☕ Daily Brief: The Trump Tariff Conundrum

By Upward News | Created at 2025-04-02 12:58:09 | Updated at 2025-04-03 23:41:46 1 day ago

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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

🗳️ GOP holds Florida seats as Democrats win the Wisconsin court race. Republicans won two Florida House special elections to replace Reps. Matt Gaetz (R) and Michael Waltz (R), while Democrats retained their 4–3 majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Democrats outspent Republicans across the board — including in Wisconsin, where Elon Musk poured $25 million into backing GOP candidate Brad Schimel. Republicans remain strong in Florida, but off-cycle statewide races like Wisconsin may be tougher terrain without Trump on the ballot.

🏛️ House Republicans reject leadership to allow proxy voting for new parents Nine GOP lawmakers joined Democrats to block Speaker Mike Johnson’s effort to prevent a vote on proxy voting for new parents. House leadership tied language blocking the proxy voting matter with popular GOP priorities like judicial oversight and voter ID, but it ultimately backfired. The episode highlights some ongoing tensions in the GOP, as the bill was introduced not by a Democrat, but by Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (FL).

💰 Trump admin freezes $210M in Princeton grants. The Department of Education paused over $210 million in federal grants to Princeton University, citing familiar concerns over antisemitic policies stemming from pro-Palestine unrest. Earlier this month, the Trump administration warned about 60 colleges that they are at risk of losing federal funding. The Trump administration is following through on making schools pay for perceived antisemitic behavior, following their actions against Columbia and Harvard.

🇮🇱 Netanyahu aides arrested in Qatar corruption probe. Israeli police arrested two top Netanyahu advisers, Jonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein, over alleged illicit ties to Qatar during hostage negotiations. The investigation, dubbed "Qatargate," has expanded to include potential national security breaches and foreign interference, though Netanyahu himself is not a suspect. The timing of these arrests could complicate ongoing hostage negotiations with Hamas.

INSIDER RADAR

MEMBERS ONLY

Mentioned behind the paywall: Donald Trump, Pam Bondi, Luigi Mangioni, Stephen Miller, RFK Jr., Joni Ernst, and Sean Duffy.

Mentioned behind the paywall: The Atlantic and a deported MS-13 gang member.

QUICK AND IMPORTANT

A Gambian student at Cornell University announced his self-deportation after celebrating the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and repeatedly calling for America's downfall.
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Israel eliminated all remaining US import tariffs ahead of Trump's expected reciprocal duties announcement.
The Senate Armed Services Committee advanced Elbridge Colby's nomination for Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.
Ari was interviewed by Louis Shulman about the business side of Upward News.

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Good morning. Elon Musk may be a technological genius, but his personal life tells another story. He’s fathered over a dozen children with four different women.

His relationship troubles are now spilling into the open. The latest drama? Right-wing influencer Ashley St. Clair, the most recent mother of one of his children, publicly called him out, telling him to “grow up, you petulant man-child,” after Musk revealed he pays her $500,000 a year to provide for her and the child. She wants more — but Musk isn’t even sure the child is his.

Meanwhile, the other mothers of his children are all vying to be closest to him.

This Silicon Valley techno-right may be aligned with Trump — but it’s far from conservative. If anything, it makes the strongest case yet for why traditional values matter.

THE MAIN STORY

WHAT’S HAPPENING_

President Donald Trump has declared today to be “Liberation Day,” marking the start of sweeping new tariffs aimed at reshaping global trade and rebuilding American industry. However, some of the policy’s strongest defenders are expressing concern that the administration’s lack of clarity, unpredictable implementation, and sweeping government cuts could undermine its goals.

_THE FACTS_

President Trump initially announced that he would be placing “reciprocal tariffs” on countries that tariff the United States, but the exact tariffs to be levied later today are still an open question.
The president’s economic team argues that the tariffs will bring back domestic investment by making goods more expensive to produce overseas.
Some critics — including strong supporters of tariffs — say that success will depend on clearly defining the tariffs and using the federal government to promote strong domestic infrastructure to revitalize the nation’s industrial base.
Major supporters like American Compass founder Oren Cass admit the administration hasn’t clearly explained what the tariffs will be, who exactly they’ll target, or how they’ll work.
DOGE-led budget cuts have slashed funding for industrial programs, research grants, and university partnerships that would support rebuilding American manufacturing, argues Justin Vassallo in Unherd.
Biden-era initiatives designed to promote semiconductors, green tech, and advanced manufacturing have been paused or reversed by Donald Trump, which critics argue subverts the president’s manufacturing agenda.
Antitrust enforcement has been weakened, raising concerns that only large monopolies will benefit from protectionist policy.
Tariffs alone, without the federal government taking up other major projects like workforce training or public-private investment, are unlikely to deliver the promised industrial gains, according to tariff supporters.

_OUR INSIGHTS _

Despite some small victories — such as Vietnam and Israel lowering their tariffs in response to US pressure — President Trump’s tariff strategy may challenge certain economic realities…

Insights behind the paywall: Trump’s comment on buying American and a new free trade deal involving a US enemy.

Mentioned behind the paywall: NBC News, CNN, The Washington Examiner, and RedState.

THE DAILY DEBATE

POLL RESULTS FROM YESTERDAY

Where do you think lawfare against the right is worse?

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🇺🇸 USA (830)
🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ 🇪🇺 Europe (540)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🤔 Unsure (201)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 💬 Other (82)

🇺🇸 USA: “Hard to top the number of lawsuits brought against Trump.” — L.B.

🇪🇺 Europe: “While it seems worse here, the Left has a sizable lead in Europe. We don't hear of it, because MSM supports and suppresses it!” — D.S.

💬 Other: "Anywhere lawfare is applied, it is wrong." — Russ

1,653 votes

Today’s newsletter was written by Brandon Goldman, Anthony Constantini, and Ari David. We scoured 100s of sources to bring you stories and insights you won’t find in the mainstream media.