President Trump is again threatening trade with China. The Supreme Court claims that the administration can suspend a humanitarian program. Elon Musk says goodbye to Doge but Trump says he doesn’t go.
Scott Simon, host:
President Trump says Beijing raped the terms of the agreement to suspend the three-digit prices that the United States and China have reached just a few weeks ago. Is the trade war retained? Ron Elving de NPR joins us now. Ron, thank you for being with us.
Ron Elving, byline: delighted to be with you, Scott.
Simon: The president made this assertion of all the ceilings on an article on social networks yesterday, and this follows on Thursday the assessment of the Treasury Secretary Scott Besse that trade discussions with China were, citing, “a little blocked”. What happened to the assertion of the administration that there would be 90 offers in 90 days?
Elving: It was a promise or aspiration, more than anything else. And now, while we are approaching the half of these 90 days, it looks more like a pipe dream. We have seen a new business contract with Great Britain, a large Splashy ad, details to follow one day. As for the rest of Europe, the European Union, these discussions are, in Trump’s own words, nowhere. He therefore threatened the EU with 50% prices over everything, which he then paused until July 9. Meanwhile, discussions with China seem to have fallen, and that does not help that the United States now want to revoke visas for Chinese students going to school in the United States and that all these prices were more complicated by judicial decisions this week, saying that Trump does not have the authority to impose all these prices without the congress. This decision by the International Commercial Court could paralyze the entire anti-tail campaign, but this is also on break earlier while a higher court examines this decision.
Simon: Of course, Ron there is a program that allowed almost half a million people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to enter the United States and stay legally for two years. The Supreme Court said yesterday that the administration could interrupt this program, while a legal battle on efforts to end legal protections. What is the effect of this decision?
Elving: Well, this program provided a legal breathing room to the refugees of these four besieged countries. He started several years ago during a wave of immigration during the Biden administration, and as you say, half a million people are now in this country according to this. And this week, a divided Supreme Court said that, yes, Biden had the authority at that time, but that his White House successor can also undo it. Thus, for the moment, at least, these hundreds of thousands of residents are subject to deportation at any time, and their families and communities where they live are confronted with this enormous dislocation. And we know that some Trump officials have talked about doing up to 3,000 deportations per day, and this group could be part of it.
Simon: There was a shipment for Elon Musk in the oval office yesterday to whom President Trump said he had caused colossal changes, but added that Elon really did not leave. How do you read this?
Elving: It is difficult to take one or the other of these declarations at its nominal value, but it seems that Trump and Musk want to have two times. They want to exploit the assets of each other, but they are wary of the return of their relationship brought them both. They want to have a success of Musk, even if his 2 billions of dollars of promised budgetary savings are now down to a maximum of 160 billion. And it’s less than a penny for each promised dollar. However, they do not want the disadvantage of the relationship. None of the two men is known to please the spotlight with pleasure. Musk was also very openly in distress by the damage that his role as government has caused to its various high -level high -tech companies. Lately, there has been a certain daylight between the two because Musk stressed that the Trump mega-budget bill does not reduce the deficit, but rather adds billions of dollars to national debt.
Simon: And of course, Ron, one of the most debated aspects of the Musk government service is that the cuts that he and his team have implemented did not go through the congress, which authorized these expenses in the first place. Now, some DOGE cups are heading for Capitol Hill, however, right?
Elving: It’s true, but just a very small fraction. He said he could reduce 160 billion. Now we expect to see less than 10 come to Congress as called a draft termination. He cancels expense commitments which, as you say, have already been made. Thus, these cancellations have barely shaken up the deficit, but they eliminate certain programs that Trump and Musk say that the government should not do. This includes, for example, the American agency for international development and the public distribution company, which supports PBS and NPR.
Simon: Senior NPR contributor, Ron Elving. Ron, thank you very much.
Elving: Thank you, Scott.
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