Trump Fucks up the Economy

[ChloeTzang]

Trouble is, are those red-hatted truckers capable of working out that it's the Fraudster's policies at fault, or will they just blame 'the libs' as usual?

At this point though it looks Like trump's support is solid. It's going to take Trump crashing the economy to be really visible to change that, and rather than moving back to the center, the Democrats are doubling down on going further extreme left. So it could well be a lose-lose outcome.

Either way, I suspect that by the end of the Trump era, we'll be in somewhat of a mess.

 

[ChloeTzang]

'Odd man out': Top Trump official 'planning to cut and run' as 'civil war' engulfs Cabinet​

Reports are stating Bessent is thinking of quitting.

“Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent may be planning to cut and run after Donald Trump’s disastrous ‘reciprocal tariff’ announcement earlier this week,” The New Republic reported. “During an appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe Friday, contributor Stephanie Ruhle reported that the key Cabinet member is already looking for an escape hatch.”

“My sources say that Scott Bessent is kind of the odd man out here and, in the inner circle that Trump has, he’s not even close to Scott Bessent or listening to him,” Ruhle said, TNR reported. “Some have said to me, he’s looking for an exit door to try to get himself to the Fed, because in the last few days he’s really hurting his own credibility and history in the markets.”

“Wall Street prizes stability, which is why Trump’s shambolic tariff rollout has wiped out trillions of dollars of market value,” Vanity Fair reported last week. “Executives say the on-again, off-again tariffs are evidence of a civil war engulfing Trump’s economic policy team. According to sources close to the White House, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick have been at odds over a tariff plan, with Bessent urging discipline and Lutnick encouraging Trump to go big. ‘The real war is between Howard and Scott,’ one of the sources said.”

And now, Bessent reportedly is urging caution on firing Powell.

According to a Politico report on Thursday, Bessent “has repeatedly cautioned White House officials that any attempt to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell would risk destabilizing financial markets, according to two people close to the White House granted anonymity to share details of private discussions.”

Adding some insight, Politico notes that “Bessent’s private message reinforces what President Donald Trump already knows but comes as the president’s anger with the Fed chair is growing because Powell hasn’t shown signs that he will cut interest rates soon. It also comes against the backdrop of widespread market turmoil over the administration’s far-reaching trade war.”

Not only has Powell not cut interest rates — which he historically has been very caution on doing — but CNN Business reported Thursday afternoon that mortgage rates just saw “the largest one-week jump” min over a year, and are have now climbed to the “highest level in two months as Trump’s tariffs continue to rock markets.”

Responding to Politico’s report, hedge fund founder and chief investment officer Spencer Hakimian writes, “Bessent hating his new job of being a full time babysitter. Just cleaning up Trump, Lutnick, Navarro, etc. diaper all day long.”

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/poli...S&cvid=0856c37db781419c98f43bd0e3278170&ei=14

 

[MajorRewrite]

Responding to Politico’s report, hedge fund founder and chief investment officer Spencer Hakimian writes, “Bessent hating his new job of being a full time babysitter. Just cleaning up Trump, Lutnick, Navarro, etc. diaper all day long.”

Thoughts and prayers for Bessent. If he didn’t know what he signed up for, he’s a moron. Of course, taking the job also certifies that he’s a moron.

If he quits, the Clown Show will become even more unhinged, which is hard to even imagine.

 

[DeluxAuto]

Trump's Approval Rating Worst Among Post-WWII Presidents

President Donald Trump had an average approval rating of 45 percent during the first quarter of his second term in the White House, according to an analysis of polling conducted by Gallup.

This was the second-lowest figure for any postwar president, with only Trump's first term performing worse when he averaged 41 percent approval at the same point of his presidency.

Newsweek contacted the White House press office for comment on Friday via email.

Why It Matters
Trump's approval rating will raise Republican eyebrows ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, when the GOP will fight to keep its narrow majorities in both the House and Senate.

 

[LLCox]

One guess as to who she's listening to.

 

[Politruk]

Decreasing truck traffic is guaranteed for a bunch of reasons, starting with rising fuel costs. Shipping companies were already going bankrupt before the trade war. With less trade and higher fuel costs, truck traffic from and to the west coast will continue falling for a while. Trains could gain some traffic, if there is enough coal left to make the rails, run the trains, and provide electricity for all the keyboard warriors ranting about green energy. There will be plenty of work for former truckers, in manufacturing, farming, and wars. The water wars between states could get violent.

It's all good, just make sure you suck up to Immortan Joe.

 

[ChloeTzang]

The water wars between states could get violent.

I better start stockpiling winter snow!!!! I'll get the dyhydrator out and start now.......

LOL. I have an old dehydrator I got off some survivalist down the road. It's great for dried fruit. Doing dried apples and apricots right now, after doing jars and jars and jars of pickled onions with chilli's. Hot as!!!! Yum! Himself had one from a jar I made a few weeks ago and beads of sweat began to appear on the first bite. I better tone down the next batch. LOL. Now, time to go make some bread!

 

[Politruk]

I better start stockpiling winter snow!!!! I'll get the dyhydrator out and start now.......

All you need to know you'll find in Revelation X: The "Bob" Apocryphon, Chapter 10, "X-Odus":

B: FOR THOSE WHO "CHOOSE" TO STAY BEHIND:
(i.e., SubGenii who "refuse to fall for it," and never send in that $30)

SUPPLIES TO STOCKPILE:

We could go on and on about water purification tablets, first aid kits, spare batteries, shortwave radios, flashlights, candles, propane stoves, gas masks, toilet tissue, strong disinfectants, survival food tabs, MREs, freeze-dried crap, duct tape, baby formula, emergency ponchos, etc., but WHO ARE WE KIDDING?? The ONLY THINGS you'll REALLY NEED are:

A. TONS OF GUNS and AMMO.
Especially the ammo. Amateurs are always stockpiling guns, and forget the massive amounts of ammo (casings, clips, powder, loaders) that'll also be needed.

B. POUNDS OF CRACK COCAINE.
Not for you! For your "soldiers."
With the above, you will find it easy to procure water, food, shelter, medicine, etc.

C. GALLONS OF LIQUID LSD.
For you, to keep you FANATICAL . . . to make you a LEADER!

HONE SURVIVALIST SKILLS that those other so-called 'complete survivalist manuals' don't mention.

Learn how to deal with ANYTHING. Memorize science "fiction" movies like Road Warrior. The future will be at minimum that bad no matter WHAT else happens on X-Day. Learn how to subsist on radiation. PLAN YOUR FOOD SUPPLY. Learn which parts of your neighbors are edible. You might even consider starting an orphanage now, just to assure yourself a decent cache of meat when the need arises. Buy land and fence it -- a real fence, the kind that'll bring a tear to the eye of a Colombian druglord. Build two entrances: one heavily guarded main gate, and a hidden escape tunnel. Put a huge, well-lit, well-guarded, luxurious-looking house in the middle, and a small, comfortable, hidden house near the escape route. Live in the little secret house. During the insurrections of the End Days, you'll be able to sit back, free from worry, and spend your spare time gunning down the panicked Normals who try to break in. Guaranteed fun for the whole family!

 

[ChloeTzang]

SUPPLIES TO STOCKPILE:

We could go on and on about water purification tablets, first aid kits, spare batteries, shortwave radios, flashlights, candles, propane stoves, gas masks, toilet tissue, strong disinfectants, survival food tabs, MREs, freeze-dried crap, duct tape, baby formula, emergency ponchos, etc., but WHO ARE WE KIDDING?? The ONLY THINGS you'll REALLY NEED are:

A. TONS OF GUNS and AMMO.
Especially the ammo. Amateurs are always stockpiling guns, and forget the massive amounts of ammo (casings, clips, powder, loaders) that'll also be needed.

This is true. As my husband said, "forget dehydrating snow, Chloe. We will simply shoot the neighbors and drink their blood....cuts down on the MRE's we need to. Blood is nutritious."

 

[ChloeTzang]

Here's a few doozies indicatimg where we're going...... This is just a selection. I'm seeing more and more of these. Business big and small are being hit and laying off workers, with sales disappearing. And the disappearance of Chinese imports will not een begin until mid-May and it won't hit hard until July and August.

And even if Trump reversed course tonight, which is unlikely, the trust has gone. Ships have been or re being reallocated. US companies will go bankrupt ot closes and there will be no business kmoving to US companies because there are either none or theirprices will go up as well. Manufacturers overseas will demand payment up front to eliminate the risk of sudden tariff reimpositions and order cancellations. Cash on the nail. Target, Walmart and Costco sheves will start emptying and they will be laying off workers. Truckers will not have business. Ports will be seeimg reduced volumes. Rail freight will reduce. Tourism is way down and dropping like a stone.

My take is that things will get so bad that Congress is going to have to take a tough decision here and move to impeach and removed Trump and Vance to stop our economy nose-diving into the ground. If they don't. we WILL nose-dive into the ground and we may anyhow. There is no easy way out of the chaos and damage Trump is inflicting.

'Everything is stuck': US companies say 'buyers disappeared overnight' due to Trump policy​

Ramper Innovations, a manufacturer of airplane equipment, is paralyzed under President Donald Trump’s self-inflicted economic disruptions. Business owner Tim Fulton was churning out fold-up conveyor belts for airplanes when Trump’s tariffs hit a few weeks ago. He said he “was floored at the size of the tariffs” and the chaos of their application. Trump pointedly targeted Mexico and Canada, and raw materials like steel and aluminum.
But then other nations responded with reciprocal tariffs, prompting a trade war wherein Trump bounced Chinese import tariffs up to 145 percent. “Even though Ramper makes its products in the United States and buys as much of its components as possible from American companies, there is no getting around the tariffs. Some essential parts, such as motorized and static rollers from Japan, are only available overseas. The raw materials needed to build other critical parts are also imported. Most of Ramper’s U.S. suppliers rely on imports for some part of their supply chain,” The Times reports.

Tariffs appear to wax and wane depending on a president’s mood, so Fulton made a guess and raised his prices 17 percent. He also had to warn customers that the price may rise again depending on White House mood.
Customers balked both at the new costs and the uncertainty of the final price, and a “robust pipeline of interested buyers disappeared overnight.” Additionally, potential investors turned “gun-shy,” fearing investment in a company so “at the mercy of arbitrary tariff policies.” “I feel like things have ground to a halt,” said Fulton, who started the company in 2019 after working 38 years as a ramp agent, an airline ground crew member who loads and unloads baggage.

Fulton is now consulting a bankruptcy lawyer.

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/money/top...TS&cvid=cd622f01207740a787451b0ed9d5a01b&ei=9

Steel manufacturer fires workers and blames Trump tariffs​

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported Thursday that 630 steelworkers in Minnesota are about to lose their jobs. Steel manufacturer Cleveland-Cliffs, which is based in Ohio, announced that the layoffs will be at the company's operations in the Minnesota towns of Hibbing and Virginia. Those facilities specialize in steel pellets used in auto manufacturing, and Cleveland-Cliffs said they will be subjected to "temporary idles" in order to "rebalance working capital needs and consume excess pellet inventory produced in 2024."

Earlier this month, Trump announced he would be imposing new 25% tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. The Star-Tribune reported that while steelmakers like Cleveland-Cliffs expect a boost to their business as a result of the higher prices on their foreign competitors, the auto industry is still largely unprepared to shift production to the United States with new tariffs on imports from Canada, China and Mexico fast approaching in April.

https://www.alternet.org/steel-workers-trump-tariffs/

 

[ChloeTzang]

Meanwhile in Cloud Cuckoo Land....

5-10 million small businesses are dependent on Chinese imports. It will take years to reduce that dependancy, altho it's probably not even possible. It will only take month or two to kill them and that window has pretty much gone already as based on where we are niw, the switch cannot easily be flipped back. Most of these businesses will shut down and go bankrupt. Long-term doesn’t really matter too much if your business doesn’t survive.

Loeffler’s spin ignores reality. The SBA’s own data shows 72% of small businesses report tariff “whiplash” disrupting operations—forcing them to choose between raising prices or slashing margins. This isn’t “leveling the field”—it’s kneecapping Main Street while D.C. flip-flops on exemptions. The 90-day pause didn’t fix the chaos: semiconductors exempted one day, tariffed the next.

 

[SluttyTheresa]

Even the billionaire backers of Trump now think he is an incompetent idiot.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/mar...s-wall-street-roiled-by-trade-war/ar-AA1CrKoo

Trump fucks up everything. What can you expect from a guy who bankrupt his own casinos.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Supermarket chain tells suppliers it 'won't accept cost increases' over tariffs​

Albertsons, which operates more than 2,200 supermarkets and is the second-biggest grocery chain in the continent, drew a hard line with it suppliers last month. The Idaho-based company - advised they will not tolerate any unauthorized price spikes. 'To maintain transparency and ensure consistency across our supply chain, we are writing to clarify our Company's policy regarding how these tariffs should be handled in our ongoing partnership, Albertsons wrote in a letter obtained by BIG. 'Our customers rely on us for our competitive pricing and quality products, and we are committed to maintaining the value proposition our customers expect.'

Albertsons acknowledged that hiked-up foreign taxes may put pressure on many businesses, but suppliers are not to include tariff-related fees in their invoices without the chain's approval. 'Therefore, with few exceptions, we are not accepting cost increases due to tariffs,' the message reads. The company explained that if a supplier absolutely must increase their costs, they have to provide at least 90 days notice before billing Albertsons any differently. Suppliers must also provide valid proof that tariffs really are increasing the price of their products. Albertsons will then look over the request, which could take another month before it gets okayed or denied.

Albrtsonsis being ridiculous. You can't expect foreign suppliers to operate at or below costs in a very tight margin industry and with the sizes of some of the tariffs there;s no way suppliers can absorb them. If they're US suppliers who import, ditto. And most supermarket chains don't import themseles. They buy from importers. So if they're trying to force the importers to absorb those tariffs, they're going to have empty shelves really soon because anything not made or grown in the US is going to start drying up or skyrocketing in price. And of Albertsons takes that approach, they'll be closing down or looking like a Russian supermarket in the USSR era.

My grandad is in this business, he has a small chain, and he sells some chinese and other foreign stuff (go figure LOL). I asked him and he's planning to just let the imported stock run out and not replace it. Stick with US made and grown until everything has settled down, however lomg that takes, which will reduce the range available but he's not willing to accept crazy prices and tariffs one day, no tariffs the next and risk not being able to sell it and taking a loss. It's a business with tight margins based on volume. He'll probably have to lay people off as well if prices go whacky.

Trump has done exactly the opposite of what he promised and the price increases he has forced upon the American consumer is solely upon him. Anyhow, I'm stocking up on my soy and hoi-sin sauce, and a few other chinese things while they're still around, as well as my Japanese rice!!!!!! Just bought bags and bags and bags of japanese rice and threw it in the wine cooler. LOL

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/money/top...04630c96d4426a8a0d1e07d87ef9ca&ei=21#comments

 

[ChloeTzang]

The writing was on thr wall, the poorly planned and ill conceived roll-out of the whipsaw tariff plan will have devastating consequences. Short on supply, orders will go unfilled. Shelves will have yuge gaps, gaps like we've never seen before- actually, we did, 5 years ago - no lessons learned. This will affect every American, except the 1%, but mostly those on the low end of the economic spectrum. Stay tuned, more to come.

yep. I woild recommend some serious stockpiling just to be on the safe side. Have to go get some more ammo. LOL. Toilet paper for example, is made in the USA but from eucalyptus pulp imported from Brazil. 10% tariff. But it comes in Chinese ships so the new penalty on Chinese ships will apply.

 

[SluttyTheresa]

Trump's Approval Rating Worst Among Post-WWII Presidents

President Donald Trump had an average approval rating of 45 percent during the first quarter of his second term in the White House, according to an analysis of polling conducted by Gallup.

This was the second-lowest figure for any postwar president, with only Trump's first term performing worse when he averaged 41 percent approval at the same point of his presidency.

Newsweek contacted the White House press office for comment on Friday via email.

Why It Matters
Trump's approval rating will raise Republican eyebrows ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, when the GOP will fight to keep its narrow majorities in both the House and Senate.

Trump is the biggest mistake in the political history of the country.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Here ya go.....

It was a mistake to offshore industry, it destroyed businesses, towns and lives but repatriating everything that was offshore will takes years, and a lot of planning and preparation. This knee-jerk reaction strategy was a disaster right from the start, will likely lead to Trump leading the GOP to electoral disaster, and, well, the immediate prognosis is not good at all.

It's way too late to flip the switch and roll this one back.

 

[MajorRewrite]

Here ya go.....

It was a mistake to offshore industry, it destroyed businesses, towns and lives but repatriating everything that was offshore will takes years, and a lot of planning and preparation. This knee-jerk reaction strategy was a disaster right from the start, will likely lead to Trump leading the GOP to electoral disaster, and, well, the immediate prognosis is not good at all.

It's way too late to flip the switch and roll this one back.


View attachment 2533067

The Seattle Times has a detailed report: Tariff tit-for-tat has Seattle waiting for the ships to come in

Importers spent the last few months bringing in extra merchandise in anticipation of tariffs, so it will probably be July or August before shortages appear.

I figure the overall economic impact of Trump tariffs won’t show up until about October. Economic change happens slowly and the US economy has a lot of positive momentum from the Biden era.

 

[Politruk]

Here ya go.....

It was a mistake to offshore industry, it destroyed businesses, towns and lives but repatriating everything that was offshore will takes years, and a lot of planning and preparation.

It was done because the labor is cheaper in Third World countries.

That is not about to change.

 

[Lazaran]

It was a mistake to offshore industry,

Um, it wasn’t a zero sum proposition:

1) The U.S. enjoyed lower prices.

2) The U.S. enjoyed the environmental benefits of SOME heavy industry, manufacturing, and textile operations being offshored.

3) The U.S. became more of a financial-technical-agricultural-innovation centric economy. (Other countries want / wanted to be "US”.)

4) Relatively speaking, the U.S. (and its citizens) was doing alright.

5) Many working Americans’ retirements benefit / benefited from investments in companies who have oversea / offshore operations.



Side note:

The U.S. would NEVER have made some of the trade deals, etc, involving heavy industry , manufacturing, and textiles if there wasn’t some serious upside / benefits for the U.S.

It is / was what it is / was.



Also:

We. Told. Them. So.

 

[Fuzzy1975]

It was done because the labor is cheaper in Third World countries.

That is not about to change.

This is how capitalism works....lower cost, increase profit. It's the "American" way!!

 

[ChloeTzang]

Um, it wasn’t a zero sum proposition:

1) The U.S. enjoyed lower prices.

2) The U.S. enjoyed the environmental benefits of SOME heavy industry, manufacturing, and textile operations being offshored.

3) The U.S. became more of a financial-technical-agricultural-innovation centric economy. (Other countries want / wanted to be "US”.)

4) Relatively speaking, the U.S. (and its citizens) was doing alright.

5) Many working Americans’ retirements benefit / benefited from investments in companies who have oversea / offshore operations.

Oh yeah, there were trade-offs, but essentially we became less protectionist and off-shored jobs in return for keeping prices down, strip-mining American industry and destroying towns, jobs and industries in return for corporate profit.

 

[Lazaran]

Oh yeah, there were trade-offs, but essentially we became less protectionist and off-shored jobs in return for keeping prices down, strip-mining American industry and destroying towns, jobs and industries in return for corporate profit.

There were costs. - There were benefits.

Full stop.

Did the costs ACTUALLY outweigh the benefits???



We. Told. Them. So.

 

[ChloeTzang]

There were costs. - There were benefits.

Full stop.

Did the costs ACTUALLY outweigh the benefits???

Yep. And a lot of big companies would say yes, ignorimg the social and societal costs, which don't show up in the corporate balance sheet. Personally, I think it was a bad move - lower labor costs in some 3rd world shithole should not be what we aspire to compete with, because some 3rd world shithole can always do it cheaper.

I believe repatriating a good part of what has been offshored is a good idea and selective tariffs and protectionism are a good way to do that but what Trump has done is just frigging insane. As we are all about to find out.....says one of the involuntary guinea-pigs to another involuntary guinea-pig. Squeak squeak LOL

 

[MajorRewrite]

Oh yeah, there were trade-offs, but essentially we became less protectionist and off-shored jobs in return for keeping prices down, strip-mining American industry and destroying towns, jobs and industries in return for corporate profit.

Offshoring didn’t happen because of anything the government did. It happened because third-world nations developed enough to gain manufacturing expertise, and US corporations decided it was cheaper and easier to build things overseas.

That was the wrong decision for the long-term viability of many of those corporations, but CEOs are heavily influenced by Wall Street’s obsession with short term profits.

The government didn’t oppose it (due to faith in the free market) but they didn’t cause it either.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Looks like a LOT of small businesses are weeks to a few months away from going under and at this point there's very little that can be done to reverse this. Tragic.

An economic lesson from the ages about to be relearnt I guess. No amount of blusterimg can get Trump out of this mess.

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/money/top...S&cvid=d59bc748feb446139f8186fa159b81b5&ei=70