Trump live updates: Trump threatens 200 percent retaliatory tariff on European alcohol as trade war escalates

Senator John Fetterman has shared his plan for how Democrats in the Senate should approach the Republican government funding bill as a shutdown looms tomorrow night.

The Pennsylvania senator wrote on X: “Shut the government down, plunge the country into chaos, risk a recession or exchange cloture for a 30-day CR that 100% fails.”

He continues: “The House GOP CR will then pass the Senate because it only needs 51 votes. Total theater is neither honest with constituents nor a winning argument.”

Trump loyalist Laura Ingraham has urged Fox News viewers to ignore the stock market meltdown and have faith in the President’s trade decisions – insisting they were a force of good for the economy.

Ingraham’s comments follow a cataclysmic week for the stock markets. Donald Trump’s drastic tariff levy rattled exchange rates and left economists trembling at the possibility of an all-out global trade war.

Madeline Sherratt reports.

President Donald Trump has again attacked The Wall Street Journal for pointing out the flaws in his trade war, claiming “they are owned by the polluted thinking of the European Union.”

He wrote on Truth Social:

The Globalist Wall Street Journal has no idea what they are doing or saying. They are owned by the polluted thinking of the European Union, which was formed for the primary purpose of “screwing” the United States of America. Their (WSJ!) thinking is antiquated and weak, and very bad for the USA. But have no fear, we will WIN on everything!!! Egg prices are down, oil is down, interest rates are down, and TARIFF RELATED MONEY IS POURING INTO THE UNITED STATES. “The only thing you have to fear, is fear itself!”

Egg prices are still soaring, with Trump’s own Department of Agriculture predicting that the average price will be 41 percent higher than in 2024.

Tariffs are paid by U.S. importers, and the cost is passed on to American consumers in the form of higher prices.

The president added later:

The U.S. doesn’t have Free Trade. We have “Stupid Trade.” The Entire World is RIPPING US OFF!!!

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced this week that the Trump administration is dropping its lawsuit against Southwest Key, a service that works with migrant children.

The lawsuit, initiated during the Biden-era, accused the company’s employees of sexual abuse against unaccompanied migrants at its various facilities.

Kennedy said that the focus will now shift to moving migrant children out of the care of Southwest Key and initiating an investigation of the service, including its grants.

President Donald Trump is “annoyed” that other parties in the trade war he began are responding to his actions.

President Donald Trump has vowed to escalate his unprovoked trade war by unilaterally imposing taxes on Americans’ purchases of alcoholic beverages imported from European Union countries if the 27-member bloc dares retaliate against Trump’s decision to tax other imports by imposing a similar tariff on American-made whiskey.

Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, D.C.

Despite being on a one-week hiatus, the late-night show took to Musk’s X platform on Wednesday evening to ridicule the event on the White House south lawn which appeared to be part press conference, part car promotion. The back-and-forth comes as questions remain if Musk will accept host Jon Stewart’s invitation to be interviewed on the long-running late-night show.

James Liddell has the story.

Politico reports that White House officials are already gloating about the prospects for the government funding bill the Senate is set to vote on.

While Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says Republicans don’t have the 60 votes needed to keep the government open, President Donald Trump and White House officials are increasingly confident that enough centrist Democrats will vote for passage of the bill.

Per Rachel Bade at Politico:

“They’re 100 percent gonna swallow it,” one White House official told me. “They’re totally screwed.”

While there is no plan yet from Schumer as to how Democrats will approach the bill, lawmakers from both parties are said to be privately predicting that they will get amendment votes in return for passage of the House-passed continuing resolution.

Still, that’s not a done deal. And given the intense pressure from the base to flip Trump the bird, there’s still plenty of time for Democrats to back away from a possible deal before Friday’s deadline.

In some ways the administration looks like it’s almost itching for a shutdown and daring Democrats to touch the stove. Last month, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought notably gave agencies until Thursday to submit plans for “large-scale reductions in force.” The details could spill out hours before a shutdown and would almost certainly agitate the Democratic base even further.