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‘Draconian’: Trump’s ‘Trade War’ Tariffs Will Increase Prices — and Inflation, Experts Say

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The White House on Friday afternoon announced that President Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs will go into effect almost immediately, starting at 12:01 AM Saturday. The tariffs — 25% on all goods from Canada and Mexico, and 10% on all goods from China — are being described as “draconian” and unnecessary. They sparked an immediate market selloff and are expected to cause prices to spike on common and essential items such as gas, groceries, beer, and even sneakers.

“If enacted,” writes Steven Greenhouse at The Guardian, “tariffs will increase inflation, slow economic growth, and result in US consumers footing the bill.”

Columbia University economics professor Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel prize winner in economic sciences, told The Guardian: “Virtually all economists think that the impact of the tariffs will be very bad for America and for the world.”

“They will almost surely be inflationary,” he added.

Gas prices are expected to jump as much as 70 cents per gallon, according to ABC News, which reports that a “seasonal price hike set to take effect within weeks” could mean consumers will be paying up to $1.00 more per gallon.

READ MORE: ‘This Could Be a Coverup’: Dem Senator Says Trump ‘Very Vulnerable’ Over Mid-Air Collision

“U.S. consumers grappling with soaring prices for beef and eggs will face even higher costs for meat, vegetables and fruit if President Donald Trump imposes tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports, economists and food industry executives said,” Reuters reported. “Consumers have struggled with high inflation since the COVID-19 pandemic and voted for Trump in part due to discontent with higher prices. Trump pledged to bring down costs for ordinary Americans.”

Washington Post economic columnist Heather Long said, “Trump’s trade war is here. Trump says today he will ‘absolutely’ be imposing tariffs on Europe soon, too.”

Earlier on Friday, Long noted that it “would truly be crazy for President Trump to slap a 25% tariff on ALL Canadian and Mexican imports. It would cost American families ~$800/year It would spike gas prices (which only last week Trump said were a ‘national emergency’ and needed to come down). US refineries *need* heavy crude from Canada & Mexico and currently imports ~4 million barrels a day. It would harm US manufacturing, esp. the auto industry.”

“The worst part?” she added: “Trump can get what he wants on the border without having to do this draconian step.”

Other experts say Americans could see annual cost increases of $1250.

Joey Politano, who writes about economics on Substack, mocked Trump’s tariff plans as “incredibly dumb.”

Trump explained that the tariffs announced Friday are just the start.

Some experts say Trump’s tariffs could also violate his own USMCA trade agreement, the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement, which is a revised version of NAFTA.

READ MORE: Former Trump Surgeon General Sounds Alarm on President’s Actions Amid Disease Outbreaks

“Tariffs at those levels and at that scope would effectively destroy the agreement that Trump himself negotiated and always brags about,’’ Scott Lincicome, a trade analyst at the libertarian Cato Institute, told the Associated Press.

There’s also another issue.

“The tariffs would also invite retaliation,” the AP also reported. “Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, has already vowed to counterpunch by pulling American alcohol off store shelves in the Canadian province – no idle threat; Canada is the world’s No. 2 market for America’s distilled spirits (behind the 27-nation European Union).”

Former Canadian Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland, running to become Canada’s prime minister, appeared to agree, and blasted Trump’s tariffs.

“I would publish a retaliation list,” said Freeland in a video (below). Noting that Canada is the United States’ “single biggest expert market — by a long shot,” Freeland said her country has “huge leverage” over the U.S.

“If Donald Trump slaps 25% tariffs on Canadian goods, we must hit back—dollar for dollar—starting with 100% tariffs on all Tesla vehicles and U.S. wine, beer, and spirits. We must protect Canadian workers and businesses.”

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt appeared unwilling to directly answer questions about Trump’s tariffs, instead attacking the media and insisting Trump has a broad economic plan with which he will implement tariffs, cut inflation, cut taxes, and expand oil production, all, apparently, while not negatively impacting Americans’ wallets.

Former U.S. Treasury senior spokesperson Megan Bates-Apper, responded to Leavitt’s above remarks: “The @WhiteHouse is already dodging questions on whether they will keep prices low for Americans. This isn’t exactly a gotcha…”

Anthony Scaramucci, the former Trump White House Director of Communications and a financier who owns the investment firm SkyBridge Capital, commented, “And on the 11th day Trump gave everyone a tax increase.”

Watch the videos above or at this link.

RELATED: New Trump Memo Claims DEI, Obama, and Biden ‘Decisions’ Linked to Fatal Aviation Disaster

 

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‘Flashing Red’: Jobs Report Sparks Expert Warnings of Recession — or Even Stagflation

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March 6, 2026

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Economic experts are stunned by the latest jobs report that found the Trump economy lost 92,000 jobs in February despite expectations of an increase of 50,000. Unemployment rose to 4.4 percent. Some are sounding the alarm that a recession — or even stagflation — could be on the way.

The Washington Post called the results “a striking loss signaling a warning flag for the economy.”

Describing the report as “grim,” NBC News called the loss of 92,000 jobs “a number that will raise alarms about the state of the economy.”

Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY News called the report “simply ugly.”

“The labor market is flashing red,” warned Professor of Economics Arin Dube.

READ MORE: Revealed: The Real Reason Kristi Noem Was Fired

“The economic story just changed dramatically,” declared Professor of Economics and frequent cable news guest Justin Wolfers. “Recession questions are back on the menu.”

Pointing to a chart that reads, “Job growth has stalled and may even be going backwards,” Wolfers responded, “This is not good.”

Navy Federal Credit Union chief economist Heather Long called the results “dismal.”

“Let me put this another way,” she continued. “The US economy has LOST jobs since April 2025. Total job gains since from May 2025 to February 2026 are now -19,000. Companies are not hiring in the face of all of these headwinds and uncertainty. And even healthcare is starting to slow down.”

Veteran finance reporter Ron Insana concluded, “Mini-stagflation remains the operating description of the current economic environment.”

“This is the ‘Welcome Back, Kotter’ economy!” Insana quipped. “It’s 1975 and the ‘sweathogs’ are in vogue … weak jobs and rising inflation bringing back stagflation like its 1975!”

READ MORE: Trump’s Iran War Triggers Gas Price Shock — Especially in Red America

 

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Revealed: The Real Reason Kristi Noem Was Fired

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March 5, 2026

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The rumor mill was spinning fast on Thursday as news reports from multiple outlets revealed President Donald Trump was considering firing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Within hours, he did, announcing the nomination of U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) as her replacement.

Some critics pointed to Noem’s damaging testimony before Congress this week, when she declared that President Trump had approved her spending $220 million in an ad campaign that, as one GOP senator said, boosted her name recognition. On Thursday, Trump told Reuters, “I never knew anything about it.”

The Wall Street Journal reported that the “final straw for Trump was Noem’s combative hearing Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The president watched the testimony and was apoplectic about her performance, telling advisers that evening he would remove her from the job, according to people familiar with the matter.”

READ MORE: ‘Dereliction of Duty’: Trump Officials Slammed Over Failure to ‘Keep Americans Safe’

But according to NBC News, Noem was not fired only because of her testimony.

“An administration official told NBC News that the president decided to fire Noem due to ‘a culmination of her many unfortunate leadership failures including the fallout in Minnesota, the ad campaign, the allegations of infidelity, the mismanagement of her staff, and her constant feuding with the heads of other agencies, including CBP and ICE,'” the news outlet reported.

The allegations of infidelity were in full swing during her congressional testimony, as U.S. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA) grilled the DHS chief.

“Secretary Noem, at any time during your tenure…have you had sexual relations with Corey Lewandowski?” the Congresswoman asked.

“That is garbage and it is offensive that you have brought that up,” Noem responded..

“It is about your judgment and decision-making,” Kamlager-Dove replied.

Lewandowski, according to Fox News, is also expected to exit DHS.

READ MORE: Trump’s Iran War Triggers Gas Price Shock — Especially in Red America

 

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‘Bad to Worse’: Mockery Ensues as Trump Trades Noem for ‘Erratic’ Mullin

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19 hours ago

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March 5, 2026

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President Donald Trump’s announcement that Republican U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin will become the new Secretary of Homeland Security — replacing embattled Kristi Noem — is drawing mockery.

CNN’s Kaitlan Collins reported that “Trump loves watching Mullin on TV and often praises him, which was a factor in this decision.”

Calling him “erratic” and “unstable,” California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom slammed Mullin’s nomination.

“Markwayne Mullin could not remember if we were at war THIS WEEK,” he said. “His state has one of the highest crime rates in the country — with a murder rate 40% higher than California’s. He literally tried to fight union workers during a hearing and told them to ‘shut your mouth.’ And said ‘I don’t want reality’ at a Senate hearing about race.”

The president may have another challenge ahead of him.

After dodging increasing calls for Noem’s impeachment over her controversial congressional testimony on Wednesday, he wrote that Mullin will be the new DHS Secretary as of March 31. Politico’s Kyle Cheney notes there are other factors at work.

According to Cheney, “it’s not clear how Trump can simply announce this is effective on March 31. Mullin is not Senate-confirmed and not eligible to become acting secretary under laws governing cabinet-level vacancies.”

If it’s a matter of getting enough Democrats to support Mullin, Trump can already count on the Senator from Pennsylvania.

“As a member of the Homeland Security Committee + Ranking Member of Subcommittee on Border Security: I’m not sure how many fellow Democrats will vote to support our colleague  @SenMullin as the next DHS Secretary, but I am AYE,” Democratic Senator John Fetterman wrote.

Meanwhile, critics continued to express opposition to the decision to hand the reins of the more than $100 billion federal agency to Mullin.

“Firing Noem to hire Markwayne Mullin is the definition of going from bad to worse,” declared Democratic strategist Max Burns.

Some pointed out that Mullin is the only current U.S. Senator to not hold a bachelor’s degree.

Others noted that he is “the same guy who was hiding from MAGA rioters during the January 6th insurrection.”

And some pointed to reports “showing him in violation of the STOCK Act.”

The progressive social media account The Tennessee Holler called Mullin “one of the biggest Trump sycophants in Congress.”

The Atlantic’s Norman Ornstein added, “That Markwayne Mullin is the dumbest member of the Senate was a qualification for Trump to choose him to head DHS.”

 

Image via Reuters

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