Trump Administration Predictions (5 Viewers)

[Pat Hartman]

What you make of Trump's statements about reviving American manufacturing?

We have put ourselves in grave jeopardy should China decide to wage war. We have lost our ability to manufacture many necessities of war and life in general by allowing other countries to take those abilities from us. Trump intends to bring them back. We need to be able to manufacture life-saving drugs here. China already threatened us with cutting off our supply of antibiotics during COVID. We can't manufacture certain types of bullets here. We import them from France. France may be an ally but they are an entire ocean away from where the bullets may be needed. Way too long for that type of supply chain.

Why do you think it is bad for the US to get back into the aluminum smelting business or the steel smelting business? Just because they are dirty jobs doesn't mean that they are not vital to our way of life. Off-shoring the dirty jobs doesn't "save the planet" unless of course we simply all agree to go back to living in the stone age. Letting China do the dirty jobs just moves the pollution and waste to another location. Only the left thinks this is good for the environment and they are the only people who actually believe that EVs create no pollution whatsoever since they don't count the mining for rare earths or the disposal of used batteries or whatever we have to burn to generate that electricity that powers the EV.

Or his tariffs on countries he previously negotiated free trade agreements with?

I do find that disturbing. Not sure why that happened.

 

[RogerCooper]

Funny that you would ask that question in regards to Trump when Democratic presidents routinely implemented "broad powers". As I've said before, Obama claimed that he had a pen an phone to do whatever he wished in the absence of Congressional restraints. Then look at Biden illegally importing millions of unauthorized immigrants and Biden giving the Supreme Court the finger when it came to (illegally) canceling student loans. Finally, Biden in direct contradiction to equal rights made racism official US government policy. So why do you question the extent of Trump's Executive Authority but are silent concerning the abuse of Executive Authority when it is a Democratic president.

I am quite critical of Biden's proposal to cancel student loans (effectively spending money) without congressional approval. But he did not actually implement the cancellation of loans. Trump is actually collecting taxes from Americans right now.

 

[RogerCooper]

We have put ourselves in grave jeopardy should China decide to wage war. We have lost our ability to manufacture many necessities of war and life in general by allowing other countries to take those abilities from us. Trump intends to bring them back. We need to be able to manufacture life-saving drugs here. China already threatened us with cutting off our supply of antibiotics during COVID. We can't manufacture certain types of bullets here. We import them from France. France may be an ally but they are an entire ocean away from where the bullets may be needed. Way too long for that type of supply chain.

Why do you think it is bad for the US to get back into the aluminum smelting business or the steel smelting business? Just because they are dirty jobs doesn't mean that they are not vital to our way of life. Off-shoring the dirty jobs doesn't "save the planet" unless of course we simply all agree to go back to living in the stone age. Letting China do the dirty jobs just moves the pollution and waste to another location. Only the left thinks this is good for the environment and they are the only people who actually believe that EVs create no pollution whatsoever since they don't count the mining for rare earths or the disposal of used batteries or whatever we have to burn to generate that electricity that powers the EV.


I do find that disturbing. Not sure why that happened.

Concerns about the small but real possibility of war with China can reasonably justify trying to secure alternate sources of war-critical material. That hardly applies to our allies.

Let smelting be done were ever it would most profitable.

 

[Pat Hartman]

I am quite critical of Biden's proposal to cancel student loans (effectively spending money) without congressional approval. But he did not actually implement the cancellation of loans. T

But actually some loans did get "forgiven" illegally. I'm pretty sure the leftwing "judges" will sue if Trump tries to reinstate them. It is perfectly OK in their eyes for Biden do do something illegal like forgiving loans he has no authority to forgive unless of course he wants to pay them himself from money his bag man collected from China but it is not OK for Trump to undo the illegal action. Seems totally right to me.

That hardly applies to our allies.

Pretty dumb to have such a vulnerable supply chain when you don't need to.

Let smelting be done were ever it would most profitable.

Guess money matters more to you than national security. Pretty short-sighted.

 

[Steve R.]

But he did not actually implement the cancellation of loans.

????? So why do we have headlines like those below then? Does this mean that you admit that Biden was not president then?
Below is a partial summary from GROK:

Here are some headlines from various sources highlighting instances where the Biden administration canceled student loans, based on available information:

• "Biden’s Push to Cancel Student Debt Surpasses 5 Million Borrowers"
  The New York Times, January 13, 2025
  The Biden administration announced the cancellation of over $180 billion in student loans for more than 5 million borrowers through existing programs.
• "Biden Cancels $1.2 Billion in Student Loan Debt for 150,000 Borrowers"
  The New York Times, February 21, 2024
  The administration canceled $1.2 billion for borrowers in the SAVE repayment program who took out $12,000 or less and made payments for at least 10 years.
• "Biden Administration Cancels Loans for 260,000 Former Ashford University Students"
  AP News, January 15, 2025
  Over 260,000 former students of the for-profit Ashford University had their loans erased due to the college’s misleading practices.
• "Biden Administration Begins Canceling Student Loan Debt for 804,000 Borrowers"
  ABC News, August 14, 2023
  The administration canceled debt for 804,000 borrowers under income-driven repayment plans due to administrative fixes.
• "Biden Administration Canceling Student Loans for Another 160,000 Borrowers"
  AP News, May 22, 2024
  The Education Department erased $7.7 billion in federal student loans for 160,000 borrowers through existing programs.

These headlines reflect the Biden administration’s efforts to cancel student loan debt through targeted programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness, borrower defense, and income-driven repayment adjustments, despite the Supreme Court’s rejection of broader forgiveness plans.

 

[Pat Hartman]

Maybe someone else was running the auto-pen

 

[Thales750]

Another Prediction is coming true.
You may remember when I said (many times) that stagflation is coming, and Trump Co would blame Biden. American Industry was rising in those days, now major plants are moving to Mexico, and vital scientist are headed for Europe.

But this is all Biden's fault, just ask him.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

I am quite critical of Biden's proposal to cancel student loans (effectively spending money) without congressional approval. But he did not actually implement the cancellation of loans.

Because of court decisions blocking him. He would have if he could have.

 

[RogerCooper]

????? So why do we have headlines like those below then? Does this mean that you admit that Biden was not president then?
Below is a partial summary from GROK:

Those debt cancellations were allowed under various programs passed by Congress. The broader debt program cancellation was stopped by the courts because it was not passed by Congress.

Trump's tariffs were not passed by Congress. And Americans are paying them now.

 

[AngelSpeaks]

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

• Constitutional Authority:
  The US Constitution grants Congress the power to "lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises" (Article I, Section 8). This includes the power to impose tariffs on imported goods.
  

• Delegation to the Executive Branch:
  Through laws like the Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act of 1934 and the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, Congress has delegated significant tariff authority to the President.
  

• Presidential Actions:
  The President can use this delegated authority to negotiate trade agreements, adjust tariffs based on national security concerns (e.g., Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act), or take other actions as outlined in specific legislation.
  

 

[RogerCooper]

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

• Constitutional Authority:
  The US Constitution grants Congress the power to "lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises" (Article I, Section 8). This includes the power to impose tariffs on imported goods.
• 
  
• Delegation to the Executive Branch:
  Through laws like the Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act of 1934 and the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, Congress has delegated significant tariff authority to the President.
• 
  
• Presidential Actions:
  The President can use this delegated authority to negotiate trade agreements, adjust tariffs based on national security concerns (e.g., Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act), or take other actions as outlined in specific legislation.

Trump used the IEEPA which does not grant any tariff authority. Read the law.

 

[Steve R.]

Those debt cancellations were allowed under various programs passed by Congress. The broader debt program cancellation was stopped by the courts because it was not passed by Congress.

Trump's tariffs were not passed by Congress. And Americans are paying them now.

Seems that you are all over the place. On one hand you assert that "debt cancellations were allowed under various programs passed by Congress." But then on the other hand you apparently dismiss (without validation) the possibility that various programs could be used by Trump to modify tariffs. @AngelSpeaks has mentioned (above) some of those various programs that Trump could use.

 

[RogerCooper]

Seems that you are all over the place. On one hand you assert that "debt cancellations were allowed under various programs passed by Congress." But then on the other hand you apparently dismiss (without validation) the possibility that various programs could be used by Trump to modify tariffs. @AngelSpeaks has mentioned (above) some of those various programs that Trump could use.

That Trump might be able to make a tariff under section 232 does not give him the authority to issue tariffs under IEEPA anymore than Biden's authority to modify student loan terms under certain specific programs gave him general authority to cancel student debt.

 

[Steve R.]

Trump used the IEEPA which does not grant any tariff authority. Read the law.

And you are the sole interpreter of that law? Incredible that you can accept Biden's "other programs" to justify Biden's Executive overreach, but when it comes to Trump you refuse to accept that Trump may have Executive power as your sole focus is on the IEEPA based on your one-sided (anti-Trump) interpretation of the IEEPA.

 

[RogerCooper]

As a speaker of the English language I can read the law just like anyone else. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/50/1702. My focus is on the IEEPA because that is what Trump used. Here is the relevant section of the law. Not a word on tariffs.

(a)In general
(1)At the times and to the extent specified in section 1701 of this title, the President may, under such regulations as he may prescribe, by means of instructions, licenses, or otherwise—
(A)investigate, regulate, or prohibit—
(i)
any transactions in foreign exchange,
(ii)
transfers of credit or payments between, by, through, or to any banking institution, to the extent that such transfers or payments involve any interest of any foreign country or a national thereof,
(iii)
the importing or exporting of currency or securities,
by any person, or with respect to any property, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States;

 

[moke123]

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

An even more detailed breakdown:

How Congress delegates its tariff powers to the president | Constitution Center

President Donald Trump is expected to announce wide-sweeping tariffs on Wednesday, in a move with potentially broad consequences. So how does the president have the ability to levy tariffs under the Constitution?

constitutioncenter.org

there are six statutory provisions currently in place that control how the president and the executive branch can use tariffs. Three provisions require federal agency investigations before a tariff can be imposed. The other provisions do not require an investigation before actions are taken.

Among the three provisions that allow the president to act on his own to impose tariffs without an investigation, only one has ever been used: the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977. The act allows the president to declare an emergency under the National Emergency Act (NEA) and then use his extensive economic powers to regulate or prohibit imports. The CRS says that President Trump was the first chief executive to use this act in February 2025

 

[RogerCooper]

An even more detailed breakdown:

How Congress delegates its tariff powers to the president | Constitution Center

President Donald Trump is expected to announce wide-sweeping tariffs on Wednesday, in a move with potentially broad consequences. So how does the president have the ability to levy tariffs under the Constitution?

constitutioncenter.org

"regulate" does not mean "tax" despite what the Trump administration says.

 

[Thales750]

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

• Constitutional Authority:
  The US Constitution grants Congress the power to "lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises" (Article I, Section 8). This includes the power to impose tariffs on imported goods.

• Delegation to the Executive Branch:
  Through laws like the Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act of 1934 and the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, Congress has delegated significant tariff authority to the President.

• Presidential Actions:
  The President can use this delegated authority to negotiate trade agreements, adjust tariffs based on national security concerns (e.g., Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act), or take other actions as outlined in specific legislation.

Which doesn't really work out when you have an idiot at the helm.

 

[AccessBlaster]

⁰

Another Prediction is coming true.
You may remember when I said (many times) that stagflation is coming, and Trump Co would blame Biden. American Industry was rising in those days, now major plants are moving to Mexico, and vital scientist are headed for Europe.

But this is all Biden's fault, just ask him.
View attachment 119704

I predict the Supreme Court will side with Trump on the issue of LGBTQ individuals in the military, as well as on the matter of activist district court judges interfering with the executive branch. These two victories will likely cap off his first year, and I believe they’ll happen soon.

The tariff challenge will be another interesting decision.

 

[AngelSpeaks]

https://www.axios.com/2025/05/08/trump-britain-trade-deal-tariffs-keir-starmer