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PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: President Donald J. Trump said in an interview that he is finalizing 200 tariff-related deals, projecting completion of negotiations in three to four weeks, and that Chinese dictator Xi Jinping has called.
👥 Who’s Involved: President Trump, President Xi Jinping, White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun.
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📍 Where & When: The information was shared in a TIME magazine interview on April 24, 2025, during a meeting at the White House.
💬 Key Quote: “Over the next three to four weeks, and we’re finished,” Trump said of the expected trade deals. “We’ll be finished.”
⚠️ Impact: The deals could substantially reduce foreign and domestic tariffs on terms more favorable to the U.S.
IN FULL:
President Donald J. Trump has told TIME magazine that he is completing 200 trade deals regarding tariffs, and foresees concluding negotiations within the next three to four weeks. During the interview, he was asked about Peter Navarro’s prediction of 90 tariff agreements in 90 days. Trump indicated that he has surpassed expectations, stating emphatically that 200 deals have been made.
Trump did not provide details regarding the specific countries involved or the terms of these agreements. He explained that he has engaged with various foreign representatives over recent weeks on tariffs and economic issues. “I would say, over the next three to four weeks, and we’re finished,” he said of the deals.
Regarding China, which currently faces the highest tariff rates imposed by the administration, Trump disclosed that President Xi Jinping has contacted him directly. He said he would not reach out to the Chinese dictator first, but said it was not “a sign of weakness” that Xi had called him. Instead, Trump insisted it was a sign of magnanimity.
Nevertheless, these remarks face dissent from Chinese officials. Before the publication of the TIME interview, Guo Jiakun from the Chinese Foreign Ministry claimed the U.S. depiction of active talks is “fake news.” On Friday, Jiakun again claimed that no tariff negotiations had occurred between China and the United States.
President Trump believes that the U.S. holds a decisive upper hand over China, a surplus economy, in any trade war, with the American market being much more important to Chinese exporters than the Chinese market is to American exporters.
“I am this giant store. It’s a giant, beautiful store, and everybody wants to go shopping there. And on behalf of the American people, I own the store, and I set prices, and I’ll say, if you want to shop here, this is what you have to pay,” he explained to TIME.
PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: A former New Mexico magistrate judge and his wife were arrested after allegedly harboring members of Venezuela’s violent Tren de Aragua criminal organization.
👥 Who’s Involved: Former Magistrate Judge Joel Cano, his wife Nancy Cano, and Venezuelan illegal immigrant and Tren de Aragua member Cristhian Ortega-Lopez.
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📍 Where & When: Las Cruces, New Mexico; arrests occurred late on Thursday, April 24.
💬 Key Quote: “Under President Trump, we have arrested over 150,000 aliens—including more than 600 members of the vicious Tren de Aragua gang,” Secretary of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) following the arrests, adding: “If you are here illegally and break the law, we will hunt you down, arrest you and lock you up. That’s a promise.”
⚠️ Impact: Both Canos are held without bond; Joel Cano has been barred from judicial office, and hearings are ongoing for the gang suspect.
IN FULL:
Former Magistrate Judge Joel Cano and his spouse, Nancy Cano, were taken into custody late Thursday in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and face charges related to allegations that the couple harbored illegal immigrant members of the violent Tren de Aragua gang. Joel Cano is being charged with evidence tampering, while his wife, Nancy, is being charged with conspiracy to tamper stemming from their relationship with a Venezuelan illegal immigrant and accused member of Tren de Aragua, Cristhian Ortega-Lopez.
Ortega-Lopez, detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last week, is accused of possessing firearms illegally and having links to the dangerous Venezuelan criminal gang. Tren de Aragua, designated as a terrorist organization by U.S. President Donald J. Trump, is known for violent activities in Venezuela. He was found living on the Canos’ property, which triggered the law enforcement actions against the couple, including an extensive ICE raid and search on their home on Thursday.
“Under President Trump, we have arrested over 150,000 aliens—including more than 600 members of the vicious Tren de Aragua gang,” Secretary of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote in a post late Thursday on X (formerly Twitter) following the arrests, adding: “If you are here illegally and break the law, we will hunt you down, arrest you and lock you up. That’s a promise.”
Before his judgeship commenced in 2010, Joel Cano served for over two decades in the police force. However, Cano was forced to resign from the bench following ICE’s arrest of Ortega-Lopez during a search on February 28. Notably, Ortega-Lopez entered the U.S. at the infamous Eagle Pass, Texas border crossing in December of 2023 during the illegal immigration crisis under former President Joe Biden. The Biden government subsequently released the Venezuelan illegal immigrant and alleged Tren de Aragua member due to overcrowding at a detention center.
Ortega-Lopez’s online presence showed him and others with firearms in a shooting range. It is illegal in the United States for illegal immigrants to own or possess a firearm or ammunition unless the weapon is for immediate export. The Venezuelan illegal immigrant is slated for a court appearance on April 30, with federal prosecutors deeming him a flight risk.
The New Mexico Supreme Court has also permanently banned Joel Cano from holding judicial office. It remains uncertain if the Canos will face further charges related to harboring illegal immigrants or supporting a foreign terrorist organization (FTO).
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