Today, President Donald J Trump signed an executive order triggering the first ever system of “reciprocal trade tariffs,” a seismic change in U.S. trade policy that will also consider the respective nation’s VAT (Value Added Tax) tariff.

Within the executive order [as outlined], the Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative will consider foreign industry subsidies, and non-monetary tariff barriers as part of the determination of the tariff levied.  This is a stunning shift in U.S trade agreements that will cut through all the angles being deployed to avoid U.S. tariffs and block U.S exports into their country.

The policy will pressure foreign nations to lower their trade barriers to U.S. goods and eliminate disparity in foreign trade agreements.  One big example will be the impact on the EU through the continuing Marshall Plan.  The EU will now face reciprocal tariffs and no longer benefit from one-way tariff acceptance. There are obviously no tariffs on products made inside the USA.

With “reciprocal tariffs” the Commerce Dept and USTR will now determine the trade imbalances with each individual country and will evaluate each FTA (Free Trade Agreement), one-by-one to deconflict the trade imbalance.  Direct tariffs, subsidies, regulatory hurdles, non-monetary trade barriers and hidden export subsidies will be addressed as part of the reciprocity evaluation.  This is a completely new dynamic in the era of modern global trade and economics.

During the executive order signing event, President Trump took questions from the media. WATCH:

Between now and April 1st, each individual trade agreement will be evaluated with consideration for all facets of the cost for American companies to export to the evaluated nation.  Direct tariffs, Value Added Taxes (VAT), state subsidies and non-monetary regulatory tariff barriers, will be determined for each nation.  That nation will then be made aware of the tariff against each sector within their export system to the United States.

Effective April 2, 2025, President Trump will then have the tariff data provided by the USTR and Secretary of Commerce. President Trump will determine when the reciprocal tariff will be triggered and will likely engage in discussions with the leaders of the foreign nations.

These fireside chat-style impromptu pressers during executive order signings are awesome.  The revolutionary change in government transparency and communication is, well, quite literally historic and stunning.  The media can ask questions in real-time as the specific policy is implemented and explained, while simultaneously the ability of the media to shape an anti-Trump policy narrative is removed.

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If you have followed the arc of Tech, Peter Thiel recruiting JD Vance, the creation of Palantir, the funding of Vance’s senatorial run, and eventually the roadmap to connect Vance to Trump, this is a video speech you absolutely must not miss. JD Vance was sent to the AI Summit for a reason.

JD Vance talks at the AI summit in Paris, France, about his core mission, his core purpose inside current political influence. This is the very origin of his legacy, unfolding in real time. Vice-President JD Vance talks about Artificial Intelligence, the future and the Trump administration position.

Vice President JD Vance warned European leaders against heavily regulating U.S. tech companies and said excessive efforts by the European Union to regulate artificial intelligence could stymie its growth, during an AI summit in Paris Tuesday that marks his first foreign trip since taking office. WATCH:

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Do you feel more or less confident about the future, having watched these remarks?

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Get ready for a key geopolitical battle; the fight to end the Marshall Plan.

Since the end of World War II, the USA has permitted a system of one-way trade rules that allowed Europe to rebuild on the backs of the American economy.  A series of trade tariffs against U.S. goods was imposed to raise funds for the reconstruction.  Those tariffs never ended; the Marshall Plan continues through today.

Additionally, as a measure to allow the EU to focus internally, the USA provided most of the national security protection for the entire region and the American taxpayer funded U.S. military operations throughout Europe so the EU could spend defense money on their rebuilding.   Again, that never really ended; and the USA maintains the largest majority of NATO military spending.

President Trump has stated his intention to reset both dynamics.  To lower the USA footprint within NATO, demand every NATO member meet its financial obligations, and to reset the trade and tariff system to create equity and reciprocity; thereby effectively ending the Marshall Plan.

The aggregate European Union does not like this Trump trade agenda, nor are they willing to spend more on their own defense.  Today, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held a press briefing where she spoke about the looming negotiations with President Trump, and stated the EU will never permit financial, economic or military equity.  The EU will fight any effort to stop the Marshall Plan. WATCH:

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There are trillions at stake.

It is always, always, about the economics of the thing.

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President Trump signs a batch of Executive Orders and takes questions from the assembled press pool in the oval office.

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Today at 10:30am former North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum will appear before the Senate Energy Committee as part of his confirmation process for Interior Secretary.  Livestream Links Below: 

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Senate confirmation hearings for President Trump cabinet nominations continue today.

10 a.m.: Scott Turner, secretary of housing and urban development. Lee Zeldin, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Doug Burgum, interior secretary. 10:30 a.m.: Scott Bessent, Treasury secretary.

♦ Scott Turner, a former football player who served as a midlevel official in the first Trump administration, has been elevated as Mr. Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

♦ Former Representative Lee Zeldin of New York previously made an unsuccessful run for governor in the state in 2022. Now he has been tapped by President Trump to carry out his environmental policy and remove excessive climate regulations at the Environmental Protection Agency.

♦ Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum made a $1 billion fortune in the tech industry before running for governor. Burgum, who has longstanding ties to oil and gas companies will seek to fulfill the “drill baby drill” energy independence policy expressed by candidate Trump. Burgum would be in charge of managing vast swaths of federal land and coastal waters in the Interior Department, as well as leases of those lands for oil and gas drilling.

♦ Scott Bessent is a billionaire hedge fund manager who has been a central economic adviser to Mr. Trump as the president-elect created a campaign agenda centered on raising tariffs on imported goods. Mr. Bessent, who will oversee some of America’s most powerful economic levers in the Treasury Department, has called for rolling back government subsidies, deregulating the economy and raising domestic energy production.

Burgum and Bessent will get the majority of attention from the ‘resistance’ democrats and the Moonbats amid their climate change base.

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President Trump called in for an interview with Newsmax where he outlines his perspective on the “mess” that has been left by the outgoing administration of Joe Biden.  The end of an error.

In the first segment of this interview President Trump discusses the impact of a chaotic foreign policy that has created fires and problems all over the globe.  Additionally, Trump outlines his priorities on Day #1 to get border security measures back into place and immediately begin deporting the massive numbers of illegal aliens Joe Biden has allowed to “pour into our country.”

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In the second segment below, President Trump responds to the ongoing California wildfires and the conflicts with Governor Gavin Newsom.

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Vice President JD Vance appears on Fox News Sunday to discuss current events and political intents for the Trump-Vance administration.

Starting with a pledge to make sure an efficient FEMA responds to the needs of California fire victims, Vance then moves on to discuss the border objective on day #1, the deportation agenda and the measures the Trump administration will take to shut down the open southern border.

Vance then moves to discussing the economic agenda and onto the objectives of the Trump administration to pardon January 6th detainees.  For those J6 protestors who committed “acts of violence,” there will be no sympathy.  However, for those who are incarcerated simply for walking through the Capitol building, pardons will be considered.  WATCH:

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In the nation of Moldova, the left bank of the Dniester (Nistru) River is home to 360,000 citizens in the Russia-controlled region of Transnistria. To the right side of the dividing line made by the Dniester is the western/EU allied side of Moldova.

The Russian energy company, Gazprom, provides gas to Transnistria through Ukraine. The gas is subsidized by Russia, so the Russian-allied citizens of Transnistria do not pay market prices; in fact, the gas is provided free. However, the gas into Transnistria is also used to power the Moldavskaya GRES power plant, which generates electricity for both banks of the Dniester. In essence, the “free” Russian gas is provided to both the pro-Russia and anti-Russia elements in the region.

The contract for the transit of Russian gas into Transnistria through Ukraine’s territory expires on January 1, 2025. Despite the war between Russia and Ukraine, gas transit and the contract signed in 2019 have continued. However, Ukraine under Zelenskyy has repeatedly said they do not plan to extend the gas transit agreement with Gazprom. This is a way for Zelenskyy, technically NATO, to create anxiety and crisis in the region.

The western aligned government of Moldova have been demanding that Russia withdraw all military and influence from the Transnistria region, meanwhile the Transnistria local governing officials are requesting Moscow to keep the flow of Russian gas ongoing. Observers have noted, “It looks stupid to ask for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Transnistria and meanwhile request Russia to continue to give free gas to the region.”

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The NATO war in Ukraine is essentially lost. Russia holds the strongest position against Kyiv and its supporters. President Donald Trump is set to take office in the USA raising new questions over Europeans’ trade relations, elimination of the Marshal Plan, and EU spending on their own common defense. Then add the slow-motion collapse of Trudeau’s Canadian government, and consider…

…Hungary has rebuked the Brussels control agenda. Georgia has rejected NATO and the EU’s manipulation. The government of France, essentially Germany’s most powerful partner leading the European Union, collapsed on a few short weeks ago. And now Germany, Europe’s largest economy, will be in the hands of a caretaker government until they can organize elections early next year.

When the control mechanisms of the totalitarian left fail, we see the machinery tremoring slowly, slowly, until suddenly, all at once it freezes.

GERMANY – The German government collapsed on Monday as Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a confidence vote in Parliament, deepening a crisis of leadership across Europe at a time of mounting economic and security challenges.

[…] On Monday, German lawmakers voted to dissolve the existing government by a vote of 394 to 207, with 116 abstaining.

Coming just nine months before parliamentary elections had been scheduled to happen, the vote was an extraordinary moment for Germany. The elections, now expected on Feb. 23, will be only the fourth snap election in the 75 years since the modern state was founded. The moment reflects a new era of more fractious and unstable politics in a country long known for durable coalitions built on plodding consensus.

Mr. Scholz had little choice but to take the unusual step of calling for the confidence vote after his three-party coalition splintered in November, ending months of bitter internal squabbling and leaving him without a parliamentary majority to pass laws or a budget.

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