Sunday 13th of April 2025
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market crash and how to lose money....

US Democratic Senator Adam Schiff has called on Congress to investigate President Donald Trump for possible insider trading and market manipulation following his abrupt trade policy U-turn. Global stocks soared after the president paused the imposition of tariffs on a multitude of countries this week.

On Wednesday, Trump announced a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs against US trade partners, lowering duties to a flat 10% rate. The only exception was China, which he hit with an increase to 125% following Beijing’s tariff hike on US goods to 84%. Immediately after the announcement, US stock markets posted near-record gains after a week-long slump.

Mere hours before the announcement, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform: “BE COOL! Everything is going to work out well,” followed by, “THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!! DJT,” referencing his media company’s stock ticker. The timing of his posts, the pause and the resulting market rally sparked speculation about market manipulation online, which became even more heated after White House aide Margo Martin posted a video of Trump praising financier Charles Schwab for making billions during the rally.

“Trump removed many of the tariffs he had imposed in this on-again, off-again… kind of policy. This has just wreaked havoc on the markets,” Schiff said in his video address posted on X. “But there is another profound danger as well, and that is insider trading within the White House.”

“The question is, who knew what the president was going to do? And did people around the president trade stock knowing the incredible gyration the market was about to go through?” he added. Schiff went on to accuse Trump of corruption, citing his family’s crypto trading and the “conflicted self-dealing” of ally, billionaire Elon Musk.

“We in Congress need to do more than demand answers. We need to do the oversight necessary to get those answers… We’re going to get to the bottom of this,” he pledged.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt earlier claimed that the tariff reversal was part of Trump’s broader negotiation strategy, calling it his “art of the deal.” The White House has so far made no comment on Schiff’s call for a congressional probe.

Other Democrats also voiced concerns. “The President of the United States is literally engaging in the world’s biggest market manipulation scheme,” the House Democratic Financial Services Committee wrote on X, in response to Trump’s “Time to buy” post.

Rep. Steven Horsford of Nevada openly questioned whether the pause amounted to market manipulation during a House hearing with Trump’s trade representative, Jamieson Greer on Wednesday.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called for all lawmakers to disclose recent stock purchases.

“I’ve been hearing some interesting chatter on the floor,” she wrote on X. “Disclosure deadline is May 15th. We’re about to learn a few things. It’s time to ban insider trading in Congress.”

https://www.rt.com/business/615534-trump-congress-probe-tariffs/?ysclid=m9bwa4covx276847506

 

YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.

 

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

 

nutcrackers....

The German company Steinbach Volkskunst has created a popular nutcracker doll depicting Donald Trump at his desk in the Oval Office. Priced at $379, the doll's cost may rise due to impending tariffs imposed by the real-life US president, posing a significant challenge for the manufacturer, which sells over 95% of its production in the US. Mike Nestler, Production Manager, expresses concern that a 20% tariff hike could push the price above $400, potentially deterring customers.

In Seiffen, a toy-making village in the Ore Mountains, over 120 manufacturers produce wooden figures, toys, and Christmas pyramids. The US market is crucial for these artisans. Rico Paul, owner of Steinbach Volkskunst, warns that job cuts may be necessary, if tariffs affect production and sales, though employees remain hopeful due to a recent 90-day delay in tariff implementation.

 

This video summary was created by AI from the original DW script. It was edited by a journalist before publication.

https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-iconic-nutcrackers-threatened-by-trump-tariffs/video-72219673

 

 

Trump Advisor Reveals Tariff Strategy: Force Countries To Pay Tribute To Maintain US Empire

By Ben Norton / Geopolitical Economy Report

The top economic advisor to President Donald Trump has revealed that Washington is using tariffs as leverage to try to force countries to pay the United States to help it maintain its global empire.

The chair of the US Council of Economic Advisers, Stephen Miran, delivered a speech on April 7 in which he outlined the Trump administration’s tariff strategy. An official transcript of his remarks was published by the White House.

Miran claimed that the United States provides two main “global public goods”: one, a “security umbrella” overseen by the US military; and two, the dollar and Treasury securities, which are used as the main reserve asset in the international financial system.

“Both of these are costly to us to provide”, he complained. “President Trump has made it clear that he will no longer stand for other nations free-riding”.

Speaking on behalf of the Trump administration, Miran insisted that “there needs to be improved burden-sharing at the global level”, adding that, “If other nations want to benefit from the U.S. geopolitical and financial umbrella, then they need to pull their weight, and pay their fair share”.

In short, the Trump administration is arguing that foreign countries must help “bear the costs” of running the US empire. Washington threatens high tariffs on nations unless they agree to make significant concessions that benefit the US economy at the expense of their own, as part of a hypothetical “Mar-a-Lago Accord”.

https://scheerpost.com/2025/04/11/trump-advisor-reveals-tariff-strategy-force-countries-to-pay-tribute-to-maintain-us-empire/

 

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YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.

 

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.