Over 50 Countries Rush To Make Tariff Deal

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated yesterday: “More than 50 countries have approached . . . the administration about lowering their non-tariff trade barriers, lowering their tariffs, stopping currency manipulation.” We also saw the stock market plummeting and the mainstream media panicking. Will President Trump’s economic plan work in the long term?

However, we have news that the tariff strategy is achieving results. The European Union is offering a “zero-for-zero” tariff deal on “industrial goods.” In the past, we’ve seen President Trump force people to the negotiation table to make a deal, and we are seeing that in real-time. We can’t underestimate such a statement by the European Commission President, who has the authority to get a trade deal in place.

And the tariffs are starting to impact Americans in tangible ways other than the stock market. The price of oil has decreased by 15%, affecting not only citizens at the gas pumps but also the cost of transporting goods across the country. Interest rates are declining, which should help the real estate market this spring.

At the same time, China is digging its heels in so far. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reacted to President Trump’s tariff strategy with China:

The President said he may well even increase the tariffs from 34% to 50%. . . . I actually think that makes really good sense. The Chinese Communist Party has been [working] hard at stealing American jobs [and] American intellectual property, threatening our friends and allies around the world, conducting espionage against the United States. I think going after that particular target makes an enormous amount of sense. I must say my disagreement with this broad tariff policy is [that] if it’s about collecting revenue, I think that’s a mistake. I’m a limited-government, small-government, free-trade guy at my core. . . . If the idea is to get everybody’s tariffs down, let’s go compete in the world on an equal basis.

Many conservatives might have a hard time wrapping their minds around using tariffs instead of promoting free trade. However, when we consider how countries like China have been using economic warfare against the U.S. for decades, we have to take drastic measures to level the playing field.

We can’t pretend that everything is sunshine and rainbows right now with the economy. Yet we must educate ourselves about what’s really taking place in trade conversations worldwide instead of focusing solely on the doom and gloom of the mainstream media.

The ACLJ has a brand-new religious liberty case to bring to your attention. A New York public defender was told that a Bible on his work desk “needed to go.” We are stepping in to defend our client’s religious liberty.

To de-escalate the situation, our client discreetly moved the Bible to a less visible location and offered to switch to a smaller print version. Still, the hostility continued. A week later, the supervisor returned, once again demanding that the Bible be entirely removed. Our client reiterated his willingness to accommodate reasonable concerns and formally requested a religious accommodation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

Rather than honor this constitutionally protected right, the supervisor doubled down. On March 6, our client received a written warning citing vague “performance deficiencies” and claiming that his conduct had been “unduly disruptive.” The warning included a directive to “refrain from having any Bible or religious text open and visible” when meeting with clients or even fellow staff members – despite no disruption, client complaint, or violation of professional standards.

The ACLJ sent a legal demand letter to our client’s employer calling for an immediate reversal of the reprimand and confirmation that he is free to keep a Bible on his desk for personal use during his own time. We are also demanding the removal of the March 6 written reprimand from his personnel file. We will keep you updated on the response to our demand letter.

We can defend religious liberty nationwide only because of our generous ACLJ supporters. We are in the middle of our Life & Liberty Drive. Donate today – gifts are doubled – to fund our legal team’s fight for religious liberty.

Today’s Sekulow broadcast included a full analysis of 50 countries coming to the negotiation table with President Trump. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also discussed the stunning success of Trump’s southern border policies thus far.

Watch the full broadcast below: