Today in Politics, Bulletin 108. 4/8/25 Ron Filipkowski Apr 8 ∙ … Elon Musk said Trump’s Trade Advisor Peter Navarro is “dumb as a sack of bricks” and referred to him as “Peter Retardo” on social media today. … What sparked Musk’s ire was a Navarro clip from CNBC: “We all understand in the WH that Elon's a car manufacturer. But he's not really a car manufacturer - he's a car assembler. In many cases, if you go to his TX plant, a good part of the engines that he gets (which in the EV case are the batteries) come from Japan and come from China. The electronics come from Taiwan. The difference in our thinking and Elon's on this is that we want the tires made in Akron, we want the transmissions made in Indianapolis, we want the engines made in Flint and Saginaw, and we want the cars manufactured here.” … Musk responded: ”Tesla has the most American-made cars. Navarro is dumber than a sack of bricks. By any definition whatsoever, Tesla is the most vertically integrated auto manufacturer in America with the highest percentage of US content. Navarro should ask the fake expert he invented, Ron Vara.” … WH Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked about their feud today: “These are obviously two individuals who have very different views on trade and tariffs. Boys will be boys.” … Leavitt also announced that since China refused to back down to Trump's threat on Truth Social yesterday, they will be hit with a new 50% starting tomorrow to bring the total tariff on goods from China to an astonishing 104%: “When America is punched, Trump punches back harder. That’s why there will be 104% tariffs going into effect tonight on China at midnight.” … China’s Ministry of Commerce: “The US threat to escalate tariffs on China is a mistake on top of a mistake. If the US insists on its own way, China will fight to the end.” … The stock market, which had rallied significantly in the morning on Wall Street hope that global tariffs could be negotiated away, immediately went back in the tank with the new China tariff announcement. … Former Treasury Sec Lawrence Summers: “To borrow a word from the doctors, this is our first iatrogenic financial crisis. An iatrogenic illness is when you go into the hospital, and you catch an infection there. It's when the people whose job it is to make things better are the active agents of making things worse. There is nothing in the outside world that is causing this challenge. It is induced by the words and deeds of Trump and his admin.” … Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) did a media tour blasting Trump's tariffs: "I can't support a fallacy that is going to make us lose our wealth. I have a retirement account too and I think tariffs is going to decimate it. The whole debate is so fundamentally backwards and upside down. It's based on a fallacy, and the fallacy is this: that somehow in a trade, someone must lose. That somehow when you trade with someone, someone is taking advantage of you. I have a trade deficit with my grocery store." … Paul: "We have to start from talking about the truth. One of the things they say with Canada is, 'Oh, there's a 270% tariffs on dairy products going from the US into Canada.' Well you know what the real tariffs is? Zero. That's a big difference between what the truth is." … Michelle Lam, China economist at Societe Generale SA, to Bloomberg: “The rhetoric from China is strong. Without Trump backing down investors may need to prepare for trade decoupling between both countries.” … Financial Times: “Unlike the previous two rounds of retaliation, which targeted specific categories of US imports, this time Beijing announced a blanket tariff increase to come into effect from April 10, a day after America’s ‘reciprocal’ levies come into effect.” … Tu Xinquan, dean of the China Institute for WTO Studies at the Univ of Intl Business and Economics in Beijing: “The Chinese reaction to the first two tariff hikes was moderate and patient, but we found out patience wasn’t helpful.” … Bloomberg reported that China also intervened at the last minute to halt the sale of US TikTok operations by Chinese social media group ByteDance to a consortium of American investors, and will block any sale while the new tariffs remain in effect. … Leavitt: "I do just want to point out one thing. Everybody in Washington, whether they want to admit it or not, knows that this president is right when it comes to tariffs and when it comes to trade." … Tesla took another beating, down another 11.43 a share. Tesla has now lost 17.87% of its value in the past month. … But wait, there’s more! Canada PM Mark Carney: “At 12:01 EDT tonight, Canada’s counter-tariffs will come into force. There will be 25% tariffs on all non-CUSMA-compliant vehicles from the U.S., and 25% tariffs on the contents of CUSMA-compliant vehicles that are not from Canada or Mexico. Trump caused this trade crisis - and Canada is responding with purpose and with force.” …. Handelsblatt reported: “Brussels is watching amazed, as Trump destroys the US economy. One EU official: "Nobody in the Commission thought that the US government would be this stupid and self-destructive. That they would blow up their own country by letting ChatGPT make their trade policy." … Trump says he will only lift the EU tariffs on one condition, which they immediately rejected: "We have a deficit with the EU of $350 billion and it's gonna disappear fast. One of the ways that that can disappear easily and quickly is they're gonna have to buy our energy from us. They can buy it, we can knock off $350 billion in one week. They have to buy and commit to buy a like amount of energy." … German Economy Minister Robert Habeck: “We're under no time pressure. The Americans are under pressure and are now in a position of weakness. The damage can get even worse - that’s why we must act calmly, carefully, but decisively.” … Habeck mocked Musk’s mutual zero tariff proposal: “It's sign of weakness and fear. If he has something to say, he should go to his President. Before we talk about zero tariffs, stop the nonsense and mess you just made in the last week.” … Leavitt was asked to explain the WH's evolution from “this is not a negotiation on tariffs” to “countries should push us and start negotiations”. LEAVITT: “Both things can be true at the same time.” … The WH official social media account deleted a post they made previously of a Navarro OpEd in the Financial Times which said that the tariffs were non-negotiable once they are imposed. No Bulletin tomorrow since I have my live podcast Uncovered tomorrow at 4 ET. I did Susan Estrich’s podcast today, who was Mike Dukakis’s campaign manager in 1988. We had a great conversation and will post a link here to it when she puts it out. If you missed yesterday’s Bulletin, you can read it here. … Washington Examiner reported that a supervisor in Marco Rubio’s Diplomatic Security Service was arrested at a hotel in Brussels after arguing with staff at where Rubio was staying and then physically fighting with police officers who responded to the scene. The agent was "behaving erratically" and "became irate" when hotel staff refused to reopen the bar beyond its normal hours. … He was released from police custody after the US Embassy intervened. … Crypto analyst Molly White, citing recent WaPo reporting: “Trump has directed DOJ to stop pursuing crypto fraud, dismantling the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team and ordering the Market Integrity and Major Frauds Unit to cease cryptocurrency enforcement.” … Trump and just about every member of his family have individually launched their own crypto scams. … The Hill reported that House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris (R-MD) said he was invited to the WH for a meeting today on the budget resolution, but declined: “There’s nothing that I can hear at the WH that I don't understand about the situation.” He is against the bill and says Trump won’t change his mind: “It’s not going to help to get enough votes to pass it this week. It's just there are too many members who are just not going to vote for it, no matter what.” … Russian media monitor Julia Davis reports that their most popular TV host Vladimir Solovyov is thrilled about Trump’s tariffs: “A monument should be erected to him in Russia. This was a major blow to the system of capitalism. I think he deserves at least a Sutulov medal.” … Davis pointed out in Daily Beast that a “Sutulov medal” is “a gag gift. A well-known Russian expression that describes a worthless award that is given by a master to his servant.” … President Zelensky responded to the US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink refusing to acknowledge that it was Russia that bombed a playground with children: “Unfortunately, the response from the US Embassy is surprisingly disappointing — such a strong country, such a strong people, and yet such a weak reaction. They are afraid to even say the word ‘Russian’ when speaking about the missile that murdered children. We must not be afraid to call things by their names. We must not be afraid to pressure the one who continues this war and ignores all the world’s proposals to end it.” … Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) is alarmed that the Trump Admin is considering pulling all US troops out of Eastern European countries: “Putin is not our friend. His desire to reconstitute the Soviet Union drove him to attack Georgia, invade Crimea and Donbass, then launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Those that blame NATO enlargement or suggest that somehow Russia was provoked to attack Ukraine are wrong.” … That would be JD Vance. … Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE): “It would be a grave mistake to pull forces out of Europe right now. This is a time to deter Russia, and I think withdrawing forces is a sign of weakness.” … Politico reported that US European Command chief Gen. Christopher Cavoli told the House Armed Services Committee that he’s “consistently recommended” keeping the same troop levels in Eastern Europe since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine: “It’s my advice to maintain that force posture as it is now.” … Judge Trevor McFadden ruled today that the White House cannot continue to ban the AP from the Oval Office and Press Room because they refuse to call the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. … Rep. Anna Paulina Luna told Matt Gaetz on OAN that she can’t get DOJ to release the Jeffrey Epstein files to her committee. For some reason: “I have been contacting the DOJ. I keep getting the same thing - ‘We’re reviewing the documents.’ I haven't really gotten any communication from the DOJ." … Dallas Observer reported that TX State Sen Angela Paxton is pushing a bill which would require online shoppers to submit photo identification before purchasing a sex toy. It would apply to any “obscene device”, which is defined as “a device including a dildo or artificial vagina, designed or marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of human genital organs.” … Dr. Shamyra Howard, a licensed clinical social worker sex educator for We-Vibe: “Requiring ID to purchase a sex toy sends the message that pleasure is something to be policed and surveilled. It pathologizes something that is completely normal and turns a private, healthy act into something shameful. This kind of legislation doesn’t protect people; it embarrasses them. It creates unnecessary barriers and reinforces harmful stigmas that many of us have spent years trying to dismantle.” … Paxton’s husband, TX AG Ken Paxton, was impeached two years ago after he had the target of a criminal investigation pay for a kitchen remodel of his longtime mistress. Paxton has crew of MAGA state Senators who banded together to vote to acquit him, which also included his wife who introduced this bill. … Paxton is very likely to run against Sen. John Cornyn in the upcoming Republican primary, and has been pushing hard to get Trump’s endorsement while Sen. John Thune has lobbied Trump to back Cornyn. … Good news for Democrats, as former NH Gov. Chris Sununu announced he will not run for Senate in 2026. He was heavily recruited by Trump and Sen. Tim Scott to run since he clearly would’ve been their strongest candidate: "It's not for me. I talked to the WH this morning. I talked to Tim Scott. Thanked him for all their support and confidence. But I don't have to be the candidate, and I'm not going to be the candidate." … Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), who is retiring from that seat: “Lisa Murkowski and I are calling on Secretary Kristi Noem to immediately explain how DHS mistakenly sent an email to Ukrainians on humanitarian parole in the U.S. that they had seven days to leave the country. … But Noem was busy today in Phoenix. She posted a video today on X. … Trump went on a bizarre riff about the hostages who were recently released at his joint Oval Office appearance with Israel’s PM Netanyahu: "I said to them, was there any sign of love? Did Hamas show any signs of, like, help or liking you? Did they give you a piece of bread extra? Did they give you a meal on the side - like what happened in Germany." … Disgraced former Rep. George Santos sentencing hearing for fraud charges is coming up on April 25. The US Attorney just submitted their sentencing recommendation to the court that said they are asking for 87 months in prison. Santos is asking for 24 months, and has dragged this out as long as he possibly could to lobby Trump for a pardon. … Newly elected and Trump-endorsed Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) took another shot at Ron Desantis, accusing him of being anti-semitic: “I do find it troubling that two politicians in Florida that he has chosen to take issue with in a very vitriolic way the last few weeks are both Jewish.” … Leavitt: “Today at 3PM, President Trump will sign an Executive Order to reinvigorate AFFORDABLE, RELIABLE, AND CLEAN COAL!” … Politico: “Supreme Court has stayed a fed judge's order requiring the rehiring of probationary employees at 6 fed agencies. The nonprofit plaintiffs lack standing, the justices ruled. This isn't the end though because another judge has issued a more sweeping order in a lawsuit brought by the states, whose standing issues are different and not resolved yet.” … Immigration expert Aaron Reichlin-Melnick’s reaction to SCOTUS decision yesterday on deportations: “KEY TAKEAWAY: Supreme Court is UNANIMOUS in requiring due process: - Roberts majority: Trump admin MUST give notice and time to challenge in court. All 9 agree deportations without due process are illegal. KEY: Tonight was a victory for due process in theory. All 9 Justices agreed that what Trump did was wrong. People must be given a real shot to go to court, and not rushed to a plane. In practice though, getting that due process will be hard because of what the Supreme Court did.” … Meaning that the Supreme Court said that people seized by ICE must be given at least some time to file a petition for a writ of habeas corpus. One commentator quipped that basically means migrants needs to walk around with a writ in their back pocket because it is going to have to be filed pretty quick. So they have a right to do something but whether they will know what to do or how to do it is the question. … The DCCC expanded their map of Republican-held districts they will be heavily targeting in 2026 based on how things have been going so far with the Trump Admin and the positive results in recent special elections. They said their map of winnable seats "is more expansive than at the start of the 2024 cycle, reflecting a political environment of eroding public support for House Republicans." … The districts the House Dems are targeting: Nick Begich (AK), David Schweikert (AZ), Eli Crane (AZ), Juan Ciscomani (AZ), David Valadao (CA), Young Kim (CA), Ken Calvert (CA), Gabe Evans (CO), Cory Mills (FL), Anna Paulina Luna (FL), Maria Elvira Salazar (FL), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA), Ashley Hinson (IA), Zach Nunn (IA), Andy Barr (KY), Bill Huizenga (MI), Tom Barrett (MI), John James (MI), Ann Wagner (MO), Don Bacon (NE), Tom Kean Jr. (NJ), Mike Lawler (NY), Max Miller (OH), Mike Turner (OH), Mike Carey (OH), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA), Ryan Mackenzie (PA), Rob Bresnahan (PA), Scott Perry (PA), Andy Ogles (TN), Monica De La Cruz (TX), Rob Wittman (VA), Jen Kiggans (VA), Bryan Steil (WI) and Derrick Van Orden (WI).