Blazers and Broncos, I’d avoid them precisely because they became a “fad.” There are many older gems out there and it does require some searching and maybe even some multi-state road trips to inspect the vehicles being advertised
Me and my 2002 TrailBlazer, the one with a 4.2 liter straight six, built as body-on-truck-frame, agree. Bought it for $5K. 145,000 “original” miles on the clock. Put $6K into a complete suspension / brakes rebuild and new tires. I expect to see 250,000 “original” miles on the speedo (this truck will likely outlive me).
👍 👍
That’s the idea!
This just arrived:
The EV/Hybrid Scam
Green vehicles wilt due to techno-obsolescence, like prior gasoline vehicles purposely obsoleted stylistically every year to attract new purchases.
NICHOLAS EDWARD BEDNARSKI, MD
MAR 30
“….With a pure Electric Vehicle, or a Hybrid electric/gas vehicle, your car becomes technologically obsolete as soon as you drive it off the lot. Once its battery system conks out (or catches fire), you will not be able to sustain the vehicle by buying a replacement battery. The car companies’ excuse is that battery technology is advancing so rapidly that the newer ones cannot be retrofitted to the older vehicles. Thus after a very few years, if your battery on your EV or hybrid fails, that vehicle is done for. You cannot purchase what is no longer being made. Such was the lesson I learned recently…”
https://open.substack.com/pub/nicholasbednarski/p/the-evhybrid-scam
The first mistake that author made was buying a Volt.
I bought a 2005 Prius in 2005. I owned it for 13 years put 150 some thousand miles on it. I sold it to my brother-in-law cheap because his Nissan pick up truck crapped out.
He drove it for a couple years, and decided it needed a new hybrid battery, you know, the expensive one.
There were lower cost options available, but he decided to take it back to the dealer because he wanted to get some other work done as well. So in 2021 (I think) he got the battery replaced and a bunch of other work done for about $4000. The car had about 192,000 on it at the time.
He drove it another three years and it’s got around 250,000 on it and it’s running like a Swiss watch – perfect.
You can still buy a new hybrid battery for a 2005 Prius. You can buy a refurbished one cheaper. But my point is you can still get the thing.
Toyota made a top quality product, and that’s the difference between it and that garbage Chevy Volt.
“Toyota made a top quality product, and that’s the difference between it and that garbage Chevy Volt.”
My father bought American for decades. Until he got a Suburu loaner while a Ford minivan was in the dealer for an auto transmission issue which was leaving him stranded.
(Leak at base of windshield messed up transmission computer)
He told the dealer he wanted the Subaru and because of lemon law, he worked it out.
yes we need that again.
Belle: Just buy a new car and wait until it’s out of warranty 🙂
Hopefully someone will talk to Casey Putsch (just recently seen on Tucker) and get him involved in the new, rebuilt US auto industry.
This interview is well worth your time to listen, Treepers.
Some eye-opening information is presented in that interview.
Casey’s OmegaCar gets over 104 mpg using a turbo diesel engine (not a hybrid) with a standard (clutch) transmission and a specially designed aerodynamic body made with lightweight metals and materials. It is a 2-seater with only a 5 gallon fuel tank – enough to provide a range of up to 500 miles. No special technology is used, he says it could be mass-manufactured to sell for about 20,000 to 25,000 dollars.
But Casey and Tucker get deep into history of government regulations and how technology that increases efficiency and results in greater simplicity has been throttled…
“how technology that increases efficiency and results in greater simplicity has been throttled…”
Here is another example:
“…. Over twenty years later I may have learned the reason. On a visit to the Peterson Auto Museum in Los Angeles I saw one of the GM EV1’s on display. I tracked down a docent, an older man, and asked him how it came to be there. He informed me that a few had been relegated to various automobile museums and such was this example. He told me the story of a GM engineer who had toured the museum years before and seen the EV1. That engineer told the docent that he, the engineer, had been one of the lessees, desperate to buy the car. The engineer had driven the car for 85,000 miles with only new tires being needed. That, the docent said, was the crux of the matter. The engineer admitted that GM realized their dealerships would be extremely opposed to continuing a car or a technology that required little or no service, as this was the financial lifeblood of the dealers. And so the car had to die….”
https://nicholasbednarski.substack.com/p/the-evhybrid-scam
100% believable.
Like Gomer Pyle would say ” Surprise, surprise, surprise…”
Well! How do ya not love THAT guy! MAGA
And, there are many out there like him.
Listen to him talk; the reason his Omega car has been sitting for 10 years, is because he has spent the last 10 years mentoring engineering students, to think outside the box like he does.
I took the pain of four years of my tax money wasted on bidenomics fraud and stealing so I don’t want to hear a word from the democrats with their logic of lying.
You can add two years of the Covid-19 hoax. Trillions down the drain and economic destruction like the 1930 depression!
Don’t forget turning our children into homicidal suicidal trannies.
Make it 28+ years from Old Bush on, with 45 as a brief respite till hit with Covid.
Help me out….
What is the point of transforming the US economy if the Deep State IC is not dismantled?
.
And, as a follow up…
Why does Maria always have to shout and use outside voice??
She has to yell over her inner voice telling her the CFR mantras are Bulltit?
Exactly the point.
What is the point in trying to establish a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, so long as the Starmer/Macron/Boris gang remains in control of the EU, and they along with the DEEP STATE IC are pushing for War?
There is none. Ergo, PDJT’s multifaceted plan is to lead an alliance to unseat the Globullusts Worldwide, and transforming the U.S. economy is simply one part of it.
Theres not one country in the EU, where the population wants their country sending troops to Ukraine.
The only way any of those countries can meet their NATO obligation,…AND continue to function once reciprocal tariffs etc. gut their economy, is to cut back on their generous benefits that have been financed by us for 30+ years, entitlements used to buy the votes of the citisens.
Once they cut back, the proles will elect Nationalist/Populists, and PDJT will make very generous BI-LATERAL trade deals with individual countries, which will enciurage other countries to oust their WEF Globullust leaders.
Instead of “Color Revolutions” call them “ESI Revolutions” (Enlightened Self-Interest),…
Waiting for the store to open this morning and I’m just pondering ‘what happened to every decent looking car body style of years past’? Just then an ugly looking Kia rolled by, you know those square boxy looking things they make with four wheels. It dawned on me that I still long for the days of the ’67’ Chevelle, Camaro or my all time favorite the El Camino. Today we make and buy some of the most tasteless cars in automotive history and there’s no reason for it. If you want to make America Great again then go out in the scrap pile, grab those old molds and start stamping out cars that look like cars. All I need is an AM radio and four on the floor and I’d be a happy camper.
“If you want to make America Great again then go out in the scrap pile, grab those old molds and start stamping out cars that look like cars.”
Get rid of the mandates and your wish shall be granted.
“….Instead we’re obliged to pay much more – and aren’t even allowed the same. Thanks to such things as the “chicken tax” – which is a punitive tariff applied to small imported trucks that makes them more expensive trucks. Manufacturers like Toyota and Nissan and others no longer import them because the cost of selling them (here) would be too high for a basic small truck without all of the cost-adding amenities that have pushed the entry price point of the least-expensive (and now “mid-sized”) trucks we’re allowed to buy to just shy of $30k….”
“…In order to make it so – in order for it to be able to comport with all the minutia of bumper-and-side-impact standards promulgated in the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) “bible,” it would be necessary to wholesale re-engineer the Hi-Lux to be something like the Tacoma pickup – which you are allowed to buy here. It stickers for $31,500 to start. Which it does, in part, because it comes standard with a turbocharged four cylinder engine and an automatic transmission – as well as climate control AC, a six speaker stereo, cruise control, heated outside mirrors and a bundle of “Safety Sense” “advanced drive assistance technologies,” including Lane Departure Mitigation and Automatic emergency braking…”
https://www.ericpetersautos.com/2024/12/10/we-could-have-more-for-less/
They did that with the Toyota FJ40. We need more of that.
The dirty little secret: Trump’s economic success won’t be measured by the Federal Reserve’s bagmen living large on Wall Street, the metric will be success exploding everywhere you look as Trump’s policies resuscitate flyover
Gosh that woman has an annoying voice to these ol’ Southern ears.
The Council On Foreign Relations in which she is a member of, is very much in opposition to President Donald J Trump and his America First/Make America Great Again policies. In fact GHW Bush and his stepson Billy Boy Clinton were CFR members, and the other Bush/Obama/Clinton Administrations were chock full of the globalist and traitorous CFR members.
We have a Sears Kenmore washer/dryer set we purchased 20 years ago. Both run on good old fashioned American know-how, have no Blue Tooth, or any silly tech crap. Both are easily repairable with the parts we buy, regularly, just to keep in inventory. They will last as long as we do. We refuse (for as much as we can) to purchase anything complicated (..who needs the Internet access on your fridge, anyway?). I pray for the day we return to practical auto manufacture, you know…cars without “intelligence”.
But that’s just me.
Could not agree more.
The worst mistake I ever made was to trade my mother’s 1950’s all metal, US made Singer sewing machine on a “new” 2000 plastic parts machine. I’m on my second one and it limps along on broken plastic parts. I don’t sew much anymore so I just cuss it and do what little I need to do. (Can’t even understand the instruction booklet though it says it’s written in English! 🤬)
I hear you…I did the very same thing with my mother’s…
Hurts, doesn’t it!
Sure does!
Our local (N E GA mountains) thrift stores regularly offer Singer, Pfaff, and similar 30+ y/o machines in apparently good condition for $30 to $40.
Yes! Got one at a local church sale…
Retired Magistrate here: I still have my Brother Sewing Machine that my Dad bought me for my 16th birthday. I am now 77 and use the sewing machine to make drapes and other household items. It is not fancy, but it is really heavy and well built and does what it is supposed to do: sew.
I did purchase a vintage Singer…works like a charm! Great that you still have your Brother; I rue the day I tossed my Mom’s Singer.
You just became my BFF!
….my Kenmore fridge is fading fast…somewhere around 1996-ish…I found hairline cracks on the inside otherwise I would pursue repairs.
The 2005 Kenmore dishwasher is still holding its own…the Kenmore stove of about the same era…still working…
Regrettably, I changed my washer and dryer to GE…fell in love with the new color…foolish me.
Sears Microwave, 2003 I think…
I don’t want anything complicated. I don’t want to fly it…just keep my food cold and my clothes clean.
I well understand…and I absolutely agree. I so hope repair shops make a comeback!
Why, you mean to say you do not dream of living in a “smart home”??
HA.
LOL…it’s already pretty smart!
I agree.
My only fault line is choice. The consumer should have the option.
My grandson asked me if I had a Blue Tooth. I panicked and called the dentist before I looked in the mirror…..
And I like four on the floor instead of three on the tree.
Ask any appliance repair guy. They all say the same thing. Keep repairing your old stuff as long as you can because today’s replacements will not likely last 8-9 years.
Unfortunately, eventually there is a super expensive failure or the more common, “I’m sorry but that part is no longer available.” That was the fate of our 30 year Maytag.
Also these same guys say the only washer they would ever consider is Speed Queen (Wisconsin). Our local appliance place can’t keep them in stock even though they are nearly twice as expensive. Just got one myself.
Minimal electronics, basic controls, easy to service. So easy a caveman can operate it. What a concept.
Yes…and that’s exactly why we stock up on repair parts. I did hear that about the Speed Queen; great that you were able to procure one! Let’s bring back products that last!
Good thinking!
I’m a huge believer in defensive purchasing. Someday my kids will say, “why did he have all of these Mansfield toilet flush valve seals?”
Because he was a very wise man!
My wife loves the Speed Queen I bought her 3 yrs. ago, and so do I…because I won’t have to replace it next year…
I’m still not used to the 30 minute wash cycle
Does it have to be Main Street vs. Wall Street?
As a patriotic American, I want Main Street to do well. But as a retiree with a wife about to retire, I NEED Wall Street to also do well. (Like many, we’ve lost a lot of money (on paper) the last month or so)
I know some of the conflicts, but does it really have to be one or the other?
It only has to be main street or wall street because wall street won’t play nice. Both can win but not when one is intent on destroying the other. The old adage that it takes two to fight is correct but incomplete; it takes two to fight but it only takes one to create the need to fight (back).
Once Wall Street settles down and adjusts to the Golden Age of America then they will do fine. You can always take your money out of the market and put it in a safe account.
America was built on Main Street. Wall Street still managed to make people wealthy. They will again once Main Street is rebuilt.
Got Gold? Protect your wealth.
People who claim that it’ll take “forever” to build up the American manufacturing sector fail to realize that the infrastructure is already there. Many factories and other facilities are simply empty and need to be cleaned up and restaffed. People act like we have to start from ground zero.
Infrastructure? where?
You have to take in to consideration the power grid. Black and brown outs are becoming more and more common nationwide as our aging energy infrastructure gets more overloaded all the time. More demands for energy are being made every day as more power generating plants are being closed.
You cant put the cart before the horse.
Without available, reliable. energy there can be no large increase in manufacturing. That means new Power Plants and updated power distribution systems. These take time and money.
It would be nice to see some real work started on modernizing and expanding our energy grid.
I realize President Trump has declared a National Energy Emergency. There is much talk about building Nuke plants and transmission infrastructure. Talk is cheap. lets see some action.
We may see coal-fired power plants restarted if idled or ramped up if operating at greatly reduced capacity to help with immediate needs for additional, reliable power. Remember President Trump mentioned “clean coal” very recently as a power source.
As for power distribution, it’s not clear if the stuff the Biden people were doing to strengthen the grid for renewables and EV charging demands was really helpful or not. My guess is they pissed money away and accomplished little to nothing.
That’s partially true. I am (was) a manufacturing guy. Many (most) of these abandoned factories are in such horrible condition that they really can’t be used anymore for manufacturing. Or the ceilings are too low or a million other things. Not near interstate, rail, etc. In most cases, it’s much cheaper , way faster and more practical to just start over.
On the other hand, these old buildings can often be rehabbed into restaurants, apartments, entertainment venues, etc.
I agree!
I have watched videos on how China
manufacturers….for example -clothing.
Example–Within a ten mile radius practically
everything is there….factory for thread, different
one for buttons, a different one for zippers.
The dye plant is there…the material-
Everything to make a clothing product is
there, and of course the main factory which
makes the product.
Everything thing needed to make clothing
being closer and more available =more
productive, efficient and cost savings.
Our south/southeast was once known for
high quality cotton items-sheets and towels.
Almost all industries that supported the
manufacturing was in that area.
Bad news….those factories are obsolete
Good news….we can start over…we can build
bigger,better,more modern,safe and efficient
factories! We can turn the tables–examine
the process and manufacture set up that China
and other countries have…and with our ingenuity
and innovative mindset…. we will make it even
better!
I just don’t understand all the doom and gloom.
I am looking forward to watching our Country
meet a challenge…rise up and exceed expectations!
👏👏👏
Happy warrior. 😁
This economic team is outstanding, and working overtime to bring back our wealth and keep it here.
Thank You!!
If pharmaceuticals and semiconductors aren’t at the very top of the list, they need to be. Totally vulnerable
About 6 months ago, I rode in a Ford EV….flimsy and no get up and go…cabin was noisy.
I had a 2024 loaner when my trans was replaced…flimsy…in spite of all the bells and whistles…The body seemed thinner than my older vehicle…the plastic parts in side the cabin, also thinner…
I did not feel safe in it…not in the least.
American auto manufacturers need to do better, IMHO.
The best thing was the heated steering wheel and heated seats.
Our Quokkarine!
I asked GROK What percent of GDP was from government spending.
—
GROK says:
For the most precise figure, it depends on the context:
If you mean federal spending only, it’s around 24% of GDP in 2024.
If you mean total government spending (federal, state, and local), it’s closer to 36-40% of GDP, based on the latest comprehensive estimates
—
Unseen commented:
unseen1
@unseen1_unseen
Grok says about 18% but I think that’s wrong since before they can spend it they must steal it from the private sector or print it out if thin air. So basically, you are looking at $2 trillion out of $27 trillion gdp, so I would say about 7.5% cutting that by half which is what elon says doge will do with get you to about 3.75% of gdp.
https://x.com/unseen1_unseen/status/1906379824156782726
A Quokka Song 🙂
Eyes Right…
We don’t have a trade imbalance with Canada excluding oil…
In 2024, the U.S. had a goods trade deficit with Canada of $63.3 billion, a decrease from the previous year, while the overall goods and services trade deficit was $35.7 billion, also down from 2023.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown:
Goods Trade Deficit:
The U.S. goods trade deficit with Canada was $63.3 billion in 2024, a 1.4% decrease from the previous year.
Goods and Services Trade Deficit:
The overall goods and services trade deficit with Canada was $35.7 billion in 2024, down from $40.6 billion in 2023.
Trade Surplus:
Canada had a merchandise trade surplus with the U.S. of $102.3 billion in 2024.
Energy’s Role:
The U.S. trade deficit with Canada is partly driven by American demand for Canadian oil; when oil exports are excluded, the U.S. has a trade surplus with Canada.
Canadian oil imported to the US: $131 billion
Maria is sooo annoying
The US imports 3.9 million barrels of oil from Canada which is 33% of the oil used in the US each day. Plus another 1.4 million barrels from Mexico.
How are we going to lower the cost of oil and gas in the US when 50% of our oil has a 25% tariff?
“In 2023, the United States imported nearly 3.9 million barrels of crude oil from Canada every day, with Canada being the primary source of US crude oil imports, accounting for roughly 60% of the total.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown:
Canada is the largest source of crude oil imports for the United States, with a significant portion of Canada’s oil exports going to the US.
2023 Imports: In 2023, the US imported nearly 3.9 million barrels of crude oil from Canada every day.
Percentage of US Imports: Canada accounted for approximately 60% of US crude oil imports in 2022. Other top sources: Mexico came in second at 10%, followed by Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Colombia.”
I thought the plan was:
End Ukraine War
Oil under $50
Inflation 2%
Interest rates 3%
DOGE cuts $1 trillion
Here’s an idea.
WHY DON’T WE LOG MORE ON OUR FEDERAL LANDS OUT WEST?
1. Provide jobs
2. Reduce fuel loads
3. Less fires, and smaller
4. Cheaper, local lumber
5. Less CO2 shipping lumber in from Canada
6. Less Federal monies for fire suppression
The Happy Warrior !
I always like listening to him.
I am a devoted supporter of President Trump and MAGA. I’m also a retired corporate exec of a Fortune 500 company, with degrees in Economics. Not an expert, but well versed in the dynamics of business, macro and micro, etc. His first term saw the use of tariffs that were done at a unique period in our economic history. The stock market boomed due to growth, but low due to cheap money. Inflation was very low and competition was coming from every corner of the globe. Investments opened up in energy just as fracking started its extraction and processing boom. Many tariffs placed by Trump were mitigated by a variety of cost and pricing strategies, which kept foreign manufactured goods from being rejected completely. Manufacturers also responded to the opportunity to reposition some manufacturing back into North America, with much of it built in Mexico due to flexible agreements for sending those products cheaply into the U.S. Now those same plants are at risk.
Today’s conditions are different, and I have concerns about what these tariffs could produce. Trump’s pro-tariff cheerleaders are pushing gas onto his fire. If President Trump overplays tariffs too harshly, companies may be forced to adjust their production and marketing to weather the storm verses invest in American facilities. Why?. The incentives just aren’t in front of companies now like they were in 2017. We are not in an era of cheap money, AND the federal debt has grown enormously, AND we have multiple expensive conflicts happening globally.
President Trump has a plan, no doubt. But his statements and positions change almost daily. The lurching back and forth may seem like deal making, but companies may not be willing to commit major new investment without strong confidence in predictable outcomes. It could cost them significant sales, but their better course could be scaling back U.S. products to meet inflated price demand while investing more into alternatives with Chinese and other international markets. Then they wait out PDJT until things go south. Which they could do if our economy seems resurgent inflation mixed with recession. I’m not saying that will happen, but an initial downturn is almost certain.
President Trump wants to push all the chips forward right now, betting that he can turn things around by the midterms. If he uses nuke level tariffs on the entire globe, I’m not confident in how that’s going to work out.
delete
They will pay lip service and pledge millions for US factories but they will just bid their time until Trump is gone. No one else has the spine to stand up to them like Trump.
Ford claims the tariffs will cause the price of an F150 to increase by $400.00
Really on a $50,000 vehicle
Dayum! Maria is looking rough.