2 months ago
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PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: President Donald J. Trump has announced new tariffs aimed at promoting fair trade and supporting American workers and businesses. Research shows tariffs boosted the economy in his first term.
👥 Who’s Involved: President Donald Trump, U.S. International Trade Commission, Economic Policy Institute, U.S. steel producers, American consumers.
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📍 Where & When: United States, pledge made on the 2024 campaign trail and following President Trump’s inauguration.
💬 Key Quote: “Following implementation of Sec. 232 measures in 2018—and prior to the global downturn in 2020—U.S. steel output, employment, capital investment, and financial performance all improved,” the Economic Policy Institute reports.
⚠️ Impact: The tariffs resulted in reduced imports, increased domestic production, job creation, and investments in new or upgraded steel facilities.
IN FULL:
For the first time in several decades, the U.S. is poised to redefine its trade dynamics as President Donald J. Trump introduces tariffs aimed at equalizing trade conditions for American industries and American workers. This strategic move, reminiscent of actions taken during his first administration, aims to bolster economic growth.
Research conducted on the impact of tariffs from President Trump’s first term suggests that these measures fortified the U.S. economy. A 2024 study highlighted that tariffs resulted in significant reshoring in sectors such as manufacturing and steelmaking, while a 2023 U.S. International Trade Commission report revealed that tariffs curtailed imports from China and promoted local production.
The report indicated minor downstream price effects, aligning with findings by the Economic Policy Institute, which emphasized that the tariffs did not exacerbate inflation and had a negligible impact on prices overall.
“Following implementation of Sec. 232 measures in 2018—and prior to the global downturn in 2020—U.S. steel output, employment, capital investment, and financial performance all improved,” the Economic Policy Institute stated. This period saw U.S. steel producers commit over $15.7 billion to new or upgraded facilities, generating approximately 3,200 jobs.
A further analysis conducted by the Atlantic Council points to a potential increase in domestic product purchases prompted by tariffs. The Treasury Secretary under the Biden regime, Janet Yellen, supported this stance, stating that consumer prices would not significantly rise as a result of tariffs.
A separate 2024 economic analysis projected that a global 10 percent tariff could stimulate $728 billion in economic growth, create 2.8 million jobs, and lift real household incomes by 5.7 percent.
During President Trump’s first term, tariffs bolstered the iron ore industry in Minnesota, supported thousands of new jobs, led to investments exceeding $10 billion, and decreased steel and aluminum imports by nearly one-third from 2016 to 2020.
PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: New polling shows Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a prominent America First conservative, soundly defeating Senator John Cornyn, a “moderate” who opposed President Donald J. Trump’s 2024 candidacy, in a GOP Senate primary race.
👥 Who’s Involved: Ken Paxton, John Cornyn, pollsters Fabrizio, Lee & Associates.
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📍 Where & When: Polling was conducted from January 28 to February 2 among 600 likely Texas primary voters.
💬 Key Quote: “John Cornyn has waved the white flag on election integrity, border security, protecting the 2nd amendment, and everything else constitutional conservatives care about.” — Ken Paxton.
⚠️ Impact: Cornyn’s ouster would strengthen the America First movement in the Senate, where establishment Republicans such as the outgoing Mitch McConnell, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski still hold significant sway.
IN FULL:
A recent poll by Fabrizio, Lee & Associates shows Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has strong support among GOP primary voters, signaling his potential to oust incumbent Senator John Cornyn in a future U.S. Senate race. An initial ballot had Paxton leading Cornyn 53 percent to 28 percent, while a second “informed ballot,” after respondents had been given more information about the pair, increased the margin to 70 percent against just 14 percent.
Paxton, a MAGA stalwart who describes Cornyn as a representative of “the Bush wing of the GOP,” has gained favor with grassroots Texas Republicans for his aggressive lawsuits challenging Biden government policies on immigration and election integrity.
Cornyn, a Senator since 2002, portrays himself as a so-called “moderate” who supports President Donald J. Trump. However, critics—including Paxton—argue he is a Republican in name only, or RINO, who initially opposed the America First leader’s efforts to regain the White House and refused to challenge the lawfare prosections leveled against him by the Biden Justice Department and state Democrats. Previously, he has opposed President Trump’s border wall, and he is currently counter-signaling his tariff policies.
D.C. scuttlebutt: One-time Trump campaign chief Chris LaCivita is going (back) to work for routine Trump-basher John Cornyn?
You can't have it both ways, Chris.
Either you're running the RNC and the "outside political operation" for @realDonaldTrump, or you're backing his…
— Raheem. (@RaheemKassam) March 5, 2025
“John Cornyn condemned the House GOP for investigating Soros-backed DA Alvin Bragg’s political persecution of President Trump,” Paxton said in March, arguing the incumbent “was always desperate for the bogus witch hunt to succeed.”
He went further in early 2024, describing Cornyn as a Republican who “has waved the white flag on election integrity, border security, protecting the 2nd amendment, and everything else constitutional conservatives care about.”
Angela Paxton, Ken’s wife and a Texas state senator since 2018, is a key political ally of her husband in the Lone Star state, often energizing his base with her public appearances and evangelical ties through their founding of Stonebriar Community Church.
🚨 BREAKING: New Poll shows Ken Paxton would DEMOLISH John Cornyn in a primary for U.S. Senate in Texas:
Initial Ballot:
Paxton 53%
Cornyn 28%
Informed Ballot
Paxton 70%
Cornyn 14%
Source: Frabrizio, Lee and Associates
1/28/25-2/2/2026
N=600 Texas GOP Likely Primary Voters pic.twitter.com/Rr5wwZVRej
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 2, 2025
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